warrior godfather

Chapter 292 Lonely and Proud

At 3:45 in the morning, the special plane of the Warriors flew over 3300 kilometers, took 5 hours and 24 minutes, and finally landed at Oakland International Airport.

The players who had already taken a nap on the plane were not in the mood to talk and laugh. After getting off the plane, they went back to their respective homes and took every time to rest to accumulate energy for the afternoon training.

The physical consumption of the players in the playoffs is greater than that of the regular season, especially after the series deepens, the home and away games change frequently, the team needs to travel back and forth between the two places, and maintain the game state through uninterrupted training. A shorter distance is better, if the commute distance is too long, players will rarely have time to rest.

However, players can also recover their physical fitness by reducing the intensity of training, so coaches don't even want to rest.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Zhang Yu, Silas and others gathered in the conference room of the Oracle Center and studied the game video of G4.

At this stage of the series, the coaching staff of both sides are clear about each other's tactics, but they still dare not ignore them in the slightest.

Every quarter, every minute, and even every round of the playoffs is crucial. As long as you have not won 1 games, you must not relax, especially the Grizzlies won two consecutive games and tied the score.

The coaching staff must carefully study the Grizzlies' tactics to see if Hollins has made targeted adjustments and is ready to deal with them.

After three hours of discussion, the Warriors coaching staff came to the final conclusion - the Grizzlies are still the same Grizzlies, Hollins' cards were indeed exhausted in the first two games, and the Grizzlies won G3 and G4 because they Seizing the opportunity of the Warriors' ups and downs, he didn't lose the chain, and the home court advantage also played a certain role in it.

But this does not mean that the Warriors can take it lightly. In the history of the NBA, there has never been a lack of series where the weak beat the strong. Competitive sports do not only look at strength on paper. The role of momentum and mentality in the game is very important. If the Warriors lose G5, they lose At this point, the momentum will completely shift to the side of the Grizzlies, and the Warriors will be completely in danger.

Therefore, in the tactical training in the afternoon, Zhang Yu had very strict requirements on the players, detailing the timing of every double-team, the use of every sliding step, and the choice of each player's position in the defense.

As for the offensive end, Zhang Yu is also powerless. The Grizzlies defense is the most orthodox defensive system in the NBA. It is extremely disciplined, has strict rotations, and is tough in confrontation. The best way is stars and talent, and this happens to be what the Warriors lack.

In Zhang Yu's previous life, the Thunder were able to defeat the Grizzlies in the second round because Durant and Westbrook let go of their swings and chipped away at the Grizzlies' iron wall one by one.

But even with two big stars, Durant and Westbrook averaging 26 and 24 points per game, the Thunder managed to win the series 4:3 through the tie-break.

They played two overtime games against the Grizzlies, and G4 even went through three overtime battles. The young Durant and Westbrook relied on their abundant physical strength, both played more than 50 minutes, and scored 40 points and 35 points respectively. After scoring 75 points together, they fought until the fuel was exhausted before they retreated from the FedEx Center with a score of 2:2.

Zhang Yu has never been like the outside world, thinking that the Warriors will win easily. He has long been prepared for the current situation. The Grizzlies do not have the strength to compete for the championship, but they are definitely a hard bone that no one in the West wants to chew. The Warriors want to beat this team. Tiejun, there must be no slack.

After the training, Zhang Yu once again emphasized the importance of G5, and the fighting spirit of the players was inspired by him.

Young people are not afraid of pressure, especially the rookies chosen by Zhang Yu. From Curry to Butler, from Clay to Green, they all have a strong competitive spirit and tenacious willpower, and they will only become more excited when facing pressure , will never be knocked down by pressure.

The mentality of the veterans is even more stable, they are well-informed, Tony Allen has played in the finals twice, has rich experience in the playoffs, and has seen countless big scenes.

After returning to the locker room, under Zhang Yu's gesture, he told his teammates about his success in stealing Kobe in the finals, and the North Shore Garden Arena was full of excitement, which made the young Warriors envious.

Although they have watched every game that Tony Allen said, and even have an impression of the scenes he described, the feelings of the bystanders and those who experienced it are completely different. The stage of the finals that gathered all the spotlights still aroused everyone's infinite yearning.

"...Kobe spammed me, said I couldn't score on him, I said you're a free throw jerk, well, if I remember correctly, he took 7 free throws in Game 15 The ball is only two less than our team... In the end we lost the game, I only played 5 minutes, and then I kept thinking, if the coach can give me more time and let me defend Kobe, I will definitely If you can help the team, you will definitely be able to..." Tony Allen muttered to himself with a desolate look, his voice getting lower and lower.

After he finished speaking, the locker room fell into silence, and the Warriors players around him felt the same way, and could understand Tony Allen's unwillingness and regret.

Like Tony Allen, they all experienced the experience of being ignored or looked down upon before coming to the Warriors.

Tony Allen can still play in the finals, but Curry was rejected by all the famous schools in the United States, Chandler turned from the second place in the talent list to a substitute, Yi Jianlian almost had no ball to play, Butler almost went to college, Danny Green and Jeremy Lin lost the draft Origin... If it weren't for Zhang Yu, they simply couldn't imagine where their careers would go.

Chandler patted Tony Allen on the shoulder heavily, smiled generously, and said:

"It's okay, Tony, you will have a lot of opportunities to compete with Kobe in the future!"

"And this year the Lakers are finished, we are still competing with the Grizzlies to enter the Western Conference Finals, Tony, Kobe may not go as far as you in the playoffs!" Green said.

The words of the two caused a burst of laughter, Tony Allen also laughed, and then said with some emotion:
"That's right, who would have thought that the Lakers would be swept out by the Mavericks... Coach, did you expect this situation?"

He looked at Zhang Yu curiously, and the eyes of others also turned to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu, who was standing at the outermost edge of the crowd, was called out suddenly, startled slightly, then nodded and said:
"Of course, I knew for a long time that the Lakers would definitely be eliminated by the Mavericks, but I thought it would be 4:1, but I didn't expect it to be... Well, I didn't expect the Lakers to be swept away."

"Tch..." Everyone hissed in unison.

Before the start of the series between the Lakers and the Mavericks, almost everyone believed that the Lakers would win. They did not believe that Zhang Yu would be so optimistic about the Mavericks.

Zhang Yu didn't explain, and smiled:

"Okay, let's all go back, take a good rest, and win tomorrow's game. It's up to you whether Tony can talk trash at Kobe next time he sees him."

"No problem, boss!"

"Coach, there is no way we will lose at home!"

"Tony, you really made it to the Western Conference finals, you have to treat the whole team to dinner..."

Everyone responded with a smile, teased Tony Allen, and left the locker room one after another.

"Okay, then I will treat you to a big meal. There is a restaurant in the Bay Area that serves authentic Chicago steak and cheesecake. It is the taste I often ate when I was a child. You absolutely love it..." Tony Allen and his teammates clapped their hands one by one.

After more than half of the others left, he suddenly turned his head to look at Zhang Yu, his rough face was full of gratitude:

"Coach, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would definitely not be selected for the defensive team."

"You're welcome, Tony. If your defense wasn't good enough, you wouldn't have gotten so many votes." Zhang Yu waved his hand and said.

He knows what Tony Allen is talking about. This morning, the NBA official website announced the list of the best defensive team in the regular season.

The best defensive team is voted by the head coaches of the 30 teams, but they are not allowed to vote for their own team members. The selection rules are the same as the best rookie team, but the best team is still voted by sports reporters and TV commentators. .

Facts have proved that coaches generally understand the game. This list is not much different from what Zhang Yu expected. The best defensive team members are Howard, Tony Allen, James, Kobe and Garnett. The choices are basically the same as Zhang Yu. He was limited to voting rules and did not vote for Tony Allen.

Prior to this, Howard had already been elected as the best defensive player on April 4. This is the third time he has won this award in a row. player of the people.

This season, he scored a total of 66 double-doubles, ranking first among all players in the league, ranking fourth in blocked shots and second in rebounding, and dominated the penalty area.

The selection of the rest of them is also a matter of course. Rondo should have been selected for the best defensive team this year, but Tony Allen has gained more attention in the Warriors than in the Grizzlies. Against Kobe, Durant, Nash, Wade and other superstars, his powerful defense attracted everyone's attention and left a deep impression on the outside world. He was selected into the best defensive team. Honor, that's why I thank Zhang Yu so much.

Tony Allen knows that if he goes to the Grizzlies, he may have more playing time, but the exposure is definitely not comparable to playing for the Warriors, and it is impossible to be selected for the best defensive team. The second team is still very difficult.

Chandler hadn't left yet. He heard the conversation between the two, his face collapsed, and he sighed:

"Hey, with Howard and Garnett blocking the front, Noah is also splitting my votes, I don't know when I can enter the first defense..."

"Don't worry, Tyson, your restrictions on Randolph and Marc Gasol are obvious to all. They are one of the strongest interior teams in the league. As long as you can win this round of the series, you will be selected for the first defense next year. Don't worry about things at all." Zhang Yu comforted.

Chandler, Paul, Rondo, Iguodala, and Noah were selected to the best defensive second team, which is basically the same as Zhang Yu's choice.

The Bulls are known for their defense as the league's No. [-] team. Someone must be selected for the best team. Noah is the most suitable candidate. As the Warriors rank among the top three teams in the league in defensive efficiency, Chandler, the pillar of interior defense, will definitely be selected. , Rondo and Paul's defense are both famous, and only Iguodala was selected to the All-Defensive Team for the first time.

After that, there are players who get votes but are not selected for the defense.

Zhang Yu noticed that in addition to Tony Allen and Chandler being selected, Butler and Green also received votes for the best defensive team, and Green even received a first vote. The head coach was extremely impressed.

But the Warriors gained more than that. On the second day, the league announced the best rookie lineup for the 2010-2011 season. Griffin, Wall, Clay, Cousins ​​and Landry Fields were selected for the rookie team. Monroe, Bledsoe, Favors and Wesley Johnson were selected to the rookie second team, and Clay and Green were both named.

But they are not the protagonists. Since Griffin was reimbursed last season, this year is his first season. Before that, he had already won the best rookie award from No. [-] pick Wall, and this time he was selected as a rookie. for a while.

And Paul George was a bit unlucky. He would have been selected to the rookie second team, but Green and Clay entered the league early and squeezed him out.

The best team was announced at the same time as the best rookie team. Compared with the previous two awards, this is the most important event after the MVP, attracting everyone's attention.

The best team is James, Howard, Curry, Rose and Durant; the best second team is Kobe, Wade, Gasol, Nowitzki and Stoudemire; Shao, Ginobili, Aldridge, Horford and Randolph.

There is no dispute that Howard, James and Rose were selected for the first round. James won all 119 first votes, Rose and Howard received 118 first votes, which are all expected by everyone, but Curry and Durant are different.

Durant was eliminated in the first round, and many fans believed that Dirk Nowitzki should be given the one-round spot. After all, he led the Mavericks to sweep the Lakers.

Of course, everyone knows that the best team is the honor of the regular season. This is just a kind of ridicule, just like the ridicule caused by Nowitzki after being hacked.

The gap between Curry and Kobe is very small. Curry won 64 first votes, with a total score of 474 points. Kobe won 58 first votes, with a total score of 462 points, ranking second with a slight difference.

This made many Lakers fans very dissatisfied. They believed that the Lakers had a better record than the Warriors. Kobe's 25.3 points, 4.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals were not bad, and he should be selected for a team more than Curry.

But the Warriors fans are not to be outdone. Curry scored 28.4 points, 8.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in the regular season. Except for fewer rebounds and steals than Kobe, other statistics are higher than Kobe, and he is far ahead in scoring. The rate and three-point shooting rate are also higher, and they are only at a slight disadvantage in terms of defense and record. They deserve to be selected for the first team.

They even think that Curry has fewer votes, and he shouldn't be so close to Kobe.

The two sides quarreled fiercely on the Internet, and no one could convince anyone. The Warriors fans put on the fact that the Lakers were swept by the Mavericks, and focused their fire on Kobe's inefficient scoring and poor leadership ability. The Lakers fans must mention Kobe's five points in every sentence The champion and MVP mocked Curry's junior qualifications.

However, these disturbances did not affect Curry. He learned that he was selected to the best team in the afternoon, and stood on the court against the Grizzlies in the evening, unaware of the debate on the Internet about his selection to the first team.

With match point in sight, Curry focused all his attention on the game.

He remembered his promise to the boss—that he would be more accurate tonight than he had been in previous games.

　This is the second update, and the normal update will resume tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)