Bulldozer of the NBA’s Restricted Area

After beating the Timberwolves...

The Timberwolves' 10-game losing streak is true, but the Mavericks' 9 losses in 10 games are not false either. Their record went from 34/11 to 35/20, ranking fourth in the Western Conference.

The momentum of the Mavericks at the beginning of the season was quite strong, but problems in the middle and late stages were also exposed. Without Li Shengli, Ji, Jiaqi, and Ke were suspended, the Mavericks' combat effectiveness dropped by two levels. After a 1/9 record, the Mavericks management was very dissatisfied.

If the beating is good, everyone will be happy and nothing will happen; if the beating is not good, even farting will be a sin!

So the management looked around, and Gordon took all the blame. The reason is very simple...

When our lineup was complete, Li Shengli was in charge of the Mavericks, and he could bring in any head coach to produce eye-catching results, without Gordon having much credit. During the suspension of the main players, it was the time to test your coaching ability. Take the lead in making noises. If you go to the Timberwolves locker room, you can be said to be a passionate head coach, but if you lead the team to a score of 1/9, is it fair to say that you are?

…

Facing the questioning from the management, Gordon really had a hard time saying it!

Kidd and Garnett were suspended for 5 games, and Crotty was suspended for 10 games. Although Curry was not suspended, the Mavericks' lineup was not prepared for the core perimeter. To be honest, Curry cannot be the only perimeter player. There is no core, and it is difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. If there are no people, how can the game be played?

In fact, in Li Shengli's view, Gordon is still a good coach. Putting aside his professional skills, he is very good at handling the relationship between generals. The cohesion of the entire team is booming, but the problem is...the team only looks at the record. , not cohesion.

Therefore, in order to rescue Gordon, Li Shengli, who was originally scheduled to return to the team in the rematch a week later, returned to the team early. Although it was not a comeback, and the Mavericks were not in such a state that they even lost their spot in the playoffs, Li Shengli still wanted to give Gordon a chance to return to the team. Once on the stage, after all, if the record continues to deteriorate, the conflict between the management and Gordon will intensify, and there will be a coaching change next season.

…

Back to Dallas.

The team's training was still going on, and Li Shengli joined in after returning to the team. After the training that day, Gordon called Li Shengli alone, and his expression was not very good.

"Li, you shouldn't have returned so early! Damn it, you're not a rookie anymore, don't you understand... Injuries are too serious for a player. Even if you think it's nothing, if you don't pay attention to small problems, they will accumulate. It's a big problem after this. I'm not joking with you, I'm serious!" Gordon frowned, feeling in his heart that Li Shengli was too hasty, even though it was a good thing for his own consideration.

"If I don't return to the team, can you still sit still?" Li Shengli smiled, "I heard from Curry and the others that Toby talked to you a few days ago. What exactly did they talk about? If you didn't say it yourself, you would think everyone Do not know at all?"

"What do they know?" Gordon glared at the players who were undergoing extra training and said without looking back: "The results in the last few games are not good, and I, the head coach, must be responsible. Seriously, what can I say if I lose the game? They are all excuses, but we can still guarantee a playoff spot now. There is really no need to come back before the team doctor’s injury report deadline! If you have three shortcomings, it will only be harder for us to play in the future. This season will not be Say, next season will be a big problem too!”

Hearing Gordon's words, Li Shengli just curled his lips, "What about next season? If this record continues to be bad, you, the head coach, can't even tell whether he will leave or stay next season, so why bother!"

Gordon was stunned for a moment, his face turned green and red, and he thought... It's the truth, but can't you be more reserved when you step on the horse? "I don't need your attention! You are a player and I am the head coach, please." Correct your attitude!"

"Are you still excited?"

"What's wrong with me just getting excited? Anyway, I don't agree with your rematch!"

"Okay, Coach Gordon, I'm not telling you...don't you know how much say you have in the team now? If I talk to Toby, the general manager, don't you agree that it will be useful?"

"Are you threatening me?" Gordon was furious and turned to stare at Li Shengli, "Humph, I'll tell you the truth today! I don't like Toby. The management team he leads is too short-sighted. I can’t bear even a few defeats. If he agrees to your rematch regardless of your health, I will...I will..."

Is it already this far?

Are you so arrogant?

Li Shengli curled his lips again and interrupted Gordon, "You can't protect yourself, but you still want to challenge Toby? Okay, my injury is not a big problem, let's save you first!"

"Save me first?" Gordon has gradually lost the idea of ​​resistance, and his whole person seems to be depressed. "It can't be like this, and it shouldn't be like this. A championship team shouldn't let us spend our energy on these things. On bad matters.”

"Stop talking nonsense and make some changes."

…

The human heart is made of flesh.

Li Shengli returned to the team early and maintained the team's record, which was very touching for Gordon. As for the schedule after the regular season... In order to ensure Li Shengli's health and avoid another accident, Gordon and Li Shengli discussed it and decided Planned.

Li Shengli has always been the starting point for the Mavericks' tactics.

On the offensive end, they either take the ball in the low post and hit hard, or they run around inside and cover teammates. The same goes for the defensive end. The defensive area is quite large. If Garnett wasn't here this season, he could run to death, but he still has to. Taking into account the large rebound area on both offense and defense, you can be both a father and a mother!

As far as this season is concerned, let’s not compare with other positions, just look at Olajuwon, Robinson, Ewing, O’Neal, Mourning at the center position...

Among the average playing time of several players, Ewing's 36.6 is the lowest and Olajuwon's 38.8 is the highest. However, Li Shengli's playing time has reached 41.9 minutes, closely following the pace of super centers in ancient times.

Being a few minutes taller than others in a single game is not scary, but what is scary is that the game is taller and the offensive and defensive tasks are heavy. The increased playing time after 40 is not the same as the first 20 minutes. Physical fitness will decrease and risks will increase.

…

Gordon really can't fuck Li Shengli anymore!

The only problem now is that the Mavericks' lineup has not yet been fully formed. The main players are good enough, but the rotation is insufficient. In the lineup... Donald, the backup center, has replaced Li Shengli, and his combat effectiveness has dropped significantly, so Gordon also thought of the same thing.

On the one hand, it is to reduce Li Shengli's playing time to be on par with the other five centers and not increase the burden due to excessive playing time.

On the other hand, it is to reduce Li Shengli's on-field duties. After all, the Mavericks now have Kidd, who averages nearly 10 assists per game. It is no problem to serve as a tactical starting point. Li Shengli and Garnett can simply eat the pie.

…

So the general tactical direction for the second half was set, and the Dallas Mavericks set off again, and the fine-tuning changes in tactics were very obvious on the game field.

The original tactical direction was divided into two stages.

In the first stage, Li Shengli goes deep with the ball and either directly hits or attracts double-teams to distribute the ball. In the second stage, Kidd receives the ball, and he "checks for gaps and leaks" and organizes a wave of strong sides. The one on the weak side fights more and fights less.

As for now... after the tactics are fine-tuned and Kidd's role is amplified, the Mavericks' combat effectiveness has declined slightly, because the lethality of the inside line has been reduced, and there are naturally fewer opportunities, and Kidd's assist data has not been As a result, the scoring data has increased.

The problem is here, without Li Shengli simply and brutally tearing apart the opponent's inside, if you want to find opportunities, you can only rely on movement and cover. And many times the opportunity comes to Kidd, and he is forced to take action.

The more shots you take, the more points you score.

It's just that Kidd's 38% shooting was too embarrassing, and it also affected the offensive efficiency of the Mavericks team. They played 10 games, with half wins and half losses.

Excluding the unstable factors such as the uneven strength of the opponents encountered, a 50% winning rate is almost the minimum threshold for entry into the playoffs. It is far less ferocious than the previous winning streak. Therefore, the team management is dissatisfied. Opinions intensified, and this time it was not just Gordon, but Kidd was also concerned.

Lose your wife and lose your troops?

After 10 games, Kidd also fell in with Gordon.