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After the examination after the game, it was found that Maggette injured his left knee. It was not serious and he would miss the game for three to four weeks.

A day later, the Wizards defeated the Pistons.

The Pistons just completed a trade, acquiring Alvin Williams from the Jazz. Sloan often asked Alvin to play the 2 position, but the confrontation was too poor and his shooting was average. After joining the Pistons, Alvin returned to his familiar point guard position.

Even so, the Pistons' No. 1 position is still ordinary, their inside attack power is average, and their strength is inferior to Yang Rui's previous life. Because the strength of the No. 1 position is average, the Pistons do not have much future. If they can pass the first round of the playoffs, they will be successful.

On the 28th, the Wizards defeated the underdog Hawks again at home.

Another injury occurred in the team. David Wesley is expected to miss two to four weeks due to a strained hamstring in his left calf. He fell because the floor was too slippery while actively chasing Jason Terry. .

All teams are afraid of player injuries, which is something that cannot be completely avoided. Yang Rui was forced to adjust the lineup and put Matt Barnes, who had been sitting on the bench and was a sparring partner on the team, into the roster.

In January, the team can lay off players with unguaranteed contracts. Barnes has never had a chance to perform and suspected that he would be laid off soon. He unexpectedly saw the light of day.

What Yang Rui likes is Barnes' hard work on the defensive end, and he doesn't expect him to do much on the offensive end.

For the sake of the team as a whole, Yang Rui specifically talked to Barnes alone. "I have some expectations for your single defense and rebounding abilities. The team does not need you to attack with the ball. You usually work hard to practice fixed-point shooting, run faster in fast breaks, and wait for opportunities when positional battles open up. Throw the ball in, okay?"

"I will definitely try my best." Barnes promised loudly.

Barnes entered the 12-man roster, and Yang Rui allowed Hamilton to return to the starting lineup as a guest point guard, responsible for bringing the ball across the half court, and then actively running around to find opportunities. His skills are very comprehensive and the job is not difficult.

The reason for this arrangement is that the coaching staff feels that Alston is not suitable to partner with Jordan.

If Alston doesn't have the ball in his hands and can't use the characteristics of trick dribbling, his role will be reduced to a lower level. It would be a waste to let him watch Jordan play in isolation and wait for the opportunity.

Tyronn Lue is also not suitable for starting. He is too short and cannot guard against big men's air cuts and outside pull-ups.

Against the Magic on the 30th, Yang Rui asked Barnes to come on as a substitute in the second quarter, replacing Maggette's original position to ensure a fast offensive rhythm.

Magic coach Rivers has long begun to study and imitate the Raptors' tactics. He likes to play small ball, and the substitutes rely on speed to make up for the players' lack of personal ability.

Yang Rui arranged for one big player to lead four small ones. Barnes quickly returned to defense and was able to save and interfere with shooting in zone defense. When the opponent forces a breakthrough, one of Barnes, Wallace, and Bell can always retreat quickly to help Stoudemire double-team the defender.

In this battle, the Magic substitutes were guarded by the Wizards.

In the second half, Jordan relied on his experience to challenge Richard Jefferson to score consecutive points, and his role players also performed well, winning 105-92.

Jordan played 37 minutes, making 8 of 17 shots and 5 of 5 free throws. He scored 21 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists for a near-triple double.

The Wizards' top scorer was Hamilton. When he moved to the point guard position, he did not affect his running tactics. He made 11 of 18 shots, 2 of 4 three-pointers, and 3 of 4 free throws. Scored 27 points and 5 assists.

Stoudemire played as well as ever, scoring 20 points and 7 rebounds with four dunks.

On the 31st, the Wizards returned to their home court to face the Spurs again.

Duncan was extremely brave in the first quarter, allowing the Wizards to make all 6 shots, 2 of 2 free throws, 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, leading the team to a 35-24 lead.

In the second quarter, Yang Rui changed his style of play and sent out the twin towers of Boozer and Stoudemire to attack the basket and abuse the Spurs' inside line, quickly regaining the score.

The Spurs' substitutes are not strong this year. The center usually uses 40-year-old veteran Kevin Willis or 37-year-old veteran Danny Ferry. Neither of them can jump up and the confrontation is poor.

Especially Ferry, you can tell by his Mediterranean hairstyle that he is weak. Unlike Ginobili who was touched bald by Duncan, Ferry is a veteran and Duncan dare not touch him.

Short power forward Malik Rose is 201cm tall and weighs 113kg. His offense mainly relies on attacking at the basket. He cannot squeeze out the equally strong Boozer or Wallace.

Bell also pestered Spurs veteran shooting guard Steve Smith.

Without Tony Parker, Tinsley's jump shot was poor, backup point guard Cole could only shoot at fixed spots, and the Spurs were unable to exploit the weaknesses of Boozer and Stoudemire in pick-and-roll defense. Without one person, this Spurs is a completely different team.

Ginobili has just joined the NBA and has not adapted to the rhythm of the game. He has almost no chance to play. He is currently very thin and has poor confrontation and is easier to deal with.

In the second half, Popovich sent a smaller lineup to increase breakthroughs and counterattacks, and Yang Rui immediately called a timeout to make substitutions. The Wizards' small ball tactics are more thorough, with Boozer at center and Marshall, Barnes, Bell, and Tyronn Lue on the outside.

He did not let Wallace play because Barnes worked hard on three-pointers in the team and could occasionally score from the corner. Moreover, his appearance was more deceptive and could attract opponents to attack his point.

Sure enough, the Spurs players focused on Barnes, but Barnes defended veteran Russell alone, causing all three of his shots to miss the basket.

The Spurs mainly relied on the twin towers of stars Duncan and Robinson, and the score rose alternately. The two rookies of the Wizards performed well in the inside offense, and they were taught how to behave defensively. Stoudemire was now completely at a disadvantage against Duncan. He forced a breakthrough and tried to dunk and got a Big hat, he was brought down to the ground with the ball.

Yang Rui asked Stoudemire to calm down and replaced Haywood to defend Duncan. Haywood has never played, and he is very physical. He can use his body to keep Duncan out of the penalty area and interfere with his turnaround jump shot.

On the offensive end, Haywood was not useless. Yang Rui arranged a side cover tactic. After Haywood finished the screen, he cut through to grab the rebound. David Robinson, who is approaching 38 years old, is about to retire. His physical strength is not good, and Popovich limits his playing time to 26 minutes. As soon as he came off the court, Duncan struggled to control the rebounds.

Haywood has poor offensive skills and has always been a blue-collar player, but he also has specialties. He is very strong, not slow in movement, and has excellent offensive rebounds.

Last season, Haywood played 20.4 minutes, averaging 5.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, including 2.3 offensive rebounds. He relied on this advantage to be more important than Kwame Brown.

In Yang Rui's previous life, peak Haywood played 49 games for the Wizards in the 2009-2010 season, scoring 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 32.9 minutes, including 4.1 offensive rebounds. His offensive rebounding efficiency is very high and his defense is very active, so he signed a high-paying long-term contract.

Haywood grabbed three offensive rebounds in this quarter, scored two points on the second offense, passed the ball, and assisted Marshall to hit a three-pointer, which made a difference.

In the final quarter, Duncan, who had only rested for 6 minutes in the first half, was tired and the offensive threat decreased. Stoudemire came out to confront him again, which was not so difficult. Boozer also got a chance to play, playing pick-and-roll with Alston. The street ball king attracts defensive passes or rushes past Robinson with the ball, which has advantages.

Robinson is no longer a good defensive back and will definitely retire after this season. He used to be the fastest big man in the league, but after a serious injury, only memories remain.

In the last 1 minute and 08 seconds, Alston broke through and scored. Stoudemire cut the ball and faced Duncan's strong hit. He made a close throw and scored on the board. The Wizards led 101 to 100.

Popovich requested a timeout.