Chapter 1028
Jackson's tactics work! Lakers' mismatch defense!
For example, in the very first possession of the game that night, Lin Tian kept Redick under his wing. No matter how Redick ran around looking for opportunities, Lin Tian was always there, making it impossible for him to shake off the defense, let alone find an opportunity to receive the ball and score.
A player like Redick isn't without ball-handling skills, but his ball-handling ability is entirely supported by his powerful shooting skills. In other words, the more you fear his shooting ability, the stronger his ball-handling ability becomes.
But if you really ignore his shooting and focus on defending his drives, then Redick's driving ability is basically zero.
In the first possession tonight, Redick couldn't even showcase his ball-handling and dribbling skills; Lin Tian completely shut him down his off-ball techniques.
“When we Chinese name our children, we pay attention to naming them according to what they lack and the hopes and wishes we have for them. Children from poor families are named Fugui (meaning “wealth and honor”), children who want many children and much happiness are named Fuman (meaning “full of blessings”), and children who hope to join the army are named Jun (meaning “military”) or Bing (meaning “soldier”).
"Of course, there are also cases where a child is named after something that happened at the time of their birth. For example, if it rained or snowed on the day of their birth, they might be named Snow White or Rain. If the sun was shining brightly or they ate two pounds of pork ribs that day, they might be named Sunshine or Pork Ribs."
"You know what I'm going to say, bro?"
Lin Tian practically cornered Redick in the left corner outside the three-point line.
Forget about positioning, this guy can't even see what's happening on the field right now. Lin Tian is pressing him too hard, and he has to crane his neck to see what's going on.
Because he couldn't run away, Reddick heard Lin Tian's trash talk very clearly, and then he subconsciously asked, "What are you trying to say?"
"I just want to ask what happened in your family that has led your family to hope for generations that their descendants will have a younger brother?"
"What did you say?" Redick's reaction was obviously not as unpredictable as his positioning; he didn't even understand what Lin Tian was saying.
"Looks like you're a bit lacking in intelligence. You're called JJ because you're hoping to have another one of those things to increase your IQ?"
After Lin Tian finished spraying, he suddenly released Redick and then sprinted forward. Redick didn't react in time and subconsciously raised his hand, trying to grab the basketball and shoot.
But before he could even shout "I'm free," he already knew why Lin Tian had let him go and sprinted towards the front of the court.
Aldridge's shot was contested by Durant and missed. By the time Lin Tian was on the fast break, Bynum had already grabbed the rebound.
Even though Redick reacted quickly and accelerated to catch up with Lin Tian, less than two seconds had passed between his initial shock and his reaction. In that short time, it was almost impossible for him to catch up with Lin Tian.
The reason for this time difference is, of course, that Lin Tian had just been trash-talking while blocking Redick's view, preventing him from clearly observing the situation on the field and the course of the game.
Redick's sudden movement immediately caused huge problems for the Warriors' defensive transition.
Because Redick was positioned too deep, all he could do at that moment was to stay close to Durant and defend him as much as possible.
But while he can keep up with Durant, Aldridge can't keep up with Lin Tian.
Even though Bynum's speed in getting the ball on the ball isn't top-notch, it's more than enough.
Because Lin Tian caught the ball fast enough!
When he got the ball and came to the frontcourt, because Redick couldn't get into position, only Paul and Gay were able to defend him properly on the Warriors.
But they were facing a three-pronged fast-break attack from Lin Tian, Kobe, and Barnes.
Generally speaking, for NBA-level teams, defending against two or three opponents isn't too difficult, and disrupting the opponent's fast break and turning their fast break into a half-court offense is commonplace.
But the problem is, you have to see who's attacking.
Kobe, Lin Tian, and the remaining one, let alone Barnes who has excellent awareness, experience, and off-ball skills, even if it were old Buss, would be an absolute threat.
The Lakers' offensive trio had already positioned themselves on the left, center, and right sides, with Lin Tian on the sidelines, Barnes in the center, and Kobe at the far end.
Paul was closest to Lin Tian. This guy was quite fierce. He was indeed the king of dirty tricks in the league. Almost the instant Lin Tian approached the three-point line, he rushed up, braced himself with his arm, tightened his fingers, and slashed at Lin Tian's waist!
"It's hard to say who can take my place as the league's best point guard, but you're more than capable of becoming the league's most disgusting and unpopular guard!" Lin Tian was tricked by Paul, but he wasn't affected at all and continued to trash talk easily.
But if you look at what he's going to do next, you'll immediately realize: this guy is petty!
Because Lin Tian suddenly turned his back completely, stuck out his buttocks, and lunged towards Paul.
What techniques, footwork, rhythm.
None at all.
Lin Tian just kept pushing against Paul's buttocks and kept arguing with him.
Paul, who most likely exaggerates his height, how could he possibly withstand Lin Tian, who charged at him with all his might?
In no time, Lin Tian pushed him directly to the basket.
Then, seeing that Paul couldn't hold on, Guy immediately circled around from the other side, wanting to take advantage of the fact that Lin Tian couldn't see him and that there were blind spots behind him to complete the double-team.
But who would have thought that as soon as Guy moved his feet, Lin Tian threw the ball out.
Guy could only feel a 'whoosh' as an orange shadow flew past his ear.
But Gay is the type with explosive physical abilities. Although he doesn't usually put in too much effort on the defensive end, he knows how important tonight's game is, so he's going all out on defense right now.
Taking advantage of his superior physical attributes, Guy forcefully twisted his body, attempting to block Barnes's shot at the basket.
But when he turned around, he was shocked to find that the basketball was not in Barnes' hands at all!
How can this be?
Guy was stunned, because logically, the ball should have been given to Barnes!
But Guy obviously didn't have much time to be in a daze, because a figure flew towards him and a loud bang exploded in his ears.
"boom!"
With Barnes not having the ball, the basketball naturally ended up in Kobe's hands!
Gay still couldn't understand how Lin Tian could throw the ball to Kobe through three players from both sides without even looking, when there was absolutely no vision of him. He just found it unbelievable.
How to do?
Should I have him do it again? I'll look more closely this time.
A thought that should absolutely not have occurred to Guy arose in his mind at this moment.
He actually wanted to take another good look at how Lin Tian's no-look pass managed to pass through three people at the same time, reach Kobe's hands, and assist Kobe in completing a dunk.
"Keep an eye on your man, Rudy!" Paul felt waves of pain all over his body.
Lin Tian just went all out and rammed into Paul. The fact that Paul didn't break two ribs is a testament to how hard he trains and how strong his resilience is.
As for the initial blow he gave Lin Tian?
Compared to the few times Lin Tian had rebuked him, that one was nothing more than a tickle.
After delivering a brilliant pass to his teammate for a powerful dunk, Lin Tian easily turned around to defend and then found Redick again.
"Long time no see, did you miss me?"
"So, have you figured out my question yet? What? You don't understand? Okay, let me explain it in simpler terms."
"Go back and ask your father if your family has never had any younger brothers."
Having said that, Redick could easily understand Lin Tian's meaning: he'd just gotten roasted!
Reddick was humiliated and furious. He wanted revenge, he wanted to teach Lin Tian a lesson and show him what he was capable of!
But the key question is: how to retaliate?
How to do it?
Redick was running around like crazy, searching for off-ball screens according to the tactics: back cuts, cuts, inside cuts, outside pops, going around screens...
Redick has already tried every method he could think of.
But Lin Tian didn't give him any chance, didn't give him any opportunity to receive the ball.
In the second possession, although the Warriors managed to score their first points of the game thanks to an alley-oop between Chandler and Paul, it had absolutely nothing to do with Redick.
He didn't even think about taking a shot or creating an opportunity; he even doubted whether Paul saw him in those two possessions.
It's too hard! Redick felt like it was too hard for him!
This was certainly not the first time he had competed against Lin Tian. Redick and Lin Tian had fought many times, but at other times, firstly, he basically did not face off against Lin Tian, and secondly, he was a nobody, so there was no comparison between the two.
To put it even more bluntly: tonight was the first time Lin Tian had trash-talked Redick; before that, Lin Tian hadn't said a single word to him! In the first round of the match, at the very beginning, Redick was actually quite excited when he saw that he was being matched up against Lin Tian.
He secretly vowed: Today, I'll show this bastard who's fought me countless times but never spoken a word to me what I'm capable of! I'll make him run until he peees.
No, run him until he can't pee anymore!
Redick had a well-thought-out plan; he was full of ambition and confidence.
This not only represents his confidence gained through years of experience, but also shows that Redick gave it his all in these two possessions, running and playing with all his might, showcasing various off-ball skills in hopes of gaining an advantage in the matchup.
At least that's what he planned.
But the result?
At least until now, although only two possessions have been played, Redick has not only failed to score, but he has barely even seen the basketball!
He felt as if he was completely enveloped.
At this moment, Redick suddenly remembered that Lin Tian was the third guard in NBA history, after Jordan and Payton, to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, and he was also one of the guards with the most selections to the All-Defensive First Team.
A multiple-time steals champion, he has shut down countless top scorers. During his rookie season, he was able to lock down Payton, and later he repeatedly defended against two top point guards of the previous generation, such as Hardaway, Johnson, and Stockton, as well as point guards of the next generation, such as Iverson, Marbury, and Billups.
Of course, he also outmaneuvered top guards like Paul, Deron Williams, and Felton, who were present at the end of his previous career.
This guy has beaten up so many people, but he's rarely beaten up himself.
Where did I get the confidence that I could gain the upper hand in a confrontation with this monster?
If Redick were to choose again, he would definitely not think about how well he could perform under Lin Tian's defense, nor would he think about challenging Lin Tian to become famous in one battle.
Redick believes his movement is among the best in the league, and many teams even assign multiple players to specifically guard him.
It's not the kind of double-team tactic, but rather the kind of targeted defense where wherever he runs, someone will block him, slow down his movement, and delay his progress.
Often, when opponents focus too much on Redick, their defense will have obvious gaps, and Paul, who is good at seizing opportunities, will use these gaps to assist his teammates in scoring.
If the opponent doesn't specifically target Redick, this kind of unpredictable shooter can really hit 5-6 three-pointers in a game and score 20 points to completely dominate his opponent.
Redick has fully integrated into the Warriors' system this year and reached the peak of his career, which is also an important reason why the Warriors have undergone a qualitative change this season.
His shooting touch is often a barometer for the Warriors. In games where Redick has a hot streak, the Warriors usually win by a large margin. But when Redick is off his game and his shooting touch is off, the Warriors are bound to suffer a crushing defeat.
But tonight doesn't fall into any of the above categories.
Unless he switches on defense, Redick will most likely have little chance to show how good his shooting touch is tonight; he won't get much contact with the ball.
Lin Tian's ability to defend off the ball is truly outstanding.
This guy is so good that he's already started trash-talking, but not at Redick.
"See that, Kobe? This is the best way to defend off-ball players: block their running routes, predict their movement trajectories, and be wary of screens that may appear at any time. Only then can you perfectly defend an excellent off-ball shooter."
"Instead of being like you, whose off-the-ball defense is not even as good as my grandma's! My grandma would never suddenly lose focus while defending like you do."
"Can't you stand up for yourself?!" To Redick's surprise once again, Lin Tian and Kobe's verbal sparring had somehow dragged him into it. Kobe glared at Redick and said, "Can't you even position yourself? Go circle around him! Go get him!"
"What the hell are you looking at me for? Run! Move! FUXX! You're stupid, you look useless, a piece of trash."
Kobe couldn't out-argue Lin Tian, but he was still frustrated. What could he do?
That was, of course, completely unreasonable. He launched into a tirade against Redick, then turned and left, leaving Redick, who had just been hoping to watch the drama unfold and use it as a key to victory, standing there in tears.
Brother, you guys are attacking, why should I run? Where should I run to?
Besides, if he criticizes you, criticize him back! Why are you criticizing me?
But Redick clearly doesn't have much time to wallow in self-pity.
Because although the Lakers changed their defensive matchups, the Warriors did not.
Paul was still facing Lin Tian, and Redick was still facing Kobe.
"Damn it!" Lin Tian muttered, and cleanly passed the ball to Kobe, who was in a tight position in the low post. Facing Redick, Kobe didn't make any fake moves or probing feints after getting the ball.
With a clean and crisp turn, he smoothly dribbled the ball and then leaped into the air.
"Shh!"
With a crisp sound, Kobe's mid-range shot went in cleanly and beautifully!
"Clean and efficient, without any hesitation!" Van Gundy shouted from the commentary booth, "That shot had a bit of a Michael Jordan feel to it!"
“That’s right, that shot is just like Michael!” Miller said with a smile. “But the biggest difference between Kobe and Michael is that Kobe could only make such simple and straightforward shots when facing opponents who were obviously not as strong, tall, or fast as him.”
"But Michael can play like that against anyone."
“Yes, in the end, it all comes down to talent.” Jackson added with a sigh, “Michael’s talent is top-notch in history. His speed, jumping speed and coordination are all top-notch in history. His overall physical qualities are definitely S+.”
"But Kobe's speed and spring speed are significantly weaker than Michael's, meaning his coordination is about the same as Michael's. In terms of overall physical fitness, Kobe is at most an A+."
"Although an A+ is very impressive and he is an excellent super talent, he is not top-tier. To give an example, Michael had an absolute advantage against any perimeter defender of his generation, in terms of speed, jumping ability, physical strength, skills, and so on."
"So many times, Michael could create a lot of shooting space for himself with a simple acceleration, a simple turn, or a simple change of direction and then easily make the shot. This is why Michael's playing style looks simpler, more efficient, and more undefendable."
"He is a level above everyone else... well, maybe except Lin. He can easily create space to make a move."
“But Kobe didn’t have that physical ability,” Miller added. “When facing the best defenders, Kobe needed to spin around, change direction constantly, use countless fakes and various technical details to create shooting space for himself before he could shoot.”
"So it gives people the feeling that Kobe's technique is better and smoother, and his playing style is more dazzling. In the end, it's because his physical attributes are not good enough, so he can only make up for it with technique. However, strictly speaking, it makes sense that Kobe's technique is better than Jordan's, but Jordan doesn't need these techniques to achieve better results and efficiency."
"We've gone off on a tangent," Jackson said with a laugh. "Now is not the time to discuss Kobe and Jordan, nor is it the time to discuss what level Kobe was at."
"Right now, Kobe isn't facing a top defender; he's facing Redick!"
"Haha, that's right." Van Gundy nodded and said, "Kobe could play Redick like a high schooler, Michael could play Gary Payton like a high schooler, but tonight on the court, there was no Payton, only Redick!"
As the three commentators said, Redick will definitely be in immense pain tonight.
On the offensive end, he had to endure Lin Tian's aggressive defense.
On the defensive end, he was destined to be targeted and exploited by Kobe.
Redick: What did I do to deserve this?
Paul: Didn't we agree that I was the main character?
Regardless of who the main player is, and regardless of who gets beaten the worst tonight, the Lakers' defensive strategy was quite successful. A mismatch defense at positions 1 and 2 immediately put the Warriors' offense in a lot of trouble.
Paul's speed has noticeably declined compared to the previous two years, and his vision is obstructed. Facing Kobe's tight defense, it is difficult for him to execute comfortable pick-and-rolls, although he can still break through and use his agility to complete some offensive plays.
Ultimately, Kobe's defense was so good and tight that Paul couldn't organize the team's offense as easily as before, nor could he make the team's system work.
To put it simply, he couldn't change the Lakers' defense or break down their defensive system.
Besides Paul, another key to the Warriors' ability to break down opponents' defensive systems is Redick.
Although Redick isn't even the third oldest player on the team, at most the fourth or fifth, his three-point shooting and range are important weapons for the team to change the opponent's defense.
His off-ball ability, combined with his accurate shooting, always keeps opponents on their toes. In particular, his off-ball screens force opponents to make reluctant switches, thus tearing apart their defensive formation.
In terms of disrupting the opponent's defense and changing their defensive system alone, Redick's importance to the team is second only to Paul. (End of Chapter)