i have a coaching book

Chapter 396 A Stable Rocket

After repelling the Toronto Raptors, the Phoenix Suns had no time to rest and immediately flew non-stop to Houston to challenge the Houston Rockets back-to-back away games.

Last season, the Rockets formed the "Yao-Mai Combination" and instantly became a championship-level team.

However, the situation of the Rockets this season is also comparable to that of the Suns.

At present, the Rockets are in a very bad state. They have lost four games in a row. The current record is 3 wins and 8 losses, ranking No.2 in the bottom of the Western Conference.

Who would have thought that the Rockets, which entered the playoffs last season as No.5 in the Western Conference in the regular season, would not win with a team with two superstars. Disaster.

Just look at their starting lineup and you'll see where the problem lies.

Van Gundy doesn't seem to be able to move this seemingly talented Rockets team.

At the point guard, the Rockets recruited Alstom from the Raptors in order to find a player who can pass the ball for Yao Ming.

However, Alstom is temporarily unable to play due to injuries.

The ridiculous thing is that the Rockets actually sent Mike James to the Raptors in order to get Alston, who can shoot three-pointers and has superb point guard skills. In the end, Mike James, who they sent away, broke out, and he actually played All-Star-level data, which was even more violent than McGrady's scoring.

However, Alstom, who was dug out, couldn't play and couldn't prove his strength.

No matter how well Alston plays, can he score better than McGrady?
The Rockets, who bought at a loss, can only use this year's first-round rookie Luther Hyde as the starting point guard. His performance is not bad for a rookie. After all, his draft is not high. The average can contribute 8.5 points and 5.2 assists per game. Looking at this data, at least it proves that this year's draft is not a loss.

However, the Rockets' point guard problem has not been resolved. It is only because of vision problems that they lost a chance to win the NBA championship.

If Mike James is still in the Rockets, they will have a three-point All-Star player, and there is still a chance of breaking through from the West.

Now, just grabbing a place in the playoffs may not necessarily be completed.

At shooting guard, the Rockets have two scoring titles and Tracy McGrady who plays small forward. Therefore, the position of shooting guard does not need an offensive player who can hold the ball, but a "3D player" who can defend.

However, McGrady was absent due to injury. Although McGrady is only sprained and only needs to rest for two weeks before he can come back, the Rockets' record may fall to the bottom. It is not easy to hit the playoffs. After all, the Rockets The team is in the western theater, and there is not much time for them to adjust.

In order to strengthen the offensive firepower, David Wesley went into battle. His state has declined seriously, and his offensive efficiency is not high. He can only contribute 11.3 points and 4.5 assists per game.

Compared with the past two years, playing third-rate All-Star data is still far behind.

There are problems with the team's style of play, and there is also the problem of David Wesley's serious decline in physical fitness.

You know, he is a small player with a height of only 183cm, but he plays the position of shooting guard. It is not easy for him to gain a foothold in the NBA.

It is simply impossible to maintain the state for a long time.

At the small forward position, due to McGrady's absence, Ryan Bowen, who was just admired by the head coach, replaced him.

Ryan Bowen's offense is very poor, but his defensive ability is very strong, so he is naturally liked by Van Gundy, who is a defensive coach. Therefore, even though Ryan's offensive firepower is very average, he still plays a lot of time, and even becomes McGrady's first substitute.

As a power forward, Juwan Howard's real strength is in offense. He has a good mid-range shooting ability and outstanding offensive talent. However, as his physical fitness declines, his defensive ability is getting worse and worse. His playing style is soft, and his defense is almost non-existent.

The weird thing is that what coach Van Gundy needs is not Juwan Howard's offensive talent, but his defensive ability.

The center forward is played by Yao Ming, the little giant of the East. Now Yao Ming's real strength is his offense, especially the mid-range shot.

The strange thing is that Van Gundy wanted Yao Ming to rush inside to fight against others, but the most reliable of this Rockets team was Yao Ming's mid-range shot.

With a head coach who doesn't know how to build the team, playing unsuitable defensive tactics, and relying on the style of play for offense, now that Tracy McGrady is absent, the Rockets' offensive firepower is immediately reduced by half.

Such Team Rocket!How can it be the opponent of the Suns?
Even the Suns encountered many problems in the new season. Before the game, media reporters were still optimistic that the Suns could win and retreat from the Rockets' home court unscathed.

At 11:23 p.m. on November 10, at the Toyota Center Arena, the Phoenix Suns will play against the Hughton Rockets, officially kicking off.

The Suns started the five Tigers, lined up, followed by point guard Steve Nash, shooting guard Lin Bai, small forward Raja Bell, power forward Sean Marion, and center Kurt Thomas.

In the jump ball, Thomas VS Yao Ming! !
As soon as the two stood in the middle circle of the basketball court, the laughter of the home fans resounded throughout the audience. Yao Ming, who stands out from the crowd, stands 20cm taller than the opponent at the height of Thomas.

How could this be compared, Thomas barely jumped, and when the referee blew his whistle and threw the basketball high, he turned around and returned to defense consciously.

Yao Ming was also polite, and easily transferred the basketball to Luther Head's hands.

The game started in the first quarter, and the Rockets had the ball first.

Slowly dribbling the ball to the frontcourt, Lutherhead hoisted the basketball to Yao Ming inside.

The Rockets' inside advantage is too obvious. Whether it's Juwan Howard or Yao Ming, just their height can give them an advantage.

Besides, with Tracy McGrady absent, Yao Ming theoretically has unlimited shot rights.

Yao Ming caught the ball and did not disappoint the team. He directly lifted the ball and shot a two-pointer.

Thomas was dumbfounded. He was only 206cm tall. Facing Yao Ming, who was 226cm tall, he really didn't know how to defend. Once Yao Ming received the basketball, he almost just opened his eyes and watched Yao Ming attack.

Yao Ming has a soft touch, and the basketball is pulled out like plucking strings.

His shooting rhythm is very good, and his shooting posture is also very standard.

Swish! !

Yao Ming drew the bow and set the arrow, did not let the two-point jumper miss, hit two points steadily, and scored first.

2 to 0! !
The Rockets' offensive strategy is that the stars take turns playing singles. There is no team at all. After all, Van Gundy's housekeeping ability to win is on defense.

As soon as the game started, the Rockets took advantage of Yao Ming's height and CIC to score frequently.

First he catches the ball and hits a mid-range shot, then he plays with his back and singles, stepping on the footsteps of dreams, swaying right and left, after swaying the defensive player, he easily scores under the basket, and then pulls to a high position to cooperate with the pick-and-roll and catch the ball Direct mid-range shots, with precise mid-range shots, bombed the Suns' basket.

In the end, it is to support the organization to pass the ball, use its own dislocation advantage, and attract the Suns' defense. One point in the basketball can become a threat.

However, the Suns didn't have a way to deal with it. Thomas directly chose to go forward to defend. With Lutherhead's passing ability, he couldn't pass the ball to Yao Ming well. If he forced the pass, he would make mistakes again and again.

Yao Ming's offensive rhythm is limited. Fortunately, his physical confrontation has increased a lot, and he still has many offensive opportunities. As long as the basketball is passed to him, he has almost 80% of the scoring opportunities. After all, his physical fitness is still there. , the opponent's height dislocation is too large, and his advantage is too obvious.

Yao Ming was gradually restricted, and besides, it was impossible for Yao Ming to continue playing singles and carry the Rockets forward.

With McGrady absent, other role players can share McGrady's shot rights.

David Wesley and Juwan Howard were among the players to benefit.

Ryan Bowen's main task is to defend. It is not easy for Luther Head to organize well, and his scoring ability is not good, so the two of them don't take many shots.

David Wesley can use his speed to forcefully rush to the basket, attack the basket from close range, and can also shoot mid-range shots. His scoring ability is still good.

Juwan Howard's physical fitness is not as good as Marion's. Fortunately, his mid-range shooting skills are still very threatening.

The offensive and defensive tactics of the Rockets are arranged in an orderly manner, each with its own mission, no matter the offense or the defense, they are all played in an orderly manner, with a good appearance, and it is not like a team without fighting spirit.

However, the Suns played very violently. The Suns who rushed and shot up had a feeling of rolling up a storm.

Nash can show off his special skills, or shoot or pass the ball as he likes. He can show his offensive talents to the fullest, and enjoy the fun of basketball to the fullest, instead of being lifeless like the Rockets.

Players go to the court to play, just like doing things at work. To put it bluntly, they strictly implement the tactical play style assigned by the head coach. To put it bluntly, they have no soul and are just empty shelves.

Facing such a paper tiger, the Suns' unhappiness in the new season suddenly erupted at this moment, launching a stormy offensive.

Especially Lin Bai, who directly bought a [Star Experience Card].

Lin Bai, who became Kobe, changed his previous style of playing without the ball, and began to frequently play singles with the ball.

Lin Bai was in superb form, no matter if it was a three-pointer or a two-pointer, he almost hit every hit without a miss, and the Suns were bruised and swollen, completely powerless to parry.

After the first quarter, the Suns beat the Rockets directly, hitting the floor crazily, without being unable to lift their heads, and with a smooth attack, they directly blasted the opponent, beating the Rockets 45 to 22. The shock wave, in one fell swoop, established the victory direction of the game.

At the beginning of the second quarter, although the Suns were rotating at a wide range, the Suns, with full offensive firepower, still did not show mercy. They directly used 36 to 24, and the Rockets couldn't find the North at all.

After the first half of the game, the Suns were in a crushing position. With a score of 81 to 46, the Kuangyu Rockets scored 35 points and almost sealed the victory without any suspense.

The third quarter started, and the Suns prepared for the Rockets' counterattack. D'Antoni still kept three starters on the court.

However, to the surprise of the Suns, the Rockets are still grinding the lineup without haste, dribbling the ball to the frontcourt, if they don't consume more than ten seconds of attack time, they seem uncomfortable.

What's even more amazing is that the lagging Rockets didn't shoot three-pointers, and they almost always made three-pointers.

However, it is trying to fight the Suns on defense.

As a result, the Rockets restricted the Suns from scoring more than 30 points in a single quarter.

25 to 24! !
The Rockets played a strange game, desperately using their strong defensive ability to recover a point.

After the first three quarters, the Suns still led the Rockets by 34 points. D'Antoni watched Van Gundy's boring defensive basketball, and with a wave of his hand, he simply replaced all the starting players and replaced them with substitute players, just waiting for the game time the end.

When the fourth quarter started, the Rockets still acted as if they were in the lead. Instead of thinking about scoring, they wanted to defend well and narrow the gap bit by bit?

However, the Rockets didn't even have the courage to shoot a three-pointer, and they still played two-pointers steadily.

You know, the Rockets' height has an absolute advantage. Even if they miss a three-pointer, there is a high probability of rebounding and attacking again.

However, the Rockets still want to believe in the so-called high-efficiency offense, rather than take a risk.

Such a Rockets team, if it is the opponent of the Suns?

Therefore, almost as soon as the two teams meet, the Rockets will be beaten all over the floor. The Suns seem to be the Rockets' nemesis. They almost meet once and disappear once.

The ridiculous thing is that the Rockets have a long memory. Every time they are blown up, they will not change their style of play, and they still play backward basketball concepts.

At the end of the game, the Phoenix Suns turned away and defeated the Houston Rockets with an absolute advantage of 135 to 100 and 35 points. While winning two consecutive victories, they also gave their opponents a wave of five consecutive losses.

(End of this chapter)