Champion, please stay!

Chapter 281, Section 279: The Decline of the Green Team
After the first day of tactical explanations and the first round of tactical training, Yi Shui returned home and compared the tactical manuals from last year's training camp with those from this year's training camp.

The style of the offensive and defensive system remains that of D'Antoni, emphasizing speed.

However, there are significant differences in the details.

D'Antoni's offensive tactics often involve passing the ball from the sidelines.

During their time with the Suns, players like Barbosa, Raja Bell, Marion, and Diaw all had numerous assists on the sidelines.

D'Antoni loves three-pointers, but since he didn't go to the Rockets or get involved in the "Moreyball" theory, he's not currently obsessed with them, unlike the Warriors or Nuggets who often have seasons with an average of 10+ three-pointers made per game.

The three-pointer is simply treated as part of the tactical operation, forming a whole with attacking the basket, mid-range shots, and fast breaks.

The summer after Yi Shui finished his junior year, he studied the Phoenix Suns' fast-paced offense system from the 04-05 to 06-07 seasons and found that this system was actually based on the ability to defend in the high post.

This is a fast-paced, whirlwind style, fundamentally different from the classic run-and-gun style of the Mad Scientist, or the track-and-field style run-and-gun before the addition of defense.

The classic run-and-gun offense was a tactical system developed in an era when double-teaming off-ball players was not allowed. Later, when double-teaming off-ball players was permitted, even Don Nelson himself abandoned that system. In the era when double-teaming was allowed, the classic run-and-gun offense didn't win many games in the regular season.

The mad scientist only picked it up and modified it to use against the Mavericks when he went to play for the Warriors.

The track-and-field style run-and-gun offense was a system created by George Karl after 05. Based on the rule that high post defense cannot be used, it allows for a large number of long-range shots between the 45-degree angles on both wings. It can perform well in the regular season, but it cannot win games when the intensity of the playoffs increases. It was not until Billups joined and George Karl improved the system to focus on defense and fast breaks that it became competitive in the playoffs.

Both of these run-and-gun offenses involve a lot of long-range shots from the top of the arc and passing.

D'Antoni's fast-paced style of play began to take shape in the 03-04 season, based on the opponent's ability to double-team off-ball players early and to exploit high-post shot interference.

They don't primarily rely on long-range shots from the top of the arc or passing; their top-arc shots are almost always taken after receiving a pass from the wing.

Therefore, the Suns were able to maintain their strong competitiveness in the playoffs even when referees relaxed their calls and called fewer fouls on high-post defenses, reaching the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years in the 04-05 and 05-06 seasons.

After Stoudemire developed his mid-range shot and formed the league's strongest mid-range inside-outside combination with Nash, they dominated the Spurs in the second round of the 06-07 season.

For the past two seasons, the Knicks' offensive system has been based on this style. When Harrington was there, there were some top-of-the-line playmaking tactics, but these have basically disappeared after the All-Star break. When Yi Shui and Curry have the ball at the top of the arc, they mainly rely on driving to the basket.

The tactics manual that Yi Shui just received clearly made more use of the inability to effectively defend in the high post!
One tactic that left a deep impression on Yi Shui was that the forward would receive the ball half a step outside the free-throw line, hand off the ball to a teammate moving up in the middle, and then the forward on the other side would block the chasing and switching players a step outside the free-throw line, creating an absolutely open shooting opportunity for the teammate who moved up to receive the ball. This was the ultimate use of the NHC rules.

In Yi Shui's memory, Mark Jackson used this tactic to upset the Nuggets in the 12-13 playoffs, forcing George Karl, who had just won Coach of the Year, to fire him. Later, Steve Kerr popularized it... In the end, it was banned because it was too overpowered. The joke was that the method to ban this tactic was simple and crude: whenever the Warriors used that kind of double screen, they would call a moving screen violation.

Yi Shui flipped through the new tactics manual several times, and almost every tactic reflected Mark Jackson's basketball philosophy.

But it is very different from the offensive system that Mark Jackson built for the Warriors in his memory!
Mark Jackson liked to use role players to cut into the basket and compress the defense, creating better long-range shooting opportunities for outside stars. In this playbook, apart from the 'closing-the-door' tactic used in a few possessions, most of the plays were designed to create better conditions for shooters to drive to the basket for the star players who were cutting in.

This is very different from the "Moreyball" philosophy that D'Antoni developed after accepting defense, which he remembered. It makes more use of long-range shots, but his obsession with mid-range shots remains.

Yi Shui heard that D'Antoni and Mark Jackson had many arguments and even conflicts this summer, and it wasn't until mid-September, after the World Championships had ended, that they reached an agreement and produced the first version of the training camp tactics manual.

He's even more excited for the new season, eager to see what kind of sparks these two will create after a summer of scrambling.

...

On the second training day, we practiced offensive tactics and positioning in the morning and defensive coordination in the afternoon.

While Cheeks was explaining the key points of the defensive rotation, Yi Shui, who was paying close attention, spotted Mark Jackson's shadow again.

Originally, because the Knicks only had basic defensive coordination and no complete system last season, this season they have been building a more in-depth defensive system, so Yi Shui would not have noticed any change in their 'philosophy'.

However, Yi Shui noticed the change in the offensive system concept yesterday, so he easily discovered the difference between the defensive approach this season and last season.

Cheeks' peak as a player was during the offensive basketball era of the 80s. There were also several teams with particularly good defense during that era, and the 76ers, where Cheeks played, were one of them. They won the championship by relying on their defense. The Lakers' highest playoff winning percentage before they went 15-1 was achieved by that 76ers team.

Cheeks' defensive philosophy—quick double-teaming, aggressive expansion and help defense, and tough double-teaming of ball handlers in the elbow area…

Cheeks' latest and more refined defensive system places great emphasis on rotation and switching, which is clearly influenced by Mark Jackson.

However, Yi Shui had not heard of any ideological conflict between Cheeks and Mark Jackson.

This perfectly matches his impression of Cheeks—they pay me well, I'll do my best in whatever they ask me to do, and I'm worthy of my salary, but the responsibility isn't mine.

Yi Shui can't judge whether Cheeks' defensive style, learned during the era of offensive basketball, or Mark Jackson's positionless defense philosophy is better.

But as time has proven, Mark Jackson's defensive philosophy is well-suited to the small-ball era, especially after the joke about changing the cylinder rule...

The Knicks are making adjustments to their offensive system and building up their defensive system in an orderly manner, and every player is working very hard.

Even Jeremy Evans, who doesn't practice fundamentals but only tactical positioning, has become more motivated.

He certainly wants to be in the rotation and play.

During his four years in college, as a key scorer in the frontcourt, he was able to achieve a 69% field goal percentage on easy baskets. His tactical awareness was quite good, and at least his instincts for cutting to receive passes and following up on fast breaks were on point.

If it were the Knicks of the past two years, they would definitely be grooming Jeremy Evans to be the next Swift.

Unfortunately, the Knicks started Plan Two early this summer, signing two starting-caliber big men and retaining Birdman, who can ignite the team's passion, on a high salary. The five-man rotation in the frontcourt has been finalized, and unless there are special circumstances such as injuries or suspensions, Jeremy Evans will not be included in the active roster.

Danny Green and Fields also face similar dilemmas.

However, this is a good thing for the players on the established starting roster.

The players have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and know what they should do and in which direction they should strive.

The team's status as defending champions has given the players even greater motivation; stepping onto the court, everyone wants to win and take the championship.

For example, Frye, Walsh made a phone call and immediately rushed to New York to sign a contract. Being able to play in his hometown is important, but what's even more important is playing with Yi Shui. They can win. Last year in the finals, he saw firsthand how strong Yi Shui, who was only in his second year, was...

Several days have passed, and the Knicks' team training phase, which focuses on building their system, is progressing smoothly.

Mike D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, and Cheeks are all coaches capable of building a team system on their own, and with a full roster, it's too easy for them.

The real challenge for them in the new season lies in making detailed adjustments based on real-world testing.

October 10th marked the first day of the preseason games, with the NBA scheduling seven preseason games for each team this year.

Back in New York, even in the preseason, the Knicks weren't missing an opportunity to stir things up. In their first game against the Celtics, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins, and others attacked Ray Allen in interviews this morning, accusing him of disloyalty for joining forces with the team that defeated them.

After seeing the news, Yi Shui intended to give an interview to help Ray Allen retaliate, but a teammate stepped forward first.

In an interview, Frye said, "A Los Angeles guy shouting about loyalty in Boston; a superstar leaving the team he played for for 12 years to become a teammate and win a championship, attacking others for joining when they can't beat them, it's a joke! It's Ray's freedom to play wherever he wants!"

Frye fired the first shot, which surprised Yi Shui a bit. This guy and Ray Allen are such good friends?
He quickly realized that Frye was reacting to Garnett's "if you can't beat them, join them" comment.

However, Pierce and Garnett's exasperated appearance gave Yi Shui a new perspective on Ray Allen's quick agreement to join them and accept only the same contract offer as the Celtics—he wanted to annoy his former teammates.

So, during an interview at the training ground in the afternoon, when Yi Shui was asked about his comments on Pierce and Garnett, he responded: "In my mind, Ray is the most important member of the Celtics team that won the championship in 08."

In the 09 playoffs, Ray scored 50 points in a game against the Pacers. He was the Celtics' most prolific scorer, but he was willing to give up ball possession and become a pure shooter for the sake of the championship, making the biggest sacrifice.

Without Ray Allen, the Celtics would not have been able to beat the Lakers in 08.

When I heard Ray was coming to New York during the offseason, I was ecstatic! We had the best three-point shooter ever!

The reporter seized on the key phrase and asked, "Is Ray the best three-point shooter, even better than Stephen?"

Yi Shui replied, "Of course, Ray's three-pointers are better than mine and Stephen's... Hey, Stephen, come here for a second, tell me, who's the best three-point shooter on our team?"

A passing elementary school student was pulled into the conversation and responded to the camera, "Ray and Mike are better than the two of us at three-point shooting. We still need to learn from them."

This isn't just flattery of the two new teammates; when it comes to three-pointers with the ball, Curry is confident he's better than Ray Allen, while Mike Miller simply lacks ball-handling skills.

However, in terms of three-point fundamentals and open catch-and-shoot long-range shooting, Ray Allen and Mike Miller are still stronger. In the individual training sessions in late September, Curry repeatedly challenged Yi Shui to play against Ray Allen and Mike Miller, but lost more often than he won.

Curry even compared Ray Allen's catch-and-shoot three-point training videos from a few days apart. When he was in good physical condition, Ray Allen's shooting motion, power angle, and even jump height were almost identical!
So, even if Curry hadn't overheard Yi Shui and the reporter's conversation when he passed by, he would have given the same answer.

In terms of fundamentals, it's no disgrace that they, who have only played in the NBA for two years, lost to a veteran who has played for more than ten years, and who is known as the greatest three-point shooter in history, Ray Allen.

...

The Knicks and Celtics battled it out in a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season; Ray Allen left the Celtics in a huff and joined the Knicks, who had defeated the Celtics... The matchup between the two teams this season is already a hot topic.

After the two teams' star players exchanged barbs, the game became even more heated.

Stern wanted to generate buzz and traffic, and the two teams with their highly individualistic players provided him with that buzz and traffic.

At 7:30 p.m., the two teams entered the stadium at Madison Square Garden.

Before the game, neither the Celtics' "new Big Three" of Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett nor the Knicks' four stars of Curry, Ray Allen, Yi Shui, and Chandler greeted the opposing stars.

There was some interaction among the other players. Yi Shui chatted briefly with Haalando, a formidable rival from his junior year, while Daniels, Nate Robinson, and Birdman also had a pleasant conversation.

In fact, after playing two or three games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the core players of the two teams had little to no communication.

However, from a specific individual perspective, the view of this scene is different.

Ray Allen saw Yi Shui in the afternoon and said he was key to the Celtics' championship in 08. Now, seeing that Yi Shui and Curry didn't even bother to exchange pleasantries with the two veteran superstars, he felt that the two of them were only doing this for his sake.

Sense of identity +++, sense of belonging +++, sense of integration +++...

On Yi Shui's side, after exchanging a few words with Harlangodi, he took a look at the opposing team's lineup.

In the original timeline, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals, taking a 2-1 lead against the Lakers before ultimately losing in Game 7. Ray Allen reluctantly took a pay cut to stay with the team and became a favorite among veterans seeking a championship during the offseason. Both Shaquille O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal joined the team, creating an even better roster of role players than the one that won the championship.

Here, with Ray Allen leaving, Tony Allen also leaving, Rasheed Wallace quitting, and Sheldon Williams moving to Denver, the Celtics have directly lost their title as championship contenders.

In addition, Boston's economy has declined in the past two years due to the subprime mortgage crisis, and the political and business circles have shifted all social contradictions to racial contradictions. Even with Ainge waving his checks and offering premium contracts in the free market, no quality role players are willing to go.

There are plenty of teams with salary cap space this summer, and talented role players can get overpriced contracts. There's no need to go to a city where you can be discriminated against just for going to a nightclub... Rondo was left out of the Dream Team IX during the offseason, and returned to Boston to drown his sorrows in alcohol. A white woman at a bar saw that he was black and refused to drink with him, and Rondo even got into a fight with a white security guard.

At 8 p.m., Chandler tipped the ball over Perkins' head, and the game began with the Knicks on offense.

Celtics starting lineup: Rondo, Avery Bradley, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins.

Knicks starting lineup: Curry, Ray Allen, Yi Shui, Amir Johnson, Chandler.

Curry initiated the first attack, setting a screen with Chandler to launch the offensive.

Yi Shui seized the opportunity, moved to the right 45-degree angle to help Ray Allen block Bradley, and then turned and cut after breaking apart.

'Iron Wall' triggered, and Yi Shui started at top speed, rushing to the left elbow area before Pierce and Bradley could close in on him off the ball, and receiving the ball from Curry from the right elbow area.

After losing weight, Garnett seems even more agile than last season, immediately covering for Yi Shui. However, the barrier at the free-throw line is gone! Yi Shui is at the top of the key!

Ray Allen receives the ball, faces Rondo who is rushing out from the free-throw line, and takes a three-pointer... It goes in!
Bradley looked a little bewildered when he saw Yi Shui, whose defensive speed was even faster than Curry and Ray Allen.

With Ray Allen and Tony Allen both leaving the team, he was valued in his rookie year and got a starting opportunity in the first preseason game.

He was eager to seize the opportunity and played hard on defense, but unfortunately, he became a liability in the Celtics' defense in the first possession!

He knew Yi Shui was athletically gifted and had watched many of her matches live, but actually encountering her in a real match was even more incredible than he had imagined... Such height, yet such mobility!
When it came to the Celtics' offense, with Rondo and Garnett, their tactical movement was still executed excellently. Perkins' positioning was very good, and Pierce's timing in moving to draw defenders was also just right... However, neither Pierce nor Garnett, the two main scorers, got a chance to catch and shoot.

Bradley was left wide open! He caught the ball and attempted a mid-range jumper amidst a chorus of boos, but missed!
On the Knicks' side, Cheeks saw that the opponent was starting their rookies and chose to gamble on the rookies' unstable mentality and poor ability to withstand pressure, targeting Pierce and Garnett.

In the following rounds, the Knicks focused on Bradley on both ends of the court... and it worked very well!

With 3 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, Yi Shui received the ball close to the basket and made a fadeaway jumper over Perkins' help defense, bringing the score to 9-3. The Celtics then called a timeout.

Rivers wanted to curse. The opposing team was shamelessly targeting them with rookies on both offense and defense! But if he were in their shoes, he would have done the same.

Bradley is very talented, but he only played one year in college and is still too inexperienced in many aspects.

He started Bradley directly, hoping to develop him under pressure like he did with Rondo, so that Bradley could grow quickly. However, Bradley clearly didn't have Rondo's ability to withstand pressure. After being hammered for just a few rounds, he already looked bewildered...

(End of this chapter)