basketball scientist

After defeating the Spurs, the Eagles' record reached 34 wins and 17 losses. They are only five games away from Ke Yan's initial goal of 39 wins and are easily within reach.

Compared with the victory in the game, Ke Yan was more happy about Christie's recovery. After half a season of recuperation, this veteran, who Ke Yan himself did not have much hope for, performed well in the first game after his comeback.

This performance also gave Ke Yan greater confidence. The team passed the trade deadline without any wind or rain and did not make any more transactions.

Since the league promulgated the "Allan Houston Clause" last season to help each team clean up the largest batch of junk contracts in the team, there is a high probability that there will be no high-quality players in the buyout market this season. Basically, it can be concluded that the Hawks will

We will use the current lineup to compete in the team’s first playoffs in the new century!

More than ever, Eagles fans hope that the playoffs in May will come earlier! This time, they will no longer be spectators, but will be participants, waving the flag and cheering for their team!

In a relatively "peaceful" position, Ke Yan did not intend to let down his guard, but set a goal of 50 wins deep in his heart. This was not simply because he wanted to extort a higher salary from Antonis, but because

We want to establish a "winner's mentality" for the Eagles players. We are not just a team that enjoys the benefits of the Eastern Conference and has good results, but a truly strong team. Let the players continue to win.

Building this kind of confidence is a further goal for Ke Yan.

As for "picking opponents", the Eagles seem to be more passive than the teams below, or in other words, they may be the one who is "picked". There is a high probability that some people think that the Eagles players are young and have less experience than the basketball team.

Nets, the atmosphere of the playoffs will affect the performance of this team, etc.

These are all things that an emerging strong team must go through. Even the Bulls of that year can only overcome doubts after winning the championship. The Eagles also need room to grow, so what they need this season is to lay a solid foundation.

At the same time, let the young players improve as much as possible.

...

At eight o'clock in the evening, the Bankers Life Arena was packed with more than 18,000 Pacers fans waiting for the game between the home team and the Eagles.

Different from previous confrontations, this may be the first time in many years that the Pacers have truly faced the "powerful enemy" Eagles with a "downward dog" attitude. The record difference between the two teams is 8 games, and this gap is already very large.

Big!

Trading Artest for Stojakovic seems to be a real failure for the Pacers. After leaving Princeton's offensive system, Peja returned to his original position of "pure three-point shooter".

Not only has his performance in other aspects declined rapidly, including his best three-point shooting, from production to efficiency, it means that his status in the world is still there, otherwise, the starting position has been replaced by rookie Granger.

Although their strength has declined, the Pacers also have their own advantages. They have O'Neal Jr., a versatile insider who is the most feared by the Hawks. Carlisle is also one of the few players in the league who can compete with Ke Yan in tactics.

A head coach who is splitting his recruitment. In the three games before the season, they beat the Eagles once!

O'Neal won the jump ball and the game began.

The Pacers players spread out, Peja stood in the right corner, Stephen Jackson left the corner, Jeff Foster left 70 degrees, O'Neal Jr. was in the low post, Tinsley held the ball in the middle, facing Paul, trying to use his body

Confrontation to suppress Paul.

Stephen Jackson circled up from the bottom corner. O'Neal Jr. moved sideways to give him a ball-free pick-and-roll, hanging up Posey. Stephen Jackson received the pass and took a step forward. He found an open shot opportunity and directly shot a three-pointer.

.

This ball opportunity came out, but the rhythm of the shot was not good. Wu Sheng has comprehensive skills, but his outside shooting can only be said to be above the standard, not to the level of a "marksman".

The ball didn't go in, but O'Neal Jr. picked melons behind his head while being stuck, used his long arms to grab the rebound, and then shot from close range and scored. (2:0)

O'Neal Jr. scored, and the Pacers quickly returned to defend and marked the ball. They did not give the Eagles a chance to push for a fast break, and the Eagles had to stay in position.

The Pacers had a complete defensive system in positional warfare. The Eagles were unable to pass into space several times. Joe Johnson singled out Stephen Jackson and missed a step-back jumper. The rebound was grabbed by Foster and passed to Tinsley. The Pacers slowly advanced.

, fight positional warfare again.

Diaw was double-teamed by O'Neal in the low post, and he was given to his teammates on the outside. Jackson faced Posey, but failed to break through and passed to Foster. Foster missed a mid-range shot and the rebound was grabbed by Josh Smith.

The Eagles were back in position. Paul dribbled the ball horizontally and passed it to Joe Johnson who ran to the right corner and asked for the ball. The latter singled out Jackson. After two hits, he suddenly turned around, passed Jackson and turned toward the baseline.

He jumped up with the ball in both hands. Jackson hurriedly committed a foul without stopping. Joe Johnson, with strong core strength despite losing his balance, threw the ball in. The referee blew the whistle, 21. (2:3)

Many people think that Westbrook's physical talent is impeccable among point guards, especially his strength and impact. Ke Yan disagrees. He feels that the player's strength on the court is not better than when dunking.

The sound is louder, but it is your ability to resist interference when completing actions under confrontation. The typical example of this is Wade. Wade can often send the ball to the basket with an "incredible" posture after being violated in the air.

It's a "magic ball" once or twice. If it happens often, it shows that Wade's core strength is very stable and he can adjust quickly under confrontation.

Limited by his physical talent, Joe Johnson cannot play like the two of them, but his core strength is also very solid. He can often fend off opponents in the mid-range and hit the mid-range, which is not just about his shooting touch.

The Pacers attacked, O'Neal Jr. provided a screen for Tinsley, and then received a back pass in the middle. Facing Paul, he turned around and wiped out the defense, then picked the ball and scored, 4:3.

The Pacers returned to defense quickly, and the Hawks could not find any fast break opportunities. After the position battle was established, Paul played Tinsley in isolation, broke through the opponent's defense through changes in dribbling rhythm, attracted the defense and distributed the ball in time, Josh

Smith made a solid layup. (4:5)

In the last game against the Spurs, Paul showed confidence. He dared not call a pick-and-roll and directly broke out. Ke Yan didn't have much opinion on this. Having one more offensive option is not a bad thing for Paul himself.

Moreover, Paul's greatest advantage is his clear mind. He will never become a singles maniac like Iverson in his life.

The Eagles' offensive system from the outside to the inside is becoming more and more sophisticated, and their methods are becoming more diverse. Carlisle on the sidelines also appreciates Ke Yan a little more. Relatively speaking, he really has "no cards" in his hand, or

He said that after the "Palace of Auburn Hills", the Pacers had too many internal problems, which were more or less "hard to get back".

If it were Ke Yan, he might choose to put Granger in the starting lineup, push O'Neal to the center position, give full play to the advantages of the three excellent wings in the lineup, run and bomb on the offensive end, and press high on the defensive end. But in the end, this is

From the perspective of a "traveler", Carlisle is an excellent coach, but he is not that avant-garde yet.

The Pacers continued to play "inside-out" around O'Neal. O'Neal attracted double-teams and distributed the ball to Joe Johnson. The latter faced Joe Johnson, feinted after receiving the ball and then pulled up for a three-pointer, but failed to hit.

Everyday, the opponent concentrates their firepower on the inside. The Eagles' help defensive rotation has been perfected. Peja did not get out of the open space just now, and he himself has not found a familiar shooting rhythm.

Paul grabbed a long rebound and finally had a chance to launch a fast break counterattack. Josh Smith followed up and missed a layup. Then he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a dunk on the second offense. 4:7.

Carlisle could tolerate being scored on a single in a positional battle, but he was very angry when the Eagles counterattacked quickly, and the consequences were serious.

But there is nothing that can be done about it. Peja and Wu Sheng both have better shooting ability than breakthrough ability. There is a high probability of long rebounds in mid-to-long-range shots. The Pacers are not as quick as the Hawks in rebounding from outside, so they inevitably suffer a bit.

In the final analysis, the Pacers still lack a reliable point guard who can steadily combine the team's strength. Tinsley is still a bit weak after all.

The Hawks restricted O'Neal through double-attacks, and used rotations between players to cover outside shooting points. The Pacers' offense was obviously suppressed, and they could not make three-pointers, and they might be beaten by the Hawks.

Counterattack quickly.

In the first half of the first quarter, the Eagles established a 17:9 lead.

However, Carlisle, as one of Ke Yan's most valued opponents, also has his own methods to compete with the Eagles.

During the official timeout, Carlisle replaced Peja with Granger, who played harder, and Harrison (a famous player from Shougang) who had better physical fitness to replace Foster, who did little on the court.

After returning from the timeout, the Pacers did the opposite and took advantage of the Hawks' fast-break counterattack. They did the opposite and stepped up their fight for rebounds in the Hawks' half.

The Eagles pursue "fast". After the Pacers complete their attack, the first reaction is to respond and launch a fast break, which will ignore rebound protection to a certain extent. This is especially true for Josh Smith, who is the most physically fit on the Eagles.

Well, the player with the strongest rebounding ability is also the most active player in the Hawks' fast break. If there is a problem with him, the Hawks' inside height will be short, and the shortcomings of weak ability to protect rebounds will be more obvious!

The Pacers' blindly retreating to prevent fast breaks actually fell into the Hawks' rhythm. On the contrary, by stifling the Hawks' fast break counterattacks from the source through more aggressive rebounding, the effect was even better.

The effect of Carlisle's adjustment was obvious. Harrison and O'Neal Jr. grabbed offensive rebounds consecutively and succeeded in the second attack.

The inside line has more control, and the outside players can take shots more calmly without any psychological burden.

At the end of the first quarter, the point difference was narrowed to only 2 points. (30:32)

The competition in the first quarter was fierce. The two head coaches battled wits and courage. The players also fought hard on the court, and the fans watched with excitement. But in the second quarter, the Eagles' "backhand" advantage began to show. This game

In the game, it was Milicic who broke out.

Compared with his time with the Pistons, Milicic was used more heavily in the Hawks. He averaged 18 minutes per game and could score 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. His efficiency was good, and he played an obvious role on the defensive end. However,

His offense has some "smart knife" attributes. When he is in good condition, he can make mid-range shots, support and make wonderful passes. If his touch is not good, he will not be able to score at the basket! Ke Yan's use of him also tends to be "blue-collar".

In this game, he reproduced his amazing performance during the draft. On the offensive end, he held the ball outside the three-point line. Facing Clothier's defense, he dribbled past the opponent with a fake move, swayed his opponent, and dunked!

"..." This wave of coquettish operations silenced the Pacers' home court. Even Harrison on the home team's bench even stood up and almost cheered.

Against the Pacers' substitute, Milicic was able to master both offense and defense. He scored 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the first half of the game. He led the team to a 14:4 attack wave, widening the point difference to

Two digits.(34:46)

"Victory Cigar" was in excellent condition. When the main lineup returned, Ke Yan left him on the court and continued to fight against O'Neal.

"In the summer, let Darko practice his steps under the basket and mid-range shooting, and continue to lose weight!" Ke Yan lamented Milicic's performance, "He will be very different next season!"

At a certain moment, he also had the idea of ​​​​sculpting Milicic! However, the long season is not the time for players to increase their arsenal. If players want to improve their performance on the offensive end, they must sweat more in the summer. The most typical

It's Leonard, he's like a robot, lighting up a skill every summer!

"It may not be easy. There are World Championships games in the summer." Snyder reminded.

International players are no better than American players, and they usually won’t refuse international competitions even if they can play! This is a difference in values.

"..." Ke Yan was silent. At this moment, he thought of Yao Ming.

Milicic, who played hard on the court, didn't know that he had experienced a roller coaster-like fluctuation in Ke Yan's heart. When paired with the main players, his performance did not decline. Not only did he successfully catch Paul's breakthrough pass under the basket, he also surpassed

The more excited he became, he even guarded O'Neal on the defensive end and blocked a beautiful shot! The Eagles also opened the point difference to 17 points before halftime due to his wonderful performance. (49:66)

"Well done! Darko." When he came off the field, Ke Yan took the initiative to pat Milicic's back to express his satisfaction.

10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. These are the statistics Milicic produced in a single quarter. By the way, he achieved good results against O'Neal on the defensive end. Garnett may not be able to produce this performance, but he can still

Not satisfied?

In the second half of the game, the Eagles played steadily and maintained their offensive efficiency, eventually winning 116-102 (35-17).

Milicic played 30 minutes, making 8 of 12 shots, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. The number of points and blocks were both career highs.

The team's backcourt double gun, Paul is as stable as ever, and his 199 data is habitually obsessive-compulsive. His average of 9.0 assists per game ranks second in the assist list, second only to Nash. Considering that there are other players in the team

A master of assists, Diaw averages 6.3 assists per game and has little possession of the ball. Paul's assist numbers are quite impressive.

Joe Johnson made 7 of 16 shots, 3 of 6 three-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the second half of the game, the Pacers failed to organize an effective counterattack, and Joe Johnson did not have a strong offense.

Desire. Players like him may not be very popular, but the coach really likes him.

In the post-match interview, Ke Yan praised Milicic's performance: "It's a pity that I met Darko a little late. But he is training very hard and improving, just to catch up with the player who once had high hopes.

Himself. I hope everyone gives him more time."

These words are somewhat offensive to Larry Brown. But...how to put it, there is no need for Keyan to specifically offend, almost everyone can see that Larry Brown was really in the early days of Milicic's career.

Destroyed this young man's belief in basketball.

The next day, all major media mentioned Milicic's wonderful performance and also mentioned the Rockets' players' injuries.

On the same day, during the Rockets' game against the SuperSonics, Yao Ming sprained his knee and will miss 5-6 weeks. Considering that the Rockets are already 6 games behind the eighth-place Kings in the Western Conference, Yao Ming's wave of injuries,

It has basically ended the Rockets' hopes for this season.

That is in the afternoon, the Rockets officially announced that Yao Ming will be reimbursed for this season!

Yao Ming was injured and it was difficult for Tracy McGrady to support the Rockets alone. The value of the Rockets draft picks in the hands of the Hawks has increased, and it is not ruled out that they can eventually enter the top five picks.

Sending away a rotation player and taking in a garbage contract can get such a high return. Eagles fans are crazy about it! In contrast, Rockets fans curse the team general manager Dawson and denounce the miser owner Alexander.

, and even scolded "traitor" Ke Yan.

Being a stranger in a foreign land, Ke Yan also called Yao Ming to learn about Yao Ming's injury.

"We have no hope this season, so we will just prepare for next season. I can also take a good rest and then play in the World Championships." Yao Ming sighed, and then regained his confidence, "Although I don't have draft picks, I can

Lacey takes good care of his body and the Rockets are still a strong team."

"Anyway, you'd better control your playing time. Your weight is not suitable for playing for too long." Ke Yan reminded.

"Hmm~" Yao Ming stretched and was silent for a while, "Let's see how the team operates in the summer."

How could Yao Ming, who has been with the Rockets for so long, not know the character of the team owner and the level of general manager Dawson is? The probability of expecting them to play the Rockets' bad card well is extremely slim.

It is estimated that next summer, their focus will be on cleaning up Swift’s junk contract, and then exchange it for a junk contract, and continue to try and make mistakes!

If you're lucky, you find a treasure in a junk contract, and if Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady stay healthy, the team may be able to compete in the second round. If you're not lucky, then another season will be wasted.

This situation is the real "It won't work even if Jordan comes".

(Thanks to the book friend "Fuck You Can't Have Characters" for the 10,000-point reward)