So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 138 The Alliance Dominated by “Triangle Tactics”

The Bulls have been in good shape in front of the media since the new season, and in the first game of the new season, their cooperation was also very organized. What delights Chicagoans most is that the "triangle tactic" is back on the court.

This made their expectations suddenly higher.

No matter how times change, one thing is certain...

The "Triangle Tactics" is definitely the most special set of tactics in the minds of Chicagoans.

This tactic is the "soul tactic" of this team, just like Jordan is the "soul man" of the Bulls.

After the team lost last season, Chicagoans were not too nervous. A large part of the reason was that the Bulls did not come up with the "triangle tactic" and did not use the "triangle tactic", which meant that we were not really defeated.

The Bulls' first game of the new season also demonstrated the power of the new version of the "triangle tactic" after Rodman joined.

They also got off to a good start with a 13-point victory at their home court.

The next day's headlines in the Chicago press read:

"The familiar Bulls are back!" 》

In an interview, Michael Jordan said: "I feel very good. Dennis' arrival has greatly improved this team, but we are different from other teams. We fit in very well, which allows us to Through the running-in period quickly, we will be very strong from the beginning of the new season!"

Jordan was so confident, and he didn't get slapped in the face.

After the Bulls won the "good start" of the new season, they won the next 5 games in one breath and started the new season with a "6-game winning streak".

Everyone is saying that the Jordan they remember is back.

Jordan's condition is indeed better than the few games he returned from last season.

In the 17 games he returned last season, although Jordan averaged 26.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, his field goal percentage was actually not outstanding, averaging only 41.6% per game. However, his three-point field goal percentage was a bit exaggerated, as high as 50%. !

这个赛季截止到目前为止，场均31.5分6.5篮板4.25助攻2.5抢断，投篮命中率回到了49.5%，同时三分球命中率也有42.7%！

However, this year's three-point shooting percentage is nothing to brag about.

David Stern made adjustments to the length of the three-point line before the start of the new season:

Originally, the distance between the NBA's three-point line and the basket was 7.25 meters in the arc, but only 6.7 meters in the straight line from the bottom line.

There is a reason why some players are more accurate from the corners.

It's definitely closer to the basket.

After the modification, the distance from the top of the arc to the basket has also become 6.7 meters.

You know, FIBA's standard distance for the three-point line is 6.75 meters. At the beginning of this season, the NBA's three-point line is shorter than FIBA. This stimulated the league. Originally, the league started making more than 200 three-pointers in a single season starting from this season.

However, that was originally, and now this record was broken by Meng Lang last season.

Of course, this is not a record worth showing off, especially when Meng Lang traveled from the future and scored 200 three-point goals. After 15 years, this is almost the standard for the league's top three-point shooters. Some rookies have just entered. The league can't wait to score 200 three-pointers in a single season...

It is also because of the shortening of the distance that the current three-point line is like the original long two-point line. The mid-range shot has always been Jordan's specialty, so such a shooting rate is not unusual.

Jordan's average three-point attempts per game has also increased to 3.2 per game this season, which is a new high in his career.

Obviously, under the general trend, Jordan will still change his shooting selection.

Also, there are a few players of the "super giant" level who cannot see the situation clearly when playing...

It's just that Jordan is now very concerned about reporters mentioning the issue of three-pointers.

Because there are now rumors that David Stern was trying to balance Meng Lang's three-pointers, the three-point line was adjusted. Let more three-point shooters become the top players in the league. Instead of watching Meng Lang dominate.

There are even rumors that it was because of him that Michael Jordan could also take out a three-pointer in response to Meng Lang's shortened three-point line.

When he first heard this question, he almost pulled out the microphone in front of him to answer the question.

"I'm not the only one adapting to such a rule. Everyone in the league has benefited from it, including that guy, right? Seriously, I don't care if the damn three-point line is 7 meters or 25 meters. I I even hope that you can join forces to ask the league to modify the three-point line back, if you can do it!"

Angry, he vented all his anger on his next opponent.

He will lead the Bulls to produce strong enough statistics, so strong that everyone will shut up!

The "Iron Triangle" of the Bulls also performed more and more fiercely in the following games in November. While they continued to win, their winning state became more and more terrifying. Few teams could compete with them. At the last moment of the fourth quarter, under normal circumstances, they can enter the final quarter with a 11-point difference.

During this period, they averaged 105.6 points per game, but only allowed 92.4 points per game to the opponent.

The average margin of victory over opponents is 13.2 points per game!

This terrifying state lasted until November 11, when they lost the first game of the new season.

But Jordan wasn't happy.

because……

The Magic haven't lost yet.

While the Bulls were galloping all the way, the Magic also continued their dominance of the league last season, advancing all the way, winning consecutive games, and hitting an 11-game winning streak in one go. The average points difference per game is also as high as more than 10 points.

As the 28th team in the league to lose its first loss of the new season, this would have been a very satisfactory result, but there was no expression of joy on Jordan's face.

If you lose Meng Lang, what if you win the world?

Fortunately, November was over, and he felt a little more comfortable.

Although they lost the first game of the new season before Meng Lang, the Bulls still lost only one game after the end of November, but the Magic quickly got their second loss of the season.

The "Player of the Month Award" finally fell on Michael Jordan's head.

The "future basketball god" who appeared in front of the media with the "Player of the Month Award" showed a bright smile that he had not seen for a long time. He also rarely praised Klaus: "He did a good job. He contributed to the team." "Bringing Dennis on, there's no better addition than this! I feel like this is the best the Bulls have ever been, better than ever!"

At the end of his interview, Rodman found him: "Michael, we are going to Los Angeles for the next game, can I..."

He hesitated to speak, but expressed everything he wanted to express. He knew Jordan understood what he was saying. Jordan did understand: "On the morning of the game, I will knock on your door. If I don't see you in your room, you are responsible for all the consequences!"

"Promise to be back at the hotel on time, sir!" Rodman was excited. They would set off for Los Angeles tonight and arrive at the hotel at midnight, which meant he could "lose contact" for a day and a night, which was enough for him to have fun. .

No, when he arrived in Los Angeles, he immediately said goodbye to his teammates and went to the "Flower World".

Phil Jackson exchanged glances with Jordan, and when he saw the look of acquiescence on his face, he knew that Rodman had already greeted him.

Jordan's control over Rodman was very simple. When he was about to lose control, he loosened up his control... This method seems very simple, doesn't it? But there is a prerequisite, and that is for Rodman to have enough respect for him.

Only in this way can he be grateful to you for letting him go.

Jordan certainly has reasons to be in awe of Rodman:

Whether it was his team leadership performance, his personal performance on the court, his court statistics, or his own cruelty, these were all reasons why Rodman did not dare to act recklessly.

On the morning of the game against the Lakers, when Jordan passed by Rodman and knocked on his door, he saw a tired-looking Rodman who opened the door and smiled "enjoyed" at him.

That night, Rodman, who was having a lot of fun, grabbed 18 rebounds and helped the team defeat the Lakers, currently ranked fourth in the Western Conference.

"Magic" Johnson was also on the sidelines tonight. After the game, he ran to say hello to Jordan.

The two people avoided the camera and had a confidential conversation in a low voice.

"The Lakers are in good shape this season. It seems that they lack a core team to create good results..." Jordan's words meant something.

"I envy you Michael..." Johnson also said something pointedly.

"Don't envy me, this is my attitude!"

"Um……"

“But that doesn’t mean that’s everyone’s attitude!”

"Well..." Johnson's eyes dimmed a little this time.

Then the two men stopped talking.

They all knew what they wanted to know.

On December 12, Sports Illustrated published a special issue:

The alliance ruled by "Triangle Tactics"!

The origin of this special issue is naturally that the Bulls and Magic, currently ranked first and second in the All-Star Game, both focus on "triangle tactics."

This set of tactics exploded with amazing power under two different team forms, allowing both teams to show unparalleled dominance at the beginning of the new season. When the New York Times evaluated the league’s record rankings after the end of November, this is how it was described:

There are three teams in the league this season, one is the Magic, another is the Bulls, and the other is others!

This special issue of "Sports Illustrated" specifically interviewed Winter, the Bulls assistant coach and the founder of the "triangle tactic" recognized by the mainstream.

"Do you think the 'triangle tactic' will become the mainstream tactic in the league in the future?"

Winter believes: "This will be a tactic that teams who want to win the championship want to have, but it must be admitted that this tactic does not suit all teams. This is a superstar tactic that can only be achieved if there are 'super stars' Only the team that has the "triangle tactic" can use the "triangle tactic" well, so it is harsh to use this tactic. The "triangle tactic" has shown its strongest power in the Magic and Bulls, but I believe , if other teams use this tactic, the result will definitely be unsatisfactory!"

This article points out the key to the "triangle tactic".

But after the Bulls and Magic relied on the "triangle tactic" to win championships, the general managers of all teams in the league were eyeing this tactic.

This is also understandable:

After the "OK" combination won the championship, the entire league was looking for the next "OK" combination; after the "Big Three" won the championship, the league was all "Big Three"; the "Five Small" changed the game and "fastened the pace". The league has also entered the "small ball era"!

Now, this is clearly a version affected by the "Triangle Tactics".

Everyone hopes to build a team suitable for the "triangle tactics".

The most intuitive impact is that while the Bulls and Magic are harvesting the entire league, many teams have quietly given up on this season. While messing around with high-ranking picks, their goal is to target the 96 free market.

By then, these cornerstones will be suitable for the triangle tactic: Jordan, Meng Lang, Shaquille O'Neal...

All will become free agents!

Many general managers who do not want to be named believe that the summer of 96 will have a huge impact on the league pattern in the next ten years.

While the Bulls defeated the Lakers, the Magic traveled to Detroit to challenge the Pistons.

They and the Bulls grabbed 80% of the league's attention, while the remaining media attention paid attention to the relatively inconspicuous Pistons. After two seasons of failure, they quietly returned to the Eastern Conference playoffs. The rankings are not low, currently ranked 6th in the Eastern Conference.

This team, which only has one veteran, Joe Dumas, and the rest are first-year, second-year and third-year players, looks like it has become the representative of the "youth army" this season.

The intuitive impact of this is that Detroit, which looked full of depression last season, has a little more luster.

Small cities like Detroit and Cleveland really regard their teams as their "spiritual pillars." If the team gets better, they will think that their lives are about to get better.

Hill's data has not changed much compared to last season. This season he averaged 22.5 points per game, but he averaged 9.75 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 47.3%!

After two years of silence, Alan Houston has fulfilled his potential, averaging 19.7 points per game this season, shooting 45.3% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range! Averaged 5.5 three-pointers per game.

It is worth mentioning that Houston is the biggest beneficiary of the league's shortened three-point line.

Because he has a bad habit of stepping on the line when shooting three-pointers.

That is to say, the cameras in this era are not so clear, so the top three longest two-pointers in the league all have his name.

It was as if he couldn't make a move without stepping on that kick.

Joe Dumars retreated to the second line, averaging 11.8 points and 4 assists per game, and shooting 40% from three-point range!

(End of this chapter)