Legend of Tomorrow

On December 27, the Suns defeated the Clippers 118-95 at home and won eight consecutive games.

After only half a half, the two sides decided the winner. Guo Xu played 7 minutes in the third quarter, enough to get a double-double and rest.

Since they mainly focused on run-and-gun tactics, the Suns also had bench gangsters who defeated their opponents in the second quarter. This time Jacobson was in trouble, hitting 4 three-pointers in a single quarter and scoring 14 points.

The swingman position was originally a weakness of the Suns, but it has become a strength after Kirisek joined. Three people who can shoot three-pointers share playing time, and Marion can often play as a guest power forward.

Because Marion plays the role of power forward, Haslem's playing time has been reduced, but he trains a lot and works harder to lose weight.

Guo Xu asked staff to take a lot of videos of Haslem. He started filming during the preseason. His teammates also appeared on camera to interact with him and make comments. He is preparing to let people see Ha Fat's weight loss results when he is waiting for the playoffs. It is an interesting gimmick for the Suns and very inspiring.

On the 29th, the Suns defeated the Cavaliers, who were at the bottom of the league, 110-84 in an away game, winning 9 consecutive games.

Stoudemire and Guo Xu defeated the Cavaliers with a pick-and-roll move. Ilgauskas couldn't guard against Guo Xu's breakthrough. Once he left the basket, the others couldn't guard against Stoudemire's strong attack.

In order to prevent Stoudemire from cutting air, Cavaliers players committed a lot of fouls. Stoudemire was not bad at free throws in this game. He made 12 of 16 free throws in the game. Together with the goals in sports games, he scored 32 points and 11 rebounds.

The Cavaliers' zone defense tactics won't work. Guo Xu's breakthrough will attract the formation to shrink, and Joe Johnson, Kirisek, and Jacobsen will get three-point shooting opportunities.

Guo Xu watched many Suns games as a fan in his previous life. He used Nash's style of play, and he was Nash with stronger personal offensive ability. Although the core players of the Suns are much younger and less experienced, they are not inferior in running.

The result is the same as when Nash first joined the Suns. The team broke out. Unless they encounter a team that can also run and excel in single defense, the Suns can always defeat their opponents with talent and shooting. The run-and-gun tactic has always been the nemesis of zone defenses and is a huge weapon in the regular season.

After the interview after the game, the Suns and others flew to Minnesota for back-to-back away games against the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves started with only 16 wins and 14 losses, but this was a very difficult game because the Suns flew from the east to the west, and it took four hours to fly and drive to the hotel, not counting the time of waiting for the plane and leaving the airport. time.

It was already midnight when everyone checked into the hotel and immediately went to their rooms to rest. There are no players on the Suns who like to go to nightclubs.

Even if I could, I wouldn’t choose to go shopping in Minneapolis this month, as I would easily freeze to death if I go out.

Guo Xu asked Happy to help reserve a seat at Heyday Restaurant yesterday, and he invited the whole team to dinner at noon the next day. It has the most popular food in the United States and is also a paradise for cocktails.

At Guo Xu's suggestion, the coaching staff canceled the adaptation training plan and discussed the tactics directly during the meal. Everyone chatted and discussed the game while eating, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

It is estimated that there is no country in the world that understands the wine table culture better than the Chinese. When working in China, drinking and eating are the most commonly used public relations methods. If used in a proper and regular manner, many things that cannot be negotiated in the office or formal occasions can be solved. The important content of private discussions can basically be completed smoothly after a good meal.

There is no ugly part when Guo Xu treats guests to dinner, because everyone has the same interests and there are not so many complicated motives. Athletes cannot drink alcohol before a game. It is common sense that alcohol will slow down reactions. Therefore, the entire team is prohibited from drinking alcohol, so there is no such thing as persuading people to drink. Drink more to appear righteous. This is not popular in the United States.

Discussing tactics over meals is something that no other team has ever done, and everyone feels good about it.

Of course, this is also related to the simple tactics of the Suns. Counterattacks are all about running. When you see an opportunity to distribute the ball, players can catch and shoot. Everyone can do it. The only difference is the speed of running. In the positional battle, Guo Xu is left to hold the ball, and the others can just be ready to catch the ball and shoot.

In the Suns' positional battle, except for Marion, who has too much energy and can't sit still and runs a lot, everyone else's positions are relatively fixed.

Therefore, the biggest benefit of having dinner together is not about tactics, but to enhance the friendship between players, chat more and communicate more. When the game is played like this, everyone is selfless and willing to pass the ball to the opponent. The team is united and the ball moves very well.

D'Antoni admires Guo Xu very much now. He has been in the NBA for some time. He joined the Nuggets in the 1997-98 season and coached the Nuggets in the 1998-99 season; he worked as a scout for the Spurs in the 1999-2000 season; and in the 2000-01 season, he also served as a scout for the Portland Trail Blazers. assistant coach.

In D'Antoni's impression, the team's interpersonal relationships are a very difficult part. All kinds of conflicts will occur in the locker room, and players can easily have conflicts with the management. But in the Suns, the atmosphere in the team's locker room is so good that there is no contradiction at all.

Guo Xu is a leader on the court and in the locker room. He can chat with all the players. Young people are rarely so mature.

In addition, Gugliotta can be a mentor to young people. He has no airs or temper and teaches young players experience with heart.

In other teams, it is an unspoken rule of the NBA that veterans like to control young people, but there is no such thing in the Suns. Guo Xu, Marion, and Gugliotta will not let others be their bag-carrying boys. Can I still feel tired if I carry a sports bag?

D'Antoni briefly talked about tactics, and then analyzed: Although we lost 13 games in the beginning, I believe the team's record will definitely catch up. Not only do we have to win, but we also have to strive for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Everyone Let’s work towards this goal together.”

The newcomers did not respond vocally. They all felt that this goal was a bit vague. How many games should we win to have home field advantage?

Guo Xu stood up and added: I think it is not difficult at all to gain a first-round advantage by winning about 50 games in the regular season. I have a basis for this. The Lakers have become weaker this year. The Timberwolves ranked fifth last year and only had 50 wins. This year Four and five are almost at this level. There are 82 games in the entire season. As long as we lose less than 30 games, we should be able to achieve the goal with 52 wins. Now there are still 17 games to lose. Do you feel pressure about this?

No, we will definitely succeed! Haslem took the lead in responding. Although he is a substitute, he is the most energetic. Whether in training or in the game, he is like a chicken.

Others have also responded, thinking that it will be successful, and now they have a clear idea. The Suns are currently on a 9-game winning streak, and everyone feels that the winning streak will continue. There are still 52 games left in the regular season, how can they lose so many 17 games?

If Guo Xu said that with 60 wins as the goal, the Suns would only lose 9 games, which sounds very difficult. His words directly relieved the pressure on the players.

In fact, Guo Xu's real goal is 60 wins. This number is almost enough to compete for the regular season championship. Last year, the Kings ranked second and barely reached 60 wins. Even if he is not the champion, the gap is not far away. In this way, he may win the regular season MVP and reach the top in one step. As for the Eastern Conference teams, Guo Xu didn't take them seriously at all. Generally speaking, a team with more than 50 wins would be the champion.

The low goal he stated was for the sake of the rookie players in the team. Without pressure and free play, it would be easier for the rookies to show their strength.

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