basketball scientist

In February of each season, the AT&T Center, the home of the Spurs, needs to be commandeered as a local livestock show for about two weeks.

Therefore, during this period, the Spurs will embark on a wave of eight consecutive trips to the East, which is also a tradition of the Spurs.

Two weeks of traveling abroad, flying back and forth. It is a huge burden for both the players and the coaching staff. In other words, the Spurs are strong and can handle it. If you want to switch to the Eagles,

Help young people, if they can survive until the fourth game, they have good concentration, and they can basically give it away in the next four games!

There is no doubt that in eight consecutive away games, the Spurs' combat effectiveness will become weaker and the chances of picking up kills will be greater. However, the Hawks are a bit miserable. They are the Spurs' second opponent in the Eastern Conference, and they have caught up with almost all the opponents.

The Spurs are in hot shape.

In the long season, everyone has a "sweet schedule" and also has unlucky moments. What impressed Ke Yan most was that during the Rockets' 22-game winning streak, whoever they played was missing an All-Star. Nowitzki was suspended and West was injured.

, Gasol's injury and other things were all caught up by them, and they happened to catch up in that game, which really feels like a "destiny".

This game was also broadcast live on TNT across the United States, so the pre-game appearance was even grander than usual.

The new slam dunk champion Josh Smith and Duncan took off at the same time. When it came to jumping the ball, the two sides were not at the same level at all. Duncan touched the ball first with an absolute advantage and directly hit the ball into the hands of Parker in the backcourt.

Parker steadily controlled the ball and came to Paul. Paul took a step closer to Parker and opened his arms to prevent Parker from breaking through.

However, Parker had no intention of getting into a fight with Paul. When he saw Duncan leaning on Diaw on the inside and reaching for the ball, he immediately lobbed the ball in.

Diaw pushed Duncan from behind, but still couldn't hold Duncan back. After two collisions, Duncan jumped up and shot. The basketball passed Diaw's fingers and flew directly to the backboard, and then bounced into the basket.

"Every time he fights me, Duncan is like a god of war!" Ke Yan said to Han Bron beside him with a smile.

"But you are the coach in the league who is least afraid of the Spurs~" Hamblen patted Ke Yan twice to show encouragement.

Whether he is in the Hawks or the Lakers, Ke Yan has mid-range experts in his hands, and he is also good at arranging offensive tactics for them, and he can better attack the pain points of the Spurs' defensive system. In addition, Ke Yan is good at key balls.

He used one or two tricks to disrupt the Spurs' defense. He really seemed to be able to defeat the Spurs.

Paul dribbled the ball past half court, handed the ball to Diaw who was outside the three-point line, and then accelerated inside.

Parker did not dare to neglect and accelerated his retreat to interfere, but was separated by Paul's reverse run. Paul caught the ball outside the free throw line, pondered for a while, and shot from mid-range.

The move was done beautifully, but the ball didn't go in.

Oberto protected the rebound and handed the ball to Duncan in the face of an uphill grab. Duncan dribbled the ball in an attempt to contain the Eagles' defensive players, but saw his opponent directly return to defense after failing to grab Oberto in the first wave.

Didn't pay any attention to him at all.

"..."

Parker dropped back to catch the ball and dribbled the ball across half court. Because his three-point shot was not accurate, Paul stayed one step inside the three-point line, giving him one step of space.

Dribbling and taking a step inside, Parker suddenly stopped and shot a long two-point shot, making an accurate hit! (0:4)

The camera turns to Eva on the sidelines. She and Parker are deeply in love, which may be the only tidbit of news for this low-key Spurs team.

Before the camera could switch from outside the court to inside the court, the Spurs scored again. It was Parker again. He saw through the Hawks' fast-shooting tactics, intercepted Diaw's pass, and went straight to the basket. Under Diaw's interference,

Reverse layup and score the ball. (0:6)

Strictly speaking, this ball can be called 21. The referee was a little merciful, and after Parker got up, he also pointed his finger at his fellow countryman.

The starting situation was not very favorable. Ke Yan stood up and shouted a few words towards the court, saying that it was not important and the important thing was to remind the players to focus.

In the next round of offense, the Hawks formed a wide formation. Paul and Josh Smith played a high pick-and-roll to contain the Spurs' defense and then passed the ball to Josh. The latter received the ball and went straight to the basket. Facing Duncan's cover, he completed the ball in the air.

A folding dunk after "dodging" and slamming the ball into the basket! (2:6)

Having won the slam dunk title for the second time, Josh Smith is now full of confidence! He even dared to get stronger when he saw Duncan.

Duncan's defense is indeed comprehensive, but what he is relatively taboo about is Stoudemire's mobility inside that moves so quickly that he doesn't even have time to fill in. Josh, who was born as a small forward, is also considered a leader here.

Duncan dunked a wave, and the crowd at the Phillips Center was excited. In the next round of defense, Josh and Paul's attack on the line once again suppressed Parker. The latter took a lot of effort to pick out the ball and handed it to Finley. The Spurs

There was no opportunity to take the lead in the rotation. In the end, the ball was handed to Duncan. There was insufficient attack time, and Duncan was not able to distribute the ball in the face of a double attack. He forced a shot and failed to make the ball.

Oberto and Bowen's offensive capabilities are too average, and Finley has basically degenerated into a spot-up shooter this season. The Spurs' starting offensive capabilities are relatively mediocre, relying heavily on Duncan and Parker to open up the situation, and others can follow up to harvest the kills.

Diaw grabbed a backcourt rebound and launched a quick counterattack immediately, catching the Spurs off guard. Taking advantage of the opponent's panicked retreat, Diaw assisted Joe Johnson, who cut to the basket and scored a layup. (4:6)

In the next few minutes, the Hawks frequently used the method of attacking the ball carrier on the line to restrict Parker. At the same time, the team actively assisted in defensive rotations, preventing Finley and Bowen from finding easy opportunities to take shots. Successfully compressed the opponent's offense.

After a certain amount of time, Duncan was flanked, which limited the Spurs' offense to a certain extent.

Popovich tried to make tactical adjustments and asked Finley to help handle the ball more, but the effect was not obvious. He is no longer the three musketeers of the Mavericks. He can serve as the starting shooting guard for the Spurs only because of Popovich.

More willing to let Ginobili serve as a back-up player.

Seeing that the team started at 6:0 and was overtaken by 9:13, Popovich had no choice but to replace Ginobili in the fifth minute of the game.

Many people are saying that Popovich only has one trick when he encounters trouble, "Go to Ginobili", but I have to say that many games have proven that this trick is really useful!

The Spurs replaced Ginobili as the commentators and fans expected, but then Ke Yan also made personnel adjustments. He replaced Joe Johnson with Christie to guard Ginobili.

He was injured after only playing 6 games at the start of the season. Christie has been absent for half the season. Even after being traded to the Eagles, he has not played for the team. No one knows what the veteran's current status is.

"Kimi probably had his own intentions when he chose to put Doug on the field at this time." In the commentary box, Barkley insisted on trusting Ke Yan.

When the Spurs attacked, Parker still dribbled the ball across half court, while Ginobili wandered around and was immediately entangled by Christie.

The Eagles' defensive experts followed Ginobili closely and ran with all their strength to limit Ginobili's ability to catch the ball. Only with 8 seconds left in the attack time did the Argentine receive the ball.

Duncan came up to play the pick-and-roll, and the first second the space was opened, Ginobili took the lead and shot from the outside, hitting the iron!

"..." Although the ball didn't go in, Dior was so shocked that he broke into a cold sweat.

Christie's defense against Ginobili is a classic. If such a successful defense was stolen by the opponent because of his "negligence", it would be a huge blow to morale!

Posey, who was inward, cooperated with Josh Smith to protect the rebound. Josh Smith pushed forward immediately, but was soon forced to stop by Bowen and handed the ball to Diaw to advance past half court.

Paul came up to play hand-to-hand with Diaw, and Diaw played another trick. He suddenly collected the ball and turned around to break through Duncan's defense. Duncan was well prepared and firmly stuck in his position. Diaw was also very good. He didn't panic when his first attempt to break through failed.

Don't be chaotic, continue to use your steps to find breakthrough opportunities, and suddenly pull out from the mid-range. (15:9)

"Whoosh!"

Duncan succeeded in a single, and Diaw returned to defense with a smile on his face. There was some luck in his goal, but if it went in, it was worth being happy about.

In the first round of offense, Ginobili was restricted by Christie when connecting with the ball, which directly caused the Spurs' offense to fail to unfold smoothly. This time, Ginobili directly took over the task of catching the ball in the backcourt and organizing the offense.

After dribbling the ball halfway, Christie's defense "came as promised". Ginobili tried to break free twice in a row, but Christie was stuck on him. He couldn't help but shook his head, stretched out his hand and made a gesture to let his teammates come up.

Do pick-and-rolls.

Oberto came up to make the first screen. Christie resolutely went around the screen to pursue Ginobili, but was stopped by Duncan on the second screen. Ginobili singled out Josh Smith, forced his way into the basket, and sent a behind-the-back pass.

, Duncan pushed away Christie to catch the ball, and just as he was about to dunk, Diaw grabbed his shoulder tightly, denying him a chance to hit 21.

On the Spurs bench, Popovich started spouting dirty words again. Although the situation on the court was in a stalemate, Popovich always felt that he was very uncomfortable every time he faced Key Yan!

Duncan made one of two free throws, and the Eagles' defense was "successful" again.

The "power" of Ginobili's appearance was limited by Christie, which was somewhat unexpected. However, in the next game, the Hawks' offense was not smooth.

Entering the official timeout with an 18:13 lead, Ke Yan praised the team's performance, then replaced Christie, whose physical strength was declining, and brought on Joe Johnson again.

The Spurs also made substitution adjustments, with Brent Barry replacing Parker. Unlike the Hawks, during the long schedule of eight consecutive away games, Popovich must make good personnel arrangements and rest when it is time to rest.

Brent Barry was a famous white dunker when he was young, but as he grows older, his physical fitness is not as good as before, and he is obviously at a disadvantage against Paul.

Paul doesn't even need to call a pick-and-roll to find mismatches. He can directly attack Barry and hit him at will. He made consecutive shots in the mid-range, and the Spurs did not dare to double-team easily. After all, Paul's passing awareness and skills are perfect.

.

Paul exploded at this point. He scored 14 points on 6 of 9 shots in the first quarter. Duncan and Ginobili caught up with him and barely controlled the point difference within 10 points. At the end of the first quarter, the Hawks led the Spurs 33:24.

The team scored 9 points.

"Although it is only the first quarter of the game, the Hawks have clearly suppressed the Spurs. Charles, do you think there is something wrong with the Spurs' strategy of defending Paul." During the break, Kenny Smith and Barkley

discussed.

"It should be Kimi's tactics that dismantled the Spurs' defense. We can look at the replay and pay attention to the positions of the Spurs' two core defensive players, Bowen and Duncan, when Paul holds the ball. In this game, Joe Johnson, as the Hawks

The team had a feint point, and only took 3 shots in the first quarter. Most of the time, his task was to contain Bowen on the weak side. Using this point to counter Bowen, on the surface it was the Eagles who lost, but in fact

It also comes from Kimi's infinite trust in Paul. He believes that Paul can forcefully eat Barry!" Barkley said, "Similarly, Diaw will also find ways to pull Duncan away. The Frenchman has a good touch today, and Duncan can't let go easily.

He comes to help defend."

Barkley reached out to direct the director and drew the positions of "Joe Johnson", "Bowen", "Diaw" and "Duncan" in several key positions. Only then did the fans realize that it was Paul's "superstar singles" on the surface.

, In fact, the positioning of the Eagles' offensive personnel created the best singles environment for Paul.

A successful offense is not only completed by one star. Everyone in the team needs to work hard for the offensive environment of his teammates. This is the offensive system advocated by Ke Yan. From this perspective, when he came to the Eagles, he

It would be better to stay with the Lakers, as it is indeed more suitable for him to perform here.

At the start of the second quarter, the Eagles were led by Joe Johnson as a substitute, with Eddie House, Kittles, David Lee, and Milicic on the bench. The Spurs were led by Parker and Ginobili, led by Van Exel.

Horry, Mohammed responded.

Ginobili switched to the sixth man role, and his cooperation with the bench players became increasingly good. The Spurs' lineup rotation was the first in the league, and they often defeated opponents in the transition period.

However, the Eagles' lineup is one of the best in the league. Most of the team is young, and they all have their own characteristics and strengths. The disadvantage is that their performance is unstable, especially the inside combination of David Lee and Milicic.

It’s really “bullying the weak and fearing the strong”.

Against the "old Lian Po" Horry, David Lee has superior height and skills, becoming an inside output point for the team, echoing Joe Johnson, who is the main attacker on the outside.

Horry is to Popovich more or less what Fisher is to Phil Jackson. Both of them are big-hearted killers who are not soft on key balls. But, sometimes a big move actually digs a lot.

Ke Yan even had reason to doubt that if they hadn't dug a hole, the game would have entered a critical moment.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Parker was replaced to support Ginobili's improved offense. The point difference was still widened to double digits. Popovich on the sidelines was a little anxious. He stood up and shouted loudly toward the court.

The assistant referee asked him to return to the bench.

"This guy went to the Eastern Conference to develop. I really don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing!" Popovich looked at Ke Yan, who was explaining tactics to the players not far away, and suddenly said to Budenholzer beside him.

"How do you say that?" Budenholzer was confused.

Ke Yan is a thorn in Popovich's side, so isn't it better to place this threat as far away as possible?

"If he were in the Western Conference and the pressure of competition would be greater, he might not be able to do what he does now, one-handedly grasping the team's performance, training new players, and robbing other teams of draft picks!" Popovich said, "The fastest.

Next season, they may be our biggest enemy!"

Duncan will not age, and the Spurs will not fail! Popovich is confident that the Spurs will stay in the championship group for at least the next five years. And the Hawks, who are accelerating their take-off, are already an opponent they have to pay close attention to!

"No way." Budenholzer looked at the Hawks' lineup. "Kimi is indeed talented and has vision. But his shortcomings are also obvious. He is too young and too idealistic. The most important thing is

The thing is, there are Pistons in the Eastern Conference watching them for us~, they will definitely not be able to beat the Pistons!"

"But what if there are no more Pistons?" Popovich asked.

There is no doubt that the top five Pistons all have the strength to earn tens of millions of dollars in contracts, but the declining Motor City does not have such a broad ball market to support the team's continuous payment of luxury taxes. Rasheed Wallace, Hamilton, and Prince all have contracts.

Now, the Pistons will renew Ben Wallace's contract this offseason, and they will negotiate a contract extension with Billups in the 2007 offseason. I'm afraid it will be difficult to give these two the contracts they want.

One is the outside brain, and the other is the backbone of the defense. Without any one of them, can the Pistons still crush the more mature Eagles so smoothly?

Popovich is well aware of Ke Yan's power, but Budenholzer doesn't see it that way, "Greg, when we meet the Hawks, we will reach the finals at the earliest, which is different from the regular season!"

Are the Suns strong? Are the Mavericks great? The Spurs haven't run over them time and time again!

How do the Hawks compare to the Nets in the 2003 Finals? Didn't Duncan have a good grasp of the opponent's inside line?

Over the years, the only one who can truly compete with Duncan is O'Neal! And his decline is faster than Duncan's!

The Spurs are the defending champions!