Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

From Chapter 228 onwards, please call me the Tactical Master.
They came out strong and took a 5-0 lead over the Spurs.

That’s not all.

With half of the first quarter gone, the Knicks were up 15-6, leading the Spurs by 9 points.

This score left the Knicks fans in the stands wondering what was going on.

"What's wrong with the Spurs? Why are they playing so poorly?"

"Yeah, they're in terrible shape, and they didn't even play back-to-back games."

On the 28th, Parker scored a whopping 32 points against the Bulls, and Duncan added 28 points; both players were in top form.

But the Spurs' performance on the court today was just awful.

Duncan couldn't break through the defense, Parker couldn't penetrate the defense, and their shooting was inaccurate. They were not playing like a championship contender.

"Could it be that we're too strong?"

One audience member tentatively said something.

After he finished speaking, his companions fell silent for a moment.

"Don't make trouble."

"Exactly, we're at the bottom of the list, and we're still in the East."

Even weak teams can win, but the current situation is clearly not like that.

The golden duo from the MSG studio are also baffled.

While Popovich called a timeout, the two immediately started discussing the matter.

The two were professionals after all, and they didn't simply assume that the Spurs were having a problem.

Mike Brin said, "Looking at it now, Rick's decision to start Tyson is indeed a better choice."

“Both Jonathan and Tyson have the ability to help defend, but Tyson is heavier and can guard Tim, which Jonathan cannot do.”

Frazier nodded in agreement.

Before the game, he thought Carlisle had made a bad move, since Chandler had no offensive ability, no shooting, and couldn't help Yao Ming relieve the offensive pressure like Bender did.

But surprisingly, Chandler made an even greater contribution on the defensive end.

"Look at how frequently Tyson and Yao switched on defense, he was like..."

Frazier thought for a moment and found a suitable adjective, saying, "It's like Yao's shadow, moving around Yao and helping Yao make up for his defensive shortcomings."

Yao Ming's defensive presence was undoubtedly strong; he could hold his own and run, but he was too tall and also had to shoulder most of the offensive burden.

Often, they are willing but unable to do so, focusing too much energy on defense, which inevitably reduces their offensive threat.

This is where Chandler's value became apparent.

When Duncan goes out to provide support, Yao Ming doesn't need to waste his energy following him; Chandler can do that for him.

If it were Bender, Duncan could use his physical advantage to score one-on-one.

Chandler was more physically imposing, so Duncan didn't have an easy time.

If Duncan attacks hard in the low post, Yao Ming can step up, while Chandler becomes the help defender, appropriately double-teaming Duncan.

The two of them exchanged information and switched positions frequently, achieving a result that was more than the sum of its parts.

It could be said that if Chandler develops his offensive abilities, he would be a Spurs-style twin towers.

"Moreover, the crowded paint also limited the Spurs' ability to penetrate."

"Even in one-on-one defense, we did a good job."

And that's not even talking about the attack yet.

Frazier really felt that the Knicks' offense was more organized today.

You can tell what tactics the team is going to use.

The players' positioning is also clearer and more purposeful, instead of running around aimlessly and mindlessly like before.

"Rick is good."

Frazier replied without hesitation.

Although it was only halfway through the game, he already felt that Carlisle was really good at this.

The scene of the game.

He was in the lead, but Carlisle didn't seem quite satisfied.

He squatted down among the players, holding a tactical board, and said, "Chanchy, we need to play more flexibly. Haven't you noticed that the Spurs are already adjusting? It's becoming increasingly difficult for us to find open looks in the corners or other areas."

"The Spurs' help defense was more timely. They are a championship-caliber team, and their reactions are very quick."

Carlisle led the Pacers to the Finals, and he knows how strong a championship-caliber team's ability to adjust is.

"You're the point guard, so you need to assess the situation well and be patient. If you get open, don't force a shot; you can pass it to Yao, who has an advantage in the low post."

“I know you have this ability.”

Carlisle looked at Billups, whom Townsend himself admitted was the only point guard in the entire league capable of leading elementary school students to victory.

"After the timeout, the Spurs will definitely need to make adjustments. We need to create threats from the mid-range, Allan."

He glanced at Houston again and quickly sketched out a few tactics.

"You need to change your style of play, go back to your old style, take the ball more often and try to draw Tim out of the paint."

"Tyson can screen for you, Yao can also facilitate for you, and when Tim leaves the paint, don't hesitate to pass the ball to Yao, David can't stop him."

Carlisle has studied those Western Conference game videos countless times.

The reason why the Spurs can't beat the Lakers is that when Kobe makes a threat from mid-range, Duncan is forced to pull out of the paint to defend.

Once Duncan leaves the paint, the pressure on O'Neal is relieved.

The Spurs often lose games because they are in this state of being unable to focus on one thing at a time.

"The two of you need to cooperate and both pose a threat to each other."

Carlisle pointed at Yao Ming and Houston.

Just as he finished speaking, the timeout ended, and Carlisle immediately clapped his hands and called everyone to come on stage.

Even so, he took the opportunity to go on the court and gave Billups a few instructions, saying that when defending Parker, you can give him a little more space.

He said he observed that Parker's touch wasn't very good when he first came on, and his shooting was inaccurate.

He's fast, and Billups is afraid of guards like that. Giving him a step back can increase the success rate of defending against his breakthroughs.

Tangsen and Kruger sat together.

"He's pretty good," Tang Sen said in a low voice.

It's already quite good that they were able to identify Chandler's strengths before the match and make bold adjustments, using a twin-tower strategy.

Many head coaches can't even do this one step.

There's also on-the-spot reaction.

One key point is that many teams, once they gain an advantage, don't rush to make adjustments; they only start trying to make changes when problems arise.

He, on the other hand, even after gaining an advantage, took the initiative to adjust.

In other words, they've taken another step ahead of the Spurs.

Kruger nodded in agreement, saying, "His tactics are very flexible; I'm not as good as him."

I'm afraid of comparison.

Thinking back on his time with the Eagles, Kruger really felt he still had a lot to learn.

The game continues.

As expected, the Spurs made adjustments and started playing zone defense.

This adjustment can indeed solve the problem of double screens not being able to keep up with the player.

However, the Spurs failed to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap.

Carlisle also made adjustments.

The Knicks started to spread out their defense methodically, allowing Houston to engage in mindless isolation plays.

This season, Houston has adjusted its playing style, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten how they used to play.

His mid-range isolation plays, especially his jump shot after the triple threat, are extremely dangerous.

Even though he's in his thirties, he's still an All-Star caliber player, not someone a role player like Stephen Jackson can defend.

Within three rounds, Houston scored twice in a row on one-on-one attacks.

The point difference remained unchanged.

Popovich could no longer sit still and stood on the sidelines, staring incredulously at Carlisle on the other side.

This guy actually thought of what happened before him.

Popovich immediately realized that Carlisle had taken inspiration from the Lakers' playing style.

"Fake."

Popovich muttered something.

Everyone knows why the Spurs are afraid of the Lakers, but this style of play is not something everyone can imitate.

Because you don't have a strong point like Shaq in the paint.

How many big men can score with impunity against David Robinson's defense? The Knicks have one.

Seeing Chandler set a screen and bring Duncan out, Houston immediately passed the ball to the inside.

The matchup started, and Yao Ming went straight into a one-on-one situation.

He backed down the defender, then instantly moved to the baseline, turned, and scored a layup.

David Robinson was completely helpless against his broad and strong physique.

Seeing this scene gave Popovich a terrible headache.

He immediately gestured for Bowen to switch onto Houston.

After a season of honing his skills with the Spurs, Bowen's defense has become increasingly outstanding, and he played a solid defensive role in last season's playoffs.

The effect was immediate; Bowen's tenacious, sticky defense made Houston very uncomfortable.

However, Carlisle was more impressive.

After noticing the Spurs' adjustments and Houston missing two shots, they immediately substituted Bender in.

Wallace hasn't mastered shooting yet.

But Bender has a good shot, and he can also fill in at small forward and put up some resistance against Stephen Jackson.

Carlisle still tried to create threats from mid-range, drawing Duncan out of the paint.

Tang Sen sat on the bench and watched all of this unfold.

There's a feeling of a battlefield duel in my mind, with the two team leaders deploying their troops and making frequent moves, a feeling of exhilaration.

None of the Rivers, Cheney, or even Thibodeau I had previously encountered possessed this ability.

What's even more amazing is that Carlisle actually managed to find a way to bring out the best in these players.

This is clearly even more valuable.

Popovich didn't make any further adjustments; he was waiting, waiting for the Knicks to rotate their players, waiting for Yao Ming to go off to rest.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

Carlisle can force himself to wait for the opponent to rotate, until he's at his wit's end. How many head coaches in the league can do that?

However, with less than three minutes left in the first quarter, Carlisle did not make any substitutions.

Just then, Carlisle also looked over.

Popovich frowned. What did that mean? Was he waiting for him to be the first to rotate the players?

He didn't dare; the Spurs were still lagging behind.

Time passed by, minute by minute, until the first quarter ended.

"Fake!"

As he met Budenholzer, Popovich cursed again in frustration.

Damn, I've met a master!

The key point is that when Carlisle was with the Pistons, he didn't think he was this good.

How come your skill level has improved so much since you came to New York?

He couldn't understand it, but at that moment Carlisle wanted to shout to the sky how awesome it was.

There was a feeling that I finally had a chance to use all my skills.

During his time with the Pistons, he was described by the media as a defensive expert who transformed the Pistons into a top-tier defensive team in the league.

But Carlisle himself thought, "My real strength is my offense."

That's because I watched game videos like crazy, and I trained with Chuck Daly and Bill Fitch.

From the Nets to the Trail Blazers, and then to the Pacers, my primary responsibility has always been offense.

But with the Pistons, he didn't have a chance to show his skills.

The main force has no offensive capabilities whatsoever.

Stackhouse always had this jerk attitude, like he'd create difficulties if there weren't any, resulting in extremely low efficiency.

In Carlisle's view, only teams without top-tier stars will choose to play defensively.

To unleash the ultimate offensive potential, you need superstar players.

The game is dynamic; only when someone poses a threat can various tactics be developed around that player.

The Pistons don't have anyone like that.

But the Knicks have Yao Ming.

Yao Ming was unstoppable in the low post, could also pass the ball to facilitate play, and could shoot mid-range shots; he was incredibly versatile.

He is a threat wherever he goes.

Only by building around such a player can we create a variety of tactics.

The Knicks lead 25-18, a 7-point advantage.

In the first round, Carlisle had a slight advantage.

But not enough.

"The Spurs need to rotate their players; their bench is slow."

Danny Ferry, Steve Smith.

And then there's Kevin Willis, who's already 40, but he's still the Spurs' main backup center.

A bunch of old people with frail arms and legs, moving incredibly slowly.

"So we need to utilize our speed, get moving, launch transition attacks, and break into fast breaks to increase our pace. We have this advantage."

Carlisle stared at the group of substitutes.

A group of young players in their early twenties, all with explosive athleticism, he couldn't even imagine how fast they would be when they charged forward.

"Changxi, make more long passes, you control the rhythm."

He will keep Billups on the field and bring in the substitutes.

Billups nodded slightly, his calm gaze revealing underlying excitement.

He rediscovered the exhilarating feeling he had with the Magic last season.

The entire league had no confidence in the Magic, but they somehow managed to fight their way to the Finals and win the championship.

Billups felt the previous Knicks were too dull and lacked the fighting spirit to win.

Now that they've even beaten the Spurs, the enthusiasm is back.

Sure enough, Popovich made his rotation.

Like Carlisle, he left Parker on the court to lead the bench unit.

Then, Popovich saw Gadzuric leap up, grab the rebound at rim level, and then Swift dash off like a rabbit.

In just two steps, Danny Ferry was left lagging behind and left in the dust.

Billups made a long pass.

With no one in her way, Swift stepped into the free-throw line and immediately took the shot.

A 360-degree aerial spin!
For him, a simple dunk when given the chance is more painful than death.

With a loud crash, the entire city of Madison erupted in cheers.

Spike Lee excitedly stood up and yelled at the Spurs' bench.

Even Dolan, who usually watches football calmly, was caught up in the atmosphere and stood up to applaud.

Carlisle was very accommodating, giving him a thumbs-up from afar.

Even he found Swift's impact terrifying.

And he made the right move.

These young men's offense wasn't very consistent, but in the ensuing chaos, their youthful energy and reckless charge actually created some opportunities.

During the bench phase, the Spurs not only failed to close the gap, but also allowed the Knicks to extend their lead to 11 points.

When the main force returned, the situation remained the same.

Even when Duncan stepped up and made a series of difficult mid-range shots, the point difference still hovered around eight or nine points.

At halftime, the Knicks led 49-41, still an 8-point advantage.

Popovich was a little dazed.

Before the game, he seemed to have put on a big show, mocking the Knicks for having potential but not yet being worthy of being compared to the Spurs.

The results of it.

The Knicks led the entire game!
Popovich was going crazy. Not only was he embarrassed, but he couldn't understand how the Knicks under Carlisle had undergone such a complete transformation.

His gaze fell on Carlisle across from him.

Carlisle stood there proudly, arms raised, his heart pounding with excitement.

This is just the beginning.

From now on, please call me the Tactical Master!

(End of this chapter)