Champion, please stay!

Chapter 289, Section 287: The Great Emperor vs. Cannon Bro
Ray Allen drew attention, Yi Shui facilitated, and the two inside players set screens continuously, allowing Curry to tear apart the Lakers' defense from the middle like a dagger;
Paul cuts to the baseline, Artest and Bynum draw defensive attention in the middle and on either side of the basket respectively, McRoberts facilitates, and Kobe fires from the wings.

Led by Yi Shui and Paul, the Knicks and Lakers capitalized on each other's defensive weaknesses in the first round, engaging in a direct confrontation without further probing.

As the game progressed, Paul displayed an amazing sense of positioning on the court.

He hasn't quite found his long-range shooting touch yet, so he always drives to the inside. But even though he's only a little over 1.8 meters tall, he can still accurately find his teammates' positions and pass the ball to them despite being surrounded by taller players.

Under his leadership, players like McRoberts, Artest, and even Bynum could make mid-range passes, and while their tactics were ordinary, they were difficult to defend.

As for Kobe... the Lakers' tactics often stopped when they reached him. He felt that if the ball was passed on, his teammates wouldn't get better opportunities, so he often chose to shoot it himself.

Paul wasn't unhappy about it. If he had a teammate like Kobe in the 09 playoffs who could accurately judge whether the tactics were effective and make shots when the team's offense was not going well, he would never have been hammered for 58 points.

He wouldn't lose to the Spurs in Game 7 of the 2008 playoffs, and he was even confident that he could sweep both the Spurs and the Nuggets.

Similarly, Kobe was not unhappy about Paul taking up a lot of the ball. If he had a teammate like Paul in last year's playoffs to cover for him, he would have definitely shot the Suns to death.

Paul's playmaking performance was not surprising; even the opposing Knicks felt that this was what Paul should be doing, and that he should have done even better.

Early last season, when the Knicks faced the Hornets, Paul was already averaging 20 points and 11 assists per game with a 51% field goal percentage, 40% three-point percentage, and 85% free throw percentage. If it were Paul back then, he could have done even better.

However, Yi Shui's performance in organizing the offense surprised the Lakers.

Yi Shui has consistently provided a lot of assists, averaging over 5 assists per game in his rookie year and recording more than ten triple-doubles in two seasons. However, most of his assists come from drawing double teams and passing the ball, or receiving the ball at a receiving point and then passing it out after being double-teamed. He has some playmaking and passing skills, but he often doesn't get assists. His playmaking style is similar to Gasol's, which only ensures the smooth flow of the ball.

Tonight was different. Yi Shui's movement range was much smaller than before, but he was always in a position where he could receive a pass from Curry.

Ray Allen, Amir Johnson, and Chandler all actively used screens to create mismatches and find opportunities to receive passes. Even Curry, after passing the ball, primarily sought opportunities to receive passes and shoot.

Yi Shui always manages to pass the ball to the right finish point!
Moreover, Yi Jianlian's high quality and consistency in shooting caught even Paul's attention, reminding him of Yao Ming and Gasol, whom he had faced in the opening game and a few days earlier, and even surpassing them.

Unlike the other two, Yi Shui could only hold the ball and wait for the point guard to receive the pass when his teammates didn't create an opportunity.

If his teammates can't create opportunities, or if they're left open when cutting inside, causing Curry and Ray Allen to be unable to connect, Yi Shui will just grab the ball and swing! And he'll make it!

The other players focused on positioning and receiving passes, while Yi Shui directed and orchestrated the passing game. This not only reduced Yi Shui's physical exertion on offense and increased his efficiency in one-on-one situations, but also provided a model for how to play with four starters. After the Knicks rotated their roster, the substitutes were clearer about their roles, resulting in greater offensive continuity.

In the initial stages, the Knicks were barely able to compete with the Lakers. Paul had two absolute advantages with Kobe and Bynum, which made him quite dominant.

But once the rotation phase began, the Knicks started to gain the upper hand!
The reason is simple: the Knicks have a lot of players. Just like when they played the Jazz, Ray Allen was worn out and couldn't make his shots. Then there was Mike Miller, who couldn't make his shots either. Then there was Frye, who couldn't make his shots either. Curry went to the bench to rest for a while, recovered, and came back to keep shooting. Yi Shui always had a sufficiently threatening shooter by his side, which allowed him to lead the 'multiple screen formation'.

However, the Lakers did not collapse after falling behind. As more players rotated into the game and the role players' ability to receive passes weakened, Paul increased his passes to Kobe for isolation plays, guiding Kobe and Bynum to connect and contend with the Knicks' deep roster.

Yi Shui and Paul led their teams in a battle of wits on the offensive end, and the coaching staff of both teams were also busy.

The Zen Master focused his attention on the defensive end, occasionally directing the defensive strategy from the sidelines.

His greatest strength as a coach remains unchanged – he is good at leveraging the strengths of his core players. As long as the players are capable, he is happy to hand over control of the game to them. Whether it's the triangle offense or the Princeton offense, with Paul, he will not hesitate to give it up.

But unlike before, he would occasionally call a timeout to set up isolation plays for Kobe or Bynum, something Paul wasn't good at.

Unable to sit back and relax as before, besides the fact that he, as the head coach, needs to work on his chemistry with the ball-handling core Paul and gradually build understanding through friction, the already weak roster depth has become even worse.

During the offseason, the team lost its core interior players, both starters and reserves. Although they acquired Paul, Blake, and Matt Barnes, along with Kobe, Artest, Fisher, and Shannon Brown, making their perimeter roster more complete with seven players, they only had McRoberts, Bynum, and O'Neal as the starting rotation players in the paint. Artest or Barnes had to play power forward, and Kobe had to play small forward... making it a total of 10 players in rotation.

The Knicks' coaching staff didn't have to worry as much as Phil Jackson. D'Antoni was in charge of personnel management and would set up an offensive play whenever there was a timeout, while the defense was entirely left to Mark Jackson and Cheeks.

Towards the end of the first quarter, the Lakers took a 31-29 lead over the Knicks thanks to Kobe's drive and pass to Bynum, who had returned to the court after a four-minute rest. Bynum then scored in the paint on two consecutive possessions.

The Lakers left the Knicks with 11 seconds, but D'Antoni didn't call a timeout. Curry, who had also returned to the court at the end of the quarter, received the ball and quickly advanced the ball.

The current Lakers roster is: Blake, Kobe, Matt Barnes, Artest, and Bynum.

Kobe played the entire first quarter, and his playing time this season has returned to the level of the 07-08 season, averaging more than 38 minutes per game. However, he actually played more easily than in the past three seasons, mainly responsible for running to receive the ball and shoot, driving and passing in isolation, and defending guards with the ball in one-on-one situations. His tactical role was much lighter than before.

Knicks: Curry, Webster, Mike Miller, Yi Shui, Anderson.

Yi Shui also played the entire first quarter. Thanks to the 'dealing role' that Mark Jackson and D'Antoni put him in, he played more easily than in previous years. In addition, his stamina has increased to 94, and his 'stamina monster' attribute has become prominent.

Clark once said that if he had stopped growing after the 08 Olympics, he would have been a few centimeters shorter and a few kilograms lighter, and his physical condition would have been comparable to that of Iverson and Kobe at the same age.

Curry advanced to the frontcourt and immediately passed to Yi Shui on the right wing. Yi Shui received the ball and rushed to the right 45-degree angle, where Kobe and Artest double-teamed him. At the same time, Curry, who had reached the top arc, used Birdman's screen to run to the left sideline. Bynum switched and retreated to catch up, and Birdman broke through and squeezed past Blake to cut into the middle.

Yi Shui raised the ball and pushed it towards the inside while being double-teamed by Kobe and Artest. Kobe and Artest subconsciously took a step back and turned to look at Birdman... but the ball didn't go over!
The two quickly turned around and rushed forward, but it was too late. Yi Shui grabbed the ball, retracted his passing motion, jumped, and launched a three-pointer... The tower sniper was triggered, and he leaped high, hitting the three-pointer over the two defenders!
As Blake's quick advance to the frontcourt resulted in a missed three-pointer, the Knicks took a 32-31 lead over the Lakers at the end of the first quarter!
...

During the break, the TV commentators enthusiastically discussed the performance of the two teams, unanimously calling it the most exciting first quarter game of the season so far.

There are team offensive duels, star player showdowns, defensive scrambles, and superstars using their individual skills to break through the opponent's defensive tactics...

The Zen master's teaching performance was highly praised by the commentators.

The Lakers are under the most pressure from Phil Jackson, followed by Kobe Bryant. When some media outlets predicted the Lakers' performance in the new season, they belittled Paul, saying he was finished, but when they mentioned Jackson and Kobe, they said they had brought in MVP-level reinforcements.

This Lakers team has another big problem, the same one they had when they acquired Payton and Malone in 2003—too many players on mid-level salaries.

Moreover, they are all mid-level players who have been competing for the championship for three or four years and whose performance has collapsed due to age or injuries.

For example, Luke Walton only played 29 games last season due to injury, averaging 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist per game, essentially wearing a suit and collecting his salary.

The Lakers' early mid-level contracts filled their salary cap to the brim, but only 10 players have played since the start of the season. Of their $9100 million in salary, a quarter of them are playing on the bench.

This is only because Blake, Matt Barnes, and O'Neal all joined on minimum contracts; otherwise, it would have required a rotation of seven or eight key players like the Suns.

Phil Jackson, just like in 2003, demonstrated an exaggerated ability to adapt to superstars, creating an offensive style that suited Paul and Kobe.

Both teams' star players performed exceptionally well.

尼克斯队，易水单节9分2板4助攻1盖帽；库里打了8分钟拿到7分1助攻；雷-阿伦打了7分钟拿到5分1助攻；

湖人队，保罗打了9分钟拿到4分1板3助攻1抢断；科比拿到8分；拜纳姆7分3板1盖帽。

Among the role players of both teams, the Lakers' best performers were Artest and Blake. They both have a very tough playing style and dare to shoot whenever they have an opportunity, regardless of whether their touch is good or bad.
For the Knicks, Chandler struggled against Bynum tonight due to the significant size difference; he's not the type of dominant center and didn't get a single shot attempt in six minutes. However, starting power forward Amir Johnson, along with the two rotation centers Gibson and Birdman, managed to score a few points by aggressively rebounding and capitalizing on opportunities when their guards pulled Bynum out of the paint. Mike Miller, who also came off the bench, hit a three-pointer, allowing Ray Allen, who was substituted in the second half of the quarter, to get a proper rest.

The commentators compared Yi Shui's and Paul's offensive organization methods.

In terms of organizing and controlling the offense, the commentators believe that Yi Shui is not as good as Paul. Paul truly organizes the offense through his individual ability, while Yi Shui relies more on the system.

However, Yi Shui made more effective passes than Paul, and he had one more assist than Paul. This was not only because he played 3 more minutes, but also because his ball possession rate was lower than Paul's. In 12 minutes of playing time, he made less than half the number of passes that Paul made in 9 minutes. However, he was more likely to pass the ball to teammates who had real opportunities.

The commentators summarized three reasons for the huge difference in passing efficiency: tactical differences, height... and the high post!
Because of the Lakers' fierce defense at positions 1-3, the Knicks only managed two points in the first quarter with Yi Shui's fast break. All four of Yi Shui's assists came in half-court sets, specifically from the far end of the arc.

If Yi Shui receives the ball in that area, even if he is double-teamed, he will not be dispossessed because the opponent will not dare to make a move easily.

In the past, coaches of various teams did not disregard the high post, but even Phil Jackson's triangle offense, Adelman's Princeton offense, and the high post playmaking of the Celtics and Grizzlies, to be precise, all relied on forwards with shooting ability to distribute the ball in the high post.

The Knicks' approach to utilizing the high post is completely different from that of previous teams with skilled playmakers!

The triangle offense sounds great, with Pippen, Rick Fox, Gasol, and Odom as the core, but the key offensive move was to spread out Jordan and Kobe and have them take their shots.

Princeton is the same; when it comes to crucial offensive plays, everyone else spreads out to let Bibby go one-on-one.

But the Knicks' new run-and-gun offense has truly made the 'high post core' the core, while others only need to execute the tactics.

At this point in the analysis, a dispute arose among the commentators.

Time Warner Cable commentator Hubie Brown gave it high praise, saying that under the NHC rules, he couldn't think of a way to completely stop Yi Shui from handling the ball at the high post, and added, "If the Knicks' current style of play is successful, it will overturn the existing basketball philosophy."

Bill Walton, however, had a different opinion: "When you have Embiid, Ray, Stephen, and a 12-man roster full of such outstanding players, any play you make will look like you're going to overturn the very concept of basketball."

That sounded reasonable, but Hubie Brown's next question left Bill Walton speechless again: "Do you think last year's Cavaliers roster was worse than this Knicks team?"

At the game, the break time ended, and Yi Shui, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul brought their rotation teammates onto the court.

Both teams were highly motivated, and their defense was excellent tonight. The Lakers' perimeter pressure and the Knicks' zone double-teaming and switching were both effective, but the Knicks still managed to score over 30 points in a single quarter.

The opponent's offensive level has exceeded expectations, so let's keep fighting! Let's see who can hold out!

(End of this chapter)