Although the Warriors lost, Curry, who returned from injury, performed well and scored 38 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Of course, Nowitzki and Terry on the opposite side also played great.
The Warriors lost, and at the post-game press conference, reporters once again started carnival mode:
"What is the main reason why the Warriors lost?"
"Defense, we have a big problem on the defensive end, which makes it very easy for the opponent to score."
"Why is this happening?"
"My reason." Deng Fang answered simply: "There are some changes in our defense, and the players are not used to it yet."
this……
They didn't shirk the blame at all, so what else do you say?
"Why did Curry and Azubuike come back so quickly?"
"When they are well, of course they will come back!"
"Doesn't it stand to reason that Azubuike has to wait for a while before he can come back?"
"His surgeon is very good, and we have the best medical team in the world, which makes Azubuike's recovery very fast!"
It’s not my fault anyway!
Even if it’s credit, I don’t want it!
When Deng Fang said this, it was difficult for reporters to continue asking questions.
Don’t you want people to get better as soon as possible?
They just get better quickly, do you have any opinions on this?
However, the opportunity for a slap in the face should not be missed:
"Is the Warriors' previous winning streak due to good luck?"
"Partly, but mainly because of our strength."
"Your 11-game winning streak has ended, and your No. 1 position in the Western Conference has been surrendered. What do you think of this?"
"Only when a winning streak ends can we start the next winning streak! We will be No. 1 in the Western Conference soon, so don't worry!"
"How many points can you win against the Spurs next time?"
"At least 30 points."
Well, not bad, it still tastes the same!
The familiar Deng Fang is back!
"As a rookie head coach, what do you think of Spurs head coach Popovich?"
"He is a magical coach. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the number one head coach in NBA history." Deng Fang replied: "But that was before. After I came, he could only be ranked second!"
Okay, it’s confirmed, the familiar Deng Fang is really back!
…
The game against the Spurs was back-to-back, the next day.
After the game, the entire Warriors team flew to San Antonio.
Through this game against the Mavericks, the Warriors discovered many problems.
Ron Adams brought some changes to the team's defensive end, which had been practiced in training before.
When it comes to actual competitions, there are still many problems.
Whether it's a mule or a horse, it has to be pulled out for a ride.
It wasn’t until the ride was over that I realized where the problem was.
Once you find the problem, it's easy to talk about it, and then you solve it.
After all, defense mainly depends on tacit understanding, just do it a few times.
On the plane, the Warriors coaching staff and a group of players met again to analyze the video and find out the specific problems.
After all, it's just some details, and there are no big changes overall.
That's easy to say.
In particular, veterans Laga Bell and Prince taught by words and deeds, and constantly communicated with Curry and others. Everyone quickly understood the position on the court, when to switch defenses, and what to do when covering up defense.
The most important thing in defense is communication.
Only when everyone has the same idea can they cooperate and form a whole.
At 7 pm on November 25th, the game between the Warriors and the Spurs begins.
The Spurs' starting five are Duncan, Parker, Richard Jefferson, McDyess and Bogans.
The main personnel on the bench are Roger Mason, George Hill, Bonner and Michael Finlay.
Ginobili missed this game due to injury, which is a big problem for the Spurs.
The Spurs' three-man outside defense is okay. Bogans is a weakened version of the 3D player who is strong in defense and weak in attack. Richard Jefferson is slightly better. On the offensive end, he relies more on openings to score points. On the defensive end, he does not suffer from body type and speed.
Even Parker has no problem defending Curry.
The main problem with the Spurs' lineup is that the inside men are too old.
Duncan is 33 years old, and McDyess is older than him, 35 years old!
The back line is not bad, Parker is 27 years old, Richard Jefferson and Bogans are both 29 years old, so there is no problem.
By this time, Duncan's main role was on the defensive end, and he could no longer become the team's main scorer on the offensive end.
McDyess has never been good at scoring.
When meeting other teams, the Spurs' inside combination is no problem.
After all, the defense is very good.
But it won’t work against the Warriors!
Lopez of the Warriors can be both inside and outside, often coming to the three-point line to shoot three-pointers.
Prince is originally the No. 3 player, and if he plays the No. 4 position, his speed advantage is huge.
Duncan and McDyess defend well on the inside, but not on the outside.
There is no way, the two of them are not good at speed in the first place, and their speed becomes even slower as they get older.
It would be fine if the two of them could pose a threat to the Warriors on the offensive end, but the problem is that they can't.
That’s trouble!
Prince is standing outside the three-point line. Duncan, can you come out?
If you don’t come out, I’ll really vote!
come out?
When you come out, it will be empty!
Curry and Lopez pick and roll, can McDyess come up?
If Curry doesn’t come up, he’ll shoot if he raises his hand!
Come up?
If you don’t make a decisive move, I’ll still vote!
Come up very decisively?
Then Big Lopez is empty, vote for him!
Switch defense?
Sorry, with McDyess's speed, Curry can easily break through without accelerating at full speed!
Parker's defense is not bad, but he is only at the middle level. He is shorter than Curry. As long as Lopez blocks him, Curry can take bold shots with confidence!
Of course, the Spurs can also help defend.
But the Warriors have five guns on the perimeter!
If you help defend me, I will shoot open three-pointers!
Make up defense?
If the attack is too fierce, I will rush to the inside. If I don't dare to defend, I will continue to shoot!
The Warriors would shoot two shots from the outside, and someone would rush inside to score a few points. The Spurs' defense was constantly being torn apart by the Warriors.
Popovich called two timeouts in a row, but still couldn't solve the problem on the defensive end.
There is no way, this is a natural disadvantage in the lineup, and it is difficult for anyone to change it!
Fortunately, the Spurs' offense is okay.
Parker is very fast and has a solid mid-range shot. He and Duncan have a very good understanding of the pick-and-roll, making it difficult to defend.
Double-team Parker, pass the ball to Duncan and go straight to the basket.
Once there is help defending, Duncan can easily pass the ball to the open space on the outside.
The Spurs have used this tactic for many years, and everyone is very familiar with it.
You always have to choose a bottle of poison.
Deng Fang’s choice was to let go of Bogans!
Parker is at his peak, and he can kill people whether it's a breakthrough or a mid-range shot.
Although Duncan is old, it still doesn't work for him to go straight to the basket and score.
Richard Jefferson's three-pointers are pretty good. Besides, even if he is allowed to hit the basket, his physical fitness will be no problem.
The only thing that can be left is Bogans.
Bogans is good defensively, but his offensive end is relatively mediocre. He has three-pointers, but he is not a stable and productive shooter.
