Start coaching the Thunder, starting with Westbrook

Chapter 98 Carlisle

Rick Carlisle, who has the same name as Adelman, is a typical academic coach. He came from a player background and won a championship after playing for five seasons.

However, if there is no championship in 11, he is probably similar to the "mad scientist" Nelson and the running and bombing master D'Antoni in the hearts of fans-although these two are not in the same order.

Of course, Li Sheng will not think too much of Carlisle just because of the famous coach filter. Carlisle is indeed very strong, and he must be top-notch in the NBA in terms of tactics, but it is hard for a smart woman to cook without rice.

What's more, after so many years, there was only one championship achievement among the three teams. If he had no problems at all, it was all a problem with the lineup, which would have left him too clean.

Many people know that Carlisle's character is very stubborn, and his departure from the Mavericks has something to do with it.

In addition, the regular season is different from the playoffs. The playoffs are targeted and can give full play to the coach's tactical advantages. However, in the long regular season, a game may sometimes completely depend on the state of the players, and few people will make special arrangements for a regular season.

At least Carlisle is more willing to use the regular season to test the lineup, and even play tricks, which is a bit of the style of the "crazy knockout scientist" back then.

In previous Mavericks games, there were many fans who complained about the fact that the coach likes to make strange lineups to practice tactics after the game. If he could not grasp the general key games, he would have been scolded.

Of course, Li Sheng is definitely an exception, but his goal is to use pre-match simulations to predict the possible lineups and tactics of the Mavericks in this game through several simulations in advance.

Of course, there is a certain element of luck. After all, accidents happen from time to time in the game, and not all of them happen to meet the corresponding situation, but this does not affect him at all to pretend to be aggressive in the game.

So in this game, basically every timeout and adjustment of Carlisle, Li Sheng can respond in a targeted manner in retrospect.

Although not all matches are successful, it is surprising enough to be able to make corresponding adjustments immediately, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the opponent is matched.

Carlisle often cast curious glances at him. After all, being on the scene has always been his pride. In this regard, Popovich would be overwhelmed by him. He didn't expect to meet an opponent today, and he was still a rookie.

Of course, the situation on the court was not as intense as the coach's game. The Thunder beat the Mavericks from the beginning to the end, and there was no suspense.

The starting lineup of the Mavericks is "double short" in the backcourt. The second position is Alice, who claimed to be "the second guard in the West".

Alice made her debut in the Warriors and once formed a backcourt double gun with Curry. This double gun has good offensive power, but the defensive end is the same as the Blazers' Lillard + CJ later, with obvious weaknesses.

Later, the Warriors sent Alice away, straightened Curry, and chose the best 3D Thompson as their partner, which immediately changed.

Alice is also a player averaging 20+ per game at her peak, plus the driver, Harris and Carter as substitutes, and Carlisle's tactical support, the Mavericks' offensive firepower is also very strong.

However, strong teams have their own differences, but weak teams often have a common weakness, that is, poor defense.

The Mavericks belong to the kind of natural disadvantages that cannot be made up. After all, they start five positions, and three positions will become defensive weaknesses. No matter how well Marion and Dalembert can defend, they cannot make up for this loophole.

What's more, Dalembert is also a veteran in his 30s. He can only play 20 minutes a game and his pace is still slow. It is unrealistic to expect him to guard the penalty area like Chandler.

And once he's pulled out, the driver is pretty much free at the basket.

Many people underestimate the driver, because many people's concept of superstar still stays in the combination of offense and defense, so some people even think that the three major power forwards of the new century, Rigarnett, are stronger, because he is more balanced in offense and defense than the offensive driver and the defensive Shifu.

But basketball is not a game of balance, but a project of length, and it is a collective sport.

So there was a magician who defended against speed for nothing, but he was able to create his own legend; after that, there was a driver whose defense couldn't be said to be bad but certainly not good, but he was able to defeat the Big Three of the Heat with an underrated veteran lineup to win the championship.

In the future, there will be Curry, who has always been underestimated on defense, relying on his own offensive containment power to achieve the new dynasty of the Warriors.

But in the Mavericks' lineup now, there is no inside pillar who can help the driver on the defensive end, and the guards are still one step away.

Then when the Thunder finished the pick-and-roll and started looking for Nowitzki, using core-consuming tactics to make him suffer from fouls and physical troubles, the last hope of the Mavericks coming back was gone.

So in the middle of the fourth quarter, the driver committed five offenses, and Carlisle couldn't help but withdraw immediately.

In the end, the Thunder only won by 9 points, but these 9 points were like a natural moat, and the Mavericks never overcame it, because there is always someone on the Thunder side who can stand up and respond.

In addition to Durant, the most eye-catching player in this game was Ibaka. He performed very well from beyond the three-point line.

Ibaka's three-point performance since the start of the game is amazing. He currently maintains a shooting rate of more than 60%. Although he will definitely be targeted in the future and his touch will be adjusted, as long as he can shoot, he can add another threat. The opponent's defense is contained, and the Thunder's offense will be easier to play.

Not to mention Durant, he is also the best performer, because facing the Mavericks, he has obvious misalignment no matter who he is facing. The guard line is too short, and the inside line is too slow.

Two days later, still at home, the enthusiasm of the Oklahoma City fans was still exploding. When the camera showed Westbrook in a suit and leather shoes before the game started, deafening shouts erupted from the audience.

After the game, some fans will inevitably have some happiness troubles. Westbrook hasn't played yet, and the team is playing so well. He will definitely be stronger when he plays, but young players, especially Antetokounmpo and Reggie, may have fewer opportunities.

Of course, after one game after another, for the fans, every victory is a timely gratification, and now the fun is over, and we will think about it later.

After the game, the media began to put up an eye-catching headline, "The Thunder defeated the former champion team and won four consecutive victories. Who else can stop them?"

The game has started for a week and a half. Of course, the Thunder is not the only team that has maintained a complete victory in the games that have been played. The Spurs, Heat, Nets, and Clippers have all shown their strength.

So in reality it should be who can stop who of each of them?
In addition to the two teams in the finals last season, as well as the Nets, the team that made a big splash during the transfer period, the Clippers, the "aircraft carrier", also set off again, and it was another dream start that people expected, which also made fans look forward to the next game even more.

In the near future, these strong teams will face each other one by one, and we will see who is stronger and weaker.

(End of this chapter)