super heavy artillery

Chapter 888
Less than 1 minute into the game, the Lakers and Thunder each completed an attack.Judging from the score, the two sides played a tie.Although the fans at the scene didn't see any tricks, the players on both sides had some new understanding of their opponents.

The Thunder really felt the Lakers' defense, from the entire system to every point, they are very strong.Especially An Luo, who scored in this offense, although his final fadeaway jumper was so chic, it really took a lot of effort.

It is precisely because of this offense that the Lakers also have a very deep understanding of the Thunder's offense.Their defense is not bad, and the players are very determined when implementing the overall tactics.Moreover, the Lakers players did not get confused because of the Thunder players' rotation and mutual screens.But An Luo still scored. Of course, this is more a manifestation of An Luo's personal ability, and it is also a part of the Thunder's overall strategic system.

Even the Lakers can't guarantee that every round can be defended to this level.Once the Thunder can find an opportunity to score, it is likely to be out of control.This point, everyone is very clear.

After An Luo scored, the possession of the ball was exchanged, and the Lakers re-launched the offense.

James took the ball to advance unhurriedly into the frontcourt, and the other Lakers quickly switched to an offensive state.

McGee set a screen for James at the top of the arc, but the latter was not able to get rid of the defense successfully under his pick-and-roll, and then went inside.Westbrook reacted quickly. After McGee made a good move, he immediately went around and seized the opportunity.However, James' body was slightly sideways, his left shoulder sank slightly, and he started to hit Westbrook.

Vogel's role in putting James in the first position is reflected.After all, Robertson can be said to be the strongest point of the Thunder's individual defense. If James' physical exertion is not taken into account, it is not too difficult for him to fight Robertson one-on-one, but now James is also a person with a bonus of 36. It is a bit too difficult for him to face a defensive champion like Robertson throughout the game.It's easier when he's up against Westbrook, though.

James is like a tank, pushing Westbrook to the basket.Then he slammed into the opponent with all his strength, jumped into the air with the strength of the rebound, pulled the right hand, and successfully hit the ball into the basket.

4:2
The Lakers in the away game temporarily took the lead.

Compared with the luxurious interior configuration of the Lakers, the Thunder is indeed a bit thin.Gallinari himself is difficult to protect himself in the fourth position. Facing a big man like Anthony Davis who can play both the fourth position and the fifth position, his defensive ability is really a bit of a worry. More than enough but not enough.As for Adams in the fifth position, he cannot support himself alone.Not to mention, he was constantly being taken out of the lane by Lakers players.

Therefore, in the face of James' unreasonable rush to the inside, Donovan is powerless.However, the Thunder's next offense also made the Lakers feel powerless.

Westbrook suddenly sped off James before the halfway line, and then went straight to the basket.In this league, there are some players who have no way to limit as long as they rush up, except for fouls.There is no doubt that Westbrook is one of them.His style of play has always been very explosive. After rushing, he doesn't have too many fancy skills. Most of them are purely a competition of strength and explosive power.

But this time, the Lakers held him down!

In fact, strictly speaking, the Lakers are not holding Westbrook down.After all, he voluntarily gave up the final layup.Maybe the grade is getting older, especially since entering this season, Westbrook has once again changed his style of play. Much milder.

When he rushed towards McGee, everyone seemed to see the omnipotent regular season MVP again.As a result, Westbrook dropped his right hand and threw the ball from McGee's armpit.

Suddenly, there was a sigh of regret in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.Although the current Westbrook can lead the team to win the championship, everyone still misses the former Westbrook who flew into the sky and escaped from the ground.However, when everyone is regretting that Westbrook chose to pass the ball, few people see that he actually jumps not as high as before.

People still have to obey the old.After all, not everyone is as perverted as James.Westbrook can be regarded as a rare tough guy in this league, but he is also 32 years old.The careers of many superstars have already started to go downhill at this age. If they want to play longer on this court and don't want to become a veteran, they can only transform.

Westbrook is trying to do just that right now.This is different from his transformation in the previous two seasons. At that time, he made sacrifices to balance the harmony of the team's locker room and allow Paul George and An Luo to get more opportunities.I have to say that Westbrook really made too many sacrifices for the Thunder's two consecutive championships.But this season, Westbrook is not mainly because of whom to sacrifice.Of course, there must be some factors in it.After all, the Thunder spent nearly [-] million U.S. dollars to keep An Luo in Oklahoma not to let him play soy sauce.Both the club and the fans want to see An Luo achieve results this season.

The basketball was passed back to Adams standing on the free throw line by Westbrook, but the latter did not end the offense, but held the ball to cover An Luo, and handed the ball to the opponent.The latter was also very resolute, pulling up directly against Adams and throwing the ball.

This is a very practical cover tactic.The big man takes the ball at the top of the arc, helps the shooter block the defender and then gives the ball out, and the opportunity to score comes out.In that situation, no one can keep up to defend.As long as the person who catches the ball is strong enough and has a relatively stable shooting ability, he can throw the ball in and score.

"Shh!"

The ball went in!For such shots, An Luo has always been sure.

4:5, the Thunder completed the overtake.

Of course, the game has only passed 1 minute now, and in less than 2 minutes, everything has just begun.It is impossible to say who is more dominant.Generally speaking, at this stage of the game, both sides have achieved something, but there are also problems.

The Lakers were not able to limit An Luo's scoring, and their defense was not a big problem. After all, the goals An Luo scored were the kind of defense that could do nothing.But the Thunder also cannot limit the impact of the Lakers on the penalty area. This is still in the case that the big men of the Lakers have not participated in the offensive end. Once Davis, McGee and James are connected, it will be even more difficult for the Thunder. .

This situation did not keep everyone waiting for too long.Before halfway through the first quarter, the Lakers began to adjust their offensive strategy.Bradley began to hold the ball, James stood on the wing, formed a complete offensive formation from the outside to the inside with Davis and McGee.Although An Luo was still able to find gaps in the Lakers' defensive system to score, the Thunder still slowly lost ground in the situation.

Vogel's change was decisive and indeed effective.

It has to be said that although James has played at the No. [-] position this season is not inferior to any point guard, but if he wants to fully release his combat effectiveness, he still needs to get the position he is most familiar with.Coupled with the fact that Davis is on the court, the defensive pressure on James has dropped a lot.In such a relaxed environment, if he wants to score, it is really difficult for the Thunder to stop him.

But if James alone performed well, Donovan still has a way to deal with it, but Vogel's offensive tactics after the change posed a huge problem for Donovan.

In the Lakers' offense, Bradley dribbled the ball from the top of the three-point arc to the left position, forming an offensive triangle with Anthony Davis in the bottom corner and McGee standing inside.Bradley then passes the ball to Anthony Davis in the corner, who draws the defense's attention before passing the ball to McGee standing at the basket.In this way, the Lakers transferred the offense from the outside to the inside by continuously passing the ball.And the inside line is the relatively weak area of ​​Thunder's defense.

There is no way, Gallinari can only retreat to help defend.At this time, Danny Green, who was standing on the right three-point line, began to run a small distance to the left, and McGee saw the opportunity to pass the ball to Danny Green who was standing on the weak side.Meanwhile, LeBron James, who was standing near the free throw line on the right, shifted to near the bottom corner of the right outside line, ready to receive the ball.

Throughout the process, the Thunder players were running with each other.Although their defensive conversion is not bad, they never gave the Lakers players a chance to catch the ball.But on the whole, they are still very passive.A defense that is too passive will cause problems sooner or later, and the players will consume a lot of physical strength. Over time, the pressure in the subsequent games will increase a lot.

Danny Green was about to shoot after receiving a pass from McGee from the outside, but An Luo quickly rushed up.Instead of snapping the shot after losing a good shot, Danny Green quickly passed the ball to LeBron James near the bottom corner of the moving right perimeter.After passing the ball, Danny Green did not stop, but quickly cut from the outside to the inside.

After LeBron James received the ball, he actually had no chance to score.Although he used the cover to get rid of Robertson's entanglement, Adams on the inside rushed out immediately.Adams' supplementary defense is in place, and with his height and wingspan, he directly blocked James' shooting space.

Although James' shot was prevented, the Thunder's inside line became more empty.In such a situation, LeBron James, who has excellent vision and passing ability, will not miss it.He slammed the ball to Danny Green who cut inside, and the latter rushed to the basket and scored the ball.

An Luo watched Danny Green drive straight to the basket, and he also shook his head, feeling helpless.Although Danny Green's defensive responsibility is on his head, it is too late when he squeezes through the opponent's screen and catches up.

Actually, it's not a very complicated tactic.The Lakers also went through many screens and transpositions before allowing James to find Danny Green and complete the scoring.But it was such a tactic that almost mobilized all the Thunder's defensive strength, so that in the end they lost sight of the other.

Fans who know enough about the Lakers will definitely find that Vogel's tactics are actually born out of Phil Jackson's triangle offense.

The characteristic of the triangle offensive tactic is that through continuous movement, a pseudo-offensive triangle tactic is first established on one side to confuse the opponent, and then a real triangle attack is formed by attracting the opponent's double-teaming and the off-ball running of one's own offensive players.

The current starting lineup of the Lakers, James, Bradley, Green, Davis and McGee, is not the first time to play such a tactic.

The starting point of this tactic starts with the point guard.When Bradley stood at the first position, it was the beginning of Vogel's "triangle offense".The offensive triangle is formed in advance by dribble movement, and it is passed to the inside to prepare to attack the basket at the beginning. This is a feint.After encountering a seriously ill double-team defense, quickly transfer the ball to the weak side for a second attack.

This is a diversionary attack tactic in which the strength is weak but the strength is weak.If the opponent's defense can't keep up, and you have one or two players with excellent long-range shooting ability on your side, then the offense can be terminated at this step.

However, a team like the Thunder can switch defenses and make up defenses in time, but they are not afraid.However, in this set of tactics, everything has just begun.

After Danny Green receives the basketball, there are two ways to handle the ball.One is to attack yourself by running quickly to get rid of the defense to create a good shooting space, and the other is to choose to pass the ball to a player with a better opportunity when the timing of the shot is not good.After all, at this time, the opponent's defense line has been disturbed by them.

James' powerful offensive threat near the bottom corner still plays an important containment role. No matter who their opponent is, the opponent's defensive players cannot and dare not let James go.It is this strong restraining force that when James receives the ball, it will definitely attract enough defensive forces.When there is a huge emptiness in the opponent's interior, James and his teammates only need a simple pass and cut to score.

Putting old wine in a new jug, Vogel can be regarded as bringing forth the new through the old.The head coach selected by the Lakers this year may not be the most qualified, and the ability may not necessarily be the strongest, but it is definitely the most suitable for this Lakers team.

(End of this chapter)