In the visiting team's locker room, Chuck Daly stood in front of Zhou Quan with a serious look on his face: "Zhou, Joe didn't break through. You have to break in. You are the core and the leader of this team. I need you to step up in the second half." Break through, get in, score points and cause damage more efficiently."
Zhou Quan gasped and nodded.
He also made a lot of breakthroughs in the first quarter, but in the second quarter, under Jordan's care, his breakthrough was not smooth and his shooting efficiency was also very low.
"We must have someone who attracts double-teams, and that person can only be Yin. You need to create open opportunities for others. Of course, I am very satisfied with your performance in the first half."
Daly didn't say any more. Although Zhou Quan's offense in the first half was not very good, his assists were very good. If it weren't for his assists, the Pistons would have lost more.
He moved a step, stood in front of Joe Dumars and said: "Joe, tell me, is it really difficult to beat BJ and John Paxson?"
Joe Dumas looked ugly and said: "Chuck, I feel a little bad today."
Daley only asked this question, which was a reminder. He also knew that the away game at the United Center was under too much pressure, and it was inevitable that he would feel the impact.
And, to be honest, Joe Dumars was not inefficient today.
However, the Pistons are now facing the Bulls, their life-and-death rivals, and the fiery Jordan, who has a field goal percentage of nearly 65% and a true shooting percentage of more than 70%. Therefore, they must also be in better shape to make it possible. Win.
Finally, he emphasized the rebounding. The first half was okay. Everyone worked together and only had one rebound less than the Bulls.
In the home team's locker room, despite taking the lead, Phil Jackson didn't look relaxed.
After Jordan and others sat down, he immediately said: "With only a 5-point lead, we have almost no advantage. This is something we need to realize now. It's still Tekken's pass, and we still haven't solved his problem."
At this point, he looked at Jordan and said: "Michael, in the second quarter he still sent out three assists and two indirect assists under your defense. Although his offensive efficiency is low, we can't let him pass the ball at will. You Not only must he limit his scoring, but also his passing.
You need to know that he is a traditional point guard, not an offensive point guard. Passing, assisting and organizing is his greatest damage to us, not scoring. So you scored 30 points at halftime, but we only led by 5 points. You If you limit his offense, your defense will not be considered a success. You have to figure out the priorities. "
Jordan looked solemn and said: "Phil, I know this, but I want to prevent his pass..."
Having said this, he shook his head and said: "I have been in the strongest confrontation, but I can't stand him. That kid's foot is more stable than before, and his core strength should be stronger. If it depends on me alone, I'm afraid Can’t stop him from passing the ball.”
After these words were said, the somewhat messy locker room fell silent, and everyone looked at Jordan in surprise.
Everyone knows how competitive Jordan is, how could he admit in public that he can't guard against Iron Fist?
Jordan noticed the surprise of his teammates, but he ignored it because victory was the first priority. If he lost because of face, it was definitely something he didn't want.
So now he needs Phil Jackson's tactical support, rather than insisting that he can defend the next pass.
Phil Jackson shook his head seriously and said: "Without help, I can't arrange for someone to double-team him on the outside. To lock his passing key, there is only one way. Everyone keeps an eye on their own man and cuts him off from his teammates." With the passing lanes, we can choke off his passes.”
Jordan nodded, that's all. It's impossible to really use double-teams on the outside to limit Zhou Quan's passing. Wouldn't that make people laugh?
Phil Jackson took a piece of paper handed over by the assistant coach, looked down and said: "In the 20 minutes of the half, Iron Fist sent out 7 assists and 5 indirect assists. These 12 direct and indirect assists were given to Qiao Du respectively. Maas 4 times, Ulrich 4 times, John Salley 3 times, and Bedford 1 time.
Ulrich made 4 of 5 shots in the first half, all of which were dunks at the basket after cutting inside. John Salley made 3 of 4 shots. They played a highly efficient offense, which was all caused by Iron Fist's passing. This is why Michael scored 30 points at halftime, but we only led by 5 points.
So, if we can't limit his passing in the second half, once Michael's scoring efficiency drops, you know the consequences. "
The atmosphere in the locker room became solemn, including Jordan. At this time, Phil Jackson said again: "Analyzing these assists of his, 12 direct and indirect assists, 8 of which were scored at the basket, and only 4 of which were passed to open spaces on the outside. .
Gentlemen, let me give you a data comparison. After Michael shot 64.7% and his true shooting percentage was as high as 73%, our overall shooting percentage was 52%, while the Pistons' shooting percentage was 51%. We were only higher. by one percentage point.
Now do you know why we are only 5 points ahead? Except for Michael, none of us were efficient enough.
Remember, we are facing the best defensive team in the league. "
Not long after, the third quarter began.
Zhou Quan strengthened his efforts to break through with the ball, but Jordan reduced his offense and focused mainly on his defense. He did not perform an eye-catching performance, but consumed a lot of physical energy.
He played the entire third quarter, almost all of which were breakthroughs. He only made 3 of 8 shots and 4 of 4 free throws. Although he caused some damage and scored 10 points, he only sent out one assist and was intercepted by Jordan once in a single quarter. Blocked a shot.
After the third quarter, the Pistons were already ten points behind.
Chuck Daly realized that there was something wrong with his tactics. He asked Zhou Quan to rush in and play, but he ignored that Zhou Quan was facing Jordan today.
Moreover, Zhou Quan is not an offensive point guard, and his offensive ability is far from enough. He used Zhou Quan as the smiling assassin he used to be, and forced him to attack the basket under Jordan's defense. This was wrong.
Perhaps, he wanted Zhou Quan to become the second assassin, so he made a mistake.
Although he knew there was something wrong with the tactics, Zhou Quan consumed a lot of his physical energy in the third quarter, which also affected his performance in the final quarter. In the end, the Pistons lost their first away game.
90:106, lost by 16 points.
In the TNT commentary box, Ringo Wilson commented after the game: "Michael Jordan scored 30 points in the first half. In the second half, he focused more on the defensive end, scoring 6 points in the second quarter, 8 points in the final quarter, and 46 points in the game. Minutes, he scored 44 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls.
His shooting percentage was as high as 61.3%, and his true shooting percentage reached 70%. He performed a terrifying performance at home. He was the brightest star tonight. "
Robert Guida said: "As the core of the Pistons, Iron Fist made 9 of 23 shots and 9 of 10 free throws in 44 minutes. He scored 27 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. He is the Pistons' scoring leader tonight. .
His field goal percentage was 39.1%, and his true shooting percentage was 49.3%. His offensive efficiency was low, but his lethality was pretty good. He also did a good job organizing the offense. The main reason was that he passed the ball well in the first half but lost a lot in the second half.
Comprehensive evaluation, in fact, for a rookie, his performance under Jordan's full defense is already quite good. We cannot evaluate him and Michael together. They are not on the same level at all. "
Ringo Wilson laughed: "But with him and Michael Jordan, we have to evaluate them together."
Robert Guida nodded helplessly and smiled: "Well, as far as tonight's performance is concerned, Michael locked up the iron fist in the second half. The core of one party locked the core of the other. This is the main reason why the Pistons lost."
Ringo Wilson also nodded and said: "So in terms of performance, Michael crushed Iron Fist."
At the scene, at the end of the game, a panting Jordan spat at Zhou Quan who was not far away: "Iron Fist, starting from today, your failures will be one after another."
Zhou Quan panted harder. His physical fitness should be said to be far inferior to that of Jordan. When he heard this trash talk, he immediately held his breath and responded: "Everyone can talk big words. Wait until you win a few more championships." Say this in front of me, you are not qualified yet."
"Hmph! I will, I will make you despair."
Jordan dropped these words and turned around and walked towards Barkley and the others.
"Michael, congratulations."
Magic Johnson and other superstars and Hollywood stars greeted him with smiles and sent congratulations.
"Iron Fist, good performance tonight."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said hello to Jordan, walked to Zhou Quan and said.
"Karim, I know I'm still far from it."
Looking at Jordan who was chatting and laughing with all the stars, Zhou Quan smiled and said: "But I firmly believe that I will catch up with him soon."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nodded and said: "Iron Fist, your offensive ability is still a little bit behind now. Your strongest points are passing, assists, and organizational skills. I suggest you use your strongest point.
Remember, Michael Jordan can guard your offense, but he can never guard your passing, and the biggest harm you can do to them is your passing. As long as you do it right, you will be stronger and more lethal than you are tonight. "
"I understand, thank you, Karim."
Zhou Quan nodded, thanked him sincerely, said goodbye to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, waved goodbye to his teammates and Pistons fans, and then left the stadium.
When walking to the players' tunnel, Darnell Walker from behind suddenly shouted: "That guy Dennis hasn't come yet."
"Where are the people?"
Zhou Quan stopped and turned around and asked.
Walker pointed to the side of the court and shouted: "There."
Zhou Quan took a look and saw that Barkley and a bunch of other players and celebrities were being interviewed by reporters. Among them, Rodman was standing with Madonna talking.
"This guy doesn't want to seduce Madonna, does he? She is the queen of pop music!" John Salley's jaw almost dropped.
"Dennis just got married. It shouldn't be possible. He's not that scumbag." Zhou Quan said a word, turned around and left.
"Dennis, your performance tonight was terrible and lifeless. You must have missed the rebounds in the regular season." Madonna said sharply.
"I'm injured, otherwise I would have had twenty rebounds tonight." Rodman defended.
"Athletes who are not injured, don't use that as an excuse. You are dragging down the team's performance, otherwise the Bulls may not be able to beat you." Madonna added.
"No, my injury is a bit serious. If you don't believe me, ask our team doctor." Rodman said aggrievedly.
"Lie to me and I'll kill you." Madonna said fiercely.
"Don't dare."
This bitch is too fierce, Rodman quickly shook his head and said.
"Leave your contact information and then you can go." Madonna ordered.
"OK."
Rodman didn't know why Madonna stopped him. He didn't think the queen was interested in him, and he was confused now.
"Hey Madonna, can I buy you lunch tomorrow?"
At this time, Michael Jordan's voice sounded, and a face full of male hormones appeared in front of Madonna.
"Sorry, I don't have time."
Madonna declined Jordan's invitation without hesitation.
Jordan was startled, was he rejected? Someone as handsome as me was actually rejected?
"Pfft!"
Rodman couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Dennis, I'll call you."
Madonna didn't even look at Jordan. After saying something to Rodman, she turned around and left.
Rodman smiled at Jordan, shook his head with a playful smile, and turned away.
Jordan looked confused, I am not as good as this big bug, Madonna, what do you think?
At this time, a group of reporters gathered around him. He quickly lost his mind and began to deal with the reporters.
On the court, Barkley and the others were also being interviewed.
"Erwin, how do you evaluate Michael's performance today?" the reporter asked.
"marvelous!"
Magic Johnson praised: "With a true shooting percentage of 70% and a field goal percentage of more than 60%, Michael in this state will be invincible."
"Can you compare the performance of Michael and Iron Fist?" the reporter asked again.
Magic Johnson smiled and said: "Iron Fist's performance was also good, but there is no need to compare with Michael. Their performance tonight was not on the same level."
"Charles, do you want to join forces with Michael Jordan?" a reporter asked.
"oh!"
Barkley immediately had a lofty expression on his face and began to think about it: "If I join forces with him, we will definitely guarantee three crowns. I'm serious, we will guarantee three crowns."
"Do you think Tie Fist tonight is the king of Lang Tou?" the reporter asked again.
Barkley pondered for a moment and then said: "The offensive efficiency is not good, but other performances are good. After all, it is Michael who is guarding him, and he is only a rookie. But in terms of performance, he cannot be compared with Michael."
"Do you think the Bulls have a higher chance of sweeping the Pistons than before the G1 game?" the reporter asked again.
"Well, the Pistons can't guard Michael at all. They have been unable to guard him for so many years, and they won't be able to guard him in the future. I think there is a chance, just like last year." Barkley said.
…
At this time, the Pistons had returned to the locker room, and everyone started talking about the game.
"Michael Jordan was so explosive today, we can't win at all." Mark Aguirre, who scored 9 points in 21 minutes, sighed.
"Don't give up, you just lost one game." The assassin said with a cold face.
He played 13 minutes today and scored 8 points. He could beat others, but he didn't perform well against Jordan, which made him feel very bad.
Joe Dumas said: "It is difficult to play away games. Let's work hard and try to win back at home."
He scored 15 points in the first half today, but only 6 points in the second half. He scored 21 points in the game and shot 48% from the field. His performance was qualified, but a qualified performance cannot defeat Jordan.
Zhou Quan didn't speak, he was thinking about his own problems.
Personal offense and organization, he didn't do well enough in these two aspects today. The main reason was that there was a problem in the third quarter and he didn't clearly prioritize these two aspects. By the time he reacted, the team was already ten points behind, and he was already behind in the final quarter. No more physical fitness.
At this time, Chuck Daly began to summarize the game and said: "There were some problems with our tactics in the second half, for which I am responsible. I hope you will not lose confidence in the entire series because of this failure.
On the defensive end, we still cannot limit Jordan's high-efficiency offense. Today's defense is considered a failure and unsuccessful.
On the offensive end, the organization in the second half was poor and the offense was inefficient..."
After spending a few minutes summarizing the game, he said to Zhou Quan: "Zhou, please tell me your experience of this game."
Zhou Quan nodded, thinking as he said: "In the first half, Jordan's offensive efficiency was higher and more terrifying, and he attacked more, but we were still able to hold on to a stalemate. On the contrary, after he reduced his offense in the second half, we did not bite the score. This It’s something we need to look into.”
Chuck Daly nodded, motioning for him to continue.
He added: "Defensively, we just couldn't guard Jordan, but we guarded others well."
Joe Dumas said at this time: "Since he gained weight, our defensive effect on him has become worse every year in these years. Even if it is double-teamed or multi-teamed, it cannot stop his offense. Now He's in his prime and he's harder to defend."
The assassin said coldly: "We have to defend him even if we can't defend him. We can't let him score."
Chuck Daly didn't speak. After so many years, he knew Jordan as well as Phil Jackson. He tried everything, including Jordan's rules, the most brutal defensive methods, etc., but nothing could really stop him from scoring.
At this time Zhou Quan said: "If we want to prevent him from scoring, I'm afraid we can't do it. We can only limit his scoring efficiency and enhance our offensive efficiency at the same time."
"Zhou, what do you think?" Dailey asked.
Zhou Quan said: "I don't have any ideas on the defensive end. You have all been playing against him for so many years. If you can't guard him, you really can't guard him."
Upon hearing this, everyone including Chuck Daly and the assassin looked helpless.
Zhou Quan added: "On the offensive end, Jordan tried his best to guard me. I think my role on the offensive end was mainly to attract his defense, reduce the defensive pressure on my teammates, and then use my passing to help my teammates score more easily. So I need to take fewer shots. Today I took too many shots, which dragged down the team's offensive efficiency."
Daly nodded. He also realized this problem in the second half of the third quarter. He overestimated Zhou Quan's offensive ability and underestimated Jordan's defensive ability.
Also, he made a mistake. Zhou Quan was not an assassin who took the lead, but a general who commanded the team. There was a problem with his use of Zhou Quan in the third quarter. He emphasized too much on personal offense, which obviously affected Zhou Quan's performance. Allocation of primary and secondary offenses between organizations and individuals.
The offensive tactics he is using now are still the core of assassins, but Zhou Quan is not an assassin, and this is his problem.
In other words, he wanted to develop a new tactical system that was suitable for Zhou Quan.
After the summary, a group of people rushed into the bathroom to take a shower, and then Rodman arrived belatedly.
Moreover, the joy on this guy's face was completely inconsistent with the atmosphere of losing, and looked very different.
(End of chapter)
