NBA: This Center Is So Stable

The New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Eve, came to an end.

Chapter 136 The Godfather of Utah

The New Year’s Eve battle between the Knicks and the Pacers ended when the referee blew the final whistle.

The Pacers still failed to prove that they have the strength to be the leader of the East at Madison Garden. Although the Knicks have revealed their flaws in the West, the Pacers still can’t grasp their opponents.

The winner of this game, the New York Knicks, defended their home court with a 10-point advantage of 99:89.

And the 10-point gap seemed to be destined by fate.

It happened to be the score difference between Wang Song and O’Neal.

In this New Year’s Eve battle, O’Neal’s performance was relatively impressive compared to the entire Pacers team, with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block.

Although there is still a certain gap between his average data of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game this season, he has been particularly outstanding in the Pacers tonight.

28 points, 18 rebounds, 5 blocks and 0 turnovers were Wang Song’s answer tonight. This Asian rookie showed off his muscles in front of the Indiana fans in front of the screen and the home team fans on the scene.

Throughout the game, Wang Song told the audience with his dominant performance that there is also a gap between the top two teams in the East.

Especially under Carlisle’s tactical arrangement, the Pacers, a team with one of the best defensive efficiency in the league, did not limit the rookie well.

The pre-match plan made by the Pacers coaching staff did not have a significant effect. The Wang Song in the Knicks game video that was played repeatedly and the Knicks No. 9 who made Carlisle feel unfamiliar on the court today.

They are not the same person at all!

Carlisle still remembers Wang Song in the preseason vividly.

After all, such a talented Asian big man is rare, and the opponent’s simple, rough and technical style of play is impressive.

But now, the center who Carlisle thought he knew well still feels unfamiliar with his performance on the court.

Mid-range, footwork under the basket, defensive space sense, defense awareness…

In about two months, this Asian kid has mastered so many skills that Carlisle can’t count them.

You have to know that Jermaine O’Neal, who is definitely a first-class inside player in the league, took several years or even nearly 10 years to gradually master the skills. In just less than two months, Wang Song not only mastered them, but also matched his physical fitness better than O’Neal.

The data after the two games is the most direct reflection!

Rick Carlisle, a genius coach who won the best coach in his rookie season, learned the first lesson of coaching in the field of coaching is to know people.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I had some prejudice against Wang before the game. His role in the Knicks far exceeded my imagination… The Pacers will continue to work hard and hope to be fully prepared before the next encounter with the Knicks.”

In the post-match interview.

Rick Carlisle put aside his arrogance and prejudice, and did not have the arrogant face before the game. He did not mention that Jermaine was beaten up as his last stubbornness, but his sincere attitude also made the media have to sigh at the plasticity of the young coach.

···

After the Knicks ended the meeting with the Pacers, Madison Garden ushered in the second challenger.

Utah Jazz!

Like the Pacers, the Jazz also met the Knicks for the first time this season.

Before the game, D’Antoni racked his brains and could not figure out how this seemingly mediocre Jazz ranked third in the West.

Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring…

From their roster, it is even difficult to choose the key defensive target in this game. Whether it is AK or Matt Harpring, they are more like screws in a team with an average of about 12 points per game. They appear wherever they are needed!

Without an offensive core, this team fought hard from the Western Conference full of powerful teams to the top three.

It is conceivable how deep their coaching team has a solid foundation.

Bring out the characteristics of each player to the extreme!

Jerry Sloan, head coach of the Jazz!

He has coached the Jazz for nearly 15 years. He is the absolute “godfather” of the Jazz. He was selected to the All-Defensive Team 6 times as a player and is an absolute top wing defender.

And his coaching career has also implemented the philosophy of his player period.

From AK’s action as the Jazz core, it can be seen that defensive pioneers are always his first choice.

From the Utah Twins to the now desolate Jazz, Jerry Sloan has always been there, this is the belief he holds fast to

.

43.84 million! This is the salary cap for NBA teams this season.

When 15 million contracts were flying everywhere, the Jazz maintained their last hold, and the team’s salary was a full 9 million less than the salary cap.

The team’s highest-paid player is the 8.67 million white bear, and there are only three players with contracts of more than 5 million, and none of them has the Russian name AK.

The Jazz’s core forward Kirilenko was a first-round pick selected by the Jazz in 1999. This season is the last year of AK’s rookie contract, and his annual salary is only 960,000.

It is such a lineup that Jerry Sloan has been forced to be in the top three in the West.

···

Before the game.

The two indifferent coaches did not reveal too much information to the camera.

Unlike the young Carlisle, Jerry Sloan is already a famous coach who is about to win a thousand games, and passion will not be an embellishment for his training of players.

The same is true for D’Antoni, who has been in the NBA for many years and knows the ups and downs.

At the beginning of this game, the Knicks fans did not expect a one-sided victory, but fell into a long stalemate.

To some extent, this Jazz team is more adrenaline-stimulating than the official New Year’s Eve game.

What the Pacers did not do, this young team did.

The Jazz players are like sticky candy, each of them sticks tightly to the offensive players and consumes the opponent’s physical strength.

If the Knicks’ counterattack fast break is unique in the league, then the Jazz’s fast break can also be called remarkable.

Without excellent guards, the Jazz almost gave up the counterattack fast break.

Positional warfare is their main scoring method!

And their offensive and defensive strategy perfectly limits the Knicks’ game rhythm.

When the running game scoring is ineffective, positional warfare becomes the only solution for the Knicks, but the Jazz’s inside line has a big white bear-Greg Ostertag.

Under Jerry Sloan’s arrangement, the White Bear gave up the option of scoring and stuck to this athletic rookie throughout the game.

Disdain!

This word does not exist in Utah.

At least it does not exist in Jerry Sloan’s Utah.

So the Knicks can only try to solve the offensive shortage through conduction and shooting in today’s game.

But the problem lies here. Today, Houston and Nash’s touch actually fell into the ice cave together, and the weakness of the front line became the shortcoming of the Knicks’ defense. Matt Harpring, an excellent Jazz front line, tore open the Knicks’ defense.

On the field, the Jazz gradually took the initiative.

(End of this chapter)