Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 244 History is always surprisingly similar

The G1 between the Grizzlies and the Rockets started in Memphis.

Hansen was exhausted in the first round, so Joerger arranged Gay to defend Harden in this game.

The result: Gay can't be defended.

Harden has not really reached his peak yet, but after two seasons of playing with the ball as a core, his skills have improved greatly compared to his time with the Thunder.

His signature step-back shot has reached perfection, and his dribbling three-pointer has also improved greatly. Paul's presence also allows him to get more shooting opportunities after off-ball pick-and-rolls.

Of course, one thing that cannot be ignored is that after studying the league rules at four in the morning in a nightclub, his ability to cause damage has greatly improved.

这场比赛他17投7中，15罚15中得到了32分。

This performance allowed the Rockets to tie with the Grizzlies at the end of the third quarter.

There are no weak teams in the Western Conference, and it is even less likely that a team that has fought hard in a seventh game will be weak.

But they didn't have the last laugh.

The fact that the Grizzlies did not fall behind despite Harden's outstanding performance is actually very telling.

Hansen said the Warriors were good warm-up fighters, and that’s true.

After the fierce battle in the first round, the condition of not only Hansen but also other players on the Grizzlies has obviously improved.

灰熊队在第四节打出32比22的单节比分，最终以115比105击败火箭拿下G1。

Hansen was liberated on the defensive end and scored 43 points on the offensive end.

This Rockets team does not have Ariza yet. Their small forward configuration is Casspi and the tripped version of Granger. They can create offensive space for Harden, but on the defensive end they can neither defend Kobe nor Hansen.

After the G1 between the Grizzlies and the Rockets, the league announced the winner of the important season award, DPOY.

Because of UA’s previous strong publicity, the outside world is also very concerned about the ownership of this award.

The final result was that Noah defeated Hansen with 30% of the votes and was elected the best defensive player of the season.

The result is quite a show-stopping effect.

Noah's defensive performance this season is good enough, and it is even a key factor for the Bulls to be among the top half of the Eastern Conference.

But the Bulls only have 48 wins at best, while the Grizzlies have 60 wins.

Not to mention that Hansen's defensive performance is stronger than Noah's both in terms of statistics and in the game.

It can only be said that history is always surprisingly similar.

This result is easily reminiscent of Jordan in the 1986-1987 season.

That was Jordan's first season after Grover came back to build a strong team. He averaged 2.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game that season, and his defensive efficiency ranked third in the league.

But in the end, he only ranked tenth in the DPOY voting rankings.

You read that right, it’s not the second, it’s the tenth.

The final winner of DPOY that season was Michael Cooper of the Lakers, who averaged 1 steal and 0.5 blocks per game and ranked outside the top 50 in the league in defensive efficiency.

But in the end, they didn't give it, and the biggest reason was that Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game that season.

How can you be good at defense if you score so many points? Your stats must be faked!

This is the general environment. Just as Hansen is now facing the Nike Alliance, Jordan was facing the Converse Alliance.

Or, we can also bring up Jordan from the 1995-1996 season.

That season, Jordan's defensive efficiency was second in the league, and the Bulls' defensive efficiency was first in the league, with the second-lowest points allowed per game.

Jordan also set a record that season, becoming the only player whose personal defensive efficiency was in the top three in the league, and whose team's defensive efficiency and points allowed were both in the top three in the league, but in the end he failed to win DPOY.

The fundamental reason here is that Jordan/Han Sen got too many things.

Jordan has already won the scoring title + MVP + first team + final MVP. If he wins the DPOY, just like UA advertised before, he will truly have all the honors in a single season.

And Hansen is now on the same path as Jordan.

After all, although it seems difficult for the Grizzlies to establish a dynasty, what if?
What if all the honors are given to you in the end, what will others do?
This absurd reason often determines the final outcome.

就像乔丹在1996~1997赛季率队拿下69胜，场均29.6分5.9篮板4.3助攻却最终没能拿下mvp的原因是……审美疲劳。

However, the reason why Silva did not prevent this result this time is the same as the reason why he did not blacken Hansen's MVP title before. What he needs is competition, not a monopoly.

Or, in other words, Hansen’s current situation is similar to that of Jordan back then. It is much more difficult than imagined to push a brand to the altar.

Because you are challenging those in power, and you have to do it not just once, but many times.

Before the G2 game, reporters interviewed Han Sen about his views on the DPOY selection results.

"I respect Joakim Noah, he's having a really good season."

Han Sen's initial answer made people feel that he was very magnanimous, but his next words made all the reporters present angry but dared not speak out.

"But what I want to say is that they (media people) are voting with their feet."

Han Sen's AOE output directly caused splash damage to the reporters present.

That night, before leaving for the competition, Han Sen saw that the anti-fan value in the system was increasing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

He turned on his phone and found a lot of negative news about him.

Only large sports media outlets were able to participate in the voting, and Hansen's wave of ridicule had aroused the most hatred.

But this made Han Sen's eyes light up.

Because he found that although he had been using the media, he had not found the best way to use it.

The effect of this kind of group ridicule is extremely good.

It seems that after this experience, I will have to pay more attention to opportunities in this area in the future.

He also doesn't need to maintain any image in the media. After all, he is not like James, who needs the media to maintain any personality.

The character setting is like building blocks. If someone kicks it, the fake one with a shaky foundation will be exposed under the power of time.

As someone who has witnessed James's comeback, he knows that there is no need to waste energy on this.

Performance on the court is more effective than any other personality.

The FedEx Center was very lively during G2.

Many Grizzlies fans at the scene held eye-catching signs that read "You voted with your feet", "Shame on the league", "Silva doesn't understand basketball", etc. to express their dissatisfaction with the DPOY selection results.

Although some people were asked to leave by security because the content of the signs was too radical, this is the characteristic of Memphis.

This sentiment was also reflected in the game.

Vucevic jumped to get the first offensive opportunity for the Rockets, and when Harden received the ball, there was a burst of booing at the scene.

It’s not because of what Harden did, but the person defending Harden tonight changed from Gay to Hansen!

In the last game, Gay couldn't defend Harden, so it makes sense for Hansen to defend him in this game, right?
Harden hesitated and passed the ball back to Paul.

Unlike Wade, Harden trained with Han Sen in the summer, and he knows better than anyone how strong Han Sen's defense is now.

But his name is James, not his last name. After passing the ball to Paul, he did not give up the attack, but started a pick-and-roll with Terrence Jones.

Paul's pass also came early, but the moment Harden received the ball, Hansen had already slipped past Jones's pick-and-roll and rushed over.

Harden tried to light up Hansen who was still running with a fake shot, but Hansen didn't fall for it.

Jones tried to set a pick-and-roll again, but Hansen forced Harden to challenge him and the ball was almost cut off Harden's hands.

By the time Harden regained control of the ball, there was not much time left for the offense, so he could only signal Jones to move away and play one-on-one.

The booing at the scene got louder.

Harden's physical fitness is not particularly outstanding, and he had asthma when he was a child. He plays more based on rhythm.

And, of course, his underrated ball handling.

Harden has a low center of gravity when handling the ball, which allows him to change direction quickly even though he does not have a super fast first step.

Facing Han Sen, he also gave his all, quickly changing direction with a low center of gravity. After confronting Han Sen, he followed up with his signature step back.

At this stage, he has not yet played the magic ball, and the mid-range step-back is also one of his killer moves.

He demonstrated his strength and successfully distanced himself from Han Sen.

But just as he was about to make the shot, he experienced what Anthony had experienced before.

Shaking off does not mean you can score.

"boom!"

Hansen took the initiative and blocked Harden's step-back shot with a volleyball-style block, sending the ball flying out of the court.

The booing at the scene instantly turned into cheers.

Harden's expression at this time was the same as Anthony's at the beginning, a little confused.

The Rockets' first attack was unsuccessful. Turning back, Hansen asked for the ball to play against Casspi one-on-one. Without waiting for the double-team, he made a back-to-the-basket shot and hit the ball steadily from mid-range.

The fans at the scene became more and more excited at this time.

Because they have a feeling that they will see [Full Force Korea] again in the first round tonight.

Although Han Sen was very tired, they enjoyed watching it.

After playing for five minutes, Harden was blocked by Hansen and didn't take any shots.

The score at this time has reached 12 to 6.

After Harden was locked down, the Rockets' scoring basically depended on Paul's signature pick-and-roll mid-range shots.

But his way of scoring is really not very lethal.

First, the person who sets the screen and roll has to block the defensive player. Secondly, his height has to leave enough space for shooting. Finally, he has to be able to shoot the ball.

Moreover, one of the Rockets' two inside players is short and the other moves too slowly. Although Paul can choose to pass the ball after a pick-and-roll, it is difficult for the inside players to convert the pass into points.

What's more, they couldn't defend against Han Sen.

While Hansen locked down Harden, he also exploded Casspi on the offensive end.

Obviously, for Hansen, defending Harden does not require him to run all over the court, and the physical consumption is much less than defending Curry.

When Hansen held the ball in the frontcourt again, Paul became the one defending him.

Although Paul does not have explosive scoring power, is easily defeated at critical moments, and also puts profit first, there is one thing he is not timid.

Whether he is with the Lakers or the Rockets, whether playing against the Heat or the Grizzlies, he really dares to defend in a mismatch when he is needed.

Although, it didn't work.

Paul's defense against Durant can be effective to a certain extent because Durant is afraid of the main attack's three-way defense, but he can't defend against Han Sen at all.

Hansen only needs to give some confrontation and then pay attention to Paul's cutter, and the rest is shooting practice.

With Paul's height and his jumping ability after his knee injury, if the defense can't get to him, the ball will be wasted.

After only two rounds, McHale gave up because it was tantamount to giving away points.

Since he couldn't limit Han Sen on the defensive end, he could only find a way on the offensive end.

Harden held the ball again, and this time he used the killer move he learned in the nightclub: hitting someone to get a car.

He chose to break through, and when he broke through, he held the ball high and let his elbow rest against Hansen's body to limit his strength.

However, he has not yet evolved into the [Son of Jingdezhen] and cannot attack the arm clamp, so his current tricks have no effect on Hansen.

Han Sen directly widened the distance between him and him. When he thought he had squeezed out the offensive space and made a layup on the right side, Han Sen saw the opportunity and jumped up, pressing the ball directly on the backboard.

And before falling, Han Sen caught the ball with one hand!
Harden could only choose to foul on the spot to prevent Hansen from fast breaking.

Just after the foul, he couldn't help but swear.

First of all, he is not a DPOY voting reporter.

Secondly, those reporters deserve to be damned, can’t they just vote properly?

You voted for fun, but I am the one who suffers!

At this time, the FedEx Center was filled with cheers from fans.

Han Sen doesn't deserve DPOY?

This is simply "Black Myth: Wukong" running for GOTY. It's not Black Monkey's regret that he didn't get elected, it's GOTY's regret!
全场比赛，哈登在韩森的防守下11投3中，三分球4中0仅得14分，并且还出现了6次失误。

The Rockets also lost to the Grizzlies 86-104, falling behind 0-2.

韩森则是打出了35分10板5助攻5抢断4盖帽的夸张数据。

At the end of the game, Paul stood on the court for a long time looking at the score.

He had a good performance tonight, scoring 24 points and 10 assists.

However, trailing 0-2, the Rockets have a high probability of not making it to the Western Conference Finals.

The championship that James can't win and the Western Conference Finals floor that Paul can't touch, these can all be written into a book.

But this game actually explains something.

The reason why Paul couldn't make it to the Western Conference Finals wasn't because of bad luck, but because he really lacked strength.

In other words, the biggest difference between Paul, Harden and Curry now is that although he can produce good statistics, he cannot handle a large amount of ball possession.

Once his backcourt partner, whether it's Kobe or Harden, or Booker in "history" as Hansen knows, is restricted, he can basically only struggle.

Without the magic ball style of play, the Rockets had limited control over the Grizzlies. After barely holding on to a home court with their explosive touch, the Rockets were eventually eliminated by the Grizzlies 1-4.

The Grizzlies played the second round more easily than the first round, and it was obvious that their form was recovering visibly.

But at the same time, it can also be seen that with the continuous changes in league rules and the increasing emphasis on three-pointers, their inside defensive capabilities are weakening, and they are easily targeted when encountering teams with excellent three-point shooting capabilities.

Just the day after they finished the series, the Spurs easily eliminated the Thunder with a score of 4 to 1.

The two teams met in the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season.

(End of this chapter)