Chapter 514 Basketball is not just a game of scoring

Author: Sheep that doesn’t like to eat grass

Chapter 514 Basketball is not just a game of scoring

The Clippers' zone defense in the second quarter was like a summer thunderstorm, it came and went quickly. After a few rounds, the Clippers returned to their normal man-to-man defense.

It's not because the Thunder cracked the Clippers' zone defense, but because the Clippers coaching staff knows that zone defense is just a small means of changing the rhythm and cannot be used for a long time.

According to NBA rules, big centers cannot squat in the three-second zone, which determines that the power of zone defense is definitely not as good as FIBA ​​rules.

When players take into account the three seconds of defense, it is difficult to maintain a zone defense formation for a long time.

In addition, the NBA game is fast-paced, and it is likely to be scattered after a few rounds, so it can only be maintained for a period of time.

But this period of time was enough. The Clippers used this defensive variation to beat the Thunder to an 11:3 offensive climax.

After 7:0, Kevin Durant received a pass from Westbrook at 45 degrees and hit a three-pointer.

But then Randolph hit a mid-range jumper, and Harden held the ball and made a breakthrough throw. 11:3, suddenly leading the Thunder by 9 points.

The Thunder called a timeout, and Brooks made tactical arrangements, asking Durant to take more shots and attack the Clippers.

Of course Durant would follow the coach's instructions, but he thought in his heart that he failed to break the Clippers' zone defense with organization and coordination.

Durant can break through and distribute the ball, simply transfer the ball, and find his teammates' point guards.

However, it is by no means an easy task to use one pass to discover the loopholes in the opponent's defense and crack the opponent's defensive formation like a commander.

On the one hand, this requires a deep understanding of tactics, and on the other hand, it requires extremely keen observation and vision on the court, and the ability to make accurate judgments on the ever-changing dynamics of the court.

Durant is not good at these two points. As a professional player, he definitely understands tactics, but he needs to have a deep understanding and be able to draw inferences from one example so that he can be a coach in the future. Durant does not have this ability.

Generally, only point guards can have as deep a tactical understanding as a coach - except for Westbrook.

As for observation ability, vision, reaction speed, etc., they are purely talents, and it is difficult to develop such things later in life.

When God opens a door for you, he will inevitably close a window. It is difficult for you to take all the benefits.

Durant already has an epic wingspan, body flexibility and shooting touch. It is normal for him to be lacking in some aspects.

But Durant wants to be the best in history. Michael Jordan aside, can he at least reach the level of James?

The most commendable thing about James is his passing vision and court observation, which is also a major reason why his ability surpasses Carmelo Anthony.

After the first round of training, Kevin Durant thought he passed the ball pretty well.

In the first quarter of this game, he kept passing the ball, and he also believed that he played a role in connecting and organizing.

As a result, a simple zone defense allowed him to "reveal his true colors", and Durant felt really unhappy.

After returning to the court after the timeout, Kevin Durant faced Leonard and used a sudden stop to hit the ball, showing his superior ball sense.

The Thunder's defense also made changes. Perkins sat on the bench, Ibaka moved to the center position, and Durant began to appear at the fourth position.

Durant defended Randolph one-on-one, but Durant used his long arms to successfully interfere with Randolph's turning hook shot.

Then Durant received a pass from Westbrook and hit a mid-range jumper. He chased for 4 points in a row and the Thunder closed in on the score.

"Sure enough, scoring is the only thing I'm good at? No..."

A thought flashed in Durant's mind, the Clippers' counterattack had come.

Jeremy Lin, who came on the bench, made a quick attack and drove to the basket with the ball, but was blocked by Durant with a big block from behind!

The ball flew out of the baseline, and the Clippers still had the ball, but the Clippers' fast offense had been destroyed.

After a baseline kick, Curry caught the ball and shot quickly from mid-range, but failed to score. Ibaka got the backboard and gave the ball to Durant.

This is another adjustment made by the Thunder to hide Perkins' offensive and defensive deficiencies - letting Kevin Durant appear at the fourth position to increase his defensive role.

Despite Durant's thin body, he was like a muscle-ratt when he first entered the league, unable to do a single bench press.

After five years of training, Durant's weight is actually not small. After all, his frame and height are here.

When playing inside, weight is sometimes more important than height, because only with weight can there be confrontation.

Durant also has naturally long arms, so he will definitely be good at defense if he concentrates on it.

After the Sonics took Durant second overall in 2007, they focused on developing him into an offensive killer.

During his rookie season, Durant was given unlimited firepower to practice his offensive skills and shooting touch, which quickly bore fruit.

But imagine if the SuperSonics did not follow this training route, but started with defense like Durant's idol Tracy McGrady did?

With Durant's physical talent, he might not be a top defensive striker.

It can only be said that the paths of many players are destined from the beginning.

Of course, the Thunder will not let Durant always support Randolph at the fourth position as a power forward, and will only occasionally let him appear in the paint to participate in defense.

In this way, the Thunder can play one big and four small. On the defensive end, they can move quickly and have few holes. On the offensive end, all five players can play four against five.

This move is indeed effective. Without Perkins holding back, the Thunder's offensive efficiency has increased.

Durant dribbled the ball across half court and passed the ball to Westbrook. Westbrook accelerated to the basket and made a jump shot... But when the opponent was on guard, he broke into a through pass and passed it to Iba who was cutting through the basket.

Ka, Ibaka caught the ball and dunked easily!

The Thunder continued to chase points, and the score was close to 5 points.

Jeremy Lin slowed down this time and continued to pass the ball to Randolph in the low post.

This time Randolph turned around and walked to the baseline and rushed to the basket. His layup was interfered by Ibaka and missed.

But Milicic rushed up from the side and made a tip-in with a tap.

The Clippers now have an advantage inside and will definitely take advantage of it.

The two sides fell into a tug of war.

The Thunder's offense is much smoother without Perkins.

However, the corresponding inside line will suffer a loss. To weigh the lesser of the two, offense is more important.

The scores of both sides increased alternately, the game was extremely beautiful, and the pace became faster and faster.

Durant began to gradually forget his thoughts before the game, and the passing button was gradually turned off.

Whenever he gets the chance, he will use his singles skills to attack the Clippers' basket.

As for the Clippers, Curry, Harden, Randolph, and Gasol all participated in the offense.

Quick passing, agile running, imaginative passing and amazing finishing methods.

Min Congda, who was sitting in the VIP room, had to admit that when the Clippers are in good offensive condition, it is a pleasure to watch them play.

The Clippers' precise coordination is different from that of the Spurs. The Spurs are like machines, a tacit understanding and subconscious habit accumulated through countless training sessions and more than ten years.

The precision of the Clippers is filled with a natural beauty, just like the nests built by bees and the webs spun by spiders. Although it has not reached the point where the antelope hangs its horns and cannot be traced, the genius imagination of these young people on the offensive end is reflected everywhere.

force.

Obviously, the tough match against the Spurs in the first round allowed the Clippers' young people to achieve a sublimation.

This troubles Thunder coach Brooks.

In fact, the Thunder wanted to control the rhythm and use the efficiency of positional warfare to drag the game into the Thunder's familiar routine.

For example, if the shooting percentage of both sides is low and it enters the critical moment of the fourth quarter, Durant, Westbrook or Gordon come out to harvest the game.

In the first round against the Nuggets, Brooks used this trick when facing his teacher George Karl.

Durant and Westbrook led their teammates in front, passing the ball more, being efficient, and the whole team played.

Then in the final stage, the superstar who had finished warming up used his personal ability to end the game naturally and smoothly.

It's a very ideal feeling to win a game.

But the Clippers were clearly disrupting this order, forcing Durant and Westbrook to step up earlier and use their personal abilities to seize the score and struggle to catch up.

In the final stage, the players' physical fitness and status will be a problem.

But there was no way, it was impossible to let the Clippers lead too much in the first half.

Trailing by more than 10 points at halftime on the road, it was difficult to win in the third and fourth quarters.

And the Clippers have always been good at breaking out in the third quarter, beating their opponents in waves.

If the Thunder are still lagging behind, they will be even more unable to fight.

Durant, who didn't score in the first quarter, made 7 of 11 shots in the second quarter and scored 18 points.

At the end of the second quarter, the Clippers led the Thunder by 7 points 63:70.

The Thunder have played quite well, scoring 33 points in a single quarter, which is a very high score.

But the Clippers scored 39 points in a single quarter, nearly 40 points!

The offensive battle between the two sides was quite beautiful, and the fans found it enjoyable to watch.

Griffin, Jordan and others who were sitting on the sidelines watching the game even murmured in their hearts.

If they meet the Thunder or Clippers, can they really withstand such an attack?
To be continued...