The Pope of Basketball Community

A team's tactics do not need to be diverse, they only need to be suitable for the core players and then continue to be skillfully coordinated. It’s this kind of team that succeeds in winning the championship, biting off more than it can chew.

Simple tactics sometimes fail, because humans are not machines and cannot always run tactics wholeheartedly. Players will wander off, become confused, make poor shot selections, and have unstable strength.

On March 5, in the Canadian Derby, the Raptors played against the underdog Grizzlies, and the players went crazy.

Carter made two three-pointers in the first quarter, and McGrady and Billups' outside shots throughout the game all missed the basket.

Even so, with the performance of O'Neal Jr. and Miller, the Raptors won 90-87.

Miller had the most eye-catching performance, with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, his third triple-double this season. He also defended well this time, not afraid of confrontation and guarding the penalty area.

Miller, who averages 13.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, is already a hot super center in the league.

In the offensive system, Miller serves as the axis. His teammates are better at breaking through and attacking the basket than the Kings, so it is easier to provide assists. His average of 5.3 assists per game is the highest among post players this season. Garnett only has 5.

When Miller didn't show off his power, Raptors manager Glenn Gruward was glad that he listened to Yang Rui and kept him, otherwise he would have suffered a big loss.

On March 6, the Raptors challenged the Trail Blazers in back-to-back away games, a focus game.

The Trail Blazers are second in the Western Conference with 46 wins and 12 losses, one game behind the Lakers. They are a super team with a balanced offense and defense. They have been trying to catch up with the Lakers. Because according to division rules, as long as the record falls behind the Lakers, the Trail Blazers will be ranked behind the other division champion Jazz, compete for sixth place in the playoffs in the first round, and play the Jazz in the second round.

Unfortunately, Trail Blazers backup center Marcus Camby was out with a sprained knee last week and will not return until next month. The center is Sabonis, the slowest player in the league, and his strength has declined slightly.

Coach Dunleavy didn't want Camby, a high-quality big man, to go unused, so he gradually increased his playing time and played more than 20 minutes. Camby was very unsatisfied and was injured after just a dozen games.

There is a gimmick in the competition between strong teams. The league starts promoting it three days in advance and broadcasts the game live across the United States.

The person who wants to beat the Raptors the most is point guard Damon Stoudemire. The better Carter played, the more uncomfortable he felt, as if it was the glory that should have belonged to him.

If you make the wrong choice, you will die if you move home.

Not just Stoudemire;

This applies to Pippen as well. After leaving the Bulls, Pippen was no longer a superstar, just an ordinary point forward. In the Trail Blazers, he is recognized as high-paid and incompetent.

A skinny camel is bigger than a horse, and Pippen's defensive skills are still there, which is a headache for Yang Rui. If Dunleavy reduces Sabonis' playing time and faces Rasheed Wallace and Pippen's defense, it will be difficult for Carter to produce gorgeous statistics.

In the locker room, Yang Rui was planning to announce tactics to give Miller and O'Neal more shot power. Billups took the initiative to chat with him and recommended himself.

"Jerry, I hope you can give me a chance to perform this time and let me focus on the attack."

"Are you confident that you can defeat Stoudemire?"

"One-on-one, I am confident that I can beat everyone in the Trail Blazers." Billups said seriously.

Selflessness does not mean lack of ambition. Billups has always wanted to prove that he is worthy of the "No. 3 pick" status, but there are too many attack points in the team, so he is willing to be a role player. If Billups was just an ordinary rookie, he wouldn't be jealous of Carter and McGrady's ball rights. But he was the Raptors' biggest player in the draft.

In other teams, it is difficult for players to directly make requests to the head coach, but the Raptors are a place where they are free to express their ideas openly and honestly.

Billups looked at Yang Rui expectantly, waiting for a reply.

Yang Rui thought for a while and smiled: "Okay, you have unlimited rights to take action in this game. I only have one request. When your teammates move out of a good position, you have to pass the ball."

"I won't mess around." Billups immediately assured.

"Chauncy, I have always believed that you will become an All-Star in the future. Make good use of your advantages." Yang Rui patted him on the back. Since Dee Brown was traded to the Jazz, Billups rarely goes to nightclubs. He is getting stronger.

Billups nodded solemnly, without saying thanks or smiling. He wanted to let his actions speak for himself on the court. Winning is the best reward for trusting the coach.

The Portland Rose Garden is a famous home stadium for the Devils. Raptors players were booed wildly by the home fans when they came out, even Carter was no exception.

The most obvious feature of the Trail Blazers' home game is that even if the visiting team leads by 20 points, a rebound or a block by the home team can cause a roar like a mountain and a tsunami, just like the Trail Blazers leading by 20 points.

In addition, every time the referee calls a foul on the home team, some Trail Blazers fans loudly retort: ​​"What? It's obviously a foul committed by the opponent!"

The fans cheered too loudly and even made a young fan cry. In the past two seasons, the Trail Blazers have performed well and the fans have become more united.

Yang Rui saw it once last season and was so impressed that he didn't want to come back again.

In this case, reusing Billups may have unexpected gains. Yang Rui believes that Billups can withstand the pressure. In his impression, Billups' future label will be a big heart!

It's easy for Yang Rui to convince Carter to give up the ball, because Pippen will definitely be defending him today. You can't deliberately attack the opponent's strongest perimeter defense, right?

After the warm-up, players from both sides came out.

Raptors five: Billups, Christie, Carter, Detrev, Miller.

Trail Blazers: Stoudemire, Steve Smith, Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Sabonis.

Mike Breen said: "The Trail Blazers players are averaging double figures per game. Their offense is very good and they can compete with the Raptors. Jerry Young has new tricks. Jermaine O'Neal does not. He is not injured. It must be tactics. Adjustment."

Fraser said expectantly: "Maybe we will see something different today."

Rasheed won the jump ball and the Trail Blazers attacked first.

Stoudemire dribbled the ball to the right and passed it to Rasheed, who was in a back position. Sabonis pulled up to the high post to make room.

Rasheed singled out Detrev and took advantage of his height advantage to turn around and shoot a straight-arm jump shot. Due to interference, it missed the basket and Carter grabbed the rebound.

Veteran Detrev averaged only 4.6 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season. He can still rely on experience to help the team, shooting 40.6% from three-point range.

Billups brought the ball to the frontcourt, played a pick-and-roll with Miller in the middle, moved one step laterally, and made a three-point jumper with an emergency stop on the right side. He shot very resolutely. Sabonis did not change the defense in place, and Stoudemire, who was chasing from the side, also It wasn't blocked, but the ball bounced out of the basket.

Pippen grabbed the rebound and stabilized it. The Trail Blazers were in position. Sabonis received the ball and organized it in the high post. He saw the opportunity and passed it directly to Pippen who was cutting through the air. The latter stepped to the basket and forced a layup under Carter's interference. Not scoring, Miller grabbed a backcourt rebound and the Raptors made a fast break.

Carter dribbled the ball across half court, attracted Pippen's defense, and passed to Billups who was reaching for the ball near the free throw line.

Billups leaned against Stoudemire, caught the ball, took a step forward, jumped to the basket, took off with both feet, and beat his opponent to hit the ball with his right hand from close range. 2 to 0.

He knows what he has to do, shoot three-pointers from the outside, and hit Stoudemire with his body when he breaks through. It's tough!