The world's best combo guard

Chapter 72 69 [Surprised]

In addition to the upset loss to the Knicks in the opening game, the Lakers ushered in a wave of three consecutive victories. It seems that the team is on the right track and getting better and better.

Many people believe that after they welcome Shaq O'Neill back in a month, the Galaxy Battleship that everyone was expecting before will officially shake the Alliance.

However, everyone did not expect that after a wave of four-game losing streak, the favorite Los Angeles Lakers suffered a very embarrassing four-game losing streak.

On the evening of 11.1, the Toronto Raptors played at the Canadian Space Center. The game between the Lakers and the Raptors was less than 4 minutes into the game. The Lakers' starting power forward Karl Malone accidentally sprained his ankle while grabbing the ball with Chris Bosh. Return to the locker room with the support of the staff.

Karl Malone's accidental injury caught the Lakers by surprise. Facing the Raptors with all-star insider Antonio Davis and talented insider Chris Bosh, the Lakers were beaten for a while. Neither Ryan Cook nor Medvedenko are opponents for the Raptors.

On the outside, Kobe and Fisher are in a brave state, and Gary Payton also played well, but the Raptors also have Vince Carter on the outside.

Therefore, even though Kobe scored 40 points in 39 minutes of the game, he failed to lead the team to victory.

Li Hao only played less than 10 minutes in this game, scoring a total of 4 points and 2 rebounds.

Karl Malone's injury set off a chain reaction that led to another loss against the Indiana Pacers two days later.

In this campaign, Kobe once again scored explosive data. The data of 41 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the game was gorgeous enough, but except for Kobe, no one else in the team scored in double figures, and Kobe's 41 points also relied on 27 times It was only in exchange for the right to act.

It can be said that Karl Malone's accidental injury has exposed too many things, such as the fact that no one is available inside, and several players headed by Gary Payton are still lacking in the original system of the Lakers.

The reason why they were able to win three consecutive victories before, looking back now, is basically achieved by the personal ability of the players.

Victory can always cover up many problems, and failure will always expose various problems. Regarding this, Phil Jackson and the others were prepared, but they did not expect that so many problems would be exposed at once, so many that he could not start .

In the third away game, the Lakers played against the Nets, who are in good form this season. In Brooklyn, Phil Jackson made a lot of adjustments in the lineup. Even Li Hao, Phil Jackson also gave a certain amount of support. Opportunity, but Naihe finally swallowed a three-game losing streak.

The biggest impression given to the outside world by the three-game losing streak of the Lakers is that the team played chaotically from beginning to end. The defensive end often lost its position, and many offensive choices were unreasonable, just like a headless chicken.

In the last game of the four-game winning streak, the Lakers faced the Celtics. I thought that the Celtics, who were going through the trough of reconstruction in the past few seasons, would let the Lakers end their losing streak.

But I didn't expect that the Celtics used an iron-blooded defense at home to force the Lakers to shoot only 38 percent of the game. Under such a shooting rate, the Lakers wanted to win. Still difficult.

From sweet three-game winning streak to bitter four-game losing streak, the Los Angeles people have been on a roller coaster for more than a week, and they have truly experienced the feeling from heaven to hell.

From a meteoric fall to the bottom of the Western Conference a week ago, it became the second to last.

Look at their potential biggest opponent in the Western Conference this season, the San Antonio Spurs, led by the officially launched GDP combination, won eight games and won eight games, leading everyone in the league with the best record.

Lakers fans began to miss Shaq O'Neal. Everyone believes that if Shaq was here, the Lakers would not have encountered such a difficult situation. However, the criticism of the team's two important signings this summer has gradually increased.

"We are dazzled by the names of the luxury Big Four. Looking back, whether it is Gary Payton or Karl Malone, they have reached the end of their careers. With their current standards, in fact, they may not be able to bring much to the Lakers. s help"

"Shaq's absence is the most important reason why the team is in trouble this season. Perhaps the direction of the management's offseason signings has been wrong. They should introduce some immediate role players around the ok combination, not Gary. with former star players like Karl"

"Maybe the team is where it is today. Phil Jackson as the head coach should take some of the blame. He's so stubborn. We can all see it. Gary obviously can't fit into the triangle offense. In the absence of Shaq, Kobe Bryant He is not a staunch implementer of the triangle offense either. Over the past week or so, Kobe averaged 36.5 points in away games, but that was more achieved by him fighting alone.”

Both the Lakers management and head coach Phil Jackson have been questioned unprecedentedly.

The cold winter of the Los Angeles Lakers is still going on. After the end of this difficult four-game streak, they will have three days of rest. Perhaps during these three days, the Los Angeles people should really think about it. After three days, they will Ushered in a matchup with old rival San Antonio Spurs at home.

With the current state of the Lakers, it is difficult for them to take advantage of the vigorous Spurs. Perhaps not being defeated is the best result.

Compared with the predicament the Lakers are currently facing, Li Hao's situation is not much better.

To be honest, Phil Jackson has given him certain opportunities in every game of the four-game streak in the past, but he didn't grasp it himself.

Li Hao found that he had the same problems as the team. Whether it was the offensive end or the defensive end, he was very confused, struggling, and even confused. Sometimes he couldn't find his teammates, and sometimes he was like It was his teammates who couldn't find him.

As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, watching the team fail one after another, to be honest, Li Hao felt uncomfortable. He wanted to stand up and help the team out of the predicament, but he had no clue.

On the second day back to Los Angeles, Phil Jackson did not give the team a holiday. Although he knew that the team had gone through more than a week away from home and every player was tired, he knew better that what the team needed most at the moment was It's just a run-in, otherwise the game against the Spurs in two days will only be fish on the sword and can only be slaughtered.

Phil Jackson doesn't want to lose the game in a strong dialogue, because he knows very well that losing to a championship opponent will have a greater impact on the morale of the team than losing to those average teams. It will continue until the playoffs, although the current Lakers seem to have a problem with qualifying for the playoffs.

(End of this chapter)