warrior godfather

In the Bay Area in December, the chill is getting heavier and the wind is getting cooler. There are always thick clouds floating in the sky, covering the sun, and large groups of fog cover the streets, tall buildings and the two famous bridges. Moisture can also soak into the bones of a person through thick clothes.

The weather in the Bay Area is cold, but Antetokounmpo's heart is burning.

As usual, he came to the Chase Center early to prepare for today's training.

In the past month, Antetokounmpo's playing time has increased a lot, almost equal to Green, his mood is getting better and better, and his enthusiasm for training is getting higher and higher.

The wet and cold winter weather in the Bay Area can't disturb Antetokounmpo's mood, but it makes him feel that the few two or three hours of sunshine every day are very precious. He thinks of the feeling of the warm sunshine in Greece pouring on his face .

Antetokounmpo put on his training clothes, looked down at the schedule on the closet screen, and smacked his lips twice.

In the next few days, the Warriors will usher in a devil's schedule-tomorrow they will face the Bulls at home, and the next day, they will challenge the Clippers away; the next day, they will challenge the Mavericks away; the next day, they will challenge the Spurs away;

Five consecutive opponents are all tough. In addition to four straight aways, there are also two consecutive back-to-back games, which can be said to be even worse.

Even Antetokounmpo, who has a high fighting spirit and longs for as many games as possible, and has been playing longer and longer, feels very tricky about the schedule for the next period of time.

"Damn alliance, that bald head knows how to embarrass us, if only he could be replaced, Xiao Hua of XX..." Antetokounmpo closed the closet door and cursed in a low voice.

There is no Warriors player who doesn't hate Xiao Hua.

After finishing G3 in the finals of last season, Zhang Yu called out the league for manipulating the game by name in front of the media. He also said the same thing in the locker room after the game. He successfully aroused the Warriors players' common hatred and hatred, and united as one to win G4. , It also aroused their anger towards the alliance and Xiao Hua.

After this season's schedule came out, the Warriors players became even more dissatisfied with Silver.

This season, the average number of back-to-backs in the league dropped from 19.3 last season to 17.8, but the Warriors did not drop but rose, with a total of 20 back-to-backs, tied for the most in the league with the Pistons, Bucks, Rockets, and Clippers.

In the final finale, the Warriors will have two games against the Spurs and the Grizzlies, which is likely to determine the pattern of the Western Conference playoffs. It must be four tough games, which shows the good intentions of the league not to let the Warriors continue to hit the record.

Antetokounmpo remembers very clearly that when the league announced the schedule for this season in the summer, Green sent a tweet complaining that the Warriors' schedule was too dense.

Green likes to tweet very much. He is the player who tweets the most frequently among all Warriors players. He wants to express his opinion on everything. If it is not for lack of time, Antetokounmpo even thinks that Green will record a podcast and comment on it. All kinds of news in the league.

Green is also the most well-informed person in the Warriors. His friends and brothers are all over the teams, and he always knows some news that others don't know. He talks loudly in the locker room and regards himself as the leader of the locker room.

Of course, Green only vaguely revealed this meaning. The entire Warriors team knows that the boss doesn't like any locker room leaders in his team, and the Warriors can only have him as a leader.

Antetokounmpo thinks that the boss is right. Everyone in this team is trained by the boss. Who can convince the crowd as a leader?
Oh, yes, of course Curry can, but he is a good brother, a superstar, the boss of the team, but he is not the leader of the locker room.

The leader of the locker room must be able to speak and be inspiring, but Curry is not good at this. He prefers to speak with actions on the court, set an example, and lead the team forward.

Antetokounmpo thinks this is good. He doesn't want to see Green or anyone else shouting slogans in the locker room and saying some encouraging words, and then he becomes the leader of the locker room. He only recognizes Zhang Yu and Curry. .

"Hey Giannis, good morning!"

Just when Antetokounmpo thought of Curry, Curry's voice came from his ear. He turned around and saw Curry walk into the locker room and walk to his closet.

"Good morning, Steph!" Antetokounmpo walked over with a smile and gave Curry a high five.

His smile is not the kind of perfunctory smile, but a smile from the heart, a wide mouth is completely grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, which is very contagious, and Curry also laughed.

Antetokounmpo admires Curry very much. Whether it is the two offseasons, Curry's care and care for him in the basketball acceleration training camp, or Curry's selfless and humble character, it is Antetokounmpo in other It has never been seen in humans.

Everyone in the Warriors knows that Antetokounmpo is very important to Zhang Yu, and he will not be friends with him, nor will he be against each other, but most of them are just a colleague relationship. Only Wiggins and Antetokounmpo can be called friends. But the two grew up in very different environments, and after leaving basketball, they didn't have much in common.

But Curry's care for Antetokounmpo is extremely sincere. When the two are training in Charlotte, Curry will give up the time for individual training to practice pick-and-rolls with Antetokounmpo and feed him the ball. , Cultivate the tacit understanding between the two, and often invite him to dinner at home, and teach him the experience on the court.

Antetokounmpo's oral English has improved rapidly, also because in the summer of 2013, he had a lot of exchanges with Curry, and Curry took the trouble to correct him, which can be said to be half of his English teacher.

Curry even donated $100 million to an African charity organization to support the studies of 700 poor local students because Antetokounmpo relayed stories from his parents about the poor lives of Nigerian children.

Every time Antetokounmpo talks to Curry, he can see a sincere light in his eyes. Curry is not proud of his status as a superstar at all. He is not as arrogant as other superstars. He treats others He is always so humble, like a well-mannered high school student who has just graduated, and with his face that looks a bit immature and green even with a beard, it is easy for people to have a good impression.

After the two greeted, Curry changed clothes in front of his closet, and Antetokounmpo sat next to Clay's chair, chatting with Curry.

The closets of Curry and Clay have been side by side. This was specially arranged by Zhang Yu, saying that he wanted to start off the court to cultivate the tacit understanding between the two as backcourt partners.

Over the past few years, the tacit understanding between the two has long been cultivated, and they are also used to sitting together in the dressing room, and the wardrobes have never been separated again.

One after another, other players came to the locker room, and Clay also came, pulled Antetokounmpo up, and said seriously:
"Hey boy, get back where you belong!"

Antetokounmpo was not angry either. He greeted Clay with a smile, returned to his seat, and chatted with Wiggins, who had just arrived, about their abilities in 2K16.

Clay is a "ball bully" and he especially likes to joke with young players. If it weren't for Zhang Yu's strict order not to play pranks, he would definitely enjoy playing tricks on rookies-even though he himself is very young.

Not far from Antetokounmpo, Looney and Dinwiddie were discussing the "Fallout 4" that just came out last month. Looney, in the tone of someone who has experienced it, instructed Dinwiddie how to play. Straightforward.

Dinwiddie, who has always been mature and steady on weekdays, nodded again and again, his eyes fixed on Looney, for fear that he might miss it.

Others chatted with fellow players, too, and the locker room was filled with chatter and laughter.

At 8:25, Zhang Yu walked into the locker room, and everyone stopped.

Zhang Yu looked around for a week, and after confirming that no one was late, he nodded slightly and said:
"I will go to the video class first to see the Bulls' tactics this season, and conduct targeted training in the afternoon...Let's go, the video room is ready!"

Everyone had already changed into their training clothes. Hearing this, they got up one after another, followed Zhang Yu, and walked out of the locker room.

The video room is located in the training center on the basement floor, some distance away from the locker room. Everyone walked a long way before arriving at the equally luxurious video room.

After all the Warriors players were seated, Zhang Yu tapped the laser pointer twice, and the replay of the Bulls game was displayed on the large screen in front of everyone. At the same time, Zhang Yu introduced the situation of the Bulls:
"Although we just played a series against the Bulls in June, the Bulls' lineup and style of play have changed this season, and our tactics will also change accordingly. First of all, Gasol is getting older again. In addition, Noah's state has declined seriously compared to last season, and our pressure on the inside has been reduced a lot..."

Zhang Yu talked eloquently, and everyone looked at the screen in front of them attentively, listening carefully to his explanation. In the huge video room, only Zhang Yu's clear voice echoed.

……

The next day, at 07:30 in the evening, the Warriors ushered in a game against the Bulls.

After failing to defend their title last season, the Bulls made a comeback this season, but suffered a lot of setbacks.

First, Rose sprained his ankle not long after the start of the game, and the management immediately became nervous. The minor injury was healed. Rose rested for half a month before returning to the game.

Then the state of Noah and Gasol declined, and Gasol was one year older, and the decline of state was also expected, but Noah did not know whether it was serious overdraft in the past few seasons, or the continuous minor injuries and illnesses. As soon as he turned 30, his athletic ability and physical condition declined rapidly.

The decline of Noah and Gasol has made the Bulls' always strong inside line sluggish.

Stevens had no choice but to put Noah on the bench, push Gasol to the starting center position, and use Mirotic as the starting [-]th position, only to slightly stop the decline, but the Bulls have always cited The proud interior defense is gone forever.

Fortunately, there is Butler backed up. Rose is in the same state after his comeback, and the Bulls' record will not plummet. They are currently ranked second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses.

But this is far from their dominance of being the number one in the Eastern Conference last season. The odds of winning the championship have dropped repeatedly as the season progressed.

This time the away game against the Warriors is a very big challenge for the Bulls.

After the game started, both sides had a regular start, with the Warriors passing and cutting, and the Bulls picking and rolling.

After Mirotic started, the space for the Bulls became better. Gasol is also following the trend of the times and practicing three-pointers. Although he doesn’t take many shots, he averages one three-pointer per game, which can also provide a certain amount of space. support.

In the open offensive space, Rose and Butler's breakthroughs were also more threatening, and they played effective in the opening game and quickly took the lead.

Compared with Stevens, who was eager to win a victory against the Warriors and turn the situation around, Zhang Yu was not in a hurry at all. He played pass and cut step by step, arranged tactics for Clay, and let him find his hand.

There is no need to be too targeted in the regular season. The Warriors are 3 games ahead of the Thunder, which is second in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, Clay's day today is super ghostly. He made 5 of 1 three-pointers in the first quarter. The Warriors also trailed the Bulls by 23 points at 28:5.

In the second quarter, the two sides rotated their lineups, and the Warriors quickly overtook the score.

This season, Leonard's strength has improved greatly, and he has practiced mid-range singles to great success. Zhang Yu also adjusted his rotation accordingly, trying to stagger the playing time of Curry and Leonard.

After 5 minutes in the first quarter, Zhang Yu replaced Leonard and asked him to come up as a substitute in the second quarter. Leonard also played 4 minutes into the third quarter and then played again in the early part of the fourth quarter. There is always a strong point of holding the ball to maximize Leonard's singles ability.

A super defender and a top striker are on the field at the same time, which is a bit too extravagant, and the possession of the ball is not enough.

Although Curry can run without the ball, it is Curry's strongest state to switch between with the ball and without the ball at will. In the years when he and Durant partnered, the two seemed compatible, but Curry sacrificed After a lot, Zhang Yu will not repeat the same mistakes.

Wiggins' progress is also an important reason why Zhang Yun can arrange the rotation in this way.

Last season, Leonard was the only player on the front line of the Warriors with excellent offense and defense. Wiggins was inefficient offensively, Middleton was average defensively, and Covington's strength had not yet been honed. Zhang Yu dared not let him bring a substitute.

But this season, Wiggins has practiced a three-pointer that is not accurate but has a shooting rate of about 35%. He has not let go of mid-range jumpers and breakthroughs. From time to time, he can play alone for two rounds and has accumulated enough defensive experience. , both offensive and defensive, Zhang Yu was relieved to let Leonard take the bench, and Wiggins played with the starters.

Coincidentally, the Bulls are also equipped with a top guard + first-class striker. Stevens and Zhang Yu have the same idea, staggering the use of Rose and Butler, so as not to waste their ability to hold the ball.

But Feng Shui took turns. Butler, who used to put Leonard on the bench, was limited by his talent. In the past two years, his progress has been slow and he has reached an upper limit. Leonard has continued to grow and has now surpassed Butler.

Leonard has a longer wingspan, a wider frame, can hang more muscles, is better than Butler in confrontation and strength, and is easier to create shooting space in the middle distance. Butler tried his best to defend, but he just couldn't cover it. To Leonard's shot.

Conversely, Butler's wingspan is too short, and the confrontation is also inferior. It is extremely difficult to break through Leonard's defense. In the direct dialogue between the two, Leonard firmly has the upper hand.

He also has helpers like Antetokounmpo, Bogdan, and Dinwiddie around him. Butler only has McDermott and Gibson around him, so he can't keep his lead.

At 7 minutes and 12 seconds into the second quarter, Stevens took the lead in returning to the main lineup. He attached great importance to this battle of revenge and hoped to win this game, wipe away the Bulls' decline during this period, and embark on the on track.

Zhang Yu was still unhurried, and waited until the ball was dead at 5 minutes and 42 seconds before switching to the starting lineup step by step.

At this time, the Bulls tied the score again relying on the performance of the main lineup.

The Warriors switched back to pass-and-cut tactics, and Clay found the touch, but only a little bit, making 4 of 1 three-pointers.

At the end of the second quarter, the Bulls led the Warriors by 59 points at 53:6. The Warriors worked hard for a quarter, but the point difference widened by 2 points.

Zhang Yu didn't think it was a big deal to be behind by 6 points, but the Warriors fans quit.

In China, Tencent has already monopolized the NBA's online broadcasting. Platforms such as Hupu and Sina only have text live broadcast rooms, and in these text live broadcast rooms, many Warriors fans began to rave about Klay:
"Clay don't make the shot, can you? You can't make the shot again!"

"Tumor, pure cancer!"

"No, what did Zhang Yu think? Give the ball to Curry and Leonard, let them play singles!"

There are also many people defending Clay:
"Isn't it? Clay didn't shoot blindly. He ran out of opportunities and shot again. It just didn't feel good and he didn't shoot."

"I thought the Warriors were 20 points behind. Why worry about 6 points? Two three-pointers. What's the matter with finding a touch for Clay?"

But their momentum is not as good as the trolls. After the Warriors played a record 74 wins + 16 wins and 1 loss in the playoffs last season, they harvested a lot of winning honey. They just came to watch the Warriors win. For the Warriors players There is no emotion at all, as long as the score is behind, it will start to rant, as if the sky is about to fall, even Zhang Yu will not let it go:
"Rose is on the opposite side, hurry up and go to Curry! I know that I have to watch the watch and make a substitution. I just started watching Warriors this season. Has he always been like this?"

"They were all overtaken, and they still looked unhurried. I don't think Zhang Yu wants to win at all!"

He was really right, Zhang Yu didn't think about winning in the first half.

As a fan, of course, I want to see the team I support win every game, and the players go all out when they go on the court, so that the time and energy they are still watching the game will be worthwhile.

However, the coach's perspective is not limited to a certain game, but focuses on the long season, testing the lineup, adapting tactics, and finding the status of the stars... all are more important than winning the next regular season.

In the first half, Zhang Yu didn't care about the score lag at all. He just wanted Clay to shoot more three-pointers under the Bulls' high-intensity defense.

Zhang Yu also has the confidence to do so. In the third quarter, he sent five dead players to improve the defensive strength, make mistakes and counterattack, and the Warriors immediately overtook the score.

Noah and Gasol declined, Leonard, Antetokounmpo, and Wiggins continued to improve. Under the ebb and flow, the strength of the Warriors has completely overwhelmed the Bulls. Even if Klay feels cold, the Bulls are not Warriors opponent.

Zhang Yu also no longer gave Clay the ball. Curry and Leonard dominated the Warriors' offense. Coupled with Antetokounmpo's impact on the penalty area, the Bulls quickly became overwhelmed.

第三节结束时，勇士以85:74领先公牛11分，单节打了公牛一个32:15的进攻高潮。

Clay is not allowed to make three-pointers, but the defense is still there, Green's physical condition has fully recovered, Antetokounmpo has more experience than last season, and the defense of the dead five is stronger.

In the case of Gasol and Noah's decline, Rose and Butler lack effective helpers. The contraction of the dead five + fast rotation locks up the Bulls' offense. A long-range shot, or pass the ball to a teammate, and then watch Gasol hit the iron after a difficult isolation, Noah receives the ball, stops and passes back.

After the Warriors overtook the score, those who questioned Zhang Yu during the intermission immediately changed their faces and praised Zhang Yu full of praise:
"Coach Z is amazing! He brought the game back in one quarter, capable and famous player!"

"This is what the Warriors should be like. How can the defending champion fall behind!"

They completely forgot that they were the ones who sprayed Zhang Yu the most fiercely just now, and they suddenly became Zhang Yu's most staunch supporters.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors' rotation once again had the upper hand, extending their lead to 14 points.

Stevens switched back to the main lineup early and narrowed the point difference to 10 points, but it didn't work.

At 6 minutes and 12 seconds of the fourth quarter, the dead five returned to the field and regained the initiative.

In the end, the Warriors defeated the Bulls 117:104 and achieved 4 consecutive victories.

After the whole game, Curry scored 33 points, Leonard 25 points, Antetokounmpo 17 points, Wiggins 11 points, Bogdan 12 points, Clay 14 points, and the Warriors scored in double figures. Lai scored 14 points with 16 shots, and the efficiency of the others is not low.

Curry and Leonard continued their fiery state. Gasol, Mirotic, and Noah were all named by Curry. Leonard relied on his top-level static talent to make Butler repeatedly defend. suffer.

Rose 23 points, Butler 21 points, scoring a lot, but the efficiency is not high, Rose took 20 shots, Butler took 18 shots, plus 8 free throws, more shots than Rose.

Mirotic scored 18 points, but with 18 shots, Gasol 12 shots, scored 14 points.

The offense is inefficient and the inside defense is weak. The Bulls are at a disadvantage in an all-round way. Losing to the Warriors is a matter of course.

This game further exposed the problem of the Bulls' aging lineup. It's time for a new generation of the bulls who have been at the top of the Eastern Conference for the past few years.

After the game, when Zhang Yu and Stevens shook hands, they gloated:

"Brad, your inside line is too weak. It seems that we can't meet in the finals this year. It's a pity..."

"Don't get complacent too early, this season has just begun, we'll see." Stevens was not to be outdone.

He also knew what Zhang Yu said was right, but he would never give in to Zhang Yu.

"Okay! I'm waiting for you in the finals, you are my assistant coach, don't embarrass me!" Zhang Yu shook Stevens' hand firmly, turned and walked into the player tunnel.

Behind him, Stevens shook his hand and snorted:
"Just wait, June's revenge, I still remember it!"

……

After the Warriors defeated the Bulls, they embarked on a four-game winning streak. With the autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves, they won three consecutive victories. It turns out that they are the biggest devil in the devil's schedule.

It's just that in the last game against the Rockets, Zhang Yu rested the four main players. The Warriors' second team lost to the Rockets' main team and lost the game.

Continuous road trips + back-to-backs, Zhang Yu must take turns, especially when the Warriors have a difficult schedule and the most back-to-backs in the league.

After returning to the home court, the Warriors defeated the Bucks, Suns, Jazz, and Nets in a row, won another four consecutive victories, and ushered in the Christmas game.

This year, the Warriors' opponent in the Christmas game is the Thunder. After Durant returned, he ranked second in the Western Conference, and the Thunder were chasing after the Warriors.