The Green Army was defeated!
There are 82 regular season games in a season, and the impact of losing a game is not big. This is not unacceptable. But Celtics coach Arnold felt that today's loss was very embarrassing.
Vincent has returned to the superstar he was ten years ago, killing everyone in the game. The Celtics' abundant No. 2 position took turns to play, and then was beaten by Vincent in turn.
No matter how powerful a mortal is, how can he be the opponent of a "demigod"!
What makes Arnold feel most uncomfortable is that Vincent is a player abandoned by the Celtics.
In the trade before the All-Star Game, Vincent was sent to Boston as a salary-balancing addition. After the trade, the Celtics bought out Vincent directly. It's like telling Vincent: We don't need you, old guy!
The Celtics team is full of talents, especially at the second and third positions. On the surface, it seems that they are not inferior to Vincent, a veteran.
However, in today's game, the Celtics were defeated by Vincent, the "abandoned general". No one in the second and third positions they were proud of could stop Vincent.
A person who was abandoned by his own team turned around and defeated the team. This slap in the face came too quickly. Looking back on the situation of buying out Vincent after the trade, it can be called a The entire Celtics management will probably feel very embarrassed by this textbook "buying a casket for a pearl".
…
The presence of Vincent has raised the Clippers' rotation to a higher level. Now the Clippers' rotation is even stronger than the starters of some weak teams.
And as the lineup continues to work together, victory seems to have become an easy thing for the Clippers. For the Clippers, as long as two players feel good enough in every game, they can win the game. With the number of stars in the Clippers, it is simply a rare and common thing for two of them to be in excellent condition.
Players who can become superstars must have the ability to maintain a stable state. Without that star player, there will be relatively large fluctuations in state in a short period of time. Stars have strong self-regulation ability. Even if the state of a certain game is not good, they can quickly get back to the state of the game through self-regulation. Basically, the state of NBA stars will be relatively stable, and an unstable state will be A player who plays well in one game and poorly in another does not deserve to be called a star.
Clocking in after three quarters has become a daily routine for the Clippers. With consecutive victories, Dai Li's job as head coach has become much easier.
The coaching staff of NBA teams already has assistant coaches responsible for offense and defense. Of course, the head coach does not need to do everything personally. Dai Li's most important task now is to regulate the relationship between players so that they can get along more harmoniously.
It doesn't matter if a team is weaker or loses more. What they fear most is internal strife among the players. Even if it is a championship-level team, if the players are not harmonious or even fight each other openly and secretly, it is possible. It fell apart instantly.
Dai Li didn't want that to happen to him.
The current Clippers team is full of stars, so a problem will inevitably arise, that is, the distribution of ball rights. Star players all hope to get the ball. If the ball rights are unevenly distributed, there may really be conflicts between the players. There may be disagreements or even internal strife.
There have been similar things in the NBA. For example, when it comes to a critical ball, a certain star player just doesn't pass the ball and always works alone, but the effect is not good. After that, his teammates start to complain and ask him to pass the ball to him. As a result, both sides As a result, there was a big quarrel, and in the end someone was suspended from the team.
Once something like this happens, even if both parties finally settle down, they are still at odds with each other and the nail in their hearts is buried. When the time comes for the game, there is no guarantee that no problems will arise.
After all, there are still very few people in the NBA who play selflessly.
Or when arranging a certain key attack, star A said it should be played this way, star B said it should be played that way, and star C gave different opinions. In the end, everyone felt that they were right and everyone wanted to follow their own rules. If you think about it, the situation will really get messed up.
Sometimes, the team's superstar is big enough that the coach may not be able to suppress him. Similar things have happened in the real NBA. For example, during a critical ball, the team's superstar and the coach had a disagreement. When the coach arranged the tactics, the superstar simply walked to the side and put on a "I If you don’t listen, I won’t listen.”
Moreover, the media is also afraid that the world will not be in chaos. Sometimes, mythical things can be said to be true. If there is a slight sign of conflict between players, the media will fan the flames and stir up trouble without limit.
Of course Dai Li must avoid these situations from happening.
Fortunately, these stars of the Clippers were personally recruited by Dai Li, and it was only with the help of Dai Li that they were able to return to the game. Based on this, Dai Li has established a good reputation in their hearts. Prestige makes them willing to obey Li Dai's command. Li Dai has no problem controlling the team.
As for the relationship between players, Dai Li really needs to adjust it well. The Clippers' distribution of ball rights is indeed a big problem, and Li Dai's arrangement often depends on who has the best touch. Anyway, you are playing star ball. On the field, no matter how unreasonable your playing is, as long as the ball goes in, others will have nothing to say.
These Clippers players are no longer young guys. They will not be as excited as young people when they are slightly stimulated. They have been playing for so many years, and they are all old men who know what they are doing. Know what to do and what not to do, know how to control your emotions and not be so impulsive.
These Clippers players have all experienced the trough period of their careers. Players who have grown up from setbacks are different from other players in terms of mentality.
Superstars who are always at their peak have the mentality of "being the boss" no matter which team they join. Let alone letting them serve as substitutes, even if they are not the core of the team's tactics, they will have troubles, and there will often be conflicts between the stars and the team. incompatible situation.
The stars of the Clippers are different. They have all been at the top, but they have also experienced falling from the top, either due to injuries or age. They have gone from being a star that attracted much attention to one that no one cares about. Ball scum, this kind of ups and downs is a kind of training, and it will make people grow. For them, it is not a problem whether they are the boss of the team, nor whether they are the core of the tactics. At least they can still stand on the court and enjoy basketball.
Sometimes, older players may not have the energy they had when they were young, but they know how to share better, not just sharing basketball, but also sharing the happiness that basketball brings.
As the game progressed and the running-in between the players deepened, the Clippers gradually formed their own tactics, and the cooperation between the players became increasingly tacit.
It's just that the Clippers are playing star ball. The so-called cooperation is actually trying to create one-on-one opportunities for teammates. This kind of thing that even high school players can do is a piece of cake for NBA players.
…
March is an especially important month for teams aiming for the playoffs.
Throughout March, the Clippers had a very good schedule, and because of this, the Clippers actually achieved a complete victory record in March. This is also a rare thing in the NBA.
Many strong teams can achieve complete victory in February. Firstly, there are fewer days in February, and secondly, the All-Star Weekend is often scheduled in February, which makes the number of game days less than one week. . Fewer competition days means fewer games, which naturally makes it easier to win.
March is the golden stage for teams to compete in the playoffs. Many teams will work hard in March. To achieve a complete victory at this time is really a reflection of the team's strength.
As a result, the Clippers caught up with the Warriors, who were first in the Western Conference. At the end of March, there was only 0.5 wins between the two teams.
The second place in the Western Conference is also very close to the first place in the Western Conference. There is definitely no problem in advancing to the playoffs. And Li Dai is not satisfied with being second in the Western Conference. He has set his goal for this season to be first in the Western Conference. Not only for the honor of a regular season Western Conference championship, but also for a home court advantage in the playoffs.
Entering April, the Clippers' first opponent is the Golden State Warriors, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference.
The difference between the two teams is 0.5 games. As long as the Clippers win this game, they will win two games inside and outside, and their record will rise to the first place.
…
The Warriors challenge the Clippers away from home.
There were 8 minutes left before the end of the game, but the Warriors were trailing by 20 points. The Warriors' head coach simply replaced the main players. This was also an announcement that the Warriors had given up resistance and surrendered.
With the Warriors' offensive firepower, it is not difficult to chase 20 points in 8 minutes. However, in today's game, Warriors head coach Nicholas saw no hope of chasing points.
"A good game was split into one-on-one singles!" Nicholas muttered to himself.
The team's tactics did not work out, but instead turned into star singles. This is the last thing Nicholas wants to see. Nicholas couldn't help but think of last year's Western Conference Finals. When the Warriors faced the Rockets, the game was often split into one-on-one singles. Sometimes it even turned into a shooting battle between the two sides, completely competing for shooting touch.
For Nicholas, a master tactician, this kind of shooting based on feel is almost like gambling on luck. It has no technical content!
However, the Clippers are very good at creating one-on-one singles opportunities. For example, when attacking, everyone stops to open up space for the ball carrier, forcing a one-on-one singles situation. The ball carrier tries to attack but finds there is no chance, then passes the ball to another person, and then tries another one-on-one, a 24-second attack, which is enough to go back and forth three or four times.
Just imagine that basketball is a game played by five people. If four of them try a single during each offense, there will always be a chance to score. If you really can't wait until the last second, the Clippers players also have the magical ability to finish, and they can often score by forcing a buzzer-beater.
In this one-on-one star ball game, the competition is nothing more than two points. One is the star's personal singles ability, and the other is the number of stars. The Clippers are better in both aspects, so as long as the game is split into one-on-one singles, other teams will definitely not be opponents of the Clippers.
"This Clippers team has taken shape!" Warriors coach Nicholas sighed.
In terms of record, the two teams are first and second in the Western Conference respectively, so in the playoffs, as long as the two teams are not eliminated early, they will inevitably meet in the finals. At that time, the Warriors and Clippers were going to have a best-of-seven game.
"How should we fight then?" At this time, Nicholas' face was full of trouble and worry.
…
The regular season has entered the last month, and Dai Li has begun to prepare for the playoffs.
Dai Li began to emphasize the team's defense.
The competition intensity in the playoffs is much greater than that in the regular season, especially in terms of defense, which is not at the same level at all. Many stars' data will decline in the playoffs. Of course, the team's overall data will also decline in the playoffs. falling.
In history, there have been many teams with relatively average offenses that relied on their strong defensive capabilities to overcome obstacles in the playoffs and even eventually win the championship. But there has never been a team with bad defense that can go very far in the playoffs. Basically, by the third round of the playoffs, that is, the Eastern and Western Conference finals, the remaining four teams are all among the top ten teams in the NBA in defensive efficiency.
Therefore, if the Clippers want to go further in the playoffs, it is not enough to rely on star ball alone, they also need strong defensive capabilities.
NBA defense is still mainly man-to-man, relying on the individual abilities of the athletes. In the past, the NBA did not allow the use of zone defense tactics. At that time, zone defense was even considered illegal defense and would be called a foul. Later, with the integration of NBA and international basketball, the rules of zone defense were gradually changed, allowing teams to use zone defense tactics. However, the NBA still retains the three-second defense rule, so the effectiveness of NBA zone defense is far less effective than that under international rules.
How to break the zone defense was once an international problem, but with the development of basketball, the method of breaking the zone defense is no longer a secret. European basketball coaches have told the world with practical actions that it is very simple to break the zone defense. You must either have a top breakthrough player or an accurate three-point shooter. If you have one of the two, you can easily break the zone defense tactics.
American players are physically and technically stronger than European players, so this method is also very effective in the NBA. Therefore, in NBA games, the use of zone defense tactics is restricted. Only when the opponent's lineup does not have a good shooter and they can control the defense in the penalty area, the team will resort to zone defense tactics. Once the opponent switches to a shooter with accurate three-point shooting, the zone defense tactics will also be stopped.
The defensive strategy used by the Clippers is an unlimited defensive strategy of "substituting every screen". This is also the most popular defensive strategy in the NBA. There is a relatively stringent requirement for using this defensive strategy, which is the team's 5 The No. 5 position must be agile enough. If the player at No. 5 is slow, he will not be able to switch defenses in time when encountering a pick-and-roll screen.
The vast majority of teams do not have such agility at the 5th position, so they can only settle for the second best, choosing positions 1 to 4 to switch defenses indefinitely. When the big man at position 5 encounters an opponent's pick-and-roll, he only helps defend instead of guarding. Switch defense.
The Clippers' No. 5 position is agile enough whether as a starter or as a substitute, so it is one of the few teams in the league that can use unlimited defense changes.
Moreover, the Clippers players are all former All-Stars and even former superstars. Players of this level will not have poor defensive abilities.
People often say that a certain All-Star player is bad at defense. Similar to eye defense, mouth defense, and mind defense, they all come from star players. In fact, this is not because the star players will not let go, but because the players do not focus on defense. To put it bluntly, they have no defensive attitude.
When it comes to defense, the two most important points are body and attitude, followed by defensive skills and awareness.
If a player's body is not strong enough, even if he has actor-level acting skills that can easily deceive offensive fouls, he will not be able to become a defensive hero. Similarly, if a player has no defensive attitude at all, even if he has good health, good skills, and good awareness, he will still become a loophole on the court.
Players who can make the All-Stars naturally have first-class physical fitness, so as long as they are willing to put in the effort to defend, their defensive effectiveness will not be much worse, at least better than the league average.
In the defensive process, the defensive attitude is the most important, but the defensive attitude is precisely the hardest thing to have.
…
The NBA regular season ends in mid-April, so there are not many games in April. The Clippers only have 5 regular season games in April. It is obviously impossible to improve the team's defensive intensity through 5 games. things.
Dai Li puts more hope in the first round of the playoffs. The first place in the Western Conference will face the eighth in the Western Conference. The possibility of capsizing is not high. Dai Li hopes that through the first round of the playoffs, he can make a difference. The team adapted to the intensity and pace of the playoffs earlier.
At the same time, the selection of various awards for the NBA regular season has also begun. Dai Li was once again nominated for the best coach. Unlike last year, Dai Li has the greatest possibility of winning this time.
Last year's Clippers didn't even make the playoffs. Dai Li's nomination for the best coach was more like a consolation prize for Dai Li to enter the NBA.
But this year's situation is completely different. The Clippers' record is No. 1 in the Western Conference. This record alone makes Dai Li a strong contender for the best coach.
Dai Li didn't care about these honors. He put all his thoughts on the playoffs.
On April 12, the Clippers ended the last game of the regular season and secured first place in the Western Conference.
While the team won, Dai Li's system also received two huge sums of experience. One was the reward for leading the team into the playoffs for the first time, and the other was the reward for the regular season Western Conference championship.
"The system has been upgraded!" Li Dai's face showed unconcealable joy. He had finally been upgraded to the advanced stage of a famous coach.