basketball forever

Chapter 135 Good luck to you

After the Wizards won the Orlando Magic on the road in Orlando, they quickly moved to the next place.

The next game is an away game.

This time, unfortunately, the Wizards' road trip was quite difficult, and their opponents were also quite tough.

The Wizards team soon started the next away game. , Their opponent is the New Jersey Nets.

That's right, it is the Nets that are now exhausted behind the Wizards.

The New Jersey Nets are right, and now they are the second-ranked team in the Eastern Conference.

They are 5 games behind the Wizards.

Originally, they lingered in three or four games, but the Nets couldn't catch up no matter what, and the Wizards opened up some gaps.

The Nets' chasing momentum has always been quite fierce, but the Washington Wizards, who have been at the top of the Eastern Conference for a long time, are also fierce. The Nets are winning streak, so why not the Wizards?

In such a top two game in the Eastern Conference, experts and media people are all optimistic about the Washington Wizards.

……

Before the game, the players of the two teams met off the court.

The Nets big man Keith Van Horn tried to suddenly come over.

Keith Van Horn has always shown a very happy face, very relaxed.

However, Kristen Leitner revealed the other party's disguise face to face.

"Man, it looks like you didn't have a good time with the Nets."

The same big man, both are technical big centers, Keith Van Horn and Kristen Laettner have very different treatment in the Nets and Wizards.

Keith Van Horn is really not living very well in the Nets now.

In the past, Keith Van Horn was quite chic in the Nets. However, in the past two years, the Nets' record has improved, but his tactical status has declined significantly year by year.

This season, the record of the Nets can be said to have been greatly improved, and it is indeed very good.

However, Keith Van Horn's personal performance and statistics have indeed slipped too obviously.

Since the Nets traded for Jason Kidd, the way the Nets play has changed.

The Nets' possession of the ball is basically in the hands of the new Jason Kidd.

All the resources of the Nets began to favor Kidd, and Kidd suddenly became the absolute and new of the Nets, and the cornerstone of the team.

Jason Kidd's organizational passing has brought about an unrecognizable change to the Nets, oh, no, it should be said to be an earth-shaking change.

His passes drove the performance of the team.

Especially the champion, Kenyon Martin!
Kenyon Martin can be said to have benefited the most from Kidd.

Many of Kidd's passes are fed to the super athletic Kenyon Martin.

Martin is like Stoudemire later, with athletic talent leveraged.

Such a big man, flexible and talented, is the favorite partner of point guards to play pick and roll.

However, the main scorer of Keith Van Horn's principle became dispensable, even a bit cumbersome after Kidd came.

Keith Van Horn is not a flexible super-athletic player like Martin. He is tall, he has high technology, but he is slow.

He's too slow to roll over Kidd's pick-and-roll.

Kidd's choice is of course Martin.

In the previous Nets, neither Kidd nor Martin came. At that time, the Nets had Van Horn and Marbury as the core team.

Even Van Horn faintly overwhelmed Marbury in scoring.

Both of them scored about 20 points at the time.

But now what?

Keith Van Horn looked at his poor statistics, and his heart was cold.

Keith Van Horn is now averaging only about 14.5 points per game.

Keith Van Horn's playing time has now been reduced to about 28 minutes.Didn't he play 367 minutes in the previous season?

Now he is not such an important role in the Nets.

No way, now this is the second-ranked Nets in the East, which is not what it used to be.

Without the lone wolf Marbury, the Nets have become even more talented.

Now, there are too many players available in the Nets.

The current head coach of the Nets is Byron Scott.

Scott's tactical play arrangement does not have any characteristics. The only characteristic that is more like a characteristic is the crowd tactics.

Scott's style of play is to get the Nets on as many players as possible.

Use the abundant physical strength of your own players to attack the opponent's players who consume a lot of physical energy, and always ensure that the Nets players on the court have sufficient physical strength to deal with any attack and defense of the opponent.

This kind of tactics is a bit bold, but in some famous NCAA schools, this style of play is very common, and it is also very luxurious and easy to use.

You have so many talented players, why should you stay at the bottom and pile up?Of course, it is necessary to put them all on the court and use them well.

Looking at the current record of the Nets, we know that the tactical arrangements of the Nets coach Scott are indeed very effective.

From the previous team that was not a key team in the playoffs to the current No.2 in the Eastern Conference, this is a qualitative leap.

It was because the competition here was so fierce that Van Horn felt a little overwhelmed and powerless.

Powerful nowhere!
This is the most intuitive feeling of All-Star player Keith Van Horn right now.

In the basketball team, he even feels slightly left out now.

Everyone is thinking about getting a chance to start and getting more playing time.

However, with only five positions on the field and only 48 minutes in a game, it is impossible for everyone to get so many opportunities.

Of course, facing Kristen Laettner, Keith Van Horn did not speak out his truest thoughts.

He and Kristen Leitner only met once, and they are just people who can talk to each other, not strangers, nor friends.

"Well, no, no, I am still very happy staying in the Nets. At least now our Nets are the second team in the Eastern Conference. Second in the Eastern Conference, this is already our best in the past few years Achievements. Of course, we will not give up if we go on, but you wizards are ahead of us, but we will seize every opportunity to surpass us. Just wait and see."

"Hen~" Kristen Leitner just smiled lightly, and then patted Van Horn's shoulder as a sign of comfort.

Next, in the Nets, you can do it yourself.

No one can help you, the only one who can help you is yourself.

Kristen Leitner was about to leave, but Keith Van Horn walked up quickly and stopped Kristen Leitner again.

"Hey, Christine, are you just saying these few words? Are you too disrespectful? I'm not in a good situation right now."

As for what to say, what Keith Van Horn wants to hear is of course: 'For example, Keith, you are the talent that our Wizards want, join us.The Nets are a bad team, they don't deserve you. '

Of course, Keith Van Horn behind him certainly didn't say what was in his heart.

Van Horn just watched expectantly, looking at Kristen Leitner.

"Ah? Didn't you just say it yourself? You said it yourself, you're fine, why is something happening again now?"

Kristen Laettner has not stopped his footsteps, he just continued to walk in the direction of the locker room in the arena.

Of course, with a soft mouth, he still said some comforting words that he felt pretty good.

"Keith, you are already an adult. Now is not the time of university, primary and middle school. You are an adult. You need to figure out a lot of things by yourself. If you rely on others for everything, then you have the same relationship with a child." What's the difference? In that case, you still play professional basketball, go home."

Are these words of comfort?

Keith Van Horn couldn't help feeling a little angry, but he wasn't angry, he just looked at each other angrily.

"Kristen, you're doing it wrong. Is this how you comfort me? If it's okay, you can't say more nice words to me. After all, we met once, so you treat me like this? It's not kind Bar?"

Kristen Laettner smiled again and turned her head
"Although I really want to remind you, but I can't do it now."

"Why?"

"Are you stupid? We are opponents now. You belong to the Nets, and I belong to the Wizards. Today, we are immortal! Do you Nets want to surpass our Wizards? Don't even think about it!"

"We can't beat you? Huh, Christine, don't talk too much too soon. Although we are second, we have also defeated the strong teams in the Western Conference. As for you young players, in our eyes, there is no It’s nothing, just watch, even if I don’t play today, our Nets will easily knock you to the ground.”

Kristen Laettner heard something in Keith Van Horn's words, but he didn't care at all.

"Hehehe, then you probably won't be able to wait for that opportunity, what a pity."

'Hmph, wait and see! '

"TNT TV, TNT TV, here is the NBA regular season that is being broadcast live for everyone. The two sides are the New Jersey Nets at home and the Washington Wizards who are coming to challenge. I am the deadly commentator of TNT TV. Kenny Smith.

"Hello, I'm Ernie Johnson."

"Hi everyone, I'm Charles Barkley."

"That's right, today's game between the Wizards and the Nets is another three of us explaining for everyone. The Wizards are now No. [-] in the East and No. [-] in the league, and the Nets are now No. [-] in the East and No. [-] in the league." Sixth. The collision of the two teams will be a very exciting game. Two, what do you think of this game?"

As soon as Kenny Smith asked a question, Charles Barkley on the side took the lead.

"The Wizards are now five games ahead of the Nets. What do these five wins show? Naturally, it shows the gap in strength. Since the All-Star Game, the Nets have been eating dirt behind the Wizards. They have been working hard to catch up, but until now, they still haven't caught up. This also shows that their strength is really no match for the Wizards. You may say that it should be because the opponents are different. It must have caused the difference in the record. Well, I’m going to tell you that before, the Wizards played against the Celtics, the Hornets, the Spurs, and the Kings. These are the intensity of the playoffs , and the opponents of the Nets, the Clippers, the Bulls... Cough, cough, I believe everyone understands this comparison? Don’t you understand? Well, then I’ll say it, the Nets just The opponent is weak, so the gap of 5 wins can be maintained. Next, the opponents of the Nets, Cong Wizards, are all playoff teams. Next, for teammates, the Nets, it is the real hell mode It is on. On the contrary, the opponents the Wizards played against before were all super-strength opponents. Starting from the Nets, the schedule of the Wizards will become extraordinarily easy. Except for a few teams with good strength, the Wizards The opponents of the team will be teams other than the playoffs. By the end of the season, the Wizards are very likely to lead the Nets by as many as ten games. This is my personal evaluation based on the record and the strength of the opponents. Analysis, I think the Wizards will be the stronger one today."

"Ernie, what do you think?"

"Charles analyzed it from the record, then I will analyze it from the lineups of both sides.

I got the starting rosters for both sides here.

Nets starting:

Kidd, Corey Kidders, Kenyon Martin, Keith Van Horn, Todd Markloch
Wizards starters:
Wang Xiaohui, Michael Jordan, Richard Hamilton, Jarsh Dee White, Kristen Laettner

For such a regular lineup, we all know that the Wizards will still focus on their own fast break style of play.Leading the county with Wang's main offensive core, the Wizards played a complete fast break system. They not only had old Nelson's running and bombing, but also had their own more delicate defense.From top to bottom, the Wizards don't have a defensive loophole in Renheyuan.Of course, Michael is a little bit slow here, but his experience always helps him guard every intruder.Today, at the home court of the Nets, the Wizards will definitely set off a wave of their own IDE offense.

And the Nets will definitely stick to their crowd tactics, which is to fight against the Wizards.Everyone thinks that the gap between second and first in the Eastern Conference is not that big, it's just one position.Today's Nets will definitely choose confrontation.However, whether the effect is good or not can only be known after watching the game.However, in my opinion, today, the Nets are likely to suffer.After Michael's return, the Wizards are no longer the original Wizards.A Wizards team with young and old, a healthy Wizards team, no matter what opponent they are, they can put tremendous pressure on their opponents.Today, whether the Nets can withstand it, we can only wish them good luck. "

"Very well, both of you are very well prepared today, and, I have also heard that you are supporting the Wizards. As for me, well, I also support the Wizards who will win today. Relatively speaking Compared with the Christmas game a few months ago, I am really honest now. Regarding the Wizards game, I will never underestimate them again. Especially Wang, who is still holding the top few MVP rankings , As long as he is on the court, I think the Wizards can win any opponent, even if the opponent is the defending champion Lakers."

……

(End of this chapter)