The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 400
The Jazz held the lead for most of the court, but it was the Spurs who won in the end.

George Hill sighed during the season: "They played better at critical moments. They have Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard, and we fell short."

This game also allowed Leonard to see clearly the aspects in which Zhang Xiaotian is better than him.

Back on the training ground, Leonard naturally worked harder, but there was less direct competition with Zhang Xiaotian.

No matter what, Zhang Xiaotian still suits his appetite. He was very satisfied with the team's summer operation from the very beginning. Perhaps the best choice is to combine the two people's good parts to create an invincible Spurs.

On November 11, the Spurs went to an away game against the Jazz. After taking precautions, the game was completely one-sided.

The Jazz without Hayward is far behind the Spurs after all. The Spurs have taken the initiative from the beginning, and the Jazz have no chance from beginning to end.

With six consecutive victories at the beginning, the team may need to run in, but a strong team does not need to play 100% of its strength to win the game.

Those outside who planned to watch the excitement had to admit that Zhang Xiaotian was fully capable of leading the team.

The combination of him and Leonard, just like he and James, can suppress opponents on both offense and defense.

The pace of the small ball era is fast, and the cooperation between all-star players is actually easier than before.

But the Spurs' winning streak did not continue. After double-capturing the Jazz, they lost back-to-back away games.

It was the Clippers who interrupted the Spurs' winning streak. The Clippers' lineups are not bad every year, but there is one less ruthless player who can determine the world in the playoffs.

The Clippers were also willing to spend money in the summer, but instead of pulling players from the outside, the money was mainly spent on contract extensions.

They have two more players with a level of tens of millions. Crawford is worth the price. The prince's words belong to the face of the head coach. Are father and son soldiers in battle?

The key to this Spurs game is that Aldridge was blown away by Griffin. Griffin scored 26 points at halftime, and the Spurs also voluntarily surrendered.

Popovich has this temperament. When he sees that the situation is not very good, he will not let the team go all out.

Therefore, the Spurs should always win in the regular season, and they should not force themselves to win. Players rarely have major health problems, and their results are also good.

But in the playoffs, this habit will still have some impact.

After all, it is the All-Star players who can adjust their status. Other players are used to giving up when they can't win, and sometimes they still lack some blood.

That is to say, Popovich has enough prestige, and when he needs to desperately order all the soldiers can also serve.

Otherwise, the Spurs' transition from old to new will not be so smooth.

If the Spurs broke their golden body, it will die, and the team will naturally test it.

When they return home, they will meet the challenge of the Rockets.

Zhang Xiaotian has many fans on the other side of the ocean, and so does the Rockets.

This season, the Rockets chose Zhou Qi, a player from the other side of the ocean, with a second-round pick. Although they have not yet been recruited, the attention is undoubtedly higher.

The Rockets exchanged a lot of blood in the summer, sent Howard away, and Harden became the only core.

Judging from the start, the Rockets' combat effectiveness has not been affected.

The second Pelicans obtained in the free market, Gordon and Ryan Anderson, both performed well. The young insider Capela also showed the tactical potential to replace Howard. Go and problems arise.

For the Spurs, Danny Green returned, but Parker truce due to injury.

Mills replaced the starter, but this buddy is not the material of the organization, and the burden rests on Zhang Xiaotian.

Zhang Xiaotian also took the initiative to ask for help. His current ability to undertake organizational tasks can indeed improve the strength of the team.

Parker's strength has declined, and Popovich knows in his heart that although he believes in the old man, as a wise coach, he is also trying to find a way.

That's why he decided to let Zhang Xiaotian give it a try. If possible, the lineup can be changed more flexibly in the future. The two insiders can go directly to Danny Green on the outside without the number one position.

Or maybe Parker can't be played when he needs to defend. After all, players like the Cavaliers and Warriors are too strong at the first position, and Parker can't stand it now.

The Rockets are typically strong in offense and weak in defense, and launched a fierce attack at the beginning of the game.

The Spurs began to want Aldridge to play, but this buddy didn't feel good this time, and he hit iron a few shots.

The Spurs had no choice but to change their strategy and let Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard play with the ball, looking for opportunities on the outside by the way.

The Rockets have Brewer and Ariza at the second positions, and they definitely have single-defense capabilities.

However, it is not realistic for a single defense to limit Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard. The insider Capela has the ability to assist in defense, but his grasp of timing still needs to be improved.

What makes Capela great is his flexibility and his ability to catch and finish the ball very well.

The main players of both sides played similar roles, and it was the bench that decided the winner.

The Spurs' role players are not bad, but the delivery is unstable. The Spurs don't have players who could dominate the rotation when Ginobili was at his peak.

On the contrary, the Rockets' sixth man, Gordon, has a strong offensive power. In the first quarter, the Spurs fell behind.

But in the second quarter, Aldridge recovered slightly, and the Spurs had the upper hand again.

The Spurs have never been a pure outside team. To play out their tactics, they must combine inside and outside.

Their three strong points, the Rockets will definitely not be able to defend against them.

At the end of the half, both teams scored a lot, and the Rockets temporarily led by three points.

To deal with the Rockets, Harden must be limited, but Harden's organizational skills are also very good. Several pinches in the first half allowed the opponent to score points. Looking at players who are not particularly physical, it is very troublesome to defend against.

Fortunately, Danny Green has returned, and the troublesome things can be handed over to him.

Zhang Xiaotian can also defend, but Harden is too slippery, and it consumes a lot of energy to defend. The Rockets' fourth position, Ryan Anderson, all shoots outside, which is no different from the first and fourth juniors. The Spurs also adjusted according to the opponent's lineup. One big and four small.

After the defense of both sides became more targeted in the third quarter, the scoring efficiency became worse.

At this time, the stronger Spurs will be relatively advantageous, but Aldridge's state is repeated, so Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard can only take their time.

Zhang Xiaotian is not in a hurry, now he is not strong in breaking points, but at the end of the quarter, he is the world.

The Rockets are no strangers to him. Although Harden rested at the beginning of the fourth quarter, he did not relax his defense against Zhang Xiaotian.

In fact, the Rockets can be defended seriously, but they are very durable in terms of tactics.

And how difficult is it to defend against Zhang Xiaotian, one out of two goals can be said to be a star goal, two out of three goals, this is basically the answer sheet that Zhang Xiaotian surrendered under strict defense, and now Zhang Xiaotian is not afraid of flanking.

The Rockets want to rely on defense to win, which is unreliable. '

(End of this chapter)