NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 471 How to properly integrate into the team? (Daily Chapter)

After the start of the new season, the Knicks have 11 games in November, with four games in the second and third weeks.

Although the schedule is relatively dense, overall, the team did not fall into a slow-heating state. Compared with other teams in the Eastern Conference, the first week was a perfect start.

In last week's Saturday game, a conflict arose between Stephen Jackson and Carlisle of the Pacers, and the sharing of championship experience failed.

The conflict between the two lies in the number of shots. Jermaine O'Neal is also absent due to injury. Jackson believes that he should be the core of the team, but Carlisle does not think so.

On Sunday, ESPN reported vividly on the situation in the Pacers' locker room, but no one confirmed whether the news was true by Monday.

However, the Spurs took the opportunity to intervene, and the San Antonio sports media broke the news that Popovich was interested in trading for Stephen Jackson.

Robert Horry's championship experience is obviously not enough, and Spurs fans are beginning to look forward to this deal.

Considering that the Spurs were interested in everyone during the offseason, but finally focused on the buyout market, many fans are ready to see the joke again. Will the Spurs strengthen? This basically does not exist.

After arriving in Manhattan, Popovich saw newspapers praising Li You's pull-up jump shot this year. Although he lost all three games, no one in New York cared about these details.

Just blow it!

When he came to the gym to warm up in the afternoon, Popovich felt annoyed when he thought about ESPN's plan to cooperate in promoting Li You and was planning a "night jump shot test" at the Sports Center.

Since the start of the season, the Spurs player in the best condition is Tony Parker. Not only does he have the love of Eva, but he has also officially recovered from a fractured finger injury.

Because of a bone fracture, Parker missed the French national team's game during the offseason and entered the training camp early. The Frenchman expressed his opinion more than once in interviews:
"Now I am full of desire for basketball!"

Although the commentators think that the Spurs' additions are just scraps, the Spurs have a record of 2 wins and 1 loss since the start of the season, losing back-to-back to the Cavaliers, and the fans are generally satisfied.

The only complaint from Spurs fans since the start of the season has been the schedule, first back-to-back home games, then back-to-back away games.

Although Canada and New York are close, back-to-back games still take a lot of toll. Duncan's fans have already found a reason for their idol to lose in advance:

"Duncan is too tired"

There are not many live broadcasts across the United States this year. ABC has officially revamped its program and further cooperated with ESPN. Even the name of the pre-game program no longer has the words ABC Sports.

This Saturday, when the Knicks challenge the Spurs again on the road, the Spurs' first game will be broadcast live across the United States.

Matt Bonner, who just joined the team during the offseason, has adapted very well to the Spurs' team culture and has become one with his teammates. Bonner himself is very satisfied with the signing.

Since losing the semifinals last season, Duncan has been somewhat silent. He was consumed for a long time during the offseason, but he has not given any response.

The Spurs are still a championship contender and they still have a strong dominance in the Western Conference, but whenever Duncan thinks of the championship, he can't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.

Since it was not a nationally televised game, Duncan was calm when talking about the championship during an interview with New York media before the game. He did not make bold statements or put pressure on management:
"I just focus on every game and as for the championship, that is still my goal."

"."

At 19:30 p.m., Madison Square Garden was still packed. Since the Knicks would start a Western Conference road trip for the next three games, this was the only opportunity to watch a game live this week.

After the game started, the Spurs replaced big man Fabricio Oberto early, and Matt Bonner played for nearly 6 minutes in the first quarter.

As a head coach who is good at learning, Popovich has long followed the pace of the Knicks and used more space lineups.

During the rotation phase, Udrih also showed good form against Rondo, following his teammates to fire continuously from beyond the three-point line.

The Spurs' 11-of-6 three-pointers in the first half did not allow them to take the lead, 54:56. The Knicks lost points in the rotation phase, but still had a slight advantage in the end.

After returning to New York, Li You only rested for one day, but his condition was not affected. During the halftime break, Walter Frazier, who was wearing a plaid suit, was interviewed and did not care about the score:
"Lee, let's talk about your jump shot. Everyone noticed that you reduced the number of times you attack the basket. Is this a deliberate adjustment?"

Most of the fans in the stadium were dancing to the music at this time. The atmosphere was joyful. Li You looked at the smiling team star next to him and jokingly teased the offensive choice:

"There's no complicated reason. It just saves more energy to complete a mid-range jump shot. I'm about to turn 29, and my body is no longer young. I need to save energy for the playoffs!"

Walter Frazier laughed. 29 years old is still the peak period for a guard. After a simple hug, when he returned to the commentary booth, Mike Breen was still bragging:

"In three games, Lee's two-point shooting percentage reached 77.5%. This data cannot reflect Lee's dominance on the court."

"The jump shot is as accurate as a layup. The defenders have no way to deal with Lee. The all-around offense leaves the Spurs with nothing to do but pray!"

The content of the game was not as exaggerated as it was said. After all, the Knicks made early rotations tonight. Walter Frazier did not brag about the statistics, but commented seriously:
"Lee's progress is an absolute nightmare for big men in the league."

"As long as Chandler can complete a high-quality screen, the big man who switches defense will not be able to anticipate Lee's offensive choices at all."

"Three-pointers, mid-range pull-up jumpers, quick attacks to the basket, passing on the move to assist teammates, I think the Spurs have felt the pressure."

The two were praising the team in the commentary booth. In the Knicks locker room, D'Antoni was not very satisfied with the team's performance in the first half. He shouted in front of everyone:

"Don't hesitate. It's hard for the big guys on the other side to limit our corners. Receive the pass and shoot decisively."

"What we have to do is change their defensive strategy, completely open up the offensive space on the court, be fast, and don't let them easily establish a good defensive position."

Rondo lowered his head in frustration. There were big problems with his jump shot. When launching a counterattack, if his teammates could not shoot in the first time and fell into positional offense, they would instead be encountered by zone defense.

If mistakes are deliberately controlled, the team's rhythm will be affected, and the only time we lost the game in the first half was the 5 minutes he played.

Artest, who took deep breaths continuously, now deeply understood the doctor's warning. It didn't matter if he was bullying the weaker players. The game was in a stalemate tonight, and he was indeed more easily tired.

"Tayshawn, Burris, you start in the second half. Ron needs to rest. We have to rebuild the lead in the third quarter!"

The man with the mustache looked at everyone and called out his name directly. Artest opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. With consecutive away games to come, this was the right choice.

Looking at D'Antoni, JR Smith, who had transformed into a towel master, showed disappointment on his face. When his teammates lost their accuracy, he still didn't get the chance.

Li You didn't even look at the newbies. He stood up, clapped his hands, called Chandler, and gave him a simple instruction:

"Pay attention to the timing and angle of the pick-and-roll. Duncan must not be distracted. Be more confident!"

The Bulls only started to win games gradually in the last two years, but unfortunately Chandler's playing time was affected after he was injured. They had been playing badly before and developed some bad playing habits.

Gasol saw the embarrassment of his new teammate, and while everyone was walking towards the player tunnel, he trailed behind and whispered a suggestion:

"If you still don't know when to break up after a pick-and-roll, then stand still every round and don't try to be clever. Even if it's at home and the game is stalemate, the referee will catch illegal screens."

Chandler nodded. Since he couldn't take care of both offense and defense at the same time, it was indeed a better choice to do the basic work first.

When players from both teams returned to the court, Chandler stood in front of Fabricio Oberto and clapped his hands to encourage himself. The Spurs replaced the starting lineup in the second half.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers of the defense, Parker received the ball at the baseline and rushed across half court before passing it to Ginobili on the left wing. The latter immediately passed the ball back to Duncan.

Receiving the ball in the left blocking area, Duncan ignored Dio's top defense behind him, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and observed the movement of the top line while leaning against the defense. When Duncan slowly released the ball and hit hard, Hill suddenly helped defend the inside line. At the same time, Chandler on the other side also shrank towards the basket.

Duncan immediately passed the ball back to Ginobili, who took the ball and broke through with his right hand. He used his speed to get rid of Hill and went straight to the basket, causing Dio, who was assisting in defense, to foul. The referee pointed directly to the free throw line.

"Shh!"

The Argentine gestured to shoot at the free throw line, and boos filled the arena. Ginobili took a lot of free throws tonight.

Li You noticed the change in Duncan. The opponent's data gradually declined after the start of the game. From the video, it can be seen that they dominated the ball more often. The reason for losing to the Cavaliers was that they were overwhelmed by rebounds.
56:56, both free throws were made, and Ginobili loudly called on his teammates to retreat.

After receiving the ball at the baseline, Li You's advancement speed was not fast. Dio, who came on as a substitute in the second half, was wandering in front of the right side. After crossing half court, he took the initiative to step forward and complete the hand-to-hand pass.

When Hill and Prince also began to take turns to touch the ball, the Knicks continued to pass the ball on the outside, and at the same time, with the help of Chandler's high screen, they continued to cut into the basket without the ball.

The Spurs continued their defensive strategy from the first half, switching defense immediately when faced with a screen on the front line.

When Li You slipped from right to left across the baseline and returned to the left wing again, as Dio passed the card from the top of the arc, Hill on the right wing cut in diagonally again.

Hill bypassed Chandler near the free throw line and failed to shake off Ginobili behind him, and accelerated towards the left corner.

After completing the pass, Dio began to move to the right. When Chandler stepped forward to screen for Li You, the Spurs' inside line was empty. Duncan stopped in the right elbow area, looking at Li You from time to time.

As a white big man, Oberto gritted his teeth and came up to defend. He thought Popovich would DNP him at halftime, but he didn't expect the coach to give him another chance to prove himself.

When Chandler stood to the right side of Li You's body, Parker hurriedly squeezed in front of him. The moment the opponent moved, Li You took a quick tentative step with his left foot, released the ball with his right hand, and pretended to break through.

Parker, who was squeezed between the two people, hurriedly adjusted his center of gravity, but he didn't expect Li You to suddenly turn around and just get rid of the defense.

Chandler's standing still still played a delaying role. Parker, who was trying hard to defend, was a beat slower and watched Li You easily touch the ball with his left hand and approach the three-point line.

Oberto, who was ferocious, quickly slid forward, and Li You took the ball forward, and while the big man was bending over, he quickly pulled the ball with his right hand.

"Oh!"

The drastic change of direction of the ball made the New York fans at the scene cheer. Oberto quickly slid to the left and faced the big man who retreated into the three-point line, but Li You changed direction in front of his body again.

Oberto, who was dancing on the spot, finally froze in place. Parker stepped back from the side to defend and drifted to the right rear of Li You. He just jumped into the air but could only watch the basketball fly into the basket!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

Looking at Li You posing in front of the fans on the left sideline, Parker couldn't help but curse in French after landing.

Oberto was confused again, which is why he left the field after playing for a few minutes.
56:59, Duncan showed a determined expression on his face and clapped his hands to encourage his teammates.

The Knicks suddenly changed their defensive strategy. At Li You's call, Hill began to strictly guard Ginobili from receiving the ball, and finally Duncan came to the left elbow area to launch an attack.

After completing the pass, Parker wanted to step forward and hand it to Li You immediately, but he failed to shake off Li You when he ran back. Duncan turned sideways and hurriedly tried to pass the ball, but Dio behind him poked the ball away.

The moment the ball fell, Li You rushed in front of Parker and picked up the ball immediately.

Popovich on the sidelines was still complaining about the foul, but Parker, who was chasing him, had already given up on defense and watched Li You grab the ball with his right hand and glide for a slam dunk!
56:61, taking the lead again, the noise in Madison Square Garden became louder.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers from the defense, Duncan clapped his hands in annoyance, and after Parker dribbled across half court again, he took the initiative to move forward for a screen.

He pushed the ball and changed direction to his left hand. The moment Li You squeezed through the screen, Parker immediately stopped, then turned quickly, facing Dio on the three-point line, and accelerated by lowering his shoulders while holding the ball.

The rhythm changed while moving, Parker gained half a body position, successfully broke into the paint area, suddenly slowed down, and made a jump shot!

Due to the interference of Chandler and Dio, the basketball finally hit the rim and bounced out. Oberto also failed to seize the opportunity for the rebound and was grabbed by Chandler who turned around.

When Li You received the ball and launched another transition offense, the Spurs failed to match up in time, and Duncan tried his best to defend but was still left behind.

Bruce Bowen chased to the left wing and rushed straight to Li You. Without waiting for Li You to catch up to him, he passed the ball from behind when Li You entered the paint area.

The basketball flew sideways, and Prince followed up and ignored Bowen who was twisting and pulling. He took three steps forward, resisted the pull, grabbed the ball with his left hand and leaned forward to make a layup!
"squeak!"

When the whistle blew and the ball went in, the New York fans at the scene shouted happily. Prince, who landed, also smiled and turned around to high-five Li You to celebrate.

"Lee is too fast, the boys' counterattacks are more coordinated, and the Spurs can't keep up with our pace!"

Mike Breen praised loudly in the commentary booth. Only by watching the game live could one appreciate Li You's wind-like speed. He dribbled the ball and shook off the defense, allowing his teammates to easily score.

56:64, Prince made the free throw and the score difference came to 8 points.

The Spurs took the initiative to speed up the offensive tempo. Duncan was double-defended. Ginobili, who received the pass, broke through again on the left wing, attracted Chandler in the interior, and immediately passed the ball to Oberto.

The Argentine big man failed to finish the attack and missed the open jump shot near the basket.

After Dio picked up the rebound, he directly initiated a transition offense. Seeing the Knicks players rushing to the opponent's half, Popovich on the sidelines fell silent again.

He began to slow down near the top of the arc, and Dio, who was not disturbed, threw the ball directly to the right sideline after Li You's second counter-run.

The advance pass allowed Li You to get rid of Parker when he received the ball. At the moment when he raised the ball for a fake move, Parker was directly knocked away.

Parker, who flew out of the sideline, wanted to defend again, but Li You did not adjust, and after slightly sinking the ball, he quickly made a jump shot!
As soon as he returned to the basket, Oberto watched helplessly as the basketball went into the net. He heard the excited shouts of New York fans again, and then he walked to the sidelines in frustration.

Popovich called a timeout and walked over to pat his players with a blank expression, something he sees several times each season.
56:67, just a few minutes into the second half, the score difference became double digits.

Li You stepped forward and high-fived his teammates one by one to celebrate, and everyone walked towards the bench with smiles on their faces.

JR Smith, waving a towel, looked at D'Antoni who was smiling and clapping. This time he did not follow the atmosphere group to high-five and celebrate. He sat back in his seat early and sighed secretly.

The atmosphere of Madison Square Garden is definitely the best in the league. JR Smith, who is still a starter on the Hornets, is very eager to play in regular time.

The Knicks did not make any adjustments during the long timeout, and Artest, who had no choice but to sit on the bench in the second half, could only watch everyone return to the court.

Unable to play, the game was a bit boring. Artest looked at JR Smith, who was no longer waving the towel, bumped into him, and said seriously:

"Shit! Go cheer for everyone! Even if you're a rookie, you have to integrate into the team!"

JR Smith waved the towel at least 20 times per game and had to carry the bag on the road. He wanted to complain, but seeing Artest staring at him, he finally smiled and said:

"I know, I know, Bro! How on earth am I supposed to earn that trust?"

Artest looked at the newbie with fancy tattoos, said nothing more, raised his right fist, swung it twice, and then a smug smile appeared on his face.

"?"

(End of this chapter)