The Pope of Basketball Community

On April 2, Yao Ming returned and the Lakers defeated the Spurs 104-95 in an away game.

Kobe's statistics were a bit ugly when he was guarded by Bowen again. He made 6 of 19 shots, 1 of 6 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers.

Yao Ming rested for a month and was in average condition, with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

The best performer was Diaw again, with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Although no one on the Lakers scored more than 20 points, six players scored in double figures.

Duncan did not play in this game. Like Yao Ming, he sprained his left foot and needed to rest for two weeks. Without Duncan, the Spurs would have no axis, and both offense and defense would be affected.

Malone also suffered injuries during the season and rested for 28 games before returning last week. In order to enhance the depth of the inside lineup, the Spurs traded with the Knicks in the mid-term in exchange for Nazr Muhammad, a good defensive blue-collar player.

When the deal was completed, some media said that the Knicks deliberately strengthened the Spurs' lineup and wanted to cause trouble for the Lakers to win the championship. However, the Spurs also paid the price for their comeback, sending backup forward Malik Rose and two future first-round draft picks. right.

The Spurs have spent a lot of money to defend their title this season. The Knicks are interested in two draft picks and want to rebuild. The contract of "Madman" Sprewell also expired in the summer, and the Knicks can free up salary space and recruit stars.

This deal is to prepare for the future, Phil Jackson is about to join the Knicks.

In addition, the Spurs also signed free agent forward, "Big Dog" Glenn Robinson with a minimum salary to make up for the vacancy left by Rose's departure.

Robinson has strength and scored 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists for the 76ers last season, but he has character problems. The 76ers traded him to the Hornets, and he was immediately laid off by the team, leaving no one interested in the free market. , it was not until late this season that the Spurs gave him a chance.

After the game, Yang Rui praised the Spurs, thinking that they are the Lakers' number one enemy on the road to winning the championship. The lineup is terrible and there are stars both inside and outside. Popovich also showed weakness to the enemy, saying that the Lakers have the strongest lineup in the league and have the greatest hope of winning the championship.

That night, the Lakers arrived in Memphis for back-to-back away games against the Grizzlies.

Although the first place record is very solid, Yang Rui still asked the players to cheer up and regard this game as an important training to prepare for the playoffs.

In the locker room, Yang Rui called the players together and said loudly: "The Grizzlies are very strong. Although they are not ranked high, they beat us. We can't underestimate them."

The bearded Baron Davis has 19.5 points, 4 rebounds and 8.9 assists. On the surface, his shooting percentage of 41.1% is very low, but there is a possibility of convulsions at any time.

"I like offense, but I have to say that to win against the Grizzlies, the key is defense. We have to control the rhythm and slowly grind out the position with them. On the defensive end, we need to defend, strictly prevent breakthroughs, and interfere with shooting. On the offensive end, Kobe and Yao play pick-and-rolls. Attract Battier to chase and White to switch defenses, don't attack hard, let Yao shoot in the middle, or organize again. Don't cut after Rasheed screens from the side, receive the ball from the side and shoot directly, or let Yao lob the ball in the low post. The opponent does not If you speed up, we won’t speed up and guarantee the success rate.”

Players from both sides played on time and the home fans were very enthusiastic.

The most correct thing the Grizzlies owner did was to move the team from Vancouver, Canada to Memphis. Although Memphis is not a good city, the team's popularity increased greatly. They entered the playoffs and began to make profits. .

This season, the FedEx Center even felt a bit like the home court of the Devils. The fans cheered hard and the stadium was very noisy, just like a football stadium.

When the Lakers players came out, the fans booed everyone. Yang Rui received the most boos, which was considered a precedent.

TNT broadcast the game live. Barkley laughed and said: "The coach is hated more than the players. This has never happened before. Jerry has broken a new record. But his expression is very relaxed and he doesn't care about the fans booing him. He does During the commentary, I didn’t criticize Coach Hubby Brown.

He also praised several Grizzlies stars, including Battier and Posey. Why did the fans boo him? "

Kenny Smith analyzed: "I think because Grizzlies fans also want the home team to compete for the championship, Yang Rui was interviewed and said he felt sorry for 29 teams. It was really arrogant. After saying that, he and the Lakers He became a public enemy of the league, and he tried his best to face the Lakers even if the team was in bad shape. He paid the price for his big mouth."

Barkley shook his head and smiled: "He did this before in the Raptors. He definitely doesn't care. This is his way of motivating the players and keeping them confident. They are not afraid to meet challenges."

Smith said: "The Grizzlies are very strong, but there is one disadvantage. The offensive and defensive rhythm is too slow. Today's match between the two sides will definitely not be a fast-paced game. I don't want these two teams to meet in the playoffs."

Lakers starting lineup: Damon Jones, Kobe Bryant, Iguodala, Rasheed, Yao Ming.

Grizzlies starting lineup: Baron Davis, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Lorenzen White, Gasol.

Gasol won the jump ball and the game was on.

The Grizzlies played a pick-and-roll in the middle, and Rasheed switched defenses in time to block Davis' breakthrough route, keeping a distance and preventing breakthroughs but not shots.

When dealing with Davis, all teams focus on letting him shoot. Occasionally, he can be very accurate, and most of the time he can shoot from mid- to long-range.

Davis passed the ball to Gasol in the middle, and Kobe interfered in the middle, not marking anyone in his position. Gasol has the advantages of height and wingspan, and can shoot jumpers, but if he rushes to the basket, it will be difficult to get past Kobe, and the big man can also help defend.

Davis moved, Rasheed stayed in his position, and Iguodala changed positions nearby to keep up the interference, preventing him from catching the ball and taking an easy shot. The advantage of zone defense is that the positions are clear, and young players will not lose their positions casually.

Jones is not a fatal flaw in the zone defense system. He is 193cm tall and can interfere with jump shots. The ball was passed to Battier. He took a dribble and couldn't get rid of Jones, and then passed the ball to his teammates.

Battier is a 3D player. His main task is to defend and open the ball to catch and shoot three-pointers. He has poor offensive ability with the ball and takes few shots. If Battier takes a lot of shots in a game, the Grizzlies will be unlucky. He averages about 10 points per game, and his offensive efficiency with the ball is very poor.

After a few passes, as soon as 24 seconds passed, Mike Miller made a three-point jump shot from the left corner. It missed due to slight interference from Yao Ming, and the rebound was grabbed by Rasheed.

The Grizzlies' play was correct. Gasol supported him from the high post, and there were people in both corners waiting for opportunities to shoot, targeting the Lakers' zone defense. And Yang Rui asked to strengthen the offense, Yao Ming did not stay in the penalty area, and the defensive intensity was higher.

As long as Yao Ming is on the court, the Lakers rarely use man-to-man tactics. Assistant coach Hollins' biggest contribution this season is to use the defensive system to make up for Yao Ming's shortcomings in slow lateral movement, allowing him to stay near the penalty area and defend.

Although the opponent plays more pick-and-rolls outside and mid-to-long-range jumpers, Yao Ming will still feel uncomfortable on the defensive end, but the opponent will only feel more uncomfortable, because it is difficult to win if he only relies on outside shots and cannot hit the penalty area. Even the future Warriors will also cooperate with breakthrough points, forward cuts and other play styles.

When the Lakers attacked, Kobe and Yao Ming played a pick-and-roll in the middle, while the Grizzlies defended man-to-man. After Battier was blocked, White switched defenses and moved very fast, preventing Kobe from making a one-step jump shot.

Kobe passed the ball to the center, and Battier guarded Yao Ming closely, not reaching for the ball, just hoping not to lose his position.

Yao Ming leaned back, turned to the right and was stuck. His rhythm was not good. After a pause, he passed the ball to his teammates.

The Grizzlies' defense was also successful.