Chapter 1458 1457. Underrated Defensive Adaptability

"Gasol and Yao Ming are only responsible for guarding the lower line. Fisher, Kobe, and Barnes are responsible for high-post defense and assisting the interior defense when necessary... The interior line can't get in at all!"

The first quarter lasted for more than six minutes. After the official timeout, Liu Mang and Mike Woodson were discussing defensive issues.

After the first official timeout, Liu Mang found that he had underestimated the balance of the opponent's offense and defense!

Averaged 106.9 points per game and conceded 99.5 points per game. This is the performance of the Lakers in the regular season this season. At first glance, the Lakers are a mid-range team with strong offense and defense, but considering that they often allow their opponents to score 60 points in the half, , and then when chasing points in the second half, they defended the opponent to more than 30 points in the half...

Even in the playoffs, the Lakers' defense sometimes gets distracted. Throughout the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers averaged 108 points per game and conceded 102 points per game, which seemed to be worse than the regular season.

From the data analysis, Liu Mang really only cares about the Lakers team of Kobe, Gasol, Yao Ming, and Odom paired with Wang Zhizhi, Radmanovic, Fisher, Barnes, and Maurice Evans. Waiting for the super offensive three-point shooters, after all, the Hawks only averaged 98 points per game throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Lakers' positional warfare offense is so strong that people inadvertently overlook how well their defense is doing.

Liu Mang also discovered the limitations of the "data analysis flow", also known as "Snake Science". Data, efficiency analysis, and technical analysis sometimes cannot fully reflect the strength of a team.

For more than half of the first quarter, Liu Mang and Rondo played pick-and-rolls, but it didn't work.

At this time, Liu Mang and Stockton remembered that the Lakers had locked up Nash and Josh Smith's pick-and-roll offense. When the Suns beat the Lakers, they used more positional warfare to solve problems, like Diaw and Barbosa played very poorly in the second round, but they still relied on O'Neal to remain powerful, the precise shooting of Nash and Raja Bell, as well as the offensive organization and offensive organization skills of Nash, Calderon and Josh Smith. The Lakers contended.

Yao Mingming's physical strength is a big problem. He is much worse than O'Neal of the same age group. But his physical strength is just a problem, and he is much better than O'Neal in defending pick-and-rolls.

Just like in the original playoffs of the 2006-07 season, the Rockets played the Jazz, and the two teams reached the tiebreaker. The Rockets limited the Jazz, who averaged 101.5 points per game in the regular season that season, to only average 90.4 points per game in the first round. In the 2008 season, just like the Jazz who only averaged 90.5 points in the first round after playing six games in the first round and scoring 106 points in the regular season, the Rockets lost to the Jazz, but the Rockets were defended even worse by the Jazz. The average points scored every time was less than 90, not because the Rockets failed to guard against the Jazz's pick-and-roll offense.

When the Jazz played the Rockets, their offense relied purely on Boozer's mid-range singles, Deron's crushing breakthrough and Okur's three-pointer. Of course, the focus was on defense. The Jazz allowed the Rockets to score in the playoffs in two years. It is difficult to score more than 90 points, and Deron, who has averaged 10+ assists per game by relying on pick-and-rolls for several years in the regular season, was unable to play pick-and-rolls in the series with the Rockets, and his assists also shrunk significantly.

Yao Ming rarely becomes a colander on the defensive end. If you think about it, Yao Ming has never allowed the team to score more than 94 points since his rookie season. By the time Yao Ming was retired in the 2009-10 season, the Rockets had become a bad defensive team. During this period, the league has weakened the rules of defensive teams many times, and the league once tended to become a run-and-gun league. However, the Rockets with Yao Ming have always been a strong defensive team, which is similar to Van Gundy. There is no decisive relationship. When Adelman was coaching, the Rockets' defense did not decline. Yao Ming's adaptability to various defensive changes is greatly underestimated, unless he lacks physical fitness.

But Zen Master made adjustments to Yao Ming's playing style in this game. On the offensive end, he only used his mid-range shot, allowing Yao Ming to focus on defense. Instead, he used Gasol to provide support in the low post, and Yao Ming's mid-range containment was more powerful than In the original time and space, Kobe was much better than Bynum who was two years behind him. He was taller and had a good touch...

Looking at the Lakers bench, Liu Mang saw that Yao Ming was different from the previous games where he would hit a few first in the first quarter and be out of breath after half a quarter. This time when Yao Ming came off the court to take a rest. , I just shed a little sweat!

"This is not something that is difficult to guess. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, there were big centers like Bynum, but the Lakers still played according to the Jazz, who were new to the game. Jackson was beaten by the Jazz in the last century. After that, I already started studying how to deal with pick-and-rolls, and I didn’t even notice..."

Liu Mang has a big head!

but……

12 to 17, the Eagles are already 5 points behind!

In more than six minutes, the opponent scored 17 points, but his side only scored 12 points. After Fisher's three-pointer hit the point difference to 5 points, the Eagles were forced to call a timeout.

During the 100-second official timeout, Liu Mang and Mike Woodson discussed for about a minute, and then took over the tactical board from Coach Kruger, who had laid out the offensive tactics, and began to lay out the defensive strategy.

"Am I going with Jason, Grant, Swift, and Kwame?"

Liu Mang began to draw pictures of the tactics he and Mike Woodson came up with...

…

After the timeout, the away game started at a disadvantage. The Eagles were not discouraged, which was expected.

The Eagles sent out a lineup of Liu Mang, Jason Terry, Grant Hill, Swift, and Kwame Brown.

It's the finals, there's no need to skimp on physical fitness, Kwame Brown continues to be strong.

For the Lakers, Yao Ming was replaced as expected, and the lineup of Claxton, Kobe, Odom, Gasol, and Wang Zhizhi was replaced.

Liu Mang received the ball in the frontcourt and moved towards the three-point line, observing the opponent's defense.

The key is Gasol inside!

In the Lakers' tactical system, the most important thing is not Kobe and Yao Ming, but Gasol!

From a tactical perspective, the drug combination is even less important than Odom.

Of course, the importance of Gasol and Odom can only be reflected if there is a drug combination.

My sister-in-law is a bit slutty today, and Liu Mang really wants Garnett to calm her down.

Yao Ming was still extremely threatening even from the mid-range. In the fourth game of the Western Conference Finals, Yao Ming made 5 of 5 field goals, 5 of 5 at the basket, and made all 10 shots. In addition, he scored 25 points in three quarters with 5 of 5 free throws. He scored the only triple-double in his career, which was so impressive.

This allowed Gasol to play vigorously in the first half of the quarter, and Gasol's physical fitness at his peak was not as bad as that of Yao Ming, who was a few months younger than him. It was not a problem to play the whole game.

Seeing Wang Zhizhi using his weight to carry Kwame Brown in the paint, Liu Mang immediately saw it. The Zen Master planned to let Wang Zhizhi only play the role of Yao Ming on the defensive end to help his teammates get rebounds and push people, similar to Yao Ming. The way to use it is to use Wang Zhizhi...or conversely, today's Yao Ming is the ultimate version of Wang Zhizhi with range weakening and defense.

Although the pick-and-roll effect is not good...but we still have to play!

Liu Mang waved to Kwame Brown to continue playing pick-and-roll.

Sure enough, when Liu Mang used the pick-and-roll to break through, Wang Zhizhi did not come out, but stayed in the three-second zone.

Liu Mang rushed inside and was also guarding the three-second zone. Wang Zhizhi was far behind. However, Odom actively assisted in the defense at this time. Unfortunately, Wang Zhizhi was unable to delay Liu Mang. Liu Mang pulled the lever to dodge. Opening Odom's defense, he scored two points with a layup.

The Lakers' defensive tactics are very good. They take advantage of Kwame Brown's lack of shooting. The pick-and-roll defense mainly focuses on guarding Liu Mang's three-pointers and chasing Liu Mang's mid-range shots around the pick-and-roll, as well as assisting in defense at the basket. However, Wang Zhizhi cannot Be able to defend the basket like Yao Ming.

Without Yao Ming, the Lakers' interior defense has dropped a level. Just like Liu Mang's evaluation of Bynum of the Lakers who was in the last two teams in the original time and space, he may not have a good head, but his excellent interior defense ability is Gasol cannot be replaced. In addition to the huge difference in Garnett's status between the 2008 and 2010 Finals, the presence or absence of Bynum is also the key.

When the Lakers attacked, Claxton advanced the ball to the frontcourt and passed it to Kobe before running.

Kobe knew that after Yao Ming went down, the team's defense dropped a level, so he also needed to adjust. He changed from a defensive style of play where he focused on defense and only made one shot in the first half to an offensive style of play!

But Kobe was a little surprised. The one guarding him was not Liu Mang on the first floor, but Grant Hill!

Liu Mang went to guard Claxton who had no shooting ability!

Seeing Liu Mang looking at him from time to time, Kobe immediately judged Liu Mang's thoughts. He wanted to defend against the Hawks like they did in the first half of the quarter. Claxton and Rondo generally had similar shortcomings.

Kobe took the initiative to break through in the direction where Liu Mang was chasing Claxton on the right!

Grant Hill tried his best to take Kobe down the line. His excellent defensive awareness allowed his early movement to delay Kobe's acceleration and made it difficult for Kobe to have a good chance to change direction. He reached the right side of the three-second zone. When he was one step away from the free throw line, Kobe suddenly stopped and took off!

Sure enough, as Kobe expected, Liu Mang pounced!

Kobe passed the ball to Claxton in the air. Claxton received the ball and rushed inside. When Gasol cut in, he distributed the ball to Gasol!

Kwame Brown's defensive attention was attracted by Kobe, and he wanted to make dumplings with Grant Hill and Liu Mang. This is what Kobe took advantage of!

At the same time, it attracted the attention of Liu Mang and Kwame Brown, helping Gasol create scoring opportunities!

Gasol received the ball and prepared for a wild dunk to show his prowess.

but……

As soon as Gasol jumped up and raised the ball, the ball in his hand was slapped away!

Strohmeyer-Swift!

Making the best use of everything, this is what the Spurs have always been best at. Even if it is a piece of toilet paper, Popovich can find a way to use it of value.

Coach Kruger gradually developed a completely different but similar core concept of hiring people, focusing on Liu Mang and making good use of all the team's existing resources.

This time, switching to Swift worked wonders. The aggressive contraction gave Gasol a big hat!

Gasol faced the basket and didn't notice that Swift had let go of Wang Zhizhi and rushed in.

However, Odom grabbed the ball first, rushed into the paint, turned around like a defender to avoid Liu Mang and Kwame Brown's block layup and scored two points.

Yao Ming and Gasol are more dominant in the paint, but the frontcourt combination of Odom, Wang Zhizhi, and Gasol is more mobile!

After the Lakers scored, they retreated quickly and did not press the whole court. Although the backcourt combination of Claxton and Kobe was very suitable, this is related to their defensive habits for more than ten years. They had O'Neal before and now Yao Ming. They are all huge centers. Even the Lakers have never lacked a super center in the entire team history, right from the beginning.

The Lakers press the whole game and are 100% beaten to death, so after scoring a goal, their first choice is to retreat.

Even at the stage of rotating the lineup, the Eagles did not benefit from the situation on the court.

Although Liu Mang's pick-and-roll breakthroughs and high-post singles were excellent, and he also hit three-pointers from time to time; Jason Terry also performed well in singles, and McGrady's transition setter and long two-pointer when he was on the court. The pull-up shooting performance was quite good, but...the Lakers played too steadily in the first home game of the Finals!

The Lakers cannot and do not dare to lose the first game. This is their home court, so no matter who plays, they will try their best to play according to the instructions of the Zen Master...

He has strong execution ability and is in good shape so far in the playoffs...

The score difference began to gradually widen...