Chapter 697: Asking Kobe for Advice
Actually, that statement carried a strong subjective emotion.
If people said the Knicks players had not played well in Game 1, then that was true. Other than Chen Yan, no one on the team had produced presentable numbers.
But in Game 2, Curry scored 21 points. Kenyon Martin had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Although Battier only scored 9 points, his contribution on the defensive end was indispensable.
Some contributions could not be reflected by statistics.
Most of New York's starters had basically played up to their value.
Their inability to defeat Miami was purely due to the gap in team strength.
Of course, the referees effort was also indispensable.
Knicks fans suddenly lost their confidence.
They had originally thought New York could go all the way, but after 2 games, their expectations had fallen to simply avoiding a sweep.
The fans began complaining about the management's trade operations in the middle of the season, asking why they had not brought in a star to assist Chen Yan.
Although the Knicks had made several acquisitions before the transfer window closed, they were all veterans like Al Harrington and Kenyon Martin.
What the Knicks currently lacked most was a true 2nd option and reliable, stable substitutes.
Curry had potential, but he still needed time to grow.
Right now, he often played 1 brilliant game and then 1 terrible game, making it difficult for him to maintain stable output.
In the Western Conference, the Mavericks eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7, becoming the 2nd team to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Kobe was disheartened.
Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, was burning with fighting spirit.
The Mavericks were currently in great form and riding tremendous momentum.
Most importantly, their roster was complete.
Dirk had a strong premonition.
This year was his best chance to contend for the championship.
Chen Yan had not been in a good mood these past few days.
The team was down 0 to 2, and everyone was pessimistic about the Knicks.
Fortunately, with Taylor Swift's company, Chen Yan's mood improved significantly.
After thinking for a long time, Chen Yan finally came up with a strategy to defeat the enemy.
He would primarily guard Wade.
The next day during practice, Chen Yan told Nelson about this idea.
At 1st, Nelson was against it.
But after listening to Chen Yan's explanation, he felt there was some truth to it.
Chen Yan said, "Although Miami has a Big 3, whether in half court offense or fast breaks, their most reliable scoring option is Wade. James scoring ability is very strong, but his playing habit is to prioritize passing, and his ability to break down defenses is average. When Miami encounters difficulties, their 1st option is still to give the ball to Wade. If we can limit Wade, then we can limit their offensive system."
Nelson remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "It is too risky. This will consume a lot of your stamina and affect your performance on the offensive end. Even without Wade, Miami still has James and Gasol. The Knicks offense relies almost entirely on you. Having you guard Wade full court is too big a risk."
"Risk and opportunity coexist. In the 1st 2 games, I scored a lot on offense, but we still could not win. Returning home, we must make changes. If we continue playing the same way as before, we may get swept."
Nelson fell silent again.
If it were any other coach, he would most likely reject Chen Yan's proposal outright.
But Nelson's nickname was the Mad Scientist.
He possessed rich imagination and strong creativity.
After thinking for a moment, Nelson said, "Maybe we can try it. But on offense, you need to reduce your ball handling and running. Your activity range should mainly be on the perimeter, at least in the 1st 2 quarters, so you do not drain yourself too early."
The corner of Chen Yan's mouth curved slightly when he heard this.
This meant using him as a pure shooter.
Only Nelson could think of such a thing.
However, Chen Yan liked it.
He was actively seeking change, and he hoped to catch Miami off guard.
Chen Yan was already eager for Game 3 to begin.
This plan was like an experiment, but it was also a possible path toward a comeback.
The night before the game, Chen Yan specifically called Kobe for advice.
Kobe was the player in the entire league with the most experience defending Wade.
Although Kobe had just been eliminated and was in a bad mood, Chen Yan's relationship with him was different.
Chen Yan had always been the junior Kobe cared about and admired most.
Kobe patiently answered his questions, just as Jordan had treated him back then.
Kobe said, "To defend Wade, you must be determined, and you must work hard enough. You have to guard him full court, whether he has the ball or not. Simply put, you need to pay the price of spending huge stamina."
"When defending Wade, try to force him to his left side. Do not let him comfortably pick up speed. Once he touches the ball with his right hand and shows a tendency to go right, extend your lead foot to block Wade's foot. Remember, it has to be the lead foot. Try to completely seal off his right side drive and force him left."
"Force Wade to drive and finish with his weaker hand. That makes him more prone to turnovers. Even if he does not turn it over, his burst speed to the left cannot compare to his right side. If he tries to force the burst, with your speed, you can definitely keep up."
"If he calls for a screen, remember to observe in advance and go around the pick. This is very important. You know his nickname is The Flash. If you give him even a tiny bit of space, he can drive into the paint and draw fouls."
"Thank you, Kobe. Thank you very much. Your advice is very important to me," Chen Yan said sincerely.
"I will be watching your performance on TV," Kobe replied.
Soon, game day arrived.
James continued his pre game show, tossing powder into the air.
Wade was also showing off, pulling on the rim.
The Knicks players, however, looked very low key.
Rather than low key, it was more accurate to call their atmosphere solemn.
Every Knicks player understood.
They had no retreat.
They were going all out in this game.
New York's lineup was unchanged from the 1st 2 games, but their tactics had undergone a significant change.
In the 1st 2 games, Nelson had assigned Battier to guard Wade, while Al Harrington and Kenyon Martin took turns guarding James because they were big enough.
Chen Yan, meanwhile, had been assigned to guard Miami's perimeter shooter, Mike Miller.
It could be said that Chen Yan had carried the lightest defensive burden, because Nelson had intentionally wanted him to conserve energy and unleash his power on offense.
But from the start of Game 3, Chen Yan implemented tight defense on Wade.
The effect was even better than Battier's.
Battier relied on experience and defensive skills, and Wade was least afraid of such defenders.
Chen Yan, however, not only had defensive technique, but also possessed physical talent superior to Wade's.
Every time Wade tried to shake off Chen Yan, he could only call for a screen.
There were even many times when Wade called for a screen and still could not get rid of Chen Yan.
The reason was simple.
Chen Yan would read the court situation and go around the screen in advance.
Wade's outside shooting ability was limited, so Chen Yan dared to boldly go around screens.
Even if he gave Wade enough space for a 3 pointer, it would not pose too much of a threat.
Wade was also puzzled.
This guy came out defending with full effort.
Was he not going to play offense anymore?
Wade only took 3 shots in the 1st quarter and made 1, which was extremely frustrating.
Chen Yan did not fare much better in terms of volume.
He took 5 shots in the quarter.
But his efficiency was much higher.
He made 3 shots, all from beyond the 3 point line.
The Knicks led 26 to 18 after the 1st quarter.
The new tactics had achieved some success.
Of course, this was not only because of Chen Yan's defense.
It was also because the perimeter players had hot hands.
.....
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