NBA restricted area bulldozer

Chapter 799 Guarding the Dynasty's Defense Legion

Before the game, the Lakers made it clear that they would change the defensive lineup depending on the status of the opponent's main scoring position. When Pierce broke out...Crotty could have been replaced by Artest. After all, Green defended Garnett in the first quarter. It works well, but the problem is that Green's timing needs to be carefully planned.

It's best to let Artest play at this time, because Garnett is really afraid of confrontation.

back on the field.

The Celtics also guessed the Lakers' substitution.

Pierce thinks about Crotty and feels hairy all over his body, and it's not that he can't fight. He is afraid that Crotty will exchange injuries and lives with him, and Crotty's gangster-style defense actually caused him more damage. There was a lot of psychological pressure, so the Celtics were also thinking of a way, and the way they came up with was to let Garnett take part of the shots that Pierce gave up.

Will Artest switch to the four?

The Celtics know this, but Garnett feels that he is not afraid. If he is even afraid of a first-year rookie, he will not be able to play this ball, and the significance of increasing his shots is not just to boost himself. Offensive, you know... If he gets into the area near the basket and shoots, he can also force Li Shengli to participate in the supplementary defense and liberate the blocked O'Neal.

……

"Crotty on?"

"Really, it looks like Phil Jackson doesn't want to make Pierce feel better!"

At this time in the TNT studio, when Barkley saw Crotty playing, even though the Celtics were still leading by 6 points, he also felt that the advantage was tilting towards the Lakers, because last year when the Lakers played in the finals... Crotty But Pierce, who was in the first grade at the time, was submissive.

"Charles, you played for the Lakers last year. What do you think of Crotty's defense? Can he defend Pierce?" Kenny Smith asked.

"I remember you fought against him too, what do you think?"

"I think? Cough... To be honest, this guy's defense is not the strongest among the backcourt players, but he is the most desperate. I don't think Payton can compare with him. Of course, maybe Payton He's more expensive and more health-conscious, but with Crotty, I don't see what he's afraid of, he's crazy."

"Yeah, I was also surprised why there is such a lunatic! But now the focus is not on his matchup with Pierce, but Artest and Garnett...they will determine the direction of the second quarter. "

……

The game went to the second quarter.

The two sides are rotating except for the main position, and Artest played the fourth position, and he played the same miraculous effect as he played against the Spurs in the previous round. The defensive effect on Garnett was surprisingly good.

Let’s talk about O’Neal first. Among his shots, the proportion of the basket and two-pointers at close range has reached a deformed 90%, while Olajuwon, Ewing, and Robinson were 50, 65, and 61 respectively. The offensive range of this product is extremely inside, and the damage to the restricted area is so large that it is outrageous.

In this case, in order to open up the defense for O'Neal, Garnett's shots became more and more outside. When the season's mid-range and long-range two-pointers accounted for 65%, and O'Neal's deformed basket and The proportion of close range is reversed.

But the problem is that Artest's defensive position of marking Garnett is more inside than marking Pierce. The reduced range of movement required by defense will eliminate his speed disadvantage to a certain extent. Chasing Garnett to find confrontation, Garnett It's almost annoying, and the shots in the confrontation are very bad.

However, after making great achievements on the defensive end, Artest's offensive end also exerted its strength advantage.

Garnett's single-defense ability is far worse than that of assist defense, and Artest is sure of this... When Kobe and Lee Shengli can't find a chance to cooperate, as long as the attack time passes 15 seconds, the score will be scored immediately. The ball was given to Artest to back Garnett.

It's a tradition for the Lakers to play back-to-back games one by one!

So Garnett was a bit overwhelmed by Artest's strong back attack, and he would be pushed into the penalty area soon, but the real problem was...no one could help him.

As soon as O'Neill moved, Li Shengli could kill them.

If peripheral teammates, including Pierce, help, the Lakers are too used to finding the weak side of defense, and Kobe immediately got the best opportunity.

But what if you defend yourself alone?

To be honest, even if Artest is a weaker offense, he can still overwhelm him when he gets to the basket. Even in this rookie period of the season, Artest only made 54% of his shots at the basket, but it is better than other shots. It is more stable, not to mention that Li Shengli's frontcourt has a greater advantage than O'Neal, and the true efficiency of 60% in the fight must not be suppressed.

Then there is the transfer?

However, Pierce was a little timid when he encountered Crotty. The other two were not to be counted on.

……

"My God, this effect is too good?" Kenny Smith in the studio was surprised.

"This little guy..." Barkley also said in surprise: "To be honest, I feel that after a few more seasons, this guy is also a DPOY player, but Kenny, think about this guy Ben Wallace Having already won the DPOY of this season, Li has even reached the point where he does not need to use DPOY to prove his defensive strength, and there is Crotty who has entered the second defense this season."

"The Lakers have all the defensive players?" Kenny Smith blurted out. Not counting the temporary joining of Rodman and Barkley last season, Los Angeles alone has produced a group of defensive troops. All teams can be the defensive core, including Kobe, who is now both offensive and defensive, and Eddie Jones, who used to be the second defense.

"Let me see... Now that the Celtics' 6 points in the first quarter have been wiped out, and they have reversed by 5 points. After that, the Lakers' victory is basically confirmed. At least the Lakers have a high probability of winning this game. Win, there will be no 3-0 situation last year!" Barkley said firmly.

"Then this is different from what we all predicted before the game. Could it be that the Lakers can really win four consecutive championships?"

"No, it's hard to say!" Barkley explained more objectively: "If you think about it... In fact, the Celtics can solve this situation, as long as they can create some good shooting environment for Garnett or Pierce That’s fine, of course there is a more direct way... Don’t forget about the Celtics and O’Neal, as long as the pick-and-roll is played in a small area on the outside and Pierce staggers Crotty to attack the inside, the Lakers’ defense will loosen.”

"Pierce hits the inside?" Kenny Smith immediately slapped the table and said, "Yes, as long as Pierce dares to rush, the Lakers' inside defense...whether Artest's defense or Lee's defense will make O'Neal and One of Garnett's opening the floor, and the offense really opens up."

"Yeah, of course it's just speculation and there are more variables to the game than we think, but at the end of the day ... Pierce's bravery is the key."

(End of this chapter)