basketball pope

Chapter 288 [Injuries strike, cocooning themselves]

In the NBA, all championship teams have one thing in common, that is, players rarely get injured, and at least the core players are healthy, which is a difficult prerequisite to control.

The Raptors had good luck the first two seasons with a healthy core of players.As the saying goes, "one more time, no more three", the goddess of luck will not always favor them.

On December 12, the Raptors beat the Clippers 1-114, center Brad Miller injured his left foot while grabbing a rebound in the third quarter.

After inspection, he torn left Achilles tendon, will miss at least four weeks.

Without Miller, the Raptors' ability to respond to the inside line immediately dropped a notch. Last season, Detrev could replace him. Now O'Neal Jr., Kevin Willis, Mark Jackson, Jerome James and other inside lines are not available. Good at organization.

On the 5th, the Raptors lost to the Jazz 94-98.

The core of the team, Vince Carter, was also injured. He was hit by Quincy Lewis when he broke through and sprained his ankle.He was not seriously injured, but to be safe, he had to rest for two weeks.

Before that, Carter averaged 26 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, a slight improvement over last season.

Star striker Karl Malone's sword was young, and he scored 31 points and 12 rebounds in the whole game. He could still have the upper hand against O'Neal Jr.

Stockton played steadily and also had 12 points and 13 assists.

On the 6th, the Raptors, who lacked two major starters, lost 98 to 102 to the Blazers and suffered a losing streak.

The biggest bright spot for the Raptors in this game was Michael Reed, who secured his starting position and hit 5 21-pointers, scoring [-] points and outperforming Steve Smith.

Even if Carter is in a truce, Reed is playing without the ball, and the task of attacking with the ball is left to Halprin, Billups, and Boykins. Reed just entered the league is a blank sheet of paper, and it is easy to transform successfully.

Mark - Jackson is also eye-catching. He replaced Miller as the team's starting center. The data is very beautiful, and he has won double-doubles in a row.

However, the shortcomings of McGrady's departure have also begun to appear.Tracy McGrady's style of play is suitable for the core. He can rely on his personal ability to attract double teams, drive the entire team, and change the opponent's overall defense.Now the Raptors' bench can't do that, and Carter is injured and the ball offense is not as strong.

On December 12, the Raptors defeated the Warriors, the bottom team in the Western Conference, and this wave of road trips was relieved.

On the 10th, the Raptors returned to the home court. O'Neal Jr., Billups, and Halprin broke out, all scored 20+, and defeated the Suns 107-95.

比卢普斯砍下21分5篮板6助攻，和24分9篮板6助攻的基德几乎互爆，新闻却连提都没有提他一句。

Last season, the Raptors were too strong. This time, they lost 6 games at the beginning of this season, and any stats from the players are not news.Neither the media nor the fans feel the thrill.

On the 12th, the Raptors beat the Pacers again at home and won three consecutive victories.

The Pacers have fallen to the bottom of the rock, starting with only 6 wins and 15 losses, and Isaiah Thomas's coaching position is in jeopardy.Although the team's lineup has changed, the speed of this degeneration is too fast.

In Yang Rui's previous life, the Pacers traded from the Trail Blazers to O'Neal Jr., and their inside strength increased, but they barely made it to the playoffs.This season McGrady joined the Bulls and Houston returned to the Pistons, resulting in two more strong teams, and it is even more difficult for the Pacers to rely on two ordinary outside stars to win.

On the 14th, the Raptors lost to the Knicks at home.

本华莱士大发神威，砍下10分23篮板2助攻4抢断4盖帽的豪华数据，科特-托马斯也有12分10篮板进账。

In a defensive battle, the Knicks beat the Raptors with a wealth of experience.

In the All-Star voting that has already started, Ben Wallace is very vocal and may be selected for the first time in his career. As a 2-meter tall insider, his fierce defense and explosive head have attracted many fans.

On the 15th, the Raptors lost back-to-back to the Bucks.

The Bucks lineup hasn't changed much, but the "three Musketeers" are not easy to deal with, especially "big dog" Glenn Robinson, who scored 35 points to teach Halprin to be a man.

The Raptors only lost 8 games in total last season, and they have already lost 12 games in mid-December this season, which is obviously weaker.

Some media began to criticize Yang Rui, believing that the Raptors played well in the past two seasons because the lineup was too strong. Tracy McGrady, Carter, and O'Neal Jr. are all absolute All-Stars, as well as outstanding veterans with backup lineups.With a few fewer players this season, they have become ordinary strong teams, so Yang Rui's coaching level is actually average.

Isn't this nonsense?Whoever can win the championship with a group of ordinary players who have no strength, it will be hell.

Just like Larry Brown was very good in the 76ers and the Pistons, he joined the Knicks and immediately led the team to the bottom without negotiating. Unless he can add buffs to the players, those people will definitely not be able to win.

Yang Rui had a smooth sailing three years before his debut, but now he has finally encountered sweet troubles.As the Raptors won the championship, more and more businesses were looking for him to endorse snacks, such as chocolate, milk tea, potato chips, cheese balls, etc. Some companies bid too high.

When he wins, it doesn't matter what he eats and drinks on the sidelines. The Raptors have started to lose this season, and if he shows a relaxed look, many people find it a bit annoying.

Yang Rui felt the pressure, but it was difficult to ride a tiger. Because he signed a contract, he had to let the snack package appear on the sidelines at least as many times every season, and there was an agreement.Even if he is against a strong team and the game is not easy to play, he can only bite the bullet and pretend to be relaxed.

There are pros and cons, which he calls cocooning.

At this time, Yang Rui was a little regretful. Although Christie's contract was at a premium, it should be matched and forced to stay.As a rebirth, he has a habit of collecting stars. This season he wants to focus on cultivating Reed, and next season he wants to cultivate Lilenko, so Christie makes room.

If Christie stays, Reed will definitely have to come off the bench, plus the rest of the team, it's hard to compete for the best rookie, at most Mario Elie's playing time.

Now Reed is averaging 30.2 minutes per game, scoring 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists, and averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game, ranking among the top in the league.

In the best rookie list, Reed has always been ranked first. Since only three rookies averaged double figures, the Magic and Nets records are a mess, so as long as Reed does not get injured and miss too many games, this honor has been stabilized.

Yang Rui vowed that no matter which team he coaches in the future, the first thing to consider every season is the rationality of the lineup, including stars and 3D defense experts.

Some players' fame and strength are not directly proportional. For example, Tony Allen of the future Grizzlies. Looking at the data, he is ordinary, but whoever he targets can reduce the opponent's scoring efficiency. There must be at least one player in this type of team. .

Not only basketball, but also football. For example, when Beckham first went to Real Madrid, the first team of attackers, the all-star lineup, but the most inconspicuous Makelele was missing, and Real Madrid was dumbfounded.

There are no strong players in the free market right now. The team is full of 15 players. Yang Rui can only rely on this lineup to fight.

In an interview, he chose to be stubborn: "The Raptors are not weak. Our recent record is not good because of the lack of an organized lineup. The Raptors can't always pursue the best record in the regular season every season, or even break records, right?"

(End of this chapter)