In fact, whether it is the tactical system of last season or the newly determined Princeton tactics this season, the Blazers' offensive model is centered on the inside.
To put it simply, it relies on the offensive threat inside to attract opponents to double-team, and then allows outside players to get open shots. The difference is that last season’s tactics required Wang Zelin to support a lot of low-post singles, while Princeton needed him to expand the scope of the offense.
Limited to low position.
In history, the only team that truly brought Princeton's tactics to its peak was the Kings at the beginning of the century. Therefore, when subsequent teams learned from Princeton's tactics, they were inevitably influenced by the Kings.
However, even a master tactician like Simawicz never thought of completely replicating King Princeton. Not only because the Spurs do not have Chris Webber, it is difficult to use this tactic to the heights of the Kings, but more importantly, they
With Tim Duncan, they need a Princeton team with Spurs characteristics rather than a complete replica of the Kings.
In the same way, as the season progresses, both the players and the coaching staff of the Trail Blazers have learned and understood Princeton more and more deeply, and they have gradually formed their own characteristics instead of pure imitation.
After all, those who learn from me will live, and those who resemble me will die.
The Trail Blazers played Princeton, which was not as dependent on stars as last season, but it also did not reach the level of everyone in the Kings era.
In fact, to put it bluntly, it is a matter of efficiency. The real Princeton system is more suitable for teams without superstars and at the same time requiring high personal ability of players.
Because a team with superstars can often rely on one or two people to rely on simple and efficient singles to solve all the problems on the field quite roughly. For example, the Lakers OK combination, which was the same generation as King Princeton, plays like a star.
A representative of the whole collection.
Also, all superstars have their own pride and quirks. They are not willing to give up the ball or have inside players mention the top of the arc or the high post as a starting point for tactics.
Therefore, the Trail Blazers chose to integrate Princeton's tactical thinking into their team's offensive system and go their own way. The reason is that they have an All-Star-level inside combination of Wang Zelin and Aldridge.
Wang Zelin is excellent in support, shooting, and low-post singles. He can actually take on the work that Webb was responsible for in the Kings at his peak. Aldridge is different. His offensive firepower far exceeds that of Vladi Divac, but his support awareness and court insight
And his passing ability is not as good as the latter.
Therefore, there is absolutely no need for Terry Stotts to let the team sacrifice its strengths and weaknesses. Since the Trail Blazers don't have two inside support points like the Kings, he can just focus on Wang Zelin for one point.
What Aldridge should do before remains the same now. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Trail Blazers have talented offensive firepower inside. The only thing Terry Stotts needs to do is to fully utilize this advantage of the team.
show out.
…
From the beginning of the game, Wang Zelin focused on Nowitzki. On the defensive end, he took the initiative to switch defenses with Aldridge. On the offensive end, he kept thinking about mismatch attacks.
But in this quarter, the old driver had a great touch, and he couldn't make any shots. Even though Wang Zelin's defense was already in place, he was still beaten by his opponent 3 of 4, including a difficult long two-point Golden Rooster, which tied the score 2 1 !
The old driver scored 7 points in a single quarter with a 75% shooting rate.
While Wang Zelin was annoyed, he became more determined to develop an unbeatable mid-range shot through hard training (or cheating).
You don't see many players who rely on their bodies to earn a living. In their peak years, they performed superbly in the league, but in their twilight years, they can only bounce around in multiple teams, living up to their former glory.
And for a small number of superstars who chose to transform from physical to technical early on, in the twilight years of their careers, they were still thriving in the league.
Whether it is the previous "big ball" era or the future "small ball" era, facts have proven that the CIC is still the most lethal weapon in the league.
The mid-range shot is not only a must-have standard weapon for super giants, but also the only weapon that allows them to defend their dignity in front of talented young players in the later years of their careers when their physical functions have seriously declined.
Just like Dirk Nowitzki now!
Until the end of the first half, the Portland Trail Blazers, who were considered to be significantly stronger, did not lead the opposing Dallas Mavericks by much, only leading by 1 point, 51:50.
The reason is very simple. The first half became King Nuo's performance time, because during this period, King Nuo played 20 minutes, made 8 of 11 shots, 3 of 3 free throws, and scored 19 points extremely efficiently. By the way, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Among the 11 shots, except for one ball-free layup and one tip-in under the basket, in the other 9 shots, King Nuo never stepped into the paint area.
The closer you are to the basket, the higher your shooting percentage. This is a wise saying in the basketball world.
But today, Nowitzki used one unsolvable mid-range killer move after another to help the Mavericks cling to the score.
While Wang Zelin was puzzled, he felt even more admiration in his heart, as did the home fans in the stands of the Rose Garden Arena.
At the end of halftime, when the two teams entered the break, Nowitzki was greeted by a large number of fans as he walked back to the locker room from the tunnel.
At this moment, everyone seemed to have forgotten the conflicts and unhappiness before the game. What they saw was a veteran relying on his unyielding fighting spirit to fight fiercely with the Blazers, who had an obviously younger and more powerful lineup. It took half time, but still did not fall behind.
This is the last passion of a veteran. Perhaps the boss's own problems should not be raised to the players...
Nowitzki and King Nowitzki once again impressed an away stadium with his superb mid-range shooting skills and pure desire to win.
Basketball should be pure.
…
Home dressing room.
Terry Stotts saw Wang Zelin return to the locker room without saying a word until now, thinking that this proud young man was dampened by Nowitzki's mid-range shot.
How can this be done?
He hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him: "Wang, don't think too much. For more than ten years, Dirk's Golden Rooster has killed countless games and confused countless excellent defenders. In fact, there is no need for you to blame yourself. You
It’s been done very well.”
Wang Zelin raised his head in confusion: What the hell? Why am I blaming myself!
However, when he saw the caring look on his coach's face, he suddenly understood: "Coach, in your mind, am I just a person who gives in easily?"
Then without waiting for Tristos to answer, he continued: "In the second half, I will continue to defend Dirk! Don't worry, coach, I'm not that fragile. If you want to defeat me, 19 points is not enough!"
Feeling the firmness and confidence in Wang Zelin's words, Terry Stotts was startled for a moment, then smiled: "That's good!"
It seems that I have overthought it. This kid is not as simple as I thought. He is very tenacious!
In fact, Wang Zelin performed very well in tonight's game. He made 7 of 9 shots and 3 of 5 free throws in the first half. Not only did he score 17 points, but his shooting percentage was higher than Nowitzki's.
It's just that at the age of 35, Germany's tank, with the young, energetic and defensively strong No. 36 of the Trail Blazers, scored an astonishing 19 points in the half, which moved the outside world even more.
Therefore, it created a situation where one seemed to be the only one in the first half; in fact, it was tit-for-tat between the two heroes.
The Mavericks are also aware of this.
Away locker room.
The Mavericks players looked at No. 41 with admiration in their eyes. This 35-year-old "old guy" once again conquered all his teammates.
The king's style remains the same, and there is still a lot of oil in the tank of the German tank.
From a historical perspective, this is indeed the case.
Nowitzki, who is 35 years old this season, behaves like Tim Duncan who completely completed the transformation of the Spurs in 2012. His performance on the court can be called a return to his youth.
This year Nowitzki's average playing time with the Mavericks is only about one minute more than last season, but his on-court performance and offensive efficiency have suddenly improved.
Not only did he return to the 20th club in the league in terms of scoring, but his overall shooting percentage was as high as 49.7%. His scoring was only 3 points less than the MVP season in the 2006-07 season, and his shooting percentage was only 0.5% less.
Both the Mavericks and Nowitzki have actually been on the decline since winning the championship in 2011. The difference is that Nowitzki's condition is far from a cliff-like decline.
Wang Zelin knows very well that even two years later in the 2015-16 season, Nowitzki, who is two years older, still plays more than 30 minutes and can steadily contribute 18 points and 6.5 rebounds.
It wasn't until the 16-17 season that this veteran really ushered in his cliff-like decline stage.
At that time, he was already 38 years old!
While admiring him, Wang Zelin couldn't help but sigh: Whether it's Kobe, Duncan or Nowitzki, although these old guys are old, they still have a certain degree of deterrence on the court.
He couldn't help but think too much, because these three old fritters were all in the west!
If you're in the east, you should worry about Thunderbolus.
Since he came to this time and space, the development trajectory of the NBA in this world has gradually changed from the NBA in memory.
The reason why people resist unknown things is because they are worried that the unknown will affect their own interests.
But Wang Zelin is not afraid at all!
He even wished that the NBA would have stronger players and greater changes in the future.
Because no matter how strong others are, Wang Zelin will never be as strong... This is a level of self-confidence.
I’m really looking forward to what the NBA will look like in the future!
However, the most important thing right now is to win this game first.
German tank, let me see how much stock you still have in your fuel tank!
…
Come back in the second half.
The two sides changed sides and fought again.
Looking up, Wang Zelin smiled. As expected, Nowitzki continued to play.
Back at halftime.
"Dirk, do you want to continue?"
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle asked.
Judging from his original intention, he did not want Nowitzki to continue to hold on, as this was not cost-effective.
Nowitzki, who is one year older this season, has more playing time than less. Although his playing style is more toward the outside and he is not as prone to injuries as traditional inside players, no one can be sure of the actual development.
Playing against the Trail Blazers is different from other teams, both in terms of difficulty and the requirements for players' competitive status, are higher than at other times.
That's why Rick Carlisle asked this question... Of course, he knew very well that the man in front of him already had his own answer.
"why not?"
Nowitzki asked back, with a contagious smile on his face.
This is the kind of smile that remains unchanged even after seeing the clouds rise and fall.
Facing a familiar smile, it was difficult for Rick Carlisle to say "NO!"
In the end, he had to agree with Nowitzki's choice.
Return to the venue.
The Mavericks attacked first and fell into the low post.
Wang Zelin was carrying Nowitzki from behind and said with a smile: "Dirk, retire as soon as you get old. Are you really prepared to let Mark Cuban support you for the rest of your life?"
Rolling a glance at Wang Zelin, Nowitzki said: "It's not impossible. If Mark knew this idea, I think he would be very happy."
"..."
No, what does the pride you are showing mean?
Grass!
Well, Wang Zelin admitted that he did envy the friendship between Nowitzki and Cuban.
It is precisely because it is rare but rare that it is so precious in a commercial place like the NBA.
Seeing Nowitzki in such amazing form, Monta Ellis didn't act like a monster. He took the ball from Calderon, broke through two steps, got close to Nowitzki, and handed the ball over first.
After all, this is the driver's territory, and he still wants to make a living.
Nowitzki caught the ball and hit Wang Zelin in singles, while other players began to pull away.
Carter and Monta Ellis stood on the three-point line in the bottom corners on both sides. Point guard Calderon stood near a 45-degree angle on the right wing to respond. Dejuan Blair, who came on the bench, blocked Aldridge in the short corner area on the left wing, ready to play at any time.
Be prepared to rebound.
"Wang, please guess how many points I will get on your head tonight."
At this time, there were still 14 seconds left in the attack time. Nowitzki was not in a hurry and even made fun of Wang Zelin.
"Hey, Dirk, don't be too optimistic, don't forget that you are the one lagging behind." Wang Zelin looked unhappy.
At this time, Wang Zelin began to miss Howard very much. Compared with this old mid-range monster, Howard's three-axe attack of the happy beast was much more fun.
He gradually understood Chairman Yao's joy in eating, sleeping and playing World of Warcraft, and he also understood Chairman Yao's pain when facing Jazz Boozer.
At this time, Nowitzki suddenly changed from facing the frame to playing from behind. Just as Wang Zelin was about to take a step forward, the former turned around, turned over and shot a jumper.
Everything was so unexpected!
Wang Zelin didn't even have time to react when he shouted "a plant". The sound of a basketball falling into the bag could be heard behind him.
In fact, he couldn't defend him even if he wanted to. The Golden Rooster's independent move was really too damaging. Every defender would inevitably be frightened when faced with it. Maybe he would accidentally...
"Now you are lagging behind!"
After scoring the goal, King Nuo shrugged and said with a proud smile.
I don't know why, but as he got older and faced off against some young people with unlimited potential, Nowitzki looked forward to seeing the young people's surprised expressions when they defended desperately but could only watch him score the ball.
It can be said that this is a kind of bad taste, but he never tires of it.