After coming to the Clippers, O'Neal Jr. quickly became the core of the team's interior defense, and he had a beautiful vision for the future.
But after the start of the season, he continued to suffer blows.
He averaged 29 minutes per game, scoring 9.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.4 blocks. His data performance was not as good as that of Sugar Man, who was sold to the Trail Blazers.
After playing for so long, he has received positive comments from "Young". When it comes to news about him, they all say that he was abused by someone else, or bullied a thin opponent.
There is also a shot-blocking king next to him, and he is also under a lot of pressure.
Gradually, he became less and less confident.
But as the saying goes, you can't stand without breaking, so he threw aside his damn pride and regarded himself as a real rookie. Even if he was about to be beaten again, he didn't care anymore, he was fearless!
This kind of mentality broke the shackles of "I am a genius" that enveloped himself!
Seeing that his teammates and fans ignored Spider-Man who blocked McGrady and Duncan consecutively and cheered for him, O'Neal began to build up new confidence in his heart, a confidence that was completely different from the previous reputation as a "genius high school student" !
Why can't he block shots as well as Spider-Man?
So what if he can't compare to Spider-Man?
In the world of basketball, there are still superstars such as O'Neal, Duncan, Garnett, Webber, etc. But why don't you stop playing if you can't compete with them?
If you can't beat them, then risk your life.
Forget it about Spider-Man, he's a teammate, he can't risk his life...
The game continues with the Clippers serving from the backcourt.
Li Ao led Tracy McGrady to move, and the opponent followed closer than Marion.
"Timak, why are you defending so tightly? Wouldn't it be better to save some energy to attack? Seeing that you only have 16 points, don't you feel embarrassed?"
McGrady responded: "We have the best center."
"I'll pass your words on to O'Neal."
"It's okay, Tim is not afraid."
"...You have so much confidence in him, does he know?"
"I don't know if he knows."
"..."
Li Ao was speechless. This guy seemed to have no ambition?
Li Ao didn't move out of position. Greg Anthony passed the ball to Big Q. Big Q stepped back and shot a three-pointer... but missed!
O'Neal Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound!
Duncan covered O'Neal Jr., and O'Neal feinted a shot, turned around and took a step out of the three-second zone, and shot a jumper from close range...it was iron.
Although he was determined, Gentry on the sidelines was very satisfied with the ball.
Play decisively and confidently!
Moreover, when Duncan protected the defensive rebound and prepared to throw it to Tracy McGrady who was leading Li Ao down quickly, O'Neal Jr. stepped up to interfere with the press. It happened that Armstrong was not in a good receiving position. When Duncan dribbled the ball to avoid O'Neal Jr.'s steal and passed it to Mike -When Miller arrived, the time for the Magic to counterattack had passed!
Gentry is delighted!
In the past, O'Neal was not willing to do this kind of dirty work. He always held it back, and his actual effect in preventing the opponent's fast break was not as good as Chris Mihm and Sean Lukes who were actively fighting.
Although he tried his best to run back at that time, the center retreated. If he had not retreated in advance, it would be impossible to outrun the defender, let alone O'Neal, even David Robinson would not be able to come.
Moreover, David Robinson, Duncan, Garnett... these defensive masters, the stronger their ability, the more active they are in these details, and no one can be embarrassed.
The Magic fell into a positional battle, and Duncan returned to the low post.
This time, with mental preparation, Duncan's strength, which is much rougher than his size, showed up. He stuck O'Neal behind him, received the ball, and dug!
Unlike O'Neal, who was as violent and fast as O'Neal, Duncan's strong attack was solid and steady. O'Neal Jr. struggled to resist, but was knocked back to the left side of the basket.
O'Neal Jr. still didn't give up. After being knocked back to the basket with Duncan's force, he still pushed back hard, creating an opportunity for Li Ao to shrink and block the shot!
but!
Duncan suddenly used force to knock O'Neal back, turned around, took a step towards the right side of the three-second zone, took off, and threw the ball into the basket before Li Ao's flying hand reached the basket!
Creating shooting opportunities is very rude, but the finishing touch is so detailed!
Li Ao shook his head, patted O'Neal on the back and ran forward.
too strong!
When he ran across the center line, McGrady followed him, the smile on his lips and the pride in his eyes undisguised.
He complained: "It's not you who scored, why are you so proud?"
Maddie shook her head and said, "You are jealous."
屮!
Li Ao speeded up the field with his head down, and his true thoughts were revealed.
A few more rounds passed, and the Magic quickly gained the upper hand after being blocked three times in the opening round.
Duncan's singles, Tracy McGrady's sudden points + Duncan mentioned the mid-range response at a 45-degree angle, and Mike Miller's two-point response from the wing was really accurate, and his shooting rate was a little higher than Li Ao's two-point response.
In terms of mid-range shooting ability, Li Ao is better, but he needs to run and link up the team's offense. He has to do more. Mike Miller only needs to stand in the area where he shoots best and borrow cover. Most of the time you just need to stand and be ready to retreat at any time.
Coupled with the fact that Armstrong shares the pressure of holding the ball with Duncan and Tracy McGrady, it is also very safe for Michael Doleac to eat a lot of cake...
The Magic's offensive firepower cannot be said to be fierce, but it is very stable!
And the Magic played great defense!
Armstrong leads the defense from the top of the arc, protects the frame with a human shield, Duncan covers the close range + makes three-pointers from the outside when necessary, and McGrady chases Li Ao from the flank...
Li Ao didn't expect McGrady's defense to be so active and focused.
This is McGrady! Where is the traffic commander that we agreed on?
Once again, he failed to get rid of the defense. Li Ao stood still on the right side of the three-second zone and complained: "You said you have a salary of several million a year, what are you doing with your life?"
McGrady asked in confusion: "Aren't you a harder defender than me? Just now you rushed in from such a distance to interfere with Michael (Dolyak's) layup, and your salary is lower than mine."
Li Ao: ()
High school student Xiaomai’s classmate is online, how to solve this problem?
Li Ao finally understood why Garnett disliked Duncan so much and why Payton disliked Stockton so much.
Talking rubbish at such an opponent is like punching cotton wool. There is no sense of achievement at all, but your own emotions will be affected.
At 8 minutes and 22 seconds into the first quarter, the Clippers called a timeout and entered the rotation lineup.
The score was 12 to 16, and the Clippers were 4 points behind.
O'Neal Jr. took the lead and worked hard on defense, leading the team to lower the Magic's offensive efficiency, but the Magic were really stable!
Li Ao, who was replaced, learned one thing - he had always thought that the Spurs were very stable, but now he understands that it is not that the Spurs are stable or that Popovich's coaching is stable...
With Duncan on the team, a donkey tied to the bench, and a tactical coach who can create an offensive and defensive system suitable for Duncan, the team can be very stable, and it has little to do with who coaches it.
The Magic's tactics are actually very satisfactory, with no bright spots. It's just that the TT duo is strong and drives the whole team.
However, compared to the strength of his opponent, Li Ao was more worried about his own side.
He really wants a stronger point guard teammate now.
It's not that I dislike Greg Anthony. This veteran has stable passing and control, and a solid three-pointer. He has rich game experience, which is very good, but he does not have the independent offensive ability like Armstrong.
McGinnis has the ability to attack independently, but his style of play is core, he is both independent and promiscuous, and his key strength is average.
Boykins is a pure attacker. At only 24 years old, he is still very immature. Although he is in the third grade, he does not have much more game experience than O'Neal.
Kenyon Dooling was stuck on the wall when he entered the NBA.
Each player on the point guard line has his or her own characteristics, but none can be counted on at critical moments.
Or a mid-range shot master would be fine, but Big Q's long two-pointer is unstable, and Piakowski's baseline mid-range shot, which he is good at, is within Duncan's defensive coverage...
In the end, Li Ao began to dislike himself - he must have the ability to attack independently!
Without skills, it would be difficult for him to use his mid-range shooting ability when facing opponents like McGrady and Marion who are in better physical condition than him and are extremely active in defense.
Anyway, when playing against a weak team, the running ability is enough. Next, let’s develop an independent attack first!
He had thought about hitting him from the back many times, but Li Ao put it on the agenda.
Now that he has a solution, regardless of whether it can really solve the problem, at this moment he is taking his attention away from the current situation that cannot be changed.
He complained to O'Neal Jr. and Greg Anthony, who were both replaced: "Didn't it mean that No. 21's athletic ability was destroyed due to a serious knee injury? Why is he still so fast and jumping so high?"
Little O'Neal nodded repeatedly in approval, speaking from his heart.
Greg Anthony responded: "Yes, his athletic ability has been greatly affected. If you look carefully, you can see that his starting speed and take-off are slower than before, but his anticipation awareness is too good. Like the two attacks where he beat you two one on two, if you think about it carefully, you will find that he anticipated your movements and made changes in advance before you took the shot, so that he could complete the attack while taking your best defensive moves."
Li Ao + O'Neal: (へ╬)
Who is saying that there is no brain?
We are both very smart!
…
Entering the rotation, the Magic are still playing solidly under the leadership of Tracy McGrady.
Duncan sat on the sidelines and gave his teammates great confidence.
Also, McGrady played very steadily, without any waves, and chose the safest way of playing, breaking through and passing the ball to the teammate with the best opportunity.
Li Ao looked at McGrady playing this way and speculated on McGrady's character traits...or character flaws.
When playing for Carter, Tracy McGrady's court style was similar to Carter's - very active and hard-working, but without goals. He liked to compete with his opponent's players. He had an inexplicable competitiveness in various comparisons with his opponent's players, but the outcome of the game was not the same. Desire is ordinary.
When playing for Duncan, Tracy McGrady played with a stable style and a strong desire to win the game, but he did not play blindly. He was confident but trusted his teammates.
Li Ao thought back to Tracy McGrady in the original time and space. He was more and more independent in addition to shooting.
But if we look at the situation during the Raptors period, after McGrady arrived with the Magic, Duncan didn't come and Hill was reimbursed year after year. McGrady could only score. Later, he even regarded scoring as his only goal. Apart from shooting, he didn't know what else he could do. What's more, he became extremely obsessed with shooting, and in the end he was even afraid that others would steal his shooting opportunities...
Such character 'flaws' actually have advantages. Just like now, with a boss like Duncan, there is no need to correct McGrady's playing style. He will learn good playing habits from Duncan.
After the first quarter, the Magic led the Clippers by 6 points, 23-17, entering the second quarter.
Unlike before, at the beginning of the second quarter, Gentry sent Li Ao on.
As he expected, McGrady played the entire first quarter and would take a break at the beginning of the second quarter.
McGrady's average playing time per game is not particularly high. The style of play that focuses on passing and control + defense, supplemented by singles is quite expensive, and his average playing time per game is only 34-5 minutes.
Li Ao came to the court and looked at the backup point guard Troy Hudson on the opposite side... Another day when he wanted to deduct Baylor's pension.
The other four players on the opposite side are Mike Miller, Monty Williams, Pat Garrity, and Duncan.
For the Clippers, the other four players on the court are Greg Anthony, Piakowsky, Maggette, and O'Neal Jr.
The second quarter started with the Magic attacking.
Li Ao led his teammates to strengthen defensive confrontation.
The situation was unfavorable and his strength was at an absolute disadvantage, but he still remained focused and worked hard.
Only in this way will it be possible to seize the opportunity when it comes.
Anything can happen in a competition.
Even if you don't have the chance, you can still hone your abilities against the top team led by Duncan.
Duncan, who rested for 4 minutes at the end of the first quarter, made his first attack after coming on the court - dropping down low to hit O'Neal!
He looks like an emotionless robot, but he also has his petty ways.
It was O'Neal who caused him to be blocked by Li Ao at the beginning!
Cry him!
However, O'Neal is still fearless and plays defense with his life.
Li Ao contracted the attack in advance, but before Duncan hit the right spot, he calmly chose to distribute the ball... "Pop"... As soon as the ball left Duncan's hand, he was slapped down by Li Ao!
'Siege Level 3' has the effect of improving the ability to predict the opponent's passing route!
O'Neal Jr. grabbed the ball shot by Li Ao and immediately passed it to Maggette.
Maggette ran like an American bison with muscles all over his body. All the players on the Magic team's retreat blocked him, and Maggette scored the ball!
Li Ao rushed into the three-point line to receive the ball, took two steps in a row, dunked lightly with both hands and scored two points!
Focus and hard work paid off!
The opportunity is coming!
Although not much...
After the mistake, Duncan played more cautiously, preferring to pass the ball slowly and have less chance of teammates receiving the ball, rather than being so anxious.
The main focus is stability!
On Li Ao's side, there were not many opportunities to counterattack. On the offensive end, he could only fight positional battles. He was not discouraged. Instead, he strengthened his offensive output and increased his shots.
Even though McGrady is resting, his shooting opportunities are not very good.
His reputation was so great that his opponents had already started targeting him.
Top teams like the Magic also followed the Lakers' example in providing unlimited coverage against him.
But he has gradually become accustomed to this kind of defense. Without McGrady, he plays quite freely, supporting transitions and shooting, choosing whichever opportunity is good. If a teammate who did not perform well in shooting tonight has an opportunity, he chooses to face it. Defensive strong shot.
Li Ao and O'Neal Jr.'s hard work on both ends of the offense and defense inspired the enthusiasm of their teammates. Although Duncan led the team to narrow the gap a little bit, the Magic's advantage became more solid after McGrady came on, and the Clippers players did not give up.
The Magic team also had a tough time playing there - this opponent was too tough!
Originally, Rivers wanted to let Duncan play seven or eight minutes and then rest. He was just an opponent with 11 wins and 11 losses. He planned before the game that Duncan would only play 33-4 minutes, and there was no need to play 40 minutes. He also arranged for McGrady's playing time. It's only a little over 30 minutes.
As a result, Duncan played the full second quarter!
In the second half of the second quarter, the Clippers sent out McGinnis for outside singles, Li Ao to contain the attack on the wing, and the frontcourt combination of Maggette, Odom, and O'Neal Jr.
The frontcourt trio was very aggressive in grabbing offensive rebounds. Duncan was not able to protect the rebounds particularly well on the court. Duncan was replaced and Rivers felt that the rebounds would be blown away.
Fortunately, the first half is about to end. It has reached 10 minutes and 58 seconds, and the score is 47 to 36. They have steadily maintained a double-digit lead from the middle of the second quarter, which is very stable. Plan how to protect the rebounds and just hold on to the lead in the second half.
Like Rivers, the Magic players on the field also felt that this wave of torturous physical combat was almost over.
However, the Magic players did not relax. When the Clippers attacked, they defended and protected the boards more actively.
McGinnis continued to make pull-up jump shots in isolation... but was defeated by McGrady's defense!
Duncan moved actively and took the lead in occupying a favorable position, and he used his iron elbow to push away Odom to expand the rebounding area.
The ball bounced towards Duncan's head. Duncan was very happy. If he defended the ball, there would be at most one defense in the first half. He could rest after one more round...Eh? Why are the lights dimmed?
Before Duncan could take off, there was a crash from behind!
Li Ao's chin appeared in Duncan's sight...
Li Ao rushed to the sideline of the three-second zone, jumped from behind Duncan, and pushed the ball back to the basket through Duncan!
Duncan did not move. Amid the crazy cheers of the fans at the scene, he waited for Li Ao to land smoothly, then turned around and pushed away Li Ao and ran forward.
With this detail, even the Clippers players couldn't help but praise their opponent's character.
Only O'Neal, who followed Duncan and ran to the frontcourt, said "屮艸芔茻" in his heart.
When the Magic attacked, just as O'Neal expected, Duncan was stuck in the low post again!
I can’t stand it!
However, although O'Neal was shouting "屮艸芔茻" in his heart, he still went forward fearlessly... Duncan was particularly violent in the back-up play this time. Before Li Ao could shrink into position, he turned around and smashed the ball into the basket through Little O'Neal. frame.
Being abused again, O'Neal didn't have the same psychological frustration and self-doubt that he experienced in the past.
But he was very sad and angry!
It’s not me who deducted it from you! Why do you fight me every time?
…
In the following time, the Clippers worked hard throughout the whole process. In the past, only Li Ao led the team with enthusiasm. When they really encounter an opponent that is completely unbeatable, their teammates will still feel somewhat discouraged until the later stages of the game.
But now there is O'Neal, who can influence and motivate his teammates in a different way from Li Ao. At least tonight, the Clippers will keep working hard throughout the whole process!
The effect... Duncan only rested for 4 minutes in the first quarter and two minutes at the beginning of the third quarter tonight, and played 42 minutes in total!
McGrady also played more minutes than usual, playing 39 minutes.
Duncan averaged 40 minutes per game this season. He played more than 40 minutes when playing against strong teams, but only played 35-6 minutes against weak teams.
McGrady averages 34 minutes per game. He usually only plays close to 40 minutes when playing against strong teams, and only plays about 30 minutes when playing against weak teams.
Tonight, the Clippers got the powerhouse treatment from the Magic.
Duncan performed wildly, making 15 of 28 shots from the field, plus 8 of 14 free throws. He scored 38 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 5 blocks.
McGrady scored 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
Under the leadership of the two, the Magic held the lead until the end, relied on defense to withstand the Clippers' counterattacks one after another, defeated the Clippers 95-89, and improved their record to 18 wins and 6 losses. , maintaining the record advantage over the Lakers, temporarily ranking first in the league!
O'Neal's offense was useless tonight, but despite losing, he won the applause of the fans at the scene.
6 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, a great job.
Fans felt heartbroken when they saw that every time Spider-Man angered Duncan, it was O'Neal who suffered.
Li Ao blocked Duncan 3 times tonight! Two dunks!
Although Duncan also repaid Li Ao with two blocked shots, due to Li Ao's style of play, Duncan could not dunk Li Ao no matter what, and the blocked shots were not as beneficial as the opponent's, so most of the resentment was directed at O'Neal.
In response, the bottom line fans comforted O'Neal: "Jermaine, please be strong!"
We can't let Spider-Man suffer, right? That's okay.
After receiving comfort, O'Neal defended even more violently, and was hit more times from the front...
Li Ao scored 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 blocks tonight. The data is very good. It would be even better if he ignored the shooting percentage of 7 of 21 shots.
After receiving a 100-point consolation prize and his record dropped to 11 wins and 12 losses, what can make Li Ao feel more comforted is the change in the mentality of O'Neal, a teammate who serves as the core of interior defense, giving him the conditions to look forward to a better future.
Also, the mission is accomplished!
"Unexpected disaster:
Number of blocks blocked by Tim Duncan: 2 times, number of dunks: 0 times.
The number of blocks the host completed against Tim Duncan: 3 times, and the number of dunks: 2 times.
Congratulations to the host for completing all goals. Reward: 1 level 3 skill upgrade card. "
In the second half, Duncan took more shots, O'Neal defended harder, and Li Ao's shrinking and blocking effect improved. He blocked Duncan once in the third and fourth quarters, and also gave Andrew De Klerk, the backup center, a big block.
The second time Duncan dunked on Duncan was at the end of the third quarter. Boykins, who came on as a substitute, succeeded in rushing when McGrady counterattacked. The Clippers counterattacked, and Li Ao rushed to receive the ball from close range. Duncan had already blocked the shot and couldn't even complete the interference, but he still raised his hand and rushed to the basket without hesitation...'gave' Li Ao a dunk...and in the fourth quarter, he gave O'Neal a series of singles critical hits.
After a night's rest, Li Ao shook off the depression caused by losing. After morning practice and breakfast, he made a phone call: "Boss, if you have time, are you interested in teaching a player who is more talented than you to play post-up? ?”
(End of chapter)
