Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 133 Regular season MVP competitor?Westbrook is going to counterattack the top position?
After killing the Magic, the Sonics ushered in a wave of road trips.

The first game is against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then there are two back-to-back games to be played. Although the schedule is tight, but fortunately, there is no need to challenge the top teams in succession. Players can take turns to ensure physical recovery.

On November 11, the Sonics arrived in Cleveland and checked into a hotel not far from the arena.

Tony Brown sat on the sofa and said: "The Cavaliers' main center "Big Z" and veteran Big Ben have been injured recently. We will play better in this game. In fact, we can consider taking turns to rest the inside and let them keep their physical fitness in back-to-back games. play."

"I'm planning." Lu Yong said with a smile.

In the opening game against the Celtics, "Big Z" Ilgauskas accidentally sprained his ankle during the confrontation.

The 35-year-old "Big Ben" blocked the shot too hard in the game against the Eagles not long ago, causing a fracture of his left little finger. The Cavaliers are now supported by James and the second master Mo Williams, and the inside rotation has been devastated. blow.

The Cavaliers started with a good record of 8 wins and 4 losses. They only lost 6 points in the opening game against the defending champion.

James' breakthrough threat is very big. This is a well-known fact in the league, but Lu Yong is not afraid. He has 20 years of experience summed up by various teams defending James in his head. Shrinking the penalty area can drag James down even if it is delayed.

This season, James averaged 4.7 shots per game from outside the three-point line, hit 1.6 three-pointers, and his 34.4% shooting rate is not bad, but compared with his average of more than 20 shots per game, the three-pointer output is too low, and the threat is far away. Not as good as a breakthrough.

Lu Yong helped the Grizzlies sweep the championship in 07 because he knew enough about James. The Spurs had already given the correct answer in the finals. The defensive formation shrunk, a big man stood under the basket to maintain height, and outside players blocked him and his teammates. Even if he is hit by James for 30 points, it will be difficult for him to lead the team to win when his teammates perform unsatisfactory.

On the 23rd, the Sonics played away against the Cavaliers. Lu Yong brought several defensive champions on the front line, Delfino, Bunche Wells, Tucker, Landry, and Nicolas Batum.

Szczerbiak and Gasol Jr. have this rotation. Facing the Cavaliers who have suffered heavy injuries from the main insiders, they can lower the height of the lineup without worrying about the penalty area being forcibly chiseled.

James is the well-deserved offensive core of the Cavaliers. He is good at breaking through and breaking through the ball. With a few shooters around him, he is a star with his own system.

Lu Yong knew his playing style very well, and arranged for Bunche-Wells to start a single defense.

After the game started, although Wells couldn't keep up with James' speed, he was at least physically strong and not afraid of physical confrontation, and he was able to push James out of the three-second zone as much as possible.

Once James breaks through the pick-and-roll to the inside, the Supersonics' defensive formation will immediately shrink, jamming James' breakthrough route, forcing him to shoot from mid-to-long distance or choose to pass the ball.

This sounds easy, but it is very difficult to implement, otherwise James would not have won the league's scoring title last season.

If the player in charge of single defense is too thin, he will definitely be knocked about by James, and he will be pushed all the way to the basket by James before his teammates can help defend.

Fortunately, Bunch Wells is an alternative. As a power forward player wearing a swingman coat, no one in the Supersonics is more suitable for defending James alone than him. Even Delfino and Tucker are not as good as him. The former Too thin, the latter is too slow, only Wells is the real chosen one.

The biggest difference between Lu Yong and other teams defending James is that he resolutely does not perform double-teaming, drives James out of the basket through the contraction of the formation, and then strictly guards against others, blocking James' breakthrough points, so that he cannot play the rhythm he likes , Can only rely on hard shots to score.

Bunche-Wells and Landry defended James tightly in the first half. Although they were called for 7 fouls by the referee, the defense against James was very successful. He only made 12 of 4 shots, and his shooting percentage was 33.3%. .

When James' positional battle can't attract double-teams, the Cavaliers' role players can get fewer shots, and the offensive efficiency plummets.

The second master Mo Williams was also defended by Delfino. He made 5 of 1 shots from outside the three-point line and played 18 minutes in the half. He only scored 7 points and 3 assists, which was a poor performance.

In the second half, the Sonics still sent Bunche Wells, Landry, and Tucker to take turns marking James. Delfino was responsible for pestering Mo, and the offensive end always dominated the Cavaliers.

James, who was targeted mainly, showed obvious fatigue on his face, and the Sonics seized the opportunity to counterattack with a large number of mistakes in the final quarter, directly sealing the victory with a wave of 14 to 3 climax.

詹姆斯打了41分钟，23投7中，三分球6中1，罚球9中7，得到22分7篮板3助攻1盖帽，命中率只有30%出头。

二当家莫-威廉姆斯的表现同样很烂，打了39分钟，18投7中，三分球5中1，罚球2中2，得到17分2篮板5助攻1抢断，命中率不足40%。

The Supersonic 7 scored in double figures, and Durant performed the best. On the defensive end, he didn't need to match up with James, which saved him a lot of energy and devoted all of it to the offense.

阿杜这场打了37分钟，19投10中，三分球5中2，罚球4中4，砍下26分6篮板4助攻2抢断，两侧中距离稳得一批。

After the game, James walked back to the locker room with a depressed face, envious of Durant's smooth career.

Both of them are favorable contenders for the MVP of the regular season this season. From the statistics, James has a slight advantage, but the Sonics team record is too good, so it is definitely useless for him to win the first MVP of his career.

The Sonics led the league with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss in the start. For the players, this is the strongest backing behind them.

The Supersonics have players who stand up to kill the game every game, and the little players can always burst out with great energy, proving their value on both offense and defense.

At the press conference, Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown gave Lu Yong a very high evaluation. "Lu is the most thoughtful young coach I have ever seen. He believes in his players, understands the characteristics of the players, and can always arrange incredible tactics. I look forward to the next match between the two teams. The Cavaliers have suffered serious injuries recently. , affecting the team's normal rotation, and when the Cavaliers lineup is complete, we will prove our strength again."

A day later, the Sonics beat their opponents 139 to 108 against the underdog New York Knicks in the East, blasting a season-high score.

Substitute guard Gary Neal went crazy this time, played 28 minutes, made 14 of 10 shots, 9 of 6 three-pointers, scored a career-high 26 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, and his shooting percentage was as high as 71.4%. dumpling.

The Knicks scored the most points was "Little Potato" Nate Robinson. He played 37 minutes and scored 24 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Westbrook, the No. 4 pick in the first round this year, played well, making 8 of 4 shots and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench.

(End of this chapter)