The Rockets have been preparing for this season - even longer - and here is what they face: a Warriors Kevin Durant signed 24-3 in the playoffs. Houston must defeat them four times in seven games. Golden State and Durant lost three times in six playoff series. The Cleveland Cavaliers last season may be one of the greatest single-season teams ever, and certainly one of the greatest offensive teams of all time. They got a game.
But these Rockets were built in the summer and then adjusted in the middle of the season, especially for this series. When James Harden, Clint Capella and Chris Paul all played, they were all 50-5. In any case, they represent the most profound challenges faced by the Warriors in the era of Durant Stephen Curry.
They can match any style: fast, slow, big, small. Hell, they may be able to decide the style of this series. Some people see this as a battle for the soul of the basketball: isolate the yacht and the math genius behind it to protect the protectors of the beautiful game. There is the core of truth there. In fact, Golden State has tools to win two games. Durant has inoculated them from any stylistic restrictions. They have seen the existence of each switching solution and know how to break them through smart cutting and passing.
Let's dig into some major issues and X factors:
• Houston can surround Harden with four excellent defensive players. Golden State usually provides a safe place to hide him. Even if opponents have a place, the game will be very interesting.
We don't even know who the Warriors will start with: the lineup of deaths, the center with Draymond Green, or the more traditional lineup, may be Kevin Rooney replacing Andre Iguodala. If Golden State starts young, Houston can hide Harden in Iguodala, throw Capella into Green, Paul into Curry, Trevor Ariza into Kelai Thompson, and will not move PJ Tucker Enter Durant. Against the larger lineup, Houston can compete with Harden on Thompson (engulfment) - or slide Harden into the green, even Wayne Rooney.
I will (reluctantly) use Looney to play the Warriors in the first game. He defended Anthony Davis very well. It looks like Steve Kerr's move: Start with someone who can support Capella, and leave a trump in the hole. Golden State's wing is also very weak - for some reason, the center is almost half of the lineup - and all the best players will lose some of the popular lineup. Smart interleaving can ease this, but the Warriors also worry that Iguodala is overburdened.
• Whether Golden State's center will play a role in this series will be one of its fulcrum. Only JaVale McGee--and basketball gods in this round to help any McGee-dependent coach to fight against this opponent-can let Rudy Gobert / Pau Gasol "stand next to the basket and raise your arms" and disturb Harden. None of them could switch to Paul or Harden. Luni will pull once every three or four times, but he is walking tight. Cole may try Jordan Bell to improve speed.
The Warriors knew this and sometimes went the third route: confront Harden with their center.
This seems like a terrible idea. Harden and Paul will split some traps or slip past their covert, and then they can play 4 to 3 with the shooters around them. But since David Thorpe made this suggestion on my podcast on Friday, I always thought it was an interesting strategy - a small dose: removing Harden and Paul's ball from Harden and Paul, forcing Houston's Players compete.
Some of these screeners - especially Tucker - are very good at it. Capella has improved, but he has not yet reached the point where he scared 20-foot perimeter ball. At least on some routes, the wing players will be slightly above the average 3-point shooter - not the elite shooter. Flying to Ariza, Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute, they will miss a decent block.
• This is one of the most basic swing factors: Who has more three-point shooters? Houston will leave Iguodala and Green open. Golden State will be like the above-mentioned Rockets, although perhaps not so openly.
• Related: I can't wait to know how Houston played the best shooting lineup. The Rockets are unlikely to be with all three Paul, Harden, as well as guarding Eric Gordon on the floor. But Houston sacrificed a bit of defense to improve his long shot. Do they even dare to fight Gerald Green against an attack that would force him to make six quick decisions for each owner? (Ryan Anderson has been cut off because he has such a difficult time in this game. If they are eager to score, they may get rid of him, but beyond that, I would be surprised to see him a lot. ) Did they try Ariza’s power forward?
When the stars of the two Golden State teams are on the bench, they should definitely call the shots. But for the Warriors' best team, Houston may need at least two Ariza, Mouba and Tucker. They may need all three, and in this trio of NBA.com, they exceed the opponent by 25 points per 100 rounds in 222 minutes. Interestingly, Paul and Harden appeared in only 15 minutes of the time.
The lineup - Paul, Harden, Ariza, Mobba, Tucker - can work. I bet the Rockets use it. Paul and Harden brought enough star power to make up for the upcoming shot. In spite of this, any other three wing lineup will have trouble with the Golden State team.
• Back to the Golden State center: Rooney is one of the most consistent defenders. The Warriors played Harry and Paul and he managed:
David West will not always manage. Houston will attack him in every game. The Warriors can hide their center on Tucker or Mbah a Moute, and insert Green or Durant into Capella. But what's the point of even playing these centers? They did not provide any defensive wing players, nor did they limit their defensive limitations on the defensive end.
Whether or not they start the game this way, the Warriors need a large number of green centers. These lineups feature four players who can reliably defend any Houston player, including Harden and Paul. They are super fast and the Warriors are interested in advancing the rhythm.
• Houston is vulnerable to the calculation of the transitional sprint. The Rockets often have a shooter in every corner, and Capella is at the basket. If Harden makes mistakes, the Warriors have the chance to play with four Rockets below the free throw line. That is death. For most teams, Houston's court balance is not important. Dealing with the Warriors - especially with the Greens as the center of the Warriors - is a big deal. One of the corner kickers will have to return to halftime earlier than usual.
• A related battlefield: mistakes. Houston's 9.8% performance in the playoffs was surprising. This is an alarmingly low number that will break the single-season record in history. This is one of the benefits of slowing basketball and playing basketball: It is difficult to turn it over when you don't pass. If this number stays on the same court, the Rockets will increase their chances. This is also true if the Warriors have suffered arrogant and lazy fighting that occasionally destroys them.
• On the court, all Thompson, Iguodala, Durant and Green can easily hide curry on someone in the Ariza/Tuck/MbAmun group. He may start with Paul, because Curry is a proud player, and some are underestimated, because Corey usually gives Curry a chance to hold his number before he can get out of position. He will also defend Gordon. There are no better choices for some of Houston's lineups. Gordon had to influence the series by bullying the drive in the library and the green light on the switch and the pull-up of switch 3.
But at some point, Curry slips to a less threatening player. Thompson, Iguodala and Durant can split Paul / Harden's mission. It would be interesting to see how Kerr deployed Durant on the defensive end. Thompson usually draws Harden's work. If Curry hides in the airfoil, it will allow Durant and Iguodala to become Paul's main defenders. For Iguodala, protecting Paul for a long time may be too much. We may see more Durant than Paul's game requirements higher. (He sometimes guards him during the regular season.)
Golden State may even turn these tasks over and let Durant check Harden around Harden, and Thompson hunted Paul. Remember: When these teams met for the final time in the playoffs, Thompson was in trouble with Harden's physical abuse of the rams. Kerr eventually assigned Harrison Barnes to Harden. Durant can even defend Capella and let Tucker leave Green -- and allow Green to cheer on defense. (Kerle also experimented with this in the regular season.)
We will see everything. Sean Livingston will have the opportunity to defend Houston stars. Both teams will switch so much, and personal matches may not even matter. But Curry's will. When things get dirty, Houston will chase Curry and build him for Harden. This is an action the Warriors will try not to switch; they don't want Harry's Curry. Harden overwhelmed him, ploughed to the basket and put the ball in or found an open teammate.
The lower the risk of the screener, the more dangerous Curry will jump off the player, cut Harden, and quickly return to the original man. This is one of the benefits of getting him to Ariza or Mbah a Moute. However, this is still dangerous. Everything is dangerous for Houston
• Houston will slow down and wait for all conversions from the Golden State Warriors to produce a mismatch and attack it. Turning this series into a rock fight may even represent its best chance.
But the Rockets must be careful to push this strategy to the extreme. Harden has a tendency to jump shot against wing defenders who don't even make any mismatches and slips into a three-step back. This is a good choice for him - perhaps he (possibly) defines the MVP season. He will do something.
I doubt he is enough for the Golden State's most capable defender. If Harden falls into the trap of launching too many midfielders, Houston will not be able to win this series. It beat Houston's rhythm. He needs to drive more - use his one-on-one match or reach the basket, or unlock simpler shots for teammates.
• This is another reason why Capella is an important player. He is by far the best screen maker in Houston. When he is on the court, Harden is more likely to ask for choice than to hoard offense. Yes, Capella confuses paint when Harden chooses to drive one-on-one. It's ok. He and Harden had a good chemical reaction and played in the tension under the basket.
No other rocket can repeat Capella's basket and cover. He is their only offensive rebounder - they used Cappela's bench to rebound his missed 12% shooting to a poor position - and there were several second-time scoring points for the Warriors. Small lineups are always useful. I'm not sure Capella will be able to play more than 32 minutes of stability in each game. The Rockets can win the game. How Capella's game against Curry on the switch - and whether Curry's knee allowed him to be the most decent dribble - is probably the most important leader.
• Drawing this series as a referendum on Paul and Harden will be fashionable. nonsense. For this Golden State team, it will not lose face. Paul has already proved the authenticity of his playoffs. Harden went further into the finals than Paul, but he was a man with more legendary points-especially after he played against San Antonio last season.
The Rockets can't afford Harden's bad habits and old trends. Too much retreat will not cut it. Houston needed to rely more on those combinations that Harden and Paul magnified from the corner, tied the screen, and sprinted to the top of the arc. No one defends these.
Harden should have this energy and try his best to defend himself. This is why Houston pursued Paul - in order to ease Harden's burden and save energy for it. Houston can try to hide Iguodala, Greene, Livingston, and even Wayne Rooney - except Thompson, Curry and Durant. However, they cannot deposit in this area. Houston's move and Golden State's turbo push mean that Harden will be one of those players there and there. Everyone is a threat in Golden State's rotating screen and cutting system. Every defender must maintain high vigilance.
If Harden is a weak link, the Warriors will use him. If he fights and has his own teammates, the Rockets have a chance.
• For Durant, the Warriors have the ability to perform the slow, mismatched games that Houston likes. They carried out more Curry Durant pick-and-rolls in recent games against New Orleans and usually left a smaller guard in Durant, Paul. Paul has a trick to dig holes in higher players and cut them down. This is not enough for the purest scorer in history.
Houston may be able to push Paul in other places, and the two in the Ariza/Tuck/Mbah Amut trio maintain the combination of Curry Durant - this means they can switch and not in Durant Special body lost too much. However, again: It is not easy to equip the game in this way.
Houston will have to be very careful to help Durant's help in the later period. Slav leaves Green and he pops up to screen Curry, Thompson or other shooters. Green's men are far from this movement, and if Green's choice is connected, the shooter will be wide open. The Warriors used this action to burn New Orleans over and over again.
The predecessor of the NBA Live series was the NBA Playoffs series, which featured Lakers vs. Celtics, released first in 1989 for MS-DOS-compatible PCs and later adapted for consoles in early 1990 for the Sega Mega Drive. This game was played from a horizontal view (while later versions moved to an isometric view before ultimately moving to 3D on newer consoles). The game was one of the first to feature an NBA license, containing both real NBA teams and player likenesses and signature moves. Details such as Horace Grants goggles are clearly visible, and Michael Jordans "Air Reverse Layup" is animated with very high accuracy. Player numbers were also visible. The game featured only eight of the sixteen teams that qualified for the NBA playoffs that year, as well as both NBA All-Star teams.
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