Capítulo 1354: Chapter 540: Finally Won an Award! (3)
Carlisle: If we could develop such an ideal off-ball shooter, wouldn’t we beco a dynasty?
Ingles: If I figured out how to train a shooter like that, could I also be called a ‘legend’ like Grove?
After two days of rest, the Bobcats faced their first big ga of 2010 — a ho match against the Spurs!
So far this season, only two teams have consistently maintained a win rate above 60%, never dropping below. One is the Cavaliers, currently 30 wins and 6 losses, and the other is the Spurs, 30 wins and 5 losses.
The Bobcats are currently at 27 wins and 8 losses, also above a 60% win rate, but they climbed up with a winning streak after playing the Miami Heat on December 31, and facing four weak teams in early January.
The Cavaliers have a solid roster, with Jas as the core, starting alongside Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Jamison, and Marvin Williams. The second lineup includes Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Larry Hughes, JJ Hickson, and Varejao. They signed Big Ben, who was waived by the Phoenix Suns, and after a mishap for the Wizards, brought back Big Z for a minimum salary, filling their main rotation with 12 players.
The inactive list also has so depth, this year’s second-round pick Danny Green, Telfair, Marbury’s cousin, and Kobe Carl, the son of the Nuggets’ coach.
Although the over hundred million salary includes a lot of overpaid players, the roster is notably strong.
In the Spurs’ lineup, not many players are well-known, but most are solid players.
Despite being upset by the eighth seed last season, they went from struggling with defense to suddenly rebuilding and claiming the top spot in the West again, attracting considerable attention from championship-aspiring solid players and veterans.
Last sumr, the Spurs’ biggest signing was Richard Jefferson for 3 years and $27 million to back up Gay and Diaw.
With Duncan’s $22 million contract, Diaw’s and Ginobili’s $9 million contracts, they still had space to sign players, thanks to the rookie bonuses of Conley and Gay.
To make room for signing Richard Jefferson, the Spurs first relinquished the Bird rights of Matt Bonner and Roger Mason, and after signing, re-signed both with the mid-level exception, showcasing how Popovich mastered maneuvering the roster beneath the luxury tax line.
Up to now, the Spurs’ rotation has stabilized, with Conley, Keith Bogans, Gay, Diaw, and Duncan as the fixed starting lineup.
On the bench, there’s second-year talent George Hill, veteran Mason, highly capable second-round pick DeJuan Blair, high-contract backup Richard Jefferson, tall shooter Bonner, and sturdy center Ian Mahinmi… along with the second lineup’s offensive spearhead Manu Ginobili!
Although most Spurs role players don’t have the sa famous nas as the Cavaliers’, this roster under $70 million has perford no worse than the Cavaliers this season!
This year, the Spurs’ playstyle has been gravitating towards Zhang Yang’s impression of the ‘Spurs system’ from 13 years later, utilizing the dual focal points — starting Gay and backup Ginobili.
So far this season, Gay averages 30 minutes per ga, scoring 17.2 points with a shooting percentage of 50.3%; Ginobili averages 28 minutes, scoring 16.2 points, ranking second in scoring for the Spurs.
Duncan’s playing ti has also varied this season. In the first month, he was the Spurs’ scoring leader, averaging the team’s highest at 36 minutes per ga.
But in December, Duncan’s playing ti dropped dramatically to 29 minutes, naturally causing a decline in stats. His averages for the season are now down to 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 blocks.
Since late December, Duncan’s stats have stabilized, consistently recording about 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks per ga, with season averages gradually aligning with these figures.
This makes Duncan seem like he’s back to being twenty-five or twenty-six years old, a superstar every second he’s on the court! Even going head-to-head with peak Howard doesn’t leave him disadvantaged.
Diaw and Blair are also benefiting from this, each gaining a few extra minutes of playing ti.
At 8 PM, the Bobcats vs. Spurs ga began, with both teams engaging intensely in a half-court tactical battle.
This season, the biggest change for the Spurs, aside from Duncan becoming the third scoring option, is clearly organizing around Gay and Ginobili as the two arrows of attack, but also regaining their defensive focus, holding opponents to an average of 98 points per ga while scoring 106.7 points themselves.
On the Bobcats’ side, throughout the season, adjustnts have been made to their offense and defense in line with rotation changes, continuously improving. With the past few weeks of easier gas, physical condition and psychological pressure have been alleviated, leading to high-quality performance tonight.
Especially in the latter half of the third quarter, Zhang Yang and O’Neal tead up as a dual core, complented by Felton from the corner, Hill facilitating, and Okafor capitalizing on opportunities and mid-range shots, scoring 20 to 14 over half the period, extending their 3-point lead at the official tiout to a 9-point lead by the end of the third quarter! Leading the Spurs 90 to 81!
Using O’Neal as the core for Triangle Offense, Carlisle indeed enjoyed it. But with O’Neal’s current condition, realistically, it can only be done for a few minutes each ga, savoring those monts, and ensuring he gets sufficient ti to warm up… But it’s better than nothing. As long as playing ti is balanced well, a big play can be saved up!
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