Chapter 992
You need to accelerate to fight me? I could wipe you out just by walking!
Lin Tian received the ball and immediately threw it towards the frontcourt without stopping. He held the basketball with one hand.
Durant is now playing the power forward position, and his two long legs move back and forth with astonishing speed!
In positional play, opponents can exploit Durant's weaknesses, such as unstable lower body, high dribbling center of gravity, and poor physical strength, to defend him effectively.
But if Durant goes all out, even if his absolute speed isn't top-tier, his stride is long enough and he's fast enough, so there aren't many people who can stop him.
Especially now that he's playing the power forward position, Boozer, who's matched up against him, simply can't compare to him in terms of mobility.
In any case, if we only consider the offensive end, Lin Tian and Jackson have the same view on this point.
The best position for Durant is power forward!
At the power forward position, Durant is truly capable of being faster than him but not taller, and taller than him but not faster. He can create a mismatch against anyone in the world!
The style of play best suited to him is off-ball movement, catch-and-shoot, fast break layups, or finishing with a shot within two dribbles after receiving the ball.
At the very least, Durant is good at this, and that's what he should be doing.
Actually, when Lin Tian trained with Kobe this summer, Durant was also there, and he trained with the two of them for a long time.
Um... practicing ball skills, not practicing fighting.
Durant initially wanted to try his hand at Lin Tian, but after seeing Lin Tian defeat Kobe 7-8 times in 2 minutes using completely different moves each time, Durant cleverly said: "I'm just a basketball player."
He won't participate in fights anymore.
Although Durant didn't participate in combat training, Lin Tian still had a long and thorough training session with him.
He and Durant didn't practice anything else, just one-on-one throughout the game.
"If you want to become a true MVP-level player, if you want to go further and make up for your shortcomings, then let's work on this this summer. Let's work on your ball handling this summer."
"You don't need to worry about passing the ball, just practice your ball control."
"When you truly develop your ball handling skills to the point where you're not afraid of the league's best small-ball defenders' close marking, then you'll become a true MVP-caliber player!"
Durant does listen to advice, which is one of his virtues; the kid has been obedient since he was little.
However, even though Durant is exceptionally talented, with all his other talents being among the best in history except for his endurance and stamina, his minimum height of 211 centimeters still makes training this thing particularly tiring and difficult for him.
Anyway, after about two months of intensive training, his ball control ability has improved a lot, but it hasn't reached the level that Lin Tian wanted.
However, what Lin Tian wanted was the top-level breakthrough skill of peak Durant, where a crossover could completely shake off a 185cm short player. Durant couldn't really develop that skill in one summer.
But do you expect the current Durant to bully those power forwards and slower small forwards?
That's absolutely no problem!
For example, on the first play of the game, Lin Tian received the ball and immediately passed it to Durant who was fast breaking down. After Durant received the ball, Boozer was already behind him. Facing Hayward who was in position to defend, Durant used a crossover dribble and a feint with his upper body before quickly executing another big crossover.
While his speed wasn't as fast as that of top guards who truly excel at dribbling, given his physique, it definitely deserved the description of being incredibly fast.
With a single step, Durant shook off the unprepared Hayward, sprinted towards the basket, and then pulled up early for a powerful one-handed dunk, slamming the basketball into the hoop!
"boom!"
With a loud bang, the Lakers launched a lightning attack in the early stages of the game, completing their first offensive play in less than 5 seconds!
"He's back! A classic Lin Tian pass! A classic Lin Tian style of play!" Upon seeing that incredibly familiar, rapid pass, Miller immediately shouted excitedly, "The first offensive play is exactly Lin Tian's style!"
"He's still got it! He's still got it! Let's see if Lin can keep up this performance!"
"Your passing technique hasn't gotten any worse, has it?" Rose received the ball from the baseline. After Lin Tian's training over the past year, his trash-talking skills had greatly improved. He looked at Lin Tian and said, "But it's not enough for your hands to slow down. Your legs had better keep up with mine too!"
After Ross finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated and charged forward!
In Rose's mind, Lin Tian is 38 years old after all, and he hasn't played for 3 years. Even if he can play well on offense with his experience and touch, he can't keep up with him on defense no matter how hard he tries!
Time waits for no one, and as people age, their legs slow down first. This is the law of human life: birth, aging, sickness, and death. No matter how powerful you are, Lin Tian, you can't possibly violate the common sense of physics, right?
Lin Tian: Sure, who says you can't?
But this shot was unnecessary!
Even before the game started, Jackson had already devised a defensive strategy where Kobe would guard Rose and Lin Tian would guard DeRozan.
Jackson didn't think Lin Tian could catch up with Rose's speed either. After all, the most important thing in defending a speedy guard like Rose is lateral movement speed!
Although Kobe's physical abilities have also begun to decline, and his lateral movement is not as good as it was at its peak, Jackson believes that he is definitely still better than Lin Tian!
Kobe was young, after all.
In addition, although Kobe's speed has declined, he still has height and wingspan, giving him a clear advantage in physique. It would be easier to effectively defend against Rose if Kobe were to match up against him.
Of course, given Rose's speed and ability, Jackson wouldn't expect Kobe to contain him alone; he also devised numerous follow-up strategies for help defense and rotation.
In short, containing Rose is the Lakers' top defensive task tonight.
Ross practically sprinted past Lin Tian in one step, even glancing back at him with some confusion.
They've already arrived?
But he was only puzzled for a moment. The ever-changing situation on the court didn't allow him to think too much. In addition, Kobe was already standing in front of him. Rose immediately realized that this was a mismatch defense.
Since it's a mismatch, we need to play to our strengths!
After Rose arrived at the frontcourt, he didn't insist on taking the first shot himself. Instead, he immediately slowed down and looked for his teammates in various positions.
Boozer has an advantage in strength and weight over Durant, so if Boozer backs down Durant, the chances of success are not small. On the other hand, DeRozan has an advantage in height over Lin Tian.
If DeRozan can create opportunities through movement, Rose will pass the ball directly to him so he can catch and shoot. If he can't create opportunities, then Rose will pass the ball to Boozer for a one-on-one!
Rose, positioned at the top of the key, observed his teammates' running routes while calmly calling out tactics.
Having gone through the experience of last season's playoffs, Rose is becoming more and more mature!
More importantly, Stevens has been promoting an average basketball and team basketball style of play within the team this year.
He wants everyone to get a touch of the ball, to win together, and to minimize one-on-one play.
Last year, Stevens worked with Lin Tian and the team for a whole year, and the players trusted him quite a bit. In addition, none of the key players were the type to be stubborn and insist on going it alone, so his playing style was successfully implemented.
As for the results, we'll have to wait and see tonight!
Rose dribbled the ball and waited for a while. When he noticed that Lin Tian and DeRozan were marking him very closely, he stopped waiting and instead bounced the ball to Boozer, who was in a good position in the low post.
Boozer immediately blocked Durant, and after getting used to Durant's position, he immediately pushed hard towards the inside.
Durant's current strength is no match for this well-known short and stocky big man in the league. After being pushed to the basket twice by Boozer, he was completely pushed aside by Boozer, who then easily made a layup.
After scoring, Boozer didn't forget to raise his arms and show off his muscles to Durant.
"Kid, go back to kindergarten and repeat two years. My toilet paper is ten times harder than yours!"
"It's okay, just hit him back. It's not nearly as easy for him to hit you as it is for you to hit him," Lin Tian patted Durant's butt and comforted him.
After all, Durant is a veteran in his fifth year in the professional league, and Lin Tian believes that Durant will not be affected by just a few words.
This time, Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again. He didn't rush to drive past Rose. Instead, he backed down Rose and calmly moved to the frontcourt. After observing for a moment, Lin Tian decisively waved to Durant to set a screen for him.
After the two passed each other, Lin Tian did not accelerate and rush forward like he did when he was young. Instead, he advanced at a steady pace. Even when Rose went around the screen and came over again, Lin Tian dribbled between his legs and retreated to the outside of the three-point line!
As Lin Tian retreated, he also made a low, one-handed pass. The basketball had no curve and flew straight to the inside line, without any curve.
Bynum had already positioned himself under the basket. After receiving the ball, he immediately turned and pushed hard, colliding with Yao Ming. This young and strong guy, who was at his peak, had the upper hand. Then, he slightly raised his elbow and bumped into Yao Ming again while taking a small hop.
This jump and header successfully created space for Bynum, who immediately jumped again and hit the ball into the basket with a small side hook!
In terms of physical attributes, speed, defensive coverage, defensive presence, and explosive dunks, Bynum can't even come close to Howard.
However, when it comes to footwork under the basket, hook shot, or layup touch, none of the three Howards are as smooth as Bynum.
Bynum, who is known as the 'last star-level traditional center in the league', used to always suffer when he faced Yao Ming and was always beaten. But in the last two years, with Yao Ming's injuries, age, and especially after losing weight and switching to playing on the perimeter, Bynum is no longer afraid of Yao Ming at all!
With his size advantage, height that rivals yours, and footwork under the basket that's no worse than Yao Ming's, why should I, Bynum, be afraid of you? Confident and surging, Bynum made this hook shot, just like Boozer, raising his hands to flex his muscles at Yao Ming.
You're getting old!
Now is the era of our young centers!
Next, on the Bobcats' offense, Rose finally started a pick-and-roll. This time, he couldn't find a suitable teammate during the pick-and-roll, so he simply pulled up for a shot himself, but Kobe successfully interfered and he missed.
Lin Tian pulled back to the basket, grabbed the backboard, and immediately turned around to attack, starting the Lakers' counterattack!
However, Lin Tian's speed was not fast, and he never managed to get into a full rhythm. At the very least, Ross easily caught up with Lin Tian and blocked his way.
However, it was only a block; Lin Tianren hadn't even crossed half-court before he threw the basketball away.
This time, Kobe received the ball on the wing.
After receiving the ball, Kobe dribbled twice with one hand against DeRozan, causing DeRozan to lose his balance. Then Kobe pulled up and made his signature mid-range shot!
"You're already tired, Coach?" Rose blurted out the title he'd been using for a year: "Can't run anymore, can't pick up the pace?"
"What's the point of speeding up?" Lin Tian snorted. "In three possessions, we've already had two fast breaks. You can't defend my pick-and-roll passes either. Why should I speed up?"
"You've really gotten too big for your britches, Derrick. You think you can make me speed up and play against you? You don't deserve it! You think winning an Finals MVP makes you the best point guard? That piece of junk, I just randomly picked one and put it in the exhibition hall, the rest are in the basement, I have nine of them!"
"There are too many, I've forgotten what they look like."
"By the way, I still have a lot of MVPs left. Do you want to see them? If you want to see them, I can show you. After all, you might never win an MVP in your life. Who told me to leave? I think last season was the closest you ever came to the MVP in your entire career."
Ross was truly powerless to refute Lin Tian's trash talk.
Even though Lin Tian's double standards remain unchanged, last season he said he was definitely the MVP and would definitely be the one to change the course of the league. But this year, after the separation, he immediately became someone who would never have a chance to win the MVP in his life.
They're denying everything now that they've pulled their pants up!
But Lin Tian's words were all true. He had won so many MVPs, championships, and Finals MVPs that they were countless.
If you can't refute it with words, then you can only refute it with your performance on the field!
You say you don't need to speed up when you hit me, then I'll force you to speed up.
However, before Rose could even muster the energy to face Lin Tian, Kobe rushed over.
"Your opponent is me!"
Kobe, widely regarded as the second-best shooting guard in NBA history, a scoring champion, a multiple Finals appearance, and an almost unstoppable player on both offense and defense, was now a hindrance in Rose's eyes.
He wanted Kobe to move aside; he wanted to match up against Lin Tian.
Unfortunately, Kobe is notoriously persistent. Anyone who gets entangled with him, regardless of whether he can completely shut them down tonight, will definitely have a very difficult and disgusting time. His defense is quite old-fashioned. Although he doesn't injure people, his various tricks and physical confrontations are absolutely top-notch.
In particular, Kobe had obviously studied Rose's games and knew his current situation.
After following Rose to his own three-point line, he immediately took half a step back, leaving a gap between the two.
Rose's three-point shooting isn't great, but his mid-range game is incredibly accurate.
This is a consensus that all teams have long reached: the best way to defend Rose is to give him a three-point opportunity, but absolutely not to let him accelerate or stop for a jump shot.
But Rose isn't actually the kind of player who can't shoot threes at all. His three-point shooting is just not accurate enough, but it's definitely not that he can't shoot threes.
Therefore, Kobe couldn't defend Rose like he did against Kidd or Rondo, giving him a lot of space. If you give Rose enough space, he can still score.
Therefore, Kobe only gave him half a step of space, so that he could both intervene in time when Rose shoots and have enough buffer zone to block his breakthrough.
Despite Kobe's defense, Rose remained calm, directing his teammates to move around while suddenly making a bounce pass to DeRozan, who was cutting through the middle.
After a series of runs, DeRozan finally earned himself a chance to receive the ball, but before he could even turn around, Lin Tian slapped the ball on his hand.
Although DeRozan quickly turned around and grabbed the basketball again, preventing Lin Tian from completely stealing it, he still broke out in a cold sweat.
Although Lin Tian failed to intercept the ball immediately, he quickly stepped forward and closed in on DeRozan. Although DeRozan was much taller than Lin Tian, he felt no sense of security from Lin Tian's tight defense.
Even when DeRozan tried to turn around and one-on-one against Lin Tian, not only did his series of feints fail to fool Lin Tian, but he was also swatted away by Lin Tian while dribbling, almost causing a turnover!
DeRozan tried several methods, but Lin Tian anticipated them all and blocked them perfectly.
After a few attempts, DeRozan stopped forcing himself, turned around and passed the ball, giving up his idea of going one-on-one against Lin Tian.
"Experience! Lin's experience is truly abundant. He has faced countless opponents and matched up against all types of players. DeRozan's moves are nothing to Lin." Miller immediately praised Lin Tian as he watched him successfully pin DeRozan down.
Van Gundy added, "Lin is the kind of player who can meet all the head coach's defensive requirements and tasks. His defensive ability is beyond question. Even though he is getting older and his legs may not be as good as they used to be, it is definitely not an easy thing to beat him one-on-one."
Jackson also analyzed: "So I think the best way to deal with Lin now is to cut the Gordian knot and use physical strength and youthful energy to deal with him. Just go in and fight him head-on."
"You want to compete with him in terms of rhythm, skill, and experience? That's Lin! Is there anyone in NBA history who is better at those things than him?"
"You overlooked the schemes," Miller said with a wicked grin. "Lin is the most cunning bastard in the history of this alliance. Trying to gain an advantage over him is going to be extremely difficult!"
"It's clear that the Bobcats wanted to use DeRozan's height to their advantage and try to gain some edge over Lin, but their first attempt was obviously unsuccessful."
As the group was talking, the basketball came to Yao Ming's hands in the corner. Yao Ming caught the ball and immediately pulled it up to shoot. But Durant was lurking nearby. As soon as he saw Yao Ming catch the ball and shoot, he flew over and jumped with all his might to try to block the shot.
Although Yao Ming is more than 10 centimeters taller than Durant, Durant has an amazing wingspan and incredible athleticism. His leaping out, while unlikely to result in a block, was enough to disrupt the shot.
Facing Durant's long arms sweeping past him, Yao Ming, who rarely felt any interference beyond the three-point line, couldn't quite maintain his shooting form this time. The basketball's trajectory went astray, and it bounced off the rim with a 'bang'.
This time, Kobe grabbed the rebound, glanced at the ball as it flew up, and passed it directly to Lin Tian outside the three-point line.
Despite facing pressure from Rose, Lin Tian did not launch a fast break. Instead, he slowly dribbled the ball forward until he reached the frontcourt. Then, he turned his back and used his back to block Rose, and then slowly advanced towards the inside.
Then, when he was two steps inside the three-point line, Lin Tian suddenly turned towards the baseline, then stopped abruptly and pulled up for a shot.
The move was so smooth and incredibly fast that Rose was completely outmaneuvered and could do nothing to interfere except instinctively raise his arms to defend.
"Shh!"
Then came a crisp crack!
"Goal! Lin scores! After three years, Lin has finally scored in the NBA again! His signature turnaround jumper after a back-to-the-basket dribble!" Miller shouted. "Judging from this play, Lin is still got it!"
"Let's see how Rose responds! These kinds of games are only interesting when both sides go all out and go head-to-head!" Jackson then added in a tone that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, hoping that the stars from both sides would really get into a fight.
Unfortunately, in the following games, both sides suddenly returned to their slump, playing in a very methodical and disciplined manner, but the star-studded duel that the commentators and fans were looking forward to never materialized.
The two sides traded baskets in the first quarter, with the Lakers initially gaining the upper hand, but the Bobcats then found opportunities to score consecutively and take the lead.
With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Lakers made their first substitution.
Lin Tian and Barnes were both substituted off the court, while Turiaf and Thomas came on at the same time.
With this substitution, the Lakers' lineup returned to its normal state, still consisting of a combination of 2 big men and 3 small men.
It's just that it's so small, really too small. (End of Chapter)