NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"And as far as I know, Lin has hardly played a game or trained with the players this season at least," Miller added. "I have a good relationship with many people on the Bobcats, and they told me that Lin has participated in training less often than Michael."

"But we can all see that Michael's physique is now not much different from Barkley's."

"But Lin not only maintains an almost perfect figure, but also still has top-notch physical fitness."

"What planet is this monster from?!"

Jackson suddenly asked again, "What do you think would happen if Lin really re-signed his contract and registered as a player next season?"

"Can he deliver another shock to the league after three years?"

“I think it’s good.” Miller nodded without hesitation: “Judging from his shooting touch, physique, dunking form, and the basic skills he showed in those one-on-one games just now.”

"If this guy comes back, he'll still be the nightmare of the entire league!"

"And what about you, Reggie? What would happen if you made a comeback?"

"I'm the nightmare of the entire league!" Miller sneered. "I already have osteoporosis. Let's see who dares to guard me, who dares to go up against me. When they're matched up against me, they'd better be prepared to take care of me for the rest of their lives."

"They'll be afraid of me!"

Logically, in the minutes leading up to the Game 7, the two commentators should have discussed the game, predicted the outcome, and analyzed the matchups between the two teams.

However, these two spent 20 minutes chatting and rambling about Lin Tian tonight, which is quite unprofessional and off-topic.

But obviously, ESPN executives won't warn these two guys, because the fans would love to hear it!

They even kept hearing notifications from the backstage through their earpieces!
“Talk more about Lin! Our ratings are going to be surpassed by TNT! Reggie, tell us a few little stories from your playing days that only you and Lin know! Quick! Make them up if you want.”

Like ESPN, the TNT team next door also started talking a lot about Lin Tian at this time, predicting whether he could dominate the league again if he returned.

Even traditional media outlets in the United States, as well as broadcasters in China, Europe, South America, and other regions that were broadcasting the game, did not talk about it at this time.

There was no way around it; Lin Tian's influence was too strong, and his pre-match performance was too eye-catching.

No one could talk about anything else at this time without mentioning Lin Tian.

It wasn't until the referee blew the whistle to start the game and Yao Ming secured the first possession for the Bobcats that everyone remembered: Oh, tonight is Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals!

The game is on!

So everyone's attention turned back to them, and they all wanted to see who would have the last laugh tonight.

"Carlos, Carlos!" Rose dribbled the ball up the court and called out to Boozer. They were about to launch an attack as Lin Tian had instructed.

Focus on Boozer!
In the first possession, Boozer stepped up and provided Rose with a solid screen, completely blocking Wade.

But the Cavaliers have clearly analyzed and studied Rose's offensive style in these few games, so as soon as Rose drove into the paint, help defense came!
His path of advance was completely blocked.

But all of this was within Rose's expectations. As he moved forward to help defend, Rose passed the ball to Boozer, who was following up nearby.

Boozer received the ball and immediately pulled up for his signature mid-range jump shot, which went in perfectly!
His shooting form, which involves holding the ball behind his head like a rocket launcher, may look ugly, but it's incredibly accurate!

"nice shot!"

Rose and Boozer gave each other a high five, feeling great tonight!
“The Bobcats have changed again!” Miller said immediately. “Let’s see if it’s Rose’s improvisation or if they will continue to play like this! After all, the pick-and-roll is the Bobcats’ most frequently used starting tactic this season.”

"As for the Cavaliers, will they have any new tactics tonight?"

As the two commentators speculated, the Cavaliers revealed their answer.

What new tactics? We don't have that kind of thing!

That's how we play – by following a strict, methodical approach!
Wade drives to the high post with a pick-and-roll, passes the ball to Anthony, who receives it, fakes, accelerates, pulls up, and shoots.

"Shh!"

It was still a one-on-one battle between the two of them, relying on their individual abilities.

For the Bobcats, Rose initiated another pick-and-roll. This time, he faced aggressive and fierce help defense. However, after observing the situation, Rose did not rush to pass the ball. Instead, he dribbled and quickly retreated, pulling back to the three-point line once again.

Then he jumped up and slammed the basketball into the paint.

He noticed that Wade had switched onto him and immediately accelerated down the court, arriving at the basket in the blink of an eye and marking Boozer who was trying to position himself against Wade.

Rose delivered a cannonball-like pass to Boozer. No matter how much Wade is known as the defensive iron gatekeeper on the backcourt, he is powerless against a pure power forward like Boozer.

After receiving the ball, Boozer leaned back fiercely, slammed the ball heavily on the floor with both hands, and then leaped up, pressing the ball into the basket with both hands!

There's no way Wade could stop him from receiving the ball in that position!
Switch on defense? Double-team Rose?
If the Cavaliers continue to defend like this today, Boozer might be able to completely break through the Cavaliers' interior defense.

"Go ahead and switch, switch as much as you want." Lin Tian wasn't worried at all. Given Brown's reaction speed and ability, even if he could figure out that the Bobcats were focusing on Boozer tonight, he wouldn't be able to come up with a solution until at least the second quarter. By then, who knows how many points Boozer would have already scored.

In the following game, the Bobcats continued to attack Boozer aggressively, employing a variety of tactics.

Boozer's signature pick-and-roll and catch-and-shoot moves are a given; they are the skills that made him an All-Star.

Lin Tian also developed a lot of new tricks for him, such as using pick-and-rolls to take advantage of the switch and then going to the low post to bully Wade or West.

Furthermore, if the Cavaliers choose not to switch on defense and instead have their guards chase Rose after the pick-and-roll, Rose's speed would make it even easier for him to break through the Cavaliers' defense.

The foundation of this playstyle is still the pick-and-roll between Rose and Boozer.

These two, one incredibly fast and the other providing solid cover, are a perfect pair.

Especially Boozer's screens. Don't let his short stature and relatively thin build fool you; the quality of his screens is top-notch in the entire league.

With his ability to screen, coupled with his instincts and offensive skills, Boozer is definitely a top-three player in the league when it comes to pick-and-roll alone.

At least when Yao Ming and Derrick Rose set a pick-and-roll, the effect was rather mediocre.

One issue is that Yao Ming is too slow to match Rose, and the other is that Yao Ming's screen setting and positioning are not as good as Boozer's.

This thing can be considered a talent.

As for the Cavaliers, they were playing their usual three-pronged approach.

Wade, Anthony, Gasol.

Handling the ball, setting screens, passing, one-on-one, back-to-the-basket moves, playmaking, and strong attacks.

With the strong individual abilities of these three players and their ability to tear apart defenses, the Cavaliers' offensive floor is quite guaranteed.

But they really couldn't stop the Bobcats' pick-and-roll.

Especially in the Bobcats' pick-and-roll plays, Rose was the absolute spearhead, initiating a large amount of offense.

But tonight, Rose became the bait.

He was responsible for drawing the defense, and often he would even wait for Boozer to get into position before passing the ball.

The same pick-and-roll, but the sudden change in offensive focus left the Cavaliers bewildered.

It wasn't until the latter part of the first quarter that the Cavaliers finally found a solution. They had West guard Rose, and instead of switching or forcing his way through screens, they used a roundabout approach to deal with Rose.

Who told you, Rose, that while your mid-range shooting has improved dramatically, your three-point shooting is still negligible?

We'll go around behind the screen and block your drives and mid-range shots. If Rose takes a three-pointer and makes it repeatedly, then we'll accept it.

Otherwise, what else can be done?

The Cavaliers' recent defensive adjustments proved highly effective, with the Bobcats failing to score on consecutive possessions.

"The reaction was faster than I expected!" Lin Tian sighed, somewhat disappointed. Had he forced Brown to evolve to version 4.0, which was 15 years in the future, ahead of schedule?

Fifteen years later, Brown can be considered an excellent head coach with a certain ability to adapt and adjust.

After all, someone who has coached so many big names, served as head coach for so many teams, and even been the chief assistant coach for top teams, even a pig would have to evolve a few times, right?

Well, okay, pig heads can't evolve.

But as long as it's even slightly stronger than a pig's head, it can still evolve, right?
Brown, this is a bit like premature evolution.

Of course, he's still far inferior to Lin Tian.

This guy only started changing his strategy halfway through the quarter, while Lin Tian made a swift change within two possessions after the opposing team switched their defensive tactics. Rose was still the one with the ball, but he wasn't running pick-and-rolls anymore, or rather, he switched from running pick-and-rolls with the ball to running off-ball screens.

After Lin Tian stood up and called out a tactic, Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer, the two inside players, began to coordinate their play.

After a mismatch in the three-second zone, Gasol, who was originally guarding Boozer, ended up guarding Yao Ming, while Boozer was matched up against Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Boozer has many more options when facing Big Z.

Who can blame them when Lithuanians are so slow and gentle?
After losing weight, Yao Ming might not have an easy time beating a tall, technically skilled player like Da Zhu, but a short, stocky guy like Boozer could easily take down a clothesline like Da Z.

After receiving the ball, Boozer lowered his center of gravity and charged straight at Z. Poor Z was thrown off balance by Boozer's impact and stumbled backward. Boozer, of course, was not going to let it go. After taking advantage of the situation, he followed up with a second and a third collision.

Then, Boozer reached the basket, took off, and delivered another powerful two-handed dunk!
Boozer was really into it tonight, his whole body was burning hot!
Big Z really couldn't hold him down.

In the next possession, Gasol, with his exceptional basketball IQ, realized that his partner was being targeted. When Yao Ming and Boozer were back in action, he shouted, "No substitution!"
Unfortunately, everyone could hear it. Of course, this tactic wasn't afraid of being overheard, but the important thing was that Yao Ming and Boozer's shooting was top-notch for inside players!

If you force your way through a screen instead of switching, then one of those two players will definitely get space.

"run!"

Boozer moved first, blocking Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and also subtly grabbed Pau Gasol's jersey, preventing him from turning back to defend Yao Ming.

Yao Ming seized the opportunity to run and catch the basketball, then pulled it up and threw it.

"Shh!"

He even made his mid-range shot!
At this point, Big Z had not yet managed to get past Boozer's screen to catch up with Yao Ming.

Boozer's cover quality was truly top-notch!
"He pulled my jersey!" Gasol innocently spread his hands at the referee.

He showed off his jersey, which had been pulled out of his waistband, but the referee remained unmoved.

"Keep quiet and play properly, or I'll give you a technical foul!" The referee's voice was cold and firm. Although this was the Cavaliers' home court, it was Game 7 of the conference finals.

They chose to ignore these subtle actions completely.

Of course, if the Cavaliers are unhappy, they can do the same.

We're not bragging.

Lin Tian had his three players execute a pick-and-roll and off-ball screen that the Cavaliers simply couldn't handle, completely unable to withstand their offense. Brown changed his defense halfway through the first quarter, but then fell silent again.

Lin Tian even began to doubt whether the change just now was Brown's request or Wade's suggestion.

How can this reaction be sometimes fast and sometimes slow?
In the first quarter, Boozer scored 17 points and Yao Ming added 7. These two big men combined for more than 80% of the team's points, even with the Cavaliers having a twin towers lineup.

The team only scored 28 points in the first quarter!
The Knights, on the other hand, were slightly less impressive.

Although the trio possesses formidable individual abilities and their offensive floor is virtually guaranteed, they ultimately rely on one-on-one play, with Anthony and Gasol also having a significant number of shots.

This meant that although they were able to score and maintain a stable output, their offensive ceiling was limited because all three players were in a normal, average state tonight and failed to produce explosive output.

In this quarter, the Cavaliers' trio scored 7, 6, and 5 points respectively, while the team as a whole scored 24 points.

In the current league environment, 24 points in a single quarter is definitely not a small number, but it's not exactly a lot either.

It's okay, but not good enough.

The Bobcats on the other side, however, played quite well!
"It's Lin again, Lin crushed Brown again." Miller said, "I really can't believe it. The series went to a Game 7, it's the conference finals, and Lin still managed to come up with something new!"

"Of course, you could say that the pick-and-roll and the inside duo's combination is the Bobcats' signature move, something they've always played, and it's not a new tactic at all."

"But the more subtle the changes and adjustments, the easier it is for the opponent to find and defend against them!"

“That’s right!” Jackson added, “If you make massive adjustments and radical changes, it means high risk and not necessarily high reward. Who knows if your new tactics will work?”

"But Lin's ability to find new ways to play and rhythm within his well-known tactics, and make slight changes, not only catches the opponent off guard and makes them unable to cope, but also ensures a minimum standard, preventing the team from making too many mistakes."

"After all, this is the tactic that the Bobcats use the most. It's just a matter of whether Ross takes a few more shots or Boozer takes a few more shots."

"Lin is truly amazing. To say that he is the best coach in the league is definitely not an exaggeration!"

"At this point in the season, I really have to say: the league owes him a Coach of the Year award!"

Miller continued, "Now I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in the second quarter! Will Lin come up with something interesting again, or will the Cavaliers come up with a solution?"

"To be honest, a 4-point gap isn't that big, but if the Cavaliers don't find a way to deal with it quickly, it could easily snowball, and as the snowball gets bigger and bigger, they'll lose their chance to win!"

"Mark, if you were Brown, what would you do in this situation? How would you choose to deal with Lina's unpredictable tactics?"

Miller said, "I have to say, I'm not a good head coach because I have absolutely no idea how to deal with the Bobcats right now."

"But if you really let me play, I'll spend two minutes getting hyped up and one minute deciding whether to let Anthony or Wade attack in the second quarter."

"Trusting the superstars and entrusting the game entirely to the best players on the team is all I can think of."

"Then, there is prayer."

"If that's all you've got, I think I could be a head coach too," Jackson said with a laugh. "Just let the star players throw them! Anyone can do that!"

As the two bantered with each other, the break ended, and the players from both sides returned to the court.

"While I didn't guess how Lin would play in the second quarter, it seems I guessed Brown's approach correctly," Miller said with a smile as he looked at the players on both teams' courts. "And his tactics are exactly the same as mine."

"Wade and Anthony, who both played the entire first quarter, are back on the court! Is Brown not going to let these two rest?"

"Are you really planning to fuck them hard for 48 minutes?"

"It seems that Coach Brown listened to Reggie's advice and even increased the stakes by upgrading his team, allowing his two key players to play at the same time."

"Let's see if Reggie's strategy works!"

On the Bobcats' side, Lin Tian naturally used his rotation lineup at this time. The two big men who dominated the first quarter and Rose were all resting. At this time, Lin Tian used Jeremy Lin, DeRozan, Hayward, Odom and Thomas, a fairly normal rotation lineup.

The starting lineup consists of two key starters, two of the team's most important bench players, and a blue-collar center.

It was decent, but against the Cavaliers' obviously all-out attacking lineup, it was somewhat insufficient.

Lin Tian himself couldn't help but frown.

If this were the fourth quarter, Brown could totally understand doing this, but it's only the second quarter, and they're down by 4 points. Is this some kind of desperate tactic? It's a bit outrageous.

Brown's all-out fighting style was somewhat unexpected by Lin Tian, ​​but he didn't take it too seriously.

They have no intention of immediately bringing in their starters to wear down the Cavaliers.

No need to rush, it's not the right time yet!

Let's talk after two minutes!

"Slow down the pace! Play a positional game, make the most of the 24 seconds, and speed up the defensive transition!" Lin Tian shouted to his players on the sidelines, reminding them to pay attention.

During this period, Lin Tian wanted them to slow down the pace and fight fewer rounds.

Even if they are no match for the Cavaliers, they won't be overwhelmed by an unacceptable surge and offensive wave in a short period of time.

So what if your Cavaliers beat me by 3-5 points in 2 minutes?
We have plenty of time to catch up!

"Derrick, Carlos, get ready, you'll only get two minutes of rest in the second quarter!"

At the same time, Lin Tian reminded the main players who were resting that he had decided to bring them on in two minutes, regardless of the situation.

Of course, no matter what the situation is, Lin Tian will not let the main players go on the field early.

Brown is crazy, but he's not crazy.

The subsequent course of the game unfolded exactly as Lin Tian had predicted.

The Cavaliers pressed forward, gained the upper hand, and dominated the Bobcats.

However, they didn't unleash an overwhelming offensive surge within two minutes. (End of Chapter)