The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 432
The Knicks are not doing well, but there are stars in the team, so it is impossible to guarantee when they will go crazy.

So the Spurs can't take it lightly when they face them away.

The game turned out to be a defensive battle at the beginning. While Leonard was dealing with Anthony, Zhang Xiaotian launched his offensive methods.

Parker was crushed by Rose, who was no longer at his peak, and Dedmond was completely unable to score.

But the strength of the Spurs is still strong. The team is slightly better than the opponent, and it is the same when it comes to the rotation period. The Knicks' bench is very bad.

Throughout the first half, the Knicks' strongest attack point was Rose, and Porzingis was more efficient than Aldridge.

But Anthony feels that he is not Leonard's opponent at all, so Zhang Xiaotian can rest assured to score and organize.

The rhythm of the two teams is not fast, and the leading Spurs have no intention of changing this situation.

The situation changed in the third quarter. Except for Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard, everyone else on the Spurs side hit the iron and couldn't score a point. On the Knicks side, Anthony finally broke out after adjusting the midfield.

Anthony was originally a star on the offensive end. When he couldn't show his strength in the offense, he was redundant. Now, he has become the biggest trouble for the Spurs.

Whether to switch defenses, Leonard doesn't think so, Zhang Xiaotian's performance on the offensive end has surpassed him now, if there is a problem with his good defense, he will feel very embarrassed.

Of course, when he went to rest, it must be Zhang Xiaotian who consumed Anthony. Anthony spent more time on the court than any of them.

For the Spurs, the good thing is that the Knicks' team offense is not good, there is too little connection between Anthony and Rose, and they are actually singles when they are showing off.

The Knicks are in this state, and the Spurs will definitely have to intervene.

If the opponent wants to play singles, we create conditions for them to play singles.

The Spurs also have a lot of singles this season, but it's not that the players are separated from the team. They have tactics to make several strong points more comfortable singles, but the Knicks can't do it.

Although the coach has changed, the Knicks have not changed significantly.

Entering the fourth quarter, Anthony also had to go down to rest for a while. It was their backup striker Lance Thomas who was in charge of defending Zhang Xiaotian. At the same time, they replaced Kyle O'Quinn, who was a good defense insider.

During the rotation period, the Knicks' defense may be better, but there is a problem with the offense. They let Porzingis play singles at this time.

One-man main defense, inside assist defense, this is a means against James.

For Zhang Xiaotian, it is meaningless for the main defense players not to cause him big troubles and to assist in the defense. It is better to attack directly.

He directly put the battle line outside, and after scoring 5 points in a row, he assisted Mills to hit a three-pointer.

This kind of attack efficiency is a headache for the Knicks, but fortunately, Porzingis' efficiency is also good.

The Spurs quickly flanked Porzingis, and the Knicks' offense suddenly stagnated.

And because of strength issues, Lance Thomas fouled three times in a short period of time. The Knicks can only admit that their arrangement for this period has completely failed.

When Anthony played again, Leonard was also replaced.

The Spurs adopted a large and four small lineup at the last moment. That is to say, even if the Knicks adopt cover tactics, Anthony will have the strongest defense in front of him.

Either Leonard or Zhang Xiaotian is troublesome for any offensive player.

I have to say that Anthony is still very threatening on the offensive end when he is excited.

Facing a strong defense, he was still able to get the ball in.

But there is still a problem with efficiency. If his efficiency decreases, the Knicks will not be able to make up for it on the defensive end.

Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard's pick-and-roll threat was too great, and Aldridge turned into a blue-collar at this time, and the pressure was much less.

Near the middle of the fourth quarter, the Knicks tried to compete with the Spurs for one and four, but they knew their mistake after 2 minutes, so they couldn't stop the impact of Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard at all.

To be honest, the Knicks' players are too slow, and even Anthony can be included in this category. Without a big man blocking the inside, it is a disaster for their defense.

After returning to the double inside, the Knicks' situation improved a lot, and Anthony also concentrated on offense.

Then Anthony hit a three-pointer, proving that his touch is still hot.

It's a pity that there is a big problem facing the Knicks now, that is, how can they recover from the nearly 10-point gap.

Relying on Anthony or Rose, Porzingis has no choice, because the Knicks' three-pointers are so-so, and the Spurs' defensive lineup is relatively tight, it is difficult for Porzingis to have a chance.

Of course, the key is the defensive problem that they can't solve.

At 2 minutes and 28 seconds, Aldridge grabbed the offensive rebound, he returned the ball to Zhang Xiaotian, Zhang Xiaotian made a fake shot to Leonard, Leonard fouled the opponent outside the three-point line and made three free throws.

Then the Knicks, who rushed to attack, were caught by the Spurs. Zhang Xiaotian dunked after a steal, and the score gap finally reached double digits.

The Knicks saw that nothing could be done, and their morale became extremely low.

In the following time, the Spurs won the game without much trouble, and continued their winning streak in away games.

In recent days, the Knicks have been troubled by various soap operas. Rose disappeared inexplicably before and was fined by the team after his return.Then Phil Jackson repeatedly criticized Anthony in public and on social media. Jackson was selling Anthony to send him away.

After the game, a reporter asked Popovich what he thought of the Knicks' soap opera. Popovich said: "I don't think about these. These are not issues I need to consider."

The reporter asked him what he thought of the conflict between Jackson and Anthony, and Popovich said again: "You can end this issue at any time you want, and you can continue to talk about this issue as you want, but it has nothing to do with me. .”

However, Popovich also admitted that not having so many soap operas on the team has made his job easier. He said: "Not having so many soap operas has definitely made my job easier, which is great for me."

"When you're signing in, whether it's the draft or signing free agents, I think you have to do your best to figure out what type of players you need in your system, figure out which players are the best fit for the culture of the team, your own coaching style. .”

For the state of his old opponent Phil Jackson, Popovich can only express his understanding.

A good head coach may not be able to run a team well. Popovich is also very proud of the current state of the Spurs. There is no doubt that he has done better than many old opponents.

(End of this chapter)