socalfunplaces Chapter 684 Popovich's Attempt to Promote James Fails Again
Chapter 684 Popovich's Attempt to Promote James Fails Again
At this moment, Popovich was not only shocked that Rivers had seen through his thoughts, and shocked by the guy's ability to predict and target, but also quite jealous.
Because the Eastern Conference team has Ginobili, a smart, fox-like guy! He's the kind of guy Popovich has always dreamed of!
If given a choice, who would want to use JR Smith? Popovich says he'd trade him! He'd even trade draft picks!
God knows how many times Popovich offered Ginobili to the Pacers and Celtics. He'd noticed the guy ever since Ginobili played in Italy.
Unfortunately, Bird refused to trade him, insisting that unless you offer James or Bosh, Ginobili would be my one true love!
What could Popovich say about Bird's robbery except hang up the phone?
To his anger, Bird soon traded his lifelong love to the Celtics.
Popovich was so angry that he made another phone call to Bird.
Bird's response was simple: "You can offer me a return on Pierce's terms? If you could, I'd just sell Pierce to you!"
silence.
Popovich regretted humiliating himself. To cover his embarrassment, he could only force a smile and say, "I just called to inquire about Pierce. How much?"
"In short, LeBron is a one-for-one trade!"
Go to hell.
Since then, Popovich has never spoken to Bird again, not even once on the phone, nor said a single word to him.
He no longer wanted to deal with that old fox.
But clearly, as the Celtics' record improved and they played better and better, Popovich lost the opportunity to poach players from the Celtics.
He could only watch as Ginobili thrived in the Celtics' system, getting better and better with each game.
He felt even more heartbroken when he saw Ginobili with Duncan and Parker by his side.
These three are all people I've set my sights on! They're all people I want!
Why is it that one left while the other two never received anything?
Popovich's lamentations and pain were completely imperceptible to the players on the court, because their entire focus was on the game!
On one hand, they need to catch up, and on the other hand, they need to widen the gap!
The Western Conference team had possession of the ball in the first offensive possession. James took on the role of point guard, dribbling the ball up the court and asking for a screen. He and Bosh executed the play they used most often with the Spurs.
Meanwhile, Allen and Nowitzki positioned themselves on the two flanks to receive the ball, while Marion stood ready to cut inside and receive the ball to complete the attack.
The player James was guarding was Howard. Although Howard was at least two sizes smaller than James, his outstretched arms and menacing posture were still somewhat intimidating. Just as James was about to break through, Howard suddenly took a step forward.
He forced his way through Bosh's screen and then stuck to James again. At this moment, Duncan did not choose to rush out from the inside, but instead stayed near the free throw line, ready to help defend at any time.
James didn't hesitate this time because Howard was sticking to him very tightly, so he accelerated and drove forward, leaving Howard behind in one step.
Duncan's defensive awareness is truly top-notch in the league. He immediately stepped forward to chase and blocked James's path, preventing him from cutting inside to attack the basket.
Before Duncan closed in, James had plenty of space to make a mid-range jump shot, but he clearly didn't trust his shooting, which caused him to miss the opportunity and get entangled by Duncan.
When James took two more steps toward the basket and realized he had no chance to drive to the rim, and even if he did get in, Yao Ming was waiting under the basket, making it difficult for him to maintain a high success rate, James quickly stopped, then pushed the ball with both hands and slammed it toward the baseline.
Marion, who had just completed a cut, grabbed the basketball and ran towards the basket, ready to challenge Yao Ming!
Unfortunately, this type of forward who chooses to face off head-on is the type Yao Ming is least afraid of! If you use crossovers, changes in rhythm, and various feints like Lin Tian or Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming might be in a difficult position.
But why did Marion rush in so directly?
Do you really think Yao Ming is a Tyrannosaurus Rex?
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Yao Ming, who had been waiting under the basket for a long time, slapped the basketball that Marion was about to dunk on.
He slapped the basketball to Lin Tian on the wing. Lin Tian took the ball and, without hesitation, turned around and launched an attack towards the frontcourt!
Ray Allen reacted incredibly quickly, immediately standing in front of Lin Tian. His positioning was excellent; if Lin Tian hadn't stopped, Allen could have drawn an offensive foul on him!
But how could Lin Tian be intimidated by Allen's level of help defense? He slammed the ball between Allen's legs with one hand, and the basketball immediately flew between his legs, across the court in the blink of an eye, and into the hands of Ginobili, who had already started his fast break.
Ginobili received the ball and didn't stop. He lowered his head and accelerated, and in the blink of an eye, he was at the Western Conference's basket.
Bosh truly lives up to his reputation as a modern power forward. He had already completed his help defense and was now standing under the basket with his hands raised. If Ginobili dared to drive to the basket, he would be ready to block his shot!
But Ginobili's passing vision is far superior to that of a pure finisher like Marion.
Without changing his expression or looking to the side, he slammed the basketball onto the floor with one hand, sending it flying from the wing to the center.
The ball was received by Lin Tian, who had cut in from the sidelines. After getting the ball with both hands, Lin Tian took off and slammed it towards the basket with all his might!
Even if Bosh reacted quickly, it would be impossible for him to turn around and provide support in such a short time. He could only turn his head to look at Lin Tian, and then he had no time to do anything. He only felt a darkness before his eyes, and Lin Tian pressed down on him.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, Lin Tian completed a stunning two-handed dunk!
"Great pass, Manu!" Lin Tian excitedly high-fived Ginobili, his younger brother's progress was truly remarkable.
Before Ginobili could respond to Lin Tian, Duncan arrived beside them, slapping Ginobili's head and giving him a good rub: "Well done!"
Lin Tian couldn't help but swallow hard; his gaze toward Ginobili had shifted from admiration to pity.
In a sense, Ginobili ended up on the worst team in the league.
I wonder how many more years his long hair will last.
James has dribbled the ball up the court again, and this time he's set a pick and roll, but this time he's partnering with Nowitzki!
Nowitzki's physique and screen quality were much better than Bosh's, effectively blocking Howard. Then, with Duncan and Yao Ming in the paint, James didn't choose to attack the paint again. Instead, he broke up the defense and made a no-look behind-the-back pass to Nowitzki.
After receiving the ball, Nowitzki was about to pull it up and shoot, but Lin Tian had already quickly arrived in front of him and completed the defense.
Because of his tall stature, Nowitzki's release speed is somewhat slow, but he is still a superstar, so he reacted very quickly after Lin Tian came to help defend, immediately gathered the ball, turned around, and prepared to back down the ball!
"Bang! Bang!"
After two hard drives, Nowitzki was incredibly surprised to find that he hadn't even managed to advance the ball. He had only managed to move from outside the three-point line to inside the three-point line, and after two collisions, he had only advanced less than 30 centimeters!
Is this kid even stronger than before?
Nowitzki cursed inwardly and was about to try a different offensive approach, but Lin Tian didn't give him the chance. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Tian grabbed the basketball and slapped it right into Nowitzki's hand!
With a crisp "snap," the basketball was cut in two by Lin Tian!
The European star had clearly not yet figured out his technical shortcomings in backing down smaller, muscular players, and Lin Tian quickly stole the ball from him.
A turnover beyond the three-point line is absolutely fatal for a team! Because it's hard for anyone to get back on defense in time. For example, this time, when Lin Tian rushed to the frontcourt, only James of the entire Western Conference team got back on defense. He stood a full 2 meters away from Lin Tian with his arms outstretched.
"Do you think everyone is as afraid to shoot as you?" Lin Tian smiled, then suddenly gathered the ball and pulled up for a three-pointer!
Another signature three-pointer from behind!
At this point, it was clearly too late for James to catch up with Lin Tian. Even if he quickly stepped forward to catch up, he could only serve as a scope for Lin Tian.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in!
The point difference between the two sides continues to widen!
After being outscored twice by the East in the previous game, the West finally scored on their next offensive possession. James drove to the basket and passed to Ray Allen, who shook off Howard, took a step forward, and completed a mid-range pull-up jumper!
This jump shot brought the gap between the two sides back to 15 points.
56: 41!
Thanks to Allen's shot, the Western Conference team finally regained their rhythm, and they made progress in cutting, catching and shooting, and driving to the basket.
But the problem is that they can't defend the West either.
It wasn't just Lin Tian who started firing at this point, hitting shots one after another; Yao Ming and Duncan under the basket for the Eastern Conference team were also heavy inside players that Bosh and Nowitzki couldn't handle at all!
It can be said that even if Lin Tian and Ginobili miss their shots, Yao Ming and Duncan under the basket have an absolute advantage in dominating the rebounds!
The two teams' lineups had only been on the court for about 5 minutes when the East had already grabbed 4 offensive rebounds!
With those 4 offensive rebounds, the Eastern Conference scored 7 points in just 2 possessions during that period!
During this period, the Eastern Conference team was also very accurate, with Nowitzki and Bosh both scoring 3 points, while James not only provided 4 assists but also drove to the basket twice to force his way to the basket and score.
Therefore, the point difference between the two sides did not widen further, but hovered around 15 points.
With three minutes remaining in the second quarter, the score was 70-56!
A 14-point difference!
At this point in the match, the official pause was a re-intervention; even though both sides were locked in a fierce battle, it was time to make substitutions.
Especially in the west.
If we don't change players soon, James and the others, who were all really drunk last night, will probably be trembling with fear.
Actually, the West had already missed three consecutive shots before the timeout! It was just that the East was also having a bad shooting night, which is why they couldn't seize the opportunity to further widen the gap.
But Popovich knew that relying on luck and hoping that the opponent wouldn't score wouldn't help the team win or catch up.
Therefore, he decisively replaced him during this official suspension.
This substitution also means that his plan to make James the true core of the Western Conference this year has once again been temporarily shelved.
Let's wait for the second half!
After the timeout, Popovich didn't pull any more fancy moves. He brought on five superstars: Nash, Kobe, McGrady, Garnett, and O'Neal! Four of these five were starters, meaning James was just resting temporarily.
This is yet another clever trick by Popovich.
No matter how capable James is, he will inevitably have to accept the role of a subordinate when he is with these four people. Who told you to be so inexperienced?
So another goal for Popovich tonight is to stagger the playing time of James and the other players as much as possible.
He wanted to give everyone the wrong impression.
These four are big shots, including LeBron James!
Popovich really went all out for his protégé's development!
In the west, there was a five-up, five-down situation, while in the east, it was four-up, four-down!
After consulting with Lin Tian, Rivers allowed him to stay on the court and also fielded a five-man lineup of Wade, Carter, Jamison, and Butler!
A lineup that couldn't be smaller!
This lineup only has Jamison who is over 2 meters tall, Butler is exactly 2 meters tall, and the other three are all standard guards.
This highly mobile lineup, severely lacking in height, is about to face off against the West's super-tall lineup!
The current Western Conference roster includes McGrady, O'Neal, and Garnett, all over 205 cm tall, and Kobe Bryant at 198 cm. These four players all have a height advantage over their opponents!
That is, Nash was only 3 centimeters shorter than Lin Tian, his opponent.
The next race will be a battle of height and speed!
"It's quite interesting that Rivers has this lineup! With these five players, he's obviously going to increase defensive intensity, using high-post hustle, double-teaming, and quick rotations to force turnovers from the Western Conference guards."
Upon seeing this lineup, Barkley immediately remarked, "I think the last few minutes of the second quarter will be incredibly fast!"
"The East wants a fast pace, but the West doesn't! The West definitely wants a half-court game," Kenny said. "And the East's lineup, with its double-teaming, physical play, and pressure to force turnovers from opposing guards, would be absolutely effective against any NBA team!"
"Who are the West's perimeter players right now? McGrady, Kobe, and Nash! All three are top-notch ball-handlers and passers! They can single-handedly run a team's offensive system."
"I think it will be very difficult to succeed in using the strategy of ganking and overwhelming the three of them at the same time."
As soon as Kenny finished speaking, Nash on the court suddenly passed the ball to Kobe the moment Lin Tian and Wade double-teamed him. Kobe took a step towards the inside to avoid Carter, and then suddenly passed the ball to McGrady, who was completely left open, when Butler came to help defend.
McGrady took the ball and jumped up. Facing Jamison, who was running towards him again, he suddenly dunked the ball, smashing it into the paint!
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang as O'Neal spun around under the basket and slammed it home!
The Western team executed a flawless teamwork and attack! The subtle coordination between these players was truly brilliant and beautiful!
"It's okay, Devin, let's keep playing like this! Steve is a fragile guy, he's most afraid of high-intensity, strong contact. If you put your body to the test, he'll easily make a mistake!" Lin Tian patted Wade's butt, indicating that missing one defense was perfectly normal!
"I can hear Lin!" Nash said irritably as he retreated. "Can't you keep your voice down?"
"To be honest, what's the big deal about being quiet? It's not like we're hiding anything." Lin Tian chuckled mischievously, then took the ball and quickly advanced into the attacking third.
"Steve, get out of the way!" Kobe immediately understood Lin Tian's meaning, quickly moving in front of him and switching defense with Nash: "You're trying to back down Steve again, aren't you? Don't even dream about it!"
"You actually found out!" Lin Tian shrugged. "But don't you think Devon also has a significant advantage over Steve?"
As Lin Tian spoke, he passed the ball to Wade. Wade, with his back to Nash, followed suit and drove straight into the paint with nothing but power, without any skill!
However, Wade's footwork and finishing ability were not as good as Lin Tian's. After being helped by Garnett, Garnett cleverly passed the ball quickly to Lin Tian, who was still outside the three-point line.
Facing Kobe's rapid charge, Lin Tian took a tentative step, causing Kobe's defensive steps to pause slightly.
With that one move, Lin Tian pulled up and took another shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in again!
He was really on fire tonight!
Lin Tian could also sense something else. Kobe must have had a lot to drink last night too!
This guy's defensive footwork and reaction time are noticeably worse than normal!
Ultimately, no one in the West, including Kobe, took today's All-Star game seriously, nor did they feel the need to decide a life-or-death situation.
They came to New Orleans with a playful attitude.
Even if Lin Tian had said he was going to win by 40 or 50 points a day earlier, these guys definitely wouldn't have gone to that drinking party.
But Lin Tian is just bad!
He only started making sarcastic remarks after he was sure everyone had been fooled!
Judging from the first half of the game, Lin Tian's plan was quite successful!
During the Western Conference's offensive possession, Nash once again brought the ball up the court. As Lin Tian quickly moved forward to press him, Nash suddenly passed the ball to McGrady on the other side.
After McGrady received the ball, he used one hand to push off Carter in front of him, and at the same time turned his body to the side, once again receiving the ball with his signature one hand.
"Dewen, pass!" Lin Tian suddenly roared, and at the same time made a move to sprint towards the front of the field.
Lin Tian made it appear as if Wade was already in position and ready to steal the ball from McGrady.
McGrady was startled and quickly turned around, simultaneously gathering the ball to defend.
But as soon as he turned around, he saw Wade! Wade was guarding Kobe 800 meters away!
We've been tricked! (End of Chapter)