Basketball's best forward and guard

Chapter 164 166 [He is better than we imagined]

"Where is your defense?"

On the Houston Rockets bench, D'Antoni was very angry and yelled at the few players who were on the court just now.

Even Chris Paul wasn't spared.

The timeout came back, Chris Paul was replaced, and James Harden returned to the court.

For James Harden, facing the situation where the team is 10 points behind, he is not in the mood for outside team Chris Paul to gloat, and finding a way to recover the point difference is the key.

And the very good news for him is that Jiang Hao was finally replaced by the Lone Ranger and rested.

It was Luka Doncic who replaced Jiang Hao.

Before playing, Rick Carlisle only gave Doncic an order, that is, to slow down the rhythm as much as possible and not to play fast breaks with the Rockets.

Because the whole world knows that in fast break, few teams can match the Houston Rockets.

Luka Doncic is a player with a very high IQ, so even if Rick Carlisle doesn't remind him, he knows how to play when the team leads by 10 points.

However, he is a first-year rookie after all, and he is not Jiang Hao. Even though he has suppressed the rhythm of the game as much as possible, he still fell into a disadvantage in the collision with James Harden.

In the rest of the second quarter, when Jiang Hao was no longer on the court, the Lone Ranger's lead was quickly lost.

Therefore, the final result of the first two quarters was 59:62!

The Lone Ranger at home is temporarily behind the Houston Rockets.

For the home fans, it is a pity to see this score.

But from another point of view, there is no way. You can never let Jiang Hao stay on the court without rest, and you can't expect the team to be even when facing a strong team like the Houston Rockets. .

The only hope everyone can pin on is that Luka Doncic, a rookie who seems to have a chance to create surprises, can develop more quickly.

"If Luka Doncic's growth rate this season can catch up with last season's bayonet, then this season's Lone Ranger will definitely be the most powerful contender for the championship"

said Sir Charles.

"That's impossible. A rookie like Bayonet may not appear again in the history of the NBA. I admit that Luka Doncic is a good seed, but obviously, the Lone Ranger needs to be patient with him. The reason why I said before why the Lone Ranger is the best time to compete for the championship next season"

Shaquille O'Neal immediately spoke out against it.

"Of course, for the Lone Rangers this season, they still have a possibility to compete for the championship"

Shaq O'Neal said seriously.

"You mean the mid-season trade? DeAndre Jordan?" Kenny Smith immediately took up the conversation.

"This is just one aspect. DeAndre Jordan does lack dominance on the offensive end. Trading him will be a way to improve the interior, but his defense and rebounding are crucial to the Mavericks. Find good insiders, so, it's just one way"

Shaquille O'Neal neither confirmed Kenny Smith's statement nor outright denied it.

"Actually, for the Lone Ranger, if the bayonet can further evolve, I mean, if his state throughout the regular season can reach the level of his playoffs last season, then the Lone Ranger is not necessarily really unable to make progress. The championship strikes"

Shaquille O'Neal's remarks had Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith laughing out loud.

Obviously, they agree with Shaq O'Neal's remarks, but at the same time feel that it is not easy for the Bayonets, because in their subconscious, the Bayonets are really just a second-year rookie.

"If that's the case, it's not good news for Morey"

Charles Barkley made fun of Morey, because he clearly remembered that the Bayonet averaged nearly 30 points per game in the playoffs last season.

In the Lone Ranger locker room, as the team leader, Jiang Hao gathered everyone together. He didn't talk about the tactics for the second half of the game.

Instead, he told everyone that after tonight's game, he would invite everyone to dinner.

The teammates blew the whistle immediately, it was great to be invited by Jiang Hao.

Rick Carlisle in the corner gave a slight nod.He felt that Jiang Hao was really powerful, and he was quickly becoming a qualified leader.

Jiang Hao's actions at this moment reminded him of the Dallas Mavericks team that won the championship.

In that season, Dirk Nowitzki, as the team leader, was more mature than Jiang Hao at the moment, and was able to control a team better, but their construction of the team atmosphere was similar.

"This kid is going to be a great leader. Before that, we only knew how tough and talented he was on the court, but now he is far better than what we have seen."

Even Dirk Nowitzki had to praise Jiang Hao to Rick Carlisle at this time.

In fact, the Lone Ranger's overall strength this season is really not bad. Except for the top combat power, they seem a little thin, and the offensive and defensive strength of other role players or substitute players can definitely rank among the top five in the league.

This is why they were ranked fifth in the strength list before the start of the new season.

But everyone knows that strength on paper is one thing, but how to turn strength on paper into immediate combat power is another.

For Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, this is definitely a challenge. If he can do it before the end of the regular season, the Mavericks will become a real strong team.

Now, as the team leader, Jiang Hao's actions are undoubtedly helping him accomplish this goal as soon as possible.

"He is making the locker room more stable, and this kid is making rapid progress. Everyone is further recognizing his strength in all aspects"

Rick Carlisle felt the same way.

Take DeAndre Jordan as an example. When this black guy first came to the team, he didn't just sneer at rookie Luka Doncic.

Even for Jiang Hao, there are some factors of submissiveness and dissatisfaction in it.

This point is not only up to him, Jiang Hao himself is also very clear.

However, Jiang Hao made DeAndre Jordan gradually change his attitude through several preseason games and regular training.

Today, Rick Carlisle dare not say that DeAndre Jordan is [-]% convinced of Jiang Hao, but at least, he showed his dependence on Jiang Hao on the court, which is undoubtedly very important.

In addition, DeAndre Jordan's attitude towards rookie Luka Doncic is also changing, because he knows very well that Jiang Hao takes care of Doncic.

(End of this chapter)