Champion Rules

Chapter 358 (354): It's That Simple (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

There are many different kinds of GOATs in NBA history.

For example, in terms of statistics, the GOAT will always be that man, LeBron James.
His predecessor, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain.

He'll do anything for the sake of data.

Once, in a fit of rage, he scored an astonishing 100 points in a single game.

Wilt Chamberlain later admitted that the performance was so ugly that even his own mother couldn't stand it and stormed off halfway through, yelling at him in the players' tunnel that he was "shameless."

His off-court statistics are even more enviable than his on-court statistics.

In terms of GOAT (Greatest of All Time), Wilt Chamberlain is unmatched.

When it comes to forming superteams, the GOAT title undoubtedly belongs to LeBron James.
His idol is Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the GOAT of the super team.

In 1992, he ushered in the first era of superteams in basketball history, forming the infamous Dream Team.

Surrounded by an unprecedented number of superstar teammates, Michael Jordan played cards until four or five in the morning every day in Barcelona and still won an Olympic gold medal, making him the originator of the super team phenomenon.

His feat also inspired young players like LeBron James, helping them break free from mental shackles.

Since the Dream Team in 1992, NBA players have officially entered the FIBA ​​arena.

All American players are proud to participate in the Dream Team's superteam activities.

Being selected for the Olympic Dream Team proves, in some ways, that you are one of the best American players in the world.

This in itself is an honor.

For Dwight Howard, however, this honor, which symbolized "top homegrown player," came to an abrupt end in 2012.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Tyson Chandler was the center who ultimately stood on the podium with the team.

He was the only center player called up to the Dream Team this summer.

The reformist spirit brought by the Thunder and Knicks still reached the FIBA ​​arena.

The US team's roster clearly shows that, apart from Tyson Chandler, all the other big men they bring can be categorized as "small-ball big men."

The Dream Team publicly stated that they dropped Dwight Howard because he was plagued by injuries.

But Warcraft was well aware of his physical condition; he did have some injuries, but they wouldn't affect the game at all.

The real reason is that the Dream Team coaching staff felt that Tyson Chandler was better at and more willing to run pick-and-rolls.

This reason left Dwight Howard speechless, both amused and exasperated.

After seeing the Dream Team successfully reach the top, Dwight Howard's face no longer showed a smile, only tears.

The summer of 2012 was too cruel for him.

He is the same age as Lynch, only 26 years old this year.

Lin Qi stands proudly at the top of the world, basking in unparalleled praise and applause.

However, he was put on the shelf and kicked out by the Dream Team, losing all face.

Even worse, his monthly bills were getting higher and higher. The alimony for his multiple children born out of wedlock was consuming millions of dollars of his income each year.

Ugh, it's all my fault for being greedy for critical hits again!

Life has never been so difficult for Warcraft.

All these setbacks fueled Dwight Howard's already growing resentment.

However, hardship has yielded an unexpected gift: when Mike Budenholzer took over the Atlanta Hawks, he may have received the most aggressive and competitive version of Howard's career.

This is one of the reasons why the Hawks were able to win all their preseason games.

Dwight Howard embraced the team philosophy that Mike Budenholzer brought from San Antonio.

He started playing more actively off the ball and running pick-and-rolls more aggressively.

Mike Budenholzer used various advanced statistics to convince Dwight Howard that he is a significant scoring threat when playing off-ball on offense.

As a player whose low-post dominance is not top-notch and whose passing ability is terrible, off-the-ball movement should be his comfort zone.

Unfortunately, neither Howard himself nor coach Stan Van Gundy seemed to realize this in Orlando.

Of course, Mike Budenholzer did not completely deprive Warcraft of the right to play in the low post.

However, in his tactical system, Howard's low-post play provides purely emotional value.

Just like giving a child a piece of candy to coax him into reading quietly, Budenholzer chose to use occasional low-post possessions in exchange for Dwight Howard's diligence on the defensive end and his obedient finishing on the offensive end.

Dwight Howard's feelings are completely understandable; it's a common problem among big man stars. Early in his career, Hakeem Olajuwon was also a toxic player obsessed with low-post isolation plays.

But as long as there's a willingness to change, that's a good thing.

With Howard's influence, the Atlanta Hawks are ranked fourth in ESPN's new season power rankings.

Second only to the Knicks, Thunder, and Spurs, they are highly regarded by the media.

With a completely new strategy and the best Dwight Howard, the transformed Hawks arrived in New York.

As the defending champions' opening game opponent, the Atlanta Hawks received unprecedented attention.

As soon as Dwight Howard stepped into Madison Square Garden wearing a Hawks jersey, he was surrounded by reporters.

At first, Warcraft greeted the reporters with his signature smile.

But the reporters' pointed questions were like thorns piercing his most sensitive areas.

"Dwight, how would you define your Orlando career? A triumphant retirement? Or a bitter defeat?"

"The Dream Team won the Olympic gold medal in London, and Tyson Chandler, their only center, was in the limelight. Honestly, are you jealous?"

"You've been selected to the All-NBA First Team for five consecutive years and the All-Defensive First Team for four consecutive years. Logically, you're a true superstar. But the gap between you and Lynch, called 'dominance,' is becoming increasingly clear. Does this make you feel a sense of loss?"

"Shaq reiterated that you don't deserve the nickname 'Superman.' What do you think?"

The last trace of a smile on Howard's face quickly froze, and a gloomy look crept up his face.

He didn't answer any specific questions, but instead told everyone:

"A chasm? No, no, no, there is no chasm at all. Lynch has indeed achieved tremendous success in the past few years, but tonight we are here to tell the entire league that Lynch's good times are over."

Before the game began, Lynch, as usual, accepted the championship ring that symbolized the king's power, and calmly watched as the New York Knicks' brand-new championship banner slowly rose toward the dome of Madison Square Garden.

All of this was no longer particularly exciting for Lynch, after all, this was the fourth year in a row he had gone through this process.

For him, all the excitement and passion remained on the night of victory in June.

Immediately following, the battle was about to begin, with the starting players from both sides gathering in the center circle.

As soon as Lynch approached, Dwight Howard spoke up: "Hey Lynch, you should really thank God that the Hawks didn't make that trade for me last season."

"why?"

"Because if that trade had gone through, you might not have had the chance to receive your championship ring."

Lin Qi didn't reply. He simply raised his hand and slowly tapped his temple with his long, slender index finger, as if to remind the magical beast to think before it speaks.

But soon, Lynch realized that his response contained a logical error.

You can't expect someone who doesn't have a brain to think before they speak.

The Knicks' new starting lineup is not much different from last season, except that Wilson Chandler has been replaced by Vince Carter.

The Hawks' roster on paper hasn't changed much, but the tactical positioning and framework of their starting five have been completely reshaped by Mike Budenholzer.

Besides Jeff Teague and Joe Johnson continuing to pair up at guard.

Josh Smith was moved to the small forward position, Al Horford played power forward, and the newly joined Dwight Howard played center.

The whistle blows, the ball goes up.

Dwight Howard won the first possession for the Hawks, and Jeff Teague dribbled quickly across half-court without holding onto the ball for long, then accurately passed it to the wing.

There, Joe Johnson had just circled out and comfortably caught the ball.

But DeMar DeRozan didn't lose his position and quickly got back in place.

Following last season's pattern, Joe Johnson will definitely go for a one-on-one play.

But he didn't do that this year.

The moment the basketball was in DeRozan's hands, a massive figure suddenly appeared beside him like a mobile fortress—it was Howard!
Joe Johnson used a screen to create space, forcing DeAndre Jordan to close in and delay him.

At the same time, Howard, like a cheetah that has smelled blood, suddenly started moving and quickly descended.

Joe Johnson skillfully tossed the basketball high into the paint, and Dwight Howard pushed off the ground with all his might, taking off at breakneck speed!

In mid-air, Howard's muscles were taut, ready to smash the opening clamor of Madison Square Garden with a powerful, deep dunk!
The basketball spun, hovering at his fingertips. In the blink of an eye, he could catch it and finish the game.

All eyes were fixed on the monster and the basketball in mid-air, their mouths agape in astonishment. However, their astonishment did not stem from the monster's terrifying leap.

They were surprised by the sight of another person appearing in the air.

Just a second before Dwight Howard was about to catch the ball in mid-air, the backboard suddenly exploded with a loud "bang." Relying on his athleticism, which was comparable to Dwight Howard's, and his exceptional anticipation, Lynch pinned the ball firmly to the backboard before Howard could catch it!
Upon landing, Lynch was positioned perfectly in front of the camera at the baseline.

The director quickly switched the camera, and the signal instantly spread to every household.

So, all the viewers in front of the screen could clearly see that Lynch, after taking the basketball and landing, was smiling.

He turned around, tossed the ball to Kyrie Irving, and then ran forward.

As he brushed past Dwight Howard, his lips barely moved: "Stop making those idiotic jokes of yours that make me laugh!"

The noise at Madison Square Garden intensified. On the sidelines, Mike Budenholzer felt as if the sound waves had materialized and rushed into the arena from behind him, tugging at the hem of his suit jacket.

This made him subconsciously swallow.

That last attack was an absolutely perfect attack.

The tactics were intricately linked and executed flawlessly, with Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, and Dwight Howard forming a deadly offensive triangle.

The team executed all the tactics, but Lynch stepped up and thwarted a shot that was almost certain to go in!
Last season, Mike Budenholzer, as the Spurs' assistant coach, found it hard to accept that the Spurs had lost to the Thunder again.

But what he found even harder to accept was that the Thunder, who had eliminated the Spurs, couldn't even win a single game against the Knicks in the Finals!

He knew the Thunder's strength, and he didn't believe the Knicks had such terrifying power that they could sweep them directly.

He had always wondered why the Thunder couldn't win a single game.

Tonight, as he faced the Knicks as head coach, he finally understood why.

Even if the tactics are executed successfully in front of that number 20, it doesn't mean everything is fine!

He won the Defensive Player of the Year award for four consecutive years, keeping defensive monsters like Dwight Howard from even touching the trophy base. Lynch's success wasn't just due to popularity.

The Knicks immediately countered, with Kyrie Irving using a beautiful dribble to get past Jeff Teague, and Josh Smith immediately pressed in to help defend.

Irving didn't rush in for the win; instead, he passed the ball to Vince Carter in the corner.

But the moment Carter pulled up, Al Horford had already pounced on him.

As a short center, Al Horford is not perceived as a defensive stalwart.

His college days, when he and Joakim Noah were combined and then got completely dominated by Oden with one hand, only reinforced this impression.

Compared to offense, defense is not as easy to understand.

Because it's not intuitive; a player who gets a lot of steals and blocks isn't necessarily a good defender.

Defense requires fundamental skills, top-level game intelligence to anticipate the game situation, and honed experience and awareness.

Al Horford has all of these.

Therefore, Al Horford is actually a defensive stalwart who is not so obviously defensive.

When Josh Smith was helping to defend Irving, Al Horford had already anticipated that Irving might pass to the baseline.

Without hesitation, he moved forward to assist in the defense and swiftly blocked the attack.

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, Al Horford's excellent defense thwarted the Knicks' attack.

The Atlanta Hawks' truly formidable weapon this season is their impenetrable defense.

All three starting forwards possess the ability of a top-tier defensive lineup.

After Dwight Howard filled the gaps in rim protection, the Hawks' defense is absolutely top-tier in the league.

In the following rounds, both sides displayed a suffocating defensive intensity, resulting in a fierce but impenetrable battle.

In other words, both sides are struggling.

Both teams have played excellent defense, and neither has had any decent chances since the start of the game.

The Hawks' help defense rotation is terrifyingly strong, with all three of their frontcourt players possessing both speed and physicality.

Even though Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan could barely create a gap with their individual abilities, they were always thwarted by timely interventions from the forwards.

The Knicks' defense was equally impenetrable, with their perimeter defense working tirelessly and relentlessly. Lynch's help defense range was as terrifying as ever, thwarting many of the Hawks' attacks.

So, after a full two minutes of this meat grinder-like battle, the scoreboard was completely blank, with neither side scoring a single point!

The first to lose control were the Warcraft players who loved critical hits.

Seeing that the stalemate was difficult to break, in this possession he leaned against DeAndre Jordan in the low post, raised his hand to ask for the ball, and prepared to take a one-on-one shot, using the methods of a superstar to solve the problem.

Jeff Teague delivered the ball smoothly, and Howard turned to face the basket, initiating a strong drive.

The moment it was activated, Lin Qi's attack arrived from both sides.

Faced with the looming shadow, Howard instinctively wanted to pass the ball to Al Horford, who had shooting range.

But as soon as he exposed the basketball to his chest, Lin Qi precisely sliced ​​it away!

Dwight Howard's error rate has remained high for many years; whether it's protecting the ball or passing it out, he is far from elite level.

Theoretically speaking, equipping Dwight Howard with a stretch four is the right approach.

But not everyone is like Dream, able to calmly observe and pass the ball smoothly under high pressure.

Warcraft's attempt to break through with his individual skill failed, which seemed to be the most direct response to this attempt to break the deadlock. In this round, Lynch also sank into the low post and raised his hand to ask for the ball!

For the past two minutes, Kyrie Irving has maintained control of the offense, while Lynch has focused all his energy and attention on the defensive end.

Now, he wants to reclaim the baton of attack.

Kyrie Irving didn't hesitate and passed the ball.

In his second year, Irving was indeed seeking more freedom to take shots, but he always understood who was the king and who was the queen.

Lynch received the ball in the low post and faced Al Horford. The moment he got the ball, he felt the opponent's solid baseline defense.

But this was just the appetizer for this defense.

Howard, standing to the side, was already on high alert.

From his seemingly certain alley-oop attempt being ruthlessly blocked at the start of the game, to his proud low-post face-up being stolen from the basket, Howard's pent-up anger was almost about to explode.

This difficult start stands in stark contrast to his pre-match boast of "ending the Lynch era."

Fortunately, neither side scored.

He's now focused on protecting his defense and preventing Lynch from scoring.

This became the only lifeline the monster trapped in the ice cave could grasp.

Seeing Lin Qi begin to exert force and push back, the magical beasts immediately attacked from both sides.

Seeing this, Lin Qi decisively twisted to the limit towards the baseline and jumped to shoot.

Al Horford's defense was instantly torn apart, but Dwight Howard still managed to block the ball with his superior physical abilities.

And, his fingertips were about to touch the surface of the basketball.

But no block occurred.

Before Howard even touched the ball, the basketball, which Lynch had held above his shoulder, seemed to be pulled back by an invisible thread, and with the slightest difference in the distance, it was pulled back sharply!

Howard's seemingly determined hand barely grazed the edge of the basketball, and Lynch miraculously avoided the block!
Time seemed to freeze for half a second at the highest point. Lin Qi's arm, which had already begun to fall, readjusted its direction like a precise clock, adjusted its posture, and successfully released the ball, which went in cleanly off the backboard!
Lynch just thwarted Dwight Howard's sure-fire alley-oop, and now he's scored 2 points with a block that Howard was determined to make!
Compared to Lynch's ability to break through defenses, Dwight Howard's one-on-one play just now seemed like child's play.

Goal! The deadlock has finally been broken.

Lynch delivered a convincing superstar shot that stripped Dwight Howard of his last shred of dignity, revealing the vast difference in quality between the two players.

Perhaps they can exert a similar impact on the defensive end.

However, their offensive capabilities are worlds apart.

Before the game, reporters' questions made Dwight Howard try his best to hide the gap between him and Lynch. But the game was honest, exposing this gap completely to everyone.

After landing, Lynch spread his hands towards Dwight Howard with an arrogant posture and expression, as if the basketball god who dominated the 90s had detached from the aging Michael Jordan and come into Lynch's body.

"It wasn't about luck, nor was it about transactions or God."

You keep failing simply because you're not as good as me.

It's that simple. "

It's that simple.

Competitive sports are that simple.

(End of this chapter)