Chapter 404

The wood-printed floor of the Amway Center is unique in the NBA. Just like the Orlando Magic team, they have had many amazing talents, but they always make people disappear like magic. Then began a new round of magic.

Dwight Howard is their latest magic product. After a summer of hard training, this big man who used Kevin Garnett as a template when he first entered the league has already trained himself into an iron-armed gorilla. , His arms are like the trunks of fast-growing forests, thickening at a speed visible to the naked eye every year.

By this year, when people see Howard, they will no longer associate him with Kevin Garnett. His weight has reached 270 pounds, which has reached the weight level of those super centers in history. , And it seems that he still has room to improve, if Van Gundy wants Howard to become a more dominant center.

However, the weight of 270 pounds is more than enough to deal with the inside line of the Phoenix Suns. If Stoudemire is there, it may be able to consume Howard on the offensive end. Now Stoudemire is still recovering from the Phoenix Suns. There is only one inside line in the Suns. And now almost the entire league knows that the Suns will play five small lineups. Any team with a strong inside line will take advantage of this advantage when playing against the Suns.

Anyway, so far, the Suns playing a small lineup has not shown too much power, but the offensive speed is faster, but on the defensive end will leave opponents a lot of space. It is conceivable that in this game, Howard will turn the tide on the inside again, it depends on what strategy Leon wants.

Because it was back-to-back, Leon decided to relax today's rotation and increase the time of the bench players. It happened that Hill joined the team again, and the Suns' rotation became more generous. The starting line was the same as the previous games. Turiaf started at center, Dior power forward, Marion small forward, Laga Bell and Nash partnered with the back line.

On the Magic side, starting center Dwight Howard, power forward Rashard Lewis, small forward Turk Glu, shooting guard Bogans, point guard Jamal Nelson.

Although the Magic has a big center, they are not considered a traditional lineup. Although Lewis is at the power forward position, he is a small forward. His lack of height and strength on the defensive end will do the same. Become a weakness exploited by opponents.

Leon knows the thoughts and strategies of Van Gundy. They played against each other in the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals. Van Gundy is still a relatively old-fashioned coach. He values ​​the ability of the center to be involved in the interior space and is supplemented by an assaulter and several shooters on the outside. , Use the center's containment power to attack opponents on the offensive end. The defensive end also builds a defensive system with the center as the core, but compared with the Heat, O'Neal is strong offensive and weak, while Howard is weak offensive and strong.

Van Gundy therefore changed his mind. The defensive end relied more on the physical fitness of Howard's Superman, and the offensive end allowed Turkeglu and Nelson to play more. As an offensive blue-collar, Howard used his bounce and strength to find offensive opportunities.

With this set of things, Leon watched the video of the previous Magic games, and he was wondering about it. Anyway, when he was in Boston, it was very simple for him to break this routine. He played an outward oppressive defense and cut off the inside. The contact with the outside line allowed the center to score crazy points, but the team as a whole could not win the game.

Now in the Suns, he no longer has the super defensive lineup of Boston, only a lineup that even a center does not have. The defense is full of softness and slowness. So he must think of ways on the offensive end, and then give the Magic on the defensive end. Ask for trouble.

Leon's strategy is very simple, it is to beat Howard down.

The game just started, Howard jumped to the ball easily, Nelson got the ball to start the attack. Howard started playing Turiaf in the low post. Although his offensive skills are still very rough, he is indeed very strong. Turiaf is already a strong man, but he is still in the low post. After getting the ball, Howard Sigma stepped in from the center.

This is the assistant coach sitting on the magic coach's bench. Patrick Ewing used to have a stunt when he was in New York. He moved the bunny sideways in the middle, but Howard did not have Ewing’s long legs or the coordination of Ewing, so he This jump looked a little stiff, and Turiaf was "knocked down" by the area!

Howard made a two-pointer with an ugly and rigid front hook. The referee's whistle did not blow. Turiaf opened his hand to the referee and said a few words. The referee ignored it, and it seemed that the foul had failed. After all, this is the Magic's home court. If they foul their main center forward at the beginning, it is indeed a bit unreasonable. Turiaf's acting skills are still not enough.

But the Sun’s strategy is already very clear, that is, to fight Howard in the first quarter. As the core of the Magic's defensive end, Howard is the most stable line of defense and the last line of defense. Before their last line of defense, and There is not enough buffer.

Nash and Dior made a simple continuous cooperation in the high position. Nash went around the three-second zone. Dior held the ball and watched in the high position. A lob was stuffed into the hands of inside Nash. Howard had already made up his defense. The speed is very fast, and the body is huge, and the bounce is amazing. The average player will be flat when encountering Howard's defense.

But Nash was not afraid. He relied not on his body but on his rhythm. After catching the ball, he dribbled the ball out, and then crossed the dribble continuously on the bottom line. Then suddenly a step back was about to shoot a jumper, Howard saw the opportunity to pounce.

However, Nash didn't make a jump shot at all. Instead, he closed the ball and slammed into Howard. After hitting, he shot two points. Nash was knocked to the ground directly by Howard. Although he had already received it, the difference in physical fitness between the two was indeed too great. And this time the referee sounded the whistle without hesitation. Howard defended the foul and sent Nash to the free throw line. Less than a minute after the opening, Howard had a foul on his back, and he had to be extremely careful in the back.

Seeing Nash successfully caused Howard's foul, Leon sat on the bench with peace of mind.

Undoubtedly, Leon’s use of Nash this season has been very successful so far. He has further stimulated Nash’s potential, allowing the 33-year-old veteran to play a more prominent role in the game and is multifaceted. It's not just focused on organizing assists as before. D'Antoni, who was sitting next to Leon, had to admire this.

D'Antoni has always boasted that he will tune point guards. Now it seems that if Nash is not affected by injuries this season and the team record is better, he has the opportunity to win another regular season MVP.

After successfully causing Howard’s foul in the first quarter, Howard became more cautious on the court. On the offensive end, he didn’t want to take a strong attack. He knew Turiaf was still thinking about making his foul, and the Magic started. An offensive routine of four shots and one grab.

Biao three-pointers are something like ~lightnovelpub.net~ The Suns are certainly not afraid. Leon entered the NBA in 2000 and was one of the few coaches who carried forward the three-point tactics in the NBA. On how to make good use of the three-pointers, Lai Ang can write a book.

Since the Magic wanted to throw three-pointers at each other, the Suns were naturally to accompany each other. The two sides opened up their postures and used the transmission of outside lines to frequently fire outside. Both sides had a good three-pointer feel today, hitting three-pointers one after another, and the score rose quickly.

By the middle of the first quarter, Leon changed into a five-small lineup, the rhythm of the game has been brought up, and the three-pointers of the Suns began to become more crazy than the Magic.

Hill was put on the battlefield at this time, and there was enthusiastic applause. Hill replaced Turiaf. Wearing the latest Sun No. 33 jersey, he shrugged and ran all the way onto the field.

He is 35 years old this year, but in terms of size and size, he is not much different from the 20-year-old him. It is enough to show that although Hill has been suffering from injuries, he has never demanded his body. Not a bit of relaxation.

Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared, and Hill is always ready.

(End of this chapter)