From South China Tiger to NBA King

Chapter 230 The Opening of the Finals

Although the promotion process was relatively bumpy, the Warriors still lived up to expectations and fought their way out of the Western Conference.

Compared to the Celtics, who swept three series in two rounds and lost only one game, the Warriors experienced a tough battle in the Western Conference.

After losing the first game in the series, the Rockets won two games in a row. They even led by a large margin in the first three quarters of Game 5, and were not overtaken for the first time until [-] minutes before the end.

But at the home court of the Warriors, their mentality fluctuated, and they made consecutive mistakes at the last moment before being overturned by the Warriors. If the Rockets had not made mistakes in the fourth game, they would have led 3-1.

Although they lost the fourth game, they won the fifth game at Tianwangshan.

But the Rockets can be said to be "Paul succeeds or loses Paul" this season. It must be said that the Rockets were able to lead the Warriors Paul in the first five games, but in the end Paul's injury still gave the Warriors too many opportunities...

Warriors players were interviewed after the game, and Curry, who won the game, commented on the situation.

"We are ready to meet his challenge. If he wants to be the ultimate winner, he must pass our level."

"What he has done is incredible. He has been very successful, but he is still young. I think young people need to experience some setbacks. Although failure is uncomfortable, I hope we let him taste failure in the finals. !!”

Although Curry accepted the interview with a smile, what he said was not very pleasant, and his pride could be felt in every word.

But the reporter who interviewed him didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Instead, he thought it was normal.

Although the showdown between the Celtics and the Warriors was also expected by people, as soon as the season ended, many people predicted that the finals would be a showdown between the two teams, and the results were similar. The two teams ultimately succeeded. The finals of the meeting.

But almost everyone believes that the Celtics will succeed, not now, but in the future. The Celtics' identity is the challenger, and the Warriors are the challenged role.

Before the start of the finals, experts and reporters from major media made predictions about the trend of the series.

According to the predictions of major media, almost everyone is optimistic about the Warriors winning the championship. American mainstream media, including major sports media such as ESPN, TNT, and CBS, are all optimistic about the Warriors.

“勇士最终会拿下这轮系列赛，不管是4比1还是4比2还是4比3，最终的冠军会是勇士，这是毫无疑问！！”

"They have two MVPs. The combination of the two of them is one plus one than two. I admit that Jiang also has the strength of MVP, but Kyrie does not have that kind of strength. Apart from Irving and Jiang Hu, the Warriors third man Thompson and fourth man Green is much better than the Warriors, I don’t think this is a fair match!!”

"I think the Celtics shouldn't be anxious. It doesn't matter if they lose. Don't lose confidence because they lost this year's finals, because every year in the future, the Celtics are improving, and the Warriors are improving every year. It’s going down every year because their core is getting older every year!!”

"Basketball has never been a game about comparing lineups. The Warriors' lineup is stronger than the Celtics, and what? They are also stronger than the Rockets, but if Paul is not injured, will they really make it to the finals 100%??"

"The Warriors are a team with no weaknesses, they cannot be defeated!!"

Everyone thinks that the Warriors will win, and there are almost very few voices that oppose the Warriors and support the Celtics to win the championship, and as soon as they appear, they are quickly drowned out by the crowd.

Such sounds quickly reached the ears of everyone in the Celtics, and some players began to murmur in their hearts.

Smart was a little unsure, and would always say "Damn, Warrior! It's hard to beat even if you think about it!!"

"What if we lose? The fans will be very disappointed..."

Jianghu did not refute Smart's argument, because it was not surprising for such a voice to appear.

After all, who knows who will win or lose before the game is played...

Although he felt that there was no problem in his heart, Jiang Hu still emphasized one thing very seriously when being interviewed by reporters.

"We must win the finals. I know it's difficult, but if we lose in the finals, this summer will be very difficult. After working hard for a season but falling in the last series, I don't dare to do this. think."

He not only told himself, but also told his teammates.Next, everyone must work hard together without any reservations.

Although the Warriors are very strong, Jianghu is not interested in being the runner-up at all.

Now that the finals are here, if you don't give it a try, how can you be worthy of your hard work throughout the season?
The reporter asked: "What do you think is the advantage of the Celtics facing the Warriors?"

"I think it's youth and the desire for a championship. Some people will definitely say that the Warriors players have more experience than us. I think hard work is more important than experience. The Warriors have won two championships, and Durant has also won the championship after joining the Warriors. We have won the championship, and we have been longing for the 2th championship. Whether it is the players, fans, or management, the Celtics have more expectations and more enthusiasm for the championship."

The influence of public opinion is very detrimental to the Celtics, but it is also beneficial.

That is, once the Celtics win the championship this year, it will be a very valuable championship, and it can even be called the first in history, because the Warriors are so strong. If they are a little more serious in the regular season, they can definitely win 65 games.

Seriously, they have already achieved a playoff record of 16 wins and one loss. A team with 67 wins faced a team with 16 wins and one loss in the playoffs. Such a contest is unique in NBA history.

Both teams were actively preparing for the finals. The Celtics players only had one day off and then devoted themselves to training non-stop.

Before practice began, Stevens called everyone together for a meeting.In addition to giving some examples to boost morale, he also said that the defensive rotation must be adjusted, which is related to whether the Celtics can win the championship.

Stevens said seriously: "Jaylen, I need you to sacrifice yourself in the finals to help the team. This is the best strategy that Danny and I came up with after discussing it. If you are willing to sacrifice, our chances of winning the championship will increase." It will improve significantly.”

Jaylen Brown said yes before even hearing what it was.

"I have no problem, what's the strategy?"

Stevens said: "We want to arrange for Smart to defend Stephen, let him and Marcus (Morris) start the game and focus on the defensive end. You need to go to the bench to help the team."

"If Smart guards Stephen on the defensive end, Kyrie can use more energy to score. And it is impossible for the Warriors to guard him. He can take turns playing Stephen and Klay, and he can consume the energy of the opponent's star."

Brown pondered for a moment and felt that this strategy was reasonable.It's just that he does have to sacrifice his playing time. "Okay, I have no problem, as long as I can win the championship, I have no problem with it!!" Brown said and glanced at the world around him. "Dude, the offense depends on you and Kyrie."

Jiang Hu smiled and stretched out his hand to pat him. "With Rozier and you, we will definitely ensure the offensive firepower. You will reduce the offense with the ball on the bench, but you can still catch the ball and shoot."

"You're right." Brown agreed without much thought.

He sees it very clearly. The team must first have a championship, and then things like status.If he can't guard Curry, then the Celtics won't be able to beat the Warriors, and everyone will be a loser. It would be much worse than if he sacrificed his personal playing time.

"Selflessness" is the most important quality of a player, and it is also the reason why Brown is loved by Celtics fans. He is really selfless and works hard without complaining.

Brown knows very well that his scoring ability is not as good as Jianghu, and the team expects him to kill the opponent's substitute lineup on the bench, so he works hard to prove himself on the bench.

In addition, Stevens also arranged for Morris to defend Durant, Irving to defend Thompson, and Jiang Hu to defend Green.

Jiang Hu estimates that Cole will not let Thompson defend him, and Curry is not suitable. If this job is done by Durant, he will definitely be the most tiring person on both teams. On the offensive end, he will have to deal with Xiao Mo, who is fully defensive. Reese, the defensive end has to face Jianghu who is full of offense.

Jiang Hu is very excited now. He puts victory first. He was originally prepared to risk his life with Durant on the defensive end. But if he mainly defends Durant, it will be much harder to get good data. The coaching staff is now arranged like this Defensive tactics make it possible for him to perform more excitingly.

Stevens asked: "Jiang, do you have any ideas?"

"No, if Thompson guards me, I guarantee to average more than 35 points per game. If Cole sends Durant to guard me, I will keep running and have a marathon with him to keep him on the court. Spit it out."

Stevens smiled and said: "Yes, you have to keep running with him, wearing him down, and not leaving him enough energy to take action calmly at critical moments."

Stevens admires Jiang Hu's basketball IQ very much. He has always played smartly.As long as the coach makes the arrangements, he can understand the tactical intentions, and there is no need to waste words to convince him to accept them.

Some players are not good at it and like to compete.

There are also some players who think they are right, and the coach is Shetter...

If Jiang Hu feels that he is more suitable to defend Durant than Smart, or is more suitable to defend Curry than Smart, and insists on competing against Durant or Curry, that is not impossible, but it will not be the same as in the regular season. The way of playing is the same.

The Celtics used similar tactics against the Warriors twice in the regular season. The opponents must have been prepared. Now that the Celtics have changed their defensive tactics, they may be able to catch the Warriors off guard.

Jianghu doesn't mind the nonsense from the media at all. Some people may say that he doesn't dare to defend Durant and Curry, but so what? ?
Each team will make some adjustments based on the game situation, which is normal.

Kobe has been selected to the All-Defensive Team consecutively, but in 08 and 10, he did not guard Pierce, the Celtics' most scorer, but Rondo. The same goes for Jordan. Many times, it was Pippen who defended the opponent's offensive core. .

Smart is the best defensive player in the future, and Curry is also relatively good in stature. It is completely reasonable for him to defend Curry and use his own strengths.

Morris Jr. has good physical fitness, strong confrontation, and sufficient defensive experience. It is just right for him to defend Durant, right?

At the same time, the Warriors coaching staff is also thinking about tactics.

Cole really wanted to arrange for Thompson to defend Jianghu, but he couldn't.He knew that Jiang Hu was too fast and Thompson couldn't guard him. The only person on the team who was suitable for guarding Jiang Hu was Durant, and Green was slower in defending and covering.

Therefore, the Warriors can only make Durant work harder. Who makes him the person on the bus and not the driver?
The Celtics determined their style of play, and then continued to conduct shooting exercises and various cover and movement exercises. The players became familiar with the tactics over and over again.

Only after joining the NBA did Jiang Hu realize how boring the training of professional players is, especially in the playoffs. The work content of all players every day is to do the same thing over and over again and practice the same tactics.

Even though Jiang Hu is already the team's leading scorer, he is not free to move. The running route in most rounds is set. He cannot run around. If he runs around, his teammates may not find him and pass the ball. It's easy to make mistakes.

Opportunities only come to those who are prepared. Only by practicing in this way can players achieve tacit cooperation and win the game more easily.Stevens is undoubtedly an excellent coach when it comes to coaching offense.

The Celtics' daily training intensity is not very high. Stevens believes that this series will definitely not end as quickly as those games in the Eastern Conference. It will take at least 6 games, and 7 games is also a high probability event. Whether it is Kyle Regardless of whether you are a special player or a warrior, winning a championship is not an easy task.

In a long series, the key to victory lies in the physical strength of the players. The week-long rest period is not only used to hone tactics, but also for players to recover their physical fitness.

Devil training carried out during this period will not only have no big effect, but may even achieve the opposite effect.

Pat Riley is an expert in devil training. While coaching the Lakers, he led Magic Johnson and other players to win four championship trophies, creating the show time era and making the Lakers the most performative and popular team in the league at that time. one.

But even so, in the league at that time, Riley was not only not praised, but also suffered a lot of infamy. The fundamental reason was that the devil training that Riley praised was simply too cruel.

In the 1989 Finals, many people were very optimistic that the Lakers, who had completed two consecutive championships, would establish a triple crown dynasty. The Lakers themselves also posted an 11-0 record in the Western Conference playoffs and entered the Finals with a sweep. , it can be said to be in excellent condition.

But Riley led the team to Santa Barbara for a week of closed training before the start of the finals. As we all know, NBA games are high-intensity and high-confrontation, especially in the era of defense in the 80s and 90s. After a regular season of the players themselves, their physical reserves have reached a critical point. At the same time, there are considerable injury risks. Coupled with the higher intensity and confrontation of the playoffs, the players are like the same players. A tight string, and Riley's closed training caused the string to be completely broken, and two generals, Magic Johnson and Byron Scott, were injured, which ultimately allowed the Pistons to easily 4-0 Defeated the Lakers and won the championship.

In the NBA's long regular season, if a team wants to achieve a good record, everyone is competing on lineup depth and rotation tactics. Therefore, if they want to achieve good results in the regular season, the management's task is the heaviest. They must give stars Only by equipping them with appropriate supporting players can they reduce the burden on the stars during the long regular season.

Why should we lighten the burden on the stars? Of course, it is to allow the stars to shine in the playoffs! !

After entering the playoffs, the two sides will compete on the ability of the stars. Most of the role players can only do some simple things, and the stars will do the difficult things.

Time passed quickly. Both teams were concentrating on preparing for the game and had no time to think about anything else.

Game day arrived quickly, and on June 6, the entire Golden State Warriors team came to Boston.

June 6, 5pm ET.

The first game of the 2017-18 NBA season officially begins at the North Shore Garden Arena in Boston.

(End of this chapter)