Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 245 Never Let Han Sen Leave with Regret
Before the conference finals began, the league announced the winners of the season's best team.
Although Hansen was not selected as DPOY, he was selected to the double first team for the first time in his career.

This also shows why the media voted for Noah for DPOY, because Hansen really won all the honors this season.

A day later, Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals kicked off in San Antonio.

After four fierce quarters, the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies 122-113.

邓肯得到27分7板3助攻，伦纳德21分，马刺队5人得分上双，全队送出多达28次助攻。

Hansen scored 36 points in vain.

The result of this game was somewhat unexpected.

After all, the Grizzlies have the "Spurs Killer" Hansen, who also easily defeated the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals last season.

After finishing G1, Han Sen did not go back to rest directly. Instead, he went to the video analysis room after attending the press conference.

As soon as the game was over, he looked up the first-round video of the Spurs and Mavericks and started watching it.

He had already watched this video before the Western Conference Finals started, because the Mavericks were able to play the Spurs to a seventh game, which showed that they had seized some weaknesses of this Spurs team.

But if you look at it again now, you will discover more than before.

After a while, Joerger also came in with tonight's statistics in his hand.

He didn't seem too surprised when he saw Han Sen, but sat down beside him.

"Their outside shooting is more accurate than in the regular season." Joerger said as he handed the statistics to Hansen.

Han Sen didn't have the habit of looking at statistics during the game like James did, so he just saw it.

The Spurs made 17 of 9 three-pointers tonight. Although they didn't shoot as many as the Warriors before, their hit rate was frighteningly high.

Popovich once said that he hated three-pointers the most because too many long-range shots would make the game monotonous and eventually turn it into a shooting contest.

He even thought that all the league needed to do to ruin basketball was introduce a new four-point rule.

Han Sen rarely agreed with him on this point.

However, the development trend of basketball cannot be reversed by one individual. In order to increase ratings, the league encourages offense and continuously weakens the role of the center. Three-pointers will become the main theme.

So although Popovich says no, his emphasis on three-pointers is increasing year by year.

Especially this season, the Spurs ranked first in the league in three-point shooting percentage during the regular season.

Then in the playoffs, they shot even more accurately than they did in the regular season.

This is not an evolution, but the "Hammer Tactics" that I mentioned long ago.

Previously, when the Spurs played positional defense, the center basically went to the bottom, the shooters in the corners on both sides moved out, and then Parker and Duncan set screens in the middle.

But now, the hammer tactics allow the Spurs to move the ball more, with Green and Leonard both receiving the ball and moving during offense to mobilize the opponent's defense.

Or in other words, the reason why the Spurs can shoot three-pointers accurately is because most of their shots are open three-pointers, which are reasonable three-pointers.

This tactic, which relies heavily on teamwork and tacit understanding, is conceptually close to the Princeton tactic of "people move the ball". Only the Spurs can achieve this effect.

After all, their core lineup has been playing together for more than ten years, and they know what the other side wants to do just by sticking their butts out.

From the Warriors to the Rockets to the Spurs, three-pointers have become the opponent's Achilles' heel in defeating the Grizzlies.

Of course, it's not just three-pointers. The biggest change for the Spurs this season is that they are not obsessed with positions, but instead actively speed up the pace of the game.

The Spurs are now using the chase-down three-pointer, a scoring method that is rarely seen in disciplined teams.

This high-speed offense-defense transition can also restrain the Grizzlies' twin tower lineup.

These are the reasons why G1 is the result.

The Spurs are still the Spurs, and even the team lineup has not changed much, but their playing style has completely changed.

Popovich deserves the title of Coach of the Year this season.

"They are a stronger team than the Miami Heat." Joerger concluded after watching some video.

What he meant was that if the Spurs made it to the finals, they would eventually defeat the Heat and win the championship.

Han Sen didn't say anything, but he tacitly agreed with this seemingly unrealistic view.

This doesn't just mean that the Spurs are the champions of this year in "history", but it is determined by the characteristics of the team.

In addition to being number one in the league in three-point shooting percentage this season, the Spurs were also in the top three in regular season defensive efficiency and points allowed. Of course, in the playoffs their rankings were both raised to first.

The biggest feature of this Spurs team is its ability to be both offensive and defensive.

In contrast, after the Heat traded James for Durant, their offensive ability improved, but their defensive ability declined. Coupled with Wade's decline due to injuries, they became a team that relied on offense to win.

Once their offense was limited, they couldn't change the situation by improving their defense.

Just like last season's finals, 70 wins looked scary, but when it really came to the finals, Wade was restricted and they lost.

In other words, in this era, it is no longer "defense wins championships", but "offensive and defensive teams win championships."

This places higher demands on the team.

"We are a stronger team than the Spurs." Han Sen said after watching the video.

Jorgel looked at Hansen in surprise. It was them who lost G1.

However, Han Sen did not explain too much, and Jorgel could only understand that it was a word of encouragement from Han Sen.

After all, if you don’t believe that you are the stronger team, how can you have the confidence to win the game?

After leaving the video studio, Hansen invited Randolph to his home.

Randolph did not refuse. Unlike Gay, after the trade deadline, he not only accepted the villain role played by Hansen in the team, but also understood why Hansen did that.

When they got home, Han Sen asked the chef to make them some Chinese barbecue.

Since few people went to the Korean restaurant, Han Sen simply closed Rondo down and brought the chef home.

Anyway, he is leaving in the summer, and by then the time will be gone, so it is better to clear the pot in advance.

“I’m leaving this summer.”

Randolph was eating and gesturing that the food was delicious when he was stunned by Han Sen's sudden words.

"Leave? Leave where?"

"Memphis, leave the Grizzlies."

"Are you kidding?" Randolph put down the skewer in his hand, looking incredulous.

But looking at Han Sen's serious expression, he knew Han Sen was not joking.

"Did they force you to leave? I'll go find them!" Randolph was furious and slammed the table and was about to stand up.

"No, you know no one can force me in Memphis. I wanted to leave on my own accord, before signing a new contract last summer." Han Sen gestured for him to sit down.

"Why?" Randolph was left with only confusion in his mind after hearing Han Sen's words.

"Either I leave, or you leave."

Hearing Han Sen's words, Randolph felt mixed emotions.

He has been in Memphis longer than Hansen and knows the nature of the management better.

This season the team actually paid more than 40 million in luxury tax. The stingy person suddenly became generous. There must be some story behind it. But no one expected that Han Sen would be the one leaving.

But think about it, unless someone like James is a representative of capital, otherwise Jordan, who is strong, cannot interfere with the decision-making of the management. The feud between him and the Bulls general manager Krause and owner Jerry Reinsdorf has always been a topic of discussion among fans. If Hansen had not agreed to leave before signing the contract, the Grizzlies would have reached a deal with the Pacers on the trade deadline.

"I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you would think too much, but given the current situation, this may be our last series fighting side by side, so I thought I should tell you this." Han Sen explained why he had come to him tonight.

"No, this won't be the last time." Randolph said as he stood up.

"I won't let you leave with regrets!" He said this with a very firm tone.

If it were someone else, he would feel like he was abandoning them, but Han Sen was not someone else.

Hansen has been sacrificing for the team, including but not limited to sacrificing the ball and playing the villain.

He would never let Han Sen leave with regrets, never.

Han Sen didn't do anything in the second day's training session. The Grizzlies' training intensity was higher than ever before.

When Hansen told Randolph, it was equivalent to telling the rest of the team.

Randolph's thoughts are also the thoughts of all the Grizzlies' "old men".

However, the players also reached an agreement not to tell the news to the outside world, including the coaching staff, before the end of the season.

They want to prove their ideas with actions.

Seeing the changes in his teammates, Han Sen knew that he had made the right choice.

In fact, the reason why the Grizzlies lost to the Spurs in Game 1, in addition to technical and tactical reasons, there is another very important reason: the desire to play.

The 38-year-old Duncan scored 27+7+3 in the playoffs, which is enough to illustrate the problem.

They have lost to the Grizzlies too many times and they don't want to lose again.

The Spurs' tactical changes this season have given them that opportunity.

So in this situation, the Spurs' desire to play is full.

On the other hand, although the Grizzlies have recovered their form after the first and second rounds, it is obviously not enough to face the championship-level Spurs.

They need to become hungrier.

At times like this, only by letting them know that this is the "last chance" can they raise their desire to play to the same level as the Spurs.

Joger looked confused.

"Dave, I told you we are a stronger team than them." Hansen said during a break in training when he saw Joerger's reaction.

Jogel smiled. Although he didn't know what happened, he knew it must be Hansen who did something.

However, they need to do something more.

After practice, Joerger called the team's starters together.

Another thing about the Spurs that ranks among the best in the league this season is their bench depth.

During the regular season, they had 9 players averaging more than 8 points per game, and in the playoffs, they still had 8 players scoring more than 8 points.

In addition to the Ultimate Team, their bench lineup is very deep.

The Grizzlies don't have enough bench depth this season, so Joerger needs someone to lead the bench.

"I come."

A familiar voice, Guy recreated the scene from last year's finals. This should also be related to the conversation when he invited Hansen to his home.

This sound also let Han Sen know that the Grizzlies team from last season was back.

A day later, G2 continued the game in San Antonio.

The AT&T Center was rarely full, and the fans' enthusiasm was unprecedentedly strong.

In the past three years, the Spurs were eliminated by the Grizzlies twice, and even made Hansen the "Mayor of the Holy City".

But the results of G1 show that everything has changed.

Revenge is an eternal classic topic in the NBA playoffs.

Moreover, it has been 7 years since they last won the championship or even made it to the finals.

Duncan is about to retire, and the Spurs players will not let him leave with regrets.

Before the game, Barkley and O'Neal were also analyzing the situation of the game.

If the Grizzlies lose one more game, their dynasty will basically end here.

But the reality is that without the style of play that can restrain this, it is really not easy for the Grizzlies to beat the Spurs.

"Winning three consecutive championships is definitely more difficult than anyone imagined." O'Neal sighed again, and at the same time emphasized his own strength.

The Grizzlies were not the favored team tonight, but when the game really started, everyone was dumbfounded.

Joerger put Gay on the bench tonight, and the person he replaced was not Battier but Carter.

The Grizzlies' defensive aggressiveness was different from G1, no, it can be said that it was completely different from their season.

To defend against the Spurs' team basketball, the key is to have a fast defensive rotation and a high defensive rate.

This was the key to the Mavericks' previous game against the Spurs reaching a seventh game.

The Grizzlies did it tonight, and even Randolph was able to make up for the deficit in the pick-and-roll, which was rare.

As the number of open opportunities on the court decreased, the Spurs' team basketball was forced to return to star singles and pick-and-roll tactics in the end.

On the contrary, it was the Grizzlies, with Hansen's breakthrough passes, high and low posts in the interior, and pick-and-roll cooperation on the strong and weak sides. The familiar Grizzlies team is back.

As we all know, the Grizzlies are a team-oriented team!

As one team gained strength while the other lost strength, the Spurs found themselves in a situation where they could neither attack nor defend.

In the end, they lost to the Grizzlies 93-114 at home.

This was the first time they lost to their opponent by more than 20 points since entering the playoffs, and they lost at home.

What’s even worse is that the Grizzlies forced them to make as many as 22 turnovers.

In contrast, the Grizzlies only made 7 turnovers in the entire game.

Just from defensive counterattacks after turnovers, the Grizzlies scored 15 more points than the Spurs.

而且赛后的数据统计，马刺队只有GDP三人的得分上双，上一场发挥出色的伦纳德在对位韩森后5投1中仅得到了6分5板还出现了4次失误。

In this game, the Grizzlies directly defeated the Spurs from the "top European team" to the "Eastern University men's basketball team."

They are both playing team basketball, but in the end it’s just a title.

Moreover, this battle is not just about equalizing the score and gaining home advantage.

More importantly, the Grizzlies regained the momentum of the series in one game.

-Dividing line-

Best First Team: Harden, Hansen, James, Durant, Noah

Second team: Paul, Curry, Kobe, Anthony, Howard
Third team: Westbrook, Parker, Paul George, Love, Aldridge
All-Defensive First Team: Paul, Hansen, Paul George, Ibaka, Noah

Second Team: Beverley, Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan

(End of this chapter)