Bulldozer of the NBA’s Restricted Area

The seventh game of the Western Conference Finals is on the 5th, and the first game of the Finals is set on the 9th.

Jazz, who returned victoriously, had a few days to recuperate at the base camp, but the final battle that was about to begin was already causing a storm in the city.

On one side is the Jazz, who have suddenly emerged and are in the limelight, and on the other side are the Bulls, who are led by Jordan and have won two consecutive championships. No one can say for sure whether the Jazz will be crowned or the Bulls will be defending.

However... After the victory in the Western Conference Finals, the relationship between Li Shengli and Malone and Stockton heated up sharply. Coupled with Li Shengli's die-hard supporter Crotty and the hard-working Tyrone Corbin, the entire Jazz Legion Cooperation is becoming increasingly stable.

You must know that getting along with others always takes time to polish. Being too enthusiastic from the beginning will always give people a sense of discomfort, and half a season is just enough time to make teammates Become friends!

Although the relationship between Li and Mars was good before, it was not good enough to wear a pair of trousers. Before that, Malone and Stockton wore a pair of trousers, but now... Li Shengli has joined them, and the trousers are too tight. A little, but it’s better than being warm.

…

"After this finals, what are you going to do?"

On the afternoon of the 7th, the Jazz had arrived in Chicago and rented a venue to train and prepare for the game. During the break, Malone lay on the sidelines and asked Li Shengli and Stockton next to him.

"Let's take a vacation. It's hard to wait until the offseason!" Stockton also lay on the floor.

This season, Malone and Stockton both played 82 games. One averaged 38 minutes per game, and the other averaged 35 minutes per game. It can be said that every moment...either on the way to an away game or training at home. Prepare for war.

Success is not accidental, hard work is equally important. After finally getting through a long season, it's time to take a vacation and relax, because the body is the basis for players like them to make a living.

But for now, the most important thing is for the Jazz to win the championship, and the offseason is like a summer vacation for students...a summer vacation with a certificate for being a good student and a summer vacation without a certificate. Those are two different concepts.

"Lee, what about you?"

"Me?" Li Shengli also lay down together and replied: "I'm different from you. I want to go back to my country and home. To be honest, I haven't been back for a long time!"

I think back when Li Shengli could barely afford to eat, a plane ticket back home was a luxury. Now, although he has made a lot of money, the tight schedule makes it difficult for him to escape. Of course, in his first offseason after joining the NBA, There will be thoughts of returning home.

"Don't talk about it. The finals haven't even been played yet, and we're here to discuss offseason arrangements. Do you plan to be swept 4-0 by the Bulls and get off work early?" Li Shengli joked.

Get off work early?

How can it be!

Malone immediately sat up: "Fart, John and I finally played in the finals, how could we be swept? If we want to be swept, we must sweep the Bulls. I swear... I will never wash my feet until I win the championship!"

If you don’t win the championship, you won’t wash your feet?

Are you punishing yourself by riding a horse, or are you poisoning your teammates?

Stockton went crazy when he heard this, and really wanted to knock this guy out with a punch. But Li Shengli was already used to Ma Long's saucy words, and he gradually entered a strange relationship circle...the more familiar he became, the more slutty he became, and the more slutty he became, the more familiar he became!

"Don't underestimate the enemy. You should think about Michael Jordan. This guy..." Stockton shook his head.

Speaking of which, not only the Jazz, but any team that encounters the Bulls, Jordan's existence will always be an unavoidable issue.

"Relax, in the past we had to be wary of this guy, but now that we have this kid, what else do you need to worry about?" Ma Long pouted at Li Shengli, "Lock him from the outside and can't get in from the inside. I If you beat Pippin's ass, half of the bull will be useless!"

"Is it that easy?"

"It's not as complicated as you think!"

The three brothers looked at each other. Although Ma Long said it a bit crudely, it was indeed the truth.

However... Ideals are full, reality is skinny, no team in the league is stupid. Everyone knows that against Jordan, there are few people in the league who can defend him one-on-one, not to mention the Jazz. .

"Stop talking about this, hurry up and train!"

…

Two days flew by.

The Jazz's training intensity is relatively low, and the decisive battle is imminent. They mainly focus on maintaining competitive status. On the evening of the 9th, the first game of this season's finals finally kicked off.

According to the home and away arrangement of the finals, the winner is the best of 7 games, and the game is played in 2-3-2. The Bulls' regular season record is better than the Jazz, so the first two home games belong to the Bulls.

Before the game, the Chicago Coliseum was bustling with people. Although the new United Center was built, it had not yet been put into use, so the game was still held at the Bulls' old home court.

…

Bulls starting lineup: Center Bill Cartwright, small forward Scottie Pippen, power forward Horace Grant, point guard B.J. Armstrong, shooting guard Michael Jordan.

Speaking of which, the Bulls are the weakest at the center position.

Starting center Bill Cartwright, although he was the third overall pick in the 1979 draft, was an older player and his competitive form was no longer what it was before. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, which was really a bit shaky. And when he was brought up to play against Li Shengli, he was actually a Bull. Coach Phil Jackson's helpless move.

What kind of monster is Li Shengli?

After a season of hard work, the entire league has a clear understanding, but Phil Jackson just can't move. Fortunately, the Bulls' offense is not at the center position. We can only hope that veteran Bill can use some residual heat to create some for Li Shengli. trouble.

It is worth mentioning the Bulls' triangle offensive system.

Everyone knows that the Bulls play a triangle offense, and the essence of the triangle offense is... to help Jordan, a superstar, create one-on-one singles opportunities and maximize his personal strength.

To put it simply, it is a 122 position. Jordan holds the ball at the top of the arc and attacks. People stand on both sides to widen the distance between them to form a triangle. The attack relies on three corners. The other two people roam and the opponent chooses to double-team. Distribute the ball to the weak side of the defense, use more to hit less, and if you don't choose to double-team, let Jordan kill them all.

Simple and crude, eating superstar!

The super giant with no solution in singles is the basis for the existence of the triangle offensive system.

Just look at this scene...

On the Bulls side, Jordan has a lot of room to play, and Pippen is also a presence that can't be killed without double-teaming. The performance of these two people is crucial.

Looking back at the Jazz, Li Shengli's inside advantage is basically established. Malone can also have the upper hand against Grant, plus Stockton, the big assister...

The Big Three of the Jazz faced off against the Iron Triangle of the Bulls, and no one dared to guess the outcome.

As for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, the policy he set early on is to let Li Shengli, an inside nuclear bomb, focus on the offense, coupled with rebound suppression. As long as the Bulls' offensive efficiency does not reach an abnormal level, the defense at each position will not be as good. Big question, winning the first time is not difficult!

The real difficulty is how to reduce the Bulls' offensive efficiency, and how to limit Jordan's offense?

This is a common problem that is difficult to solve. Think about the Pistons back then... they used all possible means to catch Jordan. They were all evil criminals, and they used every move to hit the door of life, so that they could repeatedly stop the Bulls.

However, the Pistons' bad boy team is the only one in the league, and the Jazz don't even bother to turn the game into a murder scene.

Fortunately, Jerry Sloan holds the three trump cards of Limas.

Using the strong to defeat the weak inside, the combination of Li and Mars is enough to beat the opponent to death immediately, which is simpler and more crude than the Bulls' triangle offense.