Chapter 90 is not at all on a notch

Ma Chao is a formidable enemy of the Knicks, while Li Feng faces the most formidable enemy, Stone Buddha - Tim Duncan.

Just over two months into the season, when you see the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Year last week, his name is finally discovered.

Tim Duncan.

He reminded people that he was still here.

Duncan's data over the past week — in fact, the last two weeks — is starting to look like Duncan again.

When Duncan returned from a two-game break against the Raptors and Mavericks in late November, he looked like he was starting to recover. In six of his last eight games, Duncan has shot over 60 percent from the field and scored over 30 points in seven of his games, averaging 4.6 assists per game in those eight games. Everything was a "normal" Duncan anymore. In these eight games, the Spurs lost the first two games in a row, and then won six games in a row.

Yes, there are no strong teams in these 6 opponents, which are the Bobcats, Wizards, Bucks, Warriors, Rockets and 76ers, and in addition to the Rockets, 3 of the 5 Eastern Conference teams that the Spurs beat were at home, and the victory was average. But even so, the Spurs showed their control of the game with a goal difference: they beat the Bobcats by 30 points, the Wizards by 22 points, the Bucks by 14 points, the Warriors by 14 points, and the Rockets and 76ers by eight points each. 6 games, from start to finish, Spurs were in control. It's not something that every strong team can do, especially with the Rockets on the road. In this wave of 6 consecutive wins, Spurs sincerely embodies the essence of this team, which is the word "stable".

The stability of the Spurs, after all, still comes from Duncan. As soon as Duncan was stable, the Spurs were stable. In the first 10 games of the season, the Spurs went 4-6, their worst start since Duncan entered the NBA.

The performance was up and down, but the six consecutive wins since then have pushed them to second place in the West with a 30-10 record, returning to the Western Dominance map as scheduled. It reminds me of a quote from Duncan when they were 4-6: "If the playoffs start tomorrow, we're in trouble." But in fact no, what we have is time. ”

Time doesn't change age – when you watch the Spurs play, you'll see that Duncan's movement speed and agility have dropped a lot compared to his heyday. Speed and agility used to be Duncan's biggest advantage against other centers, he can run quickly between the two baselines, can use speed to break through with the ball, and can suddenly help defend, interfere and block from the weak side. Now, Duncan's ability to move is declining. But Duncan knows that he can use his time to adjust. He's not as fast as he used to be, but he's still the Spurs' most sure axis on the inside, and no one dares to let go of their defense against him. Defensively, meanwhile, Duncan is still the last gatekeeper.

Popovich is adjusting the current Spurs based on Duncan's changes. The Spurs used to be the slowest paced team in the entire NBA, and their half-court offensive and defensive-first style was almost entirely based on Duncan's grasp of both ends of the floor. Ginobili and Parker are their sharp knives when switching offense. But now, Popovich is trying to speed up the team's offensive tempo, completing the offense more in the transition from defense to offense, and using more pick-and-rolls and outside breakaways to launch offense and offload Duncan's shoulders. The pace of the Spurs this season is markedly different from when they were in their prime, and the resulting offensive and defensive stats are also very different. They are now averaging 101.1 points per game, which ranks 12th among all teams, and are 10th averaging 96.5 points per game, significantly higher than in previous years, all due to the increased pace.

Looking at such stats alone, Spurs don't look like a championship contender. But Popovich knows that if he can keep the 33-year-old Duncan's "freshness" and slowly slip into the playoffs that season, the Spurs will regain their winning momentum, and they will still be the Lakers' biggest enemy in the West. Duncan is still the same, and the Spurs are still the same. …,

Before the game, whether they were optimistic or not optimistic about Li Feng media, most of them did not think that Li Feng and the Knicks could defeat their opponents, in their opinion, the Knicks' victory over the Spurs was a fantasy, and Li Feng and Duncan were not on the same level at all.

Li Feng's luck is a little unlucky, the Knicks' next opponent is the San Antonio Spurs, the alarm of Madison Square Garden has sounded, the current Spurs' record is second only to the Los Angeles Lakers, higher than the Boston Celtics in the East, Li Feng's opponent in this game is probably the greatest power forward in the NBA, Tim Duncan, if it is only Tim Duncan, if Li Feng can lead the game to victory, there is still a way out, however, the opponent is Duncan and the Spurs, unless Duncan beats the Spurs, otherwise, There are still people who will use all kinds of excuses to hit this excellent young man, of course, from another point of view, this is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity, the time to test Li Feng has come, let's wait and see! ”

—The New York Times

"The San Antonio Spurs are a strong opponent, but we're not bad, we just beat the Bulls, Al Harrington scored 25 points in Chicago, Gallinari also has 20 points, we don't have no hope of winning, as for that arrogant Chinese kid, it's okay if you don't let Tim Duncan blow up, of course, this guy still has two brushes on defense, if you can't guard against Tim, what can you compare with Willis?"

—The New York Chronicle

"A Bull is not enough to erase the stubbornness in people's hearts, in fact, if Li Feng is an American, he would have become a favorite player of the fans, his words are not wrong from any angle, if a player has no confidence in himself, how can he gallop on the NBA court, Tim Duncan is a whetstone no matter what, even if Li Feng loses, it is not a shame, the other party is one of the strongest interior lines at present, but if Li Feng can accumulate experience in fighting with top interior lines, it is the most valuable for Li Feng and the Knicks."

- New York Sports Newspaper

"It's really not right to say frustrating words before the game, but I want to say that this game is not optimistic, our interior is a weakness, Eddie Corey from the repival in the last game, playing for the first time this season, probably the old club stimulated him, he got 12 points and 7 rebounds, but he didn't dare to reassure us, and the other inside, Chinese Li Feng, made us even more uneasy, All-Star forward Tim Duncan will be opposite him, Duncan's wipe shooting is famous, whether Li Feng can prevent him is very questionable, the bigger question is, Can Li Feng, who scored almost entirely by dunks in the last game, continue to be arrogant, Duncan's defense is not famous for his offense, but it should not be underestimated, it is hard for us to believe that this arrogant kid can defeat Shi Fo! ”

- New York Post

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PS: Update directly, start school on the 24th, take the make-up exam on the 25th, and try to add more at present, you guys look at the vote!