Chapter 1209 The first battle of the teachers and students of the Spurs
After defeating the Timberwolves, the Lakers' record improved again, currently reaching 17 wins and 6 losses, with 6 consecutive wins, and the Western Conference rankings are also steadily advancing. Now that the season is a quarter over, the upper-tier group in the Western Conference has begun to take shape.
, the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, and Lakers formed the top zone. On December 11, U.S. time, the Toronto All-Star voting channel for the 15-16 season opened. The voting deadline is January 19 next year.
It is still the same as before, divided into frontcourt and backcourt. The center position is no longer included in the All-Star voting, so Tang Qian is naturally competing for the starting spot among the frontcourt players.
When the voting channel was opened in the early morning of that day, I immediately saw that the Lakers took the lead in voting No. 29. The NBA President's Office was still the same as before. Adam Silver shook his head and said: "We should weaken most of the votes in China, otherwise the vote gap will be too huge.
This will be a blow to the popularity of other players." The people below also agreed, because there is really no way to solve this situation. The popularity of the Internet on the other side of the ocean is already very high. If all are calculated, there is no suspense at all.
Therefore, we should follow the practice of the David Stern era, diluting the number of votes in China, or even counting only a fraction. This can be regarded as an NBA-style "local protection policy." But why do other international players
Why don't we have this "special treatment"? Alas, it's just because there are too many people in the Eastern Land.
Without dilution, it is possible to simply throw away the other players by several dimensions.
Yi Jianlian is a solid starter.
That kind of situation is not what the NBA league office wants to see. And Adam Silver also feels that this is not particularly good for Tang Qian, because it will make Tang Qian a public enemy of the league, and the level of hostility will skyrocket in an instant. In the market across the ocean,
He also attaches great importance to it, and Tang Qian has now entered one of his "protection plans". So he will give it some thought.
However, the interests of the alliance still come first.
This game is still a live broadcast across the United States, and ESPN even puts it on TV because both teams are very strong. The San Antonio Spurs play against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the audience's expectations are also high. The current ranking is that the Spurs are ranked in the Western Conference.
Second, after a sluggish start, the Lakers have now begun to make a strong recovery. A wave of six consecutive victories has brought them back to the top of the Western Conference.
Moreover, they are obviously not satisfied with the fourth position.
What about San Antonio? Their introduction of All-Star center Aldridge from the original Trail Blazers this season has achieved remarkable results, and their record has improved all the way. Compared with last year's old state, this season's core transformation seems to be very successful. Many people think that this season's
The Spurs will be one of the favorites to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Excellent chemical reaction and team effect have always been the hallmarks of this team, and this season is no exception. His playing time has dropped significantly, but his shooting percentage has reached a career high. Coupled with the high record, Aldridge said that he is also very happy.
He feels that the Spurs are the strongest this season and will not be worse than anyone else.
The game is at the Spurs' home court, starting on time at 7 p.m.
The Spurs have a lineup of LaMarcus Aldridge + Kawhi Leonard + Duncan + Danny Green + Parker, which is quite balanced. The Lakers are still the same, Tang Qian + Bosh + Ariza.
+ Butler + Rondo. Before the game, Popovich shook hands and talked with his teacher Larry Brown, seemingly welcoming the latter back to the NBA. As for what the two said after that, it is unknown.
Anyway...it's probably not a good thing to say.
It's true that the two people have a teacher-student relationship, but when it comes to the game, they each rely on their own abilities. Popovich has already practiced it over the years. The so-called teacher-student is no longer in terms of strength but only in name.
"Los Angeles Lakers VS San Antonio Spurs, this is a focused battle, what do you two think?" ESPN 1 host Rachel asked.
"I support the Spurs."
"I think Spurs will have the last laugh."
"I think the Lakers could win."
Now it is difficult for ESPN to criticize Tang Qian in terms of strength, so it starts from the team and team aspects. This is not the first step of Tang Qian. From a long time ago, any star who did not lead his team to win the championship
, will be attacked in this way. Even the greatest "basketball god" Michael Jordan was not immune before 1991.
So the best way is to wait until you win the Larry O'Brien Cup and then fight back publicly. This is the most relieving and powerful way.
Of course, the Spurs are also very strong this season, otherwise they will not be able to sit second in the Western Conference.
After Aldridge joined, the Spurs quickly completed the transformation of the inside core. At the beginning of this season, the "GDP combination" also began to retreat behind the scenes to make way for the era of Leonard and Aldridge. The new inside and outside combination, look at
It looks really beautiful. At least Tang Qian now feels that the Spurs will be stronger for another seven or eight years in the future.
After saying hello to Duncan, the latter said with regret: "Tang, it's a pity that you didn't come to San Antonio. We are really a team suitable for you." Tang Qian knew that he had signed a contract this year.
At that time, the "pursuit" of the Spurs was the most intense, so he also smiled and replied: "Unfortunately, Tim, my final choice is still the Lakers. They have not done anything to apologize to me, and I will not leave easily."
.Just like you."
"Do you really want to own a city?" When Duncan saw Tang Qian renewing his contract with the Lakers, he finally understood that this was not a joke on the 29th. He was really different from those young stars of the new era. He was playing for real.
"Yes, Tim. So I'm sorry, but I don't plan to leave Los Angeles." Tang Qian answered truthfully.
"That's fine." Duncan's eyes flickered a few times: "In this era, there is also a shortage of people with an attitude like yours. Come on."
Seeing that Duncan gave up soliciting, Tang Qian nodded: "Yes, I will, just wait for me in front."
Duncan was stunned and suddenly understood the meaning of No. 29. He was talking about...historical status.
It is not easy to compare other things with location, but it is possible to compare historical status, and it must be compared together to be meaningful.
He is now firmly in the top ten in history, so it is self-evident what Tang Qian means.
However, Dongfang boy, it is not so easy to get into the top ten in history. If you cannot become a star among stars in history, it will be difficult for you to reach this position. Look at the recognized top ten in history, how many of them are good?
How many names are not as good as Lei Guaner? In fact, even the top twenty in history are all great gods from all eras. If just one of these people comes out and returns to the top, it will disrupt the entire league's competition pattern.
Only in this way can he be called a historical star.
Duncan knows that his honor will basically be sealed, but he doesn't think Tang Qian can enter the top ten so easily. Because it is very simple, in the top ten level, in addition to a large amount of career honor accumulation, the championship is also an undeniable hard indicator.
.Without this, your data will be useless. If Chamberlain did not have those two rings, would he be able to break into the top ten or even the top five? The data cannot be exaggerated.
Basketball is a scoring game, but also a winning game. There is never anything more glorious for a loser than a winner.
That is not a characteristic of competitive sports.
"Okay, I'll wait for you in front. I hope you won't keep us waiting too long."
"Don't worry, Tim, I'll make your anus tighten." Tang Qian joked.
Seeing Duncan and Tang Qianyan chatting happily, Aldridge walked up to Leonard and asked: "They have a good relationship?"
Leonard looked up at Aldridge, and after a long while he said dullly: "Yeah."
Well, asking Leonard isn't asking for trouble, he is a real dull gourd. Forget it.
When the ball begins, Aldridge has excellent overall abilities, but his jumping and speed are obviously not his strong points. In this kind of ball competition, he basically has a greater chance of losing. However, the Spurs have never cared about this kind of thing, so the Lakers
It doesn't matter if the team gets the first offensive right. Just defend well.
The Lakers' offense was blocked by the Spurs in the first wave. The team's execution was terrible. Butler's shot was almost blocked. Aldridge also changed on the offensive end. Why did he come to the Spurs?
His shooting percentage suddenly increased to a career high? You must know that he has had a shooting percentage of more than 40% for many seasons before, and it has been decreasing year by year, getting worse and worse. This has something to do with the decline in his physical fitness. Naturally, he is getting worse as he gets older.
Physical function decline will occur, and no one can avoid it. Therefore, he became increasingly unpopular with the Trail Blazers.
The management felt that he should be traded because his shooting percentage and efficiency were declining year by year.
There is no need for them to bet their future on an increasingly weakened All-Star insider. Young people are the new choice.
But when he came to the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge was suddenly dismissed. Popovich's training made him feel a sense of enlightenment. For example, Duncan after a serious injury that year, has been
He slowly lost his personal dominance around the beginning of the 21st century, but how did he do it? The simple word "Flow" means "flow", "coherence", "gushing" and "continuous". All of a sudden,
Aldridge is just like Duncan back then, freed from a large number of individual singles and stagnant attacks. He reduces brute force confrontation and physical exertion, relies more on space movement, and uses a lot of tactical cover and tactical air-cutting movements, etc.
Playing basketball. Of course, this cannot be accomplished by one person. It requires a team and a system to support it. Teams like the Trail Blazers naturally do not have such capital, but well, the Spurs do.
That's why Aldridge suddenly reduced his playing time and hit a career high in field goal percentage. He plays more relaxedly, consumes less energy, and accumulates energy for the playoffs more scientifically. Coupled with the excellent locker room atmosphere, Aldridge said he is very happy
good.
The Spurs' offensive end uses a double inside line, that is, Duncan + Aldridge move vertically in the penalty area. This is to facilitate the team's short cuts at all times to support the movement of outside players. Leonard and Green quickly move from the left and right wings.
They constantly look for opportunities, coupled with Duncan and Aldridge's high-quality low-post support, causing many teams to mess up their defenses like this.
What about Parker at the top of the arc? Naturally, he is looking for opportunities to pass the ball.
But are the Lakers an ordinary team? This kind of tactical routine has been demonstrated by Larry Brown before, because the Spurs have been a strong team for so many years. If they don't practice for a while, they won't be able to take advantage of a sudden confrontation.
As a result, Duncan helped Leonard block the ball, but another Lakers player immediately rotated over, so Leonard did not get the shooting space he should have had.
Leonard broke through and had a physical confrontation with the rotating Butler. Butler's size meant that the former's stronger body could not take advantage of him. Leonard saw this and did not force the attack. He passed the ball.
It was given to Duncan. Duncan wanted to hit the hook, but was interfered with. Tang Qian's defense was quick, causing Duncan's ball to be greatly interfered. The basketball came out of the basket.
The Lakers protected the rebound and gave it to Rondo, and it suddenly became a slow tempo again.
The Spurs had already anticipated this, and after halftime, they opened up their formation to meet the Lakers' attack.
The Lakers also ran a pick-and-roll, but fell into the Spurs' defensive trap. Rondo was forced into Duncan's side. Duncan has been doing this for so many years, and this is all too familiar. He gave up the offensive end very early.
Unless necessary, he will serve as the core gatekeeper on the defensive end. Coupled with his excellent defensive positioning, the shooting rate of outside players who come to attack will be greatly reduced.
Can you believe it? Even in this final season, No. 21 of the Spurs is still the player with the highest number of blocks per game in the entire Spurs team. No one. If it were not for physical problems, his number of blocks would be even better. Rich.
Experience, outstanding defensive position judgment, and strong defensive pace adjustment allow him to often block shots without having to jump much.
Even if you can't cover it, it can also provide you with powerful defensive interference.
This old guy is really good. His career defensive WS is second only to Bill Russell.
There is a joke that even though Duncan is watching the excitement, his position is better than that of ordinary league insiders. This is evident.
And... since the Spurs made him the core of their defense, the team's defense has basically been among the top five in the league every year!
Please, this is not just one season or several seasons, but the data for more than ten years. The stability is terrible.
Rondo wanted to pass the ball but it was already too late, because the Spurs' defense was also very comprehensive. Not only did it force him in the direction of Duncan, but there were also people coming from behind him to form a double-team circle.
Too short. If he stops the ball in the low post with his height, the probability of making a mistake will increase dramatically.
Sure enough, Rondo made a mistake with the ball and barely passed it, but the quality was so poor that the receiver couldn't catch up and the basketball went out of the sideline.
The Spurs attack again.
Tactical movement, three-point shot from the bottom corner, when, missed, the Lakers ball.
When the Lakers passed the ball, the Spurs destroyed it. The Spurs attacked. Parker wanted to break quickly, but was temporarily suppressed by Rondo's high-speed return to defense. Parker stopped the ball and gave it to Leonard behind him. Leonard and
Green ran over to form a two-wing attack, but as soon as he went down, Lakers Ariza and Butler dispersed to the left and right in tacit understanding, one by one, without any hesitation. Leonard wanted to pass the ball again
The ball went out, but Rondo stretched out his long arm and quickly intercepted it. The Lakers also launched a quick defensive counterattack. Because the three players on the Spurs' side had passed by, two of them were too deep, so even if they had to return to defense,
Only the "French sports car" Parker could barely keep up. Neither Tang Qian nor Bosh from the Lakers came over. They were still in the Spurs' half. If they defended quickly and counterattacked, a 5-on-2 or 5-on-3 situation could be formed.
.
There is nothing wrong with Rondo's judgment.
The slow pace does not mean that you don’t play quick defensive counterattacks. It just means that you have to look for opportunities and don’t attack easily. Why miss the opportunity?
The Lakers were 5 on 3, and Parker still ran back. The Spurs' defensive quality is really good. Popovich's twenty years of consistent training is an advantage that the entire league cannot match. Lakers Rondo
He broke through the middle and passed the ball to Ariza who was coming down quickly from the right. Ariza took off and was about to dunk. His speed increased during the fast break. This is very common.
It's a pity that this ball was spotted by someone, and this person didn't jump too high because he couldn't jump anymore, so this ball was just a matter of timing and relying on his height and wingspan that won't be shrunk (at least not at this age)
, directly blocking the basket. Duncan's shot exceeded the Spurs' basket by about half a hand at most, and its bounce was definitely matchbox level... However, he blocked Ariza's shot.
Just like what we often see, this ball does not look like Duncan took the initiative to block the shot, but more like Ariza reaching out and pushing the basketball to find the shot. It is really weird, but it is a genuine block.
Who would have thought that Duncan would be obsolete, yet he is still the number one choice for rim protection in San Antonio, and no one can surpass him.
After this ball, Parker advanced to the frontcourt, took the top arc, and asked for a pick-and-roll to Green who came out from the left wing. Green held the ball, and Parker immediately moved away. The direction of running was to find a cover on the right side.
. This opened up space, and secondly, it increased the Spurs' right-side aggression. As expected, the Spurs passed the ball to Parker. Aldridge blocked the pursuer, and Parker received the ball and cut to the baseline, stealing the back door.
, to set the Lakers' backyard on fire. But this ball really waited for the Lakers defender to turn over, Parker passed the ball again, and the bottom line went directly to the bottom corner. Here stood Leonard preparing for a three-pointer. An ordinary team,
It would fall apart here, and the defensive system would not be able to keep up, but the Lakers could continue to operate, and Ariza pounced on it.
Leonard couldn't make the shot, but he ducked out of the way of Ariza and quickly switched to dribbling in from the corner.
The ball reached the low post and was about to be released. Bosh wanted to defend, but failed. He was blocked by Duncan. Leonard released the ball and the basketball flew high. Do the Spurs want to score first? No,
The ball was only halfway through the air when it was blocked by a big yellow hand. The basketball fell into the hands of Parker who was running. Parker wanted to take advantage of this to break through for a layup, but was blocked by Ariza who was rotating. Parker was strong.
Suddenly, the ball was shot, no, it was a fake shot and a real pass. The basketball was passed back to Aldridge who was coming from the other side.
The change in screen wall and cutting movement is one of Aldridge's biggest achievements in the Spurs.
In the past, with the Trail Blazers, such a style of play and system support would have been unthinkable.
Parker attracted Ariza and deliberately delayed the latter with his body when he landed, allowing Aldridge to easily score the goal. Aldridge of the Spurs chose to finish with a one-handed dunk. But he was about to hit the basket with the ball.
At the moment of the basket, he found that a hand also appeared on the Lakers' basket. It was very similar to Duncan's defense just now. But it had a higher coverage area, a larger blocking force and more power. To block the basket and block the shot, Tang Qian
After the ball defended Leonard, he immediately hit back and completed the basket sealing action before Aldridge dunked.
Bang~Aldridge's shot was also blocked.
Because the ball was blocked in the air and was not blocked, the basketball fell from the air and fell into Tang Qian's arms.
The Lakers gained the right to attack again.
Popovich saw here and had a new understanding of the Lakers this season. It seems that after being trained by his teacher, this team has no trace of last season. The strong defense and the stability of the system are eye-catching.
.
It deserves to be the best defensive team in the league, and it deserves to be a team coached by Mr. Larry Brown. It is awesome.
But we are not prepared to lose this game. Mr. Larry Brown, welcome back, let’s compete again.