Chapter 433 Head Coach Steve Kerr

Really, not just one.

125 to 94, 106 to 99, 117 to 102.

The Raptors' performance improved somewhat after returning home, especially in G3. DeRozan scored 32 points on 11 of 29 shots and almost led the team to victory.

However, the Raptors still could not avoid the fate of being swept.

In the second half of the fourth quarter of G4, DeRozan's expression on the bench was so confused that he was almost in tears. It was heartbreaking.jpg.

However, history is always surprisingly similar. When Jordan was at his peak, how could it not be the case for Barkley, Reggie Miller, Malone, Stockton and others?

And DeRozan is better than them in one thing. In the handshake ceremony after the game, Lin Ying gave DeRozan a big hug and said some words of encouragement.

That's something Jordan wouldn't do.

"Keep the faith, it's only your first playoff game. . . ."

Lin Ying did not imitate Duncan in saying that the future is yours, because he is not much older than DeRozan.

DeRozan nodded.

But for some reason, he suddenly had the same reaction as when Lori told him it was just the first game.

Is this really the only experience like this?

…

The Nets swept the Raptors and became the first team to advance to the second round.

However, they also exposed some problems.

The biggest problem is Deron, who has never found his game form.

This is obviously not good news for the Nets.

In addition to Deron, there is a more serious problem that Karl's condition has relapsed.

Although you have taken great care, cancer cells are something you cannot control.

But the good news is that this time, because it was discovered in time, you only need to undergo chemotherapy and rest for about one to two weeks to recover.

These risks were accepted by the Nets by default when they signed Karl, and this result is within the acceptable range.

But the second round is about to begin, and one thing they have to solve is who will coach the second round.

Theoretically speaking, in Karl's absence, McMillan, as the first assistant coach, does his job.

But the problem is that in terms of the head coach's coaching style and tactical system, the two are too different.

So there were two voices within the management. One was, "Get on the bus, there's no time to explain." They supported McMillan's immediate support;

Another voice wanted Cole to give it a try.

This sounds a bit absurd, after all, Cole has no coaching experience at all before, and this is his first time as an assistant coach.

But it is precisely because of this blank resume that some people believe that his coaching style will not conflict with Karl.

Of course, there is one thing that cannot be ignored. Cole is very popular. He has a high affinity among the coaching staff, management, and even among the players.

His past success is not without reason.

The two voices were in a stalemate until the end, and Walken Dean made the final decision as the team president.

He decided to let Cole come up and give it a try.

The reason why Warken Dean made this decision is relatively simple.

He feels that the Nets already have a very good system running, and most of the time problems on the court can be solved by the players themselves.

Or in other words, he feels that Lin Ying can handle the current situation and does not need a strict head coach (McMillan) to tell him what to do, but can just find a more decentralized coach.

So in the end, Cole also ushered in a "success" in the field of coaching, just like in the past.

However, this success is temporary or has not yet been finalized.

Only when he really succeeds in leading the Nets past the second round will it be considered a real success.

Lin Ying did not participate in this process.

But it was interesting when he knew the result.

Because of his era, many people were dismissive of Cole's coaching ability, thinking that he was a peach-picking head coach like Riley, and that he took advantage of the Splash Brothers.

He has no conclusion on this point, after all, he was just an ordinary fan in his previous life.

So now, we can find an answer to this question.

Cole is also very smart.

In the first training session, what Cole told the players was to play the same way they played before, and they will play again in the second round.

Let the players play in a familiar rhythm, this is his idea.

But beyond that, he also has his own thing.

You can understand it as one big and four small, or you can understand it as five small.

The only difference lies in how you position Yi Jianlian.

In Cole's system, Yi Jianlian is the one who plays the fifth position.

If it were Yi Jianlian in history, he would certainly not be qualified for such a role.

But now he is just right. He has 3 and D. Although his lack of coordination ability is a bit of a fly in the ointment, it is enough.

And this is obviously preparation for the Cavaliers.

In previous regular season games, the scene where Hawes pulled Chandler out of the three-second zone and could not come back also gave Karl a headache.

From this perspective, the decision made by the Nets management is quite correct.

After nearly five days of rest, the Nets' opponent in the second round was finally determined. As expected, it was the Cavaliers.

The Bulls still played tenaciously without Rose, and lost 2-4 after six fierce battles.

The more embarrassing thing in this series is Noah.

He is now a popular candidate for the best defensive player, but he was dragged in and out by Hawes in this series, which was particularly uncomfortable.

It's a bit like Yao Ming's encounter with Okur, but what's worse than Yao Ming is that he can't do anything against Hawes on the offensive end.

The selection for the best defensive player is coming soon, which is not good news for him.

Other matches in the first round.

In the East, the Knicks didn't give the Bobcats any chance, and they also swept them 4-0.

The most intense ones are the Pacers and Celtics. The two teams tied 3-3 after 6 games and are about to usher in the tiebreaker.

In comparison, the Cavaliers look even more lucky to grab third place in the Eastern Conference.

In the Western Conference, the series between the Spurs and the Grizzlies was much more intense than expected. The Spurs eliminated the Grizzlies 4-2 after 6 games.

This also made some fans holding Spurs stocks re-evaluate themselves.

Because judging from past statistics, few teams rely on team play to win the playoffs.

For the Thunder and Clippers, Rivers staged a shocking comeback from a 25-point halftime deficit in Game 3 of the series.

But other than that, the Clippers didn't take any advantage in other games.

When Griffin met Ibaka, he really met his nemesis. Durant beat Gay a bit miserably. He averaged 35 points per game in the entire series, more than twice that of Gay.

Moreover, the performance of the team's sixth man Reggie Jackson was also quite eye-catching. In G3, he personally scored a career playoff high of 32 points.

Similar to Jimmy Butler of the Nets, it will not be easy for the Thunder to keep him.

In the remaining two groups, the Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 4-1, which greatly increased the confidence of many fans holding Mavericks stocks. No one knows whether the Mavericks will go crazy again.

The Lakers defeated the Warriors 4-2.

The Warriors' performance in this series is remarkable, but after being eliminated in the first round again, Mark Jackson's Warriors career will most likely be over.

As a result, in the second-round matchup between the East and West, except for the Knicks, who have not yet determined their opponents, the remaining Spurs vs. Mavericks, Thunder vs. Lakers, and Nets vs. Cavaliers are all exciting dramas.

The matchup between the Nets and the Cavaliers will be determined at the earliest, and their game will also start first.

Before the start of the game, the league officially announced the second batch of season awards.

Best rookie and dpoy.

The Rookie of the Year award was won by Michael Carter-Williams of the 76ers. After the team traded away Holiday, his data exploded.

In the game against the Knicks, he scored a near-quadruple-double of 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals and 7 rebounds, leading the team to an upset victory.

The result of dpoy is somewhat unexpected. It is neither Noah, who is highly popular, nor Lin Ying, who has completed the series before, but Tyson Chandler.

The Nets used one senior and four juniors this season, and Chandler took full advantage of his excellent single defense and assist defense capabilities.

Although the data is slightly worse than Noah's, it is somewhat similar to JR's situation.

You get a lot more attention on the New York stage than you would anywhere else.

First JR, then Chandler, and maybe Lin Ying will have a chance to win consecutive MVP awards later. The Nets are a bit soft on awards this year.

Chandler also placed the dpoy award in G1 of the conference semifinals, which would be a morale booster for the Nets.

On the same day the league officially announced the second batch of awards, the Cavaliers got on a plane to Brooklyn one day early.

On the plane, Harden and Irving were chatting.

"What do you think our chances of winning this year are?"

Irving asked Harden with a smile.

The young Kyrie suffered a head-on blow from the Nets last year.

G1 was defeated by 41 points, had a terrifying "third quarter of death", and was swept in the end.

But Carey, still young, has regained his confidence.

Because this season's Cavaliers and last year's Cavaliers are completely different teams.

From the coaches to the team lineup, and even the strength of him and Harden under Kidd's guidance this season, everything has been improved to the naked eye.

"Four percent."

Harden gave a relatively conservative number.

However, compared to last year, when the game started and there were so many worries, this already shows his recognition of the team’s strength this season.

"James, we need to be more confident. Have you forgotten that George Karl can't coach? They also used Steve Kerr."

Young Carey keeps his confidence high.

"We have no right to look down upon them."

Compared to Irving, although he is equally young, Harden is indeed much calmer.

"Of course, we are facing the defending champions, but we are young, aren't we? If we kill them, we will become famous in one fell swoop!"

Irving's way of speaking fully reflects the saying "Can young people be called young if they are not energetic?"

Harden nodded.

He doesn't have the youthful energy of Irving, but he has a heart to prove himself.

When he stayed in Thunder but couldn't get what he wanted, he was determined to prove himself.

Last year the time was not ripe, but this year it is indeed a good opportunity.

All he knew and what Owen said were the advantages they had.

But there is one more thing.

No team has defended the title in more than a decade.

If the Nets were destined to be defeated, why not them?

…

The next day, Barclays Center.

The stadium was full and the fans' enthusiasm was obviously higher than in the first round.

If I have to make an analogy, the Raptors are actually a lot like last year's Cavaliers.

Talented, young, but immature.

This year's Cavaliers have clearly grown to the point where they can compete with the Nets.

Moreover, both Irving and Harden were selected to the All-Stars this year. Irving is still the starter, and the twin stars have become more famous.

Even putting aside their strength, the star power of the two teams is enough to attract the attention of fans.

Before the pre-match warm-up, the dpoy award ceremony was held on site.

Chandler took the trophy from Stern with a happy face, then raised it high above his head and shouted a slogan.

"Brooklyn!"

Although he no longer has a beard this year, he still has that domineering look.

The Barclays Center also exploded instantly.

During the warm-up before the game, live footage showed the twin stars Irving and Harden.

Through the large LED screen at the scene, Lin Ying saw the confidence on their faces.

This series will not be as simple as the first round.

The pre-match warm-up was over and the starting lineups of the two teams were announced one after another.

Cavaliers: Irving, Harden, Josh Smith, Tristan Thompson, Hawes;

Nets: Deron, Butler, Joe Johnson, Lin Ying, Chandler;

Both sides have full lineups.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Chandler beat Thompson and gave the Nets the opportunity to take the lead.

As Cole said during training, the Nets did not change their style of play. They used Lin Ying's singles to contain Lin Ying's singles and then supported the team's offense.

The Cavaliers also used Smith for single defense just like the regular season.

Smith's defense was much better than that of Amir Johnson, and Lin Ying also spent a lot of effort to change direction, turn around and fall back to get rid of the shot.

"Uh-huh!"

The ball was very difficult, but Lin Ying still threw it in.

And after making the shot, Lin Ying even made a "call.me" gesture towards Smith.

Feeling the fighting spirit of the Cavaliers' double guns in the backcourt, his desire to compete was aroused right from the start!

"The shot looks like mine, but he looks like it's easier than me."

Over at the commentary box, McGrady continued to play.

It's just that this time I was blowing myself.

"Uh-huh!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, Irving came out without the ball, received a pass from Harden, and hit a mid-range shot.

The cooperation between Irving and Harden is really getting better and better.

It's completely different from last season when you played one part and I played another part. They have made it clear that Harden will take charge.

Moreover, Hawes' spatial ability has reappeared. Even Chandler, with his hot dpoy aura, can't do much with Hawes.

This is not a question of ability, it is entirely a question of basketball development.

How can today's fans imagine that in the future basketball will require big men to have a three-pointer.

In Xiao Hua's history, the body hair whistle ruined the enjoyment of the game, but the development of basketball was destined to be irreversible the moment the hand-check was cancelled.

This quarter lasted for 5 minutes, and the score on the court was 10 to 9. The Cavaliers were still 1 point ahead of the Nets.

“I love their energy.”

The Cavaliers' performance also won praise from McGrady.

At this time, the Nets started making substitutions very early.

As soon as the whistle blew, Yi Jianlian came on the stage to replace Chandler!