Chapter 462 You Know a Lot About Football!
Lin Ying's frontcourt attack missed.
The rebound was taken by Green, and the Warriors quickly launched a defensive counterattack.
Lin Ying fought hard to defend, blocking shots alternately with his right hand and left hand in the air, missing Curry's layup.
A shot that made Curry feel desperate.
But after landing, Lin Ying took a breath.
His physical fitness has already begun to have problems in advance.
He played very much like James in G6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
In the first half, they tried their best to help the team maintain the point difference, but in the second half, they had to make early efforts.
Even a physical monster can't withstand such torture.
And he can't leave now.
Because as long as he plays, the Warriors will immediately let the Nets see what "Yong San Crazy" means.
Lin Ying gritted his teeth and finished the third quarter, but after three quarters, the Warriors had already opened the point difference to 8 points.
The Warriors beat the Nets by 13 points in this quarter. .
This had a great impact on the Nets fans at the scene.
Because the past two seasons, the third quarter has been "Brooklyn time."
But as Breen said in the dugout, Brooklyn's "clock" seemed to be broken tonight.
And the impact is not over yet.
In the fourth quarter, Lin Ying was forced to come out again shortly after resting, and his efficiency inevitably declined.
After four quarters of fierce fighting, the Warriors turned away and defeated the Nets 122-108.
The Nets lost the opening game.
Lin Ying scored 52 points in the game, but in the end it became an empty score.
This game also attracted heated discussion among fans after the game.
The discussion points mainly focus on two points.
One is whether the Nets still have the strength to win the championship.
The second is what level of team the Warriors are.
These two points can actually be summarized into one point, because when the two teams play against each other, they are reference points for each other.
If the Nets' strength has not declined so seriously, then the Warriors are very strong.
On the contrary, the Nets have declined seriously.
Moreover, Lin Ying scored 50+ points in this game and still lost. Coupled with the difficulty of the Nets defending the title last year, this is not a simple "one-game theory" issue that is inaccurate.
At the end of the discussion, the second voice prevailed, that is, the argument that the Nets' strength has declined seriously.
Because after all is said and done, not many people are willing to believe that the Warriors have become a championship team with no changes in the lineup and only a new head coach.
After reaching this conclusion, the Nets suffered considerable pressure from external public opinion.
…
The day after the opening game, the Nets' days were still the same.
For a team that has completed two consecutive championships, the outcome of one game will not have much impact on them.
McMillan is leading the team in training, and the core part of the training is still to help the veterans find their form.
For the current Nets, the status of role players is online, and Lin Ying is not a problem. The problem is veterans like Deron and Johnson.
They are not asked to return to their peak, as long as they can return to 80% or even 70% of their original strength, the Nets still have a great chance of completing their dynasty.
In the coaching office at Barclays Center, Karl and Tyronn Lue were discussing the use of Jokic.
After Cole was poached by the Warriors, the Nets also poached Tyronn Lue from the Clippers with a four-year, $6.5 million contract.
Lue's salary is the same as McMillan's, which means the Nets have two first assistant coaches at the same time this season.
"I think it's okay."
Karl talked to Lu about putting Jokic on the active list for the next game, and Lu agreed.
And he didn't just agree.
"I think the playing time of veterans can be reduced and the time of young players, such as Nikola, can be increased. I think it is not impossible to put them into the rotation."
Lu's idea was still very radical, and even Karl was shocked.
Lu quickly gave the reason why he said this.
"In the last game, we could see that the veterans lacked fighting spirit, which is understandable. We are a team that has won two consecutive championships. We are like a couple who have been married for a long time and lack passion, so we need to create some excitement and threats for them. .”
Lu’s words made Karl think deeply.
He thought for a while, and finally said to Lu with a smile:
"You know how to play football!"
Carl is 64 years old and has a straightforward personality, while Lu is only 37 years old.
Moreover, Lu's plan was indeed in line with his wishes, and Jokic's passion and accurate judgment on the sidelines in the opening game really infected him.
He decided to give this idea a try.
…
The Nets' daily training ends.
Deron went to the infirmary for treatment as usual, and Johnson also went to the locker room to apply ice to himself.
Lin Ying also stayed to practice as usual.
But this time there was a "caddie" by his side.
Jokic only returned to the training ground after confirming Bradley's departure.
Well, same as last time.
Bradley probably didn't expect that Jokic, who had made an appointment with him to come to the gym early for training tomorrow morning, would do this.
This is the world of involution.
But this time Jokic is not only caddying for Lin Ying, he himself also conducts three-point training during Lin Ying's rest.
Moreover, some success has been achieved.
Lin Ying drank water on the sidelines and watched Jokic shoot a three-pointer, and there was a long-lost envy in his eyes.
The talent of "Pork Belly" is really great.
It has only been a short time, but this guy's three-point shooting is already impressive.
You can't understand an unconventional player in a conventional way.
"Nicholas, why are you suddenly serious?"
After watching for a while, Lin Ying couldn't help but ask.
Jokic's talent is very good, but one thing is that he and Lin Ying Butler are not the same type of people.
He doesn't like extra practice. He feels a bit like Howard.
This guy prefers to play "happy" basketball.
“I wanted to be able to play early, it wasn’t a good feeling sitting on the sidelines.”
Jokic is very practical.
And what he added later made Lin Ying laugh.
"And you can only sit on the ground."
"What determines when you play is your weight."
Lin Ying smiled and replied.
Another thing that lets Lin Ying know that Jokic and he are not the same kind of people is Jokic's weight loss.
He originally thought that Jokic was his ardent fan, and he gave Pittman's phone number. This guy should be able to lose weight soon.
Including Walken Dean told him the same thing on the phone before.
But it turns out that losing weight is really not that easy for Jokic.
In addition to not liking hard training, he also has a physique that is prone to obesity.
"So before I can play, I must practice my three-point shooting."
Jokic said with a smile.
Lin Ying also smiled after hearing this.
Don't think too much about things you can't do, and think about things in the best possible light.
This is probably why Jokic is so happy every day.
At this moment, someone came to the training hall.
It's Lu.
"Deron told me you should be here."
Lu said as soon as he came in.
"I'm here to see Nicholas."
Lu then said to Lin again,
"Of course, Lin doesn't have to avoid it."
Lin Ying nodded after hearing this.
He seemed to be smiling, slightly.
But actually he was holding back a smile.
He hasn't been in contact with Lu for a long time, so the expression "You know how to play football" will always appear in his mind unconsciously.
Emojis are the root of all evil!
Lue and Jokic were talking about serious things.
Lin Ying was stunned for a moment after hearing this.
Will Jokic be on the active list next game?
What is this thing called?
You must know that Jokic is still some distance away from the weight required by the coaching staff.
Of course, this may be the so-called "if you have talent, you can do whatever you want."
Lin Ying was not creating any fishy smell here, but he was actually feeling emotional.
Jokic is different from him. He was born in NCAA and his draft pick is not low.
But Jokic is a player with very low reputation overseas, and it was unexpected that he would be selected in the first round.
Then he entered the active list after only one dnp game, and this was even when his weight did not meet the requirements of the coaching staff.
If this is not considered talent, then indeed no one can.
"However, being on the active list does not mean that you will be able to play. You have to be patient."
Lu encouraged Jokic.
Lu, you know how to get along with people!
Jokic nodded. Being on the active list means having the opportunity to play, which is more useful than having to score a "triple-double" off the court.
"come on."
After Lu left, Lin Ying patted Jokic on the shoulder and said.
Although he traveled through time, he really doesn't have any useful insight into what Jokic will do.
Historically, Jokic landed in the NBA after losing weight for a season in Europe. He performed well in his rookie season, playing 80 games and starting 55, averaging 21.7 minutes per game and scoring 10 goals with a 51.2% shooting rate. He scored 7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1 steal, and shot 33% from three-point range.
But these are of no reference significance because all external conditions are now different.
So he is also looking forward to what Jokic will do in his debut.
…
Two days later, the Nets faced the Pacers at home.
It can be said that the Pacers have been a bit miserable this season.
First, Stephenson rejected the team's five-year, $44 million contract extension and instead signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Hornets.
They lost their starting shooting guard all at once.
What followed was the "George's broken leg" incident that had fans talking about it all summer.
Moreover, David West's age has also reached 34 years old. For most insiders, this is the age of decline.
So it only took the Pacers one summer to go from a championship team to a fringe playoff team.
This is a good opportunity for Jokic to make his debut.
Especially since he has made some achievements in three-pointers now, it will be very interesting to face Hibbert.
However, the game was much more intense than expected.
Karl did give more playing time to young players, but it turns out that the Nets' problems are not so easy to solve.
Because just like you can't expect a minimum salary player to hit key shots every night.
Although the chance of that key ball is indeed good, he is a minimum salary player after all.
Likewise, you can't expect young players to perform better in a larger role all at once.
This will require a process.
And for the Pacers, George Hill is in hot form.
Don’t mistake Seth for Curry, and don’t mistake Hill for George!
The game remained suspense until the decisive moment of the fourth quarter.
Well, Jokic didn’t get a chance to play.
The only difference from the previous game was that Jokic did not wear a suit anymore. Instead, he wore training clothes and waved a towel on the sidelines for the entire game.
This time he didn't sweat much and didn't even need to take a shower.
Fortunately, Jokic is always the optimistic person. After the game, he helped Lin Ying pick up the ball and practice three-pointers.
Then, after the Nets finished 6 games of the season, Jokic didn't get a chance to play.
But the good news is that Lue's strategy is working.
The constantly compressed playing time has indeed made the veterans feel the crisis. They are playing harder than before and their performance has also improved.
The Nets' record of 4 wins and 2 losses can be considered a bit of a challenge to a dynasty team.
However, it is not the Nets that attract the most attention at this time, but the Warriors who played the opening game against them.
After the Warriors defeated the Nets in the opening game, they started the season with 6 consecutive victories! Ranked first in the league!
Another much-watched Cavaliers team is also going through a running-in period, with only a record of 4 wins and 2 losses like the Nets.
So this result can be said to have shocked the fans.
Most fans guessed wrong before.
It's not that the Nets have become weaker, but that the Warriors have truly changed their coach and become a championship contending team!
Although there are still some fans who believe that the Warriors just started well, there are many teams in history that start at the top and eventually fall.
But more people still see the difference in the Warriors.
Cole's space basketball, Curry's off-ball ability, and the Warriors' "Five Deaths" all transformed the Warriors.
Although the Warriors' current performance made the fired Mark Jackson complain in the dugout, he felt that Kerr "stole" his fruits.
But fans who have watched the opening game should be able to feel deeply that this thing is like a chemical reaction equation.
Even if there are only different catalysts, the chemical reactions between substances will produce different chemical reaction results.
Cole and his Warriors are creating a new storm in the league.
…
The Nets' opponent in Game 7 is the Cavaliers.
The personality differences between Tatum and Stern are also reflected in the schedule.
If it were Stern, he would never be too late for a good show and would arrange the first match between the two teams on Christmas Day.
However, Tatum was afraid that the fans would be eager to wait, so after giving some warm-up games, the two teams met at the beginning of the season.
After all, the two teams are in the Eastern Conference and will play each other three times a season.
He did not arrange the match between the two teams in April, and those three games would have been big dramas.
You can't say that this arrangement is not good, because he did arouse the fans' emotions early.
This game is at the home court of the Cavaliers.
On the plane to Cleveland, Lue found Jokic again.
This time he brought good news to Jokic with a smile on his face.
Jokic will definitely get a chance to play against the Cavaliers!