NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The Lakers traded McGrady, which gives them a legitimate reason to promote Durant and allow him to unleash his offensive firepower, sharing the team's offensive burden with Kobe.

As for the Heat, their biggest gain is that their team record has completely deteriorated. After being consistently lottery-winning for the past few years, they have finally accumulated a decent group of players.

First up is Michael Beasley, the second overall pick in 08. Beasley became the team's leader as soon as he joined. Although he and Rose have never led the team to the playoffs in the past three years, his personal statistics have been steadily improving.

Last season, Beasley averaged 24 points per game, showing the potential of an excellent scorer in the league.

Then there's Riley's acquisition of the prodigious sharpshooter Stephen Curry in 09.

Although Curry, who is already in his second year of high school, is still questioned by many people for his lack of talent, poor physical strength, poor physical qualities, and mediocre playmaking ability, no one can deny his agile dribbling and incredibly accurate three-point shooting.

Many people believe that Curry, who averaged 17 points and 6 assists per game last season and had a 43% three-point shooting percentage, could very well become an All-Star caliber point guard!

In the first six games of this year, Curry averaged 20 points and 7 assists, clearly a level above last season. Even more impressively, he averaged 8 three-point attempts per game this season, ranking first in the league, and with that number, he still maintained a three-point shooting percentage of over 42%.

With both quality and quantity, Curry doesn't even need to look to the future; he's already the league's top shooter!

The Heat's fifth overall pick this year, DeMarcus Cousins, is a talented center who has matured even earlier than Curry. In the new season, he has played 6 games, averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds, and even scored 20+10 in two games.

A brilliant and talented center forward, an all-around offensive one-on-one master, and an incredibly agile and precise shooting genius defender.

Many people are quite envious of the Heat's trio, and they all think that the Heat's new generation of Mourning, Mashburn and Hardaway trio has been born!

So far this season, the Heat have a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. Compared to the Bobcats, they are more of a dark horse, because the Bobcats are too high-profile. It is only because they play well that everyone has expectations of them.

As for the Heat, many people believed before the game that they would continue to be lottery picks this year.

But now, the Heat have clearly surprised everyone.

In short, the two dark horses of the Eastern Conference this season have officially met!
Who can stay darkly in the end, and who will lose their halo early on and prove that they are actually just a weak team?
"Make physical contact with Curry! I'm the one who trained him, I know him better than anyone. Give him your body, make him lose his footing, and foul him if necessary! But under no circumstances should you give him a direct shot opportunity!"

"Remember, he has a long shooting range. He can shoot directly from two steps beyond the three-point line and has a pretty good accuracy. In short, outside the three-point line, always be ready to physically challenge him. Don't be afraid to foul! Just go for it!"

"Let him drive! Let him drive all he wants, we have Yao Ming under the basket!"

"Yao, tonight you need to guard the paint as much as possible and not go out. I'll let Curry in from the backcourt. His mid-range consistency is negligible right now, and he's not very good at floaters for the time being. Once he gets inside, he'll just use a high-arc, high-bank shot."

"Don't rush when facing Curry. If you don't jump, he can't do anything to you! If he can make a high-rebound shot, don't be discouraged. We accept it! He can't keep making shots like that, and he can't rely on that move for his entire career."

"Remember our defensive principles, and there won't be any problems!"

"As for Cousins, he's just a rookie who gets easily agitated. Find a way to make him angry and get agitated, and he'll walk right into your hands and get blocked! If he shoots, let him shoot. He has a mid-range shot, but he's essentially an inefficient scorer."

"Let him shoot! Let him face up and shoot! Remember, against you, all his advantages are disadvantages!"

"As for Beasley, it's the same. Let him go one-on-one! As long as either Beasley or Cousins ​​gets into one-on-one situations, our opportunity will come! They don't have a reliable system right now; they're just relying on individual ability to carry the game!"

"Let them play one-on-one, then we'll find opportunities to double-team them, and we'll win this game! It's easy, right?"

After Lin Tian quickly gave a brief explanation of the points that needed attention, the starting players from both sides took to the field to prepare for the next part of the game.

The Heat's current starting lineup consists of Cousins, Haslem, Beasley, Hinrich, and Curry.

This lineup is quite young.

Cousins ​​is a first-year player, Curry a second-year player, and Beasley a third-year player. As for Haslem, who was poached from the Pacers in the first two years, and Hinrich, who has been with the Heat since entering the league, they are all representative figures of the 2003 generation. They are all in their 20s and in their prime.

This starting five-man lineup, with three players primarily offensive and two primarily defensive, is a well-balanced combination with a very bright future!
After both teams stepped onto the court, the referee blew the whistle, and the physically explosive Cousins ​​leaped high, easily snatching the first possession from Yao Ming, who was a head taller than him.

Hinrich received the ball and slowly advanced the ball.

Just as he crossed the frontcourt, seemingly preparing to stabilize the situation and slowly build up his chances, he suddenly passed the ball to Curry, who had just sprinted from the left side of the court to the right, using Haslem's screen to create space.

Curry received the ball and, without hesitation, turned and shot. The three-pointer arced through the air and flew straight toward the basket.

"Shh!"

With a crisp crack, Curry opened the scoring for the game tonight!

"This guy's got a good touch." Lin Tian grinned. If Curry's touch is good, then tonight's game is going to be a bit tough.

Who doesn't know that this guy can be incredibly accurate when he gets going?

By observing Curry's running routes and the timing of Haslem's screens, it's easy to see that Spoelstra has definitely planned many tactics for Curry to run, receive the ball after a screen, and shoot a three-pointer.

Given Curry's ball-handling ability, as long as he receives the ball, even if there is no opportunity to immediately shoot a three-pointer, he can definitely easily drive into the paint and then decide how to attack based on the situation.

In the Bobcats' offense, Rose dribbled the ball forward and faced Hinrich's tenacious defense without any fear. He turned his back to Hinrich, then suddenly turned and accelerated. Just as Hinrich was about to catch up, Boozer rushed over from the side and firmly blocked his position.

It's the Bobcats' signature pick-and-roll again.

After the pick-and-roll, Rose faced Haslem, who was relentlessly chasing him. Without hesitation, he suddenly accelerated, stopped abruptly, and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot!

"Shh!"

After the crisp sound, Rose's mid-range jump shot went in!
This mid-range pull-up jumper after a pick-and-roll is a skill that Lin Tian had Rose practice the most this summer.

With Rose's speed and vision, if he can consistently hit that mid-range jumper, he will definitely become the nightmare of the entire league!
Looking back, the Heat brought Curry up the court this time, and with a dual point guard lineup, they had no shortage of players who could dribble and advance the ball.

After Curry arrived in the frontcourt, he didn't hold onto the ball and quickly passed it to Hinrich, who then bounced it to Beasley, who was in position in the low post.

This guy, who naturally rolls his eyes and seems arrogant, turned around as soon as he got the ball, then slammed an elbow into Hayward's chest, then stepped back, gathered the ball, and threw it!
"Shh!"

That works too!

A classic one-on-one small forward.

In the following game, the Bobcats capitalized on a mismatch advantage, allowing Yao Ming to face Haslem under the basket. Rose immediately slammed the ball into the paint, and Yao Ming turned and hooked the ball. Haslem, whose actual height is probably less than 203 centimeters, couldn't even reach Yao Ming's armpit, let alone block the shot.

He could only watch as Yao Ming put the ball into the basket.

The Heat responded quickly. Cousins ​​received a pass from his teammate in the mid-range, dribbled between his legs twice, then suddenly accelerated and turned around, easily shaking off Boozer. He then got up and drove over Yao Ming for a layup, which also went in!
This guy's touch, physical talent, and coordination are really just like those of the 'Admiral' David Robinson back in the day!
Both of them have the physique of a center, the playing style of a small forward, and top-tier physical attributes!
Of course, their efficiency was destined to be lower than other centers of the same age, which was unavoidable due to their playing styles. Watching the Heat score repeatedly on the court, Lin Tian remained unhurried.

Because he could see that the Heat had almost no teamwork. Apart from Hinrich and Curry passing the ball and Haslem setting screens for the guards, the rest of the team was just a bunch of players taking turns attacking one-on-one.

"So, who's the leader of this Heat team?" Lin Tian suddenly asked Van Gundy, who was standing next to him, again. "In terms of seniority, it should be Hinrich; in terms of personality, it should be Beasley; in terms of popularity, it should be Curry; but in terms of traditional roles, it should be Cousins."

"Haslem might even be able to snag the title of 'locker room leader,' Jeff. If it were you, who would you make the leader?"

"Just tell me directly, who do you want to bully?" Van Gundy said, indicating that he knew Lin Tian all too well. If Lin Tian was saying this to him, then it definitely wasn't about discussing the Heat's personnel situation.

“You could easily lose all your hair like that.” Lin Tian shrugged uninterestedly, then said, “I know Curry and Hinrich. They’re not the kind of people who are particularly competitive, nor are they the kind who have to be the boss.”

"So, we can only start with Cousins ​​and Beasley!"

"How do we start?" Van Gundy continued, playing his straight man.

"Sure!" Lin Tian clapped his hands and said with a smile, "But don't rush, let's see what happens first!"

Lin Tian didn't rush to make adjustments, but instead kept observing the situation on the field and the players' condition.

With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, after Beasley scored his eighth point of the night against Hayward in another one-on-one situation, Lin Tian finally called a timeout.

At this point, the score was 17-19.

The Heat are currently leading by 2 points.

"Beasley was playing really well tonight, he scored way too many points," Lin Tian said during the timeout. "Let's change our defensive strategy and double-team Cousins!"

“No problem, Coach, I will… Cousins?” Hayward was about to express his determination and prove that he was not afraid of challenges or Beasley when he realized he had misheard.

Beasley is playing so well, why aren't you double-teaming Beasley, but Cousins ​​instead?
"When you guys get on the court, remember how you trash talk: Watch out for number 15! Watch out for that big guy! Under no circumstances can you let him get hot! The coach said it would be terrible if he did!"

"As for Beasley, Matt, you'll be going to deal with him next. I don't expect you to defend him badly or limit his scoring or shooting percentage to a certain range. I only have one request for you: provoke him!"

“Got it! This is what I do best!” Barnes said confidently. “This is what I’ve always done! Make him doubt himself, then get angry, and finally stop passing the ball and keep attacking, right?”

"That's exactly it!" Lin Tian nodded, satisfied. "Landry, you take over for Demar too. Pay attention to rebounding. We can accept Beasley scoring a few baskets, but we absolutely cannot allow him to keep grabbing offensive rebounds!"

"Alright, that's it. Let's go!"

After Lin Tian finished giving instructions, the Lynx players returned to the court and began to use the defensive methods Lin Tian had taught them.

On the court, the Heat only temporarily let Curry rest, while the other four players remained unchanged.

Beasley received the ball in the midfield position once again, ready to continue his one-on-one challenge.

"I beat this newbie so badly he wet his pants, so you're sending an old man instead?" Seeing Barnes covered in tattoos and looking menacing, Beasley wasn't afraid at all and said aggressively, "It's just another guy I beat so badly he wet his pants."

Barnes remained silent in the face of Beasley's taunts, but instead lowered his center of gravity and intensified his confrontation with Beasley.

Facing Barnes' aggressive defense, Beasley took the ball, made a big dribble to open Barnes' arm, then suddenly accelerated with the ball, and then abruptly stopped to shoot.

"Boom!"

This time, Beasley's shot missed, and Yao Ming secured the rebound and then passed the ball to Rose.

"If you can't make the shot, you're a piece of trash." Barnes said with a sneer only now, "That's all you know, but we all know you can't be accurate all night."

"Who do you think you are? Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James? You're just a nobody."

"Everyone has their moments of brilliance in their life. If you could really kill someone in a one-on-one fight, you wouldn't have played a professional career for two years without ever scoring 40+ points in a single game."

"Wait, let me think. You haven't even scored 35+ points, have you? Hmm? Mr. Beasley, a top scorer who has never scored 35+ points?"

"I've scored 37 points!" Beasley's temper was exactly like his face. Barnes casually teased him a few times, and the guy got a little carried away.

“Yes, yes, that’s amazing! Mr. Michael Beasley, a top scorer who once scored 37 points, that’s a truly great achievement.” Barnes continued his sarcastic remarks.

Although Lin Tian, ​​who was off the court, couldn't quite hear what Barnes was saying, he could tell from the expressions, actions, and intensity of the confrontation between Barnes and Beasley that the kid had truly learned from him.

It seems that this kid really didn't just mess around with me during those years with the Knicks!

For the remainder of the first quarter, Beasley went into full-on berserk mode, relentlessly chasing Barnes and refusing to pass the ball whenever he had a one-on-one opportunity.

The Heat's system is completely ineffective, even though they didn't really have a system to begin with.

But the reality was that it became one person fighting while four people watched.

Despite Spoelstra’s repeated shouts from the sidelines to alert Beasley, Beasley remained unmoved and continued to do as he pleased.

Unfortunately, Spoelstra, who had only been coaching for less than two years, was essentially a newcomer. Most people didn't even treat him as a coach, but rather as Riley's henchman and yes-man. Although the people in the team wouldn't directly confront Spoelstra or disrespect him.

But while they respected him, it was entirely out of respect for Riley.

Especially when Beasley was in good form and had a high success rate in his subsequent strong attacks on Barnes, he was even less likely to follow Spoelstra's tactical instructions and just did his own thing, playing according to his feelings!
Thanks to his good success rate, the Heat did not fall behind in the first quarter nor were they dragged down by him. At the end of the first quarter, they were still leading the Bobcats by 2 points.

23: 25!

Beasley scored 14 points in the first quarter, making him the team's top scorer.

However, it was also evident that in the final minutes of the first quarter, only Beasley scored for the Heat, while the rest of the team failed to score.

Furthermore, the Heat only had 4 assists in this quarter, indicating that their play was quite disjointed and they lacked a mature system and the habit of sharing the ball.

"The Heat are leading, but their game is really not that great." During the break, Miller shook his head and said, "Too much isolation play! The whole team has completely stagnated on offense."

"If the Bobcats change their defensive strategy and start double-teaming Beasley, or if Beasley's shooting touch drops, the Heat could be in trouble in no time! Unless Beasley can maintain his first-quarter efficiency for the entire 48 minutes!" (End of Chapter)