I’m Really Playing Basketball

At the end of the first quarter, the Nets trailed the Bobcats by 7 points. Facing the already strong Bobcats, Pat Riley certainly couldn't use rotation to play rotation step by step.

If this is the case, this game will be settled.

So the Nets' five rotation players on the court are Mickey Moore, Posjan Nahba, Richard Jefferson, Carter and Joe Johnson.

The two starters brought two substitutes.

Mickey Moore is 32 years old, a center, and Persian-Jane Naheba, 27 years old, is a forward. The two are the most important rotation players for the Nets this season. One can average 8 points per game and the other 7.5 points per game, which can be said to make up for it. The Nets' five forwards have many shortcomings in the interior.

And both of them are offensive. Bossjan Naheba has made more than 40% of his three-pointers this season, while Mickey Moore has a shooting rate of nearly 50% in the middle and long distances.

They are two very good space forwards.

With these two forwards, they can open up space, and then cooperate with the basket and Nets' group of perimeter players who are very strong in singles.

Even if the second quarter hasn't started yet, many people can feel the Nets' super offensive ability in this rotation.

Compared with the Nets' rotation, the Bobcats' rotation also changed a lot in this game.

Center Bynum, power forward Randolph, small forward Aldridge, shooting guard Jack, and point guard Chris Paul.

This rotation of the Bobcats is actually also an offensive rotation.

But compared with the Nets' very space-heavy rotation, the Bobcats' rotation is a bit taller and heavier.

The two rotations of the Bobcats and Nets are really a bit tit-for-tat. At the very least, it seems that neither can guard the other.

Therefore, seeing the top-heavy rotation of the Bobcats, Nets coach Pat Riley also frowned on the sidelines.

He really didn't expect Jordan to play with Bynum, Randolph and Aldridge inside.

Bynum and Aldridge's athletic ability is actually pretty good. Although they can't compare with outsiders, the three of them may not be that slow when they play.

If these three people stand next to the basket, the impact of the Nets will be very uncomfortable.

Although Moore and Persijan Naheba can pull out to shoot, the Nets' pursuit of points mainly depends on three star players such as Carter, Joe Johnson and Richard Jefferson. Even if these two role players have a chance to pull out, The Nets can't really play these two all the time.

Moreover, this is for chasing points. What is the best way to chase points?

Of course, it's to hit the basket and dunk, layup!

Richard Jefferson and Carter and Joe Johnson all have very strong impact capabilities.

so?

"Jordan predicted my prediction in advance? Defensively stick to the basket to bet on our touch, and when attacking, use the inside and height advantage to hit our short and soft inside?"

If this is the case, the Nets will be really in danger in this game.

Thinking of this, Pat Riley couldn't help looking at Jordan, who was sitting next to the Bobcats bench and smiling, this rookie head coach is really not easy to deal with!

If Jordan knew that Pat Riley had so many psychological activities at this time, he would definitely find it incredible.

In this game, he put Bynum, Randolph and Aldridge at the same time without really thinking too much about it.

Both Bynum and Randolph were the team's previous starters. Letting them play as substitutes is already a great sacrifice for them. If the substitute lineup is no longer available, it will make them a little sad.

And Aldridge is in the same situation.

In this case, the problem is very simple.

Then let's go together, and don't think about tactics or being top-heavy.

What they can perform on the court depends entirely on their own abilities. If they don't play well, he will adjust the lineup.

I have to say that Uncle Qiao is really courageous.

In such an important game, who would believe that there is a coach as casual as Uncle Qiao?

It must have deep meaning, so don’t blame Pat Riley for thinking too much, Dihua.

Because he himself is a person who thinks too much, how else can he be called a divine fortune teller?

But, as the saying goes, the evil nemesis is naturally stupid.

Especially when Jordan's very casual rotation performed very well against the Nets' rotation.

The Nets' rotation is indeed very strong, but it has a fatal problem, which is the lack of the ability to attack inside.

After Bynum, Randolph and Aldridge tightly defended the penalty area, Paul and Jack, two very fast guards, could wildly sweep defense from the outside. The penalty area could be so well protected. , of course they are not afraid of being breached.

Therefore, Paul and Jack's defensive intensity and aggressiveness are extremely high.

Facing a top-heavy lineup like the Bobcats, the best way is to use a small lineup with five forwards to beat them quickly.

But obviously, Moore and Persian Jan-Nahba may not be as fast as Bynum and Aldridge.

If the five forwards are really used, is this the pace at which the starters will play 48 minutes in this game?

Who can bear this?

Of course, the Bobcats' three big men will definitely not be able to defend on the defensive end, so Paul and Jack are sweeping outside and attacking people like crazy. And these two are not very tall, so the Nets have a lot of outside shots. Opportunity.

Moore, Posjan Nahba, Carter and Joe Johnson all have very good shooting abilities and good shooting percentages. Therefore, in the second quarter, although the Nets did not achieve the effect Pat Riley wanted, they could Scored.

It's just obvious that the Nets can score, the Bobcats can't defend, and the Bobcats can also score.

Let's put it this way, Randolph is in the rotation and meets Moore and Bosjan Nahba, that is the real O'Neal!

Moore is only 2.11 meters tall. He is not good at assisting defense. Being suppressed by Bynum is already very miserable. However, Persiajan Nahba, who is opposite Randolph, is only 2.06 meters tall. He is also a white guy. Can you guard against Randolph?

Randolph will definitely beat him to death in one-on-one. If double-teamed, Aldridge, Cannon and Jack will be happy.

In the final analysis, the Nets' rotation has too much space and needs too much offense, so the defense is indeed too fragile.

Playing such a crisp defense, O'Neal Randolph Jr. will really become the real Randolph.

Therefore, during the rotation phase of the second quarter, the Nets brought out three starting players on the court to chase points.

But facing the Bobcats' full-substitute rotation, the Nets' rotation was actually a 50-50 split.

Even if it is a 50-50 split, this is because Carter, Joe Johnson and Richard Jefferson are really strong.

Especially Carter and Joe Johnson, facing the crazy harassment of Paul and Jackson, both of them shot very steadily despite interference.

Therefore, this game was very uncomfortable for Pat Riley.

At the end of the rotation in the second quarter, the Nets' deficit even changed from 7 points to 9 points, and was stretched by two points.

Originally, the purpose of playing three starters was to chase points, but instead, the point difference widened slightly.

If this is not uncomfortable, what is uncomfortable?

In short, after playing the rotation time in the second quarter, Pat Riley already had a premonition of this game.

Although the playoffs are a series, being behind 0-1 or even 0-2 is not a big deal.

For a series, a big score in the first two games is really nothing, but what really worries him is that the Bobcats are stronger than he imagined!

It’s not only the terrifying fairy ball ability and stability of the wonder boy Chen Xiao, but also Jordan’s bold coaching style and the overall strength of the Bobcat players.

It can be said that the style of this Bobcat reminds Pat Riley of the Cavaliers team coached by Carlisle.

This Bobcat does not have a 100-point tactical system or play style, but every play style can achieve more than 90 points.

This is a bit scary.

And if such a team is paired with a head coach who is able to play a restrained style, it will be even more terrifying.

That's right, Pat Riley, who thinks a lot, saw the shadow of Carlisle, the hottest head coach in the NBA, in Jordan, and also saw the shadow of the original Cavaliers in the Bobcats.

For a series, testing in the first game is often more important than the outcome of the game.

Pat Riley also came with a tentative heart.

After testing for halftime, looking at the score of 50 to 60 at this time, Pat Riley's face looked calm, but anyone who knows Pat Riley should know that at this time, Pat Riley's calm appearance was turbulent.

You know, what's more dangerous than being 10 points behind is that in the first half, these two players, Carter and Joe Johnson, have already played for 48 minutes!

It can be said that for the Nets, this test game was basically settled at halftime.

Although he had thought that he might not win the game, Pat Riley never expected to lose so quickly.

However, Pat Riley is different from D'Antoni after all.

Pat Riley soon regained his composure.

Since this game is a tentative game, it is natural to test out the Bobcats' weaknesses.

Especially the starting lineup of Weber, Chen Xiao, Granger, Barnes and Roy that the Bobcats will use in this series, they must test out the weaknesses of this starting lineup.

Therefore, he needs to find some solutions in the second half to try out the Bobcats' new starting lineup.

This is difficult for any NBA head coach.

There is only a 15-minute break at halftime. In such a short time, you have to find a solution, and you also have to try to see if it works on the court.

For a head coach like D'Antoni who is not very adaptable to on-the-spot situations, this is simply more difficult than killing him.

But for a magic calculator like Pat Riley, although this question was difficult to answer on the spot, Pat Riley still found some answers of his own in the second half.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Chen Xiao and the Bobcats players could clearly feel the changes in the way the Nets played against them.

"The Nets have added a lot of confrontation to Webber, and Pat Riley is consuming Webber!"

"The Nets defensive players in front of Barnes are deliberately releasing Barnes. The Nets players are using the defensive strength obtained by releasing Barnes to make it more difficult for the Bobcats' outside singles players to attack!"

It has to be said that the divine fortune teller is truly a divine fortune teller. Although he does not take long to answer questions, the answers he gives are quite accurate.

If this is a 100-point math question, the magician Pat Riley only took 15 minutes to give an 85-minute answer.

So, in the first half, the Bobcats scored 60 points, and in the second half, the Bobcats scored 50 points in the entire half.

There is no doubt that the way Pat Riley consumed Webber and released Barnes to strengthen the defense against Chen Xiao and Roy Granger has indeed affected the Bobcats' offensive efficiency.

In the end, the Bobcats won the game. The final score was 110 to 98. The Bobcats defeated the Nets by 12 points in the away game.

It can also be seen from this score that the reason why the Nets lost this game was not their defensive problem, but their offensive problem.

In the first half, the Bobcats took the initiative to reduce the lineup in the starting lineup and competed with the Nets in one-on-one singles. The Nets lost.

In the second half, Pat Riley found a way for the Nets to slightly restrict the Bobcats. However, due to physical problems with his two main singles players, Carter and Joe Johnson, their singles efficiency also dropped in the second half, and they eventually lost.

Therefore, at the end of the game, as a commentator for TNT, Kenny Smith not only praised Chen Xiao's stability, but also praised Jordan crazily.

"Jordan's successful change of formation against the Bobcats was the key to the Bobcats defeating the Nets away from home in this game!"

"Kenny, I support your statement, but without the performance of the Wonder Boy with 15 points and 20 points in the first and second half of this game, Jordan's change of formation will fail no matter how successful it is."

In this game, Chen Xiao made 14 of 31 shots, 4 of 9 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the game.

Barkley said that Chen Xiao is the key to the Bobcats' victory, but he is not bragging about Chen Xiao.

It can be seen from Chen Xiao's data that Chen Xiao takes a lot of shots, not many three-pointers, and very few free throws. Obviously, the Nets' defense is very aggressive outside the three-point line, and Chen Xiao does not have too many free throws. The breakthrough to the basket creates a killing opportunity.

Chen Xiao is like this, and other Bobcat players can naturally imagine that the Nets' five forwards defensively suppressed the Bobcats' offense in the paint area and the three-point line in this game.

It is often referred to as the mid-range or two-point shooting area.

With the Nets' defensive intensity so high in this game, Chen Xiao, as the Nets' main defender, was able to make 10 of 21 two-pointers in this game, which can be said to be very outstanding.

Especially in the second half, when the Nets changed their defensive strategy and the Bobcats' offense encountered some problems, Chen Xiao scored steadily, stabilizing the Bobcats' lead.

Therefore, after the game, Pat Riley also said: "Although this game is a tentative game for both sides, we have a chance to win in the end. There is no doubt that the Wonder Boy has made countless saves." our counterattack.

There is no doubt that Wonder Boy is the best player in the NBA now, and he can always save the team in desperate times. "

After the game, Pat Riley was really full of praise for Chen Xiao.

It can be seen that Pat Riley really likes a player like Chen Xiao who is strong, talented, and perfectly fits his aesthetic standards.

Being able to receive such praise from Pat Riley, Chen Xiao didn't feel anything.

Seriously, in terms of his current status in the NBA, which game is not full of bragging and praise from his opponent?

It's just that compared with other opponents, Pat Riley is more famous.

On the contrary, Boss Joe, after receiving Pat Riley's strong praise, was a little floating.

"Chen, am I really as smart as Pat Riley said I am?"

Facing Jordan's question, Chen Xiao didn't know how to answer it.

Boss, you don't know yourself, how do you let me know?

On May 8, 2007, Chen Xiao and Bobcat players will continue to face the Nets at the Continental Arena after a day off in New Jersey.

Because they won the last game, the Bobcats did not make any major tactical adjustments in this game. However, before the game, Jordan emphasized to the Bobcat players to be more decisive when attacking and to be more decisive when defending. Be more focused.

Fans who know the NBA should know that this is a very common rhetoric of NBA head coaches.

In G1, the Nets were stronger and more optimistic, so the Nets were in the open and the Bobcats were in the dark.

And the win in the last game brought G2's Bobcats into the light. The Bobcats won, and there was no way they could change, while the losing Nets were in the dark.

So for the difficulty of G2, Jordan, Chen Xiao and Bobcat players are mentally prepared.

Sure enough, at the beginning of the game, the Nets who lost the ball were indeed very fierce in terms of momentum.

The five forwards are inherently suitable for high-intensity and aggressive defense, because all five of them can run and jump, so they can not only attack, but also take it back.

This is why they were able to suppress the Bobcats' offensive area in the middle distance in the last game.

You don’t think that any team is qualified to be ‘killed from mid-range’, right?

If it were not a super defensive team like the Pistons or Spurs back then, most teams would be beaten into pieces when they met the Bobcats. Three-pointers, breakthroughs, mid-range, everything would be available. Only super teams like the Nets Only a strong defensive team can limit the Bobcats' excellent offense to a certain area.

In the last game, the Nets were killed by the Bobcats' mid-range play. This statement is not only a compliment to the Bobcat players' mid-range singles, but also a compliment to the Nets' defense.

In this game, with the advantage of home court, the Nets significantly increased their infringement on Bobcat players.

The aggression becomes more ferocious.

This caused the Bobcat players who were very efficient in mid-range singles in the previous game to see their offensive efficiency drop significantly in this game.

In the end, the Nets also recovered a game at home 92-82.

In this game, the Bobcats' team's shooting percentage was only 43%. This 43% shooting rate was boosted by Chen Xiao's 12-for-20 shooting in this game.

Let's put it this way, Granger and Roy suffered a loss in one-on-one confrontations against the Nets' five forwards.

Only Chen Xiao can take advantage of strength and confrontation, so no matter whether Chen Xiao is outside the three-point line, mid-range or at the basket, as long as it is one-on-one, Chen Xiao will have good efficiency.

Perhaps because of the Nets' strong defense, Chen Xiao takes fewer shots, but his efficiency will definitely not be low.

Now Chen Xiao's one-on-one ability is a bit like O'Neal's at his peak.

That is, as long as one-on-one, as long as the shot is taken, the hit rate will not be lower than 50%.

Therefore, after the game ended, although Pat Riley led the team to win the ball, he didn't say that he scored 27 points in the game. Chen Xiao scored 34 points.

"In Wonder Boy, I see the feeling of Shaquille O'Neal back then."

"What does that feel like?"

Reporters were curious.

"Full of dominance, I don't know which player is stronger in NBA history, Chen, Michael, Shaq or Chamberlain, but I think Chen and O'Neal are the two most dominant players in NBA history!"

After Pat Riley finished speaking, there was an uproar.