First in scoring

Chapter 541 540. Finally got the award!
Kobe began analyzing and organizing "Kang Shen's off-ball movements" after the first Western Conference Finals game against the Warriors in late May.

From positioning habits, to ways of cooperating with teammates, to positioning ideas, to corresponding tactical ideas... it was extremely detailed, and it was done as perfect as possible from both the player's thinking and the outsider's thinking perspectives. It was almost completed until halfway through the finals.

During the Western Conference Finals, Zhang Yang had no time to watch videos every day and discuss the details of cooperation with Harden, DeRozan, Budenholzer and Gentry.

However, there is relatively ample time for the finals. Budenholzer had already made full preparations before the finals, and even incorporated the "Big Three new style of play" into it.

The main reason is that the opponent is still the same opponent. It is the third consecutive year in the finals, and the Cavaliers' playing style has hardly changed. It is still the same set that David Blatt messed with in the 3-14 season, and Budenholzer has already figured it out.

During the training and games of the finals, Zhang Yang would go to Kobe to discuss the details of "King's off-ball movement".

He thought Kobe would be impatient with him. After all, he had given him such a troublesome job. When he first brought it up, the old blacksmith obviously wanted to curse.

But Kobe Bryant actually invited him to discuss it enthusiastically, wanting to hear his thoughts on this matter...

At first he was puzzled. Could it be that the old blacksmith had some masochistic qualities? The more he struggled, the happier he became? In his mind, he imagined Vanessa wearing a little leather skirt and swinging a whip.

Later he realized that the old blacksmith, whom he treated as a tool, was treating him as a tool in return!
Kobe is okay when he plays without the ball, but he can't compare to Zhang San, so I use Zhang San to provide ideas for playing without the ball.

Also treated as a tool is Gentry, who is known as the "master of court space management." When Gentry was coaching the Suns, serving as an assistant coach for Mark Jackson and Kerr, and serving as an assistant coach for the Lakers, he showed extraordinary ability in creating space for shooters, and he may even be the best in the league. The best year for Curry and Thompson to create space in off-ball running was the 14-15 season.

Looking back now, Zhang Yang guessed that the old blacksmith on the 10th line wanted to be a coach?

The original Kobe had a miserable last three years. Every time he stepped onto the court, he was consuming his passion for basketball. But it was different with the 3th line. The dynasty ended and he retired with 10 championships. Perhaps at the end, his passion was even higher. After leaving the court for a year, he wanted to stay on the basketball court even more.

Another image appeared in his mind - Fat Ke pointed at the players' noses and scolded them: If you are blocked, why don't you just turn around and lean towards him, then turn over, and then face his block and lean back to shoot the ball? You can't even do something so simple?

He saw Boss Joe teach Gerald Wallace in this way, but because he was young at the time, he escaped the disaster and was called to hone his basic skills with the legendary trainer.

Because of his deep involvement, when Kobe Bryant finished organizing "Thompson's Off-Ball Movement", Zhang Yang had basically figured out the details of Thompson's movement and how to learn it.

It was harder than he had first imagined!
He actually didn't think about becoming as good as Thompson in off-ball movement. That was impossible. The other player was a pure off-ball shooter who discarded everything else and stepped onto the court just to shoot.

The data collected by Kobe shows that Thompson is not only accurate in three-pointers, but also in mid-range shots, long two-pointers, three-pointers, and all shooting points except close range. Thompson's hit rate is almost the same!

汤普森进入巅峰期，是15-16赛季25岁到26岁，三分命中率42.5%，长两分命中率45.5%，中投命中率44%，16-17赛季表现基本与15-16赛季持平。

As for scoring from close range, Thompson has almost none, averaging only 16 points per game in the 17-0.8 season with a hit rate of 33%. That belongs to the realm of ball-holding superstars or specialty players like Lowry and Felton, but Thompson will not easily shoot from that position.

Maybe if we only look at a single area, such as three-pointers, Thompson is actually not as accurate as Curry; if we only look at mid-range shots, he is not as accurate as Durant; if we only look at long two-pointers, he is not as accurate as Zhang San, but Thompson is not picky about positions and has no blind spots! And the comparison is with the kings of the three shooting areas in the 16-17 season!
As long as Thompson finds the opportunity and his teammates can pass the ball to him at the right time, he can maintain a top shooting level from any position except close range.

Based on this point alone, Zhang Yang felt that it was almost impossible for him to replicate the complete 'Tang Shen's off-ball movement'. He also claimed to have no blind spots, but it was just a claim. He still had clear shooting hotspots.

For example, on the offensive end, he only goes to the left corner with his hands on his hips; when he receives the ball on the wings and shoots mid-range, he likes to be at a zero-degree angle at the baseline, or between 30 and 45 degrees; in the high position, he likes to receive the ball with the help of a screen and turn around to shoot.

For three-point shooting, when holding the ball, he likes to shoot from the top arc and the right sideline, and it is easier to shoot after completing the technical moves; when not having the ball, he likes to shoot from five fixed angles.

Thompson also has a completely different quality from other pure pitchers - he really regards himself as the first scoring point when running, and the purpose of his running is to score, not to be a supporting role.

Therefore, Zhang Yang's initial plan was just to absorb some of Thompson's running advantages and integrate them into his own, but after studying it, he found that even this was difficult.

However, difficulties are not a problem. Just find ways to overcome them, as long as the rewards are high enough!

He planned to discuss the matter with Carlisle, England and others.

Although it cannot be replicated, Thompson's positioning concept and technical details of creating space can be used as reference.

Corresponding tactics can be provided to Carlisle, which may enrich the team's supporting and coordinating methods.

'The correct way to open the Big Three', Zhang Yang realized belatedly that their Bobcats have actually been using it all along!
He, Felton, and Okafor actually implement the core concept of this style of play.

He, Harden and DeRozan, who are on the 10th line, grew up together since high school; he himself, Felton and Okafor entered the NBA at almost the same time, grew up together, and were also willing to sacrifice for each other in the game. When Felton and Okafor were the main attackers, he played a supporting role, and when he was the main attacker, the two were also willing to play supporting roles. They have cooperated for many years, have a tacit understanding, and there is no blockage in the role-swap.

He didn't realize this at first because of the problem of strength. The current Bobcats' Big Three and the Compton Big Three in 17 have a huge gap in strength, and their performances are also very different.

It's mainly the ceiling of Felton and Okafor. Felton was on the edge of an All-Star at his peak, and Okafor grew up normally without injury, but at most he is a perennial All-Star in the Eastern Conference. It depends on luck if he is put in the Western Conference.

As for the Compton Big Three, DeRozan, the weakest, has become a perennial All-Star since entering his peak period. With the right role players, he is invincible. He is confident that he can compete with teams such as the Bulls' second dynasty, the OK dynasty, and the yellow and green army of the 80s, and he is confident that he can win.

After getting up and washing his face, Zhang Yang went to the study and wrote down the general ideas of "the correct way to open the Big Three" and "Tang Shen's movement", preparing to refine them as a whole and see how to talk about this with Carlisle.

After reviewing his training journey, he reopened the 'door' and looked at the task interface.

After winning 4 consecutive championships and completing both basic and advanced tasks, he was not very satisfied with the process. Green's wave of fancy operations caused the Warriors to collapse too quickly. After Game 3, he thought it would take at least 6 games to decide the winner, and a Game was also possible.

Green's operation was actually very smart. He blasted Durant and punched Poole away. Later, he got big contracts. When Durant left, he got 4 million for 1 years. When Poole left, he got another 4 million for 1 years. With that kind of brain, who would go against two small targets? And they were all US dollars.

But with a player like this, the team management should also be devastated, but this player's ability is still outstanding, and it is difficult for people to have the heart to cut off his arm.

The Warriors were able to reach their peak for ten years, from defeating the Nuggets in the first round in 13 to winning their fourth championship in 22. This was really all thanks to the mad scientist, the logo man, and Mark Jackson. In 4, the mad scientist went against all odds and selected Curry, in 09, the logo man selected Thompson, and Mark Jackson built the underlying framework of the system, allowing the Warriors to have a golden decade from the 11-12 season to the 13-21 season.

Zhang Yang accepted the reward with a thought, and the content on the door switched to his basic information.

“……能力评估：三分94（上限98），中投93（上限95），上篮94（上限96），控球91，传球87，速度94（95），力量87（上限90），弹跳90（上限91），体力94（上限96）……”

'The End' got 1 three-point talent point, and 'New Definition of Dynasty' got 1 speed talent point and 1 strength talent point.

The upper limit of three-point talent has been raised to 98!
The upper limit of speed and strength has also been raised to a new level! However, it seems that he needs to wait until his body continues to mature, or undergo professional training.

There is also a new experience gain and an experience gain upgrade obtained a long time ago.

"There's Someone Behind You (Elementary): When defending and counterattacking, speed +1, if you keep up with the fast break player with the ball, when the fast break player shoots, you are in a position to interfere with the shot or block the shot, bounce +1."

This is a hard bonus that does not require any technical reserves. It takes effect directly when chasing or defending a fast break. It is Zhang Yang's favorite type.

Before James went to the Lakers, his block shots were really cool, regardless of anything else.

His current speed is 94, and it soars to a historical level when he is chasing and defending a fast break.

"Death (Intermediate): Killer's Instinct. When the game time is less than or equal to 24 seconds and your team is trailing by less than or equal to 3 points, your physical strength will be temporarily restored to its best state and last until the end of the game. If there is overtime or the next overtime continues, it can only be triggered after the conditions are met again."

This is a huge improvement! Previously, it could only be triggered when the remaining time, score difference, and possession of the ball were met. Now, it can be triggered even when there is no possession of the ball! In other words, if there are 30 seconds left in the game and you are 3 points behind, and the opponent is advancing, there are only 24 seconds left. At that time, if you plan to defend and play the last few seconds, it can also take effect while defending! And the offense can continue after the defense!
Although it can only be triggered a few times in a season, but when it is needed, it is a magical skill.

...

The Bobcats will have two days of rest on the 10th and 11th.

In addition to training, Zhang Yang organized "Tang Shen's off-ball movement" into two aspects: "individual" and "team", and communicated with shooting coach England and head coach Carlisle.

The two coaches felt one thing from Zhang Yang: Coach, I really want to improve.

With the additional work, the two coaches are somewhat annoyed, but they also feel more motivated.

Carlisle: If we can develop such an ideal off-ball shooter, wouldn't we be able to have a dynasty?

Engelland: If I could figure out how to develop a pitcher like that, I could be called a 'legend' like Grove, right?

After two days of rest, the Bobcats faced their first focus game of 2010 - home game against the Spurs!

So far this season, only two teams have maintained a winning rate of more than 60 wins and have never dropped. One is the Cavaliers, which currently has 30 wins and 6 losses, and the other is the Spurs, which has 30 wins and 5 losses.

山猫队现在27胜8负的战绩，胜率也在60胜以上，但是靠着12月31打热火队、和1月上旬连打4个弱旅，拿到一波连胜冲上来的。

The Cavaliers' lineup is indeed good, with James as the core, and his starting partners are Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Jamison, and Marvin Williams. The second lineup includes Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Larry Hughes, JJ Hickson, and Varejao. They signed Ben Wallace, who was cut by the Suns, with a minimum salary, and signed Big Z back with a minimum salary after betraying the Wizards. The main rotation fills the 12-man roster.

The inactive list also has some interesting members, including this year's second-round pick Danny Green, Marbury's cousin Telfair, and Kobe Carr, the son of the Nuggets head coach.

Although a lot of the hundreds of millions of dollars in salary was spent on expensive items and many players were overpriced, at least the roster was filled to an exaggerated level.

There are many unknown players in the Spurs lineup, but most of them are talented players.

Despite being eliminated in the last season, they have regained their place in the Western Conference after their defensive collapse, and have attracted many talented players and veterans who are looking to win the championship. Last summer, the Spurs signed Richard Jefferson, the biggest signing of the year, for 3 years and $2700 million, to serve as a backup for Gay and Diaw.

With Duncan's 2200 million contract and Dio and Ginobili's two 900 million contracts, there is still room to sign players, thanks to Conley and Gay's rookie bonus.

In order to make room to sign Richard Jefferson, the Spurs first gave up the bird rights of Matt Bonner and Roger Mason. After completing the signing, they split the mid-level exception to renew the two contracts. Popovich has figured out how to tinker with the lineup under the luxury tax line.

Up to now, the Spurs' lineup rotation has begun to stabilize, with Conley, Keith Bogans, Gay, Dio and Duncan becoming the fixed starting lineup.

Also sitting on the bench are George Hill, whose sophomore talent is beginning to materialize, veteran Mason, second-round pick DeJuan Blair who is very capable, substitute Richard Jefferson who was brought in with a big contract, big pitcher Bonner, defensive center Ian Mahinmi... and the second lineup's offensive spearhead Manu Ginobili!

Although most of the Spurs’ role players are not as famous as those of the Cavaliers, the performance of this lineup worth less than 7000 million so far this season is no worse than that of the Cavaliers!

The Spurs' playing style this year is closer to Zhang Yang's impression of the 'Spurs system' 13 years later, with two arrows - starting Gay and substitute Ginobili.

Gay has averaged 30 minutes per game so far this season, scoring 17.2 points with a shooting percentage of 50.3%; Ginobili has averaged 28 minutes per game, scoring 16.2 points, ranking in the top two in scoring on the Spurs.

Duncan's playing time has also changed this season. In the first month, he was still the Spurs' leading scorer, averaging a team-high 36 minutes per game.

但12月，邓肯出场时间骤降至29分钟，数据自然也随之下滑，到现在赛季平均数据已经跌到场均16分11板3.4助攻2.5盖帽。

From late December to now, Duncan's statistics have gradually stabilized, with each game averaging around 12 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 blocks. It is estimated that the season average data will gradually move closer to this.

This also makes Duncan seem to have returned to his 25-26 years old. As long as he is on the court, he is a superstar every second! He is not inferior to the peak Howard head-on.

Dio and Blair also benefited from this, both getting a few more minutes of playing time.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the game between the Bobcats and the Spurs began, and the two teams launched a fierce positional offensive and defensive battle.

The biggest change for the Spurs this season, in addition to Duncan becoming the third scoring point and clearly developing an offense centered around Gay and Ginobili, is that they have regained their defense, averaging 106.7 points per game while limiting their opponents' scores to 98 points, which is below the league average.

As for the Bobcats, the offensive and defensive adjustments made according to the changes in the rotation lineup have become increasingly outstanding so far this season. In addition, the games have been easy over the past ten days, and their physical problems and psychological pressure have been alleviated, so they also put in a high-quality offensive and defensive performance tonight.

Especially in the second half of the third quarter, Zhang Yang and O'Neal formed a dual core, with Felton receiving the ball from the bottom corner, Hill assisting, Okafor catching the ball and shooting from the mid-range, and played a half-quarter score of 20 to 14, expanding the 3-point advantage at the official timeout in the third quarter to 9 points at the end of the third quarter! Leading the Spurs 90 to 81!
Carlisle feels really good to use O'Neal as the core of the triangle offense, but if O'Neal really wants to play like that now, there are only a few minutes in a game, and he can only save them, and he has to give some time at the beginning for O'Neal's body to get into shape... But it's better than nothing, as long as the playing time is allocated well, he can save up a wave of big moves!
However, the Spurs, who were beaten for half a quarter, were not defeated. In the final quarter, Ginobili led Conley, Richard Jefferson, Matt Bonner and Duncan to launch a strong counterattack!
Gay is the Spurs' leading scorer with extremely high efficiency. His playing style mainly relies on long shots and counterattacks, and he has a hit rate of over 50%.

But the real backbone of the Spurs is still Yaodao and Shifo.

Led by Ginobili, the Spurs scored 34 to 26 in the final regular time, chasing the score to 115 to 116 and narrowing the difference to 1 point!
At the critical moment, Zhang Yang stood up, backed up Gay in the high post, turned around and made a fadeaway jump shot, and even drew a foul!

Gay relied on his jumping advantage to try to block the shot instead of trying to interfere with the shooting angle. After Zhang Yang threw the ball, he slapped Zhang Yang's wrist hard. Even at the critical moment, the referee had to whistle.

Zhang Yang also made the free throw, widening the gap to 4 points, leaving the Spurs with only 8 seconds. The Spurs called a timeout and played fast, expecting to commit a tactical foul after scoring another goal, but Ginobili missed the three-pointer facing Zhang Yang, and Okafor protected the defensive rebound. The Spurs' counterattack in the final quarter fell short because the prepared tactical foul was not executed and the game came to an end.

25投12中，其中三分球10中4，加上7中7的罚球，张杨拿到35分6板2助攻3抢断，率领山猫队以119比115力克马刺队，将战绩提升到28胜8负。

The Spurs suffered their sixth loss of the season. Because their record in the Southwest Division was not as good as the Cavaliers' in the Central Division, the Spurs fell to second place in the league.

In this match, Zhang Yang played with great enthusiasm and was almost overturned, but in the end he managed to pin his opponent down. It was a great feeling.

However, when he looked at the Spurs' statistics, he was still shocked.

12 players appeared on the court, 11 of them scored, 7 of them scored in double digits, the highest score was 18 points, Duncan and Gay both scored 15 points, and 12 of them scored 13 points and 4 points...

Thinking about tonight's defense, Zhang Yang was also overwhelmed, and he couldn't find the key point of defense at all! The Spurs' offense was centered around Gay and Ginobili's scoring, but anyone could be the main attacking point.

On the Spurs side, Yao Dao, Gay, and Richard Jefferson, the three players who are responsible for defending Zhang Yang, are also having a headache.

Watching Zhang Yang's game videos earlier this season, they could already feel that Zhang Yang was more reckless than when he played against them last season. But when they actually played against each other, Zhang Yang was even more reckless than they had imagined!
What does it mean to shoot 10 three-pointers without any reason? Is this the kind of game where you have to shoot wildly? Shouldn't this be a game where you pursue offensive stability?

They knew the opponent was going to shoot and they defended against it, but the opponent still made 10 of 4 three-pointers. As defenders, they were really desperate.

After this game, the core players of both teams paid more attention to each other.

...

On the 14th, the Bobcats won a tough battle against the Kings at home with a score of 104 to 102. Korver missed the final three-pointer and the Bobcats narrowly won.

With Rondo, Korver and Stephen Jackson as starters on the outside, and Ben Gordon, Udrih and Casspi as substitutes on the outside, the Kings' outside depth this season is comparable to that of a championship contender.

可惜内线差了点，霍伊斯没能如人们预期的那样成为下一个布拉德-米勒，场均仅能拿到8.2分6.6板2.6助攻；08届的贾森-汤普森，也只有场均8分8板的表现。

The backup inside players are a group of mediocre players. This year's second-round pick Jon Brockman averages 2 points and 4 rebounds per game; Adonal Foyle averages 1.7 points and 3 rebounds per game, and there is no one else.

But Rondo is strong enough! He averages 10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game!

Rondo and his outside teammates were not afraid of anyone when they started shooting. Even though they were at a disadvantage against anyone in the interior, the Kings reached seventh in the Western Conference in the first month. However, they fell back later because of the problem of interior depth. There is no strong team in the Western Conference without a strong interior line. After losing to the Bobcats, the Kings' winning rate dropped to 18%, with 18 wins and losses.

Judging only from the players' performance, Zhang Yang feels that the Kings have what it takes to rise.

There are veteran, middle-aged and young core players on the outside. There is also the pitcher Korver who has mastered his positioning after training in the Jazz for several years. The outside structure is also good. As long as they can maintain their current performance, they will most likely attract top inside players to join in the summer of 10 or 11. For example, Howard, who is clamoring to change teams, could renew his contract in 08 by following the example of the 03+3 team of 1 and opt out of the contract early in 11.

But the Kings management seems to have some big problems. They were smart last summer and formed such an outside group, which has achieved some results, but they want to do something fancy again!

The Kings didn't give up last season because they didn't have draft picks. When they traded for Rondo in the 07-08 season, they gave the 08 lottery-protected pick to the Bobcats. In the end, they didn't make the playoffs, but got the 12th pick and selected Jason Thompson.

The draft pick was extended to the top five in 09 and was protected. It was unlikely that the Kings would drop to the bottom five last season, so they played their cards right, and finally let the Bobcats select Collison.

Now that they have the draft picks and after a hot start, the record has dropped and the Kings management has become active again. There are rumors that the Kings want to dismantle the current outside line-up, exchange for draft picks, and then play rotten, hoping to select a few strong talents in 10 years.

Zhang Yang felt that the Kings management had no strategic focus and could not see any patience at all.

Coach Xiaolong's road to becoming the boss is full of hardships, and he can't avoid it. The four-year, $4 million contract extension has already been signed, and he has no choice but to sign it, as the Kings have the right to match the contract with their parent team.

In the first half of January, the Bobcats only had 1 games. Although they faced strong opponents like the Spurs, the overall schedule was easy. In the second half of the month, the difficulties came. From the 6th to the 16st, there were 31 games in 16 days!
On the 16th, the Bobcats lost 99-104 to the Hawks on the road, ending their 8-game winning streak and failing to surpass their opening winning streak, bringing their record to 29 wins and 9 losses.

Later, we returned to our home court to play against the Grizzlies, Suns, and Trail Blazers, and we won all of them.

Playing against the Suns, the Bobcats had the most exciting win, slaughtering them 125 to 99!

纳什看着自家这边90投33中、其中三分球24中8，再看看对面对面81投46中、其中三分球20中10，都不知道这场比赛该咋打。

The main thing was that he also shot 4 of 0 three-pointers and took the lead in the charge, which was very much like the style of the Class of 96.

However, in the game against the Trail Blazers, the Bobcats ran into trouble - O'Neal was injured and would be out for two weeks.

Although it was foreseeable that O'Neal would miss the regular season due to injury, he just happened to sprain his ankle and fall during the game against the Trail Blazers... Zhang Yang felt that the Trail Blazers were really toxic!

3连主打完，山猫队开启了浩浩荡荡的5连客，先是以121比90屠杀勇士队，接着在和掘金队的赛跑中，以108比112不敌，吃下了赛季第10场失利，后面以103比96险胜国王、张杨命中压哨三分绝杀以94比92险胜森林狼、最后31号最后一战客场打太阳队被对方以114比109复仇……

After the first month of games in 2010, the Bobcats had a record of 35 wins and 11 losses.

...

The morning after playing against the Suns, Zhang Yang ran to Nash's house early to eat, drink and play with other people's daughters. Just before noon, he received good news - he won the award!

In the past two months, he would stare at his phone every day on the 1st, waiting for a call from the team or his agent, but he never got one. This time, he was so happy entertaining someone's daughter that he forgot about it, but he still won the award.

虽然最后的5连客仅取得了3胜2负的战绩，但山猫队在1月份的战绩依旧有12胜3负，力压这个月12胜4负的骑士队、与同样12胜3负的马刺队打了个平手！

张杨后面5连客期间，场均34分，将1月份前10场的场均29.2分拔高到了30.8分，外加7板2.8助攻3抢断，击败了场均27分7板8.5助攻1.5抢断1.5盖帽的詹姆斯，拿到东部月最佳球员奖！

James' two consecutive monthly player awards have come to an end.

另一边拿奖的，也是3号，保罗15场比赛场均22.8分6.6板11助攻2.6抢断，率队拿到10胜5负。

Zhang Yang looked at the data on the mobile browser and could only say that Pao Ge was really amazing before his serious injury. Since the 07-08 season, he could see qualitative improvement every year... but can his legs take it?

The good news is not over yet. At 12 o'clock, the NBA officially hosted the live broadcast of the All-Star starting vote count. Zhang Yang was elected the All-Star vote king again with 309 million votes, defeating James with 295 million votes and Kobe with 288 million votes!

(End of this chapter)