The Cavaliers were in pretty good shape in the first quarter.
The Clippers, affected by Randolph's absence and Anthony Davis's too many fouls and leaving the game too early, played too one-dimensional in the first quarter.
With a corner of the paint collapsed, the Clippers relied too much on their three-pointers in the first quarter.
The Clippers' three-point ability this season is among the best in the league.
In the first 15 games, the Clippers' proportion of three-pointers has further increased compared to last season, and the number of hits and shooting percentage have also set new highs in the team's regular season history.
The huge tactical space on the court gives the Clippers shooters enough opportunities to shoot three-pointers.
In the fourth season of his career, Curry has grown into the league's strongest three-point shooter.
He currently averages 8 three-point attempts per game, hitting 3.7 goals, and his three-point shooting rate is as high as 46%.
Moreover, many of Curry's three-point shots are not open, but against the opponent's strong shots.
Of course, the Clippers have the best pick-and-roll coverage in the league this season.
Gasol, Randolph, and Anthony Davis can all provide high-quality pick-and-roll screens and tactical backup behind the screens.
For example, after Randolph sets a pick-and-roll, he can cut outside or slide down, putting the opponent's defender in a dilemma.
At this time, Curry may suddenly shoot a three-pointer from far away, catching the opponent off guard.
In the first quarter of today's game, Randolph was absent and Anthony Davis came off the court early to rest. Only Gasol provided cover, and the level and richness of the cover dropped a lot.
Also, the Cavaliers' defense against the Clippers was also very targeted.
Highly concentrated attention, sufficient flexibility in defensive formation, and good defensive communication.
There is a reason why the Cavaliers led the Clippers 2-0 in the Finals last year and almost won the series 3-0 without any suspense.
Their outside height and intensity are one of the few teams in the league that can match the Clippers.
Battier, Mike Miller, Danny Green, plus James, the forward line is very strong.
It's just that the Clippers' inside advantage is too great, and they really can't control the combination of Randolph and Gasol.
Tonight, the two heroes are missing one player, which is a good opportunity for them.
In the first and second quarters, during the breaks, James was rare and kept cheering for his teammates.
Everyone needs to unite to win this game.
"It's only been a few months since the defeat. This is our chance to get revenge!"
“Everyone buckle up, focus, focus!”
James repeatedly emphasized with his teammates to focus.
Because the defense against the Clippers cannot be relaxed for a moment.
Basketball has developed in 2013, and there have been huge changes in tactics from more than ten years ago.
One of the significant changes is the different concentration requirements for players on the court.
Because the court space has become larger, the defensive formation has expanded wider, and the area that each person is responsible for has become larger. If you are not careful, you will miss someone, which will give your opponent an opportunity.
Another point is that now that the league has abolished illegal defense, the one-on-four situation in the 1990s is no longer the case.
In the era of illegal defense, opponents deliberately create illegal defensive traps to create an absolute one-on-one environment for the team's stars.
The defender cannot go up to double-team, and can only stand and watch from the outside. Except for the main defender, others can really watch the show with their arms crossed and walk on defense.
The defense of that era was also more suitable for some veterans.
As long as the veteran has a unique skill in offense and doesn't get too frustrated on the defensive end, he can have a place in the team.
This situation has become increasingly unsustainable in the past two years, and the living space of veterans is slowly getting worse.
Because the pace of the game is getting faster and faster, and the offensive space is getting larger and larger, the mobility requirements for players, especially outside and forward players, are getting higher and higher.
The Clippers are undoubtedly the initiator of accelerating this phenomenon. Their extremely fast offensive speed and huge offensive space have forced every team to start transforming and accumulate enough powerful forwards at the third position.
The pace of change in the NBA is very fast. Three years ago, Min Congda came to the conclusion that players who are neither three nor four are the most useless in the league, and the inside is the most important.
That's why he selected George, Leonard, and Butler.
As a result, just three years have passed, and the status of the striker has become more and more important.
With the gradual decline of Kobe Bryant, once-famous shooting guards such as Tracy McGrady and Carter have gradually fallen into decline. The era of shooting guards in the NBA is over.
The era of small forwards and point guards has begun.
At the beginning of the second quarter, James sat off the court to rest.
The Cavaliers led the second unit with Kyrie Irving to fight the Clippers on the court.
The Clippers' second team is quite strong, with Leonard, Dragic, Butler, Tucker and Milicic.
One senior and four juniors are gradually becoming the mainstream combination in the league.
As one of the pioneers, the Clippers are even more familiar with the first and fourth graders.
However, the Cavaliers' defense was quite good today. They really concentrated on guarding from the outside and tried their best to interfere with every attack of the Clippers.
At the same time, in the offense, the Cavaliers chose to completely delegate power to Irving, allowing Irving to take absolute dominance.
The second-year Irving has experienced growth during his rookie season and has made great progress in his personal abilities.
He used his superb feet and phantom dribbling to get in and out of the Clippers' defensive lineup.
The Clippers do not have a strong one-on-one defender at the first position. Curry, Dragic, Bazemore, etc. all attack the strong and defend the weak.
The Clippers' defense of the No. 1 position mainly relies on follow-up defense and assistance. However, for a sharp knife like Irving, without the first barrier, it will be very difficult to stop him later.
"Irving is a very sharp knife. Although our Clippers' defense is good and very tough, it can withstand the heavy hammer but cannot withstand the speed of the knife. The Cavaliers' method of going all out on defense and relying solely on the sharp knife for offense is Very good idea.”
From the perspective of the Cavaliers, Min Congda praised the Cavaliers for having the right idea and not making the mistakes they made in last season's finals.
In last season's finals, Mike Brown and the Cavaliers were still thinking about using tactical richness with the Clippers.
Don't you look at how many cards you have in your hand? How good can it compete with the Clippers?
Only fierce strategies can be used to dispel the Clippers' richness and imagination.
It's like Mourinho leads the team against Barcelona. If you play pass and control with Barcelona, you are looking for death. You can only steal the chicken with a big bus.
The Cavaliers are the same, with a five-man iron barrel formation, one or two main attackers, and relying on personal ability to fight while maintaining a stable defense.
This may be a confrontation between the old-era tactical system and the Clippers' new-era system.
"Who came up with such a good strategy for the Cavaliers in this game?"
Min Congda had some questions on the sidelines.
But after thinking about it, the doubt quickly disappeared, "Damn it, of course it was me, Smart Min, who came up with it! Who made me so smart!"
(End of chapter)
