The forward and defensive line players include Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson, who are strong in cutting, pick-and-roll, and counterattack abilities; there are Kittles and Van Horn, who are strong in counterattack and mid-range shooting.
The center has a good sense of eating cakes.
The Nets' lineup is almost perfect for Kidd.
Moreover, most of the Nets players are very good at defending. With Kidd's teamwork, the entire team's defense is solid.
It's a bit like a weakened offensive and enhanced defensive version of the legendary showtime dynasty.
Kidd has developed the potential of this lineup to the extreme. Li Ao thought about all the players in the league and couldn't find anyone who could make this lineup perform better!
Blue tube is really a blind cat and a dead mouse!
When the front and back trio of Kittles, Kenyon Martin, and Van Horn were put together, the blue management would definitely not have expected to get Kidd.
However, Li Ao felt that the follow-up operation of the blue tube was still very powerful. He decisively sent out the No. 7 pick. Instead of selecting talent, he selected Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins for their immediate combat power. Vision and courage are both indispensable.
Li Ao couldn't help but feel happy when he thought of this.
Little Colangelo must be vomiting blood!
Last season, the Suns lacked a center who could eat well and a guard who could stably hit mid-range and long-range shots.
In addition to these two points, other Suns teams have it. Marion's current Nets team is stronger than everyone except Kidd, and the substitute lineup is actually more luxurious.
This second-generation manager had no idea that Carter, the miracle doctor, could be so awesome and completely reverse the Suns' injury situation.
Pence played in more than a dozen games without losing a single game, and Gugliotta remained healthy even when he was not taking on support duties.
There are rumors that Thomas Carter suggested that Gugliotta give up his previous style of play and switch to a purely supporting inside role. He is only responsible for pick-and-rolls, cuts, and catch-and-shoot mid-range shots, otherwise his knees will not be able to withstand it.
At first, Gugliotta played like this, which was completely fine, but after playing a few games, head coach Scott Skiles, who saw him "recovering", still assigned him a support role. I want to take advantage of his ability to average 4+ assists per game during the Timberwolves. Oh well, after the change of play style, he only played two games. Gugliotta fell and twisted due to a confrontation when changing direction to run back. To the knee, knee joint injury, expected to be sidelined for two months.
Pence resolutely carried out the team doctor's instructions, used his high-post support + catch-and-shoot style, and willingly helped Marbury, shooting 43% from catch-and-shoot, averaging 12 points and 4 assists per game. Steady, his single defense performance has improved, averaging 1.5 steals per game.
Li Ao remembers that Pence had a good attendance rate in the last two and a half years with the Suns, but after being traded to the Knicks, he quickly faded out of the league... It seems that the same is true for Little Bully and Hill. They were not healthy enough in the Suns and quickly left after leaving. collapse.
He saw the media in Phoenix broke the news about the situation of Pence and Gugliotta, which gave Thomas Carter higher recognition from the Suns management. As a result, the miracle doctor's right to speak in the Suns became Higher... It's a pity that the former Wolf King became a sacrifice for the 'birth of the miracle doctor'.
After letting the players rest for one minute, Gentry began to make adjustments to the rest between sessions.
Li Ao went to watch and listen. He was very satisfied with the head coach's adjustment. He was worthy of being a coach who could lead the Suns to the Western Conference Finals and the Lakers for six games after D'Antoni left. His judgment of the situation was excellent.
Gentry chose mutual attrition, and the tactical purpose was to bite the score.
The Nets were too strong in regular time. Li Ao remembered that in the 2001-02 season finals, although the Lakers swept the Nets 4-0, it was difficult for the Lakers to widen the gap with the Nets in regular time. In 4 games, there were The score difference in 3 games was within 8 points.
The Lakers' strategy is to let the OK combination work directly at the beginning of the game. If there is a large point difference, they will start to delay. Kidd and the team will not be able to overtake the score even if they risk their lives.
If there is no advantage at the beginning, the Lakers will choose to waste it. Wait until the second half of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter, and the OK combination will exert their strength again and gain the advantage to seal the victory.
The Nets just couldn't get over the Lakers' "two-stage flow" style of play. All four games were resolved in three and a half quarters.
The Clippers obviously can't do the Lakers' style of play. It's better to tighten the situation and hit the critical moment.
For the Nets, all the main lineup has appeared in the first quarter. It can be clearly seen that the Nets have no players who can fight tough battles.
…
Returning from the break, the Clippers sent out a combination of Greg Anthony, Big Q, Jordan, Odom, and Jaylon Collins.
Li Ao and Gentry had a good idea, but things didn't go as smoothly as they expected.
After the second quarter started, the Clippers were beaten by the Nets!
The pain of losing Piakowsky was immediately apparent.
The second-year Big Q is already better than Piakowsky in terms of personal ability.
However, in the role of mid-to-long-distance shooter on the baseline, Big Q is far inferior to Piakowski, who shot 46% from three-point range.
Facts have proved that for role players, fitness is more important than strength.
Jordan + Odom's triangle offense relies heavily on the performance of the corner three-pointers, just like Fisher is indispensable to the OK combination.
Kidd, who has played against OKC many times in the Western Conference in the past few years, took advantage of the Clippers' loss of Piakowsky. He actively fought against Big Q, decisively contracted the defense, and flanked Jordan to make up for the pie. Long Collins.
It's not a restriction, it's a lock on the Clippers' offense!
If you can defend it, you will have a chance to counterattack. Kidd's ability to promote positional warfare defense and transition from run-and-gun offense is perfectly demonstrated.
At 3 minutes and 44 seconds of the second quarter, the Nets went on a 9-4 run in three and a half minutes, leading the Clippers by 5 points 31-26!
Gentry quickly called a timeout, but although he was anxious, he did not mess up. He calmly carried out the rotation, replacing Bibby and Gerald Wallace, replacing Greg Anthony and Big Q, and leaving Bibby to take charge. As a pitcher in the corner, Odom initiated the offense and provided support, Jordan singled on the wing, Jaylon Collins used his height to contain him, and Gerald Wallace looked for opportunities to connect and eat the pie.
When Li Ao saw this tactical arrangement, he felt that his head coach went to the next door neighbor's house to sign up. This is a very standard contingency in the triangle offense. It is different from the OK combination and more like the Bulls' last three consecutive games. .
After returning from the timeout, the Clippers' tactics were executed smoothly and opportunities came out, but those who had the opportunity were held back.
I just experienced the pain of losing Piakowsky, and now the pain of losing Laphonso Ellis has also come, and Gerald Wallace is cheating!
Facing the Nets, the second strongest team in the Eastern Conference, in his first show, the junior seemed at a loss. It was completely different from the games he played in college!
The biggest difference is that the weakest center he encountered felt much better than the strongest center he faced in college. The fierce confrontation also left him at a loss. In high school and college, he could crush any striker he faced. As the opponent enters the inside line, the situation has completely changed...
Kidd decided to take advantage of this after Gerald Wallace came on the court. The defensive end deliberately gave Gerald Wallace a chance and focused on locking in others. Gerald Wallace took 3 shots in response. , 1 hit, 1 turnover, and 1 shot over the bridge.
At 6 minutes and 31 seconds of the first quarter, the Clippers called a timeout. The score reached 30 to 38. The Clippers were 8 points behind the Nets and entered the official timeout!
…
"Okay, okay, don't act like you were rejected by your crush. Although I don't know what it feels like, man, cheer up. If it doesn't work this time, just try harder next time."
Li Ao comforted Da Q and Gerald Wallace, took off his training clothes and prepared to play.
It would be difficult for the 21-year-old Big Q to be as steady as Piakowsky and the 19-year-old Gerald Wallace to be able to handle the pressure like Laphonso Ellis.
At least two people came on to help him create a half-quarter rest.
Don't tell me, with his comfort, most of the depressed mood of Da Q and Gerald Wallace dissipated. The two looked at each other and said, forget it, I can't fight, I'll endure it.
After the two got rid of their depressed mood, they found that their teammates did not blame them. They remembered that when they were preparing for the meeting, the task they received was just to 'try' this way. There were better alternatives, but they were just given. If they have a chance, it's good if they do it. If they don't do it well, the coach and teammates should also have psychological expectations.
The feeling of self-blame was much lessened, but the unwillingness spread in the hearts of the two of them.
Especially the junior brother, before he goes on the field, he wants to seize the opportunity, imagining that all the good days will start tonight, but in reality... he is eager to become stronger!
After the official timeout, the Clippers sent out a combination of Boykins, Li Ao, Odom, Matt Halprin, and Jaylon Collins.
The Nets, which led by 8 points, replaced Kidd and sent out a combination of Lucios Harris, Kittles, Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin, and Jason Collins.
Although Kidd was replaced, he has already picked up the rhythm and defended to the death. Lucios Harris and Kittles pushed defensive counterattacks not as sharp as Kidd, but they were still able to score and compete with the Clippers. Teams focus on mutual consumption.
The two teams scored 12-9 in the next five and a half minutes. After halftime, the Clippers chased the score to 42-47, narrowing the point difference to 5 points and stabilizing the situation.
Entering the halftime break, Gentry abandoned the candidate plan. After the halftime break, the team sent out a combination of Greg Anthony, Li Ao, Jordan, Odom, and O'Neal Jr.
For the Nets, Kidd, who had rested for half a quarter, came back on the court, and his four teammates were Lucios Harris, Van Horn, Kenyon Martin, and Todd Makoloch.
Li Ao came to the technical desk to apply magnesium powder.
He didn't expect Piakowski and LaFonso Ellis to be traded away, and as a result, his burden became even heavier.
He is still a child! Although his child is about to be born, he is still a second-grade baby...
On the bright side, this can be regarded as an increase in opportunities.
And after watching the performance of Da Q and his junior brother, he felt that he might indeed do better.
It's better to let the two of them perform more when playing against a weak team. Playing against a strong team and taking on roles that they were not used to before is really awkward.
Big Q still has to score on the move, and his junior brother is too weak.
When Li Ao finished applying powder and prepared to play, Kenyon Martin also came to the technical stage.
He stopped his steps and took a look at his fellow champion.
Kenyon Martin felt uncomfortable being looked at by his fellow prospect, so he turned around and asked, "What are you doing?"
Li Ao smiled and said: "Others are saying that you got rid of the title of parallel import number one thanks to Kidd. I'm curious what you think?"
After instructing his teammates, Kidd also came to the technical stage and happened to hear Li Ao's words.
Kidd: Hey, hey, did you provoke him in person? Is this in retaliation for what he said before the game? What a big-hearted Spider-Man!
The No. 1 pick should not be irritated by such low-level trash talk, right? probably not!
Soon, the third quarter began, with the Nets attacking first.
Kidd received the serve and advanced to the frontcourt...(╬◣д◢)
This parallel import champion was really stimulated by the big spider's trash talk! He actually went to the low post to lean on Odom for the ball. That's crazy!
"Kenyon, what are you doing! Get out of here!"
The champion was so frightened that he quickly ran to the flank.
What are you doing in the wings?
Oh, by the way, pick and roll for Van Horn, the pick and roll makes him happy...
Li Ao, who was following Van Horn, was speechless. He complained, "Kidd is really a ball tyrant, the No. 1 pick is so cowardly," and then actively engaged in off-ball pick-and-roll defense.
When Kenyon Martin heard this, his heart started to stir again, but thinking that Kidd was so overbearing that even the head coach had to give in, he had better work hard. How happy he would be if he could score and win.
The Nets' offensive movement was smooth, and the ball flow was very smooth under Kidd's instigation, but in the end the ball returned to Kidd's hands, and he did not make a shot. Odom protected the defensive rebound.
The Nets quickly retreated on defense. Although their offense was also very good, they did not have a clear singles strength, so defensive counterattacks were their foundation.
Under the resistance of Nets players, after Greg Anthony quickly advanced to the frontcourt, the Clippers' offensive rhythm still slowed down.
Facing the Nets, which has the strongest offensive and defensive transition ability in the league, they were unable to transition between offense and defense. As expected by the Clippers, Greg Anthony passed the ball to Jordan, and Jordan launched an attack with a back-up.
Li Ao...he didn't move, but came to the left baseline with his arms akimbo.
He didn't expect that one day, he would be reduced to attacking like this when not holding the ball.
Jordan played with a high post, turned around and took a step back to attract Kenyon Martin, who was guarding Odom at the top of the arc. Odom cut into the middle to receive the ball.
Lucios Harris shrank to cover up the defense. Odom passed the ball to the left baseline. Kidd moved ahead and rushed to the baseline as soon as Li Ao received the ball. Li Ao caught the ball and took a step back from outside the three-point line. Before Kidd turned around and pressed forward, Li Ao took off, stepped back and shot a three-pointer...
Seeing that Li Ao was in this position, Kidd was already prepared to be unable to catch up, but his defense was not meaningless. At least he did not let Li Ao catch the ball and shoot slowly in a wide gap. He successfully forced Li Ao to catch the ball. He made other moves and had to take quick shots, which has achieved his defensive purpose.
However, Li Ao caught the ball and scored a three-pointer!
45 to 47, the Clippers narrowed the point difference to two points!
When the Nets attacked, the opponent scored a three-pointer. Their three-point shooting was sluggish. Following Kidd's three-pointer, Van Horn also made a three-pointer.
When the Clippers attacked again, they followed the same tactics as the previous round. This time, Kidd moved his feet directly towards Li Ao after Odom cut in, trying to pounce.
But failed to intercept the ball.
Kidd immediately turned around and pressed forward. Moving one step earlier was not completely useless. He could keep up with Li Ao's retreat.
But Li Ao did not retreat this time. Instead, he caught the ball and dribbled up the line. Kidd missed the opportunity.
Li Ao dribbled the ball behind his back, turned around, took off, and took a mid-range shot... No movement, no confrontation, it felt really good.
Li Ao made a two-point shot from a 30-degree angle and hit it again! Scored 5 points in a row to help the Clippers tie the Nets!
The pressure suddenly came to Kidd's side.
The ability to score three-pointers from the opposite corner dealt a fatal blow to their defense against the triangle offense.
Also, is this a human thing to allow a super genius who is a top-notch running shot and who averaged 5+ assists per game in his rookie season to be a corner shooter?
Kidd's jealousy may be more than pressure.
If the management had taken a gamble and selected Spider-Man, who was only 18 years old when he entered the draft, would he still be afraid of the Magic when he came here?
When the Nets attacked, Kidd finally launched a fast break in the position battle.
Kenyon Martin and Lucios Harris cut in from the wings, and Kidd used Van Horn's back pass to hit a close-range throw in the middle to stop the bleeding.
But the real test for the Nets comes now.
When the Clippers attacked, Kidd reluctantly directed his teammates to switch defenses - one-on-one defense.
He could only make a bet that Jordan would be too old to beat Lucios Harris.
Then, Jordan turned over from the high post and hit a fadeaway jumper!
49 to 49, the score was tied again, the Nets called a timeout!
Byron Scott replaced Kittles, Richard Jefferson, and Jason Collins in advance to enhance their ability to move inside and transition between offense and defense. With this lineup, they can get up quickly when the opponent scores a goal. attack.
But on the defensive end, they have a question before them: let Jordan ravage Kittles one-on-one in the high post, let Odom rush in with the ball in the middle, or let Spider-Man catch the ball from the baseline and shoot. ?
The intimidation of the God of Basketball is still there. A big guy like Odom rushes straight in from the middle to attack the frame. Not to mention them, even O'Neal and Duncan probably have to move up in advance when they see it. This guy averaged 8+ assists per game last season.
After Byron Scott and Kidd took it together, they decided to give Li Ao a chance to shoot from the baseline, but also to block the Clippers' team offense and prevent more people from the Clippers from participating in the shooting.
After returning from the timeout, the Nets intensified their physical confrontation against Li Ao and began to implement defensive strategies. Should Richard Jefferson shrink or shrink, and Kidd should fill in to make Li Ao's shot more difficult or more difficult.
This choice was made because if the Clippers want to play a triangle offense, Li Ao can only stay in this area.
If he moves to the high post, the Nets can easily trap Odom in the paint and cut off internal and external passes. They are eager for Li Ao to move to the high post.
Li Ao also saw this, and he firmly implemented the akimbo style.
Shoot the ball when it comes!
How easy this style of play is. You don’t even need to move. You can leave your energy on the offensive end. Although you can’t get assists, you can still shoot!
The Nets obviously underestimated Li Ao's ability to catch and shoot at fixed points. He was able to ensure the stability of long-range shots even after a lot of movement and various unknown confrontations. When he stood up and was beaten by Richard Jefferson, he was more affected than that. Much smaller.
In the next 4 minutes, Li Ao made 3 of 5 shots from the mid-to-long range on the left baseline, including 1 of 2 three-pointers from the corner, scoring 7 points!
During this period, the Nets' defense wavered, and occasionally they were not so decisive in flanking and covering up defense. Jordan scored 2 points and 1 assist, Odom made one of two free throws and scored 1 point and 4 assists, and O'Neal Jr. under the basket scored 2 points and 1 assist. points, the Clippers team scored 12 points in 4 minutes!
The Nets' defense is unfavorable, and their offense has also been affected. There are fewer counterattacks. They can counterattack with force, but they don't succeed often.
At 6 minutes and 05 seconds, Kenyon Martin caught the ball, turned and threw, but was slapped away by the shrinking Li Ao. The ball was dead and an official timeout was entered.
62 to 57, the Clippers overtook the Nets by 5 points!
…
Before Piakowsky, Gentry never considered letting Li Ao play the role of a baseline off-ball shooter. He didn't expect Li Ao to do such a good job!
Not only did the Nets underestimate Li Ao's ability to catch and shoot at fixed spots, but the Clippers also underestimated him.
Gentry felt that there must be factors that caused the opponent to underestimate their Spider-Man's ability. Li Ao made 2 three-pointers in 3 attempts. This situation is rare but cannot be sought.
But this does solve their urgent need. After Piakowsky is missing, during the transitional stage of Big Q's growth, Li Ao can take on this role in a strong team.
As for letting Li Ao be a corner pitcher for a long time... he also thinks it is too luxurious.
The score was 20 to 8 in half a quarter, and the situation was restored. Gentry did not choose to radically change the formation, but resolutely followed his teacher's tactics-continue to fight for stability!
After the official timeout, the Clippers sent a combination of Bibby, Big Q, Li Ao, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal to defend.
Kidd continued to play without rest, but faced with the Clippers' solid lineup, he had no way to start and could only compete with each other.
The offense and defense have changed, and now it is the Nets who are anxious about the score.
But the Nets do lack a player who can raise their ceiling. They can play very stable defense and are still sharp when they have counterattack opportunities, but no one can stand up and take on the tough task.
In the second half of the third quarter, the Nets scored 9-8. In the first half of the fourth quarter, the Nets scored 10-8. By the official timeout of the fourth quarter, the score reached 76-78. The Nets struggled to chase the point difference to two points.
In almost one quarter, they limited the Clippers to only 16 points. They did a good job, but they only scored 19 points.
And in the first half of the fourth quarter, both Li Ao and Jordan were resting off the court! Bibby also took a 3-minute rest before the official timeout!
After the official timeout, the Clippers sent out a combination of Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal Jr.
When Jordan came up, he turned and hit a two-pointer with a back-up shot, widening the point difference to 4 points again.
When the Nets attacked, the tactical coordination failed, and the ball returned to Kidd's hands outside the three-point line. He had a gap here, but at this time, he still did not dare to shoot, but passed the ball to He got Van Horn, the team's strongest singles player.
Facing Li Ao's defense, Fan Horn took a step forward and took a strong shot... The entire shooting space was blocked by Li Ao's long arm!
Van Horn could only increase the arc of his shot and increase the force of his shot... When Van Horn threw the ball, Li Ao immediately jumped down after landing. He recognized the opponent's posture and scored.
Kidd didn't think the goal could be scored, so he retreated immediately. When he saw Li Ao coming down quickly, he quickly chased after him.
There was a "clang" sound from behind, and Kidd ran towards Li Ao with all his strength, trying to stick to him.
O'Neal Jr. grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to Bibby. Bibby took the ball and dribbled two steps to get a gap, and passed the ball forward.
Kidd watched as Li Ao's speed began to drop after passing the center circle. He accelerated his pace and pressed forward, and successfully stuck to Li Ao when he received the ball.
However, Li Ao caught the ball and paused for a while before starting again, throwing Kidd away and rushing inside as fast as when he counterattacked!
'Marathon Level 2' is triggered. After running a long distance and receiving the ball, your physical strength will be temporarily restored to the best condition within two seconds!
Li Ao dribbled the ball into the paint at full speed, but Kidd could no longer start sprinting. He could only watch as Li Ao jumped into the free throw line, switched the ball to his left hand in the air and dunked with a tomahawk to score two points.
82 to 76, the Clippers' lead reaches 6 points!
The team that is best at transitioning between offense and defense was beaten back by the opponent at the critical moment when it had to hold on to the score. Listening to the cheers of the fans at the scene, the confidence of the Nets players in winning plummeted.
Under Kidd's high-pressure rule, the Nets still played very hard in the last four and a half minutes, but the more they played, the more hopeless they felt. They scored 8 points in the next 4 minutes, but the Clippers steadily scored 10 points. !
At 11 minutes and 31 seconds into the final quarter, Bibby received a pass from Jordan and hit a two-pointer from the right baseline. The score came to 92 to 84, and the Clippers' lead expanded to 8 points!
The Nets gave up, and Kidd was no longer in a hurry to advance. When he reached the frontcourt, he faced Bibby and missed a three-pointer. The Clippers got the rebound and ran out of time.
At 10:24 pm, the final whistle sounded.
Kidd made 3 of 12 shots tonight, including 1 of 4 three-pointers, plus 2 of 3 free throws. He scored 9 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals, a near-triple-double performance.
Helped Lucios Harris to score 14 points, Kenyon Martin to score 19 points, Van Horn to score 16 points, and Kittles to score 16 points. It was still difficult to cover up the defeat and scored the first goal of the season. 4 losses.
The Clippers relied on Li Ao's 24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks, Jordan's 16 points and 4 assists, Bibby's 17 points and 5 assists, Odom's 9 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and O'Neal's 11 points and 14 Board...reversed the Nets 92-84!
(End of chapter)
