Chapter 1342 1341. Your Elder Brother Is Still Your Elder Brother (6000 Words Long Chapter)
God knows what Chandler has been through!
Confidence is what Chandler has improved the most this season.
When he played with Eddy Curry before, he was always a supporting role. He was obviously ranked higher and signed a bigger contract than Eddy Curry, but he played as a substitute for Eddy Curry for four years. Last season, he got the first starter position, but he played worse.
Why did Chandler target Kwame Brown?
Unlike Eddy Curry, whose salary was nearly half of Kwame Brown's, Chandler's rookie contract salary was not much different from Kwame Brown's.
Mainly to find a sense of existence.
Just like Kwame Brown doesn't take Eddy Curry, Haywood and others seriously now, Chandler now feels that it was ridiculous for him to target Kwame Brown, who was a fake, after he has achieved good data and performance.
Chandler has played more than 20 games with James now. His type of center is most suitable for James. He maximizes his pick-and-roll, switch defense, dunks and rebounds, and his confidence has also risen.
So he was quite confident when defending Liu Mang and Kwame Brown's pick-and-roll. He has studied it many times, and he really didn't make any mistakes. Everything was defended very well.
But...
Liu Mang's dunk looks too abnormal!
"If life is a dream..."
Chandler picked up the ball that hit his back and bounced out of the baseline and sent it to James.
Just like Howard was dunked by Liu Mang on his shoulders, Chandler could only pick up the ball and serve.
What else can he do? The ball was clean, and he was retaliated by a flagrant foul? That would be too shameful to see anyone.
He could only continue to play and pretend that he knew nothing.
James couldn't comfort him after receiving the ball, and the Cavaliers players couldn't comfort him either, so they could only continue to play.
Liu Mang excitedly retreated with his equally excited teammates, and the Hawks' morale was boosted by Liu Mang's dunk!
The guy on the other side who claims to have better overall defensive ability than Kwame Brown is just like this. Once the boss comes out, no matter whether he is BIG-Yao or the ear-biting man, they are all paper tigers!
James pushed forward to the frontcourt and dared not give the ball to Gooden again. Facing Marion's defense, James attacked for the first time and chose to break through!
Seeing James make a breakthrough, the fans at the scene were sweating. James' breakthrough is already one of the most unsolvable offensive means in the league.
The four-step layup under the basket does make fans who don't like James extremely disgusted, but if you want a four-step layup, you must first break through. James' breakthrough makes the opponent's fans very afraid.
The four defensive masters of the Hawks, McGrady, Liu Mang, Prince, and Battier, are fast enough but not strong enough. Granger has enough strength but a little bit of speed, so they can only pin their hopes on Marion.
Then... Marion gave people a surprise!
He did it!
When James was outside the three-point line, Marion was close to James and didn't give him the opportunity to step back and shoot a long three-pointer. When James accelerated to the inside, Marion quickly retreated when James was too old to step back, and retreated directly to the free throw line, giving James the opportunity to shoot an open mid-range shot!
James' rhythm was messed up!
He liked to shoot three-pointers after dribbling outside the three-point line for a long time, and then step back and shoot directly without caring about the defender. His height advantage was very obvious in the small forward position. If the opponent was close, he would break through.
But Marion's awareness was very good, mainly because he didn't suffer a loss in confrontation! He gave James enough confrontation outside the three-point line, so that when James broke through, he needed to break through in full confrontation. James' rhythm was not in the rhythm that could step back, so he could only continue to break through.
And Marion's quick retreat was very fast, and he directly took it inside the free throw line, completely ignoring James' mid-range shot!
James didn't dare to go to the basket at this time. Chandler and Kwame Brown were both under the basket, and Marion also took it in.
James was looking for a shooter.
Then I saw Peja's desperate expression...
Liu Mang's mouth was like a string of cannons, and Peja couldn't get rid of Liu Mang no matter whether he was running around the pole or running back and changing direction!
Peja's feeling back then came back again! In the 01-02 season and 02-03 season, when the Kings were still at their peak, Peja would feel this torture every time he played against the Hawks twice a year, which was also the reason why he hated Liu Mang. It was not only because he lost to Liu Mang in the three-point contest, but also because of the resentment accumulated in normal times.
In the 03-04 season, 04-05 season and 05-06 season, the Kings declined, and Peja was also having a little quarrel. In that state, Liu Mang didn't need to deal with Peja at all, and the Hawks won the game.
Now Peja has found the fun of playing again. He runs very seriously. Liu Mang is also very excited to defend Peja seriously. Peja, a pure shooter, failed...
The suffocating pressure, even James who watched Peja running, felt Peja's despair... A 2.06-meter shooter in front of a 1.93-meter point guard, couldn't find a good shooting opportunity!
James had no choice. Seeing that there were only 6 seconds left, he rushed to the basket. He was more than one meter away from the mid-range. He really didn't dare to shoot!
James entered the basket, Prince and Marion doubled up, Kwame Brown used his strength advantage to block Chandler's tip-in space, and James passed the ball to Gooden in the mid-range at the baseline.
McGrady let go of Snow and went to his old teammate Gooden to help defend. Gooden received the ball and shot a mid-range jump shot...
Got it!
McGrady's defense was still a little late.
The Hawks didn't think much of a mid-range shot made by a role player of the opponent.
When it was the Hawks' turn to attack, Liu Mang's Kwame Brown's pick-and-roll attack was very sharp. The Cavaliers didn't dare to let Chandler defend Liu Mang and Kwame Brown alone. James went to double-team, and Liu Mang passed the ball to McGrady, who faced the opponent who switched defense and made a three-pointer! He was so confident.
The Hawks' offense was in a good state after Liu Mang made a dunk at the beginning.
The focus is on the defense!
The defensive tactics is to let go of the weakest and strangle the strongest, and try to rotate to defend the opponent's weakest link to catch the ball and shoot.
The role players of the Cavaliers this year are strong, so it is normal for them to score. The main purpose is to block James and Peja.
On Peja's side, Liu Mang went to defend, and the Hawks coaching staff was very relieved. Liu Mang is the most restrained player of this type.
The main thing is James. We have to find a way to contain him. If James rushes up, it will be too late to double-team him. The first gate on the outside must not let James have the opportunity to rush directly into the basket. This guy can still maintain balance after the confrontation under the basket to use the extra footsteps to find shooting space, and use soft licking to complete efficient hits, which is quite difficult to defend.
I dare not double-team in advance. The opponent's shooter is accurate, so I can only double-team him under the basket.
Then the defense requirements for the first gate on the outside are very high, and Marion did it!
He has the wingspan to defend James's step back on the outside, and has excellent mobility to retreat to the three-second zone one step after James enters the three-point line, successfully limiting James to the mid-range!
When James wanted to play pick-and-roll with Chandler and use the opponent's time difference in switching defense to attack the opponent, Chandler wilted...
Just like Howard was in a daze after being dunked by Liu Mang, Chandler's head is now full of the picture of his head covered by Liu Mang's crotch...
The pick-and-roll caused James to be double-teamed one step inside the three-point line! Chandler didn't block well, and he wasn't aggressive in cutting in. Marion and Kwame Brown, one of them bypassed the pick-and-roll and stuck to James, while the other one stayed inside and waited for James to be stuck inside, and then double-teamed him.
Liu Mang continued to run with Peja. Every second Peja was on the court, Liu Mang would stick to him the whole time.
"Run faster, why did you stop? Don't rest, I haven't run enough, come, let's run together in the sunset to commemorate your lost youth..."
Can you stand the temper of the former Yugoslav? Immediately continue running with Liu Mang in the sunset.
It's impossible to fight. Peja is already a veteran in his ninth year of NBA career. He can only continue running despite the interference of the opponent's trash talk.
James had no choice but to rush into the basket under the double-teaming of the two. He grabbed the ball outside the three-second zone and took three or four steps to force a shot...
James's licking basket turned several circles on the basket and fell in. He was lucky and had a good hit rate.
However, such a layup, let alone James, even Parker, who is the best in the league in finishing ability under the basket among outside players, is not effective!
Fans did not expect that the Hawks still had a clear advantage at the beginning!
McGrady had a bad performance in the last game, but he had a good performance at the end of the game. McGrady made a mid-range shot and a three-pointer at the beginning, and he performed well.
But Marion, who was regarded by fans as a possible loophole, played very well in his first game after returning!
The dunk on the offensive end after the empty cut and McGrady's pass was beautiful, but the more important thing was his defense!
Marion used the defensive ability of his starting teammates to carry out targeted sniping against James, doing better than Iguodala last season, and he was facing James who had improved and did better defense!
Originally, because the two stars of the Hawks were suspended, some were injured, and some were suspended. The Hawks fans did not have much expectation for the starting lineup. They pinned their hopes on the rotation lineup, hoping to rely on Rondo, Jason Terry, Korver, Battier, Granger, Rasheed Wallace, David Lee and others to deal with the second lineup led by Larry Hughes. If the starting status is uncertain, they will try the substitutes.
And I didn't have much hope, a group of rookies and second-year players.
In today's game, Hawks fans have been prepared to lose, they know what the goal of their team is in the regular season this season.
But unexpectedly, the Hawks led by 7 points in the eighth minute of the first quarter with 18 to 11!
The Cavaliers only scored 11 points in eight minutes!
8 of them were scored by James, Gooden made a mid-range shot, and was slapped on the shoulder by McGrady the second time. After making one of two free throws, Gooden couldn't make a shot.
James made 3 of 7 shots and 2 of 4 free throws, scoring 8 points and supporting the Cavaliers' offense alone.
Peja missed three three-pointers because he did not get rid of the defense.
For the Cavaliers, these are all taken into consideration. Peja is mainly used to prevent Liu Mang from going to the inside to assist and reduce the Hawks' three-second zone defense ability.
But the key point is that Chandler, who cooperates with James, is in a very bad state today and is absent-minded!
Chandler is not only useful on the defensive end. His offensive rebounds, mainly his ability to shoot teammates and even layups to outside teammates, are the most suitable for James. His height of 2.16 meters is an advantage against more than 9% of inside players. Although his wingspan of 2.2 meters is not much higher than his height, it is only compared with his height. His body has an advantage over most inside players in the league. He has good bounce and fast rebound speed.
Chandler's offense is not just about pick-and-roll and cutting in to eat cakes. The average of 4 offensive rebounds per game is also the key. He can often shoot to outside shooters. Although it is not an assist, when teammates receive the ball, the defender of this teammate has often gone in to grab the rebound. Chandler shoots the ball out and his teammates can easily shoot!
But today, Chandler seemed to have lost his soul from the beginning of the game because of Liu Mang's dunk. He couldn't stop the pick-and-roll, and he was not active in cutting in. Not to mention offensive rebounds, when he was grabbing a defensive rebound, Liu Mang rushed in, and he actually pushed Liu Mang down!
In the eighth minute of the first quarter, McGrady's long shot missed. Liu Mang passed the ball and rushed in from the baseline. He could grab the offensive rebound. Chandler was afraid that Liu Mang would jump up and dunk directly, and knocked Liu Mang to the ground!
The referee whistled, and Chandler fouled in the rebound!
Before, when McGrady and Liu Mang cut in after the pick-and-roll, Chandler had already fouled once. That time, Chandler fouled early and did not get a free throw, but this time the Cavaliers' four fouls were full, and Liu Mang got two free throws!
The key is that Chandler fouled twice!
Chandler, who is two months younger than Liu Mang and just turned 24, was in good health in the first two seasons. He played more than 75 times and was one of the new forces of the Cavaliers. This season, he played in more than 20 games, averaging 37 minutes per game. He is the second highest player in the Cavaliers, second only to James who averaged 42 minutes per game. He fell into a foul crisis, which had a great impact on the Cavaliers!
The Cavaliers called a timeout!
The Cavaliers will definitely make a substitution, Coach Kruger is sure.
If Chandler didn't have two fouls, he might have played the whole game when the score was behind, but with two fouls, the Cavaliers dared not keep Chandler on the court in the first quarter.
The Hawks players will definitely take the initiative to attack him, and Chandler will hesitate when he commits too many fouls. In fact, for defensive players, the first judgment is the best, especially for top defensive players like Chandler. If he hesitates, he will not only lose the best defensive opportunity, but also be more likely to be fouled by the opponent.
This is a huge good news for the Hawks. Chandler has two fouls and has to leave the court. When he is on the bench, it will be easier to score in the interior!
Even if Chandler is dazed, his huge height of 2.16 meters is very intimidating in the interior.
The most terrifying thing about a star player is his deterrence, just like Liu Mang's three-pointer, the opponent can only defend him from the three-point line, giving him an excellent breakthrough opportunity and a larger pick-and-roll space; just like McGrady's pull-up shot allows him to use his long legs to directly step behind the defensive player in the first step; just like Kobe and Jordan's shot must be shot and will inevitably threaten the opponent while shooting, so that the opponent has to double-team them when they have the ball; just like peak O'Neal needs to be double-teamed before he receives the ball...
The deterrence shown by Liu Mang in the basket today is mainly felt by Chandler who was dunked on by him. Chandler was scared when he saw Liu Mang rushing in, and finally couldn't help but foul!
Relying on Liu Mang's offensive deterrence at the beginning of the game today, Chandler fouled Liu Mang in a panic, allowing the Hawks to take the absolute initiative!
…
After the timeout, the Hawks sent Rondo, Liu Mang, Battier, Granger, and Rasheed Wallace.
The Cavaliers replaced the lineup with Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, Peja, James, and Varejao.
The Cavaliers' rotation lineup is also strong. Varejao averaged 4 points and 7 rebounds in 15 minutes as a substitute, and his rebounding efficiency was very high. Moreover, this time they sacrificed part of their defense. They did not replace Serbia's Pavnovic, nor did they send Newbell, two defensive forwards and small forwards. Instead, they let James play power forward and let Peja and Damon Jones, two big shooters, come up.
The Cavaliers reduced the pressure on the defensive end and replaced the offensive lineup. It was a pleasant surprise. The Hawks originally wanted to compete with the opponent in defense.
Liu Mang restricted Peja, and Marion successfully put pressure on James beyond expectations; but the Cavaliers' defense should not be ignored. There is the old and strong Snow, James, and Chandler. Peja is also good enough to defend Prince. Gooden can defend the basket when Chandler switches out. Marion's finger injury just happened to be afraid to shoot three-pointers. The Cavaliers also have a great defensive advantage.
But the Cavaliers' top two scorers were already limited. Chandler, an important player, performed poorly, which made the Cavaliers' offensive performance in the first half and the middle of the first quarter worse. The key was that they committed two fouls, so the Cavaliers had to make such changes.
With the advantage, the Hawks coaching staff had more room to operate.
After Liu Mang went to the free throw line and made two free throws, the Hawks' lead expanded to 20 to 11, and the lead became nine points.
It was the Cavaliers' turn to attack.
Liu Mang defended Peja, Rondo defended Damon Jones, and Rondo learned from the good guys. Seeing how Liu Mang defended these off-ball shooters, he followed those little moves.
After Larry Hughes came up, James gave the ball to Larry Hughes, who could also rest on the court. Now with James, who has better three-point shooting ability than the original time and space, and Larry Hughes's partnership is much better. Larry Hughes can have a singles opportunity after he comes up, and challenge Battier.
Three three-point shooters, plus a rebounding expert, help Larry Hughes create singles opportunities. Even Battier can only slightly limit Larry Hughes. After all, he is the league's top breakthrough expert. After entering the rotation lineup, the Cavaliers' offense has improved a lot.
But the Cavaliers' defense has dropped significantly!
Rasheed Wallace brought Varejao to the outside line. Varejao's mobility is far worse than Chandler's, which makes the Cavaliers' original prepared defense strategy under the basket ineffective. Although there are two defensive experts on the outside line, Larry Hughes, who is at his peak at the age of 27, has a defense rating of 92, and James has a defense rating of 89.
But Snow, who was supposed to play for 27 or 28 minutes, was replaced by Damon Jones because he needed more shooters to make up for the lack of Chandler's offensive end. Newbell and Pavnovich, two defensive pioneers in the substitute lineup, did not play, leaving Peja, leaving the Cavaliers' defense full of loopholes.
Rondo came up, and under the pick-and-roll offense of Rondo and Liu Mang, the Hawks easily tore through the defense of Larry Hughes and James. From Battier to Rasheed Wallace, the three frontcourt players of the Hawks had three-pointers. The Cavaliers' basket was like the back garden of Rondo and Liu Mang, and the two scored in succession under the basket.
Four minutes after the first quarter, the Hawks scored 4 goals in a row, plus Liu Mang's two free throws, and played a wave of 10 to 6!
After the first quarter, the Hawks led the Cavaliers by 11 points with 28 to 17!
…
…
"Why is it like this again!" James punched the empty seat next to him, scaring his teammates. James usually never gets so angry.
In the fourth quarter, James was put on the bench and not replaced.
69 to 89, after three quarters, the Hawks were already leading by 20 points!
For James, the polish of technology is still the most important thing. Today, he shot two mid-range shots and missed them, and then he dared not shoot in the mid-range again. Marion's defense was very targeted. When James held the ball, Marion went up, and when Larry Hughes held the ball, Granger went up and successfully locked James.
James was just like the Mavericks defending him in the 2011 finals, averaging only 17 or 18 points per game, which seriously dragged down Larry Hughes.
James scored 19 points in three quarters. Except for the 8 points in the first quarter before Chandler fell into the foul crisis, it was more difficult to score later, which made the efforts of Larry Hughes, who played 18 minutes in three quarters and scored 26 points, useless.
Although James is stronger than he was in the same period in the original time and space, such as three-pointers, and because the three steps are "limited" to four steps, he started to polish his footwork under the basket earlier.
But without mid-range shots, when he met Marion and Kwame Brown under the basket, it was miserable.
And even if James improved faster because of Liu Mang's pressure, the improvement was not big. James himself is a very hard-working person. Compared with James who entered his peak in 2011 in the original time and space, he was definitely not as good. He scored 19 points with 6 of 22 shots, which was a very bad performance.
For the Hawks, the opportunity to win was Liu Mang's dunk on Chandler.
After Chandler entered the foul crisis, as long as he came on the court, no matter who got the ball on the Hawks side, they would stick to Chandler...
Liu Mang scored 25 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, McGrady scored 18 points, Jason Terry scored 12 points, Marion scored 11 points, and Kwame Brown got a lot easier after Chandler fell into the foul crisis, scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds. Five Hawks scored in double digits and defeated the Cavaliers by 17 points with a score of 115 to 98!
After the game, Liu Mang whispered to James as they hugged each other and said goodbye: "LeBron, I am still your big brother..."