Sitting on the plane, Xu Xin looked at social media boredly.
A. Smith was severely slapped in the face, and his talk before the game made him look like a junior at the moment.
Thanks to Xu Xin's deliberate praise, the six Rockets players were on the hot search list, and the Rockets fan forum was as lively as the Chinese New Year.
"The Rockets also have James!"
"You played so well in the first game of the season, especially since the core lineup is still so young. The future is yours!"
"Oh my God, after a summer of despair, is the team rebuilding over?"
"It's a classic argument. It's just about having a good hand and eating dumplings. It depends on how you brag about it if you lose in the end."
"Patterson will definitely be the Rockets' best power forward in the past decade. Don't ask why, I'm telling you."
"The Pistons are just a lottery team. There is nothing to be proud of if they win."
"Hey, what's wrong with the Pistons upstairs? Aren't the Rockets rebuilding their team in the past few years? Besides, it's not a win, it's a big victory, a big victory that ends in the third quarter."
The fans were discussing it enthusiastically. Many people were ecstatic about this victory, but there were also some voices that were not optimistic about it.
Xu Xin is not surprised by this. The reason is that the Rockets have been away from the playoffs for three years. It is not enough for fans to regain their confidence. The Rockets need more victories to prove it.
. . .
On the morning of November 3, the Rockets conducted pre-game training as usual.
Xu Xin woke up early and was still the first person to arrive at the arena.
The best model for a young team is for young people to rush to train and improve themselves. What Xu Xin has to do now is to ignite their passion for competing with each other.
The players arrived at the arena one after another and were surprised to greet the team's equally young general manager. This was absolutely rare for the former general manager, the big white fat man.
He silently made up his mind that he must arrive at the gym earlier for the next training session so as not to let the manager laugh.
Under the leadership of head coach McHale, the players conducted warm-up, shooting, passing, defensive positioning and simple offensive tactics drills.
Since there is a game in the evening, the training time is not long. The main purpose is to help the team maintain a good condition.
After the training, McHale sat next to Xu Xin,
"Parsons is in good condition. In fact, he is more suitable for the starting small forward position than Morris. Do we still want him to come on the bench?"
"In the future, he can only be a substitute, and I will trade him as soon as possible."
Xu Xin was categorical.
"Okay, I'll go tell him. The young man is very angry, haha."
“I’d like to ask, do you have anyone chosen?”
"Yes, the first choice is Iguodala of the Nuggets."
McHale knows it well, and Iguodala is strong defensively, aggressive in fighting, and has a certain ability to hold the ball in singles on the offensive end. If he can come, he will be the core of the Rockets' perimeter defense.
"If Iguodala really comes, I'm afraid Parsons will still have to play as a substitute."
McHale said with a wry smile.
"So what if his skills are inferior to others? I believe he will be convinced by then. My positioning of Parsons has always been the team's sixth man. The team's current substitute defender Tony Douglas lacks organizational skills. If he wants to The team is constantly running out of power on the offensive end. The best way is to stagger the playing time of Jeremy Lin and Harden. One of the two must always stay on the court. Parsons plays in the transition stage, and his organizational and linking abilities can help Harden. Deng or Shuhao can relieve some pressure and make the team's offense smoother."
McHale nodded thoughtfully,
"Like Turkoglu?"
Xu Xin snapped his fingers,
"correct!"
It's evening and the game is about to begin.
This game was not broadcast by China, but many fans still got up early and followed the game through the website.
Xu Xin sat in the box and was not worried about the game.
What he is thinking about now is how to make Patterson and Morris look like they have really practiced. They are the main bargaining chips in exchange for Butler.
After all, Butler is just a second-year player, just a substitute, firmly pressed on the bench by Luol Deng.
The game is about to begin, and the starting lineups for both sides have been announced.
The Rockets are the same as in the last game, Harden, Jeremy Lin, Patterson, Morris, and Asik.
On the Hawks' side, Al Horford partners with Hawks king Josh Smith to guard the inside. The small forward is pitcher Kyle Korver, and the backcourt double shooters Devin Harris and Jeff Teague.
The offense of this lineup is very smooth. Harris and Teague can shoot and organize suddenly. Horford and Korver are both inside and outside. They are the team's most stable end point. The only problem is the Eagles who have the most ball rights. Josh Smith is inefficient and inconsistent, and his shot selection is sometimes poor.
But on the defensive end, although Korver works very hard, as a white small forward, his confrontation ability and lateral speed are relatively mediocre. In many cases, he is powerless against small forwards with good physical fitness.
The biggest loophole on the court is Harris and Teague. The team's backcourt is too short. One is 1.91 and the other is 1.88. Both of them are obviously lacking in height and strength. Lou Williams sitting on the bench is even shorter, only 1.85.
When other teams face the Hawks' Hobbit backcourt, they will even choose to let their own small men go to the low post to attack. Even if they play according to the regular style of play, it is difficult for the Eagles' perimeter trio to effectively block on the first line, and most of the time they are passed by in one step. Fortunately, Horford and Smith are both athletic insiders. The two of them blocked the ball with high passes and guarded the team's inside line.
The starters from both sides were all on the field. Asik and Horford jumped the ball in the center circle. The referee threw the basketball high. Asik, who was taller and more possessive, jumped on the basketball this time and passed the ball to Jeremy Lin.
The Rockets took the lead in launching their first offense.
Seeing that it was Jeff Teague who was guarding him, Jeremy Lin had an idea. There were not many point guards in the league who were physically worse than himself these days. Facing the Welfare Bureau, no matter what, he had to accept it, right?
Jeremy Lin chose not to cover, changed direction in front of his body, shook Teague away, and went straight to the basket.
Teague was originally in a posture, ready to fight, with a firm gaze and standard movements, but in fact he was strong on the outside and capable on the inside. After being passed by Jeremy Lin, he didn't even react immediately, leaving his ankle where it was.
Smith looked at Jeremy Lin heading towards the basket and immediately rushed over to cover the ball. Unexpectedly, Jeremy Lin made a fake pass and passed it to Patrick Patterson, who was smoking and unguarded in the bottom corner.
Patterson caught the ball, raised his hand and made a three-pointer without adjusting.
3:0.
Patterson made a three-point gesture and high-fived Jeremy Lin in celebration during the retreat.
It wasn't until the ball was scored that Teague came to his senses, as if his soul had just been passed over by Jeremy Lin.
Harris held the ball past half-court, and Horford came up to cover. Harris was very fast and used the screen to get rid of Harden's defense. Facing Asik who was not able to defend in time, he floated the ball back to the three-point line and made a jump shot. , the movements are very graceful, except when the ball does not go in, it is a good shot, and the basketball knocks out of the frame.
Patterson jumped up slightly, ready to collect the rebound.
But a huge shadow suddenly appeared above his head, and before Patterson could figure out what was going on, he was pressed down.
"state!"
Josh Smith hit the eagle in the sky and succeeded in a putback dunk.
3:2.
After landing, he did not forget to roar at Patterson.
Harden and Morris came over to pull up Patterson, who was knocked to the ground.
"It's okay, brother, I'll knock the next ball back for you."
