NBA: I am a master dealer

The focus battle between the Nuggets and Lakers was broadcast live on TNT.

Before the game even starts.

Ernie Johnson sighed repeatedly: "I didn't expect the Lakers to rush to the edge of the playoffs so quickly. It's really incredible."

Barkley also sincerely lamented: "When Xue came back, the Lakers were still ranked third from the bottom in the Western Conference. They felt extremely far away from the playoffs. Now, in just one month, they have seen the threshold of the playoffs. This proves that , Xue Liancheng’s personal ability is indeed the best in the league."

O'Neal: "This is just your personal feeling. I think it is fairest to use data, because data cannot lie. Before Xue Liancheng came back, the Lakers' record was a pitiful 13 wins and 26 losses. Xue Liancheng played 11 games after his comeback. , 8 wins and 3 losses, with a winning rate of 72.7%, leading the team to a record of 21 wins and 29 losses. In addition, the Lakers' scoring average has also skyrocketed. Before Xue Liancheng's comeback, the Lakers averaged less than 117 per game, and Xue Liancheng was blocked. After returning, the Lakers' scoring average has reached +. With such terrifying offensive firepower, it is difficult not to win."

Ernie Johnson: "Such a span of improvement is enough to prove how important Xue Liancheng is to the Lakers. Xue Liancheng seems to have a magnetic field and a system of his own. Everyone can quickly revolve around him. As long as the Lakers reach the playoffs." game, then they will be the fear of all teams."

Barkley: "So this game is very important. If they win, they will be able to enter the playoffs. If they lose, it will be a huge blow to the team's morale."

O'Neal: "In fact, the Nuggets are also very surprising this season. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are dark horses, especially Jokic. This big fat guy is very cute, but has solid basic skills, soft shooting touch, and excellent passing vision. There are many things in the future. A chance to become an All-Star level center."

Barkley: "Let me tell you something interesting. Xue Liancheng and Jokic were both second-round picks in 14. I am very confused about what the teams in front are thinking."

O'Neal: "The results of looking only at speed, jumping, explosiveness, and athletic ability. NBA scouts have always followed this standard, so they have become a legacy."

Ernie Johnson: "If the draft is rearranged now, a lot of people will regret it."

O'Neal suddenly became interested: "Well, let's talk about it. If the draft is rearranged, who will be in the top ten in 14?"

Barkley: "There is no suspense about the first place. Xue Liancheng, who is extremely dominant, is the first. The second is undoubtedly Wiggins. He has grown to a quasi-All-Star level, but the Timberwolves' record has suffered."

Ernie Johnson: "The third place is more difficult to choose. Randle has great potential, LaVine is not bad either, and Jabari Parker is also improving rapidly. They all have the foundation to become All-Stars."

O'Neal: "Don't forget Embiid. Although he has been injured for two years, he has played countless minutes this season. His performance is very dominant. If he can stay healthy, he will definitely be the league's top insider."

Barkley: "And Jokic we just talked about. This fat guy has a very high basketball IQ and is also an All-Star."

Ernie Johnson: "In addition, Capela has risen this season, averaging 12+8 per game, and has excellent rim protection. His growth is very important for the Rockets to get to where they are today, and with Marvin Williams. With James leaving, Aaron Gordon got a chance, averaging 12+ per game this season and gradually growing up."

O'Neal: "There are also some young guys who impressed me, such as Gary Harrison, Hood, Clarkson, TJ Warren, Vonleh, etc., all of whom have performed very well and can look forward to the future."

Barkley: "Looking at it this way, the level of rookies in 14 is very high! There are five or six All-Star-level prospects, as well as superstar Xue Liancheng, and there are a lot of high-quality role players. It is a solid draft. New Year.”

O'Neal laughed: "No matter what other teams are like, the Lakers are definitely the big winners."

Currently in the Lakers, Xue Liancheng, Randle, and Clarkson are all rookies in 14. Aren't they the big winners?
Xue Liancheng's personal ability has been verified, and he is currently a solid face of the alliance. Needless to say, his influence and appeal are astonishing.

Randle has exploded this season, averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, with an overall shooting percentage of 52.2%. He has comprehensive skills and unlimited passion. He is currently the Lakers' third player.

And according to Randall's momentum, it is almost foreseeable to become an All-Star in the future.

Especially after Xue Liancheng's comeback, Randall's performance was very stable, often performing well, and he could cooperate with Xue Liancheng at the end.

He can also rely on his containment to constantly share the ball and provide many assists to his teammates.

With Xue Liancheng's return, Clarkson lost the right to fire, and his scoring data dropped a bit.

However, his personal offensive ability is very strong. Not only can he serve as Xue Liancheng's substitute, he can also move to the shooting guard, partnering with George as one of the two engines, constantly attacking the basket, and the effect is not bad.

and so.

Overall, Clarkson is still an important part of the Lakers.

But it can only be one ring.

With Xue Liancheng's return, Clarkson has completely lost the possibility of becoming the core.

Or to be more precise, with Xue Liancheng joining the Lakers, Clarkson has lost the possibility of growing into an All-Star, and the All-Star door has been closed for Clarkson.

of course.

The main reason is that Clarkson is excellent in chaotic fighting, but he is still far behind in technical fighting, and he has not shown the potential to become an All-Star.

Otherwise, the Lakers will still train him.

After all, Xue Liancheng is not unable to play without the ball.

And as the three people's conversation came to an end.

The game also officially started.

During the appearance ceremony, Randall did not come out, and James Johnson came out instead.

O'Neal was surprised: "Randall is absent. This is a big trouble."

Barkley: "Randall's role is very obvious. His absence will definitely have a big impact on the Lakers. In such a critical game, it can be described as huge bad news."

In fact, this is indeed the case.

Although James Johnson, who replaced Randall, has very good personal abilities and his body looks very strong, there is no way to compare with Randall in terms of athletic ability, explosive power, or impact.

As the No. 14 pick in 6, Randall's foundation is definitely not bad, and his physical talent is also relatively outstanding.

Although he is not at the level of an apex predator, he is still much better than ordinary players.

This is also the reason why Randall can adapt to Xue Liancheng.

What Xue Liancheng likes is the kind of player partner who can jump, have excellent athletic ability, amazing explosive power, and top physical fitness and physical talent.

Wade is like this, and so is Oladipo. Their speed, impact, and explosiveness are all the best in the shooting guard position.

And Randall is here, with excellent speed, impact, explosive power, and athletic ability, and he is second to none among the forwards.

Whether it's a pick-and-roll with Xue Liancheng or an attack from the side, the effect is surprisingly good.

Xue Liancheng's high pass is suitable for a player with such an excellent body.

Therefore, after switching to James Johnson, the effect will naturally be greatly reduced.

Fortunately, the Nuggets also encountered injuries, and the pork belly Jokic also missed this game.

The two sides fought back and forth, and the Lakers did not suffer a loss.

The game starts soon.

Both sides played a fast-paced game. The Nuggets' offensive transition was very rapid, and the Lakers, led by Xue Liancheng, were no less generous.

This kind of rhythm is actually difficult to take into account defense.

Because before you can muster the energy to defend, the opponent rushes over and shoots. This round of offense has ended, and you have no way to defend.

Over time, your game rhythm will be distorted, and your defense will become ineffective.

At present, the Nuggets rely on this offensive system to bring down your defense. There is a saying: bring your level to the same level, and then both sides are undefended, and he will use his rich offensive experience to defeat him. you.

The Nuggets have been able to get to where they are this season because of this.

But when it comes to offense, Xue Liancheng has never been afraid of anyone.

The game went on with 2 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

When Xue Liancheng was replaced by Clarkson, the Lakers already had a 26-point lead at 21:5. As far as the situation is concerned, the Lakers still have the upper hand.

Barkley commented: "After Xue came back, the improvement in the Lakers' offense is really visible to the naked eye. Everyone seems to be in good condition."

But the words have not yet fallen.

Clarkson acted recklessly and was intercepted by Gary Harris.

Then in a quick transition, Jamison Nelson rushed directly in one line and made an easy layup.

then.

George was a habitual blacksmith.

The Nuggets immediately seized the transition and rushed to the basket. With the help of a pass, Wilson Chandler added another 2 points.

The score difference was directly reduced to only 1 point.

Xue Liancheng on the sidelines saw his eyelids twitching.

He felt that after he came off the court, the Lakers' offensive and defensive rhythm was completely gone, especially on the offensive end. It was really George and Clarkson taking turns playing singles.

He is really not sure how far the Lakers can go with this style of play.

of course.

It is not unacceptable to play singles during substitute time. After all, there is not much connection time, especially in the playoffs, which may only be more than ten minutes. George and Clarkson can use singles to maintain offensive firepower, which is also a very useful method.

What he worried about was the situation where he and George were present at the same time.

That's right.

When the two of them appear on the field at the same time, George will stand still from time to time. Even if he is running to cover, the quality is really inferior.

To put it bluntly, there was basically no spark between him and George.

It’s been more than a month!
He didn't even call me at all, which is terrible.

They also tried many methods, such as pick-and-roll.

He held the ball and George blocked it. After he passed the ball, George took the ball and started playing singles again.

I'm crazy...

Then...this...what's the point of the pick-and-roll?

Don’t believe in evil…

When George gets the ball, he sets up a pick-and-roll, but the strange thing is that George still uses his own singles style to complete the offense.

There is no such cooperation as passing the ball to each other and communicating with each other.

Uh……

Occasionally, it would be passed here and there, but then it would be passed on, and it would disappear.

George fell into individual singles again, or was directly out of touch.

That feeling is very powerless.

Sometimes Xue Liancheng couldn't help but wonder, was he incompatible with George? Why don't you call me?
Logically speaking, with George's containment power, George's passing vision, George's aggressiveness, and George's physical talent, the effect of working with him is definitely not much different.

But I just couldn’t play well...

This is the most despairing thing.

What's even more disappointing is that Mike Brown doesn't have much opinion on the offensive layout at all, but he does have a defensive system.

This also proves that the content of bread is indeed as rumored by the outside world. James was regarded as the emperor when he was young, and his ability to create tactics is quite poor.

However, in the historical trajectory, Mike Brown obviously felt much better after receiving further training as an assistant coach with the Warriors. This is one of the reasons why the Kings can succeed.

and so.

When no one could count on him, Xue Liancheng could only count on himself, and used all the tactics that were successful during the Heat and Knicks eras.

result.

With little success.

George couldn't fit in at all, and he really became what the Internet celebrity anchor said was a stand-up single, or a breakthrough point.

Apart from these two tricks, George is an independent individual.

But Xue Liancheng didn't give up. In his impression, George later went to the Thunder, and they worked very well with George!

George even played his peak season with the Thunder and was once on the list of MVP contenders.

He thought that the method might be wrong, so he continued to modify it during the drill.

Even now, he has not given up.

In fact, I can’t give up.

You know, they are not facing an ordinary team, but Universe Yong! The pinnacle double virtue combination!

Can he alone, plus George who is standing up and playing alone, without calling each other, defeat the Warriors and Spurs, and then break out of the West?
To be honest, he didn't even want to believe it himself.

He didn't think that the two people without chemistry could lead the team to defeat Yu Yuyong.

70 wins + MVP-level superstars. If a team of this level wants to defeat them, there is only one possibility.

That is, under his leadership, George can also perform at a close to MVP level. Only then can they have a chance to compete with the Warriors.

They have a glimmer of hope to break out of the Western Conference and compete for the championship.

But now, it is simply impossible!
Even the Spurs can't beat it!

The game against the Spurs a few days ago is proof of this.

Even if there is no Spurs game, you can still see some clues by looking at the current substitute time.

Barkley discovered this problem first, "I found that the Lakers lacked cooperation, especially after Xue Liancheng left the game, their offensive system was rigid."

Ernie Johnson: "More than that, even if Xue Liancheng is on the court, the Lakers' offense seems to have a prominent part."

O'Neal spread his hands: "Are you talking about Paul George?"

The two men smiled knowingly and did not continue talking.

O'Neal is not shy: "I don't really agree with George's playing style, but to be honest, his singles ability is quite strong, he shoots inside and outside, and his skills are quite comprehensive. If he can't integrate into Xue Liancheng's offensive rhythm, Here, the Lakers are going to be in trouble.”

(End of this chapter)