NBA: This Center Is So Stable

The old man was born in a big way.

Chapter 216 Team Victory

Detroit.

As the world’s traditional automobile center and music capital, this city has a wasteland feel of later generations.

It was in such a growing environment that the Detroit Pistons rose from the ground.

The Pistons in the 1990s can be said to carry the expectations of many Detroit people. There was no top football and baseball here, only an iron-blooded army that could pull Jordan down.

After so many years, with the continuous rectification of the NBA, the “Bad Boys” seemed to exist only in memory. Those iron-blooded pistons who did all kinds of evil and were omnipotent in those days came to an end with the end of an era.

Fortunately, Detroit fans have welcomed a more powerful Pistons team in the new era of the 21st century.

The Pistons’ five tigers, composed of Hamilton, Billups, Ben Wallace and others, have always won victories since entering the playoffs.

4:0 in the first round!

4:2 in the semifinals!

It is this kind of tyrannical strength that made the Pistons fans not show their fear even when they learned that their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals was the Knicks.

Even though the Pistons did not have an advantage in the regular season, after the first two rounds of polishing, the Pistons fans are full of confidence in this resurgent home team.

Tactical meeting room at the Palace of Auburn Hills!

Larry Brown is discussing the opponent of the Eastern Conference Finals with the coaching team.

As one of the few “thousand-win coaches” in NBA history, Larry Brown attaches great importance to the status of the players, and pre-match discussions are considered an indispensable link.

The only team that the Pistons found difficult before the game this season was the Knicks. Even with the Western powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers, the Pistons’ record against them this season was only one win and one loss.

Although the Pistons coaching staff had prepared the Knicks’ information before officially entering the Eastern Conference Finals, there was still an invisible pressure when they really faced the Knicks.

“Ben, this is the closest we have ever been to the championship. As long as we cross the Knicks, we will be on the stage of the finals.”

Looking at Larry Brown’s slightly trembling hands, Big Ben was also moved.

Last year, when Rick Carlisle was still coaching the Pistons, the Pistons had reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s a pity that the result was a bit bleak. They were swept by the New Jersey Nets 0:4 at one point. Now the team that swept them last year was eliminated early, and they still stood firm in the Eastern Conference Finals.

There is no doubt that this is a sign of progress!

It’s just that the Knicks, who are about to face, don’t look easier to control than the Nets.

Especially the performance against the Heat in the semifinals, which highlighted the dominance of this regular season No. 1 team.

Under the sweep of the Knicks, the Heat’s first-round tiebreaker was worthless. Miracles are hard to happen under the absolute strength gap.

Looking at Ben Wallace, who was thinking about a lot, Larry Brown patted the guy’s strong deltoid muscle: “Relax Ben, this is the playoffs!”

“I won’t let it become a one-man show!”

“The Eastern Conference Finals is destined to be a team victory!”

Ben Wallace looked at Larry Brown with a firm gaze, and the unpleasant memories in his mind gradually dissipated.

Seeing Ben Wallace’s mood gradually stabilized, Hamilton stood up:

“Boss, that’s what I said, but the Knicks have Tayshawn, I’m worried about that guy…”

Hamilton expressed his concerns when his most familiar teammate arrived at the enemy camp.

The opponent knew the Pistons’ tactical configuration and personnel very well, and the intelligence alone was much better than the Pistons who reviewed the video.

Larry Brown stroked his chin and said, “Don’t worry, Richard. This is not a problem for us. We will try out the new tactics these two days to adapt to it.”

Sweat kept pouring out of Larry Brown’s palms as he said this.

Before confirming that the opponent was the Knicks, he had always focused on the Asian kid and almost ignored the Knicks and the Pistons players who had been traded.

Tayshaun Prince, the former Pistons starter, played for the Pistons for two years. Although he only coached for about half a season under Larry Brown, he knew the Pistons quite well.

Larry Brown’s back was soaked because he almost didn’t take this factor into consideration.

Then he considered other variables of the Knicks:

Mike D’Antoni, the Italian League champion coach!

Although 74 wins in the regular season was enough for the Knicks to win,

Strong, but the real formation of this Knicks team and the big strategy of resting in the later stage, if you think carefully, isn’t it just a layout for the playoffs.

If you really listen to the outside world’s view on D’Antoni: the Knicks’ new coach is just a decoration, that is Larry Brown’s fatal mistake.

Years of playing and coaching careers have told him that underestimating the enemy is the beginning of destruction.

In addition to D’Antoni, the Knicks’ players are also worthy of attention, such as the All-Star guard Steve Nash who was traded from the Mavericks.

His gold content can be seen from just being selected for the first team.

The long-haired guard was completely released after coming to the Knicks. Not only can he organize but also attack. Rather than saying that he fits the Knicks’ system very well, it is better to say that he and the Chinese rookie formed the Knicks system.

As for the other starters of the Knicks:

Prince, who was traded from the Pistons, was also trained by the Knicks from a potential stock to a forward with the starting level of a playoff team.

There is also Alan Houston, who was just selected for the third team. For many years, he has been the “mid-range shooting king” carrying the Knicks forward. His strength should not be underestimated.

And the Knicks’ top hitter who just returned in the last game against the Heat – Kurt Thomas!

Thinking of these names, Larry Brown’s face was solemn.

···

Before the Eastern Conference Finals officially started, the Western Conference Finals team on the other side was announced.

Facing the Kings built by Princeton, the Timberwolves finally won the seventh game by a narrow margin of 3 points and successfully entered the Western Conference Finals.

In this game, Kevin Garnett got perfect data for the entire series.

32 points, 21 rebounds and 5 blocks!

It can be said that he single-handedly pulled the Timberwolves, the first in the West, back from the brink of life and death.

In response, the Wolf King directly said after the seventh victory:

“Shaq, your era is over!”

This sentence is a double entendre, which is like the Wolf King’s declaration of war on the center of the Lakers, the opponent in the Western Conference Finals, and it is like persuading O’Neal to give way to Kobe.

Not long after, the Wolf King received a response from O’Neal: “The future does belong to the young, but not now, and certainly not to Kevin Garnett.”

The tit-for-tat pre-match interaction between the two also made this “human-wolf war” full of topics.

The West side attracted a lot of attention, but made the outside fans ignore the feud between the Pistons and the Knicks.

The same center position, the same happy revenge between the young generation and the old-school center.

(End of this chapter)