The Heat were not discouraged by losing the first game.
This isn't the Magic... The Magic had Kidd and McGrady as their core players. The Nets are different; Wei Guo is the best player in the league, and he's even harder to deal with than Kidd and McGrady combined.
Not only that.
The Nets have playoff experience and drive, and Wei Guo had a breakout game in the first game, making 19 of 25 three-point attempts, scoring 57 points from three-point range alone.
On a day without a game, the Heat rented an indoor basketball arena in New Jersey.
The Nets made adjustments to their lineup during the game, with Stockton playing only 13 minutes, less than Tyronn Lue, which was unexpected by Van Gundy.
"Move out! Move out..."
"Catch the ball and shoot, don't hesitate..."
"Zone defense! Don't let Wade drive into the paint..."
"Go! Go!"
"Wade, don't shoot threes, that's not your strong scoring method..."
Van Gundy directed the players, and the intra-squad scrimmage was not intense, mainly for tactical integration. He also couldn't guess what lineup Gentry would field in the next game. What he needed to do now was to remain unchanged in the face of any changes. The Heat were not the Knicks; their goal was the Eastern Conference Finals.
certainly...
If they can beat the Nets, their goal will be more than just the Eastern Conference Finals.
......
The Nets weren't idle either; after the game, the players got a good long sleep.
In the afternoon...
The Nets players also came to the arena. They must take every playoff game seriously and will not, like during the regular season, spend their days sleeping at home when there are no games.
"Coach Scott and I talked all night last night."
Gentry yawned, "We feel it's necessary to make an adjustment to the roster."
Wei Guo noticed that Gentry was not in good spirits; his steps were unsteady and he was walking a little unsteadily. It seemed that he and Scott had really talked all night, but the two of them must have been drinking and talking at the same time, and ended up getting very drunk.
Scott said, "These young guys on the Heat all have scoring ability. Odom, Butler, Jones, and Wade are all strong scorers. We are under a lot of pressure on our perimeter defense, so someone has to take on the responsibility of perimeter defense!"
"Should we have Wei play point guard?" Stockton asked.
"right!"
Scott snapped his fingers. "That's what Old Kim and I both think."
After yesterday's game, Scott went to Gentry's house. Gentry rents a house in New Jersey and usually lives alone. The two of them drank very late yesterday, and Scott finally experienced Gentry's happiness.
It's not about the pleasure of drinking, nor is it about the pleasure of living alone.
Their conversation was very pure, focusing solely on basketball and excluding romance. Scott also pointed out the problems with the Nets, but Gentry resolved Scott's confusion with a single sentence.
"Why don't we just let Wei play position 1?"
Gentry's casual remark struck Scott like a thunderbolt.
yes...
Wei Guo is someone who can go from the point guard position to the coaching staff; he is one of the league's top point guards.
The media says that Kidd is the best point guard in the league, but that's because Wei Guo didn't participate in the selection. If Wei Guo had participated, he would be the best point guard in the league in this era.
"So how should this lineup be arranged?"
Stockton asked if he would question the coach's decision.
Scott said, "Wei will play point guard, Hill will play shooting guard, Jefferson will play small forward, Kenyon will play power forward, and Mourning will play center!"
"That makes perfect sense..."
Gentry laughed, "I dare say this is the strongest lineup in the league!"
The Nets simply removed Stockton from the starting lineup and replaced him with Jefferson, but the lineup adjustment was still significant, as Wei Guo moved to the point guard position and Jefferson took over the small forward position that originally belonged to Wei Guo.
Kiddels said, "I saw a news report this morning saying that Wei Ge is an enhanced version of Odom, that's ridiculous..."
This media outlet should be banned!
Cummings scoffed, "To actually compare Odom to Wei Ge!"
Odom was an excellent player. Focusing solely on basketball and ignoring everything else, Odom was a well-rounded player. With the height of a power forward, he possessed a beautiful mid-range shot and a fluid playing style. He could play point guard, small forward, and power forward, and in a game, he could both initiate and finish offense.
As for defense, Odom is at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength, especially against a tough guy like Wei Guo. If Wei Guo uses his body to defend Odom under the basket, it will be difficult for Odom to contain him.
but...
Odom was a serious defender, especially against players with average offensive abilities who relied on assists from guards to score. He could frustrate them a lot. In addition, Odom was also an excellent rebounder.
Despite having so many advantages, comparing Odom to Wei Guo is still a bit of an overstatement.
......
The second game between the Nets and the Heat began a day later.
A young man from the country came to watch the game. This young man had just won the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year award. He was James.
The various honors of this season were announced one after another during the playoffs.
Regular season MVP: Wei Guo.
Wei Guo was named the regular season MVP for three consecutive years, something even Jordan couldn't achieve. Before Wei Guo, only three players in the league had been named the regular season MVP for three consecutive years: Russell, Chamberlain, and Bird.
Regular season best defensive player: Wei Guo
This award is still controversial. Wei Guo has won the Defensive Player of the Year award for two consecutive years. He has been able to beat Ben Wallace for the past two years. Wallace has a very inspiring story and his defense is very fierce. If he wins the Defensive Player of the Year award a few more times, he will still be remembered for many years to come.
But...
The reality is harsh; the gap between him and Wei Guo is too great.
Artest's defense was also quite good this season, and he received more votes than Ben Wallace, but Artest was still no match for Wei Guo.
If a player who is the regular season steals leader and blocks leader doesn't win the regular season defensive player of the year, it would be the biggest joke in the league this century.
Besides these two major honors, there are also the top statistics and the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team awards.
First Team: O'Neal, Wei Guo, Garnett, Kobe, Kidd
First-team defense: Artest, Kobe, Weiguo, Garnett, Ben Wallace
......
This year, many rookies performed well, including Carmelo Anthony of the Pistons, Dwyane Wade of the Heat, Chris Bosh of the Raptors, Gu Tao of the Rockets, and LeBron James of the Cavaliers. In terms of statistics and records, Anthony and Gu Tao had more impressive performances than James. However, James still won the Rookie of the Year award, mainly due to his performance in the second half of the regular season.
With Ricky Davis gone, LeBron James became the Cavaliers' leader, averaging 24 points per game and leading the team from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to ninth, almost making the playoffs.
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