Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 329 A Defeat Is Hard to Find

Upon entering the stadium and encountering Kruger in the office area, Tang Sen asked him if Carlisle had come up with a solution.

Kruger shook his head and said he didn't know, then guessed that it would most likely be a balanced triangle.

Tang Sen suddenly realized.

Indeed, at the beginning of the season, the balanced triangle was not quite suitable due to Wade's playing style.

Moreover, it's not just him who's unsuitable; McDyess is unsuitable as well.

In Carlisle's balanced triangle, the power forward position needs to cover a wide area around the free-throw line, have a large help defense range, and possess excellent athleticism.

McDyess is now completely floor-flowing, which is difficult for him to do.

Bender will not return until next Monday's game against the Raptors.

If you can't play well, problems are likely to arise, especially if McGrady breaks through and takes a shot from the mid-range.

McDyess doesn't have that kind of quick help defense speed.

If there are loopholes, then you can lose the game.

Tang Sen shook his head slightly and returned to his office.

Carlisle had clearly prepared his speech, but at the pre-match press conference, he still enthusiastically stated that this match was very important.

If they win, the Knicks will have a 40-game winning streak, which is an important number.

He was thinking about losing, but Carlisle couldn't show it.

They should be even more excited and expectant, so that if they actually lose, it will be dramatic and save the media and fans from complaining.

Carlisle even wanted to provoke the magician with a few words.

Having been swept in four encounters this season, do you have no thoughts on the matter?

Rivers really didn't have any ideas.

Rivers was incredibly humble during a pre-match interview outside the visiting team's locker room.

"The Knicks are incredibly strong this season. They have won 39 straight games and haven't lost a single game so far this season."

"They also created the largest point difference."

“Even last season, I foresaw how much potential the Knicks had. They had a lot of talented players, and Don could make those players excellent.”

"To be honest, I still regret that I didn't try to keep Tang back then. Otherwise, we might have won three consecutive championships by now."

Rivers chuckled self-deprecatingly and returned to the locker room.

After dismissing the reporters, Rivers didn't elaborate on any tactics.

He had tried everything he could in the previous three matches, but he still suffered one crushing defeat after another.

Rivers has come to terms with reality.

Anyway, he's not hoping for a championship this season.

He felt that even the Lakers couldn't beat the Knicks, let alone the Knicks.

Therefore, Rivers has a calm mindset and is taking it as it comes.

It's not like they haven't won a championship before. Do you really think you can become a dynasty from a small market?

Therefore, Rivers' requirements are simple: play normally, and then rotate normally.

You Knicks are too strong, I'm afraid of you, I'm not going to fight you anymore.

So much so that during the jump ball before the game, Brown and Yao Ming talked about how good Yao Ming's recent commercial was.

This is the latest Nike ad for Yao Ming, which was filmed after the Knicks broke the Lakers' winning streak.

They say centers don't sell shoes, but Nike knows how to create buzz.

In the advertisement, Yao Ming is hidden in the darkness, like a king in the shadows, looking down on all living beings.

"I'm a center, but I can average a triple-double, and I can compete for the assist title, so nothing is impossible. Just do it!"

The last sentence, "just do it," perfectly captures the theme.

The advertisement was well received.

It's quite counterintuitive that Yao Ming, a 7-foot-5 center, would win the assist title while averaging a triple-double, which has sparked a lot of discussion.

Some professional commentators have even analyzed whether this could be a new direction for the development of interior players in the league.

Shaquille O'Neal is a game-changer; it's pointless for interior players to try and outmuscle him.

You can't withstand the strain without building muscle, and even if you build enough muscle, you won't be as fast as him.

It would be better to do what Yao Ming did: pull out of the box, shoot threes, facilitate, and assist. This would punish O'Neal and weaken his role on the defensive end.

Most importantly, it can provide a new path for development for the league's slow-moving white big men.

After a few casual words, the competition began.

Carlisle remained seated in his chair as usual, but inwardly he prayed that the magic would be a little more forceful.

Ideally, Brown and McGrady would both have a breakout performance and combine for 80 points.

He knew the two of them had this ability.

However, the game did not unfold in the direction Carlisle had hoped for.

Even Tang Sen could see the problem; the key lay with Billups.

Carlisle's pre-game reasoning for wanting to play a balanced triangle offense was quite compelling, stating that the Knicks had been playing half a season without any tactics.

But if you want to go further and more steadily, you still need tactics.

As Carlyle predicted, the equilibrium triangle was problematic.

Wade needs the ball in his hands, which doesn't quite fit this style of play, and he can't play the role of a spot-up shooter on the wing.

McDyess's mobility on the central axis was far inferior to Bender's. He couldn't move around a wide area, get up to set screens for Billups, or drop to the baseline to quickly switch positions with Yao Ming for help defense.

So, halfway through the first quarter, the Knicks struggled to adapt, trailing by only 2 points at 14-12.

The mid-range game went wrong, giving McGrady room to operate and allowing him to score a significant number of points. However, Billups' adaptability and control of the game were simply too strong.

Like a head coach on the field, he made adjustments on his own initiative without waiting for Carlisle to make any arrangements.

He directly passed the ball to Wade, letting him play point guard and initiate the offense from the high post.

Then he ran to the bottom corner of the wing and crouched there, playing the role of a wing shooter waiting for the ball.

With just this one change, the Knicks' tactics suddenly became much smoother.

Wade can play point guard, which is also his favorite style of play; he has the ball in his hands and initiates the offense.

This allows him to maximize the power of his breakthroughs, and his subsequent passes are extremely lethal.

In just a few minutes, the Knicks seemed to have divine intervention, outscoring the Magic 11-5.

They widened the gap to 8 points in one go.

Rivers, with an expression that said "I knew this would happen," proactively made the normal rotation.

Carlisle was in so much pain that he had to be rotated out.

The Knicks' bench has always been an advantage, as someone always steps up and puts on a good performance.

Today it's Swift's turn.

He probably felt that Bender would soon be back from injury, and that he would have even less playing time, so he was very eager to perform.

After a season and a half, his mid-range shot has finally become quite decent.

His current playing style is similar to Stoudemire's, with a greater threat from penetration, giving Juwan Howard a real taste of what it's like to be old and frail.

Swift came off the bench and played for 7 minutes, scoring 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting and including free throws.

Their performance was outstanding.

When the starters returned to the court and continued their adjusted balanced triangle offense, the Magic still struggled to cope.

Carlisle also saw where the problem lay.

But what can he do?
You can't exactly tell Billups that what he's doing is wrong and that he should play awkwardly.

The player will immediately know the plan.

At halftime, the Knicks led 58-44, a 14-point advantage.

The fans in the stands cheered and jumped for joy.

The shouts of "40!" echoed throughout the stadium.

Inside the locker room, the players were relaxed and discussing where to celebrate if they won.

In terms of training now, Tang Sen is focused on maintaining his fitness level and has relaxed a bit, so the players have some personal time.

Wade also asked Yao Ming when his restaurant would open.

Living in New York and receiving so much attention, Yao Ming is not only inundated with endorsement deals, but his team is also working hard to help him develop his business.

To give his parents something to do, Yao Ming plans to open a restaurant in Manhattan.

Let's call it Yao Restaurant.

The location has been chosen and renovations are underway. If possible, it will open at the end of the regular season.

Just then, the Knicks were heading to contend for the NBA championship, which was the perfect opportunity for the restaurant to get some publicity.

Wade even gave bad advice, saying that it shouldn't be called Yao Restaurant, but rather Glory Road, or 82 Wins Restaurant.

82 wins, an unprecedented achievement, is the best form of publicity.

Others chimed in, offering Yao Ming suggestions.

In this atmosphere, how could Carlisle possibly undermine them by telling them they played poorly in the first half, that they should have lost, and that they shouldn't be thinking about winning 82 games—it's unrealistic.

All he could do was try to persuade Tang Sen and the others to come up with another solution.

"Tang, you've trained them too hard."

Thibodeau couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

Even so, there are still players like Jones, Gazuric, and Dooling on the bench who shine with just a little encouragement, eagerly awaiting their chance to play.

What could Tang Sen say? If this game didn't work, then he would have to think of another way.

For example, at the end of the month, on the 27th, they're playing the Spurs. Popovich has a lot of tricks up his sleeve; maybe he can beat the Knicks.

Carlisle let out a long sigh, too headache-inducing to speak.

The second half begins.

Yao Ming is working hard to rack up assists.

In the first half, Yao Ming scored 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Billups has now stepped down and become a spot-up shooter, while Wade often connects with Yao Ming for drives to the basket.

Therefore, it's not difficult to rack up assists.

As a superstar, Yao Ming's playmaking ability is frighteningly strong when he is willing to pass the ball.

For the opponent, when you gamble on whether Yao Ming will shoot himself or pass the ball, you've already lost half the battle.

Furthermore, the Knicks' offense became more fluid, with the ball actually being passed around more effectively, instead of the previous mindless individual play.

Billups is operating on the wing, does that mean he can't pass the ball?

He stayed on the flank, giving him ample time to observe the situation on the field and to make runs and provide support.

The problem that Carlisle was trying to solve—the inability of the equilibrium triangle to function—was unexpectedly solved.

The Knicks defeated the Magic 113-91, a 22-point victory.

They successfully extended their winning streak to 40 wins.

(End of this chapter)