Legend of Tomorrow

On December 4, the Suns faced the Hawks at home.

Under Nash's leadership, the Hawks became a strong team in the Eastern Conference, starting with 9 wins and 5 losses. The Hawks added new blood in the summer, first-round guard Luther Hyde and second-round swingman Vaughn Weaver. Coincidentally, both of these outsiders played for the Rockets in Guo Xu's previous life.

Hyde and Deron Williams are the twin stars of the University of Illinois. The big difference in picks during the draft is because Hyde is 191cm tall and weighs 84kg as a shooting guard. No matter how strong his three-point ability is, he is also a scumbag on the defensive end and cannot resist swingmen.

The Hawks selected Weaver in the second round because they were optimistic about his physical fitness. Although his skills are a bit rough and his shooting is unstable, he is very fast and can play fast breaks, and his jumping ability is at the dunk contest level.

The Suns players attracted attention when they arrived at the arena. Guo Xu gave his teammates a set of brand-name suits as jerseys to create a male model team, which would boost morale before the game started.

Reporters interviewed Guo Xu outside the arena and asked him to predict the outcome of the game.

Guo Xu replied: Friendship comes first, competition comes second. We have to enjoy every game and play happily. The outcome is not important.

The Hawks were all dressed in sportswear when they arrived. The reporter asked Nash: Many people say you look like Jason Guo. What do you think?

I think this is a compliment. Jason's personal ability is better than mine and he has played many terrible performances, but I hope I can defeat him today through teamwork.

The person Nash wanted to defeat most was Guo Xu. He entered the league in 1996, four years earlier than Guo Xu. However, people said that he was a weakened version of Guo Xu. As an All-Star player, this made him feel very unhappy.

He fantasizes about meeting Guo Xu in the finals one day and defeating the Suns to win the championship. However, he no longer dares to say that he can defeat Guo Xu with his own ability. The gap in personal ability between the two is clear at a glance.

After the warm-up, both sides took the stage. Guo Xu did not forget to kiss his girlfriend behind the bench before taking the field.

CCTV5 broadcast this game live. Suns VS Raptors were not broadcast live on CCTV before, which caused dissatisfaction among many fans. The Suns played much better than the Rockets.

Zhang Lili said with a smile: Guo Xu never forgets to show his affection during games. There is a special seat for his girlfriend behind the players' bench.

Xu Jicheng said: Megan Fox is now a well-known actress in Hollywood. Chinese fans will not be unfamiliar with her. Her comedy movie is being released recently and has received a lot of praise.

Zhang Lili smiled and said: Guo Xu is really a person with a great sense of humor.

His cats are famous and starred in that movie with Megan. He also stars in a musical during Star Weekend, and is now the most entertaining star in the NBA, even better than O'Neal.

Xu Jicheng said: The common characteristic between the two is that they love to play. They were both questioned for not working hard, but they did not delay playing.

Suns Five: Guo Xu, Bell, Howard, Haslem, David Lee.

Eagles five: Nash, Childress, Diaw, Josh Smith, Al Harrington.

Varejao is not available this time, because the Eagles do not have a heavy inside line, it is Nash plus four swingmen. The situation of the Suns' small lineup is similar. David Lee, the tallest player, is only 206cm, and his weight is similar to Harrington.

The Eagles attacked first, Nash dribbled and organized, and Guo Xu made a close call from outside the three-point line.

This is a kind of respect for Nash. If they don't take it seriously against the Hawks, the Suns are likely to lose.

Nash is one of the few people who can compete with Guo Xu in shooting. He is a regular at the 180 Club. Unfortunately, he does not have as powerful a body as Guo Xu. His ability to break through with the ball and create mobile opportunities is poor, and he cannot dominate the game with his shooting.

Nash couldn't turn around after being stuck by Guo Xu, so Harrington pulled out to cover.

Nash changed direction with the ball but was blocked by Haslem and failed to break through. Guo Xu quickly pursued the defense. Nash passed the ball to Harrington, who was cutting through the air. Haslem retreated to follow up, but there was no space. Harrington took a step and passed it to Childress on the right baseline.

Childress is a swingman with superb physical fitness. He was selected with the 6th overall pick in the first round of 2004. He and Josh Smith were the highlights of the team last season and were a frequent player in the top five.

Payton did not play two guards in this game, and the Suns did not give their opponents the opportunity to easily misplace. Childress was closely entangled by Bell and chose to pass the ball. He is characterized by being tall and thin, fast and impactful, but his ability to hold the ball is average.

Nash received the ball and organized again from the outside, but was again closely guarded by Guo Xu.

Nash and Josh played a pick-and-roll. David Lee switched defenses and actively blocked Nash's breakthrough route. Guo Xu caught up and formed a double-team, leaving Josh open. Nash distributed the ball, and Josh got an open space on the left. He aimed for a three-pointer and shot. Haslem was stuck, and David Lee retreated and got the rebound.

The Eagles players were very fast in returning to defense. Guo Xu retreated to get the ball and landed in position calmly.

Guo Xu and David Lee started a pick-and-roll as soon as the half was over. He changed directions and started at full speed to get rid of Nash. Josh switched defenses to follow up from the side.

Guo Xu brought the three-point line in one breath, facing the frame at a 45-degree angle, and Nash pursued the defense and formed a double team.

The two have been competing for many years, and Nash knows very well how successful Guo Xu's mismatched single forwards are. Josh's strength is improving, but it is only the second season of his career and he has a serious lack of defensive experience.

Seeing Nash coming up, Guo Xu hit the ground and passed the ball to David Lee in the middle. The latter caught the ball unluckily and took a mid-range shot, making a steady hit. 2 to 0.

David Lee has a blind spot when shooting, and there are basically no 45-degree mid-range shots on both sides, so the coaching staff does not arrange for him to cover from the side. He is particularly stable in the middle and within 60 degrees on both sides, with a shooting rate of nearly 50%. He was no threat outside the three-point line, and he couldn't even make a few open shots during training.

Even if there are weaknesses, David Lee can be said to have excellent immediate combat ability. The Suns' tactics can be used. If Varejao is on the court, the outside can be left open after the screen.

If the Suns score a goal, the Hawks will not be able to play fast breaks and exert their strongest power. Positional warfare is not their favorite rhythm. They lack three-point shooters and rely on Nash and Harrington to shoot three-pointers. Others have to practice.

This is the reason why the Eagles management selected Hyde. When the team cannot run and attack, the team can send two defenders. Hyde stretches out in the corner to form a weak side to create opportunities for his teammates.

Nash played a pick-and-roll again, and Guo Xu no longer stayed close to him, bypassing the screen from the inside to block the breakthrough route, and continued man-to-man marking in other positions.

Nash passed the ball to Josh, and David Lee kept one step away to prevent the breakthrough and not the shot. After Josh stepped forward on the left side, he made a 50-degree pull-up mid-range shot. Under slight interference from David Lee, Howard protected the backcourt rebound.

Josh is a pity player. Just looking at his physical fitness, he is not inferior to LeBron James. However, he did not practice shooting well until he retired in his previous life, and he was not good at long-range shooting.

Guo Xu dribbled the ball into position and slowed down the rhythm again.

The Suns will not launch a fast break today. The coaching staff discussed before the game that if the fast break is the main focus, the Hawks will also play a familiar rhythm. Both sides fight for position, and the Eagles are definitely no match for the Suns.

The Suns' biggest advantage is not overall mobility, but the star's singles ability. With all four players spread out, Guo Xu's one-on-one challenge on Nash in the middle will make the Eagles very uncomfortable. Without a double-team, one-on-one action will be an opportunity.

Eagles coach Woodson knows how good Guo Xu is, but he still plans to let Nash defend for a few rounds at the beginning. If Guo Xu doesn't feel good, the team will be easier to play next. Last season, Guo Xu often felt bad and took fewer shots. In the end, he averaged less than 25 points per game. Nash defended well on one occasion.

But today, Nash faces Guo Xu, who has been upgraded in the fourth time loop...