When pride still matters

Chapter 497: Coaching Mixed Scholars (Unity)

This is a special point in the season.

There are still two days left before the trade deadline. The SuperSonics and Spurs are two teams that are basically certain that they will not make any major transactions on the deadline.

Because the Spurs have done everything they need to do, and the Sonics have no room to operate. For them, it is better to wait and see what happens instead of messing around.

As Tyronn Lue's coaching debut, this game attracted much attention.

The meddlesome media will view Lue's impact on the Sonics as an experimental public test.

Bill Simmons made an outrageous statement: There are only two or three coaches in the league who have an impact on the game. In other words, he considers other coaches dispensable.

George Karl is one of the few coaches who Simmons sees as having an impact. His departure will have a major impact on the Sonics, but if his successor can make it look like the Sonics haven't changed at all. Confirm his judgment.

The media, led by Simmons, enthusiastically hyped tonight's game.

This puts a lot of extra pressure on Lue.

Lu is suffering from insomnia.

That afternoon, Lue looked a little nervous, and when rookie Alonzo Key made a mistake in his movement, he was furious: "Zou, you have to make your game more rigorous! Stop making those stupid mistakes!!! "

"Tailun, calm down." Lu's assistant coach comforted him, "This mistake is not a big deal."

Lu knew that they were right and that he had overreacted.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

His nerves have been tense for several days. It is really unfortunate for him that the opponent in his first coaching match is a strong opponent like the Spurs.

Lu knows that first impressions matter. If he screws up tonight, his failure will be remembered for a long time.

Lu knew that he had a golden opportunity. If he grasped it, his coaching career would be on the fast track. Just like Doc Rivers back then, he was regarded as a "natural coach."

This pressure needs to be released, and rookies like Alonzo Key are the unlucky ones.

It is impossible for Lu to put his pressure on Yu Fei or Durant.

The training went well.

Lu basically did not input his coaching philosophy to the team because he did not have this thing at all. He was still playing last season. For half a season, in addition to being Karl's follower and responsible for cheering the players off the court, he had zero basic coaching skills such as techniques and tactics, locker room control, and game review.

This is like asking someone to take the exam for subject one who has never even studied the questions.

Fortunately, Lu has a mature coaching team around him, and the system Carr left behind does not require his scalpel.

Therefore, keeping it as it is without making any adjustments or changes is the most correct choice.

After the training, Lu convened the assistant coaches to prepare for the pre-game meeting.

Yu Fei found it funny when he saw how busy he was and how he seemed to have unlimited energy: "Relax, losing a game won't make you lose your job."

Director Lu became anxious: "I fucking want to win!"

"No problem, isn't it the Spurs? We can win casually when George is here."

The reason why Lu coach is jumping up and down is that the Spurs were a team that was manipulated by the SuperSonics at will during the Karl era.

But the past was the past, and the present is now. If you always compare the past with the present, why not compare it with the time when you were born?

The Spurs are not what they used to be!

They got rid of the dissatisfied Caron Butler and acquired Andre Iguodala, who had the same playing philosophy as the Spurs, for almost nothing. Their strength has greatly increased. As long as Duncan stays healthy, they are a team that can compete with the Sonics and the SuperSonics. A super team comparable to the Lakers.

This is where Lu gets angry.

Anyone who pays attention to basketball knows that the Spurs are not what they used to be, but as long as he dares to lose tonight, countless people will call Karl's attention.

For a coach, the hardest thing is for the team's supporters to miss your ex in front of you. This is even scarier than a woman telling her boyfriend that her ex is better at skills.

Yu Fei looked at his nervous look, smiled, and patted his shoulder: "Relax, the Spurs are not as scary as you think."

"What if?" Director Lu looked as steady as an old dog.

Yu Fei said: "Tonight is your first coaching show, I won't let you lose."

In the evening, spectators flocked to Key Arena.

There are several major sights around the SuperSonics' home court. One is the eye-catching Reebok Building, with a large poster of Yu Fei hanging on the side of the floor. The other side is a bustling commercial district, where countless stores are doing brisk business on game nights.

However, since the end of the All-Star Weekend, it has become the venue for Seattle's famous civil rights organization "Let Citizens Focus on More Important Matters."

As we all know, the Sonics will submit a financing plan for a new arena to the city government in June this year. According to several previous polls, Seattleites have no objection to this.

However, during the All-Star Weekend, team owner Clay Bennett openly sided with management and became the vanguard of the owner's camp. Then it was revealed that the Sonics' annual net profit has exceeded US$100 million since the transfer.

The news detonated civil rights activists.

They cannot accept that a team with an annual net profit of more than $100 million uses taxpayer money to build itself a luxurious stadium.

The demonstration, aimed at awakening citizens, began outside KeyArena.

As long as someone walks into KeyArena, they are bound to learn about it.

This caused Seattle's local support to drop, much to Bennett's chagrin.

But they couldn't take any action against this group of people.

Yu Fei said to Bennett, don't worry, it doesn't matter if the team's support rate is low during the regular season, it will naturally pick up in the playoffs.

Bennett nodded outwardly, but his heart ached. He couldn't calculate how much money these civil rights activists would cost him. It must be an astronomical figure.

Originally, the regular season profit was expected to exceed 100 million, but now it's better. Because of this trouble, I can only make a small profit of 70 to 80 million. Who will make up for the loss?
Bennett's mood showed clearly on his face.

When he walked into Key Arena, the leader of the protest group actively challenged him.

Bennett couldn't help but burst out: "You mad dog who can do nothing but bark, don't tell me what the hell it's useless!"

This later became news.

And this will be Bennett's daily life for some time to come.

Whether he likes it or not, he will be portrayed as a despicable businessman who betrays his hometown, is greedy for profit, and is willing to give up all bottom lines for money.

This was an episode off the field, but the highlight of the night was still the game.

Before the game, Durant accepted an interview with ABC and talked about the impact of the coaching change on him.

"I think there will be basically no impact." Durant said, "Tylen did not disrupt the original framework, and our game has not changed."

Moreover, Durant is very confident in Lu's coaching prospects.

He highlighted one point: "We have never encountered so many difficulties. This is a major challenge for me, and I am ready to take on greater responsibilities."

What Durant said was basically official talk, but he did reveal some information, that is, he thought he would get more opportunities under Lu's coaching.

Because Lu is a rookie coach and can be regarded as a blank slate in all aspects, he cannot control the lineup like Karl. If there is trouble during the game, he may not even be able to call a timeout. In this case, he will of course rely more on his players.

By then, won’t the opportunity to take on more responsibilities come?

Even Frye probably has nothing to say about this.

Yu Fei didn't have the ability to read minds, so he didn't know that Adu, who seemed innocent and harmless, had so many little thoughts.

When Durant was interviewed by ABC, Yu Fei was reminiscing with Iguodala.

The two met at the ABCD training camp. Later, Yu Fei directly participated in the draft, while Iguodala played in college for three years before entering the NBA.

After the two reunited in the NBA, their situations were also different.

Yu Fei had a career comparable to Bill Russell, while Iguodala was deceived by the Philadelphia management. Just when he was about to inherit Iverson's leadership position and lead the team, management However, the senior management sent him to the Spurs on the grounds of saving money.

"Frye, I hate LeBron's decision as much as you do." Iguodala said, "This is so weak! Two of the three best players in the league choose to join forces just to beat the other one? I I don’t like it, but now I understand LeBron.”

Yu Fei smiled subtly and said: "Andre, your idea is a bit dangerous."

"In this league where everything is business, it is a kind of luck to be able to freely control your own destiny without being manipulated by others." Iguodala said helplessly, "But this kind of luck only belongs to a very small number."

Yu Fei did not deny Iguodala.

Because in his previous life, James' "decision" has become a symbol of player empowerment after more than ten years of fermentation.

Every star hopes to be like James, who is not bound by loyalty and makes choices that are beneficial to him only for profit.

Is this really a problem? Those stars who are loyal to the team but are eventually abandoned by the team and those fans who are loyal to the team and players but are eventually stabbed hard by the players will come up with completely different answers.

In the end, these two diametrically opposed values ​​only depend on one thing. Loyalty must be mutual. Excessive investment and dedication without asking for anything in return. Most people who think that they can gain satisfaction and happiness by giving enough will not Get endless disappointment.

Before the game started, Yu Fei took a look at the Spurs' lineup, and I have to say that it looked very good: Dragic, Ginobili, Iguodala, Luol Deng and Duncan.

It's a pity that Dragic is a relatively late-maturing player, and Duncan has been affected by knee injuries. There are big problems with attendance and status this season, and the other three stars except Ginobili are not good at all. Have the ability to influence the situation of the battle.

Even Ginobili was affected by physical strength.

Therefore, it seems that the Spurs, who are in amazing shape, are not as invulnerable as the outside world publicizes.

However, as soon as the game started, Duncan attacked Kwame Brown.

Duncan, who wears thick knee pads on both legs, beat Brown like a college student beating a junior high school student.

With this momentum, Yu Fei seriously suspected that Old Deng was taking revenge on the public.

After they defeated the Spurs in the Finals, Brown boasted about how he beat Duncan in every game where he scored in double figures. Over the years, Duncan has never contradicted Brown.

As a result, Brown's viral publicity created the urban legend that he defeated Duncan in the Finals.

Tonight, the urban legend was shattered.

Duncan broke everyone's perception of the Spurs.

Rumor has it that when all of the Spurs' offense is directed to Duncan, it means they are in dire straits.

But tonight, in the first three minutes of the game, the Spurs hit Duncan for every ball. Like a god of war, Duncan made 8 of 6 shots on Brown. There were some highly insulting scenes of him taking off the offensive rebound and making up for it after missing a single. .

Duncan showed off his power, and the Spurs beat the SuperSonics 14-4 at the beginning.

Coach Lu had panic written on his face and felt that his hands and feet were not in control. The arrangements before the game had no effect because none of them expected that the Spurs would play so simply and roughly.

Do I have an advantage on the inside? Then I will always play inside!

How does this look like an NBA team? Can we do some difficult operations? But Director Lu suddenly discovered that regardless of how easy or difficult it is to operate, it just works, right? What's wrong with giving the ball to the strongest guy on the court?

Yes, isn't this the secret to his ability to settle down in the NBA?

Who else in the league understands better than him the importance of getting the ball to the strongest player?
Seeing Duncan transforming into a special force and brutally torturing Brown inside like a chicken and a dog, Coach Lu thought to himself, should it be time to call a timeout?
Then, Durant's single was blocked by Iguodala. Just as the Spurs were about to defend and counterattack, Yu Fei stepped forward and committed a tactical foul, and then gave the coaching staff a "stop" signal.

Director Lu immediately ran to the technical table and shouted: "I want to time out!"

The game stopped and Lue listened to the assistant coach's opinions before making arrangements.

Everyone's opinion is basically to replace Brown. He has been in poor form recently and was beaten by Duncan again tonight. It is better to let Jordan go up and hit him.

"Do you want a double team?" Coach Lu asked.

This is a problem.

Opinions were divided.

Some people think that Duncan's passing is good and his vision is great. If double-teamed, he is likely to bring his teammates along. Others think that double-teaming is necessary. He plays too easily. If he continues like this, he will lose tonight. On this point.

Then, Yu Fei said decisively, "No double-teaming for the time being."

The reason?
Yu Fei said clearly: "They are now leading by ten points. If we double-team now, Tim will definitely pass the ball to the outside. Once they hit a three-pointer, it will be difficult for us to chase points!"

Director Lu nodded, Da Fei’s words made sense.

"Let DJ replace Kwame and continue single defense. If he wants to continue singles, let him play. I don't believe he will continue to be so accurate!" Yu Fei said, "Once his shooting percentage drops, I will When the rhythm is up, everyone must participate in defensive counterattacks!”

Yu Fei finished speaking quickly, and everyone looked at Lu.

Director Lu narrowed his eyes pretending to be profound, glanced at the tactical board, and then said what he had wanted to say for a long time: "Da Fei is right! Just fight like this, DJ, replace Kwame!"

Little Jordan rubbed his hands and said, "I'm ready!"

Brown walked off the court frustrated, and O'Brien mocked: "I haven't heard you tell the story of beating Tim Duncan in the Finals in a few days..."

This sentence ignited Brown, and he couldn't help but swear at Xiao Ou excitedly.

And Xiao Ao is as happy as if he has won.

Yu Fei's judgment was correct.

Duncan's hot streak is unsustainable, and the Spurs don't want to waste him too much in the regular season.

After Jordan came on the court, Duncan was no longer obsessed with playing alone inside.

However, his teammates watched him play inside for three minutes, and suddenly it was his turn to exert force. It was also difficult to find the touch in time.

Ginobili's step-back three-pointer hit hard. Yu Fei collected the long rebound and launched a sudden counterattack after landing.

In the frontcourt, Yu flew the ball to Durant, who followed up and hit a three-pointer.

The Sonics' counterattack began.

Compared with the Karl period, the biggest difference between the SuperSonics is that Yu Fei's ball holding rate has greatly increased.

Because Lu doesn’t know how to fine-tune, and he doesn’t know how to stand on the sidelines and tell players to move. It’s even more impossible to point out problems like Karl did. He can only rely on other assistants to correct mistakes, but most assistants, like Lu, lack the ability to make mistakes during the game. Show off your micromanagement experience as you approach the course.

Lacking the sideline influence of a coach, the Sonics relied on Fly's on-the-spot planning as never before.

This is a great test of Yu Fei's overall control.

Fortunately, the core of the Bucks for several consecutive seasons was not in vain.

Now it's just a return to the state of things then.

At the beginning, Yu Fei was more like a ball domination, but now, his overall concept has been greatly improved. He dispatches teammates, directs tactics, and makes decisions in positional battles almost instantly. Without a strong head coach standing on the sidelines to direct, The Sonics' tactical operations were almost uninterrupted.

This surprised Popovich on the opposite side.

Popovich may be the first coach in the NBA to realize how good Yu Fei is, because his Spurs failed in the finals twice during the championship, both thanks to Yu Fei.

What Popovich is sure of is that Yu Fei during the Bucks period did not have this ability to dominate the overall situation.

This kind of perfect field control should not belong to a big core with ball dominance attributes. It is a skill of a traditional commander-type point guard.

The stronger the point guard, the better the court control ability.

Yu Fei's ability to control the court steadily reflects a terrible fact, that is, he can not only be a ball tyrant and play a core role, but he can also control the rhythm of the game like a master like Kidd.

It's almost like Magic Johnson walked from the 80s into today's NBA.

But this person also has the attributes of a ball-dominant player that Magic does not have, and the attributes of an ace at the third position that are completely independent of the court.

Three forms, three dominant powers appear in the same person, making the Sonics seem unaffected by the coaching change.

They tied the score before the end of the first quarter, but before halftime, due to Duncan's rest, there were loopholes in the interior defense. Coupled with the outstanding performance of Yu Fei and Durant, the Spurs' defense had some problems and eventually fell behind. 11 points.

Yu Fei played 20 minutes in the first half, averaging two minutes of rest per quarter, and scored 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

Moreover, this comprehensive quasi-triple-double data completely fails to reflect the pressure he exerts on his opponents and his influence that radiates throughout the field.

"I respect George very much, but Frye is so good. He makes me feel as if George is still coaching." Popovich said in the midfield interview, "In my knowledge, there is no second player. The same thing can be done.”

"Any players? Does that include Michael Jordan?"

Popovich has become accustomed to Jordan's name popping up in questions about flying.

"Including Michael," Popovich said without question.

In the second half, Ginobili demonstrated Jordan's gold content for fifteen minutes.

The Argentine's performance was mediocre in the first half. This performance is not surprising to Spurs fans, because Manu is such a mysterious player.

The attributes of NeuroKnife leave a huge gap between the upper limit and lower limit of his performance, but as long as he enters the state, he will definitely perform fiercely.

Seeing that the Spurs couldn't stop Yu Fei and Durant's offensive, Ginobili suddenly hit whatever he wanted. He stepped back for a three-pointer and made a snake layup to make it 2+1. He broke through the Sonics' defense like he was crossing the road and led the way. Teammate, Iguodala's defense is starting to have an impact on Durant.

The two sides were tied when the fourth quarter came, and they began to fight each other in the fourth quarter. Ginobili's physical strength declined and he was no longer as brave as in the third quarter, but Duncan exerted his strength again, followed by Iguodala, and then Los Angeles. Er Deng, and in the end even Dragic showed his performance.

The Sonics, who lacked a general off the field, exposed their problems. They were unable to adjust their defensive matchup according to the opponent's state.

Lu guided the team to change players, but none of them worked. In the end, Yu Fei could only play freely and rely on his personal ability to win the game.

Lue was on the verge of emotional collapse and loss of control. He kept yelling and trying to find ways to influence the game. If they weren't playing at home, he might have been ejected just for his attitude towards the referee.

This suffocating game went to the last moment, and the Sonics ushered in the final timeout with a 1-point disadvantage.

Lu's lips were white, her voice was hoarse, and she looked extremely tired.

Yu Fei poured him a glass of water.

What happens next will be remembered.

"Wipe the saliva from the corner of your mouth and drink some water." Yu Fei said reassuringly, "I won't let you lose the first game."

If ABC commentator Doug Collins were here, he would excitedly tell Lue that Jordan made the same promise to him back then.

Lu did as he was told.

He knows very well that the reason why this game has been played so far is because he followed the principle of giving the ball to the strongest.

The timeout ended, and Yu Fei pressed for time, making the Spurs feel uneasy.

Iguodala, who temporarily came over to defend Yu Fei, took the initiative to put pressure on him. However, because he was too proactive, Yu Fei pulled the ball and redirected it, knocking him to the ground.

In an instant, the cheers at Key Arena were as deafening as the ocean sweeping across the land.

Yu Fei jumped up and took a shot at the last second. When the lights turned red, the ball fell into the bag, and the audience roared like citizens of the empire.

The owner who saved the team just turned around and stretched out his hand to Iguodala: "Andre, maybe next time?"

Tyronn Lue, who had a good start in his coaching career, was jumping and screaming off the court.

He got it.

All complicated tactics and coaching philosophies are bullshit!

Give the ball to the core of the team and let the core take care of everything. Simple and crude, basketball can be so simple!
The so-called "coaching" is nothing more than that.

(End of this chapter)