According to rumors, Sun Ce trained with Kobe Bryant during this year's long offseason, and invited Stockton, who had not appeared in public for a long time, except for teaching DeLong for a few months in '05 and appearing on TV when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in '09, to be a trainer.

Competing with the 76ers and Bulls in the East, the Grizzlies are seen as one of two young teams with the last potential in the West, the other being the Thunder.

And Popovich is most jealous of the Grizzlies.

In the Mavericks' twin towers, Nowitzki is 33 and a half years old, and Yao Ming will also turn 30 in September, and it is really difficult to say which of the two or Duncan will lose their dominance first; The Lakers are missing one of the three towers, and Brand will definitely not be able to make up for Bynum, the center who is currently ranked second or third in the league; The Thunder are an outside team...... And the Grizzlies' four interior lines, except for Randolph, the other three are all young players and are still on the rise.

Looking at the two sets of twin towers opposite, Popovich felt hairy, so Popovich has regarded the Grizzlies as the strongest opponent in the future since last season, and when he heard that Sun Ce was looking for Kobe and Stockton to study, he felt a little bad.

Needless to say, Kobe Bryant has never lost in the Western Conference finals, and the Spurs have met the Lakers many times in the Western Conference finals in the past 11 years.

Stockton...... When Popovich led the team, he played the Jazz once in the playoffs in 1998 and was abused to death.

Popovich had a hunch that Sun Ce sought advice from the two men in order to deal with his team.

And that's exactly how it turned out!

This guy was still half-baked last season, and he may not be experienced now, but he has a keen offensive sense to seize opportunities, and his shooting on the right side of the three-second zone is really accurate! When the defenders were clinging to him, Sun Ce also turned beautifully, and with Sun Ce's size, he turned and rushed to the basket, and Duncan could only prevent himself from becoming the background again by fouling without moving in advance.

The most important thing is Sun Ce's team friendliness, a large number of high-quality role players, filling the 12-man roster! There's also a third point guard that Popovich wants to watch the game in a suit......

And Popovich can't get the chips to trade the tall point guard that the Grizzlies want to send away, a team offers Wazquis, Chris Wallace has to have a first-round pick to kill, and the pick doesn't matter, so he wants a first-round pick that can be used cheaply for four years.

Popovich's draft picks that can be traded in the next few years have been given to the Grizzlies, and then they will be sent to 2017, and he didn't dare to send the draft picks at that time.

Popovich feels like the Grizzlies are really the gods!

Of the four towers on the inside, Randolph started the year almost at the best of his career; Gasol Jr.'s mid-range shooting has returned to its original level, perhaps because of the weight loss, the stability in the confrontation is not as good as it was back then, but the shooting rate of about 40% in the open position is estimated to be able to play; Yi Jianlian continued last season's good performance, cutting off the ball on the offensive end, offensive rebounding, and open jumpers did a good job, and Jordan Jr., with Nash, became the real first endpoint in the run-and-bomb stage, and kept taking off......

There is no meat shield with good awareness and enough ability on the inside, and Popovich can't use his ideas on the defensive end, and he has to block the three-pointers that Neil, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Battier take turns playing, but Neil and Klay Thompson can still shoot in the middle.

In the case of such a group of teammates, Sun Ce's own mid-range shooting is still the most accurate among his teammates except for Randolph!

Sun Ce took advantage of his teammates' excellent state at the beginning of the season tonight, and brought his right high back play ability to the extreme, coupled with Sun Ce's different characteristics of high back play in the opposite direction from ordinary people, the Spurs were already very difficult to defend against mid-range shots before Duncan did not have a good center partner and did not prevent Sun Ce at all!

In fact, it's just a link off!

When Gay came to the Spurs, he actively worked hard to strengthen the defense, trying to avoid the fact that he didn't like to play against it...... At least in defense, he made himself more willing to play against and showed first-class fringe defense, and Popovich's ideal team system has been completed 90 percent.

But it's just a little bit like a meat shield center with enough ability to liberate Duncan, so that Duncan, who has not changed much in defense and peak during his physical strength after weight loss, can play a Garnett-style defensive tandem role.

This is a point that makes the system imperfect.

Popovich really wanted Perkins of the Thunder, but when he played so well at the beginning of last season, he actually didn't know what the team needed, at that time, the Spurs were in the first half of the regular season invincibility, and they kept winning, who knew how to adjust, at that time it was already a situation of "no way to win more games", and when he was restrained by the Grizzlies at the end of the season, he knew what was needed, but it was too late, and the Celtics didn't want much at that time, draft picks or a good forward would do, He could have traded Richard Jefferson plus a draft pick, and maybe get back a Nate Robinson.

But it's too late to say anything now, Perkins didn't win the cabbage price at the beginning, which is the thing Popovich regrets the most in more than a year, missing Sun Ce, Evans, Paul, this is something that can't be helped, they can't give the Grizzlies, 76ers the same list or the list of picks, nor can they give the Lakers Bynum.

But Perkins, a center who is perfectly suitable for their Spurs, didn't win the cabbage price, which is a bloody loss! It's the same loss as the Celtics' self-defeating kick.

Looking at the end of the half, Sun Ce scored 9 points in the last 5 minutes, and passed 1 assist and 1 beautiful pass after Gasol Jr. gave Tony Allen a layup, and the Grizzlies played a wave of 13-10 in the last 5 minutes of the half, Popovich could only put his expectations on the team's second-year center Split, hoping that this guy could play quickly.

It's not data, it's simple to play quality role players in the Spurs, it's about the effect!

……

played 11 minutes in the half, scored 13 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 1 block, Sun Ce's performance was explosive.

The shooting performance of 5-of-7 shooting was too good, and the mid-range shooting of 4-of-4 couldn't be better.

The Grizzlies also took advantage of this to take a two-point lead at halftime, 59-57, going into the second half.

Back in the locker room, Sun Ce is also analyzing his team's strengths and weaknesses against the Spurs, but from a different angle than Popovich's.

Sun Ce has long known that his and Randolph's mid-range shooting is a weapon against the Spurs, and it may not be so easy to play the Lakers and Mavericks, but it is easy to play the Spurs.

And taking advantage of the opponent's interior line, which is currently only Duncan, a player who can defend, is an opportunity that their Grizzlies must seize!

The Spurs system is not yet perfect, and we have to grasp it this year.

As for whether it is possible for the opponent to strengthen the center...... Sun Ce estimates that it will be difficult, and there are still only teams like the Grizzlies who can try to satisfy their former star wherever they want to go.

The Spurs have no bargaining chips, and they have no choice but to dig from themselves, and Sun Ce knows that Split has the starting strength in a system like the Spurs until the 12-13 season.

However, the advantage in Sun Ce's mind is not as strong as the disadvantage in Popovich's heart!

Their side played so well in the first half that they were still only two points ahead of the Spurs!

In Sun Ce's view, the advantage of their Grizzlies team is not as big as Popovich's thinking from the perspective of "underdogs"!

Still didn't defend the Spurs, conceded 57 points at halftime, which is unacceptable for the Grizzlies, with the Spurs after Gay, although the defensive problem is still very big, with Nash leading the team to score 31 points in 13 minutes, Sun Ce broke out in the last 5 minutes, the Spurs can't prevent it, but the Spurs' offensive firepower is really fierce, and it's very average, everyone dares to shoot and can shoot when they have the opportunity, 54% in the half, 25 in the 46 in the half......

Sun Ce felt that no matter what the outcome of this game was, he would have to discuss the defensive issues against the Spurs' offensive system with his teammates and coaching staff afterwards.

The Spurs' system defense is actually okay at the moment, but it just so happens that their Grizzlies team is very restrained by the current Spurs' defense, which is their Grizzlies' advantage.

But the Spurs' offense is almost the same as the complete version of the Spurs system in Sun Ce's impression, which is difficult!

……

Sun Ce played only 11 minutes in the first half and continued to play after the start of the second half.

During the break, Coach Hollins discussed with the coaching staff and was ready to make another wave in the second half!

Sun Ce shot well today, Nash played equally well with the right teammates, asked about Nash's condition, Nash didn't play in the last 5 minutes of the first half for almost seven or eight minutes, and rested for another 20 minutes at halftime, feeling okay, saying that he could play, Coach Hollins repeatedly confirmed that he could rest if he felt tired, Nash was sure that he could play.

Under such a premise, Coach Hollins came back from halftime and sent a combination of Nash, Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Yi Jianlian, and Jordan Jr.

The strategy was obvious, so obvious that Popovich wanted to lunge in the first half of the third quarter and then smash the defense.

That's the Grizzlies' usual style, but now with Nash, the run-and-gun is used unscrupulously.

Naturally, Popovich is not going to sit still.

Can the Spurs play so well against the Grizzlies offense...... Or that the Spurs can play so well on offense with all teams, there is a premise that the opponent also wants to score.

But the Grizzlies are not like the average team, and when it comes time to defend, they can give up the offense.

This is the most difficult point for the Grizzlies, after they have a few points of lead, they just give up the offense and defend!

Originally, at the beginning of the third quarter, Popovich sent a rotation lineup, leaving only Ginobili to lead the team, Parker, Guy, and Duncan all rested, of which Duncan may not have played in the third quarter, and Parker and Guy were preparing to play in the second half of the third quarter.

But in this situation, after Popovich made a layup to tie the score, Yi Jianlian cut in and received a pass from Nash and caused Blair to foul, he immediately replaced Parker and Guy in advance, and sent Parker, Ginobili, Guy, Richard Jefferson, and Blair to attack!

The fans in the stadium and in front of the TV saw a game today that they didn't expect.

Grizzlies Game ...... It can also play so well!

The Spurs' brisk offense was a good sight to behold, and fans were used to it in the second half of last season and in the playoffs, but the Grizzlies took advantage of the Spurs' weak interior line, and Randolph and Sun Ce played beautiful performances at the beginning and end of the first half, respectively, and Nash led the team to play an authentic run in the middle of the ten minutes......

In the second half, after Yi Jianlian hit both free throws, the two teams began to continue to attack Biao, and they were even happier, Nash and Parker led the team, Sun Ce and Guy played supporting roles, the Grizzlies played a run-and-run, and the Spurs played a smooth team cooperation, and the game between the two teams completely exceeded the expectations of fans!

Among them, Sun Ce and Guy's catch-and-shoot match, is the focus of fans' attention, Guy left the Grizzlies, Sun Ce really determined the team's strongest outside status, last season Guy was still the nominal Grizzlies star, but now the title of the star has really fallen on Sun Ce's head, the duel between the new and old stars is still very interesting.

Sun Ce scored 13 points in the first half and Guy scored 12 points in the first half, and the two continued to fight each other in the third quarter.

However, the key point is still in the organizational ability of the point guard.

Parker's side, in the Spurs system, is actually the one that benefits the most, Duncan is not a beneficiary, he is the key to being able to play the Spurs system, Parker played the MVP level in the case of the Spurs system becoming more and more perfect, although it is very similar to the MVP level under Sun Ce's system, but if he can play such a performance, he just played such a performance.

It's just that...... The Grizzlies have a real MVP!

Nash is really an assist king!

In this matchup, Parker was still inferior to Nash in the same performance as in the first half.

At 7:21 of the third quarter, the Spurs called a timeout.

5 points difference!

After Blair and Yi Jianlian scored two points each, Nash and Parker led the team to a 20-17 score.

With 4 minutes and 39 seconds left in the third quarter, the score was already 81-76, and the Grizzlies led by 5 points!

Guy doesn't have any problems, he has good physical strength, and he can play 356 or even 378 minutes with a good rhythm in a game, while with the Spurs, you don't have to worry too much about maintaining the rhythm, the team is very stable offensively, and the defense of the Spurs is actually okay, and Guy's rhythm is very good.

In fact, it's just that the Grizzlies are too strong inside, which makes it seem that the Spurs' interior defense is insufficient, except for those few strong teams on the inside, the Spurs can already defend other teams very well.

But Ginobili ...... The physical strength is really bad, he could have a good performance of 20 minutes in a game in the early years, and now he has 12 or 3 minutes to the sky, and it has been used up!

Popovich had no choice but to replace Duncan in advance, sending a lineup of Parker, Danny Green, Gay, Duncan, and Split to start the final battle early, trying to narrow the gap before the end of the third quarter, trying to overtake, and not giving the Grizzlies a chance to defend themselves in the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies sent a combination of Sun Ce, Neal, Klay Thompson, Randolph and Jordan Jr. on their side.

Nash played nearly 28 minutes, which is already over the Grizzlies' 25-minute playing time limit, and he probably won't play next.

But the Grizzlies' offense is already soaring.

Sun Ce, who has scored 22 points after playing for nearly 19 minutes, is now in good physical condition and good hand, and after returning from the official pause, he started the singles sharing mode with Randolph, who had rested for a long time.

Three role players were sent in, Neil, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Jr., in order to play singles points.

Sun Ce and Randolph have a high right side and a low left post, one plays two balls, and keeps changing singles, no matter how well the Spurs play, they rely on these two advantages to keep singles.

When the Spurs started to flank the shots, the opportunity for others came.

Klay Thompson's performance is average, and he is still far from his prime.

But Neil shot very aggressively in the face of his old club, played 14 minutes in the first three quarters and scored 8 points, and after this timeout, he scored a three-pointer for the first time when he received Sun Ce's point, and scored a double-double in the first game of the new team!

Under the leadership of Sun Ce and Randolph, in the last 4 minutes and 39 seconds of the third quarter, the Grizzlies played a wave of 12-10, and the difference was stretched to 7 points!

……

The advantage is like a snowball, perhaps related to the fact that it has only just started the season, the Spurs were restrained by the Grizzlies, and it is the first time they have played each other in the new season, the Grizzlies shoot well, and the Spurs are not good at playing games without advantages...... Under multiple factors, the Grizzlies have been dominant in the first three quarters, and when the Spurs offense is so ferocious, the Grizzlies rely on the more ferocious running and bombing brought by Nash, and rely on Sun Ce and Randolph's excellent form tonight, leading by 7 points in the third quarter.

Fans are looking forward to the battle between the two teams in the final quarter, with the Grizzlies scoring 93 points in the third quarter and the Spurs scoring 86 points in the third quarter, the 7-point difference is not a point difference at all.

The hearts of the fans who are watching the live broadcast in the United States, ESPN live broadcast in many countries around the world, the live broadcast of the Chinese Imperial Court Channel, and the live broadcast of Asian countries and regions are hanging.

The feeling of the two teams playing is not the kind of basketball thrown wildly in the future, but it is very routine, Nash's authentic running and bombing and Parker's Spurs system offense are very methodical, Sun Ce and Randolph's singles are also showing the strength of the stars, and it is a mid-distance and low-post single, not a step outside the three-point line and throws it, fans are very happy to watch it, looking forward to the fourth quarter......

Then the Grizzlies fielded a lineup of Sun Ce, Tony Allen, Paul George, Randolph, and Gasol Jr. in the first half of the fourth quarter.

It's okay to send this lineup, but after the start of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies' style of play has changed!

The Grizzlies did not have a smooth offense, and by the way, the Spurs' offense was also stifled, and the Grizzlies did not want to score, and directly raised the confrontation to the highest level that could be improved, frantically giving physical contact, and stifling the opponent's hand without regard to their shooting feelings!

This abrupt change in style of painting...... Even the fans at the scene wanted to shout "refund"!

(End of chapter)