basketball scientist

On January 1, the Eagles visited TD North Shore Garden Stadium to challenge the No. 21 giant in the NBA.

Boston is a famous sports city in the United States. With 16 championship trophies and 23 retired jerseys, the Celtics are not even the protagonists of Boston. The New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Red Sox are in their respective leagues. They all belong to the powerful teams.

The strong sports atmosphere is one aspect. Residents of this city are good at fighting for the home team's greatest home advantage, which is also an important reason why they can win championships many times.

The Celtics are the best team in the league to use "out-of-the-box tricks". They will make a big fuss about the air conditioner, they will adjust the height of the basket, and they will use a special floor to interfere with the opponent's dribble. Even in the early years, When teams don't already have dedicated chefs, they start with their opponents' diets.

In this game, during the shooting practice before the game, the air conditioner on the Eagles side had a "problem".

"It's just the regular season! What about the Celtics?" Ke Yan was speechless.

As for whether or not, it is not up to Ke Yan to decide.The Celtics feel that the Eagles are an opponent worthy of "respect", and they also expressed their "welcome" to the Eagles in their own way.

After the start of the game, the young players of the Eagles were obviously affected by the lack of pre-match preparation. Paul's "killer" mid-range shot disappeared, and even a rare dribble error occurred. Josh Smith also appeared on the counterattack Advance with the ball and dribble the ball to the foot of the low-level mistake!

On the other hand, the Celtics raised their defense to the highest intensity at the beginning, quite a bit of "taking advantage of your illness to kill you", and amidst the cheers of the home fans, they expanded the point difference all the way.

Not to mention the players, even Ke Yan was oppressed by the atmosphere of the TD North Shore Garden Arena. The sense of oppression given by the Celtics fans even surpassed the atmosphere created by the Spurs fans in the playoffs last season and even the tiebreaker.

At 32:19, the Celtics established a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and the 19 points scored was also the first time the Eagles "scored no more than 20 points in the first quarter" this season.

During the inter-section break, Ke Yan made personnel adjustments, allowing the main lineup to continue to play at the beginning of the second quarter, which caught the Celtics by surprise.

Facts have proved that Keyan's strategy has achieved good results. Facing the Celtics' bench lineup, the Eagles played a 7:0 start and narrowed the point difference to 6 points.

Rivers called a timeout in time, fed the players a bucket of chicken soup, and then. . . . . .Continue to play on the bench.

Guys, is this looking down on the Eagles?

Returning from the timeout and returning to the field, Delonti West forced Paul to come up, causing Paul to foul, and then made two free throws to stop the bleeding for the team.

Before Rivers grinned, the Eagles came forward again. Paul and Diaw played a high pick-and-roll and assisted the French magician to hit a three-pointer at the top of the arc. (34:29)

Rivers: "???"

Dior's three-pointers are occasionally outstanding, but it doesn't mean you can really let him go.

Next, the Celtics still didn't pay attention to the defense against Dior. Perhaps they were really too afraid of Dior's passing. Gave it to Dior.

Then shoot~, Dior made a mid-range and long-range shot and made three of five shots, leading the Eagles to play another wave of 12:4 attacks, directly overtaking the score. (38:41)

In the first quarter of the game, the lead gained through outside moves disappeared, and the home fans were quite speechless.On the contrary, it was Reeves, who was still yelling during the timeout: "The main players of the Eagles have played for 15 minutes. Their physical strength is not as good as ours. I have the advantage!"

The timeout returned, and the Celtics' main lineup returned, while Ke Yan removed the main players of the Eagles. Before the ball was sent, Ke Yan called another timeout, disrupting Rivers' arrangement.

There is a saying that goes "one bang, another decline, three exhaustions", Rivers superimposed all kinds of buffs on the players during the first wave of timeouts, after the appearance, the players were full of momentum, ready to go, and vowed to regain the lead , At this time, Ke Yan called another timeout, which exhausted the buff time of the Celtics.

Arranging offensive tactics around Pierce, with second-year rookie Al Jefferson on the inside echoing Pierce, the Celtics' offensive performance is not bad.

However, Jefferson's point is a double-edged sword for the Celtics.Although he is still a second-year rookie, Al Jefferson's low-post offensive skills and close-range attack are already top in the league; but his lack of height and slow movement also make him easy to be targeted on the defensive end. Li couldn't even limit it, which directly dragged down the Celtics' overall defense.

With the use of the three armies and proper tactical scheduling, the Hawks' substitute players successfully held back the Celtics' offense. When the Hawks' main lineup returned, the team was only 1 point behind the Celtics.

After halftime, the two sides tied at 54, and the Eagles survived the Celtics' tricks smoothly!Let the two sides return to the same starting line!

During the intermission, Ke Yan taunted the Celtics in the locker room, claiming that he had never seen such a "shameless" team in Europe or the United States, except for Barcelona in La Liga, and even directly questioned the Celtics. The 16 championship trophies of the ancestors of the Walters were all obtained by these "low-handed" means, in order to arouse the anger in the hearts of the players.

Although the players didn't know how Barcelona offended Ke Yan, they were also somewhat dissatisfied with the Celtics' tricks.

Ke Yan is a coach with a bit of "tactical cleanliness". He believes in defeating opponents on the court with dignity. He has never hinted that players use lethal moves to hurt others. Even when he can hold the situation, he rarely uses shark-cutting tactics. .A person like him is even more disdainful against a team like the Celtics who "use everything to the extreme".

At the beginning of the second half, the Eagles continued to play on Al Jefferson's point.Paul and Joe Johnson were using the pick and roll to train Al Jefferson.

Rivers, as a ruthless man whose 3:1 lead was reversed three times in his coaching career, you said that he can only cook chicken soup. It is impossible without tactical level. A head coach who is frequently favored by strong teams.

In addition to uniting the team, Rivers' pre-match arrangements are absolutely top-notch, and he is willing to delegate power and let assistant coaches help build the team's offensive and defensive system. From this point of view, Rivers is more like a "coach team" "The qualified boss here.But his shortcomings are even more obvious, he is not good at directing on the spot!

In the second quarter of the game, Ke Yan used the main lineup to match the Celtics' substitute players, smoothed the 13-point difference in one fell swoop, and then overtook the score. He watched helplessly from the sidelines and had no solution; in the third quarter, Seeing that Al Jefferson was pulled out by Paul and Joe Johnson, he also had no way to deal with it. He just hoped that Al Jefferson would make up for the points lost in defense on the offensive end!

In the first half of the third quarter, Jefferson was still able to rely on his solid basic skills and stable post-up to play with good efficiency and deal with the Eagles; With the passage of time, Al Jefferson's physical fitness began to decline, and his offensive efficiency plummeted!

Al Jefferson couldn't hit the ball in. Diaw could launch a fast break as soon as he grabbed the rebound, running back and forth at a fast pace. The Celtics were no match for the Eagles!

The Eagles scored 12 points in a single quarter, and the two sides battled 78:90 to enter the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter of the game, Rivers replaced LaFrentz, a more experienced veteran, and launched a counterattack around Paul Pierce, which achieved good results.

It's just that Ke Yan didn't make the mistake of Rivers, and he played steadily with a 12-point advantage, and successfully defended the game.

At 105:114, the Eagles won an away game and won three consecutive victories, once again widening the distance from the Nets behind them. (29-13)

At the press conference after the game, without waiting for reporters to ask questions, Ke Yan took the initiative to talk about the Celtics' "shady tricks".

"Before the game started, there was a sudden problem with the air conditioner on the side of the Eagles in the TD North Shore Garden Arena, which caused the Eagles players to feel unwell during the warm-up before the game. We will report to the league if this happens. Complain." Although the team won the game, Ke Yan was not prepared to make the big deal smaller, and decided to seek justice for the players. "The NBA is a league with an output value of more than 40 billion US dollars, and this should not happen."

"It's not difficult for the Eagles to win this game..." A reporter stood up.

But just halfway through his words, he was interrupted by Ke Yan waving his hand.

"I want to emphasize that the Celtics have won [-] NBA championships. They will never be an easy team to beat!"

This was Ke Yan's "self-effacement", but in the ears of pro-Celtic reporters, there seemed to be another meaning.

The 16 championships of the Celtics were obtained through off-the-board moves?

If Ke Yan knew what they were thinking, he would definitely feel wronged in his heart, because he was really proud that the team defeated these tricks that defeated the opponent head-on!

"After defeating the Celtics, the Eagles are only one game away from the Heat. The Eagles will face the Heat in the next game. Do you have the confidence to narrow the gap?"

"In my opinion, the Heat are the strongest team in the league. We can only play with a hard-working mentality." After a moment of silence, Ke Yan said.

Ke Yan's consistent interview style is relatively conservative, which can be seen from the fact that he is now talking "with 39 wins as the goal".He also seldom speaks loudly before the start of the game, or says some cruel words that he thinks are hopeless.

"With me here, James can't win the championship."

"I'll teach you to win the championship."

"Not1, Not2, Not3...Not7"

"I'm not leaving Cleveland."

After returning to Atlanta, the Eagles did not have much time to rest, and immediately ushered in back-to-back Miami Heat, ranked second in the Eastern Conference.

This season, the Heat have strengthened the team's role player lineup, successively introducing players such as Jason Williams, Jason Kapono, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, etc., and their strength has improved significantly.However, the biggest reinforcement for the team has to be Pat Riley himself as the head coach of the team.

Pat Riley personally served as the team's head coach, which is a confidence boost for the Heat's veterans who are determined to win the championship.This is the same as the Lakers choosing Phil Jackson instead of Ke Yan. No matter how talented these young coaches are and how good they are in leading the team, before they win the championship, they are still not as respectable as these old coaches and can hold down players.

In this much-watched second battle in the Eastern Conference, the Heat's strength is obviously superior. In addition, the Eagles are fighting back to back, and they are at a clear disadvantage in physical fitness. They can't stop the Heat's offense at all. O'Neal and Wade, For the current Heat team, there is no solution.

The final score was fixed at 87:102. The Eagles lost at home. While the three-game winning streak was ended, the gap with the Heat was widened to 2 games.

After the game, Pat Riley did not leave Atlanta with the team immediately, but contacted the general manager of the Eagles, Larry Sander, and proposed a trade intention again, hoping to get James Posey!

Pat Riley can also be regarded as the number one figure in the NBA. He personally organizes the game. No matter how much Larry Sander and Keyan do not want to discuss the transaction, they have to give this face.

In a hotel conference room, Larry Sander and Keyan met Pat Riley, who looked like the "Godfather of the Gangster".

After the simple pleasantries, Keyan was going to express his attitude to Pat Riley, that is, he would not consider trading Posey.

"Stop!" Riley reached out to stop Ke Yan from speaking, and continued, "Why don't you let me make an offer first, and then you can think about it?"

"Of course." Ke Yan stretched out his hand, giving up the initiative to speak.

"Kimi, in fact, you understand that at this stage, the Eagles do not have the strength to compete for the championship. Your championship window is two years away, and Paul has truly matured to the level of a quasi-superstar or even a superstar." Pat Riley said , "As for the Heat, it basically depends on these two seasons."

"..." Ke Yan raised his eyebrows, but didn't say much.

He agrees with half of this statement. The veterans of the Heat really only watch one or two seasons.But if he builds the team, the Eagles will be able to enter the first echelon next season and participate in the championship. He is quite sure about this.

"So I have to sacrifice the future of the team in exchange for the most immediate combat power to improve the hopes of the Heat." Pat Riley said, "The Heat have no way to brake on the road to the championship."

Although this is just Pat Riley's "negotiation skills", Ke Yan still appreciates the other party's desperate attitude for the goal.When the team is in a championship window, it should have taken the championship as its only goal.What luxury tax, the future of the team should be put in a secondary position.

If it is possible to win a championship, it will be a huge improvement to the team!

"I plan to use Jason Kapono + the team's first-round pick in 08 + the swap right in 09 to trade James Posey." Riley said "difficultly", "Take Posey for two The draft pick is really worth a lot to you.”

That's right, your first-round pick in 08 was the second pick, of course it's worth it!

But if Ke Yan has money, he has to spend his life!Posey is an important part of the Eagles' tactical system, especially on the defensive end, which needs to be the main scorer on the outside of the opponent.If you switch to Kapono, wait to be blown up on the defensive end!

"Mr. Riley, it's too early to talk about the draft after two and a half seasons. And I can also say that even if the veterans in the Heat decline, with you and Wade, the Heat will not fall. out of the top six in the Eastern Conference." Ke Yan said, "The most important thing is that I have no small forwards left. You can see that after sending Barnes away, I have now asked Josh to return to the small forward position to help, my Employment is also stretched, so... sorry."

"Kimi, you don't plan to trade Posey for the No. [-] pick, do you?" Riley said exaggeratedly, "And Jason Kapono is a good small forward, his outside shooting percentage is better than James Posey's." High, but the defense is weak. This shortcoming is magnified in the championship team. Regarding your running and bombing tactics, I think he can provide outside fire support."

"Sorry, I don't like this type of shooter wing." Ke Yan shrugged and declined, "Mr. Riley, I'm sorry. If it was a month ago when Matt Barnes was still in the team, You are willing to give such a chip, I will consider it. After all, at least we have a Barnes available! But right now, the Hawks have no one available on the wing position."

Under the table, Larry Sander was kicked, and immediately echoed: "Mr. Riley, even if Kimi agrees to this deal, it is difficult for me to accept it. We have not made the playoffs in nine seasons Yes! It’s hard to see hope this year, really, there’s no room for loss.”

Between singing and singing, Ke Yan and Larry Sander made Riley speechless!

"OK, I'll go talk to the Grizzlies about Sean Battier. Excuse me." Riley nodded, his face returning to seriousness.

After dinner, Larry Sand drove Keyan home.

"What do you think of this deal?" Ke Yan suddenly asked.

"what?"

"About the trading plan proposed by Pat Riley."

"What I want to say has already been said at the conference table!" Larry Sander glanced at Ke Yan, "You don't have any ideas, do you?"

That was the 08 Heat sign!Can you have no idea?

"I'm telling the truth. If Matt didn't leave, I would really like to make this deal!" After saying this, Ke Yan smiled and looked at Larry Sander.

"..." After a moment of silence, Larry Sander finally realized the meaning behind Ke Yan's seemingly meaningless words.

If Pat Riley can find a Barnes-type player for Ke Yan and has two draft picks as compensation, Ke Yan can accept the downgrade at the small forward position!

As for the work of finding people, attracting third parties, and negotiating, leave it to Pat Riley!

If they can't find and negotiate, the Eagles have no loss.