The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 146 The New Iron Triangle

He has identified several aspects of Rodman's tactical role, the first being offensive rebounding.

Offensive rebounds are crucial for breaking a deadlock and securing second-chance opportunities. They are especially important when Pippen and Jordan are double-teamed on the perimeter, giving the team the chance to reorganize the triangle offense.

At the same time, his strong offensive rebounding ability also made the defense hesitant to collapse too much in the first round of defense. If they collapsed too much, Rodman would be closer to the basket and would have an easier time grabbing offensive rebounds.

This formidable offensive rebounding ability signifies that Rodman could indirectly create space for wing players like Pippen and Jordan to drive to the basket, while also creating space for himself to do so.

Rodman's second tactical contribution was defensive rebounding.

The triangle offense is not only a half-court offense tactic, but also applicable to fast break offense. Rodman could grab a defensive rebound and then pass the ball to Pippen or the point guard to form a fast break triangle with Jordan.

Phil Jackson used to play this fast break tactic a lot, and now with two-time rebounding champion Rodman, he will play the triangle offense even more often.

Rodman's third tactical contribution was his defense.

He can defend positions one through five, and his stable defense will be a safety net for the triangle offense. His multi-position defense and defensive rebounding can break down the opponent's targeted offense and compress the opponent's offensive possessions.

Currently, he has only figured out these three tactical roles Rodman plays in the triangle offense, and he is still exploring them.

On the court, the score is 2-5, and the Heat are on offense.

Tang Bei immediately moved into position under the basket, and Rodman immediately returned to defend the basket, forming a double-team on the player without the ball.

Instead of passing to Grant Long, who was open, Avery Johnson lobbed the ball towards the basket.

"boom!"

"Di!"

The next moment, Tang Bei received the ball, turned around, and bumped past the two players who were double-teaming him. He then hung on the rim, and the referee blew his whistle.

"Two points are valid, Rodman committed a foul," Bill Russell said.

"The Bulls' biggest defensive problem remains the dominant presence of the rim crusher under the basket," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "Double-teaming early to prevent Tang from getting close to the basket, but that leaves open shots elsewhere."

Bill Walton shook his head and said, "Don's mobility and speed are at the small forward level. Add to that his strength and size, and I don't think double-teaming him to prevent him from getting close to the basket will be very effective."

Bill Russell thought for a moment, nodded, and said without objection, "Let's see if the Bulls use it today."

Tang Beijia made the free throw, making it 5-5. The Bulls went on offense.

Rodman pulled out first, then quickly cut to the basket, ready to grab the offensive rebound.

Grant Long fronted Rodman's defense, cutting off his receiving routes.

After receiving a pass from Pippen, Jordan was once again double-teamed by Kevin Edwards and Avery Johnson, and then turned and took a fadeaway jump shot.

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, it still didn't work.

"mine!"

Rodman leaped high into the air, kicking and swinging his legs with a somewhat menacing air.

"Get lost!"

Tang Bei cursed under his breath, "I'm a heavy center guarding this place, and I just lost a defensive rebound. If you steal another one, do you think I have any shame?"
"Snapped!"

He jumped higher than Rodman, and the two made contact in the air. Rodman was knocked away by him, and he successfully grabbed the rebound.

Back in the frontcourt, he was about to go to the basket again.

"Double-team".

Phil Jackson shouted.

The next moment, Luke Longley held off Tang Bei, and Rodman also ran over, starting to double-team the player without the ball.

“Let’s see what Tang does,” Bill Russell said.

The next moment, Tang Bei's reaction came out.

He first moved a step, and when the two caught up, he rammed into them, forcibly breaking through their encirclement. Rodman was knocked over, and Luke Longley, who weighs 120 kilograms, almost fell as well.

And since they were all moving, the referee's whistle did not sound.

"boom!"

The next second, Avery Johnson delivered a precise pass, and Tang Bei once again hung on the Bulls' rim.

“It’s no use, I told you it’s no use,” Bill Walton laughed.

"The strength advantage is too obvious, unless the person double-teaming them is someone of Shaquille O'Neal's caliber," Bill Russell said, shaking his head.

Phil Jackson wasn't thinking about winning or losing the game; he was figuring out how to use the newly introduced rules to limit Tang Bei.

Immediately, he signaled a substitution, bringing on the team's developed defensive player to replace Luke Longley.

Will Perdo, 213 cm tall, was the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 88 Chicago Bulls draft. Although he was a lottery pick, his potential was not realized, and he was a fringe player on the team.

The Bulls offered him a five-year, $8 million contract, asking him to gain weight to become a physical defender and improve his defensive skills, which he readily accepted.

Last season, he was unhappy playing the role of a tank because his rookie contract wasn't high and it was his final year. If he got seriously injured, his career would be over.

Now that I've signed a long-term contract worth 800 million, I have no worries about the future, so I'll just be a meat shield.

He also understood that if he didn't agree, he definitely wouldn't get a contract extension, and leaving the Bulls might mean he wouldn't be able to play for anyone. Staying with the Bulls as a defensive anchor was the best option.

After several months of weight gain, his weight has increased from 110 kg to 125 kg, and he is still gaining weight, with a goal of 135 kg or even more.

The specific weight gain will depend on the situation, because he needs to retain at least some mobility; otherwise, a mountain of flesh that can't move won't be able to stop Tang Bei.

He gained 15 kilograms, but it wasn't all muscle; most of it was fat, and he now looks much fatter.

"Someone like this can defend against me?"

Seeing the bloated Will Perdo, Tang Bei simply didn't believe it.

If it's a tanky type with strength and size, there's a chance to hold him off, like Leonardo DiCaprio.

But how can an obese bodyguard withstand him if he only has size but not enough strength?
7:5, Bulls attack.

Tang Bei didn't care about Will Perdo at all. He had gained so much weight that even if he had some shooting ability before, he had lost it now.

However, the introduction of the three-second rule has also prevented him from staying in the paint as much as before, moving in and out like he was on vacation.

"brush!"

Jordan took his fourth shot and made a mid-range jumper.

Bill Russell said, "Michael took four shots and made two. Of those four shots, he was double-teamed three times and made one."

Judging from the intensity of the Heat's defense against Jordan today, it was even greater than in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals, starting shooting guard Steve Smith's defense against Jordan was of very low quality.

This is because Kevin Edwards was primarily responsible for guarding Jordan. While he couldn't stop him alone, he could create time and opportunities for double teams.

7:7, Heat on offense.

Tang Bei wanted to test the Bulls' new defensive anchor, so after entering the low post on the left wing, he immediately began to aggressively establish position, and he did so deep, pushing hard into the paint.

Welper, weighing only 125 kilograms, was no match for Tang Bei. With Tang Bei's exertion, Welper's defenses immediately crumbled, and he quickly took two large steps forward.

But at this moment, Rodman double-teamed Tang Bei off the ball, setting up a second line of defense and timely blocking Tang Bei's attempt to enter the basket.

At this point, the three-second attack time had expired, and the ball had not been passed in. Tang Bei prepared to withdraw from the penalty area.

On the perimeter, BJ Armstrong did his best to prevent Avery Johnson from passing the ball to the low post.

But Johnson didn't stay at the top of the penalty area; instead, he moved around with the ball and found an opportunity to pass it in before Tang Bei left the penalty area.

Tang Bei, who was leaving the penalty area, immediately repositioned himself, jumped up and caught the ball in both hands, and was now in the left waist position.

"here."

On the right wing, in the low post, the voice of teammate Grant Long could be heard.

Upon hearing the sound, Tang Bei flicked the ball, which flew over.

"squeak!"

Jordan moved down to help defend, blocking Grant Long's path.

The Bulls' rotation began, and Armstrong started helping defend Kevin Edwards, denying the Heat wide-open shots on the perimeter. "Ball."

After passing the ball, Tang Bei quickly pushed past Rodman and Lupeldo, entering the basket while waving for the ball.

Grant Lang quickly jumped and threw the ball, and Tang Bei, who was close to the basket, used his left elbow to brace himself against Rodman and stepped up to grab the basketball with his right hand.

"Bang!"

The moment the ball went in, the rim was deformed from his pull.

"Pretty!"

Bill Russell said, "Actually, at this point, Kevin Edwards on the right wing and Avery Johnson at the top of the key both had open looks and could have passed the ball."

However, both players are weak from three-point range, and Tang's dominance under the basket is too overwhelming, so Grant Lang's passing choices are excellent.

Bill Walton said, "When the Bulls were changing positions, Pippen didn't participate and kept his eyes on Glen Rice."

With Jordan and Armstrong guarding three positions, if the Heat added a shooter on the right wing, such as Steve Smith, they would be even more of a threat on offense.

"But Edwards is a better defender, and if the Heat want to win, they need to strengthen their defense against Michael," Bill Russell said with a smile.

The game continued, with the score fluctuating and neither side able to pull away.

Bulls head coach Phil Jackson is constantly tweaking the triangle offense while also adjusting his defensive tactics against Tang Bei.

We have gained a lot from the triangle offense tactic.

Rodman didn't have Cobra Grant's high post playmaking ability, but when he was under the basket, he could create an open balance by threatening the paint.

This ability to threaten the basket and facilitate without scoring effectively balanced the spacing required for the triangle offense, providing more space for Pippen and Jordan.

Their rebounding ensured the continuity of second-chance opportunities, their multi-position defense provided a stable defensive system and a margin for error, and their ability to threaten the basket and facilitate non-scoring plays made Jordan and Pippen's scoring more efficient.

Meanwhile, Phil Jackson discovered some really promising young talents during this competition.

He is Toni Kukoc, the Croatian forward who was selected by the Bulls in the second round with the second overall pick in 1990. Today he showed all-around ability, playing five positions, and is good at driving, shooting and passing. He also has a strong awareness of rebounding and assisting.

Toni Kukoc has also performed well in training and plays a very important role in the offensive system, even more so than Cobra Grant.

However, they are somewhat weak in one-on-one defense and need to rely on the system to defend. They are a reliable defensive piece, but cannot take on the core defensive task.

Ultimately, the Bulls won the game 92-101. The Heat, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, were not in good form and lost by 9 points.

Tang Bei scored 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Dennis Rodman stole 13 rebounds from him, the same number.

Rodman not only took away the rebounds, but also did a good job on the defensive end.

Especially with off-ball double-teaming, Rodman forced several three-second violations from Rodman and created numerous ineffective positions in the paint.

He still needs to think more about how to deal with Rodman.

As for the tank Will Perdo, there are no negative effects on him for the time being.

With a record of 1 win and 1 loss, and after a back-to-back home and away game at the start of the season, the Heat have no games for the next four days. Their next game is a home game against the Bucks on the 11th.

On the night of the 11th, after the Heat defeated the Bucks, they faced another back-to-back game, and like the first one, it was a home-and-away back-to-back.

On the evening of the 12th, the Heat played the Magic on the road.

The Heat won the first game at home, and the Magic were determined to win this game and went all out, but in the end, the Heat still won.

The Magic still had O'Neal guard Tang Bei one-on-one. Tang Bei then launched a fierce attack in the low post, making 12 of 18 shots (66.7%) and 7 of 10 free throws, scoring 31 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 blocks.

If he were playing at home, he would get at least 20 free throws tonight.

Glen Rice, playing back-to-back games, had a breakout performance, shooting 11-for-14 for a 78.6% field goal percentage. His three-point shooting was mediocre, going 1-for-3, but he added 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, scoring 30 points.

Steve Smith also had a very good performance, shooting 9-for-12 (75%) and scoring 20 points including free throws.

魔术方面，奥尼尔在唐北的防守下17投7中，命中率41.2%，10罚5中，砍下19分7篮板4助攻4盖帽。

Tang Bei got blocked twice by O'Neal, while O'Neal got blocked three times by Tang Bei. Comparing other statistics, Tang Bei still had the advantage.

With a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, the Heat are once again facing an unusual schedule, with another four days without any games.

On the 14th, the Player of the Week for the first week was announced, and superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon won the honor.

On the 17th, the Heat hosted the Jazz at home.

At 7:30, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Jazz: Felton Spencer, Karl Malone, Brian Russell, Jeff Malone, John Stockton
Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Avery Johnson

爵士此前4胜1负，仅次于6胜1负的尼克斯和5战全胜的公牛，屈居联盟第三。

Although the Mailman ended his feud with Tang Bei after losing to him at the All-Star game this year, he still didn't give Tang Bei a friendly look when they met, though he didn't show it excessively.

"Doctor, my second-generation Tang is out. Aren't you going to buy five hundred pairs as a token of appreciation?" Tang Bei teased maliciously in the player tunnel.

"Why don't you buy five hundred pairs of my sneakers as a token of appreciation?" the postman said irritably.

"You also have autographed sneakers?" Tang Bei asked in surprise.

"..."

The mailman was furious, but he couldn't refute it because he didn't actually have any autographed sneakers. The sneakers he endorsed were just a team sneaker, endorsed by many stars, and they didn't have his signature on them.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

Tang Bei and Felton Spencer, the 6th overall pick in the 90 draft, are jumping for the ball. Tang Bei is the same height as Felton Spencer and currently weighs 132 kilograms.

He remembered that when he played against the Jazz last season, this center wasn't that big; he must have gained a few kilograms.

"Di!"

The referee tossed the ball high into the air, and Tang Bei, after jumping, was a head taller than the referee and flicked the ball towards Avery Johnson.

Avery Johnson received the ball, pushed past John Stockton with one hand, and quickly advanced forward.

The Jazz didn't linger, quickly retreating to their half-court and forming a zone defense.

The game was broadcast live across the United States by ESPN. Commentator Michael Brin said, "The Jazz are using a 2-3 zone defense, with two players on the top and three on the bottom."

At this moment, Tang Bei moved from the free throw line towards the basket, and Felton Spencer and Karl Malone quickly surrounded him, preventing him from getting close to the basket.

One had the weight, the other had the upper body strength, and Tang Bei couldn't get close to the basket for a while.

"Zone defense + double-teaming off-ball players."

Another commentator, Tom Tolbert, quickly said.

At this moment, Avery Johnson passed the ball to Grant Long, who was in an open position, and Jeff Malone quickly covered on the right wing.

Grant Long's passing ability is decent; he quickly switched the ball to Steve Smith, who was open up ahead.

"brush!"

Smith received the ball and launched a three-pointer, which went in.

Michael Breen quickly analyzed: "With two sharpshooters on the perimeter, the Jazz's 2-3 zone defense is not conducive to defending the perimeter, not to mention they are double-teaming Tang early on."

Tom Tolbert said, "The Heat actually have a good offensive lineup. They have Tang inside and Glen Rice and Steve Smith, two great shooters, outside. They have strong firepower both inside and outside."

Michael Breen nodded and said, "So this kind of setup is actually very difficult to defend with a zone defense. A 2-3 zone defense is only suitable for defending teams with strong low-post offense but no three-point shooters."

The 3-2 zone defense is only suitable for defending teams with average low-post offense but strong outside shooting, and the Heat happen to have strong offense both inside and outside.

Tom Tolbert laughed and said, "Then the Jazz double-teamed Tang early, so as long as the Heat's two outside shooters are in good form, it will be difficult for the Jazz to win."

The game continued, and John Stockton used the Mailman's high screen to drive to the basket and then passed the ball to the Mailman who had moved to the left wing.

The Heat continued with man-to-man defense, with Tang Bei guarding Spencer under the basket who lacked shooting ability, and Grant Lang guarding Mailman.

Grant Long is only 203 centimeters tall, so he can't guard the basket; he can only guard the Mailman.

The Mailman set a screen at the high post, and after the screen, Stockton drove into the paint with the ball. After being covered by Tang Bei, he quickly passed the ball to the Mailman who was pulling to the left wing.

"brush!"

The mailman elbowed Grant Long aside and then made a mid-range shot.

2:3, Heat on offense.

(End of this chapter)