The Pacers' style of play always gives people a very retro feel. This team does not seem to have a super giant, nor is it a one-star system. So how can a team like the Pacers advance in the Eastern Conference? How far, and is it possible that his style of play represents another

1. The Pacers' style of play always gives people a very retro feel. This team does not seem to have a super giant, nor is it a one-star system. So what exactly is a team like the Pacers? How far can he go in the East? Is it possible that his style of play represents another trend of basketball progress?

(Ask the reader: Training Day)

The Pacers are indeed a bit retro, reflected in:

They have ranked 26th or higher in the league in three-point ratio for 4 consecutive seasons, and ranked in the top 6 in the league in mid-range ratio. This season, these two The rankings are 29th and 4th respectively;

their pick-and-roll screener shots are very frequent. In the past three seasons, they are not only the highest in the league, but also significantly higher than the second place. Position 1 will frequently play the role of positioning the ball for the screener.

Both of these features are retro. Retro doesn't matter whether it's good or bad. The problem is that the Pacers' offense is really not that good and they mainly rely on defense. So if you think the Pacers' style of play represents a trend, then Pacers fans will probably thank you for your support while tearing up Turner...

The Pacers have been building their team configuration in recent years. , there are limitations. In the past few seasons, the inside combination of Turner + Thaddeus Young has been strange. We know that Young poses very little threat from outside the three-point line and is the most troublesome fourth position in the league without outside control. As a center, Turner has no ability at the basket and can only rely on his so-so three-point ability. Although he is a pseudo-space point, but a large number of shots are distributed in the mid-range, the efficiency comparison among centers is naturally touching. This combination means that positions 4 and 5 are unable to take advantage of their respective positions (4's shooting, 5's basket). The Pacers' offense naturally has natural limitations.

The current twin-tower inside combination of Turner + Sasha also has this reason. Sasha can't be a space-based inside man. This was proven in the Thunder. Turner was forced to stand further outside to open up space. We used to criticize Turner for taking too few three-pointers and too many mid-range shots. As a result, now that Turner's three-point production has increased, his three-point shooting percentage is only 33.6%.

So you think the Pacers don't want to shine?

The key is that there are always some pedestrians who don’t shoot, which makes people anxious.

The top priority for the Pacers now is to immediately find Kaiojin-sama and ask for a pair of fused earrings, so that Turner and Salvador can merge into Tenis or Sabona. The combined player will have Turner's mobility and wingspan. , with Samurai's finishing skills and footsteps, the Pacers can beat Adebayor or Embiid when they encounter the Heat or 76ers in the first round of the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers' playoff prospects are not optimistic. Looking at Oladipo 's absence is not a big problem. The big problem is that with Lamb being reimbursed for the season, Oladipo is absent again. This has caused the Pacers' originally heavy No. 2 position to become tense.

Let me explain here. Oladipo’s absence from the following games is not because of the new crown, but because Audi’s physical condition is not good after returning from a serious injury. Instead of competing, it is better to cultivate. This choice is understandable, and it is said that Audi also decided Travel with the team to Orlando. In the 13 games since Audi's comeback, he averaged 13.8 points in 26 minutes per game, with a true shooting percentage of only 50%, a three-point shooting percentage of 30.4%, and a basket shooting percentage of only 43%. This shows that Audi is still far from being fully prepared. .

However, Audi has shown a trend of getting better and better. His best game after his comeback was the last game before the suspension. He scored 27 points, 9 of 16, and 5 of 7 three-pointers. Without Lamb, if they have Audi in the playoffs, the Pacers will have one more option in the backcourt.

Who is left in the Pacers' backcourt now?

In addition to Brogdon, there are also the Huo brothers, Aaron- Holiday who plays the 1st position, Justin Holiday on the wing, and McConnell at the 1st position. , young number 2 sumner .Considering that Brogdon is a combo guard and has the ability to match up with Leonard without dying, Brogdon and Justin Holiday occupy the 2nd position, while Aaron Holiday and McConnell Taking the time in position 1, it can barely be used.

The Pacers are currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference. They have the same winning rate as the 76ers, who are sixth in the Eastern Conference, and they are not far behind the fourth-place Heat. They have to try their best to keep fifth or fourth place, because if they fall to sixth place, the Pacers will have to play the Celtics, who are far superior to them. Relatively speaking, it is more promising for the Celtics and 76ers to fight each other, and the Pacers to play the Heat, which has many young players in the lineup.

In the longer term, the Pacers will have no problem staying competitive in the Eastern Conference. If Oladipo returns to his peak and successfully stays on the team, then the core lineup of Audi, Sasha, Brogdon, TJ Warren, and Turner will look very much like a second-round playoff team. The team, but if they want to continue to move up, this lineup is almost boring again.

2. I would like to hear your thoughts on the Raptors this season. After Leonard left the team, the public generally believed that the defending champions were rushing to smash and rebuild this time, but they are still impressive this season. Even though it is an indisputable fact that the West is strong and the East is weak, behind the 46 wins and 16 losses, we can still see the overall performance of the team. There is Siakam's continued evolution, Lowry's swimming against the current, and Van Jordan's continuous transformation. All the substitutes have their own merits. How far will they go in the playoffs this season? Will they need reinforcements in the future? Based on this team, do they still have a chance to win another championship?

(Ask the reader: junlintianxia)

The Raptors did not rebuild. In addition to their excellent record, there should be another reason, that is, they want to recruit Antetokounmpo .

The goal of the Raptors' reconstruction is to win Antetokounmpo in 2021. As for the team's three largest contracts, Lowry has been renewed until the summer of 2021. Marc and Ibaka will expire after this season, which will not delay them at all. There is salary space to sign Antetokounmpo in 2021. The prerequisite for recruiting Antetokounmpo must be that the Raptors have a better foundation for the championship than the Bucks , so that Antetokounmpo can "move in with his bags." The team they have in hand must be complete and competitive, so it cannot be as simple as clearing space. If they choose to play badly, they will not be convincing enough in the 2021 free market.

So the Raptors chose a conservative route, taking one step at a time, striving for good results, building the team steadily, and waiting for Antetokounmpo. Even if Antetokounmpo cannot be recruited in 2021, the Raptors still have Sika and Anunoby as future reserves, and their road is not difficult in any case.

So, how far can the Raptors go in the playoffs?

The Raptors currently have the third best record in the league and are tied for third in net rating per 100 possessions. They are the second strongest team in the Eastern Conference, but they lack the top ten superstars in the league. This is certainly not good news for the playoffs. The last team without the league's top attacker to win the championship was the Spurs in 2014. In fact, that season's Parker, Manu, Kawhi, and Duncan were not necessarily better in terms of offensive quality. Siakam and Lowry. But that Spurs team was far ahead of the league in terms of overall strength. Their net rating per 100 possessions was 8.1 points, the Thunder was 6.4 points, and the Heat were 5.1 points. The Spurs were obviously a higher-end team—if they were not among the top five in the league Superstars are suppressing the formation, and it is best to have strength levels to suppress them to ensure their combat advantage.

This season, the Raptors' net winning margin per 100 possessions is 6.4 points, while the Bucks' margin is 10.7 points. There is an opponent in the Eastern Conference alone that is much higher than the Raptors. This season's Raptors are not like last season, with so much potential to be tapped in the playoffs. Although the Raptors were limited by injuries and were not in their strongest form during the regular season, they minimized the impact of injuries because they had a few great players on the bench. They were as deep as last year and relied on the playoffs to bring out the core. The situation of 8-man rotation to force combat power is different.

It cannot be said that the Raptors have no hope of winning the championship, but this year's opponents are too strong. They have no superstars themselves, and they are not strong enough to collectively crush them, so there is little hope of defending the title.

Among the members of the Raptors' championship-winning lineup, Lowry, Siakam, Powell and OG are currently under contract for next season, while Ibaka, Marc and VanVleet may all leave the team. Lowry Given his age, even if he signs his next contract with the Raptors, his role will be different from the past. As for the future of Sika, OG and Powell, this matter is complicated. Can Alphabet come? In what form does Alphabet come? If Alphabet does not come, will others come? Or simply no one will come. It all depends on their own cultivation. The result It will all be different.

All in all, the current situation of the Raptors is that they have the ability to maintain their competitiveness for a long time, but going further will require another gorgeous operation by the management.

3. When evaluating a star's historical status, will battery life or peak length be an important bonus? In other words, a star who has been playing with several All-Star teammates at the peak of his career and a star who has basically led a team alone at the peak of his career, even if the latter's achievements in the playoffs are often less than the former's , but after retiring, will people and tend to rank the latter before the former when evaluating their historical status (assuming they are players of the same level and in similar positions, such as Curry and Harden)

(Asking the reader) :Craig)

I roughly understand the meaning of the reader who asked the question. It is basically a question tailor-made for Harden.

Don't be fanciful, historical status is too honorable.

​

Unless the Pistons and the Five Tigers win consecutive championships with grassroots temperament, for example, a team wins six consecutive championships, but the leading star averages less than 20 points per game, and the team's strength is extremely average, with no one on the team all year round. Not even defensive. There was a star player from other teams at the same time who always led rubbish teammates. He was often eliminated in the first or second round, and could only reach the Western Conference Finals at best, but his data was very convincing. He won several MVPs based on his domineering data, and everyone also It is recognized that this star's teammates are weak, so this star may have a higher historical status than the core of the team that has won six consecutive championships.

Is this the case with Curry and Harden?

But the reason why this question was selected is mainly to talk about the extra points a star's endurance and peak length add to his historical status. Many people misunderstand this issue. For example, when it comes to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and , the long career and historical total score seem to be a substantial BUFF career achievement. In fact, the biggest BUFF that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's battery life brings to him is not the data accumulation and career length itself, but that the battery life provides him with a long enough window period, giving him enough opportunities to accumulate honors.

Many fans complain that their favorite stars did not meet good teammates, or the team they were on when they entered the league was not good. This is indeed unfair. What kind of achievements a star can achieve depends on luck. Opportunity and strength jointly determine the player's career achievements.

However, stars do not just retire after playing one contract in NBA. The future can be controlled by themselves. After all, there are opportunities for free agents to change jobs. Even if you are loyal to the team and don't change jobs, you won't always be unlucky. As long as it lasts long enough, help will come one day.

At this time, life endurance is very important. A star who has only been at his peak for 2 years, then he bets on these 2 years. In these 2 years, he has not met a suitable team, or the team has suffered injuries in key games, resulting in all previous efforts being wasted and the window period has been missed. Then it will be difficult to win the championship in the future. .

But if you have a peak of 20 years, then you have a lot of choices and waiting time.If Kobe's peak length is the same as McGrady's, can he wait until the Lakers rise again and win the last two championships? In the same way, if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired after the first 10 years, would he be able to gain the major team honors of his career in the second 10 years? Think about it, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s greatest endurance BUFF is his total career points, or the fact that as the first player in the 1970s, he still maintained a competitive state in the 1980s and won 5 more totals in the second decade. Where's the champion?

This is the meaning of battery life and peak length.

Let’s go back to Harden, who the questioner is concerned about. Assuming that Harden can play until the age of 40 in his career and maintain a quasi-peak state, but in the end he still fails to win a championship and ends his career with only one MVP, then his historical status will not be very high, and It's not unfair either. Because a player who has been in his prime for such a long time has so many "trial and error" opportunities and still cannot grasp it, then it is not that he is unlucky, but that he is not eager for success - when you are obsessed with destiny When your attitude is very Buddhist, don't blame fate for giving you a very Buddhist arrangement.

4. Will the Mosaic team's five-small system really be effective in the playoffs, instead of losing streaks like the regular season?

(Ask the reader: G Lin)

My answer is simple - I don’t know.

Because when you analyze a team that has no historical cases to refer to, everything is just talk on paper and cannot be implemented in practice.

What I want to talk about is how we should look at Mosaic's all-or-nothing thing - the anxiety of being the second place for too long.

Mosaic is certainly not the second best team in the world now, but over the past few years, averaging out the competitiveness of the Western Conference, apart from the Warriors, it is probably Mosaic. The reason is very simple - only the core of these two teams is stable. . Since the Warriors established the team with Curry as the core and Harden became the main player, during this period, only the Yonghong and Red teams have not replaced their leading stars.

While the Warriors have won three championships, the red team has never made it to the finals. Harden is in the same class as Curry and will soon turn 31 and is still at his peak, but the entire red team is older and has a limited window period. , it’s really time for them to succeed.

So does Mosaic have the capital to succeed?

65 The red team that won the game did very well. Harden + shooter + terminator + another superstar. This model forced the Warriors to a tiebreaker, very close to success.

But after that, the Mosaic model became increasingly unsustainable. The deal between Paul and Westbrook and could not solve all the problems, but also brought new problems. Harden + Capela + Westbrook This combination has been proven to be unworkable. This has been mentioned many times in previous articles, so I won’t go into details here. Simply put, Harden needs to be paired with three shooters, so Westbrook and Capela will One person must become a shooter. Since Westbrook cannot move, Capela has to be used, and it is difficult to find a shooter at the center position. Mosaic simply combines the good tradition of the past five small schools with the configuration of Harvey + 3 shooters. Hence the current situation.

When everyone looks at Mosaic, their thoughts are different from when they look at Mosaic. What everyone thinks is that if you have a center that is barely usable, wouldn't there be a way out when the five primary players are unable to use it?

But the mosaic is clear. Not to mention randomly pulling in a center now, isn't it true that the lineup of Harvey + Capela also doesn't work? If the five small bets lose, there is a way out, which is to die early and die late. Mosaic wants the championship, not lingering for a while in the playoffs - will either kill you or be killed by you. There is no third way.

This is the anxiety of second place. I have been in second place for too long. I am so angry and depressed. I really want to break through. I know that if I don’t make changes, I will never be able to break through in my life.

So there must be change, even if the change may be worse, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, it is better than continuing to be the second child.The number two characters in comics who are suppressed by the protagonist often resort to dark power. This is the reason.

Of course, even if Mosaic's five players fail, it will be much easier for them to find a usable center during the vacation than it is now. However, fundamentally speaking, the key to mosaic is not whether to go to the top five or to the center, but whether the incompatibility between Harvey will be amplified in the playoffs. This may be more important than examining the effect of the top five. .