Chapter 598: Master and Apprentice or Enemy

The Boston Celtics have had a bad season as expected, and the Big Three have officially disbanded, which also represents the Celtics' entry into a rebuilding era.

18-33, a standard underdog record. There is no way, and now the only All-Star on the Celtics team is Rajan. Londo. And Rondo is not a scoring point guard, and it is difficult for him to lead the team to victory with his scoring ability. This guy's subtle playmaking and passing require the blessing of his teammates to be at his best.

In the past, Ray. Allen, Garnett and Pierce were all able to turn Rondo's brilliant pass into a score with ease. But the current configuration of the Celtics is not conducive to Rondo's performance at all.

A once famous, but now almost forgotten Jeff. Green. A well-rounded but difficult to take on the heavy responsibilities of Brandon. Bass. A stunned Sallinger who threatens to lose weight every day to stay in shape, and Avery who lost to Yiyang in college and now finally shows some talent. Bradley.

These four guys who can't go up or down, plus a Rajan with an eccentric personality. Rondo is all that Stevens had in his first year in charge of the NBA.

To be honest, this kind of lineup that is clearly going for a high rookie, even if you let Popovich coach him, he may not be able to achieve much better results than Stevens.

But in the eyes of many ill-intentioned media, the Celtics' poor results are his Stevens pot. The young college basketball coach simply couldn't get used to the pace of the NBA game, and he couldn't discipline the millionaires under his team who were years older than him.

In short, it would be incredibly stupid to put the task of rebuilding the Celtics on such a young man!

I have to say that Stevens and Yiyang are really similar in this regard. From the first day they entered the league, they were not favored by others.

But neither Angie nor Stevens himself will pay attention to the nonsense of the media. Stevens knows it's not easy to succeed in the NBA. Yiyang won the O'Brien Cup in the first year of his career, and this kind of good thing may only be encountered by one person among tens of millions of people.

And Angie also believes that even the most amazing manager cannot make a rebuilding team as strong as before in an instant.

For now, Angie is very happy with Stevens' performance. So far, he has been able to get such a Celtic team to 18 wins, which is quite impressive. Compared to the 76ers, who have been rebuilding for many years, the Green Shirts have really gone quite well.

After a three-game winning streak over the Kings, Stevens wasn't complacent. Even though he knows the team's goal this season is to be a high-pick rookie, Stevens takes every game seriously. It can be rebuilt but refuses to be rotten, which is the unanimous policy of Angie and Stevens. Playing like the 76ers and losing the winning culture is not what Angie wants.

They're proud green shirts!

After returning home today, Stevens was watching Yiyang's game video intently even when he was eating.

Stevens didn't dare to relax, because he knew that Yiyang guy must be actively preparing for the battle now......

※※※

As Hayward said, while the Celtics have lost their former glory, they are still not to be underestimated. This season, even the defending champion Heat has had a dip under Stevens. The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, have lost to the Green Shirts twice.

So the day before facing this team that is at the bottom of the East, Yiyang's attitude in training is still very serious. Even, more serious than at other times.

"It seems that I am also taking tomorrow's game very seriously, now Rajan. Rondo, I don't think he should be like this. Looking at Yiyang sweating on the training ground, Mavericks assistant coach Darrell. Armstrong couldn't help but shake his head. It's only been five years since Armstrong retired and he hasn't forgotten what life is like as a professional footballer.

But Armstrong has really never seen a guy like Yiyang who takes training so seriously throughout the season.

"No, he didn't do it because of Rajan. Rondo, but because of Stevens. Carlisle's eyes were still fixed on the pitch, and he only replied to his assistant.

"Stevens? Shouldn't that be your opponent? Armstrong smiled playfully.

"He's my opponent, but he probably wants to put his best foot in front of Stevens. This is the best way for him to thank Stevens! After four seasons together, Carlisle also knows Yiyang's sexuality very well. The more he respects his opponents, the more he tries to beat them on the court.

"As for Stevens, that guy's tactical arrangement is really unpredictable." Armstrong touched his chin, yesterday he arranged for Sullinger to shoot the killer ball, and few people in the United States could guess it.

"Because, this guy is really similar to Popovich." Carlisle smiled, and could tell that he was also interested in Stevens.

"We've heard so many tactical routines, what "triangle offense", "dynamic offense", "Princeton" ...... But I never heard Popovich say that there was any proper noun for his routine. Similarly, Stevens' tactics have no trademarked name. Because basketball is basketball, soldiers are impermanent, and water is impermanent. Basketball is always changing, but its essence remains the same. This is the best thing about Popovich and Stevens. There will never be a unified way to deal with them who are flexible and changeable. ”

Listening to Carlisle's explanation, Armstrong felt a little dizzy in his head. It seems that he still has a long way to go if he wants to become a head coach on his own.

After the team's regular training, Yiyang stayed and practiced his shooting for two hours to ensure that his hot hand would not subside.

Since the team will be flying to Boston early tomorrow morning, Yiyang does not dare to practice too late. A good rest is also essential if you want to be in good shape during the game.

Just as Yiyang was about to pack up his things and change clothes and go home, his mobile phone rang under the basketball hoop. Yiyang picked up the phone and looked at it, and the name of the caller ID made Yiyang stunned for a second.

"Hey, chief." Yiyang answered the phone and couldn't help shouting.

"Boss? ...... Hahahaha, it's been a long time since I've heard you call me like that. Stevens smiled, at the Celtics, players usually call him Coach Stevens or Mr., but no one affectionately calls him "The Boss".

It's not a formal name, but Stevens likes it.

"The extra training is over?"

"Well, I'm getting ready to go home and rest."

"That's good, I'm just calling to remind you of this. Don't practice like crazy just because you're going to fight me tomorrow. How, what's the status? ”

"Are you spying on the enemy?" Yiyang joked with Stevens in a cold tone.

"Sort of, if you're not in good shape, then I'll send fewer men to keep an eye on you on the defensive end tomorrow." Stevens simply followed Yiyang's joke, and it seems that the Dallas Mavericks have really changed him a lot. In the past, when I was in college, that gloomy boy didn't even talk much, let alone joke.

Seeing the changes in Yiyang in the past few years, Stevens also felt extremely happy.

"Well, then, I'm not in a good state."

"Haha, I'm not going to be fooled! Play well tomorrow, it's been a long time since we've been on the basketball court at the same time. So, play a good game! We haven't played against each other many times in a season, so we have to cherish it. "Stevens didn't mention winning or losing, a good game, that's all he wants. And this condition needs to be created by both parties.

"Don't worry, boss, I won't let you down." Yiyang clenched his fists, only showing himself to the fullest in tomorrow's game is the greatest recognition and reward for Stevens' teaching!

Hanging up the phone, Yiyang felt that the raging fire in his body was already burning. Tomorrow's game, he can't wait to start the game quickly......

※※※

On February 9, 2014, BA scheduled a total of 8 games, including many super popular teams such as the Lakers, Clippers and Thunder. But most people's eyes are on the declining North Shore Gardens.

In the home locker room at TD's North Shore Garden Arena, the Celtics' players were seriously changing their equipment and looked tense. But Stevens' calm expression didn't match the tense atmosphere in the dressing room.

Stevens is like that, and it's his unique label to be unfazed. Now, even if he needs to face the bulls in the heyday of Jordan, it is estimated that Stevens will not have any nervous expression on his face.

"Bradley, Rondo, remember what I told you yesterday." Stevens looked at his two point guards, and both responded with nods in response to their coach.

With Rondo and Bradley starting at the same time, the media may not have imagined that Stevens would do that. These two guys, one is 1.85 meters and the other is 1.88 meters, they partner in the back line, and they will suffer very much in height.

Generally speaking, a dual-point guard lineup usually needs to be paired with a guard who is above average height and can defend and shoot. At that time, Yiyang and Kidd's dual point guard partners met the above requirements. But Bradley and Rondo ...... Obviously not within the scope of this "standard".

However, Stevens is still full of confidence that there is no standard for basketball tactics in itself. Does the inner line have to be high? Does the outside line have to be fast? Since there is no standard, any collocation is worth trying!

At 8 p.m. US time, the high-profile match finally began. The myth of "Cinderella" created by Yiyang and Stevens shocked the whole United States, so the relationship between the two is known to everyone.

The master-apprentice relationship between the two is what makes this game interesting. Yiyang knows Stevens very well, and Stevens knows Yiyang even more. What kind of sparks will be created after these two people become opponents, everyone will wait and see.

After the game began, Delham Porter won the first attack for the Mavericks in a rare way. Stevens continued to use Sullinger as the starting center, but this "little fat man", who is only 2.06 meters tall and does not bounce too much, obviously cannot be compared with the height of Durham Porter.

And just like that, the Mavericks started their first offense of the game. Yiyang was focused, and he knew very well that Rondo's defense was not so easy to break down.

Yiyang originally wanted to pass the ball directly and not entangle with Rondo. But the rest of the Celtics blocked all the passing routes, and Yiyang had no choice but to break through himself first to tear apart the Celtics' defense.

Yiyang didn't call for a pick-and-roll, but quickly changed hands in succession and then suddenly changed direction, shaking off Rondo's center of gravity and passing past the resolute No. 9.

Yiyang's ball control skills made everyone scream in amazement, so fast and steady that you couldn't tell when he would suddenly push in which direction.

But after passing Rondo, what greeted Yiyang was not an open breakthrough route, but Bradley's strong body!

"Boom!" Yiyang collided with Bradley headlong, and he didn't even notice when the other party came to make up for it.

Bradley was known for his defense as early as college, and Yiyang suffered a lot from Bradley during his NCAA years. After three and a half seasons of professional basketball, his defensive skills have become even more terrifying.

Yiyang was blocked by Bradley's defense and he wanted to pass the ball to Tony. Aaron, only to find out that Tony is being by Jeff. Green Winding. And Iguodala is too far away from him, and his rash pass is likely to be stealed.

Just as Yiyang was thinking about his next plan, Rondo, who was shaken away, quickly killed the horse pistol and cleanly slapped the basketball in Yiyang's hand!

Yiyang just focused on Bradley and his teammates' running, so he didn't have time to watch out for Rondo!

"I was actually stolen! God, this kind of mistake is extremely rare in Yi's body! "Mike. Brin opened his mouth wide and was able to snatch the basketball directly from Yiyang's hand, and the people in this league who could do this could probably be counted on one hand. And Rondo, undoubtedly, is one of them.

Stevens' trap-and-clamp tactics worked from the start, with Rondo accelerating immediately after a steal, and Yiyang following closely behind, without giving Rondo any space.

Rondo knew that if he went straight to the basket in front of Yiyang, who was pressing him, the only thing that greeted him could be a pegboard hat. But it doesn't matter, the best thing this number nine defender is at creating chances when they don't have them.

Entering the three-second zone, Rondo jumped to attack the frame, and Yiyang flew and jumped, covering Rondo entirely.

But in the air, Rondo almost swooped the ball around his back and hit the ground into Bradley, who was close behind.

Seeing that the basketball in Rondo's hand "disappeared out of thin air", Yiyang knew that something was wrong. But he was still gliding through the air at this point, and he couldn't do anything.

Just like that, Bradley received the basketball and easily made a layup. As soon as the game started, Stevens' Celtics counterattacked with the Mavericks' best defense and took the lead!

Carlisle shook his head, the duo of Rondo and Bradley at back looked flawed, but in fact it was a stroke of genius.

Because only when these two guys join forces can it be possible to contain Yiyang. I have to admit that Stevens really knows how to discover the strengths of players and use them.

In the North Shore Garden Arena, the cheers of the fans continued. This opening undoubtedly gave the league's No. 1 Mavericks a dismount.

Victory is never easy in Boston!

However, Stevens is still stubborn, not that he is dissatisfied with the team's performance. But he knew very well that Yiyang's guy would not be killed so easily. Now, it's not time to rejoice.