basketball scientist

Returning to Los Angeles with a score of 2:0, the vast majority of Lakers fans are optimistic that the team will advance to the second round. There are even overconfident fans who are already discussing whether the team can win two home games in a row and complete the 4:0 run.

Sweep.

Even with the super strong lineup of f4 last season, the Lakers did not complete the sweep throughout the playoffs. The Rockets 4:1 in the first round, and the second round and the Western Conference Finals were all with a big score of 4:2.

Killed the Spurs and Timberwolves.

The sixth in the Western Conference is playing the third in the Western Conference, and they are actually discussing whether they can sweep it. On the one hand, it shows that the Lakers have a huge advantage now, and on the other hand, the Lakers fans are really confused.

Of course, it’s okay for fans to be upset, but not for players! Ke Yan entrusted Monty Williams to help provide psychological counseling to the players. He would also beat them with a black face from time to time during training, reminding them that the series is not over yet, and this round of the series will be careless.

No!

Ke Yan's worry is not unreasonable. Last season, the Magic had a 3:1 lead in the playoffs but were overturned by the Pistons. A 2:0 advantage was nothing.

He tried his best to suppress some of the restless emotions within the team, but not everything was under his control.

And these things that he couldn't do, got a concentrated explosion in the opening stage of G3 in Los Angeles! The Lakers fell into a great passivity from the beginning, and the interior defense was completely lost. The key to winning the first two games.

The extremely mobile interior defense is gone.

Ridnour and Ray Allen continuously found opportunities in the mid-range through pick-and-rolls to make easy shots. Anderson and Odom suddenly couldn't keep up on the defensive end!

If it's just Odom who is abnormal, Ke Yan can understand. This guy has a big aunt from time to time. If he catches up with this game, he should not be allowed to play. But this season, Anderson's performance has been relatively stable.

l. After scoring a double-double in the first game of the playoffs, some media were already clamoring to give him a contract extension, but then he turned around and acted abnormally. This is so fucking weird!

Moreover, the performance of the two people is not that they look down on the SuperSonics and their defense is careless, but more of the "softness", "slowness" and "weakness" exposed in their bodies!

If the other players were not in normal condition, Ke Yan would have suspected that the team was poisoned!

Not only on the defensive end, Odom's performance was also abnormal on the offensive end. He couldn't push back on counterattacks, was unreliable in covering and blocking, and his shots were off the mark. As an important fulcrum in Ke Yan's tactics, he was replaced by Ke Yan before the official timeout.

!

Anderson played one minute more than him, and when the official timeout came, he was also replaced by Diop.

"Chris, what's wrong with you? Why is your health so bad?"

People make mistakes and horses make mistakes. It's not like Ke Yan can't accept players' abnormal performance, but there should be a limit, right? The performances of Odom and Anderson were not like their usual selves at all, as if they were high on drugs.

"I...I'm sorry, coach." Anderson seemed to want to defend something, but he still took back what he wanted to say?

"Did you go to a nightclub yesterday?" Ke Yan's face turned very ugly. tmd you went to a nightclub the day before the playoffs. You two are also talented people!

Anderson's eyes were a little dodgeful, but he couldn't avoid it after all, so he had to put on a casual look: "We're just going to relax~"

You all know what athletes mean by going to nightclubs to relax and unwind!

Judging from the weak state of their legs, they must have stayed up all night, and there was a high probability that they would even knock!

Key Yan took a breath of cold air, and his face immediately turned ugly. He stared at the two people angrily for a long time, until Odom was so stunned that he drank from his tactics, and Anderson lowered his head.

"You should reflect on it yourself!"

If Ke Yan is still with the Lakers next season, he and Odom will definitely be the second choice. This guy has disobeyed discipline more than once. But now, he is about to leave, and he has no position to say this, leaving it to the Philippines

Jackson has a headache!

All Ke Yan can do is to prevent Odom and Anderson from reappearing in this game and continue to be embarrassed!

In a sense, the Lakers' style of play is somewhat restrained by the Sonics. Part of the reason is because of the inside partnership of "Anderson Odom". They are very mobile and can support Ke Yan's defensive arrangement of attacking from the outside. At the same time, they are super

The Sonics do not have a strong inside line, nor do they have fast and agile guards to target them. The advantages of this inside pairing are magnified, while the shortcomings are hidden!

Without Anderson and Odom, Ke Yan had to use Diop, who had lost playing time in this series, to play the center position. He had to replace Barnes in advance and take the power forward position. He had no choice but to give up directly. It took a long time to get into shape.

The small lineup of "House-Finley-Kobe-Butler-Odom" had a great impact on tactical planning.

McMillan doesn't know what medicine Ke Yan is selling in the gourd when he removes Odom and Anderson, but McMillan understands the principle of "killing you while you are sick". If Diop can't be used on the defensive end, the Sonics can't get out.

Expanded the lead.

The point difference widened all the way. In the second half of the second quarter, the Lakers were still playing the inside combination of Diop and Cook. At this time, the point difference had reached 19 points. The fans at the scene finally realized that something was wrong.

Dom and Anderson seem to have been abandoned!

"This was a very strange game. The Lakers suddenly lost their fighting spirit at home. There seemed to be some problems in the team's locker room. Chris and Lamar were put on the bench and never played again! Other players seemed to have the same problem.

Affected, performance declined. Could it be that something happened somewhere we can't see?" Commentator Wilson said with some helplessness. A game that should have made Lakers fans rejoice suddenly became like this. As a commentator,

It’s also puzzling.

During the halftime break, Anderson took the initiative to apologize to Ke Yan and offered to help the team in the second half, even as a substitute!

"I am a person who manages the team. I don't look at what you say, only what you do! You can go to a nightclub during the playoffs and have a night before the game. Now you tell me that you want to help

Team, you are worthy of saying this!" Ke Yan directly rejected Anderson with a firm tone.

The morale of the entire team has been very low due to these two guys! The direction of the entire series is uncertain now. If you tell me you admit your mistake now, it will be a shame!

In the second half of the game, Ke Yan mobilized his troops. Brian Cook played as the starting fourth position partner with Diop.

Diop comes on the stage, giving Diop some breathing time.

Maybe he was a little relaxed after taking a big lead, and he really didn't expect Kobe to be so tenacious. The SuperSonics, which had gone too far, were once closed to 9 points by the Lakers with 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, which made the Lakers watch.

It's possible to overtake.

It's a pity that the difference of 9 points in 2 minutes seems within reach, but it is difficult to reach the sky. Kobe tried his best, but still failed to regain these points. In the end, the Lakers lost 106:113 at home and lost the team.

The first home game of the playoffs. The big score between the two teams came to 2:1.

Even though he scored 45 points on his own, it was still difficult for the team to lose. Kobe returned to the locker room with a straight face. The atmosphere in the entire locker room became extremely solemn, as if it was the Lakers who were lagging behind in the playoffs!

Because their own reasons caused extremely serious consequences, although Anderson and Odom looked calm on their faces, they were inevitably a little panicked deep inside. Once the incident was exposed, it was impossible to say that it would not have a negative impact on them.

Especially Anderson, unlike Odom, who has a big contract in his hand, has no worries about food and clothing, and has money that he can't spend all his life. This season is very critical for him!

Ke Yan handles things loosely on the outside and tight on the inside. He knows the importance of "protecting the locker room". If the media gets first-hand information at this time and hypes it up, the team's playoff journey will be over!

There was no need for Kupchak to remind him that Ke Yan kept silent when facing the media. When faced with the question of "why Odom and Anderson didn't get playing time," he just used "status issues" to explain it away without mentioning anything.

Specific reasons.

This is not only to protect the team's atmosphere from outside influence, but also to objectively protect Odom and Anderson.

Ke Yan was submissive externally, taking most of the responsibility himself, and struck hard internally, directly imposing heavy penalties on Odom and Anderson, including "one-game suspension and five-day training suspension."

When Kupchak heard the news, he was stunned for a moment, then reacted, "Are you crazy?"

There are only five insiders in total. If two are discarded, who else can you use?

"I'm not crazy!" Ke Yan looked at him with certainty, "I just want everyone to know that at any time, the word 'laker' on the front of the jersey is greater than the name on the back of the jersey!"

After saying that, Ke Yan stood up, turned around and left Kupchak's office!

Kupchak behind him was stunned. Ke Yan was really ruthless. Although it was necessary to standardize discipline and intimidate the players, it would be too much to use Odom at the critical moment of the playoffs...

..Don’t you know how to adapt?

This is the playoffs!

If there is any good in this series, Ke Yan will easily be labeled as "ignorant" and boycotted by some stars with messy private lives!

However, Ke Yan is so insistent that unless Jerry Buss changes coaches and removes him as acting head coach, Odom and Anderson will not be included in the game roster for the G4 game!

Jerry Buss cannot afford the risk of changing coaches before the game. Therefore, in the G4 game, the person standing as the head coach of the Lakers is still Ke Yan. He made a change in this game. Finley replaced Butler.

In the starting lineup, Barnes serves as the starting power forward, and Diop is the center.

The team was short of manpower, and Ke Yan put Butler back into the sixth man position, requiring him to better drive his teammates in the rotation. Players including Delfino and Medvedenko who had not played much before were originally

He also made full preparations for each game.

Although there are many difficulties in front of him, Ke Yan is not as pessimistic as the outside world shows. The loss in g3 was more of an accident. Anderson and Odom, two "undercovers", caught Ke Yan off guard and the team fell behind in the first half.

19 points! But at the end of the game, the point difference was 7 points. In other words, after Ke Yan responded, the Lakers recovered 12 points. There was a factor of "carelessness" on the part of the SuperSonics, but the Lakers reacted

It is also true that he can handle this Sonics team.

If Odom and Anderson had exploded three hours earlier, giving Ke Yan time to react, who would have won?

Jerome James won the jump ball and the game officially began.

Ridnour dribbled the ball toward the Lakers' half. Behind him, Ray Allen and Lewis ran to the baseline, like two black wolves, fast and agile.

Barnes replaces Odom as the power forward, and is slightly more maneuverable than the latter. His body is closer to Lewis. Except for being slightly shorter, he can completely bite Lewis. The latter catches the ball and carries Barnes with his back.

Enns, both of them fought with all their strength.

After the third collision, Lewis made a flexible back turn and passed Barnes. Diop was unable to cover up, and Lewis easily broke into the basket and scored a dunk.

After all, he is an All-Star player and can be defended by a player with a minimum salary. This All-Star player is too worthless!

The Lakers attacked and the ball was flying from the outside. Barnes passed the ball sideways to Kobe's hands.

The ball was spinning in his hands, and people were already running forward. Kobe took a step forward, ignoring Ray Allen who was still pinching his waist and clinging to him, and forcefully cut into the three-second zone in front of him.

It's the huge body of Jerome James, with Ray Allen next to him, and Radmanovic has already posted on the right.

Kobe exerted force on one foot, jumped up diagonally, leaped into the air, faced the big net woven by six hands in the air, and held the ball out of the basket. With a flick of his wrist, the ball flicked up, carrying

That graceful arc fell towards the basket.

"Whoa!" At the Staples Center, all the Lakers fans cheered for the "god" in their hearts!

Instead of retreating immediately, the Lakers directly launched a full-court attack in the frontcourt, catching the SuperSonics off guard again. Ridnour's pass was intercepted by Barnes, who did not pass the ball immediately but moved forward on his own.

After taking it to the free throw line, the situation suddenly became clear.

Only Jerome James chose to squat in the SuperSonics basket to protect the frame. With no one in front of him, Barnes took a jumper directly from the free throw line and hit it!

If you are slightly inferior to the opponent in terms of strength, you have to defeat the opponent tactically! In the next round of defense, the Lakers continued to press and defend frantically on the outside. The SuperSonics once again experienced "slow operation" and wasted a lot of offense.

After the time expired, Lewis reluctantly took a shot and failed to hit. Diop held Jerome James and protected the rebound.

"Forced" to use a small lineup to face the Sonics, the Lakers instead used ultra-high-intensity "outside pressure" to catch the Sonics off guard. The Sonics lacked someone who could stably play the ball under high-intensity pressure defense.

, Ridnour is short in stature, and his vision is limited after being double-teamed. Ray Allen is not good at "controlling luck", and Lewis's dribbling is also not good. He was hit on the "cover", and the Sonics made mistakes again and again.

The Lakers took full advantage of their speed and impact and stopped the SuperSonics with an 11:2 start.

When the players returned to the bench, the audience burst into applause. This beautiful start made all Staples fans excited. Ke Yan even gave the players high-fives one by one, recognizing their efforts!