"Meng, have you rested?"

When the game was in full swing in the fourth quarter, Popovich, as the head coach, sat on the bench and chatted with Meng Xu and Duncan, and didn't seem to take the ongoing game as a thing at all, but when the difference between the two sides was narrowed from 13 points to 6 points, Popovich signaled assistant coach Amy Yudoka to call a short timeout, and then asked about Meng Xu's physical condition.

"I'm fine, I've been resting long enough." After hearing Popovich's inquiry, Meng Xu immediately got up and left the bench, and then took off his coat and waited for Popovich's next instructions.

"Now that you're rested, then you can go on the field and replace kawaii and go and harvest the game." As soon as he pressed Tim Duncan, who was also about to leave the bench, Popovich gave instructions to Meng Xu after he played, the kawaii in Popovich's mouth was Kawhi Leonard, Meng Xu replaced Kawhi Leonard, this time Popovich did not send all the main lineup, but only replaced Kawhi Leonard with Meng Xu's counterpart, and for a while assistant coach Amy Yudoka was also unclear and confused about Popovich's substitution.

"Tim, you've maxed out of playing time today, so you don't have to play any more." After Meng Xu appeared on the court, Popovich found that Tim Duncan was staring at him, and he must have some doubts about Popovich's arrangement to let Meng Xu play and not let him play, so Popovich took out the playing time agreed with Tim Duncan before the start of this season to prevaricate Duncan.

Due to the impact of repeated injuries, since 10 years, Popovich has been constantly compressing Duncan's playing time, in the last two seasons, Tim Duncan's playing time has been less than 30 minutes, and this season, due to Meng Xu's joining, Duncan's playing time will be further reduced, one is to let Duncan rest more in the regular season, after all, Duncan is already a 36-year-old veteran, and second, it is naturally to prepare for the playoffs, although Duncan is now old, But in this era of fewer and fewer excellent interior lines, Tim Duncan's ability to protect the basket and deterrent under the basket are still crucial for the Spurs, as long as Duncan is on the court, those players who rely on breakthroughs do not dare to rush to the Spurs' basket at all, today's game is a good proof, with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the two major breakthrough masters, when Duncan is on the court, the number of successful breakthroughs is only a handful.

Of course, there is another reason for Popovich's move, the tacit understanding between Meng Xu and Duncan does not need to be said, the blocking and various cooperation between the two people are like a pair of old comrades-in-arms who have been fighting side by side for more than ten years, but between Meng Xu and the other two cores of the Spurs, it is difficult to say whether there can be a tacit understanding and chemical reaction, especially the style of play is slightly similar to Meng Xu, Manu Ginobili, who has been the sixth man of the Spurs, so Popovich wants to take advantage of today's game to put Meng Xu and Ginobili on the court at the same timeto see if there is a tacit understanding between them.

There are two gods on the court, so Gary Neal as a point guard is naturally impossible to attack by himself, but who to give the ball to also makes Gary Neal a little difficult, Gary Neil, who is dribbling at the top of the arc, looking at Ginobili on the left three-point line, and Meng Xu near the three-point line on the right, for the first time I feel that what I have in my hand is not a basketball, but a hot potato, I have been holding it in my hands, but I definitely can't do it, but who to pass it to, not to whom, Gary Neal couldn't make up his mind for a while, because when he was suspended just now, The head coach and assistant coach did not arrange any tactics, which made Gary Neal very difficult, whether it was Meng Xu or Ginobili, he didn't dare to offend.

But a moment later, the problem that made Gary Neal embarrassed was solved, because Ginobili and Meng Xu, who were waiting for the receiving organization just now, found that the other party was also waiting to receive the ball, so they gave up the plan to catch the ball on the spot at the same time, but ran, both of them ran along the three-point line towards the bottom corner, and Gary Neal, who was on the verge of amnesty, immediately passed the basketball in his hand to Thiago Splitt below the free throw line.

And Thiago Splitt almost at the moment of receiving the ball, he transferred the basketball to Meng Xu, who had gotten rid of Sean Battier on the right side of the court, as for Meng Xu, he did not shoot immediately after receiving the ball, but tried to break through to the basket, after being caught by Chris Bosh and Sean Battier, Meng Xu directly made a diagonal pass from behind, and found it very accurately in the hands of Ginobili who began to turn back after running to the bottom corner.

And Ginobili, who received Meng Xu's pass, adjusted his body posture and threw the basketball in his hand after a moment of hesitation.

"Beautiful!" After Ginobili hit the jumper, Meng Xu, who was waiting under the basket to grab the rebound, stretched out his thumb to Ginobili with a smile on his face, and reciprocated with a peach, and Ginobili also smiled back at Meng Xu.

If Duncan and Parker welcome Meng Xu's joining, then Ginobili's attitude towards Meng Xu is a little more ambiguous, first, Ginobili has never had a good impression of Meng Xu, Argentina's two World Series championship opportunities were lost in the hands of Meng Xu, plus Ginobili has always scoffed at the title of "poor version of Meng Xu", so in Ginobili's heart, Meng Xu is somewhat resistant.

"If Meng goes to be a coach, he will definitely be able to achieve extraordinary achievements!" Popovich, who was originally sitting firmly on the bench, stood up directly from his seat after seeing the connection between Meng Xu and Ginobili, and applauded Meng Xu and Ginobili who were retreating, Popovich had to admire, Meng Xu's EQ is really high, coupled with excellent talent and diligent training attitude, if this kind of player is not successful, it will be purely unreasonable, but Popovich is also thinking, Meng Xu has such a high EQ and such a good talent, If one day he has the opportunity to coach a team, he should be able to do a good job.

If Popovich is worried about the Spurs in the new season, it is the relationship between the court and the court, Meng Xu's joining, so that the Spurs' ball distribution is facing a major reshuffle, Tim Duncan's side Popovich is not worried, but being deprived of the core position of the team, and squeezing the ball Ginobili, Popovich is a little worried, but judging from the round just now, Meng Xu is also trying to repair the relationship with Ginobili.

In this offense, as soon as Meng Xu arrived in the front court, he went directly to the no-ball running position to tear apart the Heat's defense, and Ginobili, who held the ball, did not force a layup in front of Bosh after twisting his ass and rushing to the Heat's basket, but passed to Meng Xu, who was in the empty corner of the corner, and assisted Meng Xu to hit a three-point shot.