The Pope of Basketball Community

No matter which country it is, basketball experts are a very magical group. They look at who they like and praise them to the sky, but they don't like them, even if the opponent puts up star statistics, they can still find a lot of problems.

In Yang Rui's first year with the Raptors, there were many "experts" looking for faults with the Raptors and Yang Rui. However, in the second year, the Raptors broke the record and won the championship, and a group of people were slapped in the face.

Last season, the Raptors were eliminated by the 76ers due to injuries, and a group of "experts" popped up to say that the Raptors were not good. Even if the players were not injured, they could not beat a team with strong low-post offense.

Now this group of people has been slapped in the face again. Data shows that this season, the Raptors have a very high proportion of points scored near the penalty area, ranking seventh in the league. In addition to three-pointers, they also attack in the low post.

It's normal for people to always say the wrong thing, because the base of "experts" is so large. Anyone who has watched football for a few years and can write a column can basically get such a title. Just like "beauty" in China, it is a common title.

Before the game, many experts said that the Nets could threaten the Raptors. As a result, at halftime, the Raptors led 72 to 45, almost entering garbage time.

During the regular season, the Raptors did not exert their full strength, and the playing time of the players was limited. As long as they were leading by a big score, the starters would go out and rest. Except for Carter and O'Neal, no one on the team averages more than 30 minutes per game.

Now that the Raptors are no longer holding back, Miller takes a break and brings the substitutes to continue playing in the second quarter, which gives the Nets a headache.

Both Eddie Curry and Todd Markloch are heavy insiders weighing more than 125 kilograms. The Nets have previously used one of them to lead the bench, attack the basket, and bully teams without a human shield center.

Against the Raptors, the weight of the two is a double-edged sword. They have an advantage when attacking, but when they encounter Tony Parker in the pick-and-roll on defense, they are instantly defeated.

Parker relied on his speed and skills to weave in and out of the gaps, making endless breakthroughs. He was a real star tonight. When the Nets' two meat shield centers faced him, they could only sigh and watch him lay up or attract defensive points.

Billups only played 18 minutes, and the second half was Parker's performance time.

With Kirilenko and Halprin, Jumaine Jones, a player with good physical condition, can only be a marginal player with veteran Curry. The Raptors' bench defense was not bad, and the Nets could not recover the score.

In the end, 123 to 89, the Raptors won the first game by 34 points.

Seven players on the team scored in double figures. Parker scored a team-high 26 points and 6 assists. O'Neal only played 24 minutes and scored 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Jerome James scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Made 5 of 6 shots, 2 of 3 free throws, and had 4 dunks. He did a good job defending Curry in the second half. "Little Shark" scored 10 points in the game and only 4 points in the second half.

At the press conference, Byron Scott didn't even have the courage to speak harshly. He analyzed the game in a low-key manner and said that the team would strengthen its defense in the next game.

Yang Rui briefly commented. "Our stars have stronger personal abilities, and the Raptors have more scoring points, so the Raptors will definitely reach the finals. The most important thing now is that the players should protect themselves. I don't want to see anyone get injured anymore. "

The reporter asked: "What do you think is the gap between the Nets and the Raptors?"

"They don't have a super scorer, and based on that, they can't win."

Yang Rui is not afraid to point this out, because the Nets have no way to solve it, and it is difficult to get a super scorer to the team through trade.

In positional battles, Martin's efficiency in the low post was very low. He made 6 of 16 shots from the field. Kidd still passed the ball to him again and again. It's not that Kidd has no brains, but the efficiency of passing it to others may be even lower.

In the second game, there was no suspense in the game.

The Raptors still used the method of encircling the penalty area to deal with the Nets, slowly grinding down the position, and suppressing their opponents with superior scoring efficiency.

The Nets went to Curry and defended the pick-and-roll. Without Curry, O'Neal or Jerome attacked Van Horn directly and hit the basket.

105 to 88, the Raptors lead 2-0.

At this time, the Nets management was no longer thinking about how to defeat the Raptors and advance to the finals, but how to trade Van Horn in the summer.

Van Horn played 33 minutes in this game, making 2 of 12 shots, 1 of 4 three-pointers, no free throws, and scored 5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist. As a power forward, he is helpless.

Kidd made 7 of 18 shots, 2 of 7 three-pointers, and 7 of 8 free throws. He scored a triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his shooting percentage was only 38.9%.

Kidd hates point guards like Billups. They are tall and strong. They can't use their bodies to fight hard and can only rely on skills. If you can't get past your opponent, Kidd's shooting percentage won't be high.

Billups always relies on screens to run, catching the ball and shooting quickly. Kidd is not as fast as the small guard in chasing defense, and the defensive end is also uncomfortable.

Billups also scored 15 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in this game. The Raptors' "role players" are about to compete with the Nets' core. The Raptors have the upper hand in all other positions, and the outcome can be imagined.

The Nets returned to their home court and still couldn't do anything against the Raptors. Especially in the second quarter, the lineup gap was too big and the Nets couldn't withstand it when they sent in substitutes. Scott can only increase the playing time of the starters. In the last round of the series, Van Horn did a good job leading the bench. Now he is being defended by Kirilenko so badly that his performance is poor in every game.

The Raptors swept the Nets 4-0 and advanced to the finals first.

At the press conference, the Nets coaches and players talked about the defeat, and they were all convinced and lost their temper after being beaten.

Yang Rui was interviewed and said a few words casually without issuing a championship declaration. The day when he left the Raptors was getting closer and closer, and he cherished every game.

The Western Conference finals were decided four days later, and the Lakers advanced 4-2.

The two sides played very anxiously in the first four games, with two crucial goals deciding the outcome, and in the end they only won by one point. Without Robert Horry's super buzzer beater in Game 4, the Kings would have a 3-1 lead, and everything would be different.

Whether the buzzer-beating shot is made or not is a matter of ice and fire. Taking into account the problem of aura conversion, the Lakers may lose a season because of this.

The Lakers, who had narrowly escaped death, returned to their home court in Game 5. The "OK combination" scored 73 points together and gained match point.

In Game 6, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant once again scored 65 points together and led their teammates. Five members of the team scored in double figures. Robert Horry hit two three-pointers in the final quarter and was worthy of being the key player. The Kings were eliminated 112 to 100.

The Lakers have reached the Finals for three consecutive years, proving their strength, and there has not been as much controversy as Yang Rui's previous life due to excessive free throws.

However, everyone in the Raptors is confident of winning the championship after watching the Western Conference Finals. Yang Rui analyzed the Lakers' lineup and mentioned the same problem as the Nets when analyzing the opponent's weaknesses, which is the weight of the inside line.

O'Neal is invincible one-on-one and unstoppable one-on-one, but he is too heavy and does not have as much physical energy as the lanky inside man. He was not active enough when defending pick-and-rolls. The Kings took advantage of this and constantly used screens and runs to take backdoors, winning two games against the Lakers.

The Kings did not lose in tactics, but in personal ability. Divac was abused by O'Neal in every game and left the game with six fouls three times. The Kings' small forward position, whether it is Stojakovic or substitute Turkoglu, has average athletic ability and is not strong enough in wing cuts.

Raptors players have stronger impact and can play fast breaks and stay in position. With the same tactical system, the Lakers can defend the Kings, but they may not be able to defend the Raptors.

The Lakers got two days of rest and the players adjusted their condition. The first two games of the Finals will be played in Toronto.