Bishop of the Abyss

Chapter 232 232. Perfect integration, excellent personal debut, modest Martin, Grizzlies' off-ball blocking tactics
"Bottom corner, bottom corner, pay attention to the position of the bottom corner!"

"Quick! Quick! Move, don't dawdle on the court, move the ball quickly, make firm shots, and don't play like a pussy one by one!"

On the sidelines, assistant coach Lambiel slapped his hands vigorously while roaring into the field.

Unlike Casey, Gentry and Jafaroni, Lambiel's talent in coaching is relatively average, but Lambiel can mobilize players' enthusiasm for the game in a variety of ways.

And Lambiel is very good at mediating the relationship between players, and he always looks fierce on weekdays, which is simply two extremes with Terry's kind face today.

After trading McGrady, the atmosphere in the Grizzlies has improved significantly, and it is no longer full of weirdness as before.

At this time, the Grizzlies are fighting in groups on the field. The newly joined team Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby lead the first team and the second team to compete.

Martin's personal character is very docile. Even though he has played a very good performance this season, Martin has no taste of smugness at all.

As for Mike Bibby, who is also an extremely self-disciplined player, if the league makes a list of players who know how to actively train during the offseason without the team's urging, then Mike Bibby's name will definitely be on the list.

Both Martin and Mike Bibby have no thorny attributes. On the contrary, they appear to be approachable in the process of getting along with their new teammates.

"Shu~"

"dudu~"

As the referee's trainer blew his whistle, Martin, who fell to the ground and had just hit two plus one, showed a smile.

This is already two consecutive offensive rounds Martin scored two plus one goal, and still facing his former teammate Mike Bibby's defense.

When Martin was lying on the ground, Pau Gasol and Gerald Wallace trotted over immediately, and then stretched out their hands to pull Martin up from the ground.

Gasol also rubbed the back of Martin's head to show encouragement, "Good job."

Obviously very satisfied with Kevin Martin, his new teammate.

Even if Martin has not played an official game for the team after joining, Martin's performance in the training game has conquered everyone.

Don't make wild shots, don't force shots, and execute every tactical move seriously, and the offensive methods are extremely comprehensive, plus the offensive end is willing to share, no one will hate teammates like Martin.

Although McGrady often sent wonderful passes for his teammates at the beginning, most of McGrady's passes were choices when the offensive environment was not good.

Martin, on the other hand, seldom faces defenders to force shots. Only when his teammates can't come up with offensive opportunities and Martin needs to take on the offensive task, Martin will choose one-on-one singles.

Most of the time, he uses the pick-and-roll to actively run, and his integration with the entire team is perfect.

"Kevin's personal style of play is too close to the team. I now seriously doubt that Lue had thought of this before making this deal."

"Otherwise, it would be impossible for Kevin to integrate into the team in such a short period of time."

Seeing that the cooperation between Martin and his teammates became more and more tacit, Jaffroni rubbed his hair in disbelief.

If someone who didn't know at this time sat on the sidelines and watched the entire training match, he would definitely think that Martin has been with this team for a long time, instead of just coming to Memphis yesterday to report, and even rushing to make the game for this morning. jersey.

"At first, I was still worried about this deal, after all, Kevin's body is too thin."

"If you only watch the game, it's hard to believe that this guy has 93 kilograms of meat on his body. I really don't know how the Kings guide the players to train."

"But looking at it now, I worry too much. Kevin's offensive methods are too rich, and his dribbling shooting from outside the three-point line is even better than Mike Miller."

"I have a hunch that if Kevin can train his body to be stronger, not too much, just a little improvement, he will definitely become one of the best perimeter stars in the league in the future."

Gentry looked at Kevin Martin on the field with a complicated expression, but he sighed more from the heart.

"It seems that this time we really picked up a treasure. If we only talk about the running-in with the team and the offensive method, Kevin's threat is even higher than Tracy."

"Perhaps if the two were singled out on the court, Kevin would definitely be beaten by Tracy, but once integrated into the team system, Kevin is simply a rare offensive weapon."

"At least in my impression, except for that guy Allen, there is no one who can reproduce fouls better than Kevin."

"However, Allen's fouls are more about using his body to win free throws, while Kevin uses his skills and brains."

"To be honest, I hate this style of play, but fortunately, Kevin is a player on our team."

Casey stood on the sidelines while observing Martin's offensive style, while taking a notebook to habitually record something, and at the same time, his mouth was full of admiration for Kevin Martin.

"I think if you continue to boast, Kevin will soon become No.1 in the league."

"Making players confident is a good thing, but exaggerating it is flattery."

"In the future, don't discuss topics like this in front of the players, let's just talk about them in private."

Luke sat on the sidelines smoking a cigarette without any scruples, and even the staff on the side didn't bother to step forward to stop it.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in the arena, and Luke is probably the only one who can light a cigarette at any time in any situation or even on any occasion in the entire Grizzlies.

"Mike's performance is also very good. Under his leadership, the team's second team is much better than that of Damon."

"It's just that Kevin is too dazzling in the team's tactical system, and Mike can only be passively forgotten." Luke leaned back slightly, with a smile on his face.

"How can you say that Mike is also a player who has stepped into the All-Star with one foot. If he just helps the second team to attack in series, there are really not many challenges for Mike."

As an assistant coach who has worked with Mike Bibby, Gentry is still very confident in Mike Bibby's strength.

Watching the players on the court sweating and fighting hard, Luke crossed his hands and put it behind his head, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curl up, "This is the correct way for the Grizzlies to open up."

…………

After trading away star McGrady, the overall framework of the Grizzlies has undergone a considerable change.

Especially in the eyes of outside fans, what the Grizzlies get in this deal is the guarantee of the future, at least the moment will definitely not be stronger than before.

However, the transformation of the Grizzlies this season is entirely due to the arrival of Luke, and McGrady's attitude towards the game also disappointed Memphis fans.

So even if this deal doesn't necessarily make the team better, fans can only trust Luke.

The first opponent the Grizzlies ushered in after the trade was the San Antonio Spurs, ranked third in the West.

The Spurs can be regarded as a perennial favorite in the Western Conference, and the defense and discipline of the entire team are very strong. It is not good news that Kevin Martin will usher in his personal debut in this game.

Even though the Spurs have not changed much in terms of lineup this season, the overall framework of the team is still headed by the troika, and other positions can only be reinforced in some corners due to funding problems.

The departure of Muhammad in the past two seasons has made the Spurs' unrich inside even more miserable.

Now the Spurs starting center is Oberto, who is 4.8 meters tall, averaging 5.2 points and 0.2 rebounds per game but only a poor [-] blocks.

As a white Argentine insider, Oberto's ability to join the Spurs is largely due to Ginobili's face.

Without Ginobili's relationship, it would be difficult for Oberto to gain a foothold in the NBA with his personal ability.

Entering the league as an undrafted player, Oberto was able to play the starting center position in the Spurs, which is enough to prove how hip the Spurs are inside.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Spurs' inside defense is now completely supported by Duncan alone.

After all, apart from Duncan, whether it is Oberto, Matt Bonner or Elson, these people's defensive abilities are very poor, and the average blocked shots of the three combined is only 0.8 times.

As for why the Spurs did not reinforce a qualified inside defensive player during the offseason, the Spurs boss is too stingy, and the San Antonio market is difficult to attract players whose careers are on the uphill. reinforcement.

There is a saying in later generations to describe the Spurs. If it weren't for Duncan, the Spurs would never have touched the championship trophy in this life. Although this comment is a bit extreme, it can prove from the side the changes Duncan brought to the Spurs.

However, as Duncan's age broke through the 30 mark, no player in the Spurs averaged 20 points per game this season. Counting the troika, only four players averaged double figures per game.

The reason why the Spurs can still rank third in the West is mainly because the team does not need any running-in in the early stage, so the Spurs are one step ahead of other teams at the beginning of the season.

If the Spurs still do not make any reinforcements to the lineup in the middle of the season, the championship is destined to miss the Spurs.

The Grizzlies are away to challenge the Spurs in this game, but looking around, there are still many Grizzlies fans wearing black and white T-shirts in the stands.

These fans all want to see what the Grizzlies will look like after the trade, even if they travel thousands of miles, they must witness the game at the scene as soon as possible.

The starting lineup sent by the Grizzlies in this game is the same as the fans expected: Lowry, Martin, Gerald Wallace, Gasol, and Gasol Jr.

The Spurs are: Parker, Ginobili, Michael Finley, Duncan, and Oberto.

From the perspective of the lineup, the Grizzlies still have some upper hand. In terms of the depth of the lineup, the Spurs are even worse than the Grizzlies.

Throughout the first quarter, because the Spurs' perimeter defense was too average, they could only limit the Grizzlies' perimeter offense through zone defense.

And after McGrady left the team, the Grizzlies' main tactics changed from the triangle offense to the "off-the-ball pick-and-cut tactic", which is a basic tactic that is supported by inside players through a large number of off-ball pick-and-rolls.

The best NBA team in later generations to use blocking and cutting tactics is the Denver Nuggets led by "Pork Belly" Jokic.

Luke got some inspiration from Mike Malone, and while borrowing pick-and-cut tactics, he also incorporated some of the current mainstream offensive play in the league.

The support ability of the Gasol brothers is very good, especially Paul Gasol, who averaged 4.8 assists per game this season and ranked first among all inside players in the league.

When Gasol holds the ball on the strong side at this point, and other players participate in the offense through a large number of off-ball pick-and-rolls, the offense of the entire Grizzlies becomes extremely smooth.

Especially when Kevin Martin can both shoot and shoot, it makes it difficult for the Spurs to determine the team's defensive focus.

Since the Spurs' zone defense has expanded the range, it has also caused the Spurs to expose more flaws in the mid-range positions on both sides.

Throughout the first quarter, the Grizzlies created a large number of shooting opportunities through frequent off-ball pick-and-rolls. Among them, Kevin Martin made 7 of 4 shots in a single quarter, scored 12 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, playing very aggressively.

As for the contest with the substitute lineup in the second quarter, the Grizzlies had the upper hand without any suspense. It only took a little over four minutes to widen the point difference to more than double digits.

Mike Bibby is a very strong point guard with a very high basketball IQ.

In addition to the lack of explosive scoring ability, Bibby is simply the most popular point guard template for coaches in this era. He can shoot, rush, pass, and resist. Even if he is not proficient in everything, Bibby is a flawless player. player of.

When Bibby was on the bench and led a group of shooters to start the game, the offensive firepower of the Grizzlies second team became even better than before the trade.

"Little Flying Squirrel" Damon Stoudemire is only 1.7 meters [-] tall, and his strength is that his flexible breakthrough can create shooting opportunities for outside shooters.

However, once the opponent shrinks the defensive formation and resolutely refuses to assist Stoudemire, it will be difficult for Little Flying Squirrel to gain an advantage in one-on-one.

However, Bibby was able to create opportunities for his teammates while using his personal ability to make the opposing players miserable, forcing the Spurs to focus more on Bibby.

Otherwise, Bibby only needs to use his strength advantage to take one-on-one in the low post, and the Spurs' backup point guard Vaughan will become the biggest defensive loophole on the court.

Watching the game gradually being led by the Grizzlies, Popovich sat off the court with a look of helplessness. He could only shorten the rest time of the troika and let Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker try to stagger their rest.

It is guaranteed that there are two stars leading the team on the field at any time.

There is no problem with Popovich's idea at all, but the depth of the Grizzlies' lineup is too strong, which makes Luke appear more casual in the lineup rotation, allowing the main players to get more rest time.

When the troika gradually showed a tired posture, the Grizzlies remained excited.

Even Pau Gasol was able to face Tim Duncan in one-on-one without losing the wind, and even scored the ball against Tim Duncan for two consecutive rounds, bullying the old man with serious physical loss.

As Kyle Lowry teamed up with Kevin Martin to take advantage of the Spurs' defensive flaws to continuously break into the inside and score two plus one, the point difference on the court has been widened to nearly 20 points, which made the Spurs players gradually begin to despair, even Even Popovich no longer has expectations.

Popovich hoped that the team could win more games, but when the team's defeat was determined, Popovich still chose to replace all the main players, announcing that the game officially entered garbage time.

Avoiding accidents during this time period will make the Spurs' already poor lineup even worse.

At the end of the game, the Grizzlies beat the Spurs by 21 points away, winning the team's first game after the trade, and they are still the third-ranked Spurs in the West.

It is worth mentioning that after this game, the Grizzlies also surpassed the Spurs to rise to third place in the Western Conference, and they are also only one game away from the Lakers who are ranked first in the Western Conference.

The most exciting thing for Grizzlies fans throughout the game was that Kevin Martin, who ushered in the Grizzlies' debut, not only did not acclimate, but his performance was extremely explosive.

面对三驾马车之一的吉诺比利，马丁全场15投9中，其中三分线外6中3，罚球8中7，交出了28分3篮板2助攻1抢断的数据。

Martin's outstanding personal performance and the running-in with the team excited the fans. No one thought that the 24-year-old guy could burst out with such amazing energy.

The seemingly weak body can come and go freely in the Spurs' zone defense, making an excellent personal debut from inside and outside.

As for Mike Bibby, who ushered in the Grizzlies' debut, he also performed very well. The data of 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists became an important contributor to leading the bench to beat the Spurs.

In addition, Pau Gasol also took on more responsibilities. Even facing Tim Duncan, he still scored 24 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Due to his personal style of play seems to be soft, many fans in later generations will call Gasol "Sister-in-law." But at this moment, Gasol is tough and Duncan has the upper hand, and his tough performance is vivid in the eyes of all fans. In the eyes.

.........

At the press conference after the game, the small room was already packed with all kinds of reporters.

When Luke brought Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby, who had just joined the team and performed extremely well, the reporters in the room were visibly agitated.

As the reporter asked Martin tricky questions from various angles, the modest Martin always had a smile on his face and was as quiet as a newcomer when answering questions.

Even though the reporter threw a lot of questions about McGrady to Martin, Martin still thought seriously.

Really didn't know how to answer, so Martin looked at the head coach Luke beside him, as if sending a distress signal to Luke.

At first, Luke felt a little funny sitting on the side. For the first time, he found that the humble Martin was a little cute, and he felt like a student.

Until the questions asked by the reporters at the scene became more and more tricky, and the intention was obvious to start a war.

A large part of it was comparing Martin with McGrady, and he wanted to get comments from Martin many times. Luke's face gradually became cold.

"Sorry, I can't be bothered to answer your shitty questions."

(End of this chapter)