The world's best combo guard

Chapter 142 139 [Terrible Strength]

Coming to the Trail Blazers home court with a 2:0 lead in the series, the Los Angeles Lakers already gave people an unstoppable momentum.

114: 101!

110: 94!

Another two consecutive victories, the Lakers easily declared the end of this series.

4: 0!

As the first team to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, the Lakers showed a very terrifying strength in this series with the Trail Blazers. Their tactics are changeable, and they will have different tactics in almost every game.

In everyone's impression, Phil Jackson has always had a soft spot for the triangle offensive tactics, but the Lakers in this series not only seem to use the triangle offense no worse than during the three consecutive championships, they can even use the triangle offense on its basis. Added more soul ferries to the above.

No way, Phil Jackson is in the trouble of happiness. When your team has three All-Stars, plus experienced veterans like Karl Malone and Gary Payton, even if you don’t want to become strong, I’m afraid you can’t help it .

For the entire league, if the biggest surprise the Los Angeles Lakers gave them in the regular season was the number 10 of the Lakers, then the playoffs seem to be the same point.

Li Hao's own admission, coupled with Phil Jackson's public statements many times, and his performance on the field, everyone knows that Li Hao in this season's playoffs will focus on the defensive end.

But after this series with the Trail Blazers, people did not expect that Li Hao's performance on the defensive end was even worse than his offensive end.

Averaged 3.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game!
Even though Li Hao was selected to the third team of the best defensive team.

No one would have thought that he would hand over such terrifying data on the defensive end.

Regardless of Li Hao's performance on the field, just looking at this data, everyone can have absolute confidence in the Lakers' defense.

In the fourth game of the series against the Trail Blazers, Li Hao even almost got the terrifying data of the first playoff quadruple-double in NBA history.

12分10篮板10助攻8抢断2盖帽。

Judging from this data alone, Li Hao is absolutely qualified to compete for the best defensive player in the regular season.

So, now, everyone has finally realized a terrible fact, which team in the league can pry Li Hao in the backcourt?
San Antonio Spurs with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili?

Dallas Mavericks led by Steve Nash?

Or Sam Cassell's Minnesota Timberwolves?
When the other three teams in the Western Conference that advanced to the semifinals were all released two days later, everyone had to ask such a question?

Why did the Lakers lose to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals last season?

Maybe it has nothing to do with the word "defense".

With Kobe in the backcourt, the Lakers' defense is not bad, but last season, Kobe spent too much in the regular season on the one hand, and on the other hand, he needs to focus more on the offensive end, which makes the Lakers' defensive level lower. a lot.

As for the Spurs, I have to admit that Gregg Popovich is a great coach. He just used a defensive system to allow all the Spurs players to participate in the defense, even Parker and Ginobili, who are not good at defense. function in this system.

In this way, even if the scoring ability of the ok combination explodes, it will be restricted and consumed to the greatest extent.

As a result, they lost the playoffs in the end.

For the Lakers, that is a pity, but it is also a weakness of being caught in the hands.

But from now on, Phil Jackson can loudly tell the league that this weakness of the Lakers no longer exists.

With Li Hao around, no one can easily break through the Lakers' backcourt defense.

Besides, don't forget that in addition to Li Hao, the Lakers also have Gary Payton who is sitting on the bench and ready to go.

It is difficult for Gary Payton to integrate into the triangle offense on the offensive end, but it cannot be denied that he still has enough energy on the defensive end.

From the perspective of the Lakers coaching staff, in terms of defense alone, even if Gary Payton is 35 years old, he will not be much worse than Li Hao. As the best defensive player ever, even if he is not at his peak, Gary Payton can still rely on With his experience guarding the Lakers backcourt.

The reason why Li Hao was allowed to start is entirely because of Li Hao's youth and the fact that he is also a very big threat on the offensive end.

.........

According to the playoff promotion rules, the Lakers will face the third-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves in the semifinals.

Because regular season MVP Kevin Garnett is in charge, the Minnesota Timberwolves are obviously more difficult to deal with than the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.

However, before the start of this series, the mainstream media and gaming companies are still more optimistic about the Lakers.

In their view, as long as Kevin Garnett can be held down to the greatest extent, the entire offensive and defensive systems of the Timberwolves will be affected.

After all, Garnett is the only offensive and defensive core of this team.

Compared with other teams in the league, the Timberwolves' inside line is a big advantage, but for the Lakers, this is not a very difficult bone.

Let alone whether the Lakers can limit Kevin Garnett inside, conversely, how much can the Timberwolves use the Lakers inside?

The combination of O'Neal + Karl Malone is a headache just thinking about it.

Garnett, who has just won the MVP, is indeed powerful, but at most he will explode with O'Neal Malone and the others, and it may be impossible to suppress him.

and then?
Can the Timberwolves' backcourt be as explosive as the Lakers' backcourt?
Obviously not much hope.

Of course, basketball is a team sport, but it cannot be denied that in this fierce playoff matchup, the last critical moment is often the competition of the players' personal abilities.

The Lakers have enough stars to compete with their personal abilities at critical moments. I am afraid that the Timberwolves will find it difficult to parry.

.........

At 5:1 pm on May [-]st, the Lakers' home game at the Staples Center, the semifinals between the Lakers and Timberwolves has begun for some time.

The current score on the field is 24:19!

The Lakers, who sit at home, lead by 5 points. With 2 minutes left in the first quarter, the Lakers have the opportunity to further expand the point difference, and the Timberwolves, who are playing away, also have the opportunity to narrow the point difference or even overtake.

Lakers: Li Hao, Kobe Bryant, Devon George, Karl Malone, Shaq O'Neal!

Timberwolves, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Trenton Hassel, Kevin Garnett, Olo Okandi!

This is the starting lineup for both teams in this game.

Judging from the current situation in the first quarter, the shooting touch of both players is not bad. In the case of a very high defensive intensity in the playoffs, both teams may get the ball at the end of the first quarter. 30 points is enough to prove this point.

(End of this chapter)