After Li Yan returned, the Denver Nuggets were on the right track.
Under Li Yan's teamwork, Iverson and Anthony played alone much less often.
Ever since George Karl accidentally developed the Nuggets version of the "7-second fast break" tactic, he has been experimenting with it, and naturally achieved good results.
Of course, under Li Yan's suggestion, the Nuggets did not adopt this style of play throughout the game.
"Run and gun" is a bit heavy on the players. Although Iverson and Anthony have no objections to bombardment, it can be seen from some details that they don't like this tactic very much.
They have played basketball for so many years and have their own ideas, so there is no need to force changes.
Similar to the Warriors' "five-small lineup" later, George Karl also replaced JR Smith in the third quarter to play the "7-second offense."
JR Smith is the one who really likes "run and gun". With the support of this crazy tactic, JR's outside firepower is fully released.
After three consecutive three-quarter games, the Denver Nuggets easily defeated the Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz.
The Hawks and Nets are average in strength, but the Jazz are not good at it.
This iron army led by coach Sloan has a new "Utah duo" after Karl Malone and Stockton.
Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams have made great progress under Sloan's training, and their pick-and-roll tactics are "proficient".
Boozer averaged 20.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season, and Deron Williams averaged 16.2 points and 9.3 assists per game. They have become one of the most competitive combinations in the league.
This Jazz also has center Memit Okur who averages 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Okur is a special case among centers. His attack focus is on the outside and the proportion of strong attacks at the basket is very small.
His shooting ability is very good, and it is often difficult for opposing players to defend him. This season, Okur's three-point shooting rate is as high as 38.4%. He is an excellent outside shooter in terms of production and efficiency.
An all-around warrior, Kirilenko, known as "AK47", is the "universal glue" on the court. His presence has brought the Jazz to a higher level on both offense and defense.
In addition, the Jazz also have Derek Fisher, Matt Halprin, Ronnie Brewer and many other players.
(PS: Old fans must be deeply impressed by this Jazz team, Yao Mai’s lifelong enemy)
The Jazz's record is closely tied to the Nuggets, and they performed very well in the strong dialogue.
In the duels with the Spurs, Mavericks, and Suns, the Jazz also had wins and losses. They became the representative of "hard bones."
However, this recognized "hard bone" was directly smashed by the Nuggets.
In the first half, the Jazz could still hold on to the score, but in the third quarter they were taken away by the Nuggets.
In the past, Boozer and Okur were sneaking around the opponent's big center, but when it came to the Nuggets, Boozer and Okur were beaten like dogs.
They couldn't keep up with the Nuggets' crazy offensive and defensive transition rhythm, and could only run back and forth.
Coach Sloan thought about killing Li Yan's "engine", but it turned out that the Nuggets still had a "spare engine."
"Answer" Allen Iverson should not dribble too slippery, driven by dual "engines", the Jazz were confused.
Finally dragged into a positional battle, the Jazz had no advantage. Anthony and Iverson penetrated the Jazz's defense.
No solution! The Jazz surrendered in the third quarter, and the Nuggets clocked out again.
The Nuggets have won five consecutive games. Li Yan averaged an astonishing 11.4 points, 17.2 assists, 6 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
This crazy performance earned Li Yan his first NBA award, "Western Conference Player of the Week".
The name "Chinese Magician" is resounding throughout the United States!
The crazy Nuggets shocked the entire NBA, and this small-market team that had never won a championship received unprecedented attention.
Allen Iverson, the "number one pick" of the 1996 golden generation, Carmelo Anthony, the "third overall pick" of the 2003 platinum generation, and the magical "Chinese magician" Li Yan.
(Kenyon Martin: I am also the No. 1 pick! Marcus Camby: Doesn’t the No. 2 pick in 96 have the right to show his face?)
Fans discovered that this Nuggets team is really exciting!
Could it be that "Answer" will realize his dream this year? Iverson fans were so excited that they took off.
The NBA is naturally excited too. Although the Nuggets are a small team, they cannot handle the large flow of players.
Anthony and LeBron James are the two most popular players in the world; "The Answer" Iverson is the hero in the hearts of many fans; not to mention Li Yan, he is the pride of the entire village of Mysterious Oriental.
Excited heart, trembling hands! David Stern looked at the overwhelming traffic and couldn't help but admire his own vision.
This young man Li Yan really strives for himself.
Li Yan's popularity has greatly increased, and he has received crazy support from fans on both sides of the Pacific.
At this time, the results of the final round of All-Star voting were also announced.
Li Yan's number of votes reached an astonishing number. He ranked third after LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, beating all the greats and ranking third in the total votes.
Compared with Yao Ming who defeated "Shark" O'Neal to get the All-Star starting position when he was a rookie, there is not much controversy about Li Yan getting the All-Star starting position this time.
Although McGrady and Nash are very strong, Li Yan's performance is not bad either.
Thanks to his highly entertaining passing, Li Yan still has many fans in the United States, even if his base in China is excluded.
No controversy! Deserved!
This is the evaluation given by many domestic sports media to Li Yan's All-Star start.
