Chapter 291 Supergiants' guesses about the championship
At this time, Jordan invited Barkley and Dameng to dinner at home.
Jordan said while eating: "Tomorrow the league will announce the best lineup. Do you think you have a chance?"
"Who else could I take the fourth position?" Barkley put down his knife and fork and shouted.
"That's not necessarily true. The postman's performance is better than yours." Jordan smiled.
Buckley nodded helplessly. The postman was indeed very strong. He was almost disabled by Old K last year, but it had no effect on him. His ability to withstand injuries was much better than his.
Dameng said confidently: "Barkley can't do it, but I have no problem. If I can't win the MVP for a while, I can only say that it should be a joke... Why are you looking at me?"
Speaking later, he found Jordan and Barkley staring at him with ridicule in their eyes.
Jordan also put down his knife and fork, stared at Dameng and smiled: "Hakim, the best lineup is more about personal performance, followed by team record and fan influence. You don't understand, right?"
Buckley chuckled. He couldn't say anything because he was afraid that Da Meng would harm him.
Dameng's face darkened, one level darker than before, and he snorted coldly: "Old K's statistics are not much better than mine."
"Even if someone has better statistics than you, if you steal his MVP, it won't be a loss if you give him a best first team. Besides, he shouldn't be able to steal your first team defensively," Jordan said.
Barkley said: "That's not necessarily true. Old K's defense is good this season, averaging 3.1 blocks per game. Not only is his individual defense good, but his assist defense has also improved a lot. Considering the Suns' record, if you don't give him MVP, you will give him
The league should consider him as a double first team player. Even if Old K can't make the defensive first team, it belongs to Mutombo, he is the dpoy this season."
Jordan was startled, thought for a moment, and nodded.
When he thought about it, he thought, forget it, MVP is the most important thing. This is the first in his career. He is not unfamiliar with double teams and has won it several times.
However, Jordan's attitude made him a little confused and asked: "Michael, you seem to support Old K?"
Jordan shrugged and said: "Now that he is no longer a rookie, I don't want to get too tense with him off the court."
Barkley immediately said: "Old K is definitely a super giant with huge influence now. There is no doubt about this. I support Michael's decision."
Dameng ignored Barkley, but did not object to his words. He said to Jordan: "He slapped you in public, you don't hate him anymore?"
He glared at Dameng, and said, "You don't want to pick any pot, right?" Jordan said coldly: "I punched him first, and we were even."
Dameng looked at Jordan in surprise, is this old gangster so generous now? Is this shameless?
The three of them chatted for a while, and Jordan suddenly coughed twice and said, "Hey, is the service effective?"
Buckley and Dameng looked at each other and suddenly realized that this was the purpose of this old gangster.
Barkley pondered for a moment and then said: "As an old friend, Michael, I hope you will give it a try. Don't you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on body care every year? This is also a kind of maintenance. In a year, it costs tens of thousands of dollars."
Thousands of dollars.”
Jordan hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and said, "How about, Charles, you help me test Old K's attitude?"
"I can mention it, but the relationship between that guy Old K and you is very tense. I dare not say what his attitude is," Barkley said.
"Just mention it and I'll invite you to play golf another day," Jordan said.
"ok."
…
At eight o'clock that evening, TNT's program about the finals started.
The hosts are also the TV commentators for this finals, Kevin Harlan, and groom Albert.
The guests were Magic Johnson, Bird, the recently retired Moses Malone, and Rick Barry.
"Hey, good evening everyone..."
At the beginning of the show, Albert gave an opening statement to the camera, and then Kevin Harlan introduced the four guests. The former then got to the point and said:
"For this year's finals, almost all media agree that the Suns and Bulls will have a very fierce series, because the strength of the two sides is very close, and everyone should also hope to see a close finals, not
It was a one-sided finals, so what do you think of this finals?"
Magic Johnson raised his hand immediately and said: "This year's finals will definitely not be one-sided. Jordan wants to defend the championship, and Old K wants to win the championship as a core. Their lineups are also close, so they will definitely fight to the death.
"
Albert nodded and said: "If the Bulls succeed in defending their title, they will once again challenge the three-peat dynasty. And if the Suns defeat the Bulls again, the management may also pay a huge price to retain the current lineup and strive to defend the title next year."
His words were recognized by everyone present, and everyone nodded.
"Defending the title?"
In a certain bar in the hotel, this word flashed through Colangelo's mind.
If he wins the championship again this year, he will have to face the choice he made when he won the championship in 1993. Should he keep the lineup, or tear down this transitional lineup and continue to rebuild?
The form of the Lightning and Thunder will continue to decline next season, including Green and Drexler. Can they really defend their title with this lineup?
In 1993, he actually made a wrong decision. He didn't expect Kevin Johnson to be in such good shape. He chose to rebuild, sent Barkley away, and wasted the opportunity to defend his title. This time he needs to think more carefully.
In the tnt studio, Kevin Harlan brought the topic back and said to Larry Bird: "Larry, how do you think the game will go?"
Larry Bird said at this time: "The game will start to strangle on the outside. If the Bulls can complete the suppression of the opponent on the outside, the situation will be favorable to the Bulls.
And if the Bulls cannot achieve the goal of perimeter suppression, then the Suns will have an absolute crushing advantage in the low post, and the Bulls will pay a huge price."
Moses Malone continued: "As a center, I am actually more optimistic about the Bulls."
"Why?" Kevin Harlan asked.
Moses Malone said: "Because the inside line relies too much on outside support, even if the Bulls cannot completely suppress the Suns' outside line, they will definitely reduce their efficiency. Once the Suns' organizational function is greatly damaged and the offensive efficiency is suppressed, the inside line will
If you don’t get enough support, no matter how strong you are, it won’t determine the outcome of the game.”
Groom Albert nodded and said: "Moses, what you said makes sense. This is how the Bulls defeated the Magic. They will probably defeat the Suns as well."
At this time, Kevin Harlan said to Rick Barry: "Rick, don't you want to say something? You are paid, so you must say something."
"Ha ha……"
After everyone laughed, Rick Barry said: "Although the Bulls have an advantage on the outside, I want to remind you that the Suns are not the Magic. The Suns are better on the outside than the Magic. Even Jordan and Pippen cannot completely suppress the Lightning and the Magic."
Since the Glider cannot completely suppress the Suns' perimeter, there is no way to avoid being crushed by Old K inside. Once Old K plays with terrifying efficiency in the low post, it will be difficult for the Bulls to win."
Everyone couldn't help but nod their heads.
Albert said at this time: "Why don't we give them some suggestions? You are both superstars, and both their teams will value your suggestions."
Larry Bird immediately said: "I am optimistic about the Suns. As long as the Suns put the ball in, Old K can solve all problems."
"Larry, I didn't expect you to be a fan of Old K?" Moses Malone said in surprise.
Larry Bird shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "I admire him very much."
Moses Malone said: "But the Magic also has a giant beast. The Bulls eliminated the Magic with a big score of four to one. What does it mean?"
"It doesn't explain anything."
Larry Bird directly denied what Moses said, and then said: "The Magic's perimeter is not as strong as the Suns' perimeter. The Suns' perimeter is just not as good as the Bulls' perimeter, but it is also top-notch in the league. The Bulls can beat the Magic's perimeter.
, but it will definitely not be able to beat the Suns' perimeter, and the result will be different.
And even O'Neal's performance in the Eastern Conference Finals was very good. The Bulls' internal defense was very poor and could not restrain him. Even the Bulls could not cut off the connection between the Magic and O'Neal on the outside.
The reason why the Magic lost the game was not because the Bulls limited the connection between the inside and outside through perimeter defense, but because they restricted the Magic's perimeter offense. They had a greater advantage on the perimeter, but they had no way to deal with O'Neal.
In the same situation, the Bulls will not be able to cut off the Suns' internal and external connections, and they will not be able to truly suppress the Suns' outside offense. So the deciding factor is the Suns' advantage in the low post and the Bulls' advantage on the outside.
Whoever is bigger will win."
Albert nodded and said, "I agree with Larry, but what about the rest of you?"
Barry nodded and said: "Actually, as long as the lightning and the glider keep a certain distance, it will be difficult for the bull to double-team them.
One-on-one, even if it's Jordan and Pippen, I don't think they can really block the Lightning's pass to Old K. It's impossible.
Jordan and Pippen's defense is really good, but as long as the Lightning and Glider reduce their offense and pass the ball to Old K with all their strength, they will not make many mistakes. The Bulls' perimeter defense is not that good yet, and that high level
How long can we maintain strong defense?"
Magic Johnson said: "I also support Larry's statement. Once the Bulls cannot cut off the Suns' internal and external connections, then Old K will dominate the game.
In fact, when the Bulls faced off against the Suns, they were naturally restrained in terms of lineup. When they were unable to completely overwhelm the defensive team on the outside and were unable to establish enough advantages, the inside was the fatal point.
I don’t know if you have noticed that when O’Neal gained 140 kilograms, his physical condition was no longer as good as that of Old K. In other words, under the Bulls’ weak interior defense, Old K could take more crazy shots than O’Neal.
Play more efficient low-post offense to make up for the disadvantages on the outside."
Rick Barry nodded and said: "I also agree with this statement. It is very likely to happen. Old K's physical fitness is indeed stronger than O'Neal. This season, his investment in defensive end and rebounding is obviously greater than O'Neal. Once the Bulls are facing off in the low post,
He didn't exert enough defensive energy, he could completely dominate the game with a terrifying low-post attack, I'm sure of that."
At the Bulls headquarters, Phil Jackson was sitting in his head coach's office, staring at the TV screen, thoughtfully.
He has been busy all day. In fact, he has not had a good rest in the past few days and is fully preparing for the finals.
Regarding Larry Bird's statement, he felt that we should pay attention to it and not let Old K dominate the low position.
He has also seen the Western Conference Finals. Without a draw, the Mosaic team's tactics are to imitate the Bulls' tactics. He also knows the purpose of the draw tactics, and he knows even more what the result of the Western Conference Finals means.
But he still has to use this tactic, because Clifford Robertson's low-post offensive ability is very poor, and his confrontation ability is even worse. He can't play in the low post in front of Old K.
One thing that is more advantageous than Mosaic's spacing tactics is that Clifford Robinson has three-pointers, and his spacing ability is stronger than Dameng.
In this way, after Old K is pulled out, it becomes more difficult to return to defense, and the control of backcourt rebounds is also weakened.
Coupled with the breakthrough tactics from the outside, the Bulls can not only attack efficiently at the basket, but also grab more offensive rebounds and play high-quality secondary attacks.
Therefore, he has not lost confidence in the inside tactic, and with the Bulls' lineup, this is the only inside tactic that can be used.
In the hotel, a large group of people from the Suns team and their families watched the TNT program in the bar, and then everyone started discussing it.
Westphal first said: "In order to cope with the Bulls' inside tactics, the outside defense must be fast. We need to save energy for Old K as much as possible to ensure that he has enough energy to play more low-post attacks."
Kevin Johnson said: "We can increase the rotation appropriately."
Assistant coach Lewis said: "Yes, physical fitness on the outside is also a problem. Now in the finals, everyone's physical fitness has been worked hard to the end, and the substitute players have to step up."
Westphal also nodded in approval of this suggestion. He is not a head coach who does not give opportunities to substitute players. As a player, he has no habit of relying on the main team unless necessary.
Especially the rookie substitute Wes Riperson at the second position, his performance in the playoffs was pretty good, even better than in the regular season, and his offensive firepower was a little stronger than Dan Marley. He is using his ideas.
…
Late at night, Wang Tiejun was lying in bed alone, opening the system and looking at his own information.
He now has 1,900 points in his hand, enough to exchange for three 500-point technology optimization cards. The finals are coming soon, and he plans to improve his technical level.
1. Basic skills:
Shooting is level 80, ball handling is level 80, and passing and receiving is level 95.
2. Attack:
Basketball attack level 97 (comprehensive ability, cannot be directly upgraded), close range attack level 89 (comprehensive ability, cannot be directly upgraded), mid-range attack level 72, and long-range attack level 50
Low post confrontation is level 94, low post pace is level 92, low post play is level 94, low post facing the basket is level 90, turn jumper is level 35, hook is level 95, floater is level 90, rebounding is level 58, jump shot is level 66, and layup is level 91
, organization is level 70, cover and coordination is level 85, receiving and distributing the ball is level 85, and launching fast break is level 95.
3. Defense: Single defense level 94, assist defense level 88, blocking level 92, rebounding level 98, and steals level 56.
This is information on all of his current skills, and what he plans to improve is of course his offense.
After taking a few glances at my offensive skills, I suddenly realized that something was wrong. Several low-post skills had been upgraded. Low-post confrontation, low-post pace, and low-post post play had all been upgraded by one level. There were no other changes. This should be due to the accumulation of game experience.
And get the promotion.
In addition, the low turn jump shot is level 35, the rebound shot is level 58, and the jump shot is level 66. These three items are the only ones that have not reached level 90, so we will improve these three items now.
"System, exchange me for three skill optimization cards. I want to optimize the three skills of turnaround jump shot, rebound shot, and jump shot."
"Yes, start redeeming."
In the next ten minutes, he successively completed the optimization of three techniques, improved their level, and at the same time improved his comprehensive offensive capabilities.
The jump shot has been upgraded to level 75, the rebound shot has been upgraded to level 90, and the turnaround jump shot has been upgraded to level 60.
In terms of comprehensive offensive ability, the basket attack has been upgraded to level 98, the close-range attack has been increased to level 92, the mid-range attack has been increased to level 73, and the long-range attack has been increased to level 60.
"I x!"
He regretted that he should not have improved his jump shot and turnaround jump shot. They were only at levels 75 and 60. They were not very practical at all and could not be used at all.
How high can a jump shot and turnaround jump shot of this level be in the finals? One out of ten?
In fact, his basic shooting skills are only level 80, and his jump shot can be improved to level 75. The optimization card is already very powerful.
On the contrary, the skill of rebounding was suddenly improved to a first-class level, which surprised him. It seems that this skill is not too affected by the basic skills of shooting.
I browsed the technical information again and found several skills above level 90. If I want to improve them in the future, I have to either improve my physical fitness, which may be difficult, or improve these finishing techniques by improving basic skills such as low-post steps. Finally, there is another way.
, redeem a skill synthesis card and a resource integration card worth 1,000 points and 2,000 points.