NBA: Duncan feels uneasy coaching Warriors

Chapter 236 Clippers and Timberwolves Preview

"It turned out that I had become so strong before I knew it."

Su Chen looked at his panel and sighed.

Currently, he has two S-level items, five A-level items, and the rest are B-level items.

There are more than ten items in total.

Consider that in the beginning, he only had a pair of simulated glasses.

"I really don't know how I accomplished the comeback against the Spurs."

Su Chen couldn't help but feel a little sad when he recalled the first battle.

If he hadn't completed the comeback against the Spurs, he might still be an assistant coach somewhere at this time, or maybe no team would hire him.

Then you can only work in overseas leagues, and you may not be able to return to the NBA.

But now Su Chen has nothing to worry about. With his ability, he can gain a foothold in any team in the league.

Even if it is the worst team in the league, it is relatively easy to reach the playoffs with such an exaggerated bonus without trading or immobilizing the lineup.

The series between the Clippers and Timberwolves has attracted a lot of attention.

Some authoritative media directly listed the pre-match comparison between the two teams, starting with an analysis of the paper lineups.

The first is the comparison of starting point guards.

The Clippers' commonly used starting point guard is Lillard, and the Timberwolves' commonly used starting point guard is Beverley.

Lillard is an All-Star guard who is very good at shooting three-pointers with the ball, and in cooperation with Jokic, Lillard has also shown good catching and shooting abilities after running without the ball.

Lillard's shortcomings are defense and organization and mid-range micromanagement.

Although Lillard's defensive attitude is relatively positive, his static defensive talent is mediocre, and his defensive sense is not as sharp as that of elite defenders.

At the same time, Lillard's organizational ability is only average, and his mid-range micro-management sometimes often fails to find the best way.

However, these two shortcomings were shared by Jokic, so it was okay.

As for Beverley, his advantage is that he has an elite defensive sense, and at the same time, he is a player who can drive the defensive atmosphere of the team with great effort on the court.

The disadvantage is that only the defense is elite, the fixed-point three-point shooting can only be said to be passable, the ball-holding ability is poor, and the organization is mediocre.

When it comes to starting point guards, the Clippers have the advantage.

Next is the comparison of starting shooting guards.

In the Clippers' recent games, George has served as the starting point guard most, while Butler has served as the Timberwolves' point guard.

These two are somewhat similar.

Both are All-Star level wing forwards, have defensive abilities at the defensive level, and can perform swing defense due to their height and size.

But there are differences between the two.

George may be the striker in the league who produces the most three-pointers with the ball, and his shooting percentage is acceptable.

But Butler's three-pointers are only at a passing level, and his shooting with the ball is still relatively weak. He mostly catches and shoots three-pointers.

However, Butler's mid-range offense needs to be more confident.

As for breakthroughs, both of them are elite-level breakthroughs, there is not much difference.

From a functional point of view, George will be better.

But if you look at the core of the team, Butler would actually be more suitable.

Comparatively speaking, the starting guards of the two teams have their own successes and losses, but overall they are about the same.

Then there are the starting small forwards of both sides.

The Clippers' most recent starting small forward is Jeff Green, while the Timberwolves' most recent starting small forward is Iguodala.

Jeff Green is very hardworking and has a beast-like physical fitness. He can easily complete layups or dunks after cutting inside. Although the three-pointer is not elite, he is passable at fixed points.

However, the Timberwolves' small forward is last season's FMVP Iguodala, who can be said to be an all-around fighter.

Not only can he match up with the opponent's leading scorer on the defensive end, but on the offensive end, Iguodala also has a hand to attack with the ball in addition to fixing the spot.

In this comparison, the Timberwolves clearly have the advantage.

Then there is the comparison of the starting power forwards of the two teams.

The Clippers' starting power forward is the almost unstoppable Batum, while the Timberwolves' starting power forward is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Batum spent a season proving that he has enough ability to cope with the position of power forward in this era.

Except for the heavy offensive power forward like Randolph, Batum basically does not suffer on the defensive end when facing some other conventional power forwards.

And although Batum only served as power forward this season, his talent was only reflected at the power forward position.

Batum has very agile mobility at the power forward position, stable three-point ability, and excellent setter organization ability.

When Batum starts a fast break, he can either run away from the opponent and run in front, or he can use it as a transfer point to initiate a fast break.

These characteristics of his are relatively ordinary when placed at a small forward.

His biggest advantage is that he is strong enough, and at the same time, his height and long arms can handle the defense of the power forward position, and he also has the characteristics of a small forward.

The Timberwolves' starting power forward is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In fact, based on Giannis Antetokounmpo's regular season data last season and his performance in the playoffs, this comparison should have been dominated by Giannis Antetokounmpo without any doubt.

But this season Giannis Antetokounmpo is like hitting the rookie wall. There is a clear gap in his performance throughout the season compared to last season.

More often than not, Giannis Antetokounmpo relies on his physical instincts to play.

In addition, in Giannis Antetokounmpo's series against the Trail Blazers last season, when he was defended by Batum, his offensive efficiency dropped significantly.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was in good form last season, couldn't break Batum's defense, let alone Giannis Antetokounmpo, who hit the rookie wall this season and his performance has declined.

Therefore, in this position where the Timberwolves should have the advantage, the Clippers have a small advantage.

Next is the position where the difference between the two sides may be the biggest, the center position!
Ibaka is originally a very good player. It can be said that Ibaka played a considerable role in the Timberwolves' road to the championship last season.

Ibaka faces some blue-collar centers. The space center can not only exert a suppressive effect, but also use his very fast speed to help defend and help his teammates.

However, due to the low strength of his lower limbs, Ibaka is powerless when faced with some powerful low-post attacks.

Even Nowitzki and Ibaka are helpless.

Not to mention the powerful Jokic.

Jokic can be said to be the Clippers' biggest gain this season. The comprehensive abilities he displayed are not like a second-round pick at all.

In the regular season record, Jokic can produce very efficient data every time he faces Ibaka's defense.

The reason why the center position may be the biggest difference between the two teams is that the Timberwolves cannot deal with Jokic.

Ibaka is naturally unable to guard against such low-post players. The Timberwolves' backup center Muscala is just a second-year rookie with mediocre talent in the space.

Ibaka can't stop it, and Muscala can't stop it even more.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has declined a lot this season, but Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the Timberwolves' best candidate to defend Jokic.

After that, it’s a comparison of the two teams’ substitutes.

The Clippers' substitutes are nothing short of luxurious.

Morris, who was originally starting, was moved to the bench due to Jeff Green's performance.Reggie, who also played as the starter for a long time at the beginning of the season, was also demoted to the bench.

When Rondo was the starter for the Celtics last season, he was an above-average starting point guard averaging 11.7 points, 9.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.

This is equivalent to three starters from the original team, who directly became substitutes.

And that's not all. After Rondo arrived, Capela showed a pie-eating ability comparable to that of Jordan.

When they come on the bench, their firepower comparison is sometimes not inferior to when Paul and DeAndre Jordan work together.

At the same time, Anderson serves as the substitute power forward. His role is a bit like the substitute version of Batum, and his passing ability has been further improved after Rondo's arrival.

In addition, rookie Grant also showed very good 3D abilities.

The Clippers' bench can be said to be the most luxurious bench in the league.

The Timberwolves' substitutes, who were not bad at first, seemed a bit inadequate in front of the Clippers' substitutes.

Middleton is gradually improving towards an elite shooter and Covington is 3D.

Josh played reasonably well last season. After Rivers arrived and gave him a certain amount of freedom, he started to play a little messy again.

This substitute is much worse than the Clippers.

There is also the comparison between the coaches of both sides.

Speaking of which, Rivers and Suchen both belong to the ranks of championship coaches.

But just by looking at the players dribbling the ball between the two champions, you can tell who is winning.

Rivers leads the Celtics' Big Three. Ray Allen, Garnett, and Pierce are all close to superstars. They are a high-quality group.

Moreover, the Heat's three giants all rely on the Celtics to join forces online and have firepower to attract them.

It can be said that the Celtics' Big Three formed a team first.

Under such circumstances, getting a championship ring is actually not much.

And what team did Su Chen lead?
The Splash Brothers of the Warriors had not really reached their peak yet, and they were both about to be eliminated by the Spurs at the time.

If the Warriors still have the Splash Brothers, then the Timberwolves' championship was won by Su Chen who personally formed a lineup without superstars and led the team to win the championship.

Even though Su Chen has coached for many fewer games than Rivers, the gold content is too high.

It can be said that the comparison between these two people is clear.

In general comparison, the Timberwolves and the small forward will have some advantages.

Other positions, including substitutes and coaches, are either similar or directly incomparable.

Even the stronger Iguodala is not an offensive player and cannot have the final say.

At least based on the comparison on paper, the Clippers are going to beat the Timberwolves too much.

This time, the outside world's evaluation of the Clippers is obviously relatively high.

The night in Los Angeles is extremely noisy.

Last season, the Clippers were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals.

If we can go further, then at least this season is not a failed season. There is still progress compared to last season.

Although the Clippers are now regarded as a Galaxy battleship-level team.

But no matter what, the opponent is also the defending champion, and his strength cannot be underestimated.

Moreover, the head coach of the Timberwolves happens to be Rivers. Being able to win against Rivers at least proves that the Clippers did not spend so much money to change coaches in vain.

You know, coach Rivers is not an ordinary coach. This coach was traded by the Clippers from the Celtics in the first round.

Not renewing Rivers' contract would be a direct loss of a first-rounder.

Even if Ballmer is not short of money, there are many assets in this league that the boss is not willing to spend money on.

Among them, the first round cannot be bought with money.

If Rivers wins, the Clippers will become the biggest laughing stock in recent seasons.

The entire Clippers are a joke.

The same is true for Ballmer and Suchen, who will be treated as clowns.

Even Clippers fans are considered talking points by fans of other teams, especially when there is a Lakers team in the same city.

Many Lakers fans have always been at odds with the Clippers. If the Clippers are eliminated by the Timberwolves led by Rivers, then the Clippers will be directly suppressed by the Lakers in the same city.

This series is still quite crucial.

Even the boss Ballmer, who has delegated power on weekdays, is obviously so optimistic about the Clippers when the outside world is already so optimistic.

But before the game, I still called Su Chen to ask if he was confident in this series.

Obviously Ballmer didn't want the Clippers, which he bought at such a premium, to become the laughing stock of the league.

After receiving answers from Suchen many times, Ballmer felt a little more relieved.

But even so, Ballmer entered the court early, found the best position in the front row, and watched the game nervously.

Soon, the Clippers players performed a home entrance ceremony.

Order of appearance from substitutes to starting players.

The Clippers fans are still very considerate. Even if they are just substitute players, they still give them a lot of cheers.

George became the third to last appearance.

When George appeared, the sound in the arena was obviously much louder than before.

Most teams are ranked according to team status.

Let George appear with this pick, which means that George is the third in charge.

In fact, George was the penultimate player before, and this position was originally occupied by Jokic.

The main reason is that Jokic is a newcomer. Even if Su Chen really plans to use him as the core, it is more reasonable to give him the third pick.

Including the last round of the series, Jokic still maintained the third overall pick.

But in this series, Su Chen obviously changed his order.

The second to last player was Lillard.

In other words, Jokic was assigned to play as the team leader!

The fans present also know these tricks.

After seeing Jokic appear as the leader of the team, the crowd's voice was a little quieter at first, but then they immediately used the loudest noise to welcome Jokic, the new leader of the Clippers.

Obviously, Jokic's performance not only convinced his teammates.

He also gained the respect of Clippers fans.

Su Chen on the sidelines looked at this reaction and smiled with satisfaction.

The team still needs to clearly establish a good boss. Although Jokic is usually the core, in many cases Jokic is not the team boss and cannot ask for the ball very frequently.

It is still important to establish the position of team leader before the game.

(End of this chapter)