I’m Really Playing Basketball

Because the Warriors lost at home in the Finals G6 on June 16, the atmosphere in Auckland has become extremely tense in the past day or two.

The Warriors and Bucks are extremely close in strength. If these two teams finally reach the tiebreaker, the outcome of the tiebreaker becomes extremely unpredictable.

Therefore, losing G6 will not have any psychological impact on the Warriors players. That is impossible.

After all, in G6, the Warriors players really want to accomplish everything in one game.

No one wants to play a tiebreaker with a team like the Bucks.

But in the end, the last thing that happened happened.

The Bucks' change of formation in G6 really caught the Warriors off guard.

However, who would have thought that Curry would come off the bench?

In the NBA, which superstar is willing to accept himself as a substitute without any injuries or illnesses?

Let's put it this way, in the NBA, as long as you are a superstar, you have airs and face. Even the most selfless superstar has selfish motives.

A superstar like Curry who is completely selfless and obeys the team's tactics and play style for the sake of the team is simply unheard of before.

So it's completely normal for Kerr and the Warriors to not expect this at all.

In the last game, the Bucks' lineup changes were indeed extremely effective.

The starting five forwards of Dream Green, Antetokounmpo, Durant, Ariza and Iguodala have extremely strong defense, extremely fast rotations, and extremely fast transitions between offense and defense.

Even though Jokic is already considered to have excellent athletic ability among big centers, he still seemed slow and suffered a huge disadvantage when facing the Bucks' five-forward lineup.

Let's put it this way, if the Bucks' starting outside shooting wasn't very strong in the last game, the Warriors would never have lost by just four points.

In the last G6 game, the Bucks' five forwards started with almost no defensive holes. This made the Warriors' offense very difficult to beat, even for Chen Xiao.

The Bucks' five starting forwards, even if they do nothing, stand there with their arms spread out, it is a nightmare for offensive players.

In other words, Chen Xiao is strong and has rich offensive methods. No one can withstand one-on-one, otherwise...

On the other side, after Curry took the initiative to fall to the bench, the Warriors' rotation lineup couldn't find a player who could match up with Curry.

In the rotation, Curry can almost move the Warriors' rotation players from the 1st position to the 5th position.

In the Warriors' starting lineup, there are two big men, Chen Xiao and Nong Mei, who are extremely good at assisting and defending. However, in the Warriors' rotation, Gobert, who has the best assist and defense, is no different from Curry in front of Curry.

If you don't have enough dexterity and speed in front of Curry, you will be given away.

It can be said that Ray Allen's change really revitalized the entire Bucks team.

Therefore, after G6, expert media throughout the NBA were crazily touting Ray Allen's change.

At the same time, it is also touting that the Bucks look like they are going to win the championship this year.

After G3, the Bucks' winning rate was 70%. After G4, the Bucks' winning rate dropped to 20%. After G6, the Bucks' winning rate increased to 70%. This is so exciting. .

This finals was as exciting as a roller coaster for the two teams.

And from this we can see how intense this year's finals are.

Chen Xiao felt before the start of this finals that this finals with the Bucks would be the most difficult finals in his career. This is indeed the case.

Not only is his opponent the strongest, but his opponent also has the strongest restrictions on him.

Just take the last game, Chen Xiaoke had 100% ball sense, but his one-on-one breakthrough was basically blocked by the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo, Dream Green, Durant, Iguodala, Ariza, these five strikers are together, and any player's one-on-one breakthrough is hell.

Even if you pass the opposing player, help will be there immediately.

Especially Chen Xiao is now 34 years old, and his speed and explosive power have dropped below 90. Compared with his physical peak, Chen Xiao's current breakthrough ability has indeed declined.

However, even for Chen Xiao at his peak, it is not easy to break through when facing such a Buck.

On the other side, because the five forward players of the Bucks are all excellent defensively, with excellent stature and athletic ability, their defensive aggressiveness is also very high, and everyone's defense can be extended beyond the three-point line. Play strong and aggressive defense against opposing players.

This caused Chen Xiao and the Warriors to encounter great difficulties in their three-point shooting.

You can't even avoid the pick-and-roll outside, because the Bucks' starting five forwards can switch defenses infinitely!

In other words, your pick-and-roll only ended up being a lonely pick-and-roll.

In the end, the Warriors, the strongest offensive team in the NBA this season, really had no choice. They forced Chen Xiao to sit in the low post and attack the Bucks like a center. In the end, Chen Xiao insisted on attacking the Warriors. There was a slight chance.

Of course, the Warriors' opportunity lies not only in Chen Xiao's comprehensive and powerful offense but also in the Bucks' starting players' poor outside touch.

In short, after G6, many experts believe that the Bucks have more than 70% chance of winning the championship. This is really not without reason.

The reason is very good. If the Warriors can't break this move of the Bucks, it will be really difficult for the Warriors to defeat the Bucks in the tiebreaker.

Especially since the Bucks' starting players are already solid in G6, will they still be solid in G7?

For a team of this level, if you expect it to play two games in a row, it's best not to have such expectations.

So after G6, the entire NBA was praising Ray Allen, Curry and the Bucks, and for Warriors fans, they were of course worried about the Warriors.

The problem is now obvious. Even NBA experts and celebrities know it, and fans also know it. It is impossible for the Warriors' coaching staff and players not to know about the difficulties the team is encountering now.

Therefore, on the team's training ground the day after G6, the team's head coach Cole found Chen Xiao and expressed his thoughts.

"Chen, I didn't sleep all night last night. I feel that G7 has really reached the time when we need to change. I am sure that in our most difficult moment, we are once again eager to get your help and salvation. I and our Teams, can you expect that?”

"If it's for the good of the team, I can also play as a substitute like Stephen Curry."

Chen Xiao's answer was firm and without hesitation, and Cole was very touched and satisfied with Chen Xiao's attitude. Of course he would not let Chen Xiao play as a substitute.

However, in the next game, Chen Xiao needs to do more difficult and hard work than playing as a substitute.

Let's put it this way, in the next game, Chen Xiao will play 48 minutes. This is a must.

At the same time, Chen Xiao will serve as the team's center position!

After G6, facing the Bucks' five-forward lineup, one thing Cole was sure of was that any big center facing such a lineup, unless it was Yao Ming, would be given away.

Yao Ming can use his offensive efficiency to counter the five forwards, and use his offensive success rate to slow down the offensive and defensive speed and rhythm of the five forwards.

However, in the entire history of the NBA, there is only one center like Yao Ming.

Jokic is very strong, he and Yao Ming have different characteristics, and Jokic's characteristics, it is really difficult to beat the Bucks' five forwards.

And when Jokic was forced to be removed from the starting lineup, who in the entire Warriors team still had stable interior offensive capabilities?

Really, except for Chen Xiao, no Warriors player can stably beat Dream Green one-on-one in the paint.

When the Warriors' three-point line was sealed, and the Warriors' offense relied mostly on three-pointers and outside offense, their offense basically collapsed.

Chen Xiao, on the other hand, has to shoulder the offense of the collapsed Warriors.

Only when he defeats Dream Green in the paint can the Bucks have a chance to flank him in the paint and create three-point and outside opportunities for other players on the team.

In other words, in the next game, the Warriors' offense really depends on Chen Xiao.

On the other side, with Chen Xiao playing center, the Warriors' perimeter defense will also be greatly reduced.

The defense of Clay, Bill or Barnes is not weak, but these three are short and old, so Clay can match the Bucks' five forwards defensively.

Bill and Barnes can only do one thing at most when it comes to defending against penetration and shooting, either defending against shooting or defending against penetration. It is impossible to strive to do both like Clay did.

In this case, even if the next game has not started, just imagine for a moment, the Warriors' basket may be broken into a sieve in the next game, and this will definitely require the defense of thick eyebrows and Chen Xiao , especially Chen Xiao’s defense at the basket is extremely important. After all, the confrontation between thick eyebrows is not that strong yet. He can only help defend Chen Xiao and withstand the crazy impact of Antetokounmpo and others at the basket. He also has to Rely on Chen Xiao.

The whole world knows that impact is the biggest advantage of the five-forward tactic, and Chen Xiao has to withstand such impact for the Warriors. Therefore, on the defensive end, Chen Xiao still has to shoulder the strongest burden. .

Cole has to bear the strongest burden on both offense and defense, and then he has to compete with Curry on the bench. Just thinking about it makes Cole feel tired.

But now, he needs to leave such a tiring job to a 34-year-old player. To be honest, if there is no other way, he really cherishes Chen Xiao very much. Normally, he is not willing to let Chen Xiao do it. Chen Xiaoduo played and even refused Chen Xiao's request to play 48 minutes.

Cole has always felt that he and Jordan are different, and he will not overuse Chen Xiao like Jordan did.

But in the end, at the most dangerous time, he became the person he complained about the most in his heart. Like Jordan, he could only place his hope on Chen Xiao in the end.

At this time, Cole had mixed feelings in his heart, but Chen Xiao didn't have too many disturbances in his heart. After all, he had been doing this kind of thing throughout his career.

And he can also see that the current Warriors, after the system has been broken, really need a player to turn the tide with his own abilities.

And in the entire Warriors team, except for him, counting from the beginning, no one has such ability.

And Chen Xiao also knows that Cole, a head coach with some mental mysophobia, would not do such a thing if he were not pushed to the extreme.

It's just that there is no other way. Who asked him to build a system that was directly broken by the Bucks?

If there was no other way, who would go to Durant?

The Warriors in history realized the fact that they were a system team after being reversed by the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals. When their system was restricted and stopped functioning, and they needed players to turn the tide, they didn't in the end. People can stand up.

Compared with the Warriors in 2016 in history, the Warriors with Chen Xiao are actually lucky.

However, both Cole and Chen Xiao need to learn some experiences or lessons from this matter.

For Kerr, he needs to be less obsessed with the system.

For Chen Xiao, he really needs to make new plans for his career. He cannot blindly think that giving the ball to the team's system and teammates will make the team stronger.

To make the team stronger, he still needs to become stronger as the strongest player in the team.

Otherwise, no matter how beautiful or invincible the team built by him and Cole is, it will still become a mirror image at the critical moment.

For example, this time, if Chen Xiao's strength and endurance were not fixed at 100, the Warriors would definitely collapse.

It is precisely because his endurance and strength were fixed to 100 that he had the opportunity to put down the weapons he was best at before and pick up weapons he had rarely used before to fight for the team.

Judging from this time, his most useful weapon now is not his three-pointers from the outside or even his mid-range shots, but his strength, his endurance, and his offensive skills at the basket.

Historically, Durant in 2022 has lost weight and perfected his mid-range shooting. Facing the Celtics' siege-style defense, his best and most useful weapon has also failed. Having lost his strength, he couldn't even operate in the low post or around the basket like before. He could only watch his shots continue to hit and his breakthroughs continue to make mistakes.

Compared with Durant in 2022, Chen Xiao is undoubtedly lucky.

He has not had so many injuries in his career, and his body is strong enough. At this age, he can gain weight and create threats at the basket.

Chen Xiao has decided that after this season, he will gain weight and play inside. Whether he is a center or a power forward, Chen Xiao's career will slowly move inside.

If we talk about him at his peak, the outside line is the most suitable and strongest for him.

So now, he is the strongest and most suitable when he goes to the basket and inside.

Even if his speed and explosive power drop below 80, combined with his offensive skills and 100 endurance, 100 strength, 100 ball sense and 100 golf IQ, he can still dominate the game in the interior.

Chen Xiao really didn't expect that a finals would actually change his career plan...