Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 212: Living in a corner? NO!Give it a go!
On the 2nd, the 76ers challenged the Knicks led by Anthony "Little Melon" back to back.

After a whole battle between the two sides, the 76ers finally lost the game.

The two teams played very fiercely in this game. From the very beginning, there was a strong enough confrontation. There were almost no chances of open shots, and the scoring was all due to individual singles.

The two sides were evenly matched in the first three quarters, and the point difference never exceeded 6 points.

The Knicks' starting center is Tyson Chandler, who is expected to win the DPOY. Brand has no advantage in the basket, and even suffers a little disadvantage in rebounding. Hall ravaged the penalty area, and for the first time this season exposed the decline in the athletic ability of veteran players.

Although I don't want to admit it, Garnett at this stage is really struggling to defend against a beast like Stoudemire one-on-one. The 30-year-old "Little Overlord" is in the golden age of a player, and he is extremely explosive when he rushes up. It is difficult to prevent him from dunking from the front without fouling.

At the end of the quarter, head coach D'Antoni put "Small Overlord" Stoudemire on the starting small ball tactic, allowing players to run and create scoring opportunities is D'Antoni's favorite rhythm.

However, when Lu Yong was coaching the Supersonics, he also liked to play fast-paced games. When he saw D'Antoni change on the spot, he also responded immediately, replacing Brand with Yi Jianlian, who had excellent athletic ability, and followed the Nicks. S ran together.

Yi Jianlian performed well in this quarter when he was in danger. He fought like a real man until the last minute. He contributed 8 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block in a single quarter. He made 5 of 4 shots and had a very high shooting rate.

The real turning point of this game was "Nervous Knife" JR-Smith. He broke out and scored 14 points in the last quarter and became the biggest contributor to the Knicks' win. He caught the ball from outside the three-point line and shot it. Hit two priceless shots.

This guy was even more arrogant than Michael Jordan when he got hot. Even if Iguodala took the initiative to lead the defense in the end, he still couldn't lock down JR.

In the final stage, Iverson went to the basket and tried to make a foul to win free throws. As a result, back-to-back games seriously affected his state. He was intercepted by rookie Iman Shumpert and made a mistake. The Knicks took this opportunity to fight back and completely established the victory.

Iverson, who made a fatal mistake, looked a little frustrated, dissatisfied with the execution of his last attack, and felt that this should not be his script.

Of course, it is not without good news for the 76ers. Although the game was lost, the problems exposed by the team have entered the field of vision of the coaching staff, which will help subsequent changes and improvements.

Several rookies also performed well tonight. Yi Jianlian played an eye-catching performance, scoring 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks, setting a new season high in scoring.

In the final quarter, he was also able to fight against the "little bully" Stoudemire. The biggest change is that after playing for Lu Yong, he is obviously more confident, and his performance on the court is also much better.

Marksman Vujacic's performance is still stable. He made 7 of 4 shots from outside the three-point line and scored 12 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. The statistics are not eye-catching, but he has completed his work very well.

When Vujacic is on the court, Lu Yong often arranges players to break through the inside and play "hammer tactics". The end point of the hammer tactics must be the pitcher, but the end area is not necessarily the bottom corner.

The core idea of ​​this tactic is not complicated, but if used properly, it can help shooters create shooting opportunities at any position on the field, which is deeply loved by Lu Yong.

The strongest 1 meter Thomas Jr. scored in double figures, because Lu Yong rested veteran Arenas in back-to-back games. Thomas Jr. played 75 minutes in this game, 21 of 8 shots, 4 of 4 three-pointers, and free throws 2 of 2, scored 2 points, 12 rebound, 1 assists and 3 steal, shooting 1% from the field, and played well.

After the game, Iverson quickly came out of the state of missing key shots. In an interview, he praised several young players in the team, saying that the 76ers will learn from the losing game and adjust as soon as possible. state.

Lu Yong's interview also encouraged the confidence of the newcomers, and specifically mentioned Thomas Jr. who seized the opportunity tonight.

"I always believe that Isaiah is a very good rookie. When I picked him from the draft, I knew he would surprise people. The low tactical status is only temporary. The rookie needs time to develop confidence and confidence. Rhythm, I will employ people according to the opponent's lineup, so that he can unleash his offensive firepower in a suitable environment."

Jrue Holiday and Arenas shared most of the playing time at the No. [-] position. Although Thomas Jr. felt lucky to be selected by an NBA team, he would feel a sense of disparity in his heart if he didn't keep up for a long time.

Lu Yong must stabilize Thomas. A bunch of veterans in the 76ers are prone to injuries in the middle of the season. If "General" Arenas is injured, he will become the main scorer at the 76st position for the [-]ers. hand to ensure that the team has a strong lineup depth.

Thomas Jr.'s height of 1 meters has obvious weaknesses, but he is fast and flexible, and he can attack with the ball and off the ball at the same time. The 75ers need this kind of player, but it will take some time before he shines.

The next morning, major news media reported the news of the 76ers losing, but even so, the reputation of the 76ers is still very good. Most fans are optimistic that the 76ers will make the playoffs, and even have the opportunity to become a stir in the Eastern Conference. the black horse.

There is no other reason. The 76ers coach Lu Yong is a living sign. Whether he was an assistant coach or the team coach, the team he led has never disappointed, and the worst has reached the conference finals. He is a child of miracles worthy of people's trust.

On the 4th, the 76ers visited Dallas to challenge the Mavericks.

After the Mavericks let go of free agents Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler this summer, they introduced two veteran stars Vince Carter and "Left-Handed Magician" Odom from the free market.

On paper, the Mavericks have a very luxurious lineup, with Kidd, Terry, Carter, Marion, Odom, and Nowitzki.

Unfortunately, except for Nowitzki and Terry who are still capable of fighting, the rest of the players are a group of old guys whose condition is declining rapidly.

Especially the main point guard Kidd, who has been in the league for 18 years. Although he still has an excellent overall view and can play a role in opening up space when standing on the outside, it is definitely not possible to let him dominate the game like he did when he was young. The decline in movement speed has also reduced his defensive ability, and now he only has a brain left.

There is also good news for the 76ers, that is, Odom was suspended by the Mavericks for multiple reasons. The official reason was that he was absent from training for no reason, but Lu Yong knew that this guy was drugged. He was useless, so the Grizzlies management gave him up in the summer and let him join the Mavericks as a free agent.

Seeing the starting lineup sent by the Mavericks, Lu Yong knew that the 76ers were stable in this game, and they would definitely win the game if they played normally.

小牛首发中锋是身高2米13、体重122公斤的弱鸡蓝领布兰登-海伍德，上赛季场均4分5篮板1盖帽，钱德勒走后顶到了首发位置，难堪大用。

The power forward is the star Dirk Nowitzki, the small forward is veteran Marion, and the guards are Carter and Kidd.

This is a lineup whose overall age is comparable to that of O'Neal's grandma. It has rich experience, but only experience is left.

The starting age of the 76ers is also very old, but Garnett and Iverson both maintain a good competitive state and can keep up with the speed. In addition, they are the top players in history, and the camel is bigger than the horse .

Lu Yong arranged for Iguodala and Holiday to run outside, catch and shoot or cut to the basket. The main focus is to target veterans and bully people with age.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle is an experienced coach. Seeing that the 76ers intend to attack the veteran players, he decisively defended the zone defense, and this involved the 76ers' offense in the positional battle.

Holiday had poor touch on several outside jump shots, and was interfered by Kidd's hand in the zone defense system. Iguodala performed well. Marion's athletic ability was dominant in isolation, and he scored 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in a single quarter. The 76ers' main attacker in this game.

Although the Mavericks reduced the offensive firepower of the 76ers by virtue of the zone defense, their own offense did not open up. After the first quarter, the 24ers led by two points, 22 to 76.

In the second quarter, the Mavericks, who had tasted the sweetness, still maintained a 2-3 zone defense position, mainly blocking the basket and mid-range, allowing opponents to shoot three-pointers from the outside.

As a result, the situation on the court changed suddenly. When the two teams came off the bench, the 76ers quickly played a wave of climax under the leadership of "General" Arenas, widening the point difference to double digits.

Among the 76ers' starting five, only Holiday's long-range shots are reliable. Neither Iguodala nor Iverson are top-notch shooters, and they prefer to hit the basket.Not to mention Garnett, CIC has always been his main scoring method, and the Mavericks' 2-3 zone defense is naturally good.

The mistake is that Carlisle ignored the characteristics of the 76ers' bench. When Arenas, Vujacic, Peja Stojakovic, Yi Jianlian and Vucevic were on the court at the same time, the 76ers' offensive area instantly shifted to the outside. .

The characteristic of the 2-3 zone defense is to guard the basket and corners, with less pressure on the three-point line. After the 76ers came on the court, they directly stopped the Mavericks with three consecutive three-pointers, making Carlisle realize his mistake and promptly Call a timeout to adjust tactics.

After the timeout, the Mavericks, who switched to a 3-2 zone defense, withstood the 76ers' offensive, but the players' poor touch failed to improve.

At halftime, 53 to 41, the 76ers led by 12 points.

The Mavericks' best performance in the first half was the sixth man Jason Terry, who scored 17 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist against the "General" Arenas. What a hip-pushing game.

In the second half, the Mavericks players gradually found their touch after Nowitzki hit two consecutive jump shots, gradually narrowing the point difference.

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines and didn't call a timeout. He was quite familiar with the Mavericks' style of play. He averaged only 95.8 points per game and 94.8 points per game during the season. He has moved from the offensive team back then to the defensive team. develop.

He has already arranged the tactics that should be arranged clearly, and the next step can only depend on the players themselves.

The Mavericks mainly rely on Nowitzki and Terry to chase points. When a player who relies on shooting scores finds his touch, this is a troublesome thing.

Although many fans think that Nowitzki is a soft guy, in fact, he never relents at critical moments, but the big man who focuses on jump shots will subconsciously give people the illusion that he is not tough enough. Wieski is definitely the tough guy in this league.

The Mavericks played a good quarter in the third quarter, with a total score of 68 to 72, narrowing the point difference to 4 points.

In the final quarter, Lu Yong also started to get serious.

He didn't expect the old guys in the Mavericks to play so hard, and the game that was supposed to be a sure win was thrown into doubt. This made him realize the shortcomings of the 76ers again.

In the first half of the last quarter, Lu Yong arranged for Thomas Jr., Vujacic, and Iguodala to partner in the backcourt, with Yi Jianlian and Day Rumbert in the frontcourt.

This lineup is relatively young, with ball-handling points, shooters, free-cutting points, and frame protectors. They speed up the pace of the game through constant running and movement, and their main focus is mobility.

The strength of the Mavericks' substitute players is mediocre. Except for Jason Terry, everyone's scoring average is in single digits. They were soon suppressed by the 76ers and had to bring back the main players early.

Lu Yong was not in a hurry to bring back the main players, but let the substitute play with the Mavericks for more than three minutes before making the substitutions. At this time, 89 to 83, the 76ers were still 6 points ahead of their opponents.

Carlisle stood on the sidelines and kept wiping away his sweat. The 76ers brought him a lot of pressure. Now he seriously suspects that the outside media are fools, and they only gave the 76ers a playoff evaluation, which is unfair. .

Carlisle guessed that the 76ers' main force would focus on attacking the basket after returning, so he arranged for the team to defend in a 2-3 zone, trying to block the 76ers' offense like in the first quarter.

As a result, Lu Yong did not follow the routine and made adjustments to the lineup. The inside line was rookie Vucevic, the 4th position was Garnett, small forward Iguodala, shooting guard Vujacic, and point guard Iverson.

This lineup can attack and defend well, and there are players who are good at shooting inside and outside. Among them, Vujacic's three-point shooting percentage is as high as 43.6% this season.

After the game started, Vucevic and Vujacic really made great contributions. "White Monster" pulled out from the three-point line and hit a long shot. own characteristics.

Marksman Vujacic's outburst became the last straw that crushed the Mavericks. First he scored a three-pointer with a 50-degree catch on the right side, and then hit another one meter away from the top of the arc. Two consecutive three-pointers hit the Mavericks directly, forcing Carlisle to request a timeout.

After the timeout, several of the Mavericks' key point-chasing jump shots were blocked and missed the basket. Nowitzki's turn-up jump shot was blocked by Garnett. The game completely lost its suspense. The 76ers had a near miss. Accept the victory.

When the whistle sounded for the end of the game, Garnett slapped his chest excitedly, and raised his hand to fist bump with Iverson.

Lu Yong sent a bolder lineup in the final stage, but successfully helped the team win the game.

76人全队一共6人得分上双，大功臣武贾西奇21分1篮板1助攻，单场扔进7记三分球，刷新了个人生涯新高。

此前武贾西奇命中三分球最多的一场比赛是在08年湖人对阵奇才队的比赛中创造的，替补登场的他9投6中，三分球8中6，罚球2中2，轰下20分3篮板2助攻，帮助湖人加时赛6分险胜。

The 76ers were not dragged into overtime by the Mavericks tonight, but Vujacic's performance at critical moments is still important. There is killer blood in his bones, and his shooting has never disappointed.

Iverson also scored 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, and his performance was quite satisfactory.

The performance of "General" Arenas is also crucial. He came off the bench against Jason Terry and scored 19 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, perfectly integrating into the role of the sixth man.

Garnett's role was mainly reflected on the defensive end. He played 35 minutes and contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. The shooting rate of Nowitzki's defense barely reached 40%, staging a duel between top veteran forwards. .

At the press conference after the game, a reporter asked Lu Yong to talk about his last-minute employment.

Lu Yong said with a smile: "I just play players who are suitable to break through the Mavericks' defense at the right time. The 76ers have a strong lineup. A chance to be the protagonist of saving the team, even if it's just an unknown substitute, maybe that's why we can win the game."

The reporters in the venue were at a loss. They didn't know who Lu Yong was satirizing when he said that the coach who cut the watch and replaced the player, and they frantically recalled it in their minds.

Another reporter asked: "The 76ers started the new season well, how do you feel now?"

Lu Yong said with a smile: "I don't think the 76ers started very well. At least in my eyes, the team still has a lot of room for improvement. We keep summing up in winning games, and in losing games Learning from experience, I really want to say my impressions, that is, the fighting spirit of these veterans is beyond my expectation, and their fighting spirit and tenacity are affecting the young people in the team, which deserves the admiration of the fans."

The reporter asked again: "When you were coaching the Supersonics, the fans could often see you sitting on the sidelines chatting and laughing, but this season you have become more focused and obviously no longer relaxed. You will miss the time when you coached the Supersonics. For a while?"

"Of course, Seattle is where my dreams started, and I will always miss that time. But coaching the 76ers is also exciting for me. It's a completely different mood than coaching the Sonics. Newcomers and veterans, everyone has changed the environment to adapt again, which makes me find it very challenging, and at the same time makes my coaching work less boring." Lu Yong replied with a smile.

Leading the 76ers who were reduced to a weak team last season, the rise again gave Lu Yong a sense of accomplishment. Just as he coached the Sonics to soar, Lu Yong did not want to choose between the best coach and the championship. Adults There is only one answer, all of them.

If the 76ers can win the championship as a dark horse this year, Lu Yong will not only be happy to mention his third ring, but also have a high chance of becoming the first person in the history of the league to win the best coach consecutively. This honor is so attractive. No matter how difficult the road is, Lu Yong will try it, and he does not want to live a flat life in a corner.

At least until his name appears on the discussion list of the number one coach in NBA history, Lu Yong can't lie down. He needs to constantly provide chips for himself, and he can completely settle down until there is no suspense in this matter.

In his last season coaching the SuperSonics, Lu Yong felt that winning the championship was an easy task. In contrast, he wanted to win the title of Best Coach again, which was one of the reasons that prompted him to leave the SuperSonics.

Lu Yong's coaching level has been improving over the years. He wants to see where his limit is, and then he can make the most beneficial decision for the future.

(End of this chapter)