basketball player

Chapter 445 Chapter 443: A Sentence Pause

Jimmy Butler never thought he would get a chance to start and win a championship.In his opinion, he is very, very satisfied that he, a rookie at the end of the first round, can occupy a place in the Pacers.

But into the starters?Starting on a Pacers roster with such an abundance of personnel?Even with Leonard injured, Jimmy Butler is under no illusions.

But the Chinese coach who returned after three months made the most incredible thing come true.

"Jimmy Butler, coach Henson actually let Jimmy Butler sit in the starting position. I believe that not only me, coach Terry Stotts must have thought of this. Henson gave Stotts a surprise in the first game after his return!"

Amidst Reggie Miller's excited shouts, the referee finally opened the ball.The Trail Blazers got the ball first, and Jimmy Butler was ready.He knew that he could not waste the opportunity!
The Trail Blazers' first offense was initiated by Damian Lillard.Lillard is a typical "new point guard". Compared with relatively traditional point guards like Nash and Kidd, Lillard has stronger autonomous attack ability, but slightly weaker ability to control the game.

It can be seen that Lillard is extremely excited today.In this kind of nationally broadcast game, the excitement of young players is inevitable.So even if Lillard's opponent is CP3, he has no timidity at all.

Aldridge put up a screen for Lillard, and Lillard plunged into the penalty area like a sharp knife!His speed is so fast that Horford can't even defend the basket in time.When Horford jumped up to block the shot, Lillard had already completed a layup and easily scored the first point of the game!
Henson nodded approvingly, a classic pick-and-roll play.Although simple, it is practical.I have to say that Terry Stotts was well trained by Carlisle.Stotts, on the other hand, trained the young Blazers well.Wesley Matthews can play under this kind of coach, so Henson can rest assured.

"Lightning breakout, Damian Lillard explodes as always."

"Coach Henson must be careful with this kid. During the three months he disappeared, Lillard has made a name for himself in the league!"

Reggie Miller and his partner Webber all praised Lillard. This No. 0 guard is an important catalyst for the Blazers to soar this season.

In fact, Henson knows exactly how capable Lillard is.Not to mention that he can clearly understand Lillard's ability with just a glance. Henson also did a lot of homework on Lillard before the game started.

Lillard is indeed very good, but he is not omnipotent.For example, on the defensive end, Lillard's performance is not worthy of his offense.

Therefore, Henson specifically asked Paul to increase the number of autonomous attacks today.As the team leader, CP3 will naturally lead by example and fulfill Henson's requirements for him.

So, less than 20 seconds after Lillard scored the goal, Paul responded with a throw.Lillard's defense is active enough, but his skills are so-so.He failed to lock in Paul's position, allowing CP3 to break through easily.

Paul enjoys watching the basketball go over Robin Lopez's fingertips after hitting the restricted area. 2 to 2, the Pacers are not far behind at home!

Since Paul failed to be selected as the All-Star starter this year, there have been many voices questioning Paul from the outside world.

But in that attack just now, there is no doubt that Paul proved that he is still the top point guard in the league!
"It seems that the Pacers have come out of the shadow of being crushed by the Mavericks in the last game. The players are full of energy, and everyone is very positive."

"Of course, you don't even look at it, who is sitting on the sidelines directing the game now!"

The camera gave Henson a close-up based on the words of the two narrators. At this time, Henson was holding his chin with one hand and his chest with the other.It seems that since the heart problem, Henson's mood seems not to be as agitated as before.

But in fact, Henson was not able to suppress his emotions.It was because he knew very well that the key to this game hadn't come yet.

In the next defensive round, Paul gave Lillard a bad taste.His tough defense can even be said to be a little dirty, which made Lillard a little overwhelmed.Lillard had to hang the ball to Aldridge, and he singled out West in the paint.

LaMarcus Aldridge, the No. 06 pick in [-], has had very beautiful statistics since the second year of his career.But it wasn't until the past two years that Aldridge started to catch fire in the league.

The reason for this is because before that, when people mentioned the Blazers, they would think of Oden and Roy.Aldridge?He is just an obscure supporting role beside the two.

But after the era of Oden and Roy ended like a meteor, Aldridge showed his leadership qualities.As the leading star of the Trail Blazers in recent years, he has finally entered people's field of vision.

His scoring methods are similar to his personality, low-key, unfancy, and simple, and it sounds like there is a bit of Tim Duncan.

Aldridge held the ball with his back. He observed his position and found that he was just at the distance he liked.So the No. 12 forward didn't hesitate, took two steps back and turned over to make a jump shot!

Aldridge's shooting rate has remained at around 50% all year round, and his efficiency in each game is very stable.Because Aldridge is a player who is extremely demanding on shots. If he doesn't like the shot position, he would rather pass than shoot.

So once Aldridge makes a shot, it proves that he has a lot of confidence in this ball!

Although West tried his best to interfere, Aldridge's shot point was too high, and West couldn't reach it at all.

Just like that, the basketball got into the net firmly, without even touching the net.

The Pacers scored two consecutive offensive rounds, and they deserved the heat of this game!
"Aldridge is a solid and terrifying offensive point, and he is even more than David West in this regard."

"It's a pity that Coach Henson doesn't have Leonard. Otherwise, he will definitely let Leonard double-team. I don't know what method Henson will use to curb Leonard's performance today." Reggie Miller said, looking at Henson.However, the Chinese coach still sits firmly on the Diaoyutai, as if he still controls the overall situation.

In the next few minutes of the game, the progress was smoother than Terry Stotts imagined.On the defensive end, the Blazers didn't allow the Pacers to shoot a three-pointer, and the defending champion could only rely on breakthroughs.

On the offensive end, relying on Aldridge's terrifyingly stable performance, the Trail Blazers also once achieved a 6-point lead.

As for Jimmy Butler, Stotts found that he seemed a little too nervous about that guy.Because so far, Jimmy Butler has not shown any outstanding performance, and even Chris Webber complained, "Should Coach Henson try to bring Danny Green up? Because it is obvious that Jimmy Butler basically can only do back and forth on the court."

"After three months, it seems that Coach Henson is a little rusty about his work. His changes have not had any effect." Some reporters who were eager to see Henson embarrass themselves gloated and laughed on the sidelines.

"Do you want to pause?" Vogel couldn't sit still. The first quarter has been played for 4 minutes. If he is scored again, he will be behind by a full 8 points.

Henson did not answer his assistant, but continued to stare at the court.This time the Pacers attacked, the Blazers' defense still did not shrink the penalty area, but implemented a strict man-to-man defense!
It seems that Stotts' strategy is indeed to give two points instead of three points.I would rather let you break through in singles than let you break through and find a chance outside the three-point line.Stotts believes that with Aldridge, the Blazers will not be killed by two-pointers.Because Aldrie's grasp outside the three-point line is higher than that of the Pacers!
Indeed, Aldridge is a player capable of killing games.Indeed, Stotts also limited the Pacers' three-point shooting and quick offense.If it's just two points and two points, the Pacers may not be more stable than the Blazers.

But after confirming Stotts' thinking, Henson didn't feel the crisis, but raised the corners of his mouth instead.Stotts thinks everything is too idealistic. In this regard, he is not as good as Carlisle!

The trial time is over, and it's time to start working hard!

A round later, Henson came off the bench for the first time.Even if it was just like this, the fans at the scene burst into loud cheers.

"I need a pause, sir."

Henson's gentle tone made the referee stunned for a moment, but he still blew the whistle in time.The game was suspended, and after nearly 5 minutes in the first quarter, the Pacers entered the timeout with a 6-point deficit.

"The Trail Blazers restricted the Pacers well. They didn't allow the Pacers to play the quick counterattack and precise three-pointers that they are good at. On the contrary, Aldridge helped the Blazers stabilize the situation in the middle distance. So far, he has scored 6 points alone! Coach Stotts was lucky. He got a good chance to defeat Henson! Obviously, Coach Henson's ability to control the game has not yet recovered. However, considering that he has been away from the game for three months, this situation is understandable."

Stotts also smiled, he didn't expect the game to go so smoothly.No matter how amazing Henson Joe is, he is just a head coach who has just been discharged from the hospital.Maybe from the beginning, I was too nervous.

Whether it is the commentator, the opposing coach or even the referee, they all began to relax their vigilance.They all thought that three months had already polished Henson's edges and corners and devoured his magic.

Only Reggie Miller didn't speak. He knew that Henson's team couldn't stop there.Henson has only been away for three months, and everyone has already forgotten his horror?

Courtside at this point, Henson gathered the five starters around him and wasn't too emotional about falling behind in the opening game.

"It's about time. Go ahead as planned. Take it easy, Jimmy, you can do it."

With a simple sentence, without even taking the tactical board, Henson finished everything.

Stotts thought he could handle Henson?No, from the first second of the race, Henson had installed countless invisible ropes behind him.

He still doesn't know that he is just a marionette.The advantage he thought he had was just what Henson let him take.
(End of this chapter)