One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-Eight. Strong Overall Strength
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From Irving's perspective, whether it is progress or not depends on whether new techniques can be developed based on the original techniques, and whether the original playing style can be improved.
For example, Anthony Davis, who had a good awareness last season and averaged 21 points per game in his second year, has made more accurate mid-range shots, better cuts, and a stronger body this season on the basis of good awareness.
For example, Irving, his already good shooting has become more accurate, and the rhythm of breakthroughs, stop shots during breakthroughs, or dribbling behind the back and turning around to shoot has become better.
If a player originally relied on rhythm to break through and was not the top, he went to train his body to be strong, and he could force a breakthrough but was still only at the first-class level, then it would not be considered progress.
In Sun Ce's previous ball, Irving didn't know whether his physical fitness had improved or his counterattack force action had improved. Anyway, Sun Ce had improved. In Irving's view, Sun Ce made his already sharp counterattacks even stronger!
This can even be regarded as a new and stronger move. This is not to strengthen the original strengths, but to improve the original weaknesses. The difference is huge.
Irving and Anthony Davis are both strengthening their strengths, and it is not time to make up for their weaknesses.
Irving was originally stronger than them, and his progress was faster than theirs... Before Irving entered the NBA, he thought he was a child of destiny, after all, he was the No. 1 pick.
But after seeing Sun Ce, Irving knew what a genius was.
Fortunately, Irving had been used to Sun Ce's learning ability and incredible speed of improvement in the past two years of teaching Sun Ce techniques, and he pushed forward to the front court and observed the positions of his teammates and opponents.
Unable to defend,
Irving was helpless. He didn't understand what the management wanted to do by stockpiling a bunch of centers. Was it to compete with the Grizzlies in the inside group? Irving felt that letting Aminu go was too blind.
There was no way. If you can't defend, just play offense. Their lineup has nothing else but good offense!
Facing Klay Thompson's defense, Irving faked a breakthrough and took a three-pointer with a dribble behind his back... and scored again!
22 to 17, Irving helped the Pelicans to extend the point difference to 5 points!
Irving has already scored 12 points in a single quarter!
Sun Ce feels that this group of players who entered the NBA later than him, one by one, want to get him!
Irving, who participated in the Basketball World Cup, is in good shape and exploded in the opening game!
The offense and defense changed, the Grizzlies attacked, Sun Ce went to the frontcourt, Klay Thompson came up to block Luke Babbitt, Sun Ce switched to Irving, Klay Thompson pulled away after the pick-and-roll, Sun Ce made a large-scale dribbling action towards Irving, suddenly, Sun Ce stretched his right foot to the left, Irving quickly moved to the right, but Sun Ce immediately retracted his right foot and stepped out to the right, and his left leg exerted force on one leg and bounced out to the right... The pseudo-flower butterfly step was triggered!
Very easy crossover step change of direction! Sun Ce went straight to the mid-range, Anthony Davis came to make up for the defense, Ryan Anderson went to block at the right baseline of the three-second zone, Sun Ce passed the ball to Randolph at the left baseline, Randolph received the ball and shot...missed! Ryan Anderson blocked Larry Sanders, Anthony Davis received the defensive rebound.
This ball was played well, but Randolph can do a good job of strong digging in the low post and defending the basket on the defensive end, but he gained four or five kilograms, and his mid-range shot was greatly affected.
Attack and defense transition, the Pelicans attacked, Sun Ce retreated and switched defense with Klay Thompson, he went to defend Irving!
Sun Ce single-handedly defended technical guards such as Irving, Curry, and Ginobili, and the effect was very good. After Irving received the ball and advanced to the frontcourt, he did not choose to play alone, but looked for Ryan Anderson to play pick-and-roll.
After the pick-and-roll, Irving passed the ball to Anthony Davis, who received the ball and stepped into the basket to face Randolph and turned to shoot.
There is no way!
If Sun Ce defends other players, he can double-team and cut off Irving's pass to the weak-side shooter, but Klay Thompson can't defend Irving, and Paul George can't defend him. Let Tony come, and Tony will be a hindrance on the offensive end.
Sun Ce came out to defend Irving, and he did defend Irving's singles, but the opponent's pick-and-roll pulled the inside empty, and Anthony Davis, who has the athletic ability of a small forward, played Randolph one-on-one too easily.
In general, both Irving and Anthony Davis have the ability to average 25 points per game. Irving's assist this time is based on his restraining power and Anthony Davis' personal ability, which is a star tactic.
Irving got the assist this time, and his data increased to 12 points and 2 assists!
17 to 24 behind 7 points!
Fortunately, Sun Ce turned around and Klay Thompson picked and rolled with Irving and hit a three-pointer, chasing the score to 20 to 24, helping the Grizzlies stop bleeding.
In the following time, the Grizzlies played more decisively. Randolph stayed under the basket more and didn't want to open up space. He rushed with Larry Sanders. Although there were fewer opportunities to eat cakes, if they could receive the ball, the efficiency would be higher. However, both of them squatted on the sideline of the three-second zone, which increased the difficulty of receiving the ball.
This is unavoidable. Larry Sanders's door was closed and the window was nailed shut. Randolph's state represents the offensive strength of the two partners.
Sun Ce and Klay Thompson shot whenever they had the chance on the outside. With Anthony Davis in the mid-range, it was not easy for Sun Ce to get to the basket in a positional battle.
Defensively, there is no way. On the Pelicans side, Gordon, Mamba and Babbitt are all very stable open shooters. The Pelicans have very good space. They play the two-man offense of Irving and Anthony Davis. The three outside players do nothing but catch the ball and shoot.
Even though the Grizzlies' lineup is very good on the defensive end, even if Carter is a little behind and can't make up for the defense like Paul George, the defense is actually very good. But the Pelicans won 51 games last year by relying on offense. This year, Irving and Anthony Davis have made great progress. If you can't defend, you can't defend.
After the first quarter, Sun Ce scored 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. With the last ball, Irving picked and rolled and faced Larry Sanders' three-pointer. Sun Ce rushed in to get the defensive rebound and counterattacked to Carter's long three-pointer across the top arc. The Grizzlies chased the score to 32 to 38 and fell behind by 6 points into the intermission.
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38 points in a single quarter… The Pelicans’ two No. 1 picks performed extremely well!
Irving scored 17 points and 4 assists in a single quarter, Anthony Davis scored 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks in a single quarter, and Sun Ce, who got 11+4+3+2, felt his scalp tingling.
Fortunately, the Grizzlies were not overwhelmed by the Pelicans’ attack.
After the intermission, Sun Ce was replaced, and the Grizzlies replaced Tony Allen, Paul George, Pierce, Aldridge and Gobert.
On the Pelicans side, Irving and Anthony Davis continued to play, and the rotation lineup of Rivers Jr., Quincy Pondside and Lopez Jr. came on the court.
Looking at the Grizzlies’ 5-on-5, Irving didn’t know what to say. With this lineup, even if the second-year player on the opposite side may be a drag, 4-on-1 is enough to be the starting lineup of a strong playoff team!
Thinking of the Grizzlies' 110 million lineup, Irving felt that this team was too much. Paul George and Larry Sanders were not allowed to leave.
Originally, the Pelicans wanted to bring back Larry Sanders after the Grizzlies gave up Larry Sanders, but they only used two first-round picks to grab Valanciunas.
In terms of strength, Irving and Anthony Davis are still stronger than the duo of Paul George and Aldridge. After the start of the second quarter, the Pelicans took the upper hand at the beginning and once widened the score difference to 12 points.
However, during the game, Gobert, the most inconspicuous player on the Grizzlies side who was not taken seriously by the Pelicans players because he was too weak last season, suddenly exerted his strength on the defensive end and did not let the Pelicans score for 4 consecutive rounds!
A dunk by Lopez, a shot by Anthony Davis, a steal from Quincy Pondexter who cut in to receive the ball, and a stunning shot by Irving. From 3:17 to 5:41 in the second quarter, the Pelicans were blocked by Gobert for 4 consecutive attacks, while Pierce and Aldridge of the Grizzlies stood up and scored 3 goals in 5 attacks. In addition, Gobert blocked the shot and passed it to Paul George, who was fouled and made two free throws. The Grizzlies scored 8 points in more than two minutes, chasing the score to 46-50, narrowing the gap to 4 points, and stopped the Pelicans!
Entered the official timeout again!
This wave, Irving was stunned! He was the last one to be blocked. He looked at the French center on the opposite side, whose single defense was still not good, but whose close-range and under-the-basket defense ability soared compared to last season... This is too much. How come the young centers of the other side are so good?
In the past two minutes, Irving's decision-making was problematic. In the first three minutes, they scored 12 points and beat the Grizzlies 12-6 to widen the gap to 12 points. They focused on using Anthony Davis to force the inside.
Lopez Jr. maintained the threat of attacking the basket. Aldridge and Gobert could not defend Anthony Davis alone, but Irving wanted to maximize the threat and create opportunities for other teammates. At this time, Gobert's close-range and assisting defense under the basket began to show.
Irving's idea was right, but he underestimated Gobert.
But there was nothing he could do about it. The American team didn't pay attention to the French team in the Basketball World Cup. The only opponents they saw were Spain, China, Greece, and Argentina, but none of these four teams could meet the American team and were eliminated early.
And Gobert was a dish last season. He had a bad sense of position and no basic defensive skills. He didn't look like someone who could stay in the NBA. God knows that after a summer, this guy's assisting defense ability has improved so fast.
After the official timeout, Irving and Eric Gordon, Quincy Pondside, Ryan Anderson, and Lopez Jr. came on the court, and Anthony Davis had to rest for a few minutes.
Seeing the combination of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Paul George, Richard Jefferson, and Yi Jianlian on the other side, Irving knew that it would be difficult next time!
If there was a 10-point lead, Irving was very confident that he could withstand the Grizzlies' attack before the end of the half, but now it's hard to say!
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In the second half of the second quarter, the Grizzlies, who sent out the five-man team with the strongest offensive efficiency last season, played a wave of 17 to 15 in more than 6 minutes. At the end of the half, the Grizzlies trailed by two points with 63 to 65 and entered the halftime break.
Seeing Irving's 31 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists in the first half, Sun Ce, who scored 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, also felt very difficult.
They sent out the strongest offensive combination, but the defense was not so good. If it weren't for the fact that Anthony Davis on the opposite side had to rest, the Grizzlies might not have been able to narrow the score.
The Pelicans are at least a team with 50 wins, and with the two No. 1 picks in excellent form, the Grizzlies' defensive tacit understanding is not enough, and the opponent scored 35 points in the first half.
However, they had a stage in the second quarter where they defended very well, which was Gobert's wave of defense, which interrupted the Pelicans' offensive climax and lasted until Anthony Davis needed a rest.
But Irving set a new personal half-time scoring record with 31 points in the first half, which was too fierce!
Sun Ce felt that Irving had been holding back for a whole summer to do him!
However, even though Irving on the opposite side scored 31 points and 7 assists in the first half, and Anthony Davis scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in the first half, the two worked together to score 45 points in the first half, but the Grizzlies were still only two points behind! The advantage of overall strength is fully demonstrated!
Although the game was played by 5 people and the sixth player could not be sent at the same time, the Grizzlies played more easily when the scores were almost the same!
The TV commentator was also analyzing that the two teams could see from the first game that as the season progressed, the two teams were definitely not at the same level. Although the Pelicans' offense and defense at the basket had improved, the overall defense had deteriorated. Perhaps the gap between the two teams would be greater than last season.
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After the halftime break, the fans saw a classic scene - Sun Ce changed his jersey and returned to the court, and cheers immediately broke out.
Sun Ce got a lot of motivation when he heard the cheers, but the pressure was also great!
The overall strength of the team was in the upper hand, and the Grizzlies also held up with the explosion of Irving and Anthony Davis.
But in terms of personal aspects...he scored 18 points and 4 assists with 6 of 11 shots in the first half, which was a good performance. Who would have thought that Irving scored 31 points with 10 of 17 shots in the first half! And there were 7 assists!
22 to 38, he, Sun, was too far behind.
The Grizzlies sent out a combination of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Paul George, Aldridge, and Gobert.
On the Hornets side, Irving, Eric Gordon, Quincy Pondexter, Anthony Davis, and Valanciunas returned to the starting lineup.
The Pelicans attacked first. Anthony Davis rested for more than half a quarter and halftime, and he made a mid-range shot to help the Pelicans regain a 4-point lead.
Then Aldridge hit a fadeaway jumper against Anthony Davis.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the top power forwards of the two teams had a confrontation.
But then both of them turned to a containment-based play to help their teammates create opportunities.
On the Grizzlies side, under the organization of Paul George, Klay Thompson scored a three-pointer first, and then Sun Ce scored a three-pointer, and the Splash Brothers soared!
On the Pelicans side, Irving mainly played in series offense, and Valanciunas and Eric Gordon got offensive opportunities.
This is the change that Irving made based on the Grizzlies' defense. Not only did Sun Ce want to defend Irving, but Coach Hollins was also shocked by Irving's 31 points in the first half. If they continue to play like this, they will definitely be scored 50 or 60 points by this guy!
The scores of the two teams rose alternately. Facing the Pelicans, who had accurate outside shooting and two stars in good form, the Grizzlies did not defend well and did not dare to give too much resistance. Tony Allen had two fouls in the first half and had not yet adapted to the new rules. Facing Gobert, who was not affected much by the new rules because of the floor defense, Pelicans head coach Kidd made targeted arrangements during the halftime break. Relying on his good touch, as long as Gobert came up, they would score more in the mid-range and long-range, avoiding this point and continuing the offense.
Finally, in the second half of the third quarter, Larry Sanders and Randolph played with the Grizzlies' outside triangle and launched a counterattack climax. Sun Ce retreated to block Anthony Davis' layup, Randolph stole Valanciunas' turnaround layup, and Irving's pass was intercepted by Sun Ce. The Grizzlies played a 6-0 wave and overtook 87-84 by 3 points!
In more than 8 minutes, the Grizzlies played a 24-19 wave!
But immediately, Irving made another three-pointer, raising his personal score to 37 points and tying the score again.
It was the Grizzlies' turn to attack again. Larry Sanders missed the throw. Looking back, Irving faced Sun Ce's defense and shot directly at Sun Ce, but the backward range was too large and forced to backward. Irving missed the three-pointer this time.
Paul George grabbed the defensive rebound and wanted to pass it to Sun Ce to counterattack. Irving and Eric Gordon went around to defend Sun Ce, not giving him a chance to receive the ball. Paul George chose to advance by himself and rushed to the frontcourt and went directly into the paint.
Anthony Davis retreated and stayed under the basket, waiting for Paul George to rush in, wanting to block him, but Paul George rushed into the free throw line and threw the ball straight up...
Anthony Davis subconsciously looked up at the ball, and when he looked down, he saw a guy wearing a No. 3 jersey rushing in at a speed that was very inconsistent with his body size!
Just now, Eric Gordon and Irving went around to defend Sun Ce from receiving the ball, and Sun Ce decisively withdrew and ran down the side, moving behind Paul George in the sprint!
After Paul George passed the ball, Sun Ce took a heavy step and jumped! It was too late for Anthony Davis to rush over to block him, and he didn't even have time to dodge or jump. He could only stretch his hands upwards. Sun Ce took a step outside the reasonable collision zone and jumped. He just caught the ball and pressed on Anthony Davis to smash the ball into the basket!
Accompanied by the explosive cheers at the scene, Randolph waved a towel on the sidelines to grab the camera, and the referee's whistle sounded. Anthony Davis blocked the foul, and Sun Ce's goal was valid and he had to take a penalty!
The Pelicans called a timeout, and it was called again!