On November 3, night fell.
Phoenix, America West Arena.
At this time, the home opener of the 2005/06 season was about to be held for the Suns. The lights were brightly lit and people were flowing in.
Fans, alone, in pairs, or in small groups, enter the stadium in an orderly manner. They look for seats according to their ticket numbers. When they see a waiter selling popcorn, they buy a bucket or two to keep them. People who are thirsty and need a drink of water find a stall selling cola soda and buy a few bottles of beer to drink.
Most of the fans stayed in their seats, watching the game quietly like teenagers.
On the basketball court, a young and charming cheerleader girl wearing hot and cool clothes, looking pure and sexy, is dancing passionately. Her slender white legs and the waves on her chest are dancing with the dance, like stars. It shines brightly and catches the eye.
For this game alone, the ticket price has already been repaid by half without breaking the bank.
The cheerleaders left the field, and the lights at the American West Arena went out.
After bursts of screams, the lights came on. At some point, the Suns players lined up on the court, eyes closed, heads lowered, motionless, like robots incapable of emotion.
Accompanied by the live DJ voice, the names were called: Hacker Marion, Brazilian Lightning Barbosa, Son of the Wind Nash, French magician Dior...
Each "robot" came to life again, smiling and waving to greet the fans. Cheers and applause rose and fell like a tide.
During the warm-up, the starting lineups of both teams tonight were displayed on the big screen in the arena.
The Suns started with 5 Tigers, Kurt Thomas, Marion, Boris Diaw, Laga Bell, and Nash.
The Heat's starting five are O'Neal, Haslem, Su Bei, Wade and Jason Williams.
This game will be broadcast live across the United States on TNT radio, with Mike Breen and groom Albert as the guest commentators.
"Last season, the Suns, led by Nash, ranked first in the league in the regular season with a record of 62 wins and 20 losses, while the Heat traded O'Neal and formed a 'flash combination' with Wade, with a record of 59 wins and 23 losses. record, ranking first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league.
At the beginning of the playoffs, the two teams, one with ultimate offense and the other with both offense and defense, are unanimously favored and will meet together in the finals.
It's just a pity that both teams suffered injuries that changed the situation in their respective conference finals.
With the Heat leading 3-2 and holding two game points, Wade was injured and couldn't play in Game 6 of Tianshan, and was dragged into the Game 7 by the Pistons.
Wade returned from injury but still lost the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Suns were even more unlucky. Joe Johnson was injured in the Western Conference semifinals and could not play in the Western Conference finals. The Suns were almost swept out by the Spurs.
The league's No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the regular season were both far behind last season, falling on the stage of the conference finals. "
“A summer has passed, and the management of both teams have done the same thing, carrying out targeted work to identify and repair deficiencies.
The Heat renewed O'Neal with a large contract and Haslem with a mid-level contract. They also exchanged Jones for the needed Jason Williams and Posey, strengthened the forward position and point guard position, and upgraded the lineup. It has become the most popular team in the championship competition.
Compared with the Heat's contract renewal and reinforcement work, it was smooth and smooth.
The Suns first had problems with renewing players.
Fortunately, the reinforcement goal is very clear, and the execution ability is very good. Using three-point king Kunyan Richardson + the 21st pick in 2005, he traded with the Knicks and got the 33-year-old interior defensive player Kurt Thomas. , changing the style of attack-only without defense..."
"Last season in the Western Conference Finals, Stoudemire and Marion took turns getting beaten by Duncan, and Kurt Thomas was used to deal with Duncan.
When Kurt Thomas plays power forward and Marion switches back to small forward, the Suns' forward line defense will improve qualitatively.
It's just a pity that the plan can't keep up with the changes, and the Suns' reinforcements are likely to be lost..."
Among them, Joe Johnson's contract renewal work seems very amateurish and small-scale.
Joe Johnson entered the league with the 10th overall pick in 2001. In his third year in the league, he showed his worth and potential. In the 2003/04 season, when Nash did not come to the Suns, he averaged 16.7 points per game. 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Joe Johnson automatically requested a six-year, $50 million contract extension, but the Suns management refused.
In the 04/05 season, Nash joined the Suns. As the team's third-ranked attacker, Joe Johnson could still score 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
In other words, the main reason why the Suns lost to the Spurs in the playoffs in 2003 and 2005 was because Joe Johnson's body was too fragile and he was injured and unable to play in both playoffs.
The Suns management actually thought this was a reason to narrow Joe Johnson's contract extension, and only offered an offer of 60 million for five years.
Joe Johnson naturally refused to accept it. As a result, the Hawks added 10 million to the qualifying offer contract issued by the Suns. The Suns could only sign and then send Joe Johnson away.
Joe Johnson was sent away and received two draft picks + top player Boris Diaw.
The Suns management predicted that Joe Johnson would leave. In the draft, they traded for Kurt Thomas, pushed Marion to the swingman position, and then signed Laga Bell in the free market, instantly solving the Suns' problem. Two hidden dangers.
There is really nothing wrong with the Suns management's layout, except for letting Joe Johnson go.
It's just that I didn't expect that Stoudemire injured his knee in October and needed surgery.
Although there is a miracle doctor from the Suns, there is no need to worry that Stoudemire will become disabled, but the season reimbursement cannot be changed.
Stoudemire couldn't play, so Thomas could only play the center position. It was promised that Marion would return to the small forward position, but after waiting three years and three years, he was still destined to play power forward.
The small forward can only let Diaw, who is not out of the plan, step up. Anyway, he can play everything and has the right height...
The Heat are also unable to play starting small forward James Posey due to injuries.
Against the extremely fast Suns, O'Neal will definitely not be able to run.
Therefore, the strength and reputation of other starting candidates are really not important, because they are not as good as O'Neal. The only criterion is that they can run. Otherwise, the Heat's defense is really unsightly.
Antoine Walker can't run, and Shanton Anderson's body can't run either.
Su Bei has good speed, mainly because he can outperform Walker and Shanton Anderson. In addition, his performance in the last game was really amazing, so he can be allowed to start and see how it works.
Anyway, you won’t get pregnant if you try.
The game begins!
Beep——!
The whistle sounded and the referee threw the basketball into the sky.
Kurt Thomas, whose fighting spirit was as high as the sky, jumped up with all his strength. It turned out that he was only 2.06 meters tall, with average physical talent, and his fighting spirit could not be eaten.
O'Neal easily beat his opponent and gave the Heat the first right to attack.
Su Bei stepped forward and rushed forward like a tide. Although Dio was fat, he was not slow in catching up.
Jason Williams took the ball upfield and found Nash, expressionless, aggressively diving past the close defense.
Are you going to play brownie defense with me?
If you win the regular season MVP, you think you are good at everything!
Jason Williams was not used to Nash, so he did not dodge, and directly had an intimate physical collision.
Peng——!
Nash stumbled, but continued to move forward. He worked really hard on defense.
Jason Williams continued to fight head-on, stepping down and dribbling one after another, turning around, shaking off his body, and flicking his right hand...
"White Chocolate showed off his passing skills in front of the new MVP Nash, but he didn't play it himself. He sent the basketball to the penalty area, and O'Neal caught the ball with his back to the basket..."
Kurt Thomas put his left hand on his waist and grabbed hard, but found that it had no effect. He directly raised his elbows, lost his energy in his Dantian, and defended himself with a stance.
O'Neal squeezed with his larger body and suddenly pushed back.
Peng——!
Thomas weighed only 106 kilograms. He felt like he had been hit hard by a strong bison, and his head was buzzing. When he mustered up the courage to continue to hold his position.
O'Neal had quickly turned around, took a step, jumped up, ignored Marion who rushed to block the shot, and smashed hard with both hands.
boom--!
His entire body hangs on the basket.
Zhizhizhi——!
The basket frame shook a few times, as if it was trembling.
2 to 0! !
Kurt Thomas, nicknamed "Crazy Eyes" and "Dirty Kurt", is a top-notch low-post defensive blue collar who lacks talent and uses a ruthless attitude.
His defensive awareness is top-notch, he is calm-minded, has solid skills, and is full of strength. Against Duncan, Nowitzki, Yao Ming, Garnett... and other star insiders with face-to-basket offensive skills, his defensive effect is occasionally very good.
It's a pity that O'Neal has long ago outgrown his skill-based style of play and focused on his physical strength and talent.
To defeat all methods with one force, the skills are all about strength. No matter how skilled the opponent is, as long as the armor is not thick enough.
He couldn't stop a single word.
"In the Suns' offensive round, Kurt Thomas made a quick start from the baseline. Nash rushed up, turned around, and passed Wade's midway interception..."
"Only 5 seconds passed. Nash rushed to the frontcourt like a storm. When he saw Su Bei rushing over to intercept, he pushed with both hands and passed a hit..."
boom--!
After the basketball hit the floor, it bounced into the hands of Laga Bell, who cut into the penalty area. After receiving the ball, he jumped up and lobbed it in the air.
Swish——!
2 to 2! !
"The Suns' attack time only took 8 seconds. That's it. There was still room to attack. After the first round of attack, O'Neal just passed the center circle. The attack was too fast.
You are as strong as a casserole fist, and I am as fast as Xiao Li's flying knife..."
In Su Bei's hands, there were no fists or knives, only soy sauce.
On the court, the Heat's offensive round.
Jason Williams still hoisted the basketball into the penalty area. Thomas tried his best to interfere, but still failed to prevent O'Neal from catching the basketball.
"The Suns are short and short, and their mobility is very outstanding. Marion and Laga Bell rushed over to help and launched a three-person attack on O'Neal..."
O'Neal used his body to pass the basketball again.
It's not like he has never fought one against three. Now he is no longer young and has become a "reasonable shark".
Jason Williams was on the outside and played a pick-and-roll tactic with Wade.
"Wade took over the pass and broke through Nash with the ball in front of him.
Nash was very fast, crossed in front of Wade's breakthrough route, and was forced to pass with his body.
Marion and Laga Bell rushed over to help defend, and Wade got up and threw the basketball with both hands..."
Peng——!
O'Neal caught the ball under the basket and knocked away Kurt Thomas' defense. With a bang, he hung up his right hand and blasted the basketball into the basket.
4 to 2! !
"Another attack on the penalty area. The Heat have made it clear that they have been defending the rim against the Suns. If O'Neal is flanked, they will immediately distribute the ball and let Wade call on Nash..."
Basket protection and Nash, two defensive holes, there is always one the Suns can't grasp.
Off the court, D'Antoni's face was very calm.
Defense counts as a goal!
Defense has always been incidental. The Suns never rely on defense to win, but rely on the ultimate run-and-gun offense.
Basketball games are based on offensive points, not defensive data damage.
As long as the Suns score more points than their opponents, the final result is that the Suns win. As for the game process, if you can't protect the basket, you can't protect it. It's not a crystal tower. Can you still steal it?
The important thing is to kill the head!
On the court, Nash was smashed into a sieve, and the basket was smashed to pieces.
The players of the Suns are eating as usual.
As long as you work hard on defense, it doesn't matter what score you get on the test.
Get the ball quickly and devote yourself to the offensive cause, which is the truth of winning!
"Marion served from the baseline and quickly charged forward.
Nash was pressed, and with the help of Diaw's cover, he jumped out again and rushed to the frontcourt with the ball like a whirlwind..."
Bang, bang, bang...
The rhythm changed, and Nash suddenly started, changing direction and passing Jay Williams. Su Bei rushed over, still making a small change of direction, and entered the penalty area.
"Nash flicked his hands and made a no-look pass, passing the basketball to the left three-point corner.
Marion caught the ball, jumped up, raised his hand and shot a three-point jumper..."
Swish——!
Nash's pass is too comfortable.
Marion made a steady three-pointer.
4 to 5! !
Off the court, Stan Van Gundy looked a bit ugly.
What makes him look ugly is not because the Suns hit a three-pointer, but because O'Neal just rushed to the top of the three-point line, and the Suns' offensive round was over again.
As long as you are fast enough, there will always be only one opponent in front of you.
If both of them are fast enough...
With O'Neal, a fat shark, holding the Heat back, the Suns' offense will always be a situation of more and less. No matter how good your skills are, you will still be unable to defend against them.
How to solve this problem?
…
