On the sidelines, The View's David Stern smiled and said to Bill Davidson: "Bill, your team has a good chance of completing the rebuild."
"But I still need your support."
Davidson smiled back and said meaningfully.
Stern smiled and nodded, but did not answer the question.
He knew very well what Davidson meant, and he just hoped that he would stop targeting the Pistons.
The flagrant foul rule was introduced the year before last, and it was targeted at the Pistons.
The result was so powerful that it immediately broke the legs of the Bad Boys, making it impossible for the Bad Boys, who had won two consecutive championships, to complete three consecutive championships. They were even swept by Jordan in the Eastern Conference Finals, directly destroying the invincible Bad Boys. .
To be honest, he admires the Pistons' new core Zhou Quan.
This is a young man who personally ended the Bad Boys Legion, has a big heart, a big picture, and a very strong will. His playing style is not as dirty as the Bad Boys Legion. The only drawback is that there is a lot of violence, but as long as he doesn't cause big trouble, He will not interfere with Zhou Quan's development.
Judging from Zhou Quan's current strength, he has performed so well in his first season, and there is definitely room for improvement. He will have the opportunity to become Jordan's strong rival in the future, and this is what he hopes to see.
The only thing he hoped was to get Zhou Quan to the west.
But this idea is very difficult to implement. It is more likely to move O'Neal to the West, which he can control.
For the above reasons, that is to say, he will not target Zhou Quan's team.
But he wouldn't say this to the Pistons.
"Phil, I'm going to keep playing."
Jordan said to Phil Jackson on the bench.
Phil Jackson nodded. He had great confidence in Jordan's physical ability. He had never seen anyone in the league who was physically stronger than Jordan, not even anyone close.
He immediately said to Jordan: "If Tie Fist goes up and continues to fight, then wear down his physical fitness. If he doesn't go up, use this opportunity to chase points."
Jordan nodded, that was exactly what he planned to do.
After the two of them said this, they were suddenly startled.
They also thought about one thing. The biggest threat to them in this Pistons team is no longer the former FMVP Joe Dumars, let alone the assassin sitting on the bench, but the new core Zhou Quan.
This means that Zhou Quan, who is still a rookie, has grown enough to threaten the Bulls.
Phil Jackson said thoughtfully: "The five main players of the Pistons, Joe Dumars is 29 years old and is still in his prime, Rodman is 31 years old and is currently in his prime, John Salley is 28 years old, and Ulrich is the oldest. At 33 years old, their main lineup can still be used for two years at most, and then it will definitely enter a downward spiral.
As for their bench, both Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas are no longer good. They are only average now and will be even worse next season.
In general, the Pistons' lineup is not a lineup with rising strength, but a lineup that is gradually aging and declining. Their reconstruction has not yet been completed.
Even if there is a new core, even if Zhou Quan's growth is promising, he is useless alone. You were so strong back then, and you couldn't lead the Bulls.
It is very difficult to build a championship-level lineup. It took us many years. They don't have a few years and it is impossible to put together a championship-level lineup.
When Joe Dumars and Rodman are old, more and more people need to be replaced, and they need suitable players and a matching lineup. They even need many years to build a lineup for Zhou Quan. If they are unlucky, even During Zhou Quan's entire peak period, it was impossible.
The rebuilding of a team is likely to be far away, so as long as we beat them this time, there is a high probability that we can beat them in the next few years. Their threat to us will only become smaller and smaller, and they should not be easily As Zhou Quan grows, he becomes stronger. "
After hearing these words, Michael Jordan nodded thoughtfully, thinking that what Phil Jackson said made sense.
After Phil Jackson said these words, the timeout was almost over, and the referee blew the whistle to signal the players from both sides to come on.
"This guy is indeed on the field again."
Zhou Quan was sitting on the bench and when he saw Jordan standing up again, he couldn't help but admire his physical ability.
But he couldn't follow up. He lost in the second half of the last game and was defeated in the final quarter. He had to save his physical strength for the final quarter.
The substitute lineup includes Assassin and Mark Aguirre. As long as they can play their best, they should be able to buy rest time for him and Joe Dumars.
On the court, Jordan faced off against the Assassins.
Enemies meet head to head, but it is not a tit-for-tat situation.
The former has reached the pinnacle state from mental to physical, from willpower to game experience, while the latter has started to decline due to injuries in 1990. In the regular season, he was injured more due to the Battle of Auburn Hills. His current state is completely different from that of Jordan. On the same level, even worse than one level.
Therefore, when the two are matched up, it is a situation where Jordan crushes the assassins and crushes Isiah Thomas on both offense and defense.
In fact, there is no need for assassins to defend Jordan. His height is lower than Zhou Quan, and it is more suitable for Mark Aguirre to defend him. However, they are mortal enemies, so the assassins directly switch defenses and defend Jordan personally. The result of this is to let He was beaten by Jordan on both offense and defense.
The Assassin broke through the offense with the ball three times in a row, was intercepted once, and missed two shots. Jordan scored three goals in a row on his head. His anger immediately grew, and his physical contact with the latter became more and more intense. The bigger.
"brush!"
In the 6th minute, Jordan knocked down the assassin with a pull-up jumper, and then made a shot to equalize the score at 35:35.
This was his fifth goal in the second quarter. He made 5 of 7 shots on the assassins, plus 2 of 2 free throws. The team scored 15 points in the half quarter, and he scored 12 points alone.
The Assassins made 1 of 5 shots, only 2 points, 1 assist, and two turnovers.
In just half a quarter, Jordan used a powerful offense to help the team even the score difference.
This made the assassin anxious. In the next defense, he stretched out his legs to trip Jordan, who was breaking through with the ball, and the two immediately clashed.
David Stern's face is ugly. I feel that Zhou Quan replaced Isiah Thomas as the new core of the Pistons, which was the most correct decision made by the management.
At the same time, he also felt that preventing Isiah Thomas from joining the national team last time was the most correct decision.
The conflict subsided quickly. It was just a push and did not rise to the level of boxing. Then the Pistons called a timeout.
"Haha, as I said just now, Michael will definitely adjust to his condition quickly. I was right. Michael was firing on all cylinders. Isiah Thomas was defeated and could only use his legs to defend Michael." Ringer Wilson smiled excitedly.
Robert Guida nodded and said: "In 18 minutes, Michael made 10 of 19 shots, and his shooting percentage increased to 52.6%. In addition, he made 4 of 4 free throws and scored 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 2 fouls. It is true. The performance was strong. After the second quarter, it was in sharp contrast to the first quarter.
However, with so many shots in one and a half quarters, his physical energy consumption is also quite large. The Pistons will definitely let the main players play. Next, he should take fewer shots and focus on the defensive end. "
Ringo Wilson laughed: "In the past, the media thought that the Pistons' bench lineup was quite strong, and that the Assassin and Mark Aguirre should be able to help the main force fill the hole, but now it seems that the main force is helping them fill the hole."
Robert Guida nodded and said: "The main reason is that the Assassin's strength has declined severely and injuries are tormenting him. Whether it is breakthrough speed or agility, he has experienced a significant decline compared to last year, and his shooting touch is even worse. , it’s no longer efficient.”
Ringo Wilson did not answer this sentence, because the reason why the Assassins are in such poor condition now is that Grant's knee injury in the Battle of Auburn Hills is an important reason.
With 6 minutes left in the second quarter, the Pistons sent all their main players to challenge.
Zhou Quan still defended Jordan. Miraculously, Jordan's luck was bad again. After the timeout, he missed two consecutive shots. The Pistons took the opportunity to take the lead again.
Jordan took 21 shots in less than two quarters. This was a crazy number of shots, accounting for more than 50% of the team's shots. It consumed a lot of physical energy. After feeling cold, he chose to stop.
Phil Jackson replaced Jordan with Pippen when the ball was dead, and the rest were four substitutes. He told Pippen to try his best to hold off the Pistons and hold on to the score in the next 4 minutes.
As soon as Jordan left, Pippen switched to guard Zhou Quan, but Zhou Quan still used the old method of using the pick-and-roll to get rid of Pippen, and then moved in a wide range, not giving Pippen a chance to come back to him.
From the time he came on the court to two minutes before the end of the second quarter, a total of four minutes, Zhou Quan led the main lineup to launch a 10-4 attack wave, 39:45, once again overtaking the score and stopping the Bulls. Phil Jackson once again Put Jordan on the court.
In the last two minutes, both sides focused on defense, and Jordan did not take any shots. They focused on defense, and the second quarter soon ended.
41:47. The Pistons still led by 6 points at halftime at home.
Ringo Wilson said: "Michael played 22 minutes, made 10 of 21 shots, and hit 47.6%. He was still the best player in the game."
Robert Guida said: "In the 6 minutes of the second quarter, Iron Fist made 2 of 3 shots, all of which were breakthrough layups. In addition, he made 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 1 steal. In 18 minutes of the two quarters, he made 9 shots. In 6 games, the shooting rate reached 66.7%, and he scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover and 1 foul.
He is 10 points behind Michael in scoring, but his offensive efficiency is much better than Michael today, which is rare for him.
In addition, his performance in other aspects was also good, especially his performance in organization and assists. I think his performance today was not weaker than Jordan's. It was his performance that allowed the Pistons to lead the Bulls. "
Zhou Quan returned to the locker room and immediately asked the masseur to massage him to relax his muscles and relieve fatigue.
In today's game, the Pistons actually have no way out. If they lose again, the Bulls will get the match point, and they have lost both home games. The veterans of the team cannot last long in fighting spirit, and they are afraid that they will collapse to the end, so This was a game he couldn't lose and he really wanted to win.
"Zhou, how is your physical fitness?"
Chuck Daly asked as he stood to the side.
He is fully aware of the weaknesses of the current team's lineup. Last season, the team lost its energy and pursuit. Like him, it was like the setting sun.
This season, due to Iron Fist, a lot of energy has been restored, but there is still an unavoidable weakness of the championship lineup and the veteran lineup, that is, even if the energy can be temporarily stimulated, in fact it is still the same sunset, and the quality has not changed.
The current Pistons team focuses on Zhou Quan's growth and then slowly builds the lineup.
Now that the team can score with the ball, he mainly relies on Joe Dumars and Zhou Quan, and the other three main players are all eating the pie.
Among the two, Zhou Quan is now more threatening than Joe Dumars. It is impossible for the Bulls to double-team Joe Dumars, but they may double-team Zhou Quan. He mainly relies on Zhou Quan's performance.
"It's okay." Zhou Quan said.
Chuck Daly thought for a while and said: "You still need to have a rest time in the third quarter. We happen to have a 6-point advantage. We will try to catch the Bulls in the third quarter and work hard in the final quarter.
I will arrange for you to play for 8 to 9 minutes first, plus rest between sessions, you will have at least 4 to 5 minutes of rest time. "
"OK."
Zhou Quan replied.
Daly added: "You defended Jordan very well today. Although you only had one steal against him, it reduced his shooting percentage. This is the most successful defense. You also defended him in the same way in the final quarter. As long as you guard him, We can beat the Bulls."
Zhou Quan said modestly: "The main reason is that his touch today is average."
Chuck Daly shook his head and smiled: "The reason why his shooting percentage is not high enough must be related to your defense, that's for sure.
Even if he can use the pick-and-roll to temporarily get rid of you and get the chance to catch the ball, but because there is not much offensive time, he will be double-teamed immediately after catching the ball, and the shot will not be very calm, which will definitely affect the situation. Hit rate. "
Zhou Quan nodded, thinking that this could also be used to explain Jordan's state today.
15 minutes later, the third quarter began.
Zhou Quan played for 8 minutes and was replaced.
In this quarter, he didn't take many shots. He was saving energy for the final quarter, mainly defending Jordan, and then creating opportunities for his teammates on the offensive end. He once again sent 3 assists in eight minutes, and had already sent 10 assists in the game.
Jordan took 21 shots in the first half, so even if the team fell behind, he didn't take many shots in the third quarter. He took 5 shots and hit 2 goals in eight minutes.
When Zhou Quan came off the court, 56:65, the Pistons were already 9 points ahead, but after he came off, Jordan began to work hard to chase points.
Through strong offense and defense, Jordan once again stole the assassin, and within four minutes made 3 of 5 shots and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 8 points in a row. He led the team to a 10:4 attack wave and defeated the assassins again, 66 :69, the Bulls were only 3 points behind.
Robert Guida said: "Tekken's defense was really strong today. Jordan had to use the pick-and-roll if he wanted to catch the ball, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get rid of him.
Every time he plays against him today, Jordan's efficiency will drop significantly. This can no longer be explained by touch, it is caused by his defense. "
Ringo Wilson immediately retorted: "Jordan's efficiency today is average, and it is not necessarily the result of Iron Fist's defense. I think there is still something wrong with his touch."
Robert Guida smiled and said: "Let me cite a statistic. Today, Michael Jordan made 7 of 19 shots against Iron Fist, with a shooting percentage of only 36.9%.
When facing others, he made 8 of 12 shots, with a shooting percentage of 66.7%. This proves that it is precisely because of Tekken's defense that his efficiency dropped significantly. "
"this?"
With the data in front of him, Ringo Wilson had nothing to say, and it would be unscientific to say more.
Robert Guida laughed: "Before, the Pistons used Joe Dumars to defend Jordan. If they had used an iron fist to defend Jordan earlier, the big score might not be 1:2, but maybe 2:1."
Ringo Wilson retorted again: "It shouldn't be possible. The Pistons may not win today. It depends on their performance in the final quarter.
You must know that Michael's usual performance in the final quarter is enough to make a comeback. What's more, there is only a three-point gap. Now it can only be said that the outcome is not decided.
And just three quarters doesn't mean Tekken can continue to limit Michael's performance. "
Robert Guida nodded and said: "Jordan has played 34 minutes. So far, he has made 15 of 31 shots, and his shooting percentage has increased to 48.4%. He has made 6 of 6 free throws and scored 36 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover and 2 fouls. In fact, The overall efficiency remains extremely strong.
Tekken played 26 minutes and made 6 of 10 shots. He did not score in the third quarter and had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover and 2 fouls.
Judging from his playing time, he must be preparing for the final quarter, so I think there will be a fierce battle between the two sides in the final quarter.
Based on Jordan's performance against Tekken's defense today, as long as Tekken's physical fitness is sufficient, I don't think the Bulls will have a greater chance of winning. "
Ringo Wilson said with a smile: "I still insist that the Bulls can win the Eastern Conference Finals, and Michael will definitely play a dazzling performance in the final quarter."
On the Bulls bench, Jordan received a statistics sheet.
"Seven out of 19?"
He was very shocked. He had this hit rate against Iron Fist today? Is that a mistake?
"Michael, you can't get away from him when he's running without the ball."
After making a conclusion that Jordan didn't like, Phil Jackson said extremely seriously: "And I discovered a problem. When you enter the penalty area, you are more likely to be caught up by him. Your choice of not entering the paint area and running is the right choice." of."
When he said this, he was actually very uneasy.
Because passing through the dense penalty area is the best way to get rid of the defender, Jordan often passes through the penalty area from one wing to the other wing, and then takes action after getting rid of the defender. The effect is very good.
However, today under Tekken's surveillance, this method of getting rid of the defender is no longer possible. On the contrary, after entering the penalty area, it is easier to be caught up.
Like Jordan, he doesn't understand why Iron Fist has such abilities, but the fact is there, and he must face it and find a way to solve it.
He continued: "But the current situation is also very troublesome, because you also have to use pick-and-rolls on the wings to get rid of him, but in this way, our triangle offense cannot be played."
Jordan ignored his anger and nodded.
He knew what Phil Jackson said was right, because he used Grant's pick-and-roll, and now the triangle offense really can't be played.
Of course, the triangle offense also has offensive screens. When cutting in from the outside, the low-post players can come out to do pick-and-rolls, or do pick-and-rolls between outside lines.
If he picks and rolls with John Paxson while on the outside, Paxson's tonnage and strength are not enough, and the pick-and-roll effect is not good. Iron Fist will forcefully squeeze Paxson away, follow him in time, and cut off the skin between him and the strong-side ball holder. The connection between Peng still prevented him from catching the ball.
And when he tried to set up a pick-and-roll with Grant while cutting inside, Rodman and Iron Fist would immediately switch defenses, still making it difficult for him to catch the ball.
So in the end, his choice today was to use the small space after the separation to complete the ball, and then take action immediately.
This means that in the end, his shot was actually forced to take a shot. It was a hasty shot, and the tactical coordination had little effect, let alone the triangle tactics that created singles opportunities for him.
Phil Jackson said: "To change this passive situation, if it cannot be changed, we will have to be as passive as today in the next game."
He also felt a headache. He didn't expect that Iron Fist's defense against Jordan would be so effective.
Although the final defense was the combination of Iron Fist and Rodman that finally restricted Michael, in the final analysis, it was Michael's inability to completely get rid of Iron Fist.
But he is not a master of adapting to the situation, and he can't come up with a good solution now. He just said: "Let me think about it."
There was no time, Jordan asked anxiously: "How to do it specifically?"
Scratching his head, in order to calm people down, Phil Jackson pretended to think calmly, and then said: "We are going to do this. First, you will hold the ball on the outside and play alone, and the others will pull away. You will knock out the Iron Fist first."
Jordan was startled. Is this not a triangle tactic?
Before Phil Jackson came to the Bulls, he had been fighting alone. No matter how strong his personal ability was, he lost more than he won. As a result, he was swept by the Birds in the first round of the playoffs twice. Without the triangle strategy, he had no confidence. Can win.
Especially after winning the championship last year, his trust in Phil Jackson was very high, and his confidence in the triangle tactic was even greater. Now that he is not using the triangle tactic and letting him fight alone, the Pistons are the strongest defensive team in the league. , stronger than a bull, can that be done?
Phil Jackson seemed to see what Jordan was thinking, and quickly explained: "You holding the ball outside and playing in singles is not inconsistent with the triangle tactic. Our triangle position is still the same as before. You can choose to play by yourself or pass the ball. .
The only difference is that you change from playing without the ball to playing with the ball, but this is not inconsistent with the triangle tactic. It just transfers part of Scottie's organizational functions to you, which will increase your burden. "
Having said this, he said to the others: "The same applies to your running and positioning. They cannot deviate from the tactical requirements."
"Yes." everyone replied.
Jordan still doesn't understand, but he can only give it a try first. There is no time for him to discuss it with Phil Jackson.
In fact, what he didn't know was that Phil Jackson just couldn't find a better tactic for the time being, so he could only play like this first, using his strong personal singles ability to hold on for a while.
…
(End of chapter)
