Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 174 Kobe in Trouble, Lakers in Even More Trouble
From the stands, cheers rose and fell like waves.

The vibrations were so strong that everyone's ears hurt.

Tang Sen was sitting next to Yao Ming at that moment.

Listening to the huge cheers from the stands, Yao Ming's face showed a longing expression, then he whispered to Tang Sen beside him, "Brother Sen, do you think we can win?"

"us?"

Tang Sen was taken aback and looked at Yao Ming strangely, thinking to himself, "When did you become a Magic fan?"

After thinking for a moment, Tang Sen said, "We should be able to win today."

Yao Ming was slightly surprised and asked what he meant by "we can win today".

“That’s what it means literally.”

Tang Sen shrugged and said, "The Lakers don't know our strength or our playing style. We can catch them off guard."

Jackson probably never dreamed that the Magic would put Brown and O'Neal in a head-to-head offensive battle.

Seeing Yao Ming's thoughtful expression, Tang Sen suddenly wanted to have a chat with him and asked, "Yao Ming, how do you think the Kings lost?"

Tang Sen's question was somewhat off-topic.

And this question really stumped Yao Ming; after thinking about it, he still shook his head.

He observed how the king lost and concluded that he lacked luck.

“The king is very strong, that’s for sure,” Tang Sen said.

At the beginning of the season, Townsend didn't think the Kings were anything special.

But it wasn't until the later stages of the season, especially the playoffs, that Tangsen realized just how strong the Kings really were.

"They maximized the advantages of team basketball."

Everyone can score, everyone is passing the ball; this kind of basketball is a feast.

"But they still lost. Don't say the referees stole the show. While that was part of the reason, it wasn't the real reason the Kings lost."

"what is that?"

Yao Ming also became interested and asked in return.

Tang Sen said, "It's because the playoffs are a series, and the longer the series goes on, the more disadvantageous it is for teams that play team basketball."

"The Kings don't have superstars like Shaq and Kobe. Their individual abilities are not as good as the Lakers', so they can only win through teamwork."

"In this situation, they must stay on high alert at all times and cannot afford to relax in any way. To exaggerate, they must play every single possession well in order to defeat the Lakers."

"If it's just one or two games, then there's no problem."

"But this is a seven-game series, and it's hard for players to maintain a very high level of focus and commitment. The further you go, the more difficult it becomes, and then the teamwork will break down, and team basketball won't work."

Yao Ming nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that it made sense.

The Kings are not as strong as the Lakers, and they need to rely on excellent teamwork to leverage their team advantages and win games.

But in a long series, no one can maintain a high level of performance indefinitely; eventually, everyone will get tired.

Like a precision machine, once one of its gears becomes loose, the whole machine stops turning.

Tang Sen continued, "But teams like the Lakers that win because of their star players are different. Star players rely on their talent to play. Even if they have a bad game, they can get back into form after a rest."

"Therefore, in long series, it is often the teams with star players who are able to hold on until the end."

"So the regular season and the playoffs are different. In the playoffs, star players are the key."

During the regular season, O'Neal was generally coasting, and Kobe would give him some criticism. With his performance fluctuating, it was normal for the team to lose.

Just like the Magic, who swept the Lakers twice during the regular season, does that mean they were stronger than the Lakers?

Hearing this, Yao Ming roughly understood what Tang Sen wanted to say and said, "Brother Sen, so you mean that to beat the Lakers, you also need to have star players."

"Yes."

Tang Sen nodded, "That makes sense."

A good tactic, a breakout performance from a role player, or better teamwork in a particular game—these are all icing on the cake.

But in the end, winning the series still depends on star players.

"And we happen to have two star players, so I think we can win."

Especially after watching the first quarter of the game.

In the second half of the season, Tang Sen had more people training him, and to be honest, he wasn't as attentive to Brown's progress as he had been after the draft last year.

Often, he would provide the training plan himself, and then he would follow it.

But it was under these circumstances that he gradually improved his strength.

Only now, upon closer inspection, did Tang Sen realize how excellent his skills had become.

It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from his turnaround jump shot not being quite good enough, his offensive skills are not much worse than Ewing's in his prime.

Even in terms of combining low-post footwork with finishing, he seems to be slightly better than Ewing.

He did try practicing the Dream Steps after all.

Therefore, he can amplify his offensive threat through skillful footwork, thereby gaining an opportunity to strike.

Being able to go toe-to-toe with O'Neal is the best proof of that.

"So Yao Ming, work hard to improve your skills. This is the NBA, and star players are the foundation."

All that I said before was actually to lay the groundwork for this sentence.

Let Yao Ming know the importance of star players.

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and it's not absolute."

Tang Sen still put on a layer of armor for himself, just in case he was proven wrong.

Yao Ming must have taken it to heart.

He watched the two teams of players walk onto the field, his thoughts racing.

He stepped up when the team was in dire straits and needed a victory.

Without teamwork or tactics, it's an unsolvable attack, the ultimate form of individual heroism.

Then win the game.

Yao Ming let out a breath, thinking with anticipation, "That scene must be so beautiful."

The second quarter begins.

Neither team dared to make extensive substitutions.

McGrady and Kobe led the team.

Just over a minute later, amidst gasps from the audience, Jackson suddenly stood up.

It's Sasser!
The Lakers' bench isn't great, so all they can do is rely on Kobe to play.

When Kobe faced Sather one-on-one again, Sather stole the ball from him during his turnaround jump shot after backing down the defender.

Jackson was stunned.

That's Kobe!
There are a few players in the league who can make Kobe resort to back-to-the-basket moves, turn around and shoot, only to have the ball stolen from him.

On the court, Sather, who had stolen the ball, did not hesitate to dive and catch the rolling basketball, then immediately threw it to Billups, who was nearby.

Not far away, McGrady darted away in a flash.

A long pass, and McGrady glides in with a powerful dunk.

31 to 25, the score difference came to 6 points.

Inside the TNT studio, Barkley was exclaiming in amazement at the steal.

Amid a series of beeps, Barkley finally exclaimed, "Jeryl is too aggressive! Look at his defense, Kobe can't get in at all."

Smith nodded in agreement, echoing, "Kobe is in big trouble. So far, he's only scored 4 points on 2-of-6 shooting. That's not like Kobe at all!"

They take few shots and their efficiency is extremely low.

In the past, Kobe Bryant had periods of inconsistent performance, sometimes missing shots throughout the game.

But this match wasn't due to his own poor form; it was simply because Sasser defended exceptionally well.

"How did Tang do that? I had absolutely no recollection of Jerell, I didn't even know what kind of player he was, and yet after training for a few months, he was able to defend against Kobe, it's unbelievable."

Barkley exclaimed again, calling it unbelievable.

Smith said with an exaggerated expression, "Charles, really, you should believe that Don has magic. He really does have magic."

At this point, Ernie Johnson said, "Actually, it's not just Kobe who's in trouble; the Lakers are in big trouble too."

"The Magic surprisingly chose to have Kwame defend Shaq alone. Although Shaq scored 11 points, Kwame also scored 10 points."

"This is terrible; it means the Lakers didn't gain any advantage in the paint."

The Lakers' advantage in the paint was key to their victory.

No one on the opposing team could match O'Neal, and they had to pay the price of having an extra player to double-team him.

"During the season, when Shaq was not in good form and could not gain an advantage in the paint, the Lakers could still rely on Kobe, but the problem was that the Magic had prepared Sasser for Kobe."

"He defended so well, Kobe is definitely going to be in trouble today." "And the Lakers don't have the same players to deal with Tracy, which is fatal for them. If they don't find a way to limit Tracy, they'll lose."

No sooner had he finished speaking than McGrady began to unleash his power on the court.

Fox is old and slow.

McGrady could get past him as easily as eating or drinking; he could just stroll past him and drive right in.

Furthermore, McGrady has changed some of his playing styles.

Unlike before, he no longer focuses on attacking the basket after breaking through.

McGrady's drives these days are more about getting rid of defenders, gaining positional advantage, and then finishing the game with a jump shot.

Even if he does manage to drive in, unless the paint is open, McGrady will still choose to slow down, draw the defense, and then pass the ball.

This style of play became virtually unstoppable after McGrady developed his fadeaway jump shot.

Imagine, your opponent could easily get past you in one step, gain a chance to shoot, and then deliver a very difficult-to-block fadeaway shot.

In this situation, whether or not McGrady can score depends entirely on his own shooting touch.

In the first quarter, McGrady held back somewhat, allowing Brown to attack O'Neal more often under the basket.

He's saving his strength so he can unleash it now when he's leading the team alone.

He made a jump shot, scoring 4 points in a row.

Before it even stopped, after Kobe, under pressure from Sasser, pulled back and missed a jump shot, the Magic launched a fast break. Billups immediately passed the ball to McGrady, who turned his back to Fox, flipped over to the baseline, and hit a fadeaway jump shot.

Fox was completely stunned. I just stretched out my hand and didn't even jump up completely. Did you really have to lean back? You think too highly of me.

Go in again.

The score difference came to 10 points.

Jackson couldn't sit still any longer. He quickly called a timeout and then substituted O'Neal into the game without hesitation.

O'Neal was only sitting on the sidelines for a little over two minutes.

"Shaq, smash that kid." Jackson put his arm around O'Neal's shoulder as he entered the game, his expression serious.

He will provoke O'Neal.

The word "kid" hit O'Neal where it hurt.

That kid is only 20 years old, a rookie, he's just a kid.

In a direct confrontation, Rivers immediately substituted Brown.

As soon as he entered the game, O'Neal received the ball while moving, forcefully pushed past Brown, and slammed it home with a one-handed dunk.

In one-on-one situations, he remains unstoppable.

But Brown returned the favor in less than two rounds.

He tried to post up but failed, then turned back towards the baseline, feigning a hook shot.

These were Brown's three most frequently used tactics when he first entered the league.

But now, he has changed even more.

In the instant he faked out O'Neal, he kept his left foot still, slipped past O'Neal, and slammed the ball into the basket.

The rigorous training in the swimming pool really brought out a lot more variety in Brown's footwork.

O'Neal angrily swung his arm.

It is this feeling.

Wrong!

He felt that Brown was like a ball; when he punched him hard into the water, the next moment, he immediately floated back up.

No matter how much force I use, this damn ball always keeps floating up.

O'Neal felt like he was about to lose his temper.

He was about to explode, and Jackson was about to explode too.

Jackson could no longer sit calmly in his chair and watch the game; he stood on the sidelines, pacing back and forth restlessly.

The Lakers are scoring.

After O'Neal came on, the Lakers' offensive breakdown was resolved.

But the Magic are also scoring.

That's the most critical part.

Jackson was horrified to discover that the Lakers couldn't defend against the Magic.

Therefore, with the second quarter almost over and the score difference still at 8 points, Jackson made a decision that went against the Lakers' pride: he chose to have Horry double-team Brown!

When Brown received the ball, Horry rushed over and lunged at him, prompting a gasp from Barkley in the studio.

The Magic haven't even double-teamed O'Neal yet!

But this is not the end.

Not only will the inside players double-team Brown, but the outside players will also double-team McGrady.

Kobe lunged at McGrady.

Anyway, Sasser has no scoring ability.

Jackson had a stern face.

This is essentially using the same methods that other teams used to deal with the Lakers against the Magic.

But he couldn't help it.

With almost half the game gone, it's clear that O'Neal alone can't stop Brown.

I don't know how this kid practices, his skills are getting better and better.

Most importantly, Kobe was completely shut down by Sather's defense.

If they don't double-team and limit Brown and McGrady, the point difference will exceed 10 points.

But double-teaming is a double-edged sword.

The Magic's starting lineup is not bad.

When Brown stopped the ball, passed it to McGrady, and then Kobe rushed over, McGrady immediately passed the ball to the weak side.

Fisher was aware of the need for backup defense and moved closer to PJ Brown.

However, double-teaming will inevitably leave some players unmarked.

Billups received the pass, and without hesitation, pulled up for a three-pointer.

Having been with the Magic for a moderate amount of time, about half a season, every player has shown tremendous improvement under Townsend's training.

Does that mean I don't have anything left?
Besides orchestrating the offense, Billups has been practicing his three-point shooting.

With a swift stroke, he scored a three-pointer.

The point difference has reached 11 points!
Jackson crossed his arms and didn't react.

O'Neal drives to the basket in the low post and scores again.

Or double-team.

As soon as Brown received the ball, Horry rushed over and tried to steal it.

Brown wasn't tall enough to protect the ball, so he tossed it to PJ Brown.

He stopped abruptly, jumped up, and made a clean shot.

The difference remains at 11 points.

Jackson suddenly felt a chill down his back.

The Magic's role players are not weak.

Therefore, the Lakers cannot afford the consequences of double-teaming.

But without double-teaming, it's just as troublesome.

We're going to lose this game!
Although only half the game had been played, this terrible thought had already entered Jackson's mind.

The following matches seemed to confirm his idea.

At halftime, the Magic led 53-44, a 9-point advantage.

O'Neal scored 23 points in the first half, accounting for most of the Lakers' points.

But Brown also scored 19 points in the first half, a performance that was comparable.

In the second half, it was like a slow death. With O'Neal on the court, the Lakers were able to score, but they just couldn't close the gap.

The score difference of around 10 points was maintained until the end of the game.

The Lakers lost 100 to 92.

Shaquille O'Neal scored a whopping 44 points, but they still lost!

(End of this chapter)