Chapter 101: The Biggest Problem
LeBron. James was killed by Ruhr. Deng and Whiteside were temporarily contained in front of the free throw line, there was no room to break through, and it was not easy to force shots in the face of two opponents with long hands and legs. At this time, LBJ finally remembered Lefu and immediately handed the ball to the 'big white bear' who had been drying for a long time.
But at this time, Bosh had changed his guard in place, and Lefu took a look at Bosh's physique and decided to turn his back and crush inward. It's true that the 'Dragon King' can't withstand the huge tonnage of Lefou, but he just needs to squeeze as hard as he can, and anyway, there is a Whiteside in the penalty area who can move around the paint area to make up for him.
Lefu squeezed into a similar position, swerved and squeezed Bosh with his side, holding the ball in his right hand to pick up the basket. Whiteside, who was still preparing to defend James outside the three-second zone, completed the turn with astonishing speed, and jumped up with a big step to block!
In a panic, Lefu hastily changed his shooting hand, and although he dodged the block, the basketball bounced out of the basket and was protected by Bosh to defend the rebound.
Spoelstra saw that the defensive formation was not distracted by LBJ's attack, and Whiteside also protected the box well, he relaxed a little and sat back in his seat.
Addison quickly held the ball to the three-point line, and while the Cavaliers' defense was still incomplete, he instantly accelerated to break through to the inside. suddenly stopped two steps into the three-point line, and followed the defense of Owen, but saw Addison slap the ball hard, and kicked the ground with both feet to quickly accelerate and shake off the opponent!
Owen's instantaneous power was really not as good as Addison's, and he was pulled out of position in the first step. James lets go of Ruhr. Deng rushed over to make up for it, but Eddie threw a light right hand before LBJ was in place to score two points for the home team.
"The Miami Nation strikes back! This offensive style LBJ should be no stranger, and that's how he played in his four seasons with the Heat! Barkley said in a loud voice, "Kevin. Love and Marion not rushing back when the opponent is countering will leave the Cavaliers' basket empty. Blatter must be aware that his opponent is quite terrifying in terms of athleticism, and he can rampage through the court in all five positions. β
David. Blatter was already aware by this time that he had made a big mistake in his pre-match set-up. Originally he wanted Marion and Mike. Miller can help the team with experience, and the two veterans' offense doesn't dominate the ball, which can better balance the offensive rotation within the Cavaliers.
But the Miami man was so strong on the counter-attack that he didn't expect, and for the first time he saw a team that was rushing forward from the point guard to the center when the counterattack was about to fall, which was unique in Europe!
Kevin. Lefou's ability to move is not strong, Marion and Mike. Miller can be even more of a burden when defending counter-attacks...... The only players who can quickly defend the Cavaliers are James and Irving, and everyone knows what the outcome will be.
Blatter looked at Tristan on the bench. Thompson and Dieng. Vitesse wondered if he could replace the two of them to make up for the shortcomings. As for Thompson, Blatter only put him on the bench due to tactical rotation; But Dieng. Vitesse, this stubborn and rebellious guy, Blatter doesn't like it from the bottom of his heart.
This is true of most coaches who have landed in the NBA from the Europa League, they like players who are obedient and have a steady personality, and players like Vitesse who are impetuous and restless are not appreciated even by the most capable ones.
David. Blatter decided to wait and see, and if the inside line was tight, he would replace Thompson, but Witesse ...... If there are no special circumstances, this guy is not going to get much playing time!
***
LBJ holds the ball again, for Ruhr. Deng Tiep's defense + Whiteside's supplementary defense is a defensive strategy, and he is still a little jealous. It was only the first quarter of the game, and James didn't plan to attack desperately.
He first handed the ball to Mike. Miller, and then took Ruhl. Deng came to the right flank, turned over and stuck the opponent directly behind him with tonnage, beckoning for the ball.
Since the 2011 Finals, LBJ has learned the importance of back-to-back offense. He paid to learn from 'Big Dream' Olajuwon for a summer, and after years of repeated use and study, back-to-back singles have become a threatening offensive style for James.
Mike. Miller immediately passed the ball to James in the low post, and LBJ arched back, and Luhr, who had a gap in tonnage and power. Deng couldn't help but take a step back. Continuing to exert force backwards, seeing that the time for his back was about to come, James, who had squeezed to the edge of the three-second zone, slammed the racket, held it with both hands and turned in the direction of the baseline. Deng and Whiteside were all drawn to the attention and LBJ took advantage of the opportunity to turn around and throw the ball into the net with his left hand.
Whiteside's blocking was still a little slower, LBJ's offense was more versatile than he thought, and his physical gifts gave him plenty of options behind his back.
Spoelstra wasn't unhappy with the goal conceded, and he could see that James was struggling to score more than usual, and that was enough. As long as he continues to defend like this, he doesn't believe that James will have no physical problems in the final stage. The Cavaliers don't have a proper bench at small forward......
Six minutes into the first quarter, David. Blatter preemptively called a timeout. At this time, the score was 13:9, and the Cavaliers were four points behind.
Falling behind was not the main reason for Blatter's timeout, but the loss of the inside line was the focus of his adjustment. Of the Cavaliers' nine points, James scored four points, Irving scored three points, and Mike Brown. Miller hit a long two-pointer, and Kevin Brown. Lefu didn't score a point on 0-of-2 shooting. On the defensive end, he was brutally grabbed three frontcourt rebounds in a row by Whiteside, and he was in no state inside.
Blatter removed Sean. Marion, put Tristan. Thompson came on and added a dynamic rebounder. However, such an inside configuration still suffers in terms of height, Thompson is 6 feet 9 inches tall, and Lefu is 6 feet 10 inches; On the Heat side, Bosh is 6-foot-11 tall, and Whiteside is 7-foot.
Back on the court, Irving took over the reins of the offense. His dribbling frequency is fast and slow, which is completely different from the skill of Addison's ability to accurately predict in the preseason, and this time it is difficult for the Chinese point guard to see the clues through the subtleties of the opponent's body.
The ball bounced from his crotch to his left hand, and Owen's forward change of direction was extremely fluid. Addison couldn't make a prediction, but he kept up with his opponent's change in center of gravity with his tough physicality. It's just that he was just about to block Owen's breakthrough when he collided with a strong body and was forcibly blocked.
Tristan. Thompson made a timely cover for Irving, and the Cavaliers point guard dribbled to the switching Bosh, and his left hand dribbled inside, moving at Bosh's feet and pulling back to create a space for his shots.
"Carey. Irving!!! Jumper shot against Bosh's block!! Got itοΌοΌοΌ "Kenny. Smith couldn't help but exclaim, "A lot of times watching Irving's performance really makes people feel enjoyable!" It seems that nothing can stop him from throwing the ball into the basket! β
"Yes, from dribbling to breakaways to jumpers, he's not only powerful, but he's also aesthetically pleasing." O'Neill agreed, "You know what? He even reminds me of a Kobe Bryant, who is about 8 centimeters shorter, cold-blooded and sharp on the offensive end! β
***
"Won't you give me one back, Add?" Owen looked at Addison, who was dribbling in front of him to observe the half, and whispered, "You don't dare? Are you afraid of me? β
The corners of Addison's mouth hooked, and the basketball in his hand was still passed out. Just as Irving wanted to say something sarcastic, the Chinese rookie ran empty-handed to Ruhr, who was waiting outside the three-point line to catch the ball. Deng, Owen cursed secretly and hurried to follow.
Ruhr. Deng passed the ball back to Addison, who ran to the wing, and he moved James to the bottom corner to open up space for his teammates.
The Chinese point guard dribbles as adeptly as his opponent, holding the ball in his left hand to his side while tapping forward with his left foot. Irving's body moved almost instinctively, the ball in Addison's left hand quickly came from behind to the right side of his body, and the speed of the shift of the center of gravity was staggering, and the Heat No. 7 rushed into the penalty area like a shadow from the out-of-position Irving!
James in the bottom corner is afraid of Ruhr. Deng's projection ability didn't dare to make up for the defense too tightly, and when Addison was out of the defensive range, he didn't chase after him again.
Addison, who entered the interior line, faced Kevin who turned around. Lefou, his right leg towards the baseline made 'Big White Bear' misjudge, and his weight was pulled back to his left leg to step in the exact opposite direction.
"European step! This is an opportunity! Left hand layup! Oh roar...... Tristan. Thompson's defense was unsuccessful!! Ross Barkley was much more active than he was when Irving scored, and he gradually transformed into an Addison supporter without even realizing it.
In the eyes of many viewers of the live broadcast in the United States, this big fat man has been married to Bill. Wharton is one of the two 'Emmies' in the narrator, and his behavior is extremely subjective......
"Very powerful answer ball! While I know Addison is the playmaker of the Heat, can I say that I prefer to see him score rather than pass? "Kenny. Smith said with a smile.
The American Airlines arena also erupted in strong cheers, and Addison's response was something they wanted to see. The Chinese point guard is regarded by them as the future core who will succeed Wade, since he is the core, how can he not respond when provoked?!
***
The first quarter was tied at 25-22, and after making substitutions, the Cavaliers gradually showed signs of recovery.
Kevin. Lefous & Tristan. Thompson worked together, and the Cavaliers' defensive rebounds were finally no longer wantonly snatched by Whiteside. Although James and Irving scored more difficult than usual, they still helped the team to bite the score with strong individual ability.
In the first quarter, James had 8 points, 1 assist and 3 rebounds, causing Whiteside and Ruhr to finish on the offensive end. Deng each had one foul; Irving had 7 points, 1 rebound and 0 assists, and his ability was all on display in scoring.
But David. Blatter is still frowning, the two cores of the team are performing as he expected, but the others are really not in good shape. James only had one assist in the first quarter, and many times the ball was passed out but his teammates couldn't shoot it.
You can't let him rely on James and Irving to play the whole game, right?! Even if this game can be carried out, the season will still consist of dozens of games, and it is impossible for him to play 40 minutes in two core games......
Weak bench and role players...... This is the biggest problem the Cavaliers are facing right now, and it is more urgent to solve than the distribution of the ball.