Durant takes the initiative to apply for transactions, Simmons is in the crowd, Irving is caught in public controversy, this season's Net seems to have no hope of winning the championship, and their only path is to knock down the existing deformed lineup and start rebuilding.
didn't expect things to turn around so soon. The management finally let Nash be dismissed. Irving was affected by off-court factors. New coach Vaughan re-established Durant's core position. In today's 110-95 victory over Clippers , the latter made 10 of 16 shots and scored 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He led the team to win 2 consecutive victories.
From the perspective of the game, although the Nets lost a star who averaged more than 20 points per game, their offensive system has been significantly improved. The first is that center Clarkston and any outside can cooperate with pick-and-roll. For example, in the first quarter Joe Harris passed the ball to Clarkston while moving, helping the latter complete a dunk with both hands.
In the fourth quarter, Clarkston performed even more well. Even if he was fouled by his opponent in the fast break, he could still hold on to 2+1. The improvement in strength can be seen from the naked eye. With the guarantee of the inside, shooters such as Durant, Mills and Seth Curry can naturally output efficiently, allowing both the starting and rotation lineups to have sufficient offensive firepower.
Due to the improvement of the defensive end, the Reus O'Neal , which originally had a very low presence, has also found a position. He started out on defense and gradually developed into a 3D player based on his strong body. However, Nash simply used him as a pitcher. Now O'Neal can build confidence in defense, get a good shooting opportunity and take a shot, and it is not surprising that 3 of 6 three-pointers are shot.
Including this game, the Nets averaged only 96.1 points per game in November, and scored only 100 points for the opponent in 6 consecutive games. is no longer a mob with no tactical system. The players' strength can be superimposed. If Irving does not play, it gives Mills and Curry and other outside players to get more opportunities to hold the ball, and the system runs smoother.
And the most important point is that the new coach Vaughan insists on putting Simmons on the bench. In this way, Simmons' eye-catching offensive ability cannot affect the starting lineup to lay the foundation for the scoring of the game and avoid the phenomenon of the Nets digging holes for themselves at the beginning. On the other hand, Simmons played the effect of Tian Ji in the rotation lineup. His pick-and-roll cooperation with Seth Curry has become a regular tactic on the bench. When the role players can maintain the scene without collapsing, Durant has the opportunity to close the game.
In fact, the Nets' current style of playing is very similar to the Thunder team in the 13-14 season. At that time, Westbrook was injured and almost missed the entire regular season. Durant led the team with a single core and played a good role as a leader. Thunder achieved a record of 59 wins and 23 losses. He personally averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, winning his first regular season MVP trophy in his career.
Who was the Thunder team's lineup that year? There are heroes of the Celtics' championship in 2008, Perkins , block king Ibaka , backcourt defense champions Seifrosa, Reggie, Robertson , and there are also distinctive players such as veterans Collison and Lamb. The goal of this lineup is to provide the strongest internal and external defense and create the best scoring opportunity for Durant.
And the Nets are similar. When a player with strong physical fitness can be upright in his defensive attitude and a stable shooter can make three-pointers, Durant can exert his greatest power. Although he is 34 years old, with his current competitive state, if he can lead the team to achieve a good record with a single core, it is not impossible to win the second MVP in his career.
When the Nets introduced Irving and Durant at the same time, they had already made the wrong first move until they lost all the game. Now there are no two big Buddhas, Nash and Irving, and Simmons was demoted to the substitute, Durant was reactivated. Even if he could never win the championship again after leaving Curry, it is not a blessing to be able to regain his best self.
