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

Chapter 261 The regular season is over!First in the league!Scoring leader + assist leader?Sweep the first round and advance?

In the final sprint of the regular season, the Knicks lost several more games.

Among them, the game lost to the Pacers was the most exciting. Paul George hit a super long three-pointer to help the team get through the danger.

Against a team with both offense and defense like the Pacers, the Knicks need to shoot from the outside to win. Once the shooter feels cold, the game will be dangerous.

On April 4, the Knicks defeated the Nets 21-116 away from home, ending the regular season.

The final record was 67 wins and 15 losses, ranking first in the league.

The media praised him one after another, almost praising coach Lu Yong to the sky.

As soon as he joined the team, the Knicks achieved a historic breakthrough, with 67 wins in the regular season and first place in the league. This was something New York fans had never dared to imagine before.

It only took the Knicks one summer to go from one round of the playoffs to the top favorite. Everyone can see that Lu Yong is the soul of this team, and his existence is the key to the Knicks' transformation. .

The Heat have a record of 64 wins and 18 losses, ranking second in the league.

Because of the pressure from the Knicks, the Heat did not receive much praise even if they played well this year. The Big Three tried their best to catch up, but unfortunately, they still failed to overtake at the last moment.

The Bulls are the luckiest team this season. Thanks to the last-minute losses of the Pacers and Hawks, they ranked third in the Eastern Conference with only 52 wins, which is much higher than the final ranking predicted by ESPN.

Ranking 4th and 5th in the East are the Pacers and Hawks respectively.

Two teams that Lu Yong thinks are quite threatening are about to fight in the first round. This is a good thing for the Knicks. No matter who wins the Knicks, it will be easier.

Ranked sixth is the Celtics, who are lucky. The Bulls, who lack Rose in the first round, are very likely to defeat them.

The Celtics have a record of 44 wins and cannot even crack the top eight in the Western Conference. Their ability to make the playoffs depends entirely on luck.

No. 7 is the Bucks, with 40 wins and 42 losses in the regular season, with a winning rate of less than 50%. They will not be able to defeat the Heat in the playoffs.

The Pistons relied on their strength in the second half to catch up with the last train with a record of 39 wins and 43 losses, which made the 76ers angry.

The 76ers ranked ninth with 38 wins. The division of strength in the Eastern Conference this year is still very obvious. If the Knicks were not in full swing, the media would most likely still favor the Western Conference team to win the championship.

There are no strong teams after the 76ers, such as the Nets, Raptors, Wizards, Cavaliers, Bobcats, and Magic.

In order to gain advantage, Boss Joe hired Dunlap, who had no coaching experience, as the head coach this season. The Bobcats only achieved 21 wins in the regular season, with a winning rate of 25.6%.

Facts have proved that the expensive ones may not be easy to use, but the cheap ones are indeed not good.

It is said that Boss Qiao does not plan to recruit a famous coach in the summer. Dunlap will most likely re-promote an assistant coach after class, with the main focus being economical and affordable.

On the Western side, the SuperSonics overtook the Spurs in the second half and topped the Western Conference.

With a record of 60 wins and 22 losses, it became the only team in the Western Conference to enter the 60+ club.

The term "Luxury coach" seems to have a kind of magic. Although Brooks' coaching level has not yet been recognized by the public, his performance in leading the team this season is impeccable. At the end of the season, he counterattacked the Spurs and climbed to first place. Enough for him to brag for a year.

The Spurs ranked second with 59 wins. The performance of the troika was as stable as an old dog. It was the serious decline in physical fitness of these old guys in the second half of the season, coupled with Popovich's extensive resting of the main players, that led to them losing the first place in the Western Conference. Location.

The Nuggets rank third with 57 wins. Old coach George Karl does have two skills. This year he led the team to the best record in the post-Anthony era.

Unfortunately, there are no stars on the team, so even if the Nuggets rank third in the regular season, they are still not favored by the outside world, and there is a high chance of being eliminated in the first round.

The Clippers have won 56 games and are ranked fourth in the Western Conference. Even if they advance to the first round, they will have to face the SuperSonics in the second round. The schedule is not friendly.

5-8 in the West are the Grizzlies, Warriors, Lakers, and Rockets.

The Lakers won three consecutive games at the last moment before struggling to secure the playoffs. The conflict between Kobe and Howard became irreconcilable, and they only managed to win 45 games.

Naturally, this result is difficult to satisfy the Lakers management. This summer, the Lakers will definitely undergo a major change within the team, and everyone except Kobe may become a bargaining chip.

Of course, the most depressing thing is Nowitzki.

After the Mavericks' crazy reinforcements this year, they didn't even make the playoffs. With a record of 42 wins and 40 losses, they only ranked ninth in the Western Conference. This is really ugly.

10-15 are the Jazz, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Kings, Hornets, and Suns.

The regular season data kings were also announced. Anthony averaged 32.1 points per game and won the scoring title. He was elected for the second time in his career.

Ranking second in the scoring list is Durant with 28.7 points, which is 3.4 points less than Anthony. The gap is not small.

Howard has retained the rebounding title, averaging 12.4 times per game. Although all statistics have declined seriously this year, he still rebounds well, which is quite like a senior blue-collar player.

Deron Williams became the assists leader, averaging 11.2 times per game, firmly suppressing Paul and Rondo, and was elected for the first time in his career.

The steal leader is Chris Paul of the Clippers, averaging 2.4 per game. Even though Paul is small, he is very quick on defense.

Counting this year, Paul has been elected as the steal leader five times and can be called the number one thief in active service.

The most surprising leader in blocks is not Howard, Hibbert, or Ibaka, but Larry Sanders of the Bucks. He averages 2.9 blocks per game. He will definitely get a generous salary this summer. Contract renewal.

Experts predict the first round and believe that the Knicks will advance easily and sweep the Pistons 4-0.

The Pistons lost three consecutive games to the Knicks in the regular season, and the chance of an upset was zero. In addition, there were no top stars on the team, and even Detroit fans were not optimistic about it. The disparity in strength was too great.

Lu Yong also thinks that the Knicks will have an easier time in the first round. As long as the players don't make stupid mistakes collectively, he really doesn't know how to lose in this wave of flying dragons.

The Pistons' most capable player is Greg Monroe, who averages 16 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Not to mention challenging Anthony, his statistics are not as good as "Little Bully" Stoudemire.

On the 24th, the first battle between the two sides started at Madison Square Garden in New York, and was broadcast live on many TV stations.

When introducing the game, the most discussed topic among the commentators was not winning or losing, but which Knicks star would break out today, which was very interesting.

From the beginning of this series, no one thought that the Pistons could win in an upset, which sounded like fantasy.

At [-] o'clock in the evening, the starting lineups of the two teams were announced on the big screen.

Knicks five: Deron Williams, JR Smith, Anthony, Turkoglu, Stoudemire.

Pistons five: Brandon Knight, Kyle Singler, Prince, Monroe, Mark Hill.

Since the Pistons don't have a top scorer on the outside, Lu Yong did not arrange for Butler to start this game, and boldly started JR Smith directly, focusing on firepower suppression.

Stoudemire won the jump ball to start the game.

Deron dribbled the ball across half court and picked-and-rolled Stoudemire to break through on the right side. He used his strength to push away Knight to create space.

At this time, Stoudemire made an air cut, Deron took it to the basket, jumped up, and passed the air to Stoudemire in the middle.

Stoudemire's explosive power completely defeated the "fat-headed fish" Mark Hill. He caught the ball one step ahead of him, took long strides deep into the basket, and directly dunked with both hands! 2 to 0!Stoudemire caught the ball in this position, and the Pistons were too late to help defend.

Not only is he fast and explosive, but his bullet speed also crushes Mark Hill. With a height of 2 meters, Hill can't block shots behind him, so he can only sigh in despair.

The Pistons attacked, and Monroe screened Knight from outside the three-point line.

Knight took the ball to the right and broke through. He faked a trick and distributed the ball to Monroe in the middle according to the tactics.

The Knicks were guarding man-to-man. Turkoglu knew that he would be at a disadvantage when defending against the basket. After going around the screen, he stepped forward in time and blocked Monroe's breakthrough route with his hands raised.

Monroe wanted to hit high, but Stoudemire standing on the flank on the defensive line made him hesitate. He paused but didn't hit, and passed the ball to the weak side.

Singler got rid of the ball without the ball, made a two-point pull-up jumper, and missed the basket without interference.

This guy's field goal percentage this year is only 42.8%, and his breakthrough and fixed-point jump shots are still somewhat accurate. Emergency stop shots are not his strong point, and his efficiency is average.

In fact, Singler was very strong in college and was considered a celebrity nationwide. In the 09-10 season, Singler averaged 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Not only was he selected to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-NBA First Team, he was also In the final, he helped Duke University narrowly defeat Butler University 61-59 to win the championship.

In the final, Singler scored 19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks, and was elected as the tournament MOP.

After graduating from college, Singler scored 2392 points, ranking fourth on the scoring list in Duke University history.

However, the embarrassing thing is that the difficulties he faced when entering the NBA were also particularly obvious. First of all, his physical fitness was insufficient, and secondly, his technical and shooting levels were average. He fell into the embarrassment of being neither two, three, nor four.

Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank has not found a way to use him until now. However, due to the management's determination to cultivate him, they can only use him in the playoffs and put him in the shooting guard position.

Facts have proved that Singler is really not interested in playing the second position. He is not qualified just for catching and shooting, and he cannot even seize open opportunities.

Stoudemire easily got the backcourt rebound and handed it to Deron to organize.

In the frontcourt, Anthony took the initiative to ask for the ball and played one-on-one against "Little Prince" Prince. After three threats, he changed direction and broke into the basket. He switched his left hand to his right hand and hit the ball with a throw-in, 4-0.

At his peak, Prince was also one of the five famous Pistons in the league. He was selected to the All-Defensive Team four times in his career.

However, the 33-year-old prince's lateral speed plummeted, and it gradually became difficult to defend Anthony from the front. He no longer had the calmness and ferocity of the past.

When the Pistons attacked, Knight held the ball and played a high pick-and-roll. He was very fast and passed Deron Williams.

Stoudemire dropped defensively and chose to seal the penalty area. Knight did not dare to attack when he saw this, so he could only make a jump shot from mid-range. Due to interference, it missed the basket and the rebound was grabbed by Turkoglu.

Knight's personal data this season is still very good, averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 0.8 steals per game. However, his shooting is extremely unstable. As a breakthrough player, his shooting percentage is only 40.7%.

Before the game, Lu Yong told Stoudemire to just hold on to the penalty area, and the Pistons would just let their outside shots go. Except for Calderon on the bench, everyone else's shots were unreliable, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

When the Knicks attacked, they still passed the ball to Anthony for a single. The three threats broke through from the left, attracting Mark Hill and Prince to double-team, and distributed the ball to the middle.

Stoudemire caught the ball and went straight to the basket. He took off on the spot facing Monroe who was defending from the wing, and dunked the ball with one hand. Bang! 6 to 0.

Barkley shouted: "Beautiful! Stoudemire really dared to dunk today, he is ravaging the Pistons' penalty area!"

Kenny Smith said with a smile: "For a center, Stoudemire's cut speed is too fast. Mark Hill's athletic talent suffers when he plays against him. Even if he doesn't help defend, it will be difficult to block the ball. "

The Pistons attacked, Knight passed a step to Monroe, and Monroe directly singled out Turkoglu with the ball in front of the frame.

As the only offensive strength of the Pistons, he must stand up and lead the team.

Following Anthony's example, the three threats tried repeatedly. Monroe feinted and then pulled up on the spot. He used his height advantage to avoid the block and the ball hit the net hollowly. Whoa! 6 to 2.

When Monroe returned to defense, he loudly encouraged his teammates and tried his best to shoulder the heavy responsibility that a "star player" should shoulder.

In the next round, Stoudemire and Deron played a pick-and-roll in the middle, turned around and cut to the basket, using their speed to get rid of Mark Hill.

Deron was not polite when he saw this. He passed the ball to the middle with one step and helped Stoudemire soar into the sky. He rushed into the basket with three steps and scored a two-handed dunk! 8 to 2.

The Pistons attacked. Monroe picked and rolled for his teammates in the middle and then received the ball. Turkoglu was closely entangled and chose to pass the ball.

"Little Prince" Prince caught the ball and shot a jump shot from Anthony, but missed the basket due to slight interference, and the rebound was grabbed by JR Smith.

After landing, JR Smith immediately pushed for a counterattack, rushed out of the center line and leaned on Singler with his shoulder. He changed his direction and broke through to the left. He stepped in and hit a pull-up jumper!
"Shh!"

10:2.

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines as if he was sure of victory, chewing bubble gum and crossing his legs, knowing that he would definitely win this game.

The Pistons have too few scoring methods in positional battles and can only rely on Knight and Monroe to play pick-and-rolls to launch the offense. On the defensive end, they cannot limit Anthony's singles and Deron + Stoudemire's high-post pick-and-rolls. If the Knicks can lose in this, he might as well just be the original one. Resign from office.

In the next round, the Knicks still did the same thing, cutting inside to the basket after a pick-and-roll. Stoudemire caught the ball and beat Mark Hill, hit a close throw and hit the board, scoring his 8th point.

Frank called a timeout and replaced Mark Hill, replacing him with first-year rookie Drummond, a blue-collar player who is 2 meters tall and weighs 11 kilograms.

This is of no use. Drummond is indeed good at protecting the frame, but his 127 kilogram tonnage is too bulky. Just resisting Stoudemire does not prevent him from scoring on air cuts.

Stoudemire turned around after the pick-and-roll. He didn't withdraw in time, so he could only foul to stop it.

Frank also tried to limit Stoudemire with a sinking defense. As a result, Stoudemire made two mid-range shots and directly stunned the Pistons.

Soon, Drummond was off the court.

Frank looked helpless and could only let Monroe take the center position.

The Knicks still used a high pick-and-roll, Deron passed the ball to Stoudemire, and he used his personal ability to hit Monroe twice. There was really no pressure to bully this recognized defensive black hole.

At the end of the first quarter, 38 to 22, the Knicks led by a full 16 points.

斯塔德迈尔首节不可阻挡，8投7中，罚球4中2，砍下16分5篮板1盖帽。

安东尼同样发挥抢眼，得到9分3篮板，德隆-威廉姆斯4分1篮板6助攻。

活塞门罗得了6分4篮板1助攻，奈特7分2助攻，没人得分上双。

Pistons starting center Mark Hill did not score a point, only had 2 rebounds, 2 fouls and 1 turnover. He was beaten early.

Barkley commented: "It only took Stoudemire one quarter to prove his toughness. Apart from being unable to shoot three-pointers, he has almost no flaws."

Kenny Smith laughed: "The Pistons are really unlucky. They fought hard to reach the playoffs just to match the performance of the Knicks. The whole team struggled but it still didn't work. The strength gap between the two teams is too big."

Barkley nodded gloatingly: "This may be the last year of coach Frank's career with the Pistons. His offensive tactics are always so brainless. His true colors are revealed after leaving the top point guard. He is not on the same level as Lu Shuai. When he coached The Nets' 16-game losing streak was definitely not an accident, it was an indelible stain on his coaching career."

(End of this chapter)