Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 173 We are just as strong as them

O'Neal has never been very petty.

Or rather, O'Neal cares a lot about his image.

Not to mention before the Finals began, even before the playoffs started, the Magic, with their reputation as a guaranteed Finals contender, were constantly analyzed by the media with a magnifying glass.

Analyze whether Brown can beat you, and analyze how you should defend against Brown.

When the locker room was open before the game, a reporter asked me this question.

O'Neal said polite things, but he was actually very concerned.

He knew Brown was the number one draft pick and had made the All-Star team in his rookie season, playing very well.

But he is, after all, a newcomer.

He has worked hard in the league for many years to achieve the current dominance that makes him a highly sought-after center in the entire league.

As a rookie, what right do you have to compare yourself to yourself?

It would be so embarrassing to lose to Brown.

So after Brown scored one-on-one, O'Neal had to respond with one of his own.

He immediately turned and ran away, heading straight for the restricted area.

On the left side of the basket, O'Neal leaned against Brown and reached out for the ball.

What annoyed him even more was that the kid wasn't defending him with all his might.

In the two previous games, Brown was often the only one guarding him. His defensive strategy was simple: to constantly compete against himself.

Whenever he gets close to the restricted area, he acts like he's going to fight to the death, frantically pushing himself away and forcing himself to stay away from the basket.

A perfectly good basketball game was turned into a wrestling match.

But in this game, Brown changed.

With less physical contact, there's no restriction on getting close to the basket, and players are defending themselves like a normal inside player.

PJ Brown is not double-teamed yet.

This made O'Neal even more annoyed. What? Townsend trained Sather, and you got caught up in it too?

The ball didn't come in immediately.

When Fisher dribbled the ball across half-court and habitually handed it to Kobe, Kobe was immediately entangled with him.

Sather held one hand in front of Kobe, keeping an arm's length distance, and followed Kobe closely as he moved.

Like O'Neal, Kobe was also asked by reporters before the game how he would deal with Sasser.

Kobe, as always, said he was really looking forward to it.

Now it's here.

With just one probe, Kobe felt the defensive pressure.

He lowered his waist and shoulders to the left, suspending the ball in his left hand to attack Sather's outstretched right foot, then instantly changed direction and rushed to the right.

Kobe's breakthroughs were certainly sharp and fast, but they didn't reach the level of McGrady's pure talent and unstoppable first step. His breakthroughs were more skillful, rhythmic, and showed greater control over his body, allowing him to make different changes in succession.

This time, however, Sasser moved his right foot. He seemed to have been tricked, but not completely. He turned his hips, slid his left foot, and followed with his right foot. His movements were very decisive, and he precisely blocked Kobe's path of attack.

They couldn't break through!

Even a brief physical contact made Kobe realize just how strong Sasser's body was.

Many times, Kobe, weighing 95 kilograms, could overpower defenders simply by using his weight.

He pulled back to control the ball and passed it.

Then he looked at Sather with some surprise.

He didn't know what kind of player Sasser was or how he played.

But as things stand, he is definitely a top-class defensive player.

They have excellent physical fitness and move incredibly fast.

Most importantly, he seemed to have a wealth of experience, completely anticipating his own movements and avoiding being shaken.

He couldn't help but wonder how Tang Sen had trained Sather over those four months.

The ball quickly reached O'Neal's hands.

He was getting a little impatient, especially with Kobe.

Why bother with all that fancy stuff? Just give me the ball and that's it.

Backhand smash.

It's very difficult!
Brown's physical strength is really good.

However, O'Neal had his own methods. As long as he could get close to the basket and there was only one defender around him, he seemed to be in his own rhythm, and no one could stop him.

With a half-turn and a slight backbend, O'Neal rose to his feet.

Like a rocket launching into the sky, when he, weighing 175 kilograms, rose from the ground, his strength was unmatched.

Brown won't work either.

So when facing O'Neal, Brown mainly tried to keep him away from the basket through early physical contact.

O'Neal stretched out his arm and slammed the ball into the basket with his left hand.

It vividly portrays violence and power.

After landing, he raised his thumbs and made a face at Brown.

It seems like they're praising Brown for "playing such a great defense."

Shaquille O'Neal also had a great talent for mocking people.

Brown watched all this, snorted, and followed along, completely unconcerned.

This is just the beginning, what are you bragging about?

Courtside.

At the start of the match, Jason remained calm and sat steadily in his chair.

"Phil, what's Magic doing?"

Kurt Rambis whispered beside him.

He couldn't quite understand the Magic's defensive strategy, which was why they didn't choose to double-team O'Neal.

Even with PJ Brown in front of him, there was no interference with the pass.

Jackson was also thinking about this issue.

He turned to look across the court, where Rivers stood with his arms crossed and a stern expression.

He believes that Rivers must have been preparing for this series for a long time.

I am one of them.

At the start of the playoffs, Jackson took the time to discuss with the coaching staff how to play against the Magic if they made it to the Finals.

The Magic have the advantage of being in the East; a Finals appearance is practically guaranteed.

After much deliberation, Jackson and his team concluded that the Magic would only choose to double-team O'Neal.

Otherwise, why would they trade for PJ Brown?

"It might be the start of the game, let's wait and see," Jackson said softly.

After a moment's hesitation, he said with a hint of amusement, "Or perhaps, the magician is fantasizing that Kwame can go toe-to-toe with Shaq?"

If you can't defend me and I can't defend you, then at the center position, it's essentially a trade-off.

No.

Magic might have an advantage.

Because Brown was more involved than O'Neal in the tactical operation, many of the Magic's offensive plays were initiated by him through pick-and-rolls.

"Impossible!" Lambis exclaimed in surprise.

Does Brown have the ability to play an offensive game?

“So, I was talking about fantasy.” Jackson shrugged.

If it's all just wishful thinking, then it's naturally Rivers's unrealistic fantasy.

Looking at Brown's performance in those two regular season games, was it simply because he expended too much energy on the defensive end?
In one-on-one situations, O'Neal's defense was also top-notch.

Lambis nodded and smiled.

Rambis only chuckled twice before his smile vanished as McGrady drove past Fox and hit a slightly faded jump shot from near the baseline.

"Phil, what do we do on the perimeter? That Sasser is a very strong defender."

Lambis had already figured it out after just one round of contact.

Sasse's defense should not be underestimated.

Jackson rested his chin on his hand, a wise glint in his eyes behind his glasses. He felt he had somewhat grasped Rivers's thinking.

The inside game was disrupted, and McGrady and Kobe were mismatched on the outside.

Previously, Fox couldn't stop McGrady, and Miller couldn't stop Kobe.

Now, with Sather, if Sather can contain Kobe, the Magic will have an advantage on the perimeter.

If the role players don't underperform, then the Magic have a chance to win.

Jackson nodded silently, "That must be it."

Otherwise, why would Rivers go to such lengths to get Tang Sen to train a Sasser?
But that's just an ideal scenario. Jackson tapping his fingers on his knee, and you, Brown, can go toe-to-toe with Shaq? You, Sasser, can contain Kobe?
This is a competition, not a place for lofty ideals.

Especially Brown, can he handle it?
Jackson's gaze fell on Brown.

Magic offense.

At the beginning of the playoffs, the Lakers continued with their regular season starting lineup, with Samaki Walker starting at power forward.

But Jackson gradually realized that Horry was more reliable when facing strong opponents.

So, just like in the Western Conference Finals against the Kings, Jackson opted to start Horry again.

Horry's starting position brought about a change in that he was more active on the perimeter, leaving the paint relatively more open.

Jackson saw this as a good thing.

In one-on-one situations in the paint, no one could beat O'Neal.

If you choose to have your power forward guard the paint and help defend O'Neal, then Horry will be wide open on the perimeter.

He has already proven in the Western Conference Finals how crucial and terrifying his three-point shooting is.

But the same.

The spacious paint area actually made it easier for Brown and O'Neal to have one-on-one battles.

On the right low post, Brown lowered his back and sat down on O'Neal.

Billups lobbed the ball in.

The moment he received the ball, Brown had already started his run, cutting straight to the basket.

While he certainly couldn't overpower O'Neal, Brown, with his strong core, wouldn't be too affected by such a confrontation.

His trajectory was further out, and he even deliberately bumped into O'Neal, then used the momentum to bounce back, took a step to face the basket, and pulled up for a shot.

He weighs at least 115 kilograms and has incredible strength. Apart from Shaquille O'Neal, he can easily contend with any center in the league.

So that bump slowed O'Neal down a beat, and by the time he jumped to block, it was too late.

Ewing's signature move, the bunny hop, is certainly impressive; the flip and jump is so sudden that the ball is already raised and ready to be shot as he leaps into the air.

At this point, it is difficult for the defender to make an effective response.

All that hard work paid off; the basketball swished through the net.

The cheers from the crowd were deafening.

The Orlando fans were incredibly enthusiastic today, displaying amazing passion.

The Lakers were booed wildly whenever they had the ball.

Once the magic trick is successfully performed, cheers will surely erupt.

O'Neal curled his lip in disdain and ran away with his head down.

The Magic didn't choose to double-team, so the Lakers naturally kept sending the ball to the basket.

He feinted with his back turned, then turned around aggressively.

With such a massive body, how many people could withstand the power it unleashed when it turned around?

Brown tensed all his muscles, but was still forcibly pushed aside.

There was a loud bang.

The rim was shaking.

O'Neal slammed the rim down before landing, as if declaring that he was the undisputed king of the paint.

Brown remained silent and followed along.

The ball is still being passed to the basket.

Billups was very clear-headed; if he wanted to overcome the Lakers, who had dominated the league for three years, he couldn't afford to be weak in terms of momentum.

Especially when the Magic choose to go toe-to-toe with O'Neal.

If you make one, then I need to make one too.

A head-on clash, a battle of wits.

There is only one path to Mount Hua, and there is no turning back. Even if it seems impossible, you must keep going.

So all he could do was trust Brown.

If Shaquille O'Neal maximized his physical advantages, then Brown today has perfectly combined the fundamental skills of a center with his finishing touches.

The moment he received the ball with his back to the basket, he swept it and turned, taking a very large step that made O'Neal instinctively take a small step back.

Then Brown pulled back and shot directly.

It went in without veering off course.

O'Neal cursed under his breath.

He really felt that Brown was much more difficult to deal with than before.

Brown used to rely on only three offensive moves, and with his strong physique, he could barely score some points against me.

But it's different now.

Brown has a wide range of offensive options.

He can shoot from various positions around the basket.

He can turn his back and hook his arm around someone.

Moreover, it integrates exceptionally well with low-post footwork.

He can use hook shots with his back to the basket, fake out shots to attack the rim directly, and also use fake moves to pull back and shoot.

He has become a tech enthusiast.

This directly increased the difficulty of O'Neal's defense.

O'Neal wasn't too afraid of skill-based players because he had a physical advantage.

But O'Neal hates guys who have both skill and physique.

For example, those old guys from the 1990s, or Duncan now.

It's really hard to defend against.

Although Brown also has difficulty defending himself, if they continue to play like this, wouldn't it be a one-on-one offensive?
If that's the case, then in O'Neal's mind, it doesn't count as dominating the opponent.

His idea of ​​crushing his opponent was to score 30 points while his opponent only managed a pitiful single-digit score.

If you score 30 points and your opponent also scores 30 points, that's shameful.

I can think about it, but I can't do it.

O'Neal was frustrated to find that after he scored a powerful point, Brown would always manage to score one in the next one or two possessions.

He didn't remember the score, but he felt that the two scores were not much different.

Let's ask them a question after the first quarter ends.

really.

He scored 11 points in the first quarter, while Brown scored 10.

O'Neal's face darkened instantly.

One-on-one, without double-teaming, this result isn't called dominating the opponent, it's called being evenly matched.

He turned his head to look across the street and saw Rivers excitedly hugging Brown.

He cursed under his breath, thinking Rivers must be overjoyed.

Rivers was indeed overjoyed.

Before the game, when he chose to have Brown and O'Neal go head-to-head, he really felt like he was taking a risky move.

But he felt that if there were many ways to defeat the Lakers, this was the one with the best chance of winning.

But that's difficult.

O'Neal's offense was unstoppable, and his defense was top-notch. Few players in the league could score easily against him.

So when Rivers decided to do this, he was really nervous, afraid that Brown would be blown out.

But the results are what they are.

Brown wasn't blown out; he simply couldn't stop O'Neal, allowing O'Neal to go 5-for-7 and score 11 points.

But Brown also scored 10 points.

Moreover, his efficiency was as high as O'Neal's, shooting 4 out of 6.

He grabbed the crowd and said excitedly, "Everyone says the Lakers are strong, they're going to win three in a row, they're invincible."

"But right now, we're in the lead!"

The Magic led by 4 points at the end of the first quarter, 27-23.

"Most importantly, we didn't get ahead because of luck; we got ahead because of our strength."

It wasn't that anyone had an explosive shooting streak and sank several three-pointers that gave the Magic the lead.

The Magic's lead was earned through real hard work and competition.

"So gentlemen."

Rivers looked around at everyone and said passionately, "Forget about the media's claims. They are not invincible because we are just as strong as they are."

(End of this chapter)