Chapter 38 [The Jagged Legion under the Snow Mountain]
In the Jazz training hall, a group of muscular men are practicing enthusiastically, and three of them are particularly conspicuous.
Stockton: "We're playing against the Sonics again. Are you ready to score high?" Whoops!
Malone: "You still have to ask? Not only do I want to score high points, I also want to prevent that kid (Kemp) from scoring in double figures." Oh!
Hornacek smiled honestly. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
The "three veterans of the Jazz" continue to throw beautiful hollow balls and are in good condition. Last season, the Jazz were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round. The three of them are holding back their energy and want to make a comeback this season and compete for the championship.
Although they lost to the eventual champion Rockets in the first round last season, the Rockets had only 47 wins in the regular season and ranked sixth in the Western Conference. The Jazz won 60 games in the regular season, only two games behind the league's first-place Spurs.
Why do the Jazz, who have the second record in the Western Conference, play against the sixth in the Western Conference in the first round? Because there are currently only four divisions in the Eastern and Western NBA, and the division champions are locked in the top two. The Jazz are second in the division, and even if their record is better, they are still ranked third.
Rocket.
In this way, they lost to the competition system and "never underestimate the heart of a championship."
The worst thing is that after they got the match point at 2-1, they were eliminated by the Rockets who had won two games in a row. In the fifth game of the decisive game, they were leading by ten points in the final quarter, but their offense was not smooth at the critical moment and they were reversed and lost by four points.
.
Malone scored 35 points and 10 rebounds, Hornacek had 19 points and 6 assists, but the Jazz struggled to win. Stockton was so pitted in that game that he was guarded to death by future TNT famous commentator Kenny Smith. He
He only scored 12 points and 5 assists in 41 minutes, shooting 28.6% from the field.
The Jazz's starting lineup this season is very strong. Stockton and Hornacek, the two famous white stars in the league, are both guards who are good at shooting. Their shooting percentage in most seasons is above 50%.
Malone was not very good at shooting when he first entered the league, but now he has improved his mid-range shooting percentage to about 45%, becoming a weapon that scares all opponents. He can not only play hard in the low post, but also pull out for jump shots. He is the most comprehensive in the league.
One of the inside players.
The role players also practiced shooting more and prepared for the opening game. Legendary coach Jerry Sloan created this iron-blooded army under the snowy mountains.
The Jazz have the largest training volume among all teams. Driven by the core, everyone works hard.
Malone's thick arms can't be developed in a short period of time. He is the most famous training maniac in the NBA.
Malone's physical condition is among the best in the league, with broad shoulders, a good frame, an excellent wingspan, and excellent athletic ability. His strong strength and ironman attributes are not talents that he has as soon as he enters the league, but rely on hard training and experience.
It is polished by human self-discipline.
Malone was the 13th pick in 1985. His pick was relatively low among stars, and his height of 206cm was average among the inside. Who would have thought that such a person would average 2,510 points per game in his career and rank second in the all-time scoring list?
At first, not many people were optimistic about Malone. However, he only practiced and slept. His physical fitness became better and better, and he played better and better. He became a regular on the NBA All-NBA first team and a leader among power forwards.
Physical durability is more related to self-discipline, playing style, and some luck. It has something to do with one's own physical fitness but has little to do with it. Compared with physical durability, there are few who can match Malone in history.
He went to the gym during the offseason, and his amazing muscles and long peak period were all the result of hard training. In addition to training in his daily life, the Jazz strength coach once said: "In the past 30 years, I have never been
I’ve never seen anyone train as much as him.”
Many years after Malone retired, he still insists on training every day to stay in shape and has developed a habit.
What about Shawn Kemp of the Sonics? He does nothing but play during holidays, and especially likes to go to nightclubs during the offseason. His weight has always been around 105 kilograms. This is not maintained by training, but because he spends too much time on women.
Increase your energy and speed up your metabolism.
If Kemp trains hard, he will never be worse than Malone. But he just doesn't want to work hard. Although he can beat most players without training, Malone is not included.
After the Jazz's training session, coach Sloan emphasized tactics and matchups for tomorrow's game.
The Jazz don't have to wait for the game to start when arranging tactics, because the whole world knows that they use pick-and-roll tactics, with constant front and side screens, players break through, cut, and catch the ball.
The simplest but most practical basketball tactic, the key to which is "block" and "break". Sloan is the greatest believer in the pick-and-roll tactic and does not consider anything else at all. He has used this tactic to its fullest and has been
The failure to win a championship is related to the fact that the Jazz are located in Salt Lake City. Big-name stars are unwilling to join the Jazz. If the team wants to rise, it can only rely on the draft to cultivate new players.
"Karl, teach Kemp a lesson tomorrow. Don't let that guy easily enter the penalty area. John (Stockton) needs to be quick to chase Payton. His jumper is not terrible. Cut off the connection between him and Kemp. Jay
Husband (Hornacek), you can come on the bench tomorrow and Chris will start."
It's not just the Sonics coaching staff who are optimistic about Yang Jian, Sloan is also very optimistic about him and has adjusted the lineup to defend him.
The black player Chris Morris was the No. 4 pick in the first round of 1988. He is a swingman with a height of 203cm and a weight of 95kg.
He has strong physical fitness and is faster than Hornacek when he plays small forward. His strength is much stronger than Hornacek. In a game against the Bulls in the 1993 regular season, he dunked
Broken backboard is the biggest highlight of his career.
He previously played for the Nets for seven years and joined the Jazz on a free transfer in the summer. He is a capable role player.
Chriss was very happy to replace Hornacek, who had been selected to the All-Star Game, as the starter, thinking this was Sloan's recognition of his ability.
Chris smiled and said: "Tomorrow I will definitely blow up the Chinese guy and teach him a lesson."
Sloan shook his head and said seriously: "I let you start not to attack, but to strengthen defense. You are the most suitable person to defend Yang Jian. You must always follow him and fight as physically as possible. Don't let him
Rush up."
"He's just an undrafted guy, I'll guard him to death." Chris was still very confident, but he also felt that Sloan was making a fuss. Why did the coach mean that I was at a disadvantage?
Unexpectedly, Sloan got angry and said loudly: "Correct your attitude. If you play with this mentality of underestimating the enemy, I'm sure you can't guard him. Whether in high school or college, you averaged 25 points per game."
Performance? If not, don't get too complacent against a summer league scoring champion."
Sloan had a fiery temper when he was a player, and he was also known for his bad temper as a coach, especially when he found out that the referee was unfair. He often got T (technical fouls) on the sidelines and even pushed the referee. .He is always very strict with the players on his team.
Chris quickly stopped his smile and said seriously: "I will not despise him anymore, and I will defend him with all my strength."
Chriss made three playoff appearances with the Nets, and was eliminated in the first round each time. He joined the Jazz to compete for the championship and did not want to play on an ordinary team all his life. He will unconditionally obey the coach's orders.
Sloan called Hornacek to his side again. "I will let you and Yang Jian play at staggered times. When he takes a break in the first quarter, you will go out and lead the bench to score points. After that, you will still have to face each other for a long time. You focus on the defensive end, and when you attack, just stand in the corner to catch the ball and shoot."
Hornacek asked curiously: "Is that Chinese really so good? As the news said, can he dunk like Jordan and Wilkins?"
"He can not only dunk, but his playing style is a bit like yours. He has a very high hit rate when catching the ball. Moreover, his speed is unbelievable, and it is difficult to defend during counterattacks." Sloan sighed.
The Sonics are a team that likes to counterattack quickly, and having Yang Jian is even more powerful. The Sonics did not challenge the Jazz in the preseason. Sloan suspected that the Sonics deliberately hid Yang Jian and used it as a weapon against the Jazz in the opening game. .
All teams hope to get off to a good start in the opening game and boost morale. In terms of lineup, Sloan believes that the SuperSonics have advantages, and the weakness of last season's weak interior lineup no longer exists.
The Jazz's advantages lie in the starting lineup and home court. Tomorrow is destined to be a tough battle.