basketball behind the spotlight

Chapter 173 Returning to the Arena
The Grizzlies have made rapid progress in the past two years. After the rookies in the team have grown up, their performance has soared this season. They are currently ranked sixth in the Western Conference. With their current momentum, as long as they don't kill themselves, they want to enter the playoffs this year Not a problem at all.

Before the game, in the Wolves locker room.

Lu Ziqiu arranged tactics as usual.

When the head coach returns, the players are all in high spirits, especially Lu Wei, who can finally relieve the pressure.

The Grizzlies are a team that mainly focuses on the inside. Their inside twin towers are 215CM and 217CM tall, and their abilities are very comprehensive.

However, their ability to hold the ball on the outside is weak, even if they are good shooters, but against such a team, the Wolves' full-court pressing tactics just come in handy.

Therefore, he adjusted the starting lineup, replacing Lan Feng with Xiao Zhi, and replacing Lu Qian with Luo Peng, leaving only Luo Mang inside.

When everyone heard his formation, their blood boiled immediately, because they all understood that the long-lost full-court pressing tactic would be launched again, and this was the tactic they played the most.

Lu Wei actually likes to play this way, but when he directs the game himself, he dare not arrange it like this.

To put it bluntly, this is the tactic of killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred. If there is no good on-the-spot adaptability, no one would dare to fight like this for the entire game.

Because of Lu Ziqiu's relationship, this game has attracted the attention of the national basketball community.

In the past, Yancheng fans and the media didn't think that Lu Ziqiu was so important, but during his suspension, the team played lifelessly, and the team that faced the playoffs had never won a game. If two teams.

At that time, even if the Wolves lost, they played with great passion, and every game made their blood boil.

When the on-site commentator got the starting list, he was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

The Grizzlies are a team with twin towers. How can such a starting lineup withstand their inside offense?

After being shocked, Luo Chen took a deep breath, "Looking at the formation of troops like this, I think Coach Lu may have to arrange an all-court pressing tactic again."

Caesar nodded, "It should be like this, that's right, he should intend to speed up."

Luo Chen: "But the team's outside shooting is not stable, and there is no rebound protection when defending. How can we get up to speed?"

Caesar smiled bitterly: "I can't figure this out either, maybe Coach Lu has a solution."

Luo Chen sighed, "Hey, Coach Lu is always so bold. Although the whole court is full of passion, once we are broken, we will be powerless to fight back."

Caesar nodded, "That's right, right now I can only hope that the full-court press will work."

The TV commentator and two guests at the back were also stunned. Before the starting list came out, they had been analyzing how Lu Ziqiu would line up for this game. They discussed many plans, but they never talked about this kind of plan.

It's not that they couldn't think of it, but they didn't dare to think about it.

Entering the arena this time, Lu Ziqiu walked in the front with a cane.

As soon as he walked out of the player tunnel, warm applause erupted in the arena.

George waved his hand to signal everyone not to go out yet.

Everyone nodded, they all understood that the endless applause belonged only to Lu Ziqiu.

Lu Ziqiu seemed to be in a dream. After coming to the Wolves for so long, this was the first time that the audience welcomed him with applause. This kind of treatment has not been seen for a long time.

The applause lasted for nearly 5 minutes before it gradually stopped.

They really missed Lu Ziqiu, the man who dared to fight against the league, and the Wolves under his leadership.

As far as the eye could see, there were huge crowds of people, and the audience wore uniform Wolves jerseys, making the scene a blue ocean.

After the applause, driven by the DJ, the audience began to play the long-lost human wave again.

In this way, they are welcoming the return of the head coach of the team, and the return of that passionate man.

Lu Ziqiu took a deep breath and waved his hands to the people behind him, "Go out and warm up."

"Yes." The players shouted in unison, and under the leadership of Lu Wei, they ran out of the passage quickly.

George smiled and walked to Lu Ziqiu's side, walking side by side with him, "I'm very happy today, you finally got the respect you deserve."

Lu Ziqiu shook his head, "The most important thing is that the players get respect. You and I are just basketball workers living behind the spotlight."

"I understand what you mean, but I just feel happy in my heart, don't you feel it?"

Lu Ziqiu froze for a moment, then nodded involuntarily.

George laughed and patted him on the shoulder, "Come on, let's sit down and talk."

The on-site commentary was quiet for a long time, and it was only now that they spoke again.

Luo Chen: "It seems that the fans miss our wild head coach."

Wild head coach?

Caesar froze back to his senses, and murmured back, "Isn't this the title the media gave him?"

"Yes, this title is very appropriate."

The style of Lu Ziqiu directing the game emerged in his mind, and Caesar nodded involuntarily, "Yes, it is indeed very appropriate."

After the two sighed, they began to press the team's lineup endlessly.

After the players finished warming up, Lu Ziqiu called them to his side and told them: "Today's game is to speed up, keep speeding up, don't give the opponent a chance to fall into the defensive position, even if it doesn't make it, it doesn't matter."

The players nodded heavily.

What should be said has already been said before, and Lu Ziqiu just told them to prepare again.

Then, amid the tsunami-like cheers at the scene, the debut ceremony of the players and coaching staff of both sides was completed.

Because he was on crutches, he didn't shake hands with Grizzlies coach Brad.

Brad said: "You still direct the game like this, this kind of professionalism really makes me admire."

Lu Ziqiu smiled slightly, "If I don't come, my salary will be deducted. I have to eat, don't I?"

"It makes sense." Brad said disapprovingly and perfunctorily, "Since that's the case, I wish you good luck."

"My luck has never been great, but luck is only a small part of the game."

"But sometimes that bit of luck can be the difference between winning and losing."

"right."

The two exchanged a few words casually, then nodded to each other and returned to their coaches' seats.

The Grizzlies still maintain their usual lineup, with Markkinson and Andre as a pair of insiders and three outsiders, namely point guard Lee, shooting guard Deron, and small forward Green.

The common weakness of these three is that the breakthrough with the ball and the vision of passing the ball are very average, but they are all stable shooters.

Maybe it's because Lu Ziqiu has been absent for too long, maybe it's because of his full confidence, so Brad didn't make tactical adjustments to the Wolves' full-court pressing. He still believes in his tactics and believes that as long as the ball is passed smoothly To the inside, you can score stably.

Seeing the opponent's lineup, George couldn't help laughing happily, "How long do you think it will take for the Grizzlies to change the lineup?"

"Brad is stubborn. Unless the situation is one-sided, he will not make changes easily."

"So, he is probably going to change his stubbornness today."

(End of this chapter)