basketball never sleeps

Chapter 240 [Those who cannot be double-teamed]

Ringing——

The alarm clock on the bedside table just jumped twice, and a big hand came out from the depths of darkness and suppressed it directly.

Ahu!

After a low whistle, a white light appeared on the ceiling, piercing through the darkness and dispelling the afterimages left by the nightmare at night.

After four or five consecutive crunches to wake up my heart and lungs, the seal of the bedding was slowly released.

Empty - Clean - Chew - Tidy - Kiss -

Outside the house, the Arctic cold current blowing southward blew off the few remaining dead leaves on the branches, and the bumpy ground was also blown into a series of flat, thin, and brittle mirror-like surfaces.

Another chimney hidden in the old city went out, and the originally gray sky regained a touch of blue.

The loud blues playing on the radio seemed to match everything in front of me.

So, it was replaced.

Cheerful pop music sounded, and the brand new Ford F150 quickly left everything behind, stopping in front of the training hall in a cloud of dust.

He didn't arrive early, but the SUV that used to park next to his parking space regardless of weather conditions was still absent today.

It was not until he entered the locker room of the training hall, stood in front of the wardrobe he had just taken over, and picked up the jersey with the letter C printed on it, symbolizing his captaincy, that he remembered that the man with the afro had followed the red-haired man's footsteps and went to the great...Windy City.

A figure was walking on the treadmill in the gym, creating a trail of white smoke.

It wasn't a special effect or a mechanical overload, it was simply because the weather was cold and the central heating was broken.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Tyshawn, you are an incompetent captain. I have already run 4 kilometers."

The one emitting white smoke joked.

"Huh? Is this the tone you use to talk to the captain? Fuck, I'll give you $200, go buy 20 burgers for everyone!"

Prince was not polite either. He also smiled and pretended to take out money from his pocket.

"Captain? You are the captain, and I am also the captain. What? Do we want to compete to see who is the real captain?"

Hamilton also patted the C logo on his chest. The Pistons used a double-captain system this year, and both of them are captains.

After saying that, the two of them looked at each other, and then simultaneously turned their gazes to the bald man holding dumbbells next to them.

Since both of them are captains and can't do it, then we can only let...

"Well, those who cannot control power will be destroyed. From what I see, you two have already met your doom."

Billups raised his eyelids and imitated the tone of the Godfather and the third brother, but he looked even more black than the gangster.

After the three of them joked around for a while, the atmosphere in the gym soon returned to their daily training state.

"I had a nightmare last night."

After practicing for a while, Prince spoke first while wiping his sweat.

"Hmm?" Hamilton raised his eyebrows.

"I dreamed that Mo, Dake and Ben were still here, and we won the three-peat together."

"..." Billups couldn't help but twitch his mouth twice. "You call this a nightmare? If I had this dream, I would wake up laughing... Oh, I see. You mean the nightmare of the league, right?"

Prince smiled bitterly and shook his head. "No, but I also dreamed that after we won two championships, Mo and Dak mixed Larry into cement and sank him into Lake Huron. And after we won the third championship, Ben and Rasheed tricked Philip (Saunders) into the forest and shot him to death with a shotgun."

Billups & Hamilton: "..."

"Don't leave after your training, go see a psychiatrist." Hamilton said with some concern.

"It's just a nightmare." Prince pursed his lips and shook his head.

Silence reoccupies the space, and several people fall into deep thought.

Three consecutive championships, which Pistons player has not thought about it? If only...

In this time and space, the Pistons have reached the Eastern Conference Finals for three consecutive years and are definitely the most stable team in the championship race.

Looking at the performance of Mo Wen and Milicic, and then thinking about their contracts which are almost free, if they had not been traded, it would not have been difficult for the Pistons to win the last two championships.

What can I do? Don’t be alarmed by the heavy spring sleep caused by alcohol, and don’t be disturbed by the smell of tea caused by gambling on books; I thought it was normal at that time.

Compared to the three consecutive championships that every Pistons player and Pistons fan has dreamed of, reality may be a nightmare.

"Chauncey, where do you think we'll go this season?" Hamilton swallowed a mouthful of ice water, his mouth twitched as if he had drunk a mouthful of burning wine, and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Some of the Pistons' most highly regarded players are no longer with the team, and they are almost forgetting the feeling of winning the championship three years ago.

"Is this the right question for you as the captain?" Billups slapped Hamilton on the back of his head in annoyance. "We are still No. 1 in the Eastern Conference. Miami is not doing well now. The Nets are not doing well either. That stupid guy in Cleveland is obviously useless. That stupid big guy in Indiana is not our opponent either. If we can't do it, who else can do it in the Eastern Conference?"

Hamilton and Prince's personalities are not actually suitable for being captains, but Dumars bargained a bit too much when discussing the contract renewal in the summer. In order to appease and win over their sense of responsibility, he made the two captains, thinking that this method would enhance their sense of responsibility and belonging.

As for the Pistons winning the championship, what Billups said is still quite popular. In the predictions of major media about who can break out of the Eastern Conference and enter the finals, the Pistons, who were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, are still at the top.

Hamilton and Prince were also encouraged by this and swung the dumbbells in their hands faster.

Turning his head, Billups secretly let out a sigh and silently convinced himself again in his heart.

The fancy offensive tactics used by the Pistons in the regular season last season obviously didn't work under the high pressure of the playoffs, and coach Saunders was helpless. They were able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals only because their defense was not completely lost, their opponents were too weak, and their schedule was well ranked, so they finally met the Heat.

Fortunately, Coach Sanders is not the kind of person who only cares about the benefits and not the defense. Although he still talks about his offensive tactics and related concepts every day, his attitude towards the team's defense is no longer just relying on his old strengths as before.

However, after the rain, the sky cleared up and Daben finally left.

You have to know that Big Ben's position and role in the Pistons' zone defense system is like the "horse" in Japanese cavalry movies. It cannot be said to be "absolute defense", but it is definitely enough to make people grit their teeth.

His replacement, McDyess, has long lost the athleticism he had in his youth and now relies more on his experience and shooting range to play a role on the offensive end.

Sophomore David Lee also showed good talent and strength, but on the offensive end.

Consider also the league's tendency to encourage offense.

Can they really go back to the way they were before?
……

The Supersonics vs. the Pistons, the current battle for the top spot in the East and West does not need any pre-promotion by the league, it is eye-catching enough.

Not to mention the return of Mo Wen and Milicic, who were born in Detroit, which added a lot of story to this matchup.

Of course, before this game, there was a "small" incident that temporarily made the front page of the news.

In the first round of All-Star voting, Mo Wen once again became the top vote-getter.

But this time the victim finally became a player from the Western Conference.

With the data of 30+13, there is nothing stupid to be jealous of.

Averaging 30 points per game in this era is no less difficult than averaging 115 points when averaging 40 points per game in the future. As for averaging 13 assists per game, only Stockton, Magic Johnson and Kevin Porter Sr. can do it in the entire NBA history.

When these two achievements are combined, even someone as proud as Danzi can only say a thumbs-up and add the word "great" with a forced smile in front of the camera.

However, despite all the hype, it is not the first time in history that one person has been both the scoring champion and the assist champion.

Later in the 75 season, Archibald, nicknamed "The Elf", had done it in the 70s - a 2nd round pick (the draft had a maximum of 17 rounds that year), 3 years old, 34 points + 11.4 assists, and the only time in history to hold both the scoring title and the assist title at the same time.

It sounds like this guy will be a legendary figure who is bound to become something great. Unfortunately, he is too fragile. With a height of 185cm and a weight of less than 70kg, he is one weight class lighter than Iverson. Watching him play is like driving a Chery QQ on the highway at 180 kilometers per hour.

After his peak this year, this guy suffered an injury and was downgraded to an ordinary All-Star. Later, a second injury and his age made him a supporting role next to Bird.

Where there is a target, there must be comparison, and the little emperor next door is pulled out again.

Although Stern, the mastermind behind the scenes, feels sorry for Hao Daganer who is hit hard again and again, at least this season's James... has not yet played against Mo Wen.

Always have some expectations.

As the epitome of all-round active players, a ruthless data harvester, a local idol promoted by the league, and the youngest MVP in history, the task of defeating... suppressing... resisting Mo Wen once again fell on him.

Although the regular season head-to-head record was 9-0 (2+3+4) and the playoffs record was 4-0, James had no advantage in terms of personal data. If it weren't for the free throw battle in the previous playoffs that raised the average, James wouldn't even be able to tie with Mo Wen in the field of numbers, which is where he is best.

The team can’t win or lose, the data can’t be compared, the glory can’t be compared, the wins can’t be compared, the face can’t be compared, and the sales of jerseys and shoes can’t be compared...

But in the end, after a long discussion among the experts and celebrities, they all agreed that Mo Wen would be A-Zhan's lifelong enemy.

After all, you have to consider the current room for improvement for A-Jan.

Cavaliers fans: Although, there is still one thing that Mo can never compare to LeBron!

--loyalty!

……

On game day, the Palace of Auburn Hills was once again packed.

The ticket window also hung a sign of no war -

[Tickets sold out for the 142nd time, thank you fans for your support]

From Mo Wen's perspective, his feud with Detroit had long disappeared with the departure of Brown.

But Pistons fans will never forget the painful memory of Mo Wen personally sending them away twice in the playoffs.

Contrary to the logic of most domestic netizens' words and deeds, when Pistons fans privately miss and discuss, Mo Wen is an outstanding child from their family, but when they return to the offline court, they will try their best to shake the Mo family genealogy with the purest and most direct words and emotions.

As the TV camera swept past, there were even more billboards cursing and mocking Mo Wen than those supporting the Pistons players. Unfortunately, they were looking in the wrong direction. If they really wanted to mess with Mo Wen's mentality, building a shrine for him on the spot would be much more effective than cursing and insulting him.

In the previous opening game against the Heat, the Pistons failed to seize the opportunity and lost, so the current game against the Supersonics is their most recent opportunity to take revenge on last year's core members of the Heat.

Revenge, breaking the Sonics' winning streak, and striving for the top spot in the league, just thinking about it makes me happy.

Before the atmosphere-enhancing muskets on the ceiling were lit, the atmosphere in the entire stadium was already as dry and hot as an oven preheated to 230℃.

It is worth mentioning that the location of the Palace of Auburn Hills has changed again this year. Detroit people like to commemorate their championship achievements by changing the address. Although the Pistons lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the WNBA's Detroit Shock once again won the championship under the coaching of Laimbeer, and the location of the arena also changed from Championship Road 4 to Championship Road 5.

I just don’t know if the mid-season championship will count in the future.

Although Detroit fans are united, the Pistons this season are not united.

In the home team's locker room, Sanders was still drawing tactics on the blackboard with the players. The TV next to them was playing a recent game video of the Supersonics, but an impatient guy didn't say hello to Sanders, nor did he have the time to listen to him. He sat down on the sofa, removed the video, and replaced it with the live broadcast of the ongoing football game.

The game on TV entered a break, and Rashid turned around and took Hamilton's phone to play Snake, with no intention of supporting Sanders at all.

Rashid, who has a good relationship with Ben, firmly believes that the reason the team let Ben leave during the offseason was because of Sanders' interference.

Before Big Ben left, he only had some minor complaints about Sanders' arrangements, but after his friend left, he became the one to bear the pressure and do the dirty work on the defensive end. Resentment accumulated, and their relationship completely cooled after they had a fight in a training session some time ago.

Rasheed is different from Ben Wallace. Ben Wallace, who had never earned tens of millions of dollars a year, would at most complain when things didn't go his way. Even in front of the media, he would just keep silent about it. After all, he was still an honest man. But Rasheed was different. From the beginning of his career, he rarely controlled his bad temper when things didn't go his way.

Now we have the championship and the maximum salary contract still has several years left. Even if the team has a good record, I am still unhappy.

The relatively mild Sanders does not have the old-school slave-owner coaching style of Larry Brown, but he also has his bottom line, so when faced with such a situation he can only pretend to ignore it.

Every family has its own problems. Life is like a journey, and everyone is a traveler.

The blasting guns, the roaring whistles, and the DJ's last-minute rap added fuel to the scene.

On the big screen in the stadium, the protagonist of the original opening animation changed from Ben Wallace to Billups. The little bald guy took a sledgehammer and smashed the brick wall with the Supersonics logo by shouting "80!" "80!"

On the court, after the cheers and boos, Mo Wen and Billups collided like sumo wrestlers.

"Have you figured out how to defend me, Changxi?" Mo Wen asked casually.

"Defending you is not just a casual thing." Billups, who was chewing gum, had no pressure in his eyes. Anyway, he would not be the main defender for a while.

"What do you mean, did you get Captain America's genetic potion?" Mo Wen glanced at Prince who was no longer thin next to him. The boy who could defend against peak McGrady as a rookie in the past, now has the strength to be a defensive player, but it is not enough for him alone.

"I don't have any genetic drugs, but I do have Glock 17, P226, M&P, USP, and B13 in my trunk. I just don't know which one you like?" Billups said sinisterly.

"Good man, you have such a vicious heart. Since you want me to die, it won't be too much for me to get 100 points before I die, right?" Mo Wen was not polite either. He glanced with ill intent at the fans around him who were still booing him.

"You still think your teammates are Shaq and Wade. Today, we brothers will let you remember what it means to win a championship by defending." Billups snorted as he bumped into Mo Wen in annoyance.

Before, they could do nothing when Mo Wen got excited whenever the Heat played against the Pistons. With O'Neal and Wade involved, they had to keep an eye out to avoid being stabbed in the ass by O'Neal and Wade even if they wanted to target Mo Wen.

Think about the shame of having Mo Wen order food for you before...God has his own way, no one can escape this!

Although Ray Allen and Milicic of the Supersonics are also threatening, their more outside-oriented style of play does not put as much pressure on the Pistons as an inside monster like O'Neal and a top attacker like Wade.

Plus, the Pistons have now really regained their defense.

So, it's time to settle the accounts, kid!

The game started and Tyson fought for the ball vigorously.

According to the Sonics' pre-game allocation, his playing time today would definitely be less than usual, so he worked extra hard.

Ever since McDyess, a space-type center with mid-range and long-range shooting ability, took over the starting position, the Pistons have officially entered the "big jump shot era" where all five players can make baskets.

The percentage of shots taken at the basket by the Pistons' starting five, including free throws, is just over 25%. The "tough guy" Rashid, who faces Tyson head-on, has made great progress in his percentage of shots at the basket this season compared to [13%] last season, reaching [17%]. But looking back, his number of shots at the basket has remained basically unchanged.

This is still the result after averaging the big data. In actual matchups, when encountering a slightly tougher center, Rashid basically does not go to the basket. He averages 11 shots per game but only 2 free throws, which is less than his three-point shots. On the offensive end, Rashid can no longer be called a space inside player, because he only has space but no inside player.

A tank-type center like Tyson, who cannot retreat, can only be used as a breakthrough point by these mid-range shooters after encountering a pick-and-roll. It would be better to replace him with Millsap, who performed well in the bench lineup, and let Milicic play as the center.

After getting the ball, Mo Wen took two steps to shake off Billups' delay and wanted to quickly run to the basket with the ball to steal a goal, but the mature Prince was quick-witted and quickly grabbed Mo Wen's arm and pulled Mo Wen's jersey to forcibly stop Mo Wen.

And then, Billups from behind also double-teamed him.

The referee didn't blow the whistle, but Mo Wen understood immediately. He pushed Prince half a step away, pretending to make a quick stop and shoot, but actually swung the ball behind his waist with his left hand and passed the ball to Guy who was running parallel to the right.

Inside the three-point line, Guy turned his wrist, took three steps and put the ball into the basket.

Before the game, Gay received a notice that there might be more opportunities to shoot today, so he was mentally prepared.

Mo Wen will definitely be defended by Prince, while Ray Allen will probably have a marathon match on the court with Hamilton. The two inside players of the Pistons are inside players after all, so the only one who can match up against him is Billups.

He has the advantage in height, weight and jumping ability. Even though his skills are considered mediocre in the team, Gay is still confident to score points over Billups. 2:0;

The Pistons' fast serve failed to work, and when they got to the position, Billups wanted to change direction and attack Mo Wen. After being stopped in two steps, he did not resist, but turned sideways to pass the ball to Hamilton, who slipped along the baseline and went around Rashid's screen to outside the three-point line before passing the ball.

Ray Allen was tricked by Hamilton's fake shot and started to dive for defense. When Mo Wen wanted to make a close call, Hamilton had already made a dunk.

Splash, 2:3.

Because of Mo Wen's success, all guards in the league who can shoot have started to develop three-pointers, and the "Mid-range Shooting King" is no exception.

It is not difficult for people with shooting talent to practice three-pointers. Historically, Hamilton has had a tendency to practice three-pointers. His three-point production and hit rate were steadily increasing. Unfortunately, the team lost in the playoffs year after year. The salaries of several core players increased with the years, causing the team's total salary to hit the luxury tax line. The boss saw no hope of winning the championship and ordered a rebuild.

After squeezing out one Hall of Fame player and making way for two Hall of Fame players to take over, Hamilton's offensive environment deteriorated drastically. His mid-range shots that were taken every day were inaccurate, and the subsequent development of the three-point shot was also shelved.

Milicic made a long pass from the baseline, and as soon as Mo Wen received the ball, Prince came up directly.

In his pre-match arrangements, Sanders directly stated that he hoped Prince would reduce his shots today and try to concentrate on keeping a close eye on Mo Wen.

Hamilton and Rashid played two-on-three on the side, and Billups, who was free, double-teamed Mo Wen again.

Although Sanders' achievements and skills in defense are not that profound, he has been a coach for 10 years and he and Harden have been able to drag the Timberwolves into the playoffs for consecutive years. His level is definitely not bad.

The Sonics' record is dazzling, but just look at Mo Wen's 30+13 to know how much this team relies on him.

The teams in front had average defensive rotation capabilities so they didn't dare to double-team Mo Wen, but the Pistons had the conditions, so they dared!
If Ben hadn't left, this tactic would have been easier to execute, but the Pistons' rotation system is not completely useless without Ben.

Sanders certainly knows the value of Big Ben, but for a player who can't be saved on the offensive end no matter what, he doesn't think Big Ben has such a high value.

Mo Wen noticed Billups coming over from the corner of his eye, pushing Prince forward two steps, but when he saw that he hadn't completely pushed him away, he decisively stopped and protected the ball. He glanced at the situation on the court before the two men surrounded him.

He did not pass the ball to his teammate on the other side who was playing three against two. Only Ray Allen had the ability to attack with the ball. Tyson's position was not good enough to catch the ball after receiving it. Gay's control and dribbling were not very good either, so he could not take much advantage of the number difference.

After waiting for Milicic to shout and pass through his side, Mo Wen turned over, jumped up and passed the ball to the rushing Milicic.

The former hero of the Palace of Auburn Hills has now become a dragon representing destruction.

The experienced McDyess's early positioning did not cause much trouble to the agile white big man. Milicic just held the ball and leaned against him, turned around and took one step to hook the ball and scored the goal very gently from two meters away.

In the stands, Dumas showed a calmness like Mr. Shu, not knowing whether he was numb or had seen through the world.

What else can be done?

Is it really possible that you will quit your job just because of regret and guilt?

4: 3!

Sanders remained calm on the sidelines and even nodded slightly. Although the ball was not defended, this is how it should be defended!
On the other hand, during the Pistons' offensive round, the referee clearly gave a lenient whistle. Mo Wen naturally would not be polite. His sharp long arms were like the axe that Nicholson used to chop through the door in "The Shining". It didn't hurt anyone but it scared people to death.

Billups, who was forced to dribble the ball between his thighs, swallowed and said, "No, you think this is a test for the ninja's Genin before they form a team. If you don't want to grab the ball, why don't you grab the bell?"
After a pick-and-roll with Rashid, Billups, knowing that Mo Wen's body bounce was much better than before, hesitated for a moment and did not take advantage of the little space to shoot, but passed the ball to Prince at the baseline.

Prince was not in a hurry to challenge, and waited for the wandering Hamilton to come over and pass the ball to him. He set a fake screen and waited for Gay to switch defense and rush up. Ray Allen had no time to pay attention to him and took the opportunity to move down, turned his head to receive the ball, and easily made a layup with his backhand.

4: 5.

It must be said that the Pistons' current offensive coordination is indeed something, with all kinds of small pick-and-rolls and smooth passing.

If Larry Brown was the coach, Prince would at most wait for his teammates to move away and then go straight for the one-on-one challenge.

Although Sanders' greatest achievement as a coach is to train hard-working players, professionally Sanders is better at coaching the outside line.

Mo Wen held the ball again. Seeing that the Pistons started to double-team him again, the Supersonics players did not just stand there. Mo Wen stood at 45 degrees to protect the ball, while Milicic and Ray Allen each occupied the baseline and the top of the arc to provide support.

Tyson under the basket endured Rashid's bad breath and succeeded in getting into position with his back to the basket.

Guy, standing in the corner opposite Mo Wen, was almost completely left alone.

The Pistons players maintained a double-team defense, but since both corners were occupied and they had to double-team in front, they were unable to cope with the situation.

In fact, it has long been no longer a difficult task for Mo Wen to shoot under double-teaming.

However, he did not have the obsession to defeat the opponent. Since the Pistons wanted to force him to pass the ball, he just passed it.

It's all data, he's not picky.

In fact, as long as you are sure of your teammates' spatial positions and pass the ball as accurately as shooting, it is not difficult to pass the ball when being double-teamed.

He started with a dance move with his lower limbs, and his upper elbows swung to create a space. Mo Wen glanced at the positions of his teammates and made a plan in his mind.

Skyhook lob.

Watching the basketball in the sky deflecting towards grandma's house, Prince and Billups raised their arms and smiled with relief.

On the other side, Guy, who was standing on the edge of the baseline and raised his hand to receive the ball, also grinned.

It doesn’t seem that difficult to introduce the NBA!

What is the strongest defensive team of the current era? This is it?

Rashid, who was fighting fiercely for position with Tyson, saw with his peripheral vision that Gay received the ball, then he gave up the defense with a curled mouth, twisted his waist, turned around and pretended to block the ball.

It's not that he is giving up. In this situation, if he rushed over, Gay would just pass the ball to Tyson with a low hand, which would actually allow him to score more stably and easily. It would be better to bet on Gay's three-point shooting.

Boy, I bet there's no bullet in your gun!
Poof——

7:5
Gay, who scored 5 points in a row at the start, raised his arms excitedly.

But everyone's attention was not on Guy, but on the calm man who applauded Guy.

Wait, this can be transmitted?

In terms of distance, the ball was actually nothing big, but Mo Wen, despite the interference of two people, hooked the ball accurately without even looking at Guy.

To be honest, this is too unreasonable!

Think about it from another angle. Is there a possibility that you could have just made a hook shot?

Sanders' eyes widened. He had heard before that the East had developed a positioning system similar to GPS. How could it be put into commercial use so soon?

Sanders was not surprised that the Supersonics were able to score in the last round. Billups' defensive choice was a bit aggressive, and he didn't steal the ball in the first time. Later, Mo Wen passed the ball to Ray Allen, who passed it to Gay in return, and the Pistons still couldn't defend it.

But going through the main process and going straight through the back door are completely different feelings.

If they can pass this, then is there really any point in their double-teaming?
"The Pistons tried to use double-teaming and rotation to deal with Mo and the Supersonics. This is indeed a method that many of us have discussed as a possible way to limit Mo, but after this ball, I think this experiment can be terminated."

Kenny Smith shook his head with emotion in the studio. Only those who have been point guards know how difficult this kind of pass is. Normally, facing a defensive-level Gibbons head-on defense and a FMVP veteran point guard's double-team steal, it would be considered a success if you can pass the ball normally. Mo Wen could even pass the ball accurately to the teammate who was at the farthest distance.

The script doesn't even allow for this kind of performance!
"Kenny, do you remember what name Shaq got when the Lakers won consecutive championships?" Lord Ba put his two pig's trotters on the table and started to recall.

"Consecutive championships? Didn't Shaq change his nickname every day during that period?" Kenny Smith asked curiously.

"No, there is a nickname given to him by his opponents." Lord Bark shook his head and did not continue to keep him in suspense. "They all call Shaq the [Undefended] - of course, if I were 5 cm taller and 5 years younger, I would definitely treat this as bullshit!"

"Mo hasn't shown that he can be as dominant as Michael Dunk and Shaq on offense, but based on the pass he just made, I think he deserves a cooler nickname."

"What?" Kenny Smith took over at the right time.

"【Do not be double-teamed】!"

……

On the sidelines, Sanders shook his head to clear his mind.

There is nothing wrong with double-teaming in theory. Although this ball was amazing, he believed that unless Mo Wen was a robot, it would be impossible for Mo Wen to make such a stunning pass in every round.

Moreover, even if the Pistons return to their normal zone defense, they still can't avoid double-teaming Mo Wen.

There is no problem with Prince's defense, but the problem is that Prince can't always defend Mo Wen. His advantage of being big-handed and big-footed will turn into a disadvantage when encountering pick-and-roll.

In the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Mo Wen kept setting pick-and-rolls for Billups and Hamilton. When they couldn't provide a double team defense, the two took turns defending Mo Wen and almost turned Mo Wen into a fool.

The Pistons' double-teaming continued, and the Pistons players who slowly got into the game still controlled the distance quite well. Even without Ben to cover them, they were still able to play the game hard to get.

In the Pistons' turn, McDyess missed the mid-range shot after the pick-and-roll.

On the other hand, Rashid came to his senses after being reminded by Billups. He stopped fighting with the young and powerful Tyson and showed the slickness of an old basketball player. He went around in front of Tyson, blocking Tyson's comfortable route to receive the ball, and at the same time participated in the team's defensive rotation.

Tyson's lack of range did not improve until he retired. At first, the Bulls tried to train Tyson in the direction of Malone. Because of injuries, Tyson also tried to develop his range to reduce the risks of hand-to-hand combat, but the facts proved that -

When God opens a door for you, don't think about climbing through the window!

Tyson really wanted to be like Gay, squatting in the corner and pretending to be deep.

But looking at my hands that have to pray before free throws, for the sake of everyone's heart, I'd better go to bed.

Back to Mo Wen's perspective, as expected, the palatable and easily digestible low-level large spaces were gone.

Tyson, who didn't know what to do in the interior, was called out. Mo Wen bypassed his screen, grinned, and was about to "go straight" and single-handedly fight against Billups.

As Billups gritted his teeth and pushed forward, Rashid also moved out to block the space left by Billups.

Seeing that "Meatbag Mo" was about to appear again, the socially phobic basketball flew into the hands of Ray Allen who bypassed Gay from the side as if it had consciousness, then turned into an arc and fiercely poked the Pistons fans' scolding switch.

Hamilton raised his hand to indicate that it was his own problem, and soon recovered two points in the next round with a simple mid-range shot.

Sanders just frowned and didn't call a timeout, but the Pistons players who were hit continuously were focused to the extreme.

After the offense and defense changed positions, Gay received the ball in an open space and wanted to show off, but Hamilton rushed in front of him like Quicksilver possessed him.

The rookie's lack of experience made him subconsciously rush to shoot.

Snapped!
Technical statistics sheet arrived: 1 turnover.

While Guy was distracted, Hamilton saved the ball that went out of bounds and immediately became Hamilton (F1) possessed, running across half the field at full speed.

Mo Wen, who started from the top of the arc, returned to defense in time. Seeing that he was about to be caught up from the side, Hamilton did not force it and passed the ball back to Rashid who was following behind.

Rashid, who had been so healthy that he failed to dunk in 5 games, was forced to go into action. He wanted to make a layup, but the atmosphere was over.

boom--

Roar! ! !
Although he was two meters away, Rashid's dunk still had the momentum to dunk over anyone.

Pulling the basket... Landing... Beating the chest... Roaring...

The referee bit the whistle angrily, thinking about the instructions from above and why he didn't give this process a perfect ending.

9:9, it seems that the two teams are back to the same level, but the Pistons have surpassed the Supersonics in morale.

Sanders exhaled and then sat down, his brows relaxed, like a player who had figured out the BOSS's attack patterns and weaknesses.

The subsequent offensive plays by the Supersonics also seemed to confirm Sanders' mood.

In the next four rounds, the Supersonics only scored twice.

It seems that the efficiency of the Supersonics is still not low, but the rhythm has been slowly controlled by the Pistons. The pressure and momentum on the defensive end may not have much impact on top stars like Mo Wen and Ray Allen, but it still has great power for ordinary players.

Mo Wen also roughly knew where the problem lay.

In the beginning, he had too much ball possession, which caused other teammates to be more accustomed to playing the role of finisher, which in turn made their passing tendency and related judgment unfamiliar. In addition, the Pistons' rotation and defense speed were too fast and the pressure was too strong, which also affected their confidence in shooting. Perhaps just half a second of hesitation and the opportunity was gone.

Mo Wen called a timeout and emphasized to his teammates that they should shoot more decisively, but he did not mention the problem with passing.

Knowing is one thing, but many subconscious habits and instincts cannot be overcome just by knowing.

He has his plans for the ball possession issue. The future is the future and the present is the present.

After the timeout, the Supersonics stopped their blunting trend after being reminded, but the Pistons, whose morale had been boosted, did not stop their conquest.

Sanders' offensive system doesn't work in the playoffs, but it works very well in the regular season - that state of vitality and development is right in front of us!

Amid the cheers of Pistons fans, the Pistons, who had scored over 35 points in just a few previous games, efficiently scored points in the first quarter.

Under their defense, the Supersonics only scored 29 points, and the gap was widened by 6 points.

A winning streak at the start?

Just a shock wave!
What made them even more excited was that Mo Wen, who had to touch the ball in almost every round, only scored 3 points in the first quarter!
There are 10 assists and so on, but that’s not important, after all, assists can’t kill people.

Mo Wen, who averages 30 points per game, can't stand out and score. Can he really expect Ray Allen to score 50 points?
Not to mention that Gentleman Lei was also closely followed by Hamilton in this game and did not get many chances.

In the second quarter, Sanders did not arrange an offensive rotation as usual, but played the game of letting the most capable (si) work (zhu) harder (li), trying to take advantage of the Sonics' rotation to directly widen the score gap.

The Sonics' rotation lineup performed just as well as the starting lineup.

After Tyson was replaced by Millsap, who had developed a better shooting range, the Sonics' space no longer had obvious flaws. In an environment where the space was widened, it became much more difficult to rotate to defend the majority with the minority.

Later, Rashid couldn't stand it anymore. He found a timeout and told Sanders that he was too tired to run and then sat down on the bench.

It's no wonder he gets angry. With such a defense, two players are taken away from Mo Wen, and Ray Allen has to follow one of them all the time. The other inside player, McGrady's legs and feet are not very good. As a result, he has to defend one against two almost half of the time, and he also has to take into account both diving to the outside to defend and returning to the defense frame to grab rebounds... Isn't this bullying the honest people?

Of course, the Pistons were not so crazy as to double-team Mo Wen in every round, but they could not stop Mo Wen from always wanting to order dishes from Billups and Hamilton.

These two guys said that they could also defend alone, but every time they faced Mo Wen, they would put their hands behind their backs and shake people off frantically.

At the end of the first half, the Pistons, who had fought hard, still maintained a 7-point lead over the Supersonics.

But Billups always felt something was wrong.

He thought about it carefully again. Logically speaking, when the Sonics encountered a double-team and their teammates performed mediocrely, Mo Wen would definitely switch to a situation without the ball and take the initiative to take on the task of chasing points. Why is this kid so stupid today?

The Eastern Conference away team has been squeezed dry?

Before returning to the locker room, Billups stopped by the statistics desk to pick up the first half statistics. He wanted to see if there were any role players of the Supersonics who were particularly accurate today so that he could deploy special defenses against them in the second half.

But as he read on line by line, a line of rather discordant data caught his eye.

9 points, 18 assists, 4 rebounds…

Look forward - Mo Wen.

Wait, 18 assists in a half?

Billups' breathing stagnated. Damn, he was tricked again!
(End of this chapter)