am i proud?

Chapter 148 The Biggest Rivalry in the East (Today's first update)
This season, the Pistons have always been the dominant team in the Eastern Conference. After losing streak, they have won streak. Their record has reached 19 wins and 6 losses.

Compared with last season's total record of 32 wins and 50 losses, the performance of the Pistons this season is completely like changing a team... In fact, looking at the coaches and players, they have basically changed.

Like the Pistons, the Nets this season also seem to have changed a team, and their coaching staff has not changed at all, and the main players have not changed much.

Can one person really change a team?

In 1996, O'Neal came to Los Angeles from Orlando. He did not immediately bring earth-shaking changes to the Lakers. In the 1996-1997 season, the Lakers' regular season wins were only 3 more than the previous season.

In the original time and space, as soon as Jason Kidd arrived at the Nets, the strength of this weak team last season immediately increased greatly.

In the 2000-2001 season, the Nets had a record of 26 wins and 56 losses, ranking only No. 12 in the Eastern Conference, and ranked sixth from the bottom in the league.After Kidd joined, the Nets became a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, with the best record in the Eastern Conference of 52 wins and 30 losses, ranking fifth in the league.

"Peak Shark" only has this ability?
He can't even compare to "Basic Bu Gong"?
Obviously, the Lakers are already very strong, and the addition of O'Neal is just icing on the cake.

The Nets were originally just a belly, and Marbury's ability to lead the team was indeed hip, and did not give full play to the strength of the team's many players.

On the surface, Kidd's scoring average is not as high as Marbury's, and even a lot lower than him; the average assists per game is very high, but Marbury is not bad, not much less than Kidd.

Just looking at personal data, Kidd has no advantage over Marbury, but his team performance is much better. This is Kidd's ability.

In a sense, Wang Dalin feels that Kidd in this period is very similar to Paul in his 30s in later generations. They are the kind of people who have not outstanding personal data but can make their teammates better.

Kidd was able to lead the Nets to quickly rise to become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Paul did the same with the Thunder. Even after Wang Dalin crossed over, Paul led the Millennium Suns to the second best result in the Western Conference...Of course, even Wang Dalin didn't know about this.

The last time the Pistons confronted the Nets, they bloodbathed their opponents. At that time, Kidd obviously hadn't gotten along well with his teammates, so the record of that confrontation was not of reference significance.

If Carlisle thinks that the Pistons were able to bloodbath the Nets last time, and they will definitely be able to do so this time, then he is not worthy of being called a famous coach in NBA history.

On the afternoon of December 12, the Pistons conducted a very detailed tactical drill, most of which were aimed at the upcoming strong enemy, and of course a small part was to welcome the return of Da Ben.

During Ben's absence, the Pistons have gone 12-5 without counting the Dec. 5 game against the Sonics, which is pretty good.

But the Pistons without a big book is undoubtedly incomplete, and its strength is incomplete!
Without Daben, the inside pillar, although Carlisle adjusted his offensive and defensive tactics in time, it was just a helpless move.

The effect of "mixed zone defense" is indeed good, and "running and bombing" is even more powerful on the offensive end, but all of this is based on the premise that the opponent is not prepared enough for them. Once the opponent's head coach seriously makes targeted deployments, the Pistons' immature offensive and defensive system will become vulnerable.

For example, high-level head coaches like Bobo and Phil Jackson, if they lead the Spurs or the Lakers to meet the Pistons, they will probably let the Pistons have a good drink.

As an excellent head coach, one must know how to be prepared for danger in times of peace. It is impossible to survive in the league with only one tactic... Carlisle knows this very well, so this time he also added a lot of training to the "mixed zone defense" drill, and the team's defensive strength was immediately raised to a higher level.

The defensive intensity went up, and Carlisle put the focus of the drill on the offense.

After the lack of Daben, the Pistons averaged 7 points per game in these 103.7 games, 9.6 three-pointers per game, and a 38.1% three-point shooting percentage!

Among them, in the super offensive battle against the Sonics on December 12, the Pistons made 22 crazy shots from outside the three-point line and made a total of 30 three-pointers.

During this period of time, the long-range shooting efficiency shown by the Pistons made the whole league fearful, and now they suddenly joined Da Ben, a defensive champion who has no shooting ability at all, and their offensive firepower has naturally been greatly affected!

This is also impossible. Daben naturally cannot develop his shooting ability in a short period of time... In fact, no matter how much time is given to him, he will not be able to develop it.

No team can have both the league's first offensive firepower and defensive strength, this is impossible!
In the original time and space, the Pistons did successfully win the NBA championship two years later, but they relied on an extremely strong defense, and their offensive firepower was not even considered to be in the middle of the league.

Even the Warriors team known as "No. [-] in the universe" in later generations has the strongest offensive firepower in the league, but their defense can only be regarded as the best in the league, probably ranked fifth or sixth... This is already quite powerful!
In this case, Carlisle can only "take the lesser of two evils"... Compared with the super offensive firepower, of course, we still have to choose a stronger defensive strength.

After all, in this era, everyone generally believes that defense wins championships!
On the morning of December 12, the team conducted some drills again, and the offensive and defensive performance of the main players was slightly better than yesterday.But to face a powerful Nets team at night, so Carlisle strictly controlled the training time...he is not like some perverted coach who likes to engage in "devil training" between games.

In the afternoon, Wang Dalin attended the pre-match press conference with Carlisle. A reporter asked Carlisle, "Coach Rick, what do you think of the Nets' two-game losing streak in the last two games?"

Carlisle smiled and said, "It's normal. Anyone can suffer a losing streak. Didn't we also suffer a two-game losing streak in Sacramento and Oakland? The losing streak doesn't mean anything. The Nets are a very strong team. Jason Kidd is also the best point guard in the league right now. There is no doubt about that!"

The reporter asked: "Do you mean that the Pistons will experience a hard fight tonight?"

Carlisle still smiled and said: "Of course I hope we won't go through a hard battle, but obviously this is unlikely. The Nets will definitely cause us a lot of trouble tonight. I hope we can have the last laugh!"

The reporter then turned their firepower to Wang Dalin: "Darling, may I ask you to play against Van Horn again tonight, will you let him score no points in the sports game like last time?"

Wang Dalin laughed and said, "How is this possible? Van Horn is a very good small forward in the league. He averaged more than 15 points per game. Last time it was just my luck, and he himself was too bad!"

Another reporter asked: "According to our statistics, you have scored 5 triple-doubles this season. Will you score a triple-double in this game?"

Wang Dalin laughed and said, "Really? I don't even know I've got five triple-doubles unless you tell me! Hehe, just kidding... Everyone wants to hit a triple-double, but a triple-double doesn't come easily, at least I don't have the ability. I'm more concerned about whether our team can beat the opponent than whether we can hit a triple-double!"

After Wang Dalin finished speaking, Carlisle glanced at him inadvertently, and smiled undisguisedly. Obviously, he was very satisfied with Wang Dalin's answer.

……

On the other side, at the Nets' press conference, head coach Byron Scott was talking.

"The Pistons are really strong, and they are the only team in the Eastern Conference that can compete with us. But I want to tell everyone that we will win tonight. Jason, Kenyon, Keith and Curry will definitely teach the Pistons a lesson..."

"Darling-Wang is nothing special. He has performed well this season, but Jason is the number one point guard in the league. He is just a second-year rookie. How can he be compared with Jason?"

"That's right, I heard that Ben will come back in this game, but have you ever thought about it, he has rested for more than 20 days, is his condition really okay?"

All in all, Scott played very strongly, completely ignoring the constant winks from the team press officer.

Sometimes in this league, it's not just certain players who have their heads flooded, the same is true for the head coach... For example, Byron Scott, this guy not only has a worrying level of coaching, but also has a lack of IQ.

In this kind of pre-match press conference, the head coach usually brags about each other in business, so that no matter whether he wins or loses the game at night, he can leave himself a step down.

Scott said it so hard, if the game is lost, who knows what kind of expression he will have at the press conference after the game?
……

In the evening, the game finally started.

The starting lineup of the Nets this season has stabilized. It is still center Todd McCloch, power forward Kenyon Martin, small forward Keith Van Horn, shooting guard Corey Kittles, and point guard Jason Kidd.

But everyone knows that their starting center can only be regarded as a false starter. McCloch's average playing time is only 20-24 minutes per game, and the playing time of backup center Jason Collins is not much less than him.

And Kenyon Martin will sometimes push to the center position. At that time, the Nets will play a purely small lineup, and the game rhythm can be compared with that of the Pistons when they play running and bombing.

After all, Big Ben is the first game back from injury, so tonight he will come off the bench. Carlisle still offered the starting lineup of the last few games, namely center Wang Dalin, power forward Robinson, small forward Williams, shooting guard Hamilton and point guard Billups.

When jumping the ball, Wang Dalin easily defeated the 213cm tall center forward McCloch. His jumping ability is still very good among big players.

Just after Billups dribbled the ball at halftime, Kidd immediately posted it.

Billups was stunned: "Has this guy pressed the defense like this from the beginning?"

It has to be said that since Kidd came to the Nets, the biggest change in this team is that their defense has improved. When Marbury was still there last season, their average conceded points per game were at least 7 points more than this season.

Whether the offense can score or not depends on the ability of the players sometimes, but whether the defense can do a good job or not, more importantly, it depends on whether the players are willing to work hard... This is an essential difference!
It was very difficult for Billups to dribble under Kidd's close pressing. Although he would not lose the ball like this, he did feel a little uncomfortable, so he passed the ball to Wang Dalin who came out to meet him.

Faced with the big center McCloch, who is 213cm tall and weighs 116kg, it is naturally impossible for Wang Dalin to fight him in the low post.This guy is tall and strong, even if Wang Dalin uses "Golden Rooster Independence", the effect will not be very good... If you want to be "independent", you must at least stand firm first, right?
McCloch didn't stare at it. With his speed, if he dared to raise a high position to defend Wang Dalin, it would be for nothing. Wang Dalin could easily pass him with a change of direction.

The Nets defended Wang Dalin from the perimeter was Kenyon Martin... This is also an old friend. Wang Dalin and him were teammates as early as last season's All-Star Weekend.

They are very familiar with each other, so Martin's defensive positions are very close.

His movement speed is at the top among big players, even a little better than Wang Dalin's, so he is not afraid of Wang Dalin's breakthrough, but is very afraid of Wang Dalin's shooting.

Wang Dalin smiled slightly, and the ball had already been delivered. Martin turned around and saw Robinson catch the ball more than 3 meters away from the baseline and shoot... "Shua", the Pistons succeeded in their first attack.

A tank center like McCloch can defend against a powerful center. Even O'Neal can stand up a little bit, but Robinson doesn't like to hit the inside. Most of his shots are in the middle and long distances, so this ball McCloch missed... It was clean!

Kidd frowned slightly. He had expected that tonight's game would be difficult, but he didn't expect the Pistons' offense to be so smooth.

Although the Pistons only scored one goal, Kidd obviously couldn't accept such a defensive attitude from his teammates, so he immediately shouted at McCloch: "Where are you looking? Can't you switch defenses? Keep an eye on your own people!"

McCloch responded obediently, but he didn't dare to talk back to Kidd.

Everyone knows that Kidd is the boss of this team, he has absolute authority in the team, even the head coach Scott dare not disobey him.

When it was the Nets' turn to attack, Kidd slowly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, Kittles and Van Horn were actively running, and Martin set up screens for his teammates near the baseline while also looking for offensive opportunities.

He believes in Kidd's passing ability, as long as he can run out of space, even if this opportunity is fleeting, Kidd will definitely be able to pass the ball at the most appropriate time... This is the strength of the league's number one point guard!
Billups stepped back a little bit. He fully absorbed the experience of defending Kidd in the last game.

Last time he used this trick to embarrass Kidd, but... If Kidd is just put two steps away, he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't deserve to be called the league's number one point guard!
Kidd dribbled directly forward and broke through. When he was close to Billups, he turned around and began to dribble with his back. Billups really couldn't stand him, and he pushed him into the three-second zone.

As I said before, in the current league, Kidd is one of the few players who can rely on his body to beat Billups. He is taller and stronger.

Hamilton immediately came to help defend, Kidd flicked his wrist and the ball had already flown into Kittles' hands, and this guy raised his hand and shot... "Shuh!"

Corey Kittles, nicknamed "Mosquito", has a higher three-point shooting percentage than Van Horn and is a very powerful scorer.

The reason why he is nicknamed "Mosquito" is because everyone describes his accurate shooting, and his erratic and weird running position, just like a mosquito can make those three-pointers quietly.

In contrast, his style of play is a bit similar to that of Hamilton, but Hamilton does not have such a strong three-point ability as him.

Looking back, Wang Dalin made a pick-and-roll for Billups, but Kidd was very alert to escape his cover and directly blocked Billups' breakthrough route.

Billups was forced to stop the ball. Wang Dalin took the ball from him and distributed it to the other side. Hamilton caught the ball at a 45-degree position on the right side of the outside line, and Kittles directly pasted it.

The Nets' defense is very active. No matter which player of the Pistons gets the ball, they will immediately press closely. This defensive strength is almost comparable to the playoffs.

Wang Dalin took the initiative to take the responsibility, and when the 24-second attack time was about to end, he pulled out from outside the three-point line. The ball was strongly interfered by Martin, and it was no accident.

Kidd personally took off the rebound and quickly launched a fast break with a long pass. The Pistons' Williams was unable to retreat and was easily completed by Van Horn.

5:2, the game has just played 56 seconds, and the Pistons are temporarily behind.

It was the turn of the Pistons to attack, and the Nets continued to expand their defensive line to give defensive pressure. The Pistons players could only cover each other's running positions. This time, Hamilton finally ran out of an open space. Billups passed the ball in time.

Although Kittles still interfered to a certain extent when he made the last shot, Wang Dalin could see clearly that the failure to score the goal was probably due to Hamilton's own bad touch.

"I'm afraid this is going to be a bit troublesome!" Wang Dalin was a little anxious, "If everyone's hand feeling is not good, it will not be easy to beat the Nets!"

There is one thing to say, the Nets' defense is indeed very strong, but if the Pistons can hit the same shooting percentage as they did against the Sonics in the last game, no matter how strong their defense is, they can't stop it.

But if it doesn’t feel good, it’s hard to say. After all, the Nets are currently the second strongest team in the Eastern Conference. Their defensive counterattack is very good, especially Kidd. Once he takes off the defensive rebound and sends a pass, there is a high probability that it will be an easy layup...

　Thanks to "Rommel0425" for the monthly pass encouragement!Thank you my friend!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)