vertical and horizontal point guard

Chapter 86
Chapter 1 Fighting the Spurs

Popovich withdrew his gaze, and asked lightly to Duncan, who was drinking water expressionlessly, "Who do you think this Chinese kid looks like?"

Duncan was taken aback, turned his head and glanced at Popovich, and found that his old man's eyes stayed on the tactical board where he was writing and drawing, but he was the only one beside him, obviously asking himself.

But this question is not easy to answer!
Duncan rubbed his head, his dull and calm face revealed a bit of thought.

Naturally, he would not deal with his coach like he did with media reporters. To be honest, he really cares about the Chinese kid. As for the answer to this question, he still has to think about it.

Popovich's question was very targeted. He didn't ask what Li Shihao's template was, he just asked who he looked like lightly, which proved that Li Shihao was obviously a brand new player in his eyes and would not become what the experts and the media said. The second generation of Jordan, the second generation of Kobe, and the second generation of Magician are mentioned, which proves that this kid has something worthy of the attention of head coach Popovich.

Duncan thought for a while, seemed to have thought of something, stroked the warm towel on his head, and said lightly: "This kid looks a bit like Chauncey, but I seem to see Kobe's shadow in him, this kid is a A complex combination!"

A glint of light flashed in Popovich's cloudy eyeballs when he heard the words, he raised his head, his eyes were burning, he stared at his beloved disciple Duncan who had known him for many years, and asked in an inexplicable tone: "Do you really think he is like A complex of contradictions?"

Duncan glanced at Popovich suspiciously, not understanding why his old man cared so much about this kid.

Popovich sighed, with a bit of depression in his eyes, staring at his lover and said: "I see your shadow in him!"

Duncan's expression changed, he no longer had the dull expression before, and even his plain expression couldn't hide his surprise at the moment. The Chinese kid actually has his own shadow in the eyes of his mentor?
It's incredible!

Is it possible to see the shadow of an inside player in an outside player, or two players with completely different styles of play, two generations of players separated by ten years?

But Popovich said this, and it would be a lie for Duncan to say that he was not shocked.

Popovich stretched out his hand, raised his index finger with age spots and tapped on the tactical board, his tone became a little more serious: "Although this kid is in a different position from yours, I can see your shadow on this kid! "

"Outside players are very different from inside players due to their shooting position, shooting range, defensive strength, etc., and their stability is also very different, but this kid is not simple. For him, it seems that it is not easy to do the same thing as you. Not too difficult!"

Duncan was silent. He understood what Popovich was talking about. He has played in the league for more than ten years. Many people said that his commercial value is not high, that his style of play is not good-looking, and that his dominance is not as strong as O'Neal.

But Duncan understands his strength. He is stable because he is ordinary. He is stable because of ordinary, and he is great because of ordinary.

When Garnett was crowned as an all-around power forward, when the German chariot Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to the finals in 06, when power forwards passed on to the league one after another, Duncan still remained the same. A double-double as stable as his rookie season.

Some people praise him for his stable scoring ability, which is the pillar of the team's championship. Some people laugh at him for being old, and even his scoring ability has degraded.
But when the Spurs' fourth championship ring was worn on his hand, Duncan understood that the greatest power forward in history must be himself!

none of them!

Now, his own coach Popovich said that there is a rookie who will become a consistent scoring player like himself, or a guard?

Duncan was silent, he couldn't find the words to deal with it!
Popovich sighed, put down the tactical board, and looked far away: "This game will be a good test!"

"See if this kid becomes Jordan or Chauncey, or finally makes his own way and creates a new version of him!"

"Again, I'd love to know what a Tim Duncan would look like on the back line!"

Popovich laughed, his eyes sparkling, full of a kind of color that only ignorant children would have, that is called "expectation"!
In the following time, the Spurs and Timberwolves launched an offensive and defensive battle. The two teams continued to stage tactical competitions in the game.

The old Spurs and Celtics are both aging strong teams in the eyes of the few lineups in the league, but unlike the Celtics, the San Antonios have a higher degree of tactical execution.

Although most of this Quds Legion are old and weak, their experience in the game is too deep. Years of playing experience have given them a much better understanding of the game than the Timberwolves boys in front of them.

This Spurs team has a balanced offense and defense, it is too stable!But they also have a fatal weakness, that is, they are too balanced, and even make them mediocre sometimes!

The Timberwolves launched a fierce counterattack in the third quarter. Li Shihao and Brewer continued to attack from the outside line. The two may connect with each other, use breakthroughs to attract double teams, force opponents out of position, and create offensive opportunities.

Gomez on the outside has a certain degree of accuracy in long-range shots from the outside. It is impossible for this kid to expect him to shoot like a sharpshooter in the league, but he still has a certain degree of accuracy in shooting three or five three-pointers in a game. Indeed, in the third quarter of the game, Li Shihao created many open shooting opportunities for him.

Fortunately, the kid's touch did not disappoint Lee Se-ho's expectations, but until the third quarter, his 5-of-3 field goal rate shared part of the team's offensive firepower, which greatly relieved the pressure on the Timberwolves on the offensive end.

The inside situation is not so easy. Marc Gasol and Kevin Love are a bit overwhelmed by the veteran Spurs inside duo. Although the opponent is older and weaker than himself, Duncan has been immersed in the inside position for many years. , his skills have long been perfected, and he can barely resist one-on-two inside, not to mention that there is a veteran Antonio McDyess as a helping hand, supporting and supporting him.

Fortunately, Love and Gasol gave the two things that the Timberwolves are most in short supply, inside defense and rebounding. It is these two things that ensure that the Timberwolves can keep entangled with the old-fashioned Spurs and fight non-stop.

The score has reached 87:82, the Spurs lead by 5 points, and the third quarter is about to end. The Spurs' current lineup does not have that kind of strong explosive outside scorer, and it is temporarily unable to take the young Timberwolves away.

The outcome will be announced at the end of the quarter!

(End of this chapter)