From sparring to superstar

Chapter 250 248. Perfect Kidd!
Seeing Kidd's vicious look, Li Ao muttered: "Why are you so irritable? What's wrong with shooting together on such a big court? Could it be that your wife beat you again?"

When Kidd reacted, someone was already flying out of the three-point line with his 92 speed.

(へ╬)
Kidd looked fiercely at Gerald Wallace, who was holding the ball under the basket.

Gerald Wallace was stunned—it's not that I laughed at you, why are you attacking me?Brother tricked me again!

The preparation time before the game passed quickly, and the two teams came to the field as starters.

The Clippers' starting lineup remains the same.

The Nets sent Kidd, Corey Kittles, Keith Van Horn, Kenyon Martin, and Jason Collins.

Li Ao came to the center line, looked at the center on the opposite side of the center circle, and made sure that the one in front of him was an opponent who couldn't play back.

But it doesn't matter, he doesn't post up in the low post.

He looked at the players on and off the court on both sides and found that many were from the pac10 league, and Kidd was also from the pac10 league.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the Clippers' home game against the Nets started.

Jermaine O'Neal beat Jason Collins to win the jump ball, and the Clippers went first!
Li Ao came to the front court and was stared at by mosquitoes.

Kittles is fast on his feet. Although he is thin, he is extremely aggressive in defense. He is tenacious and hardworking. He is very good at chasing off-ball shooters. Richard - Hamilton, Reggie - Miller and other running masters will plummet when they encounter him.

Li Ao ran around the bottom line and came out, unable to get rid of the pursuit at all.

He walks to the high post, Jordan pulls to the weak side, Odom goes to the baseline, Jermaine O'Neal checks on the edge of the three-second zone, and Bibby lobs him.

Kittles tried to stick to Li Ao, Li Ao turned around suddenly and stuck the opponent to his side, dribbled the ball behind his back and took a step, turned around and adjusted the angle to face the basket, took off, and made a mid-range shot...hit!
Kittles was caught off guard. He felt that with his ability to stick to the defense, he could rely on taking off to resist interference, limiting Spider-Man's back shot from mid-range and long-range, allowing Spider-Man to turn around and rush forward, including Kenyon Martin and Jaylon Collins. .

As a result, the opponent used a trick he didn't expect!
Li Ao retreated amidst cheers, and the effect of the combination of actual combat + training was reflected.

Before, he was training with his head down and dribbling behind his back to turn and shoot. He practiced very hard, but he always failed to get it right. In the game against the Lakers, he was forced to try it when faced with Kobe Bryant's defense. It worked, and it suddenly worked!Got the feeling!

Although the movement of this ball is still a bit hasty and anxious, thanks to the horizontal pull bonus of the 'Vertical Master', the overall movement is quite smooth. In addition, the first ball of the 'Perfect Warm-up' is hot in the hand, and the shooting feeling is excellent.

In the transition between offense and defense, Kidd advanced to the frontcourt, trying to break through and pass Bibby, but he, who only relied on explosive speed and strong body, was blocked by the equally strong Bibby.

Kidd did not continue to play singles. He passed the ball to Kittles who was pulled out, and then ran to the right baseline.

Facing Jordan's defense, Kittles quickly passed Jordan with his first step. At the same time, Kidd advanced from the bottom line to the high post. Bibby saw Kittles on the way to chase Kidd. Get past Jordan and make up for it right away.

Kittles scored Kidd, Kidd did not stop the ball, and immediately made a second pass.

Kenyon Martin on the weak side reversed and cut in, caught the ball and made a layup!
Li Ao's eyes lit up when he saw it. The combination of this transmission is really beautiful, and I want to learn it!

He also noticed something he didn't notice last season -- Kidd's positional moves are no worse than his, no, even better.

Always in a position where he can respond to teammates with the ball, this is better than him.

When the Clippers attacked, Li Ao ran to the frontcourt and found that the person defending him had changed and became Van Horn. He decisively moved away.

Jordan came to the right side of the three-second area to catch the ball and beat Kittles behind him.

Kidd slandered "the pace is too slow" and gestured to his teammates to prepare for defensive moves.

Facing Kittles' close defense, it was difficult for Jordan to get rid of the opponent with a long shot. His speed was not as fast as Li Ao's, so he chose to turn around and rush forward with one step.

Kenyon Martin's defense was in place, Kidd came to the free throw line and cut off Jordan's pass to the high post, Jason Collins blocked O'Neal from the left of the three-second zone and went to the basket to respond.

Pretty good defensive cut!
Kidd was ready to shrink the guard after Jordan made a strong shot, but suddenly someone stuck to him from behind, and before he could turn his head to see who it was, he saw Jordan pass the ball in his direction.

He jumped up to grab the ball, and a hand came out from his head to grab the ball!

He recognized this long arm, Spider-Man!
He quickly turned around and stuck to Li Ao to prevent Li Ao from retreating to make a mid-range shot, but Li Ao didn't stop the ball and passed the ball straight to the basket. O'Neal bypassed Jason Collins, caught the ball and made a layup!

Kidd patted his head in frustration. He should have received the ball to the basket. Van Horn was beside Li Ao. Li Ao had no chance to shoot, but Li Ao caught the ball from above his head. Made the wrong defensive choice.

He really didn't expect that the opponent would use this method to break their pass-cutting defense, and Jordan really dared to pass!As long as he realizes it in advance, he can break the ball by jumping up earlier.

In fact, after the ball was passed, Jordan also felt impulsive, but after the hit, he felt that Spider-Man was really strong in execution, and he thought of a way to take advantage of it immediately.

When it came time for the Nets to attack, Kittles and Kidd followed suit for the previous round of offense. Li Ao saw Kenyon Martin cut in and chose to shrink the defense.

Jordan moved actively to block the space on the left side of Kidd's pass after receiving the ball. Kidd passed the ball back to Kittles, Kittles made another pass, and Van Horn stretched out to the left three-point line. Catch the ball and take a three-point shot...hit!
With this goal, Li Ao felt that their defensive cooperation had been very good.

But Kidd's offense is too strong!

This is a multiple passing combination that was completely missing from the Nets last season.

Kidd can pass the ball in the middle like he is Spider-Man, and at the same time can pass the ball to the right teammate at the right time like Bibby.

And not only the combination of him and Bibby, but also the enhanced version!

In the transition between offense and defense, Li Ao and Jordan no longer cooperated like they did in the previous round. That kind of clever play can be done once suddenly, but any more will be a joke.

Li Ao moved normally, and after the baseline was covered by O'Neal, Van Horn disappeared.

He came to the right baseline to receive a pass from Jordan. Kenyon Martin, who was flanking Jordan, stepped up to him. He received the ball and took a step away. Kenyon Martin immediately followed up and passed the ball back to him. Jordan was at the free throw line. Jordan caught the ball and hit Kidd for a mid-range shot... It was a good opportunity, but it was a pity that he didn't score.

Li Ao retreated regretfully... retreat quickly!
After Kenyon Martin heard the "bang" sound, he rushed straight to the frontcourt without even looking at the basket!
Jason Collins blocked the rushing Odom, Kidd recovered and grabbed the defensive rebound and immediately advanced to counterattack.

Kittles also got off quickly.

Li Ao and Bibby retreated in place, blocking Kenyon Martin and Kittles, but Jordan, who retreated behind, faced Kidd and Van Horn for a two-on-one!

Kidd broke into the three-point line and passed the ball to Van Horn who followed up outside the top arc. Jordan rushed to defend the three-pointer. Van Horn passed the ball again. Kidd received the return pass and grabbed Li Ao before he could shrink into position for a quick layup... …

"beep"

"Swish"

Li Ao rushed in and knocked Kidd over without stopping. When the referee blew the whistle, the ball entered the frame.

Kidd's goal was valid and he got an extra penalty!

Slow-paced positional battles, grinding defenses, and suddenly running and gunning... The Clippers knew that this was the Nets' new style of play this season, but when they actually encountered it, they were still caught off guard.

too fast!Moreover, Kidd's pass sorting made the two passes cut off the Clippers' defensive cooperation like a scalpel.

At this time, a low and long whistle sounded, and the technical desk prompted a substitution.

Gentry replaced Odom and replaced him with Matt Halprin, which the Nets expected.

After Odom received the promise of a maximum salary, he began to be responsible for leading the second and third lineups. The Clippers did not say this clearly, but after playing a few more games, other teams could see it and called Los Angeles more It is simply disrupting the market to acquire a big player and let the future top-paid players serve as substitutes!
The executive vice president and head coach of a certain Texas team scolded the street-how did he implement the plan he had planned?

Another big player in Los Angeles is naturally the Lakers.

Although the Lakers owner's assets are not among the highest in the NBA, he is willing to spend money. They are the first team in the NBA to pay substitutes more than $500 million in salary.

This substitute is the future new aid of the Clippers, Elden Campbell, a rookie selected by the Lakers in 90. After the Lakers introduced O'Neal in the summer of 96, the SuperSonics gave a three-year offer of US$3 million. The purpose is obvious. , the logo man did not let the opponent succeed, and matched the contract to keep him as a power center weighing nearly 2100 kilograms. For this reason, O'Neal was allowed to play power forward for one year. In the 130-97 season, this salary ranked No. 98 among centers that season. Seven players played as substitutes, breaking the record for the highest annual salary of NBA substitute players at that time.

Now the Clippers are playing harder, making Cuban, Dolan, and Paul Allen call themselves experts.

However, the Nets also made substitutions. Contrary to the expectations of the Clippers, Byron Scott replaced Van Horn with Richard Jefferson who had just scored 3 points and 1 assist!

Li Ao complained, "It's true that anyone who comes to the east will be contaminated with the bad habit of iron and blood."

Opposite coach, you are the leading shooting guard of the showtime dynasty!The offense is so smooth, what I think is not how to play the offense better, but to strengthen the defense to deal with the improvement of their Clippers' forward defense?

After the two teams made substitutions, Kidd executed the extra penalty and made a steady hit.

8 to 4, the Nets lead by 4 points!
When it came to the Clippers' offense, Matt Harperin lived up to Gentry's evaluation of a player who can score when he comes up. Jordan made a breakthrough in singles, and Matt Harperin seized the opportunity to cut to catch the ball and enter behind the inside lane Against Jason Collins, he made an inside pass to Jermaine O'Neal, and Jermaine O'Neal made a close-range shot from the left side of the three-second zone!

Matt Halprin's share of 1-2 assists per night is half done.

O'Neal just scored, Jason Collins immediately picked up the ball and sent it to Kidd, and the Nets started a fast break!
The Clippers, who had just suffered a counterattack, were prepared this time. Bibby, Li Ao, and Matt Halprin retreated quickly. Kidd couldn't get the ball out. After passing the center line, they had to slow down and wait for Jason- Collins ran over to contain the defense inside and fell into a positional battle.

Although the counterattack failed, a dislocation was created, and the defender Kidd encountered was Jordan.

Kidd continues to pass the ball to Kittles.

Kittles hit Bibby better, he caught the ball and feinted, Bibby had to stick it, and he easily broke into the paint.

This time the ball didn't pass Kidd's hands, Kittles rushed to the right side of the three-second zone, Jermaine O'Neal blocked it with his arms outstretched, Kittles passed the ball straight to the left, Kenyon Martin helped Richard -Jefferson gets rid of Matt Harprin after the pick-and-roll, cuts to catch the ball, takes off, dunks... "crack"...

Li Ao reached out from the back of Kenyon Martin's head, and slapped Kenyon Martin out of bounds!

Kidd is a little speechless. His teammates have the ability to respond independently, which is better than the Suns who were reimbursed by Penny and Gugliotta. The Suns have no other players who can organize offenses except Clifford Robinson.

But Kittles, a teammate, can only simply organize the offense, only seeing opportunities, but not real danger.

No wonder he was the No. 96 pick of the 8 Golden Generation, but he was abandoned by the Nets as a 3D player after the second grade. The offensive end is indeed not as good as Van Horn.

Kidd just slandered, and he was not affected by the gains and losses of an offense. He thought it was a very good choice to replace Van Horn to strengthen the defense + to prevent the pitcher from being consumed by the opponent's three thugs.

The Nets continued to attack. Kidd came out of bounds to serve. Jason Collins on the basket, Kittles on the wing, and Richard Jefferson on the cut were all blocked. He sent the ball to the free space. Kenyon Martin, and then ran directly into the backfield.

As he expected, Kenyon Martin received the ball and did not make a mid-range shot. Instead, he dribbled two steps and took off to attack the frame. Facing Jermaine O'Neal's top defense and Li Ao's supplementary defense, Kenyon Martin was not blocked, but threw Vote directly across the bridge and do not stick.

Jordan protected the defensive rebound, and Li Ao wanted to counterattack, but Kidd had already brought Kittles and Richard Jefferson back.

The Wildcats' old rival Richard Jefferson played, and the Nets' defense improved by at least half a stop.

Especially the retreat did not give Li Ao the slightest chance.

The Clippers replaced Matt Harprin, and the Nets replaced Richard Jefferson. The game of the two teams suddenly changed from a confrontation to an iron-blooded battle. The fans and even the players of both teams felt their scalps tingle.

They usually switch rhythms seamlessly after a few rounds at the beginning, catching the opponent off guard. Even when the two teams are playing against the Lakers, it can be effective, but tonight they encountered such a situation themselves, and they still Quite fresh.

The two teams directly stretched their defenses, and the court began to be filled with physical combat and confrontation. The offensive cores of both sides tried hard to find ideas on the offensive end, but the effect was average.

It's time for an official pause.

Byron Scott replaced Jason Collins with big center Todd Makoloch and Kittles with defensive guard Anthony Johnson.

These two are players who are extremely good at confrontation. The latter is known as the most capable guard, while the former is a standard case of eating the "Shark Bonus". Last season, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. The U.S. mid-level contract offer, the Nets spent 5 years and 2600 million U.S. dollars to keep it.

Todd Makoloch weighs 127 kilograms and is slow to move forward. However, the confrontation in the first half of the quarter has already begun. The two teams are frequently shooting from the outside. He comes on the court at this time, and his role in protecting the frame is prominent.

On Gentry's side, Jordan was replaced with a combination of Bibby, Li Ao, Matt Harprin, Odom, and Jayron Collins, which was also defensive.

In the first half of the quarter, the two sides scored 2-6 in the first 8 minutes, and scored 13-14 in the half quarter. In the second half, the Clippers only scored 9 points, and the Nets only scored 8 points.

Entering the inter-section break, Li Ao, who was replaced, looked at the score of 22 to 22. He knew that Kidd would transform this team, but after the actual match, he realized how exaggerated the change was!
(End of this chapter)