Super Lord of the Rings

Vucevic won the jump ball and the game began.

Curry brought it to the frontcourt and passed it to Wang Jun. The person who was guarding him was Prince.

In the first round, the Spurs always started with pitcher Danny Green. Against the Kings, they had to consider defensive matters and make adjustments.

Wang Jun took a step to the right, Vucevic blocked Prince with a screen, Wang Jun accelerated away with the ball, and Diaw switched out.

Duncan defends Battier on the left baseline and can defend the basket at any time.

Wang Jun dribbled the ball to the right baseline to open up space. Prince kept two steps away to help defend. He is experienced and can double-team at any time or switch to guard Vucevic.

Prince was a rookie in 2002 and had competed with Wang Jun for many years. He knew that to restrict Wang Jun, he couldn't just rely on double-teaming.

Dior is also experienced and keeps a distance from Wang Jun, focusing on preventing the bottom line.

Wang Jun pulled the ball towards the middle with one step, and Mizongbu got rid of Diaw with his speed. Prince chased up and Diaw retreated. He attracted the attention of the two big men.

Wang Jun half-turned in the middle and jumped up to distribute the ball. Vucevic scored with a 60-degree open jumper. 2 to 0.

When he double-teams, he passes the ball, and when he doesn't double-team, he plays. He has developed a habit.

Popovich took a deep breath and could only hope for Diaw's misplaced defensive ability.

The Spurs attack and James defends Duncan.

Duncan received the ball on the right side and passed the ball to Diaw, who ran from the baseline to the middle. The latter turned around and faced the frame without a chance to take the shot, attracting Vucevic's defense to take a step laterally and hit the ground and passed the ball to the baseline.

Parker suddenly made a cut to get rid of Curry, caught the ball and scored a layup. 2 to 2.

ESPN Van Gundy said: "This is a typical Spurs-style cooperation. All the inside players pull out to cover, and no one protects the basket."

McBrin said: "Whether we can prevent the Kings from defending their title, I think this series mainly depends on the performance of the inside players. The Spurs clearly have an advantage inside."

Wang Jun singled out Diaw after a pick-and-roll, and his baseline step-back jumper missed due to interference.

The Spurs attack, Duncan pulls to the right side of the three-point line to cover Parker, and James switches to the pick-and-roll.

Duncan relied on Curry to cut inside.

Parker distributed the ball to Diaw in the high post.

Vucevic was not guarded, Diaw took the ball and shot in an open position, and hit a jumper. 2 to 4.

The Kings attacked, and Wang Jun drew the defensive ball from the right to James in the middle. The latter got a one-on-one opportunity against rookie Leonard.

No one is optimistic about rookie Leonard. James is at his peak. This seems to be the Spurs' weakness.

Leonard took one and a half steps away from James, lowered his center of gravity, and prevented breakthroughs rather than shots. It was the right choice.

The most criticized thing about James is this kind of ball selection. He rarely pulls out his hand and is called by fans as "don't dare to shoot two meters away."

This is the core of Popovich's tactics. James' low post shooting percentage is 70% and his jump shot is less than 50%. Of course, he must focus on preventing breakthroughs. It's difficult to defeat James with normal defense, and a thin man will be killed if he sticks close to him. This can also disrupt the opponent's tactical arrangements and turn it into a star singles game.

James took a step and broke through from the left. Leonard followed up with small steps. His long arms put a lot of pressure on James and he couldn't pass. He leaned back to protect the ball and turned toward the baseline and was blocked again.

James was embarrassed to be guarded by the newcomer. He leaned back twice and then turned to the middle to shoot a jumper. He failed to squeeze away and missed the basket due to interference.

Popovich has been coaching Leonard on defense all season, hoping he will become the Spurs' new Bowen. He has the physical tools and awareness to be a top defensive player.

Diaw protected the backcourt rebound and the Spurs fought positionally.

Duncan screened, Parker attracted James to defend and then passed to the middle. Diaw attracted Vucevic to defend and passed to Duncan who cut to the basket. The latter relied on Curry and easily scored with one hand. 2 to 6.

The Kings attacked, James received the ball in the middle, lowered his center of gravity and forced a breakthrough, but was followed by Leonard again.

Near the right penalty area line, James leaned on Leonard for a layup, but missed due to interference, and Diaw got the rebound.

James played a little too hastily, wanting to prove his strength and attract double teams to become teammates, but newcomers may not have no strength. He himself was a good example back then.

The Spurs attacked, Diaw and Duncan continued to withdraw. Using the same tactic, Parker attracted James to switch to the middle. Diaw received the ball and leaned against Vucevic to create a little space, and then passed to Duncan who was cutting in the air.

Battier let go of Prince to cover up the defense, and Duncan distributed the ball to the left again. Prince was left open and missed a three-pointer. His three-point shooting percentage seems to be good, but he actually can't make one ball per game.

Duncan stuck Battier under the basket and used his height and wingspan advantages to grab the offensive rebound.

Vucevic retracted and Duncan passed the ball out again. Diaw was unguarded in the high position and made another jump shot. 2 to 8.

When members of the Kings coaching staff were studying their opponents, they never thought that the person who would make the Kings most uncomfortable would be Diaw being waived by a bad team like the Bobcats.

Diaw joined the Spurs with a basic salary of US$300,000 in the mid-term. His strength is enough to be a starter, and the Spurs got a big advantage.

Diaw was selected by the Hawks with the 21st pick in the first round of 2003. He is known as one of the most versatile basketball players in history. He played from the point guard during the Hawks to the main forward and small forward under the D'Antoni system, and occasionally played as a center, thus winning the award. The title of "French Magician".

In recent years, as his weight increased, his data declined before he was abandoned by the Bobcats. When he arrived with the Spurs, Popovich asked him to play inside, and he immediately successfully transformed into a flexible and fat man. The transformation was staggering.

In 37 games played for the Bobcats this season, Diaw averaged 27.5 minutes per game, scoring 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists, continuing to show the versatility of an all-around forward. Diaw's shooting percentage dropped sharply in the Bobcats, from 49.2% last season to 41%, which was the reason why his scoring average dropped by nearly 4 points per game.

In fact, it's not that he is not strong enough, but that the Bobcats don't know how to use him.

When he arrived with the Spurs, his shooting percentage increased to 58.8%, and his three-point shooting rate was 61.5%. He took fewer shots and was very efficient. Averaged 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20 minutes per game.

Although the data is poor, he really made money by shorting him.

In the next round, James organized in the middle and passed to the running Curry. He and Vucevic covered without the ball on the left, attracting Diaw to switch defense.

Wang Jun ran to the right low post and received a pass from Curry. He leaned against Prince with his back, turned to the middle and shot a fadeaway jumper, using the "Golden Rooster Independence" action.

His fake moves were connected very quickly. If Prince took off slowly, he would not be able to cover the ball and the ball would go in. 4 to 8.

The Spurs attacked again, and the Kings switched to zone defense.

Duncan cut to the low post and distributed the ball. Leonard made a three-pointer from the outside but missed due to slight interference from Wang Jun.

The Spurs' lineup has excellent defense. The weakness is that Green is not available and the three-pointers are relatively poor. Vucevic grabbed the rebound.

Wang Jun counterattacked with a fast break, attracting Prince to the right side. Curry passed the ball to James in the middle. Once James rushed up, Leonard had no choice but to score a tank layup. 6 to 8.

After the test, the two sides began a tug-of-war. The defensive end was very focused and fought for every ball.

On the offensive end, the Kings rely on their stars, while the Spurs rely on inside support and air cuts. They are evenly matched.

Zhang Lili commented: "The Spurs' new and old players are well matched. They are stronger than expected. The Kings encountered a challenge today."

Obviously, the Spurs are expected to win.

PS (To be continued ~^~)