The Clippers are a team with a long history, having joined the NBA since 1970 and belong to the league's veteran team. www.biquge.info But this team has experienced more than 40 years of unbearable time. For most of the 40-plus years, the Clippers have been the league's best team, and at best they are just getting a taste of the playoffs.

The turning point in the history of this team began in '09. That year, the Clippers, who had a terrible record, drafted brutalist power forward Blake Griffin. Maybe no one realized at the time that this would be a turning point for the Clippers and an opportunity for the Clippers to rise. Conversely, after Griffin confirmed his season reimbursement, more voices were lamenting the Clippers. A good pick is wasted on a vulnerable power forward with a short arm span. There are also many people who can't help but ridicule, no wonder the Clippers have sunk for more than 40 years, and sometimes IQ may be a big problem.

However, just a year later, everyone questioned and mocked the Clippers guys were slapped in the face, and one by one they shut their mouths. Griffin played a "20+10" performance in his first season, and he became the second player in NBA history to be selected as an All-Star as a rookie after Yao Ming. Injuries didn't break him, let alone take away his basketball talent. With his explosive style of play and amazing physicality, Griffin quickly rose to the top of the list.

Although the Clippers' record was still terrible at that time, everyone felt that the time had finally come for the Clippers to rise. In the summer of '11, Neil Orsi, who is now the general manager of the Trail Blazers, acquired Chris Paul, the league's best point guard at the time, from the Hornets for the Clippers with his amazing negotiation ability and courage. Paul's arrival completely activated the team of Griffin and the Clippers, and soon, the Clippers continued to refresh history and became a regular in the playoffs.

However, in recent seasons, the Clippers have generally failed. At least as the owner, Ballmer has been disappointed in his heart, the Clippers did not win the championship as expected, and did not even reach the Western Conference Finals, which is the most unacceptable part.

The Clippers have failed for several seasons in a row, and the most traumatic one is of course Chris Paul. Paul still hasn't been able to touch the floor of the West, and that's where he feels frustrated. After Neil Orsi left the Clippers to become the general manager of the Trail Blazers, Paul's standing with the Clippers has been declining. So far, this season, Paul has become the second-in-command for Griffin. However, Griffin's team has achieved even worse results, as evidenced by the result of 8th place in the West this season.

A poor record is the best thing that separates a player's relationship, and Griffin and Paul's relationship is not unbreakable, the two are more just cooperating and accommodating each other. However, when failures keep occurring, sometimes the contradictions are exacerbated. Judging by the rumors during the regular season this season, the Clippers are likely to be in a bad position to disintegrate this summer.

There was a lot of talk that the Clippers would trade Chris Paul and then rebuild the team around Griffin. And according to rumors, Trail Blazers general manager Neil Orsi has publicly stated that he wants to get Paul, and he wants to upgrade the Trail Blazers' roster again. At the same time, there is also news that Paul may go to join forces with his friend Anthony or Wade, who is struggling to lead the Heat...... However, all the rumors point to one thing, and that is that Paul is slowly losing ground from the Clippers.

Likely, this season is likely to be the last season for Paul and Griffin to work together. After all, Paul, who is only 30 years old, still has a lot of trade value. If the Clippers want to get more value, trading Paul as soon as possible is the wisest decision, after all, Paul has three seasons left on his new contract and an average annual salary of $23 million. However, considering the overall salary level of the league, Paul's annual salary is actually relatively cost-effective.

Kupchak still has plans to trade for Paul. However, given the Lakers' current dominance, if the Clippers really ask too much for the Lakers' roster to be destroyed too much, then Kupchak will obviously have to give up.

At this time, the two teams met in the first round of the playoffs, and rumors that the Lakers wanted to pursue Paul have been talked about.

Although I don't know who lost the news, or some scheming people did it on purpose, but both sides remained silent, and no one stood up to talk about it, which made people feel even more confused and puzzled, are the Lakers really interested in Paul?

In fact, for Paul, he is also very confused, he has never really gotten such news from the Lakers...... As for joining the Lakers? Paul was still impressed...... After all, winning a championship is really what he's always been looking for.

……

"Welcome everyone to watch the first game of the series between the Lakers and the Clippers in the first round of the NBA playoffs in the 15~16 season, the Lakers have a 76-6 record this season, while the Clippers have 37-45. In terms of overall strength, the Lakers have an absolute advantage, and if nothing else, the Lakers will easily win this game......"

With the introduction of the on-site commentators, in a burst of passionate cheers, the basketball was thrown into the air by the referee, and as Jordan Jr. and Whiteside jumped at the same time, the basketball flew to the side, and the game officially kicked off.

Kobe Bryant is very calm, he has been playing in the NBA for almost 20 years, he has already formed immunity to this kind of situation, he does not have any excitement. Defending him is his good friend Paul, Kobe Bryant is more sympathetic to Paul, but this is just sympathy, because in Kobe's dictionary, as long as he arrives on the court, there are only teammates and opponents, and there is no friend. Bryant knew Paul's defensive prowess, so he collected his thoughts, stayed focused, and constantly directed his players to run.

However, the Lakers' running position was not ideal, and Bryant observed the Clippers' defensive style and instantly understood that their tactics were restrained. Obviously, the Clippers are well prepared, and the Lakers' game today shouldn't be so easy.

The players kept switching positions and running, and Bryant was focused, and he quickly spotted the moment and passed the ball to Antetokounmpo who cut inside. With the advantage of height and arm length, Antetokounmpo stepped inside, attracted Jordan Jr.'s defense, and threw the ball into the air with one hand, and Whiteside jumped up behind Jordan Jr. and dunked the ball into the basket.

It was a subtle three-man combination, and the big-picture and awareness of Kobe Bryant and Antetokounmpo were the best factors that allowed the Lakers to successfully solve a problem.

"See? Still have to go inside, and Whiteside and Norris can put the ball in the basket. Nash clapped his hands and looked excited: "Chu, that's what I've been emphasizing, the inside line, our advantage is the inside line!" ”

Seeing this, Chu Xuan couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

Nash was puzzled, he rarely saw Chu Xuan have such a reaction, could it be that Chu Xuan had other opinions?

"Chu, I see that you seem to be confident, if you can, you can tell me your opinion."

Nash's seriousness is what Chu Xuan admires the most, which is why he thinks Nash can be an excellent head coach. Even Chu Xuan thought that if he really went to be a player, then the position of the head coach of the Lakers could be completely produced from Nash and Blatter.

"Steve, our biggest strength is Janis, he's so different, he's got a lot of physical strengths, and now he's so strong that he's hard to defend. His passing organization is the most important link in our internal and external tandem, do you really think that without Jannis, Kobe Bryant could have played so easily in the regular season this season? ”

Facing Chu Xuan's rhetorical question, Nash couldn't help but be stunned, his face full of thoughtfulness.

Kobe Bryant was able to average 20 points and 8 assists per game, which is definitely the level of a super point guard. But Kobe Bryant is 37 years old after all, and why he was able to make such a change is naturally debatable. The excellence of teammates may be a key link, but more importantly, it seems that as Chu Xuan said, Antetokounmpo's presence caused all of this to happen......

"Believe me, Janis is definitely a phenomenal player who can make the people around him better and make the game easier." Chu Xuan said: "Maybe he won't play such amazing statistics, but in the Lakers, his importance is definitely no less than Norris." ”

Nash couldn't help but gasp, it turned out that Chu Xuan looked at all this this way. From Chu Xuan's words, Nash also heard an important message, that is, after Kobe Bryant's departure, the new core of the Lakers should not be a person, but a combination, and this combination is most likely Noel + Antetokounmpo + an outside scorer.

"Chu, I understand, I believe what you say. It's just, do you think we made a mistake in playing the inside line today? ”

Chu Xuan smiled, shook his head and said, "Maybe it's right, but maybe it's wrong." But it doesn't matter, I just want to see what other teams are doing to deal with us. In that case, it will be more beneficial for us to analyze the opponent in the future. After all, as our enemies, the preparations they made will definitely come closer. ”

……

Nash realized that Chu Xuan's purpose was this, and he couldn't help but be impressed by Chu Xuan's courage, he could act so arbitrarily in any game, I am afraid that only Chu Xuan would dare to do this.

……

Rivers definitely put a lot of effort into it, and his defensive tactics today surprised him, as Bryant, Antetokounmpo and Whiteside combined to score the first goal before the game went into a scoring drought that lasted more than three minutes. It wasn't until Kobe Bryant relied on his personal ability to hit mid-range shots that the Lakers' offense began to slowly pick up.

Bryant felt a hint of pressure, and the pace of the Lakers' game had been a bit chaotic during this time. It's true that this is due to the Clippers' defense, but he always feels that something is wrong in one area. Bryant sensed the Clippers' defensive strategy, which was to defend Antetokounmpo, preventing him from receiving the ball where and in the rhythm Bryant expected. However, Bryant didn't think the Lakers' bad time was due to the Clippers' defense of Antetokounmpo. Bryant was trying to skip Antetokounmpo and give the ball straight into the hands of Noll or LaVine, but it didn't work well, and Whiteside lost his offensive role and could only fire with the brutalist center Jordan Jr. under the basket.

Bryant was a little anxious, and slowly his shots began to increase, but the Clippers' defense always seemed to be able to affect him, so the Lakers' offense was indeed in trouble.

When the offense couldn't be opened, Kobe Bryant asked the players to focus on defense, after all, this is the only better temporary solution. Because only if you defend the opponent and let the opponent not score, then the score will not be pulled apart. With that mentality, the Lakers and Clippers played a defensive encounter.

The whole first quarter of the game was very poor to watch, but it interpreted the intensity and charm of the playoffs, and the fans were quite engaged in watching it. In the first quarter of the game, the Clippers led the Lakers by 6 points at 21:15, which caused an uproar in the world, and no one thought that a Clippers team worthy of the playoffs would be able to force the Lakers to this point in the first game of the series. Instead of falling behind, they were six points ahead.

During the break, Kobe Bryant walked off the court, he felt that Chu Xuan would arrange other tactics for them, but, to Kobe's surprise, Chu Xuan didn't say anything, just signaled Nash to arrange for the players.

Nash's arrangement has not changed from what the players did in the first quarter, and what he repeatedly emphasized was the phrase "calm down, come up with better defense, and try to find a way to score in the face of this defensive adversity brought by the Clippers, in that case, it will be a kind of growth for the Lakers." ”

Nash understood what Chu Xuan meant, Chu Xuan wanted Lakers players to learn to play when their tactics were restrained by the opponent, which is the so-called playing adversity, and then to exercise the players' adaptability and resilience in the playoffs. After all, the Lakers have become accustomed to playing too many tailwind balls this season, and they have had a smooth ride, winning 76 games. Although it seems to be so powerful, Chu Xuan is still very worried, the Lakers don't wait until the playoffs to play adversity, and then they encounter Waterloo, which is a big joke in the world.

After all, it is not impossible to happen, Chu Xuan clearly remembers that in his previous life, the 73-win Warriors were not just because they were impetuous, and after the finals, they played well with the wind, but when they were overturned by the Cavaliers, under strong adversity and pressure, they simply couldn't play, and finally won a 73-win overall runner-up, becoming a laughing stock in history.

Chu Xuan didn't want to encounter this kind of tragedy, so he was ready to create some trouble for the Lakers' young people before the finals, give them a good lesson, and remind them.

Nash understood, but others didn't.

Kobe Bryant also frowned slightly, his eyes were full of doubts, because Chu Xuan's attitude towards him was, "You guys can fight casually." ”

A manager who suddenly behaves like a bystander is naturally difficult for the players to understand.

However, the Lakers' long-term sense of teamwork and overall quality are still very high, and Kobe Bryant gave a few words to a group of young people, cheering them up, telling them that the playoffs are like this, and they must learn to face and solve troubles. Regaining a good mentality, the Lakers are back on the court.

Chu Xuan was extremely satisfied with Kobe's performance, this is the role of the veteran. He is not as impetuous as a young man, and even if he does not understand many things, he will not ask too much. Because he knows, when he should know, he will naturally let him know.

In the second quarter of the game, the Lakers' offense still revolves around the interior, and the outside players also frequently kill inside. I have to say that the overall strength of the Lakers is still very advantageous. Even if they were suppressed, the starters and substitutes played a few good combinations when they were on the field. However, the offensive tempo of both sides was relatively slow, coupled with the very high defensive intensity of both sides, which also led to the fact that both sides did not score high in the second quarter. On the Clippers' side, Griffin, like in the first quarter, was very consistent, he was the only consistent scoring point for the Clippers, and his explosiveness made Noll feel tricky. At halftime, the score became 38:35, and the Clippers led the Lakers by three points.

The atmosphere was very hot, and the fans and the media became extremely stunned, everyone was talking about today's surprise game and why the Clippers were able to lead the Lakers.

On the big screen, Griffin's individual performance today appeared, half-time ball, and he had scored 20 points.

You know, the Clippers only scored 38 points as a team, and Griffin himself scored more than half, which made him the biggest star immediately.

"Chu, shouldn't you think of a way? I don't want to see Blake Griffin put a 40+ or more individual score on our heads. Payton was full of worries, he was quite dissatisfied with the Lakers' offense today, but he didn't have a particularly good solution, so his hope could only be pinned on Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan smiled, the effect of the training had been achieved, and he was indeed ready to change it in the second half. After all, there was plenty of time in the half, and if it was a game that put Lakers players through this kind of pressure, maybe they would lose their confidence and not play. So, there should be pressure, but it should be in moderation.

"Do you think he has what it takes? I asked him to score so many points just to show that he is worth a lot more than Chris Paul, after all, we still want to get a super point guard. Chu Xuan quipped.

Peyton couldn't help but be stunned, it was the first time he heard Chu Xuan say in public that he wanted to pursue Paul so clearly, he felt that it was an accident that he wanted to be: "Chu, do you really want to pursue that guy?" I think we have the best squad at this stage and there is no need to make any changes. ”

Payton was referring to the fact that the Lakers' current team is fully capable of competing for a championship, and sometimes changes may not only fail to achieve results, but can destroy the Lakers' original competitiveness.

"Gary, we're just doubly preparing. After all, you have to know that even if the Clippers were to trade Chris Paul, our chances of getting him weren't the greatest. After all, for Mr. Mitch, he doesn't want to send away any of our team's starters. ”

"So it's quite difficult." Peyton was even more puzzled: "Then why do you want to try to pursue CP3?" ”

Chu Xuan couldn't help but smile and said, "Gary, you also said it, it's just an attempt." Although sometimes many things are really difficult or not very sure, but you have to try, what if you succeed? ”

……

"I know you all can't figure out why the first half was so bad."

Chu Xuan sat in the middle of the group of players and glanced around with a smile.

At this time, the Lakers players all looked a little depressed.

Chu Xuan smiled: "Are you dissatisfied? Or remorse? But what's the use of that? You didn't fight well after all. Of course I admit that there was a problem with the tactics in the first half and we were restrained by the other side. However, with the absolute advantage of strength, even if the opponent is restrained, I don't think it should be like this. ”

"You have to accept the status quo, and that's the way it is. In the first game of the playoffs, the opponent taught us such a lesson, and I think everyone needs to face up to themselves, have a good mentality, and maintain a sense of crisis, so that we can be more competitive in the playoffs. Three consecutive championships, this is a very difficult thing, definitely not as easy as we thought. Because if it's really that easy, there are so many dominant teams in history, but how many have won three consecutive championships? ”

"Without a doubt, three consecutive titles are our ultimate goal this season. Whatever happens along the way, I think it's just a little bit of an episode that won't have a real impact. You're still the best team, the best team in history. I believe in your ability to bounce back and I'm excited to see what kind of performance you can play with the right tactics. ”

Chu Xuan's words were sonorous and powerful, and every word seemed to have a thousand powers, smashing into the hearts of the players, making them suddenly realize that it turned out that the aura of glory of 76 wins had indeed had a great impact on them. They have become a little overwhelmed by the stress of adversity...... However, as Chu Xuan said, they are still the best team, and when everything is right, the game will be back in their control.

"Of course we won't have a problem, the first half of the woes is sure to give everyone a certain change of mentality. Head, I think you can rest assured, if the Lakers were really that easy to beat, there wouldn't be a 76-6 record......" Kobe Bryant was the first to look up, with a relaxed smile on his face.

Obviously, Kobe Bryant also understood that Chu Xuan just wanted to use the game to teach the players a lesson to eliminate any risk that might threaten them to win the championship. Kobe Bryant felt that Chu Xuan was right, because it was always a wise man's practice to take precautions.

"In that case, in the next game, according to the tactics I arranged below, attack ...... with all my might" (To be continued.) )