Champion, please stay!

Chapter 230, Chapter 228: Even the Great Emperor Travels Off-Peak

The one-on-one against Jamison was simple; David Lee simply took a step and turned right, throwing Jamison to his side.

He didn't want to launch a direct attack; he wasn't afraid of Jamison...

Surprisingly, O'Neal stayed inside the restricted area and didn't come out!

Jamison, who had been faked out, turned and pressed towards David Lee. David Lee reacted immediately, grabbed the ball, took a step forward to avoid Jamison's defense, jumped with his toes touching the left sideline of the three-second zone, and released the shot from close range... and it went in!
On the Yi River side, when David Lee was shooting, he pointed at O'Neal and shouted at the referee, "Three seconds! He has three seconds!"

When Birdman was calling for the ball on the left side of David Lee's low post, he had already moved to the right baseline, but O'Neal was still under the basket and hadn't moved out.

The referee pretended not to hear, and Yi Shui helplessly shrugged.

He had anticipated that it was someone else's territory, so his mindset remained unaffected.

This season, countless players and coaches have complained that O'Neal's defense is like something from a bygone era.

But the displeasure still had to be shown to the referee.

It was the Cavaliers' turn to attack.

Curry was eager to try, but after receiving a pass from Mo Williams in the frontcourt, James did not set a screen as he usually does, and went straight for a one-on-one against Yi Shui!

Yi Shui defended very well; James' drives were straightforward and easy to anticipate.

After gaining weight to 109 kg, he was strong enough to fight off the enemy.

Yi Shui was about to force James to stop at close range, but James reacted quickly, grabbing the ball before he could lose control and showing off his unique footwork!

Without any other rules, it was purely a matter of brute force. Even though Yi Shui was much stronger than other players of similar size, he couldn't withstand James.

James gripped the ball with both hands and forced his way to the front of the basket. Birdman, who was already very skilled at helping to defend James, blocked him effectively and, together with Yi Shui who caught up and covered the air, formed a double-team around James.

James lobbed the ball out, and Yi Shui reacted quickly, turning and lunging towards the basket... O'Neal received the ball on the right side of the rim, using his massive frame to shield Yi Shui, and with a hook shot... it went in!
After O'Neal scored, he retreated to defense, and James, Anthony Parker, and Mo Williams were also ready to delay the fast break and press the set.

Yi Shui's recent adjustments to his playing style have attracted considerable attention.

He can launch a fast break anytime, anywhere, and even in the final quarter, he can still get going, disrupting the opponent's retreat defense. Even the two top defensive teams, the Celtics and the Spurs, were put through a lot of trouble.

Mike Brown was prepared for this.

Last season, the Knicks liked to play a kiting style of play against them, so they had to be on guard.

However, the Knicks did not launch a strong fast break tonight. After receiving the inbound pass from Yi Shui, Curry complained, "With Jamison, James and O'Neal are too strong in a two-on-two situation," and then advanced at a normal pace.

Yi Shui agrees with this statement. With Mo Williams averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game with a 42% shooting percentage and Anthony Parker averaging 1.4 three-pointers per game with a 43% shooting percentage, the Cavaliers' new backcourt duo already has a stronger perimeter presence than the Mo Williams and Jerry West duo last season. Now, with the addition of Antawn Jamison, who averaged 1.8 three-pointers per game with a 39.8% shooting percentage in the first 30+ games, James and O'Neal have an even wider operating space.

Moreover, because James's ball-handling style of attack is straightforward, the newly added Jamison can be used immediately on the offensive end in the starting phase. By standing on the weak sideline and using long two-pointers and three-pointers to contain David Lee, James can create better offensive space.

The Knicks' defense last season, which involved swarming James and cutting off his footwork, is now useless.

However, in his view, it might not necessarily be a bad thing...

David Lee continued to position himself on the left low post, blocking Jamison and calling for the ball!

This time he was very proactive and very excited.

After receiving the ball, David Lee once again easily created a close-range shooting opportunity under Jamison's defense.

As he expected, O'Neal extended his reach this time. Before O'Neal's usual help defense speed could interfere, he quickly took a step and jumped to shoot from the left sideline of the three-second zone... Unfortunately, it didn't go in.

O'Neal sidestepped and stretched out his massive arm, easily stopping David Lee, who was trying to rebound his own shot, outside the three-second zone, but...

Yi Shui circled around to James, grabbed the offensive rebound in front of the basket, and then launched a second-chance dunk with both hands!

When 'Frontcourt Beast' is triggered, if you grab an offensive rebound and are within close range, a standing jump is equivalent to a running jump.

Jamison: I should have just gotten the ball myself!
Before the game, the assistant coach told him that if James had a chance to grab a defensive rebound, he should not compete with James for it. James grabbing the rebound and pushing the fast break was their key offensive tactic.

After being traded yesterday, Jamison watched the Cavaliers' game footage overnight. After passing the physical test today, he also repeatedly watched the team's offensive and defensive training videos he received. He knows that his new team's tactics are very simple, and James's defensive rebounds and fast breaks are indeed one of the key tactics.

Such rebounding strategies are not particularly special. In the 80s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar boxed out Magic Johnson; in the 90s, Charles Barkley boxed out Kevin Johnson; and a few years ago, Jason Collins boxed out Kidd... It's a fairly common way to initiate an offense.

So when James judged the landing point of the defensive rebound, Birdman had no chance to grab the rebound and started retreating on defense, and David Lee was blocked by O'Neal, Jamison didn't go for the rebound and started a fast break.

Who knew that when James grabbed the defensive rebound, he didn't even try to stop the person behind him, and Yi Shui just walked right past him!
Jamison muttered to himself for a moment, then continued running forward. After all, he was new, so there wasn't much he could say; perhaps he had been careless.

When the Cavaliers were on offense, Curry used his elbow to block James as he drove to the basket, forcing James to back down and position himself in the low post.

James didn't play, he passed the ball to the corner, and Mo Williams caught the ball and hit a three-pointer!

With three shooters spread out, James driving to the basket, and O'Neal positioned on either side of the three-second zone to receive the ball, it's indeed difficult to defend.

The Knicks were prepared for this. In the previous 40 games, the Cavaliers' offensive efficiency ranked seventh in the league. With the addition of a top-class shooting power forward, their offensive ability will definitely improve.

When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, David Lee continued to post up and attack close-range.

Whether we advance or not doesn't matter, we just want to attack!

David Lee got tired of one-on-one offense, so Curry and Birdman ran pick-and-rolls, but instead of going to the basket, they shot from the sidelines on either side of the three-second zone. David Lee attacked the left side, and Curry attacked the right side.

Both players have average accuracy. At this distance, O'Neal can close the gap, and anyone facing O'Neal's help defense will be intimidated, affecting their shot attempts.

In the opening possessions, the Cavaliers' shooting percentage was significantly higher than the Knicks'.

However, the Knicks were not significantly behind!

开局骑士队7投4中，其中三分球2中1，加上3中2的罚球拿到11分。

Curry and David Lee combined for 2 of 6 shots to start the game, with one fast break score, and Hughes lobbed the ball to Birdman for a layup. Their regular offense combined for only 6 points.

However, Yi Shui grabbed 3 offensive rebounds, completed a dunk and a putback, and scored 4 points.

The Knicks are only down 10-11!

When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, Curry used a screen to drive to close range. Seeing that O'Neal didn't extend his reach this time, he took a step forward and attempted a floater... He was a little too hasty, and the ball went wide, hitting the rim and bouncing out.

Yi Shui seized the opportunity to push forward, squeezed to James' left side, and used his height and wingspan advantage to grab the rebound first!

Jamison and James rushed to close in on Yi Shui, while O'Neal stepped up to cover the area above.

Yi Shui throws the ball from the left 45-degree angle, Hughes receives the ball and shoots a three-pointer...it goes in!
13-11, the Knicks took a two-point lead, and the Cavaliers called a timeout! Jamison finally couldn't hold back anymore, but before he could speak, he saw James widen his eyes, look dissatisfied, and repeatedly slap his right palm with the back of his left hand, saying, "Why didn't you block him? He's grabbed so many rebounds!"

Jamison was dumbfounded. Was this a way of shifting blame? No, it didn't seem like it. It seemed that the new team leader genuinely believed that blocking small forwards' tackles was the job of a power forward.

Wait a minute, he remembered that when Hickson and Varejao played power forward, they would indeed help block the opposing small forward's tackles, and the nearby guards would do the same.

Jamison: Is it really my problem?
Seeing Jamison standing there dumbfounded, James faced the camera, shrugged, shook his head helplessly, and put his hands on his hips...

...

Yi Shui, who was celebrating with Hughes, noticed this scene and, however… he found it incredible.

Last season, James did complain, but not to this extent!
Is it because after the crushing defeat in last season's playoffs, the media and sponsors reduced their support, and he felt a sense of crisis, wanting to create a more 'perfect' persona and not allowing any mistakes to be his own?
Yi Shui shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions and focusing his thoughts back on the game itself.

King is a bit scary; his focus during the game was almost affected!
Regardless of the Cavaliers' internal situation, this team is indeed very strong, easily achieving a shooting percentage of over 5% at the start.

Yi Shui glanced at the player data comparison between the two teams on the big screen, which hadn't been displayed for long.

Since they didn't force a fast break, the Cavaliers, with Mike Brown drawing inspiration from the Celtics and Spurs' defense, consciously slowed down the pace, playing for a little over 5 minutes but with relatively few possessions.

The Knicks did take 12 shots, but they only had 8 offensive possessions, 7 defensive possessions, and 7 possessions.

因为他半节不到的时间里拿到了4分5板1助攻，5个篮板球4前1后！
He recalled a game that left a deep impression on him—in the original timeline, the Cavaliers and Celtics would meet in the second round of this year's playoffs, and in one game, James defended Rondo, who recorded a super triple-double of 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists.

He finally understood why Rondo was able to grab so many rebounds. James had excellent judgment of where the rebounds would land, but lacked awareness of positioning and protecting the board. Rondo's "rebound stealing" style was perfect for dealing with James.

However, grabbing four offensive rebounds was unexpected; during preparations, Yi Shui hadn't anticipated having an advantage in rebounding.

Because the Cavaliers have been incredibly strong on the boards this season, averaging 44 rebounds per game (third in the league) and allowing only 40.5 rebounds per game (second in the league) with a net rating of +3.5 rebounds.

The Knicks are second in the league this season with an average of 44.3 rebounds per game, which seems higher than the Cavaliers and second only to the Lakers. However, they give up 45.5 rebounds per game, making their rebounding performance the third worst in the league, only better than the Suns and Warriors.

Yi Shui realized that his offensive rebounding was soaring tonight, and the problem really did lie with Jamison.

When Hickson was a starter before, he did a great job of grabbing and positioning himself for offensive rebounds against opposing forwards.

Jamison, while having many rebounds, relies on mobility and agility to grab them, rather than being good at boxing out. His offensive rebounding percentage is extremely high, averaging 2.7 offensive rebounds and 5.5 defensive rebounds per game throughout his career, almost 1 to 2. In his most extreme season, he averaged 4 offensive rebounds and 4.3 defensive rebounds per game, almost 1 to 1.

The Cavaliers lost consecutive defensive rebounds tonight, and the reason was just as King said: Jamison didn't box out properly... Thinking of this, Yi Shui was suddenly startled and quickly shifted his attention away from the four offensive rebounds.

That's terrifying! My train of thought gets completely swayed again without me even realizing it!

...

Both teams made roster changes.

Mike Brown only replaced Jamison with Hickson, while Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, James, and O'Neal continued to play.

He also believes that Jamison's poor rebounding at the start was his fault, and regrets starting the new recruit right away.

It's not that I think this is right, it's just that some things can't be changed, so we can only get used to them and try to make up for them.

The TV commentators were used to it, commenting on the Cavaliers' substitution: "With Hickson on the court, the Cavaliers' defensive rebounding will be greatly improved..."

The Knicks made several substitutions. Curry and David Lee, who had been playing one-on-one for almost half a quarter, were taken out, as was Hughes. Duhon, Webster, and Harrington came on, while Yi Shui and Birdman continued to play.

Commentators generally predict that the Cavaliers will gain the upper hand in the following minutes.

The Knicks started poorly, relying solely on Yi Shui's four offensive rebounds to keep them afloat. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers performed exceptionally well in both attacking the basket and long-range shooting. The Knicks even substituted Hughes, who had made his only three-pointer in the first half of the quarter.

After the timeout, the game initially unfolded exactly as the commentators predicted. The Cavaliers, who had already taken the initiative in the first half of the quarter, improved their defensive rebounding and began to convert their advantage into a lead, going on a 6-2 run to take a 17-15 lead from an 11-13 deficit.

But the Cavaliers' advantage only lasted a few rounds. As the game progressed, the Cavaliers began to fall behind!

In the first half of the quarter, the Knicks failed to replicate their defensive prowess from last season when facing James' drives, and their ability to create space for James to get going was poor.

At the time, ESPN commentators said that James had broken down the Knicks' defense against him, and the Knicks could no longer contain James.

But as the game progressed, James suddenly couldn't break through anymore!

Yi Shui's defensive strategy of blocking the baseline, Birdman blocking the baseline, and Harrington blocking the middle, effectively "cut off footwork and create space," was executed flawlessly!

The Knicks had been playing a half-court game, with Curry, David Lee, and Harrington taking turns to handle the ball and attack. It was at this point that Yi Shui stepped up.

"Off-peak travel" is being launched in rapid succession!
With 10 minutes and 54 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers called another timeout.

尼克斯队在被骑士队打了一个6比2后，易水在3分钟时间里拿到4分1助攻，率队回敬了骑士队一个9比2！

The Knicks have taken a 24-19 lead over the Cavaliers by 5 points!
The situation changed very suddenly. The Cavaliers, who had been dominating the game, were suddenly overwhelmed and unable to fight back. The commentators, who had just been saying that the Cavaliers had the upper hand in every aspect, quickly started to analyze the reasons or try to make amends.

The commentators on American cable sports were also "tricked" by their own team. When the Cavaliers had the upper hand for the first eight minutes or so, they kept talking about how good the Cavaliers' roster was, how many star players they had, and they also took the opportunity to criticize the business capabilities of their own owner and general manager, as well as D'Antoni's coaching. In any case, they couldn't put the blame for falling behind on Embiid.

Suddenly, their own team gained the upper hand!

The commentators quickly analyzed the reason for the sudden change in the situation, and they were all in agreement—O'Neal's footwork had slowed down!
In these offensive possessions, O'Neal failed to move into position when he should have been at the receiving point, not only losing his offensive threat but also occupying space under the basket, rendering Hickson useless on offense.

This allowed the Knicks to employ a defensive strategy of 'blocking James' footwork and creating space'.

By reviewing the replay, the commentators also discovered that in the play just over five minutes before the Cavaliers called a timeout, O'Neal's defensive movement was already limited.

Curry didn't make that shot; he just missed the target. It wasn't like the previous few possessions where he was interfered with by O'Neal and missed the shot.

The commentators were quite surprised by this situation, as O'Neal has been playing exceptionally well in the first quarter this season, even better than last season.

Upon joining the Cavaliers, O'Neal enjoyed the "royal blessing." The "defensive three-second violation" that was used to limit his rim protection back then no longer worked against him this season. He was always standing under the basket on the defensive end, with no one within a meter of him, and the referees usually wouldn't call it.

This has led to O'Neal playing an exceptionally long first quarter this season, averaging 10 minutes per game, especially against strong teams, where he almost always plays the entire first quarter. Of his 15.8 points per game, more than half are scored in the first quarter.

As a result, he showed signs of fatigue even before the first quarter was halfway through!

Moreover, the Knicks seemed to have anticipated this! They made roster rotations in advance and seized the opportunity to launch fast breaks!

This time, the commentators' analysis was indeed correct; this counterattack opportunity was exactly what the Knicks had anticipated! To be precise, their strategy was executed smoothly and achieved the desired effect.

After seeing the Cavaliers trade for Jamison yesterday, Yi Shui had an idea. He approached the coaching staff and shared his thoughts. After discussing it, the coaches made two preparations for tonight's game.

If the Cavaliers don't start Jamison, then they should use a "running dog" tactic and play a war of attrition.

If the Cavaliers start Jamison, then they should ignore shooting efficiency at the start and focus all their attacks on the close range, forcing O'Neal to spread out and help defend! They should keep an eye on O'Neal and wear him down!
(End of this chapter)