Basketball's most talented forward is on the left

Chapter 967 Ding dong, I am the small forward tonight!

Until now in the finals, anyone with a discerning eye can see the problems of both teams. Now no one will say that the Mavericks are a weak team or a pseudo-strong team, because judging from these four games, if you put aside the X of Zuo Li

Factor, the Mavericks' team performance is far better than the Knicks, especially the bench.

It can be said that if the core of the Knicks at this time is not Zuo Li but someone else, I guess most people now think that the Mavericks will make a comeback.

It can be said that the Mavericks this season have conquered the trolls in the past step by step. It can be said that no matter what the final result of this series is, the Mavericks can finally take off their label of being a pseudo-strong team.

Of course, there is also the "softie" hat on Dirk's head.

After all, it is not appropriate for a man who can score against Zuo Li, average double figures in the fourth quarter of the finals, and shoot over 60% from the field to be called a softie.

So many fans said online that both the Mavericks and the Knicks deserve to win the championship.

Of course, for the die-hard fans of the two teams, no matter how much they respect their opponents, they still hope that the team they support can win the championship. Therefore, in the fan gathering areas such as Hupu, sensible fans began to support them one after another.

The team makes plans.

There are even some retired celebrities, such as the former Mavericks head coach, nicknamed Little General Johnson. He believes that the Mavericks need to strengthen their defense against the left wing, increase the rotation of the inside, and not let Chandler defend the left wing alone.

Stand up, after all, Chandler has been almost crushed by Zuo Li in the past few games.

But considering his resume, the Mavericks probably won't listen.

The Knicks side is obviously more lively. In addition to some celebrities who Zuo Li needs to look up to find out, there are also retired or active players from other teams giving advice to the Knicks online.

There is something more direct, that is Kobe Bryant. As a senior and the victim of being eliminated by the Mavericks, Kobe called Zuo Li again before the start of Game 5.

"Zuo Li, I've told you, the Mavericks are not weaklings, these guys are ridiculously strong, not at all like the idiots outside said, so look at you, you are still careless!" Kobe said as soon as he came up.

It means that Zuo Li and Knicks are real talents and will get beaten if they are reminded.

However, as a senior and half of Zuo Li's coach, Kobe still played his role, that is, using his unique vision to help Zuo Li analyze how they lost and what they need to do next to win.

"I watched your last few games and you did a good job defensively, but the offensive end was terrible!"

"I know, I know, you're a very good guy who scored 80 points in two games, but that's for others. Don't forget that you're the guy who scored 65 points over me, so this is just your average level.

"

"And I know you, you really want to drive your teammates. You pass the ball whether you can pass it or not, but sometimes you don't need to!"

"Basketball is all about doing it! If you don't attack, who will attack? Get the ball and go in!"

"Listen to me! Your offensive choices should be based on increasing damage, they can't stop you!"

Kobe was so passionate on the phone that he couldn't stop, mainly because he felt that Zuo Li played too selflessly, and sometimes he just had to do it by himself. After all, he was the boss, and if he didn't take action, who would?

When Zuo Li put down the phone with a confused look on his face, it was already dark outside!

"Good guy, two hours..." Zuo Li looked at the time on the clock speechlessly. If he went out and said that Kobe, who always had a cold face, was a talker, would no one believe him?

But this is actually true!

But Zuo Li can also understand Kobe's mood. He really feels that he should play more impactfully.

However, I had my own plans for playing Zuo Li before. In a group situation like the Mavericks, I may not be able to win by myself. Even if I score 60+ points in a single game, there is still a possibility of losing. For example, I was depressed at the time.

Retired Baylor, the Finals players were so angry that he had to lose regardless of whether he should lose or not.

Therefore, Zuo Li must lead his teammates and keep them confident. Even if he really has to go it alone, it will not be used in the third or fourth game.

But now, Kobe is right, it’s time!

…

Before the G5 game between the Knicks and the Mavericks even started, it was already a hot topic.

On June 9, Game 5 between the Knicks and the Mavericks officially kicked off at the American Airlines Center Arena.

Carlisle made adjustments to the starting lineup, and Kidd was replaced by Barea. This was the first time Kidd missed the starting lineup in this playoffs.

"What does the Mavericks mean..." Barkley said he was confused. Kidd averaged 9+8+8 in the four games of the Finals. This data is nothing compared to the peak, but the role of the old Kidd on the Mavericks is

There is no doubt that his overall view and scheduling ability are absolutely indispensable for the Mavericks.

In comparison, although Barea is much younger than Kidd, his ability is not special, and he is too short. Although he is strong enough, his height is really a flaw.

"Is this a big move prepared for Stephen Curry?" Kenny Smith speculated.

A stocky point guard like Barea can indeed cause some trouble for a point guard like Curry on the defensive end, but compared with the lost offense, this thing is not equal...

If they can't figure it out, they don't think about it anymore. They plan to take a look after entering the competition.

But Zuo Li was a little bit suspicious after seeing this change of formation. This Barea could not be used to deal with himself.

This is also traceable. Although Barea has been tepid before, it can be regarded as reaching the peak of his life in the hands of Carlisle. Carlisle used his own tactics to give full play to Barea's advantages.

In the last generation, Barea's one-on-one defense against James was definitely a classic, but in this generation, Barea still played bravely. Whether he was playing against the Thunder or the Lakers, his three-pointers and defense were impressive.

But this is the first time he has been directly started.

Obviously, Carlisle will never let Barea start for no reason, and the biggest purpose of this is probably that Carlisle guessed that Zuo Li might come out of the inside position to play the guard position where he shined in his rookie season.

Walking onto the court, Zuo Li confirmed this after seeing Carlisle's smile. As expected, he was a smart coach, and he actually guessed that the Knicks would let Zuo Li change his position.

However... this doesn't seem to be difficult to guess. After all, it is common for Zuo Li to change positions. After all, Zuo Li's reputation of playing from one to five is not just bragging, and it is truly supported by his record.

However, Carlisle guessed correctly when changing the position, but he was completely wrong about the specific position.

Knicks starting lineup: Zuo Li, Randolph, Anderson, Danny Green and Stephen Curry.

This was the first time the Knicks used a three-high formation in the playoffs. This seemed to confirm that Zuo Li would go to the back line. However, after Zuo Li jumped the ball, he quickly moved forward and dunked after ending the 45-degree triple threat.

Surprisingly, Zuo Li was not playing as a defender at all...

(End of chapter)