The season has entered its final sprint, and the situation regarding the playoffs has become increasingly chaotic. Take the Eastern Conference, for example, which can be roughly divided into four camps.
The first is the Pistons, Heat, Nets, and Hawks in the top half. The four teams have basically locked in their respective playoff spots. The Pistons are first and the Nets are third.
There is some suspense on whether the Hawks can chase the Heat. There is a three-game gap between the two teams, so objectively speaking, the probability is not high.
LeBron James' Cavaliers are currently in fifth place with a record of 36 wins and 26 losses, four games behind the Hawks.
Their positioning is equally awkward. There is no hope of chasing the Hawks, and they are three games ahead of the Wizards behind them. They are the most likely opponent for the Hawks to encounter in the playoffs. But it is obvious that the Hawks are stronger than the Nets.
It depends on whether the Cavaliers will take the initiative to sink and pick the Nets.
The Wizards with 33 wins and 29 losses; the Pacers and Bulls with 32 wins and 30 losses; the Bucks with 31 wins and 31 losses, the 76ers with 30 wins and 32 losses, and the Magic with 28 wins and 34 losses belong to the third camp. These six teams
There will be competition for three playoff spots. Their current goal is to first lock in the playoff spots, rankings, and playoff games. This is not something they should consider.
The Celtics, Raptors, Knicks, and Hornets are tank armies, and they have set their sights on the draft in advance.
The situation makes Keyan uncomfortable. He really hates playing knights.
But at this moment, the initiative is in the hands of the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers can choose to be reckless and confront the Hawks; they can also choose to control the situation and find opportunities to control the sixth ranking.
After a day of rest, the Hawks went away to challenge the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was also a good opportunity for Ke Yan to observe Garnett in person.
After losing Cassell and Sprewell, the Timberwolves' strength declined significantly. In the middle of the season, they exchanged the shooter Szczerbiak for the data brusher Ricky Davis with stronger singles ability, but it did not improve the team's strength.
In a weak situation, the team also entered a state of failure after half the game.
In fact, this is also a problem for the Timberwolves. They are even slower than others in terms of performance, and it is difficult to break into the top three in the draft.
Regarding the team's situation, Garnett, who has always claimed to stay with the Timberwolves, has actually had some trade rumors. There are rumors that he will go to the Lakers to join forces with Kobe Bryant, and there are also rumors that he may go to the Suns to compete for the championship. However, Ke Yan
You know, these news are all nonsense.
Suns owner Sarver is rivaling Alexander on the matter of stinginess. It may not be realistic for him to take over Garnett, the league's highest-paid player, not to mention the need to send away Stoudemire.
The Lakers, that's even funnier, what do they give in exchange for Garnett, Odom and Kwame Brown?
After the warm-up, players from both sides took the field.
Eagles five players: Paul, Joe Johnson, Kittles, Josh Smith, Diaw.
Posey had some ankle discomfort during the training the day before. To be on the safe side, Ke Yan arranged for him to rest in this game and Kittles replaced him.
Confrontation with mosquito shooters is a problem, but the Timberwolves' wing strength is average, Hassell's offensive ability is slightly greater than zero, and Kittles can handle it.
Garnett won the jump ball and the Timberwolves attacked first.
Jaric dribbled the ball to the right and passed it to Garnett, who was in a back position. Blount pulled to the high post to make room.
Garnett singled out Josh Smith and took advantage of his height advantage to turn over and shoot a jump shot. It missed the basket due to interference. Joe Johnson, who was inward, grabbed the rebound and took the ball directly to the frontcourt without passing the ball.
Joe Johnson and Diaw played a pick-and-roll in the middle. He moved one step laterally and made a three-pointer with a pull-up stop on the right side. He shot very resolutely. Blount did not switch defense in place, and Ricky Davis, who was chasing after him from the side, did not block it, but the ball bounced out of the basket.
basket.
Garnett grabbed the rebound and stabilized the situation. The Timberwolves were fighting in the position. Garnett moved to the high post and saw the opportunity and passed it directly to Hassell, who was cutting through the air. The latter took Kittles and reached the basket. Dior
Despite interference, he failed to score a layup. Diaw grabbed a backcourt rebound and launched a fast break.
Paul caught the ball at half-court, attracted the defense, and passed it to Joe Johnson who was reaching for the ball near the free throw line. The latter leaned against Hassell, took a step after receiving the ball, pulled the ball up, jumped to the basket, and doubled
Jumping off his feet, he beat his opponent with a right-handed ball from close range and scored 0:2.
Joe Johnson doesn't run fast, jumps high, and doesn't play explosively, but his core strength is very strong, which ensures the completion of his skills. Most people really can't guard against him.
The Timberwolves attacked, Garnett pulled to the center for a pick-and-roll, Ricky Davis broke through with the ball, got out of the space and made a jump shot. 2 to 2.
Compared to Szczerbiak, Ricky Davis does have more skills.
Paul brought the ball to the frontcourt, waited for his teammates to open up, and played a pick-and-roll with Diaw. He opened up space and passed the ball to Diaw. The latter received the ball and turned around as smoothly as silk, directly passing Jaric and picking up the basket.
Take action.
As early as when Paul and Diaw were playing pick-and-roll, Garnett had already paid attention to help protect the frame in advance. When Diaw completed the pass, he appeared under the basket, jumped into the air, and picked off the ball!
At the first moment, Diaw and Josh Smith both made "ball interference" gestures to the referee, but the referee ignored it. Garnett wanted to take the opportunity to launch a counterattack, but his teammates failed to catch up in time.
Positioned in a positional battle, Garnett faced the frame and beat Josh Smith in singles. The Hawks resolutely double-teamed and successfully interfered with Garnett's shot.
The Hawks counterattacked with a fast break. No matter how good Garnett was, he could not return to half-court defense just after finishing the attack. Paul restrained the defense and assisted Kittles for a layup. (2:4)
The Timberwolves attacked, Garnett pulled Josh Smith in the low post, turned and made a jump shot. 4:4.
Although the ball was scored, Garnett was not happy. On the offensive end, he and Ricky Davis were the only ones able to absorb the ball. On the defensive end, only he and Hassell were on the defensive line. What the hell, 2 on 5!
Paul dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, broke through Jaric, attracted double-teams and then distributed the ball. Diaw followed up and hit the throw! 4:6.
Unable to guard against Diaw on the defensive end, Blount responded on the offensive end. After receiving a pass from Garnett, he hit two long points to tie the score. The center traded from the Celtics had average defense and average rebounds, but his offense
With a basket on his side, he can even shoot three-pointers.
However, the Eagles have never been afraid of anyone when attacking! Diaw organized in the middle and passed the ball to Joe Johnson who was running on the side of the screen. The latter attracted Garnett's switch and then passed the ball. Josh Smith hit Ricky with the frame.
Davis, squeezed to the basket and hit the board with force.
After a few more rounds, the Timberwolves were still unable to contain the Eagles' offense. During positional battles and counterattacks, they faced the Eagles' configuration of three ball-holding points and two scorers who were very capable of seizing opportunities.
As Kittles hit a three-pointer from the right, the Eagles opened the point difference to 6 points. (15:9) The Eagles established a certain advantage, but Ke Yan replaced Kittles with Udoka.
.
Kittles is fragile, so Ke Yan should be careful when using him, and generally won't let him play for more than 5 minutes in a row.
"Kerry, do you want to consider playing another year next season?" Ke Yan said to Kittles on the bench.
"ah?"
"Next season, the Eagles may enter the championship sequence. You also hope to retire with a championship ring, right?" Ke Yan said.
If there is any player in the team that Ke Yan did not intend to sign, but who shouted "really good" after using it, it is Kittles. With his ghostly running position, superb shooting skills and strong tactical execution,
It greatly improved Ke Yan's favorability towards him. This game is a typical example. His outside shooting percentage is 9% higher than Posey's, and his outside control ability is completely different!
"Let's talk about it, it depends on my physical condition!" Kittles wants to retire not because he can't get a contract, but because frequent injuries have made him somewhat resistant to the game.
However, Ke Yan has used him relatively sparingly this season. This season, Kittles has maintained his health. If the Eagles can be promoted to the top level of the league, maybe he will really consider playing for another year.
"Of course." Keyan nodded, "Waiting for your call."
Udoka replaced Kittles, and the Hawks lost a strong containment point on the outside. Immediately, Paul and Josh Smith became more determined on the offensive end.
Paul's ability to adjust is still very strong. In the last game he lost to the Bucks, Ke Yan just said harsh words in the locker room. Looking back, this time he played the basketball that Ke Yan wanted most. In the first quarter of the game
, Paul played for 12 minutes, making 5 of 8 shots, 2 of 4 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 14 points and 3 assists, helping the Eagles lead the Timberwolves 33:24 by 9 points to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, substitutes versus substitutes, the Hawks still had an absolute lead. Due to Joe Smith's yin and yang contract incident, the Timberwolves were fined 5 first-round picks. This was the most serious penalty in NBA history, and it also allowed the Timberwolves to continuously
There has been no way to strengthen the lineup for several years. The legacy of this penalty has not been eliminated to this day. The lack of draft picks means that the Timberwolves have no way to add fresh blood from the draft and sign players with high-quality rookie contracts; they also have no way to make trades.
The bench was badly damaged.
David Lee and House scored one after another, and the Eagles successfully opened the point difference to double digits, and then further expanded to 15 points.
At a critical moment, Garnett can only re-enter the battle, grasp the offense and defense, and support the team!
Compared with the Timberwolves who were stretched thin, the Hawks were able to handle it with ease, especially after Diaw came on the court. Garnett was even teased by Diaw during a defense, and he was so angry that he deliberately hit the floor with the ball when serving to show his dissatisfaction! Also!
There are so many people who envy the Eagles playing basketball!
The main players of the Eagles rested comfortably for a long time before reappearing. As soon as they came on the court, Joe Johnson hit a mid-range shot, giving his opponent a powerful start.
This game is really torture for Garnett.
In the second half of the second quarter, Blount felt good, making 4 of 6 shots and scoring 9 points. On the offensive end, he helped Garnett share a certain amount of pressure. However, there was nothing he could do with the full firepower of the Hawks.
At the end of the game, the team still trailed the Eagles by 12 points. (46:58)
At halftime, the exchange of Szczerbiak for Ricky Davis and Blount may have slightly improved the Timberwolves' combat effectiveness, but it doesn't freeze three feet in a day, and the team's problem is not such a small problem.
Small fixes can solve it.
The third quarter was almost a replica of the first quarter. Garnett mastered both offense and defense. The Timberwolves could compete with the Hawks in a short period of time and achieved good results, but he was unable to defend one against two or three against three for a long time.
In terms of suppressing the Hawks' offense, Garnett is even better than Ben Wallace! But the Pistons have a complete set of interconnected and complementary defensive systems, and the Timberwolves do not. In the face of the Hawks' offense, the Timberwolves' defense has too many flaws.
, Garnett can't even make up for it.
Joe Johnson played an efficient performance in the third quarter. He made 5 of 8 shots in a single quarter, including 3 of 5 three-pointers and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 15 points, helping the Eagles open the point difference to 22 points.
The game almost lost its suspense.
In the final quarter of the game, the Timberwolves didn't even let Garnett play for too long. They replaced the Hawks on the bench earlier than the Hawks and accepted the defeat. Ke Yan accepted the gift and did not intend to humiliate the Timberwolves, so he also replaced the bench to deal with the opponent.
There are still trade talks in the summer. Now that they have hit 58, are McHale and Garnett shameless?
98:123, the Eagles defeated the Wolves in the away game and won Ke Yan's first win after renewing his contract. (41-22)
At the press conference after the game, Ke Yan praised Garnett very much.
"A player like kg should be the dream of all coaches. His role is not only reflected in statistics, but also creates difficulties for us in places that many fans cannot see."
The Hawks will not discuss the possibility of a trade with the Timberwolves until the end of the season to avoid affecting team morale.
In the Timberwolves' post-game interview, Garnett showed a lack of interest. It is very helpless for a superstar to watch the team choose to fail during his peak period.
The Lakers next door are only eighth in the Western Conference, and Kobe is still not satisfied? Not to mention that this is the second consecutive season that Garnett went fishing at the end of April!
...
On March 7, the Eagles faced the challenge of the Sacramento Kings at home.
After sending away Webb and Peja one after another, the Kings continued their Princeton offensive system. However, with the addition of Artest, who had low intelligence and demanded the ball, the Kings faced a bigger problem. In this regard, Adelman
The approach is to run the two styles of play in parallel. Sometimes the four-man offensive team plays Princeton's offense, with Artest acting as a spot-up shooter; sometimes Artest is allowed to control the ball in singles, and other teammates cooperate with him.
The Kings' cooperation with Artest was a mistake in itself! Adelman's "compromise" can only alleviate possible conflicts within the team, but it cannot improve the team's increasingly stagnant offense.
Fortunately, Artest, who got a certain amount of the ball on the offensive end, put in more effort on the defensive end, which helped the Kings improve their defense. Although both sides were very awkward, it benefited from the decline in the overall strength of the Western Conference team.
, the Kings instead climbed to seventh place in the Western Conference.
Looking at the Hawks' lineup, Adelman wants to drool. Paul, Joe Johnson, Posey, Diaw, Milicic/David Lee, this lineup is so suitable for playing Princeton! Let him lead it, the results will definitely not be as good as the Hawks now
Difference!
It's a pity that compared to Key Yan, the Eagles, from the team owner to the fans who bought cheap tickets, can't believe Adelman's plan. Because the Kings were basically beaten by the Eagles from the beginning of the game!
Posey was still injured, and Ke Yan asked Josh Smith and Kittles to switch defenses to take care of the strong Artest. The two strongest guys on the field competed and basically formed a matchup. The Eagles
Without a high-efficiency scorer, the offense is more focused on the outside. The Kings are completely missing a system and can only focus on Bibby and Brad Miller on the offensive end.
The results can be imagined!
113:89, the Eagles defeated the Kings at home.
At the post-game press conference, Adelman praised Ke Yan's work with the Hawks; "Kimi did a great job in building such a competitive lineup in a short period of time. I think the Hawks are already the best team in the NBA."
They are a new force. Any opponent who underestimates them will be taught a lesson. I'm not just talking about the regular season, but also the playoffs."
.......
March 8th is International Women's Day. Women in the company get a holiday, but men don't.
Larry Sander invited Ke Yan to the office and discussed with him the early renewal of Diaw's contract. Anthony Ressler had given clear instructions on which rookie to select, what kind of deal to make, and how to renew the contract, all to follow Ke Yan's ideas.
"Dior's agent asked for a contract extension of 10 million, which I think is a bit of a premium." Larissander said with a wry smile.
Even Larry Sander, who is not very professional, knows how important Diaw is to Ke Yan. He can indeed create a lot of offensive opportunities for his teammates on the court. Even when Ke Yan was designing the Garnett deal, he also asked
Keep Dio in the lineup.
But with his own average of 9 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game, asking for a multi-million contract seems a bit excessive. After all, Diaw's defensive weaknesses are still obvious, and Key Yan's tactics are needed to make up for it.
And on the other hand, can Dior really be so happy without Keyan? Larry Sander has some doubts.