warrior godfather

Chapter 745 The Ultimate Answer of the Small Ball Era

The Warriors didn't open the score in the first half because Zhang Yu experimented with tactics and lineups, and didn't even send a fifth player.

People's eyes are all focused on the stars who left the Warriors, but what Zhang Yu pays most attention to is the Warriors' insiders.

In the training camp, Boucher's performance did not meet Zhang Yu's requirements. After being waived (note), he signed a contract with the Santa Cruz Warriors, leaving only Looney and Zhou Qi at the center position of the Warriors.

Both of them have made great progress compared to last season. Zhang Yu gave them a long time in the first half, but the facts proved that under the high-intensity confrontation, the two are not enough to be the center of the Warriors. You can't switch defenses either.

Harden played the point guard for a season. Although he is now back at the second position, his passing has become more and more comfortable, and his pick-and-roll power with Capela has doubled.

He can choose to drop the shot by himself, or pass a lob to Capela. Looney and Zhou Qi seem to be playing a guessing game, but they can't guess the correct answer. After Capela left the field, the Warriors' defense on the inside was stable. a lot.

He also used an incomprehensible step-back three-pointer in the first half, and his continuous crotch dribble was very confusing. Look at how you feel.

When Curry trained Capela and Anderson in the military, Harden also trained Looney and Zhou Qi in the military. This is the fundamental reason why D'Antoni dared to switch defenses.

He has absolute confidence in Harden. No matter how many points Curry scores, Harden can produce the same output, even scoring more than Curry.

The first half of the game also proved this point. The Rockets did not fall behind in their confrontation with the Warriors.

If Paul hadn't just returned from injury and was in a bad state, the Rockets might have taken the lead.

In the first half, Paul's offensive desire was not low, but he only made 6 of 1 shots, scored 2 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, and sent 3 fouls.

In the first quarter, Paul tried several mid-range shots, but failed to score. In the second quarter, he suppressed his desire to attack, passed more passes to his teammates, and worked harder on the defensive end. He did not hesitate to pay fouls and prevent the Warriors from scoring.

This is Paul's first official game after joining the Rockets. The ceremony of the Warriors receiving the championship ring further stimulated his desire to win. He really wanted to win this game and make a good start for his Rockets career.

In the second half of the second quarter, Paul was replaced by D'Antoni for three fouls. After the start of the third quarter, he was finally able to return to the court and continue to contribute to the team.

However, the two teams were still happily playing each other in the first half, but the situation changed suddenly in the second half.

Zhang Yu sent Curry, Brogdon, Wiggins, Covington, and Antetokounmpo, with five against five, and the defense immediately became tough.

The Warriors did not have the weakness of single defense in the interior, five people could face Harden, and Paul was in poor form. After he did not give his teammates a chance to pass the ball, the Rockets' offense stagnated.

Antetokounmpo has played a huge role. He can switch defenses, protect the frame, and sweep up defenses. He is almost omnipotent. He is a bug-like existence that makes the Warriors' defense have no weaknesses.

Brogdon and Covington, who were only third substitutes last season, also played a huge role.

Jaylen Brown got a lot of time in the first half, but he has not yet integrated into the team and cannot cooperate with his teammates. He can only play a role when he is misplaced with the ball to find the inside of the Rockets.

But when he doesn't have the ball in his hand, he often can only stand on the side and watch his teammates operate, lacking the threat of off the ball.

Brogdon can shoot fixed-point three-pointers, and can also pass the ball. The defense is solid, but the breakthrough is not a threat, but with Curry and Antetokounmpo, he does not need to take on the task of holding the ball.

Covington successfully took the position this season, entered the regular rotation, and came off the bench as the third position.

In the past few seasons, he can only stay in the third team, which was the same this year, but after Klay was accidentally injured, he finally ushered in a chance.

In the first half, Covington performed very well, hitting an open three-pointer, the defensive end can go from one to four, and the timing of the defense is also very accurate.

Zhang Yu even let him guard Harden for two rounds, but the effect was not good, so he switched back to Wiggins.

The regular season is all about experimenting a lot, figuring out the best lineup, and preparing for the playoffs.

The death five that Zhang Yu replaced in the second half is also an experiment, and does not represent the ultimate version of the five.

But this set of five small lineups is indeed the strongest lineup the Warriors can come up with at this stage. Antetokounmpo misplaced the big defense and the small, and sent two big caps. Covington also let Paul return twice.

Even if they can't defend Harden, they won't be completely wiped out by Harden like Looney and Zhou Qi, and they can create opportunities for teammates to help defend.

When Paul is not in good form, as long as Harden is guarded, the Rockets have no good way to attack.

Paul has just arrived, and D'Antoni is still figuring out how Paul and Harden can coexist. The two are still at the stage where one is playing and the other is watching, and the offense is not organized.

During the preseason, the Rockets could also counterattack and play fast breaks. Harden and Paul are both master passers, and they can make long passes in one step. Ariza, Mbah a Moute, and Gordon are also masters of chaos.

But the Warriors' defensive defense was too good, especially after Zhang Yu changed to a five-small lineup, and the offensive success rate was high. The Rockets couldn't grab too many rebounds, and couldn't make many mistakes, so they didn't have a chance to fight back.On the other hand, the Warriors give full play to Antetokounmpo's inside advantage and attack the Rockets' five small insiders Tucker + Mbah a Moute.

What Wu Xiao is most afraid of is that the opponent has a low-post killer. The Rockets sacrificed their height for mobility.

Brogdon and Covington immediately punished the Rockets for emptying, and the Warriors also used Antetokounmpo's containment many times to cut into the basket to attack the weaknesses of Tucker and Mbah a Moute.

In addition, the effect of Tucker's single defense against Curry is far from as good as D'Antoni expected.

Tucker is less than 2 meters tall and seems to be able to switch to Curry, but he is heavy and not flexible enough. The effect of switching to Curry is slightly better than Capela, but not much stronger.

How Curry should play Capela, Anderson, how to play Tucker.

He first found Tucker with a pick-and-roll, and after three threats, he directly made a three-pointer. Withdrew a three-pointer and diffracted Tucker.

This is the biggest weakness of the Rockets' five small lineups. They don't have players like Green and Antetokounmpo who are good at both internal and external defense. Playing Capela can protect the basket, but they will also be attacked by misplacement. Without Capela, they can Eliminates misalignment weaknesses, but can't protect the frame.

Of course, in front of the Warriors, the Rockets' five juniors cannot eliminate their dislocation weaknesses.

The Warriors have both Curry and Antetokounmpo, two dislocation killers. If they can defend Curry, they cannot defend Antetokounmpo. If they can defend Antetokounmpo, they cannot defend Curry.

To make matters worse, the Rockets can neither guard Curry nor Antetokounmpo.

Curry can find Tucker in the pick-and-roll, and he can also find Harden in the pick-and-roll. Harden is one of the rare guards who can defend in the low post, but can't defend against breakthroughs.

Harden is too heavy, overflows too slowly, and has bad defensive habits. Curry can easily break through Harden's defense. On the contrary, when Antetokounmpo plays low singles, Harden can top him.

But after all, he is not the fourth position, he can't protect the rebounds, and he can't protect the frame. It is impossible to match Antetokounmpo.

The Warriors are not only singles, counterattack is an important means for them to widen the point difference in the second half.

Relying on Antetokounmpo's frame protection, the Warriors will not fall into an embarrassing situation like the Rockets. Harden's lethality has been minimized, and others cannot surpass Antetokounmpo's defense. The Warriors make mistakes and grab rebounds , Taking advantage of the rocket's slow retreat speed, it launched a stormy counterattack.

Logically speaking, since the Rockets are the fifth junior, they should retreat quickly, but their backcourt combination is one old and one slow. Paul is old and Harden is slow. They can only count on three strikers to retreat.

The Warriors are all on the fast break, Curry is in control of everything, Antetokounmpo is striding forward, Wiggins is rampant, and Covington and Brogdon are merciless in chasing three-pointers regardless of whether they make it or not.

Faced with the Rockets' infinite defense changes, Curry used a bayonet in his left hand to attack the opponent's inside line with a dazzling dribble, and then directly penetrated the opponent's heart. .

Antetokounmpo has a heavy hammer in his left hand and a low position to attack the opponent's penalty area. A giant shield in his right hand builds a wall of sighs to intercept the Rockets' attack.

This is the game in the small ball era, fast, accurate, ruthless, and tough-fast rhythm, accurate shooting, ruthless targeting, and tough confrontation.

This is not a game in the small ball era. Antetokounmpo is not small and his position is not small, but he has the speed to keep up with the five small lineups. Only two people in the league can do it, one in the Pelicans, One in Warriors.

They are the ultimate answer to the inside line in the small ball era, and there is only one ultimate answer to the outside line, and that is the pioneer of the small ball era.

The Warriors, who swept the league with a four-star team last season, are left with only two stars, but these two stars are the ultimate answer to the small ball era, and they have played a 1+1>3 effect.

D'Antoni hoarded a bunch of strikers, transformed Harden into a big core with the ball, traded for Paul, and used unlimited defenses, but there was no Antetokounmpo inside.

Whether it is playing against offense or fighting defense, the Rockets who have not yet run in place are not the Warriors' opponents.

In the end, the Warriors beat the Rockets 123:111 to get off to a good start to the season.

But the Rockets were not knocked down by this defeat. D'Antoni and Zhang Yu's firm eyes when they shook hands, and Paul's gloomy expression when he left the court, all told their unwillingness.

Next time, the Rockets will learn from experience and return to the Chase Center with a stronger posture.

However, the Warriors will not stand still. Just after the game ended, Zhang Yu made a rare decision.

　Note: There was an error in the last chapter, the defender and Hart, it has been corrected.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)