Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 651 Bringing up exes in front of the current one: Tense, exciting, and fun.

How should I put it about the Timberwolves' roster this year?

Anyone who understands football can spot their problems at a glance.

Besides the two legends Kidd and Garnett, the team's starting five consisted of Szczerbiak, who was forced into becoming the team's leading scorer; Ricky Davis, whom the Celtics chose to let go rather than re-sign during the crucial moment of their championship run; and Mark Blount, a center with some offensive and shooting ability.

This lineup looks pretty good, it's star-studded, but the problem is: these people are incompatible, completely incompatible!

Davis can score, but he has no off-ball skills. He has to dribble and dribble before he can find his rhythm and start attacking.

But both of the team's key players are the kind of players who need the ball. What do they do when you give them the ball?

Szczerbiak seems more suited to be the team's second, or even best, third, scorer, but he's been forced into becoming a representative of inefficient shooters...

Simply put, this lineup is all about low attack!

If we could trade Kidd for Iverson, this lineup would be quite promising and could be a game-winning shot!

Unfortunately, it can't be replaced!

The Magic are counting on Iverson to sell tickets.

Speaking of which, even though the Magic's current record is only 6 wins and 9 losses, making them fellow sufferers with the Timberwolves, if Iverson and Kidd were swapped, both teams' records would most likely improve significantly.

Even if we don't talk about the championship, we can definitely make the playoffs with our eyes closed!

This is the difference in attributes between players.

This is the significance of chemical reactions!

But no matter what, right now, the forest has to defeat the Knicks first, and then we can talk about everything else.

"I heard you're doing well here, Jason," Lin Tian said with a smile. "I thought you and Kevin would be able to score 20 points a game after you teamed up!"

Before the match even started, Lin Tian, ​​as always, started stabbing people in the chest with his mouth.

"I don't like scoring," Kidd scoffed. "I'm a team player."

"Come on, you." Lin Tian responded to Kidd's shameless excuse with the middle finger, saying, "You're only good at team play. You want to score points? Do you even have the ability?"

"How are you? Missing Vince and Yao?"

After Lin Tian finished speaking, without waiting for Kidd's response, he stood still and shouted at Garnett, who was about to walk over, "Hey Kevin, how have you been lately? I heard that last night when you were holding your little girl to sleep, you were crying and calling Allen's name?"

"Shut up, Lin! Shut up!" Garnett's already dark and shiny skin turned even darker after Lin Tian said that.

"You didn't? Then it seems I remembered wrong. It was Jason holding a little girl, calling Vince and Yao's names, right? Seriously Jason, did you cry last night?"

"I was training last night!" Kidd didn't even bother to reply to Lin Tian.

This guy is good at this kind of useless sowing discord.

"Have you missed New Jersey to this extent that you're using training to mask your pain?"

"That's true. Although New Jersey is rural, it's still rural New York, unlike Minnesota, where I've heard there are still tribes."

"Kevin, let's go. Let's not say a single word to this bastard." Kidd didn't want to say another word to Lin Tian, ​​so he grabbed Garnett and turned to leave.

Lin Tian's mouth is too sharp. In particular, although this guy talks nonsense all the time, every word he says hits the nail on the head and makes the listener feel like they've been stabbed.

What a scumbag!

Anyway, Garnett and Kidd were extremely unhappy.

Fortunately, the referee had finished preparing and the match was about to start, so Lin Tian didn't have much of a chance to keep chasing after the two and chattering away. Time had helped the two of them.

Soon, the 10 starting players from both sides took to the field. Mark Blunt, who is 213 cm tall, and Okur stood together in the center circle, ready for the jump ball.

It's fair to say that Blunt is another beneficiary of the Timberwolves' failed two-star lineup. At 30 years old, he has had the best performance and highest average points per game this year: 13 points and 6 rebounds!

Clearly, Garnett and Kidd can make their teammates better, but they themselves aren't good enough!

Both of them need to be paired with top-tier assassins or top-tier scorers to have any chance of success!

Alternatively, they could follow the Pistons' path, relying on team defense and an atmosphere of absolute unity, which could also make them a top team.

However, the Timberwolves lack the defensive foundation of the Pistons.

Kidd and Garnett are both top-tier defenders caliber, but the team's other three starters...

Davis's defense is negligible; he's only focused on fast breaks and scoring, and he's unwilling to contribute anything else on the court.

Szczerbiak and Blount are willing to play defense, but their defensive skills and talent are negligible.

What kind of defense can a white shooter and a center who averages a career-high 0.8 blocks per game put on?

This is another rather peculiar aspect of the Timberwolves team.

The team's two key players did all the dirty work and defense, while the team's role players contributed almost nothing on the defensive end, focusing their energy on offense!

From this perspective, the Timberwolves are a paradise for role players.

One of the two big shots loves passing the ball, and the other is unbeatable at pick-and-roll.

Absolutely paradise!

"Beep beep!"

Suddenly, the referee blew his whistle. Both Blunt and Okur's jumping ability was negligible. As they jumped low, Okur, with his taller stature, secured the first offensive possession for the Knicks.

After glancing at the front of the court, Lin Tian immediately signaled to his teammates not to rush and to play steadily.

Garnett was already in defensive position and ready to defend. With his mobility, even though he was standing at the free-throw line, no matter who Lin Tian passed to, Garnett had the ability to help defend or even steal the ball immediately.

Kidd immediately stuck close to Lin Tian, ​​continuing to put pressure on him and preventing Lin Tian from making easy progress.

The defensive system these two cobbled together is indeed quite interesting!

But just being somewhat interesting is clearly not enough!

For example, after Lin Tian arrived at the frontcourt, he quickly passed the ball to Anthony.

For Anthony, playing against Szczerbiak was not much different from playing against his own son.

Perhaps the only difference is that when dealing with his own son, Anthony has to hold back, otherwise he'll be the one who feels bad if he hurts his son.

But against Szczerbiak, he didn't need to hold back at all! He could just go all out!

"Bang! Bang!"

After those two fierce and hard impacts, Anthony knocked Szczerbiak back several steps. Then, Anthony suddenly turned around to create distance and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot!

With a crisp "swish!", Anthony's jump shot went in easily!

"Too easy!" Anthony shouted excitedly after scoring. "Give me some physicality, you trash! Where's the defense? This is so boring!"

After trash-talking, Anthony saw that Szczerbiak didn't dare to talk back, so he quickly turned around and ran away. Then he found Davis and went to match up against him!

As for Szczerbiak, the task was given to Barnes.

Hmm... I'll definitely switch positions!

Given Anthony's limited defensive ability and focus, even if the Knicks didn't require any defense, Don Nelson wouldn't want Anthony to be outmaneuvered like a dog and unable to keep up, getting beaten up one after another by Szczerbiak.

Switching defenders is the best solution!

As for Barnes, as the least famous player on the Knicks, he has always been responsible for the few dirty and tiring jobs the team does.

His job basically consists of chasing down the opponent's top scorer, defending, rebounding, and running fast breaks.

Barnes did a very good job and worked very hard in this regard. He knew who he was and how he could establish himself in the league and even become a starter for a team like the Knicks.

It has a dog-like biting, a relentless pursuit, and a fierce and tough appearance.

Especially as Lin Tian gets older and becomes less inclined to exert himself on the defensive end, particularly during the regular season, Barnes has to take the lead on defense!

In the first round, Barnes did a pretty good job. He chased Szczerbiak all the way, and even though Szczerbiak used Garnett's cover and made a handoff, he couldn't get a comfortable shot.

In the end, the basketball returned to Garnett's hands. Facing the notorious defensive black hole Stoudemire, he took two tentative steps and then pulled up for his signature high-post jump shot.

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, the basketball bounced off the rim and was caught by Okur. After getting the ball, Okur quickly passed it to Lin Tian, ​​and the Knicks launched another counterattack!

Lin Tian took the lead with the ball, running at full speed while observing his teammates' positions. Kidd, who was defending him, was also a top-notch fast break player. He knew all too well the timing, angle, and target of Lin Tian's passes!

Top defenders are able to make some predictions based on another player's habits and past performance!

The better the defender, the easier it is for them to make the right judgments!

Conversely, the more skilled the attacker, the less predictable they are!

For example, Lin Tian!

This guy dribbled all the way to the wing and suddenly stopped, then turned around with his back to Kidd, pretending to pass the ball to Anthony who was following up in the middle. But Kidd didn't fall for it. He thought Lin Tian would definitely attack himself! And he would definitely use a quick spin move to get past him!

But just as Kidd shifted his feet slightly to try and block Lin Tian, ​​the basketball was already in Anthony's hands.

After receiving the ball, this guy didn't even think twice before pulling up for a three-pointer from beyond the arc!

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Anthony got off to a hot start, scoring 5 points in a row!

"What's wrong, Jason? Didn't guess what I was going to do, so you don't know how to defend, right?" After successfully passing the ball, Lin Tian seemed to read Kidd's mind and immediately mocked him: "Next round, I'll tell you how I'm going to play, okay?"

Faced with Lin Tian's provocation, Kidd wisely chose to keep quiet.

There's nothing to say to this guy; the more I talk, the angrier I get.

So he could only dribble the ball across the frontcourt and get to the three-point line. Facing Lin Tian's defense, which gave him plenty of space to shoot, Kidd was in a very difficult position.

What can he do?

Direct submission?

Kidd wasn't confident at all. Even if it was a wide-open three-pointer, he was still very uncertain.

breakthrough?

Kidd wasn't confident either. Even though the Knicks' defense under the basket was negligible, Kidd didn't think he could get past Lin Tian, ​​the first line of defense.

This is why he always felt nauseous and uncomfortable whenever he encountered Lin Tian.

We really can't beat them!

They are no match at all.

Unfortunately, the Timberwolves simply don't have a primary scorer or a key player who allows Kidd to confidently pass the ball and orchestrate the offense, calling for everyone to move around.

Garnett?

This guy has already run over to cover for Kidd! That's incredibly selfless.

But Garnett's screen was clearly useless.

As soon as Lin Tian saw him, he immediately took a step back to make room.

Block it, dismantle it as you please, throw it as you please!

Lin Da Guan Ren doesn't believe that you, Kidd, can make a shot!

The current situation is quite awkward.

Garnett stood sideways outside the three-point line, his hands under his crotch, effectively blocking... air for Kidd.

Lin Tian was a good 2 meters away from the two men. Kidd's shot was disgusting, but the sudden attack was even more disgusting.

Pass the ball, shall we?

Looking around, I realized that none of my teammates were ready.

Szczerbiak ran for his life, Barnes chased after him relentlessly, while Davis stood still, raising his hands and shouting, "PASS! PASS!"

As for Blunt, he didn't even look at Kidd. He had his back to Kidd and his head was fixed on the basket, clearly preparing to grab a rebound.

"FUXX!"

Kidd cursed, lamenting what the hell he had done.

Then he glanced at the basket and decided to shoot.

He is not completely without the ability to shoot three-pointers. Throughout his career, he has had a three-point shooting percentage of around 33%, and in a few years he even reached around 37%.

Otherwise, where did his peak average of 17-8 points per game come from?

However, Kidd's 33% three-point shooting percentage is different from others.

Others' 33%: It's about the same for every game, with little fluctuation, like 1 out of 3, 2 out of 6, etc.

基德这个33%全靠天，今天可能8投6中大杀四方，接着的一个礼拜搞不好都得是一串的3投0中，4投1中，5投0中之类的表现。

The main theme is that success or failure depends entirely on the player's skill and luck.

Seeing that Lin Tian had set up such a big three-pointer, Kidd simply gathered the ball, then used Garnett's head as a aiming scope to pull up and shoot from beyond the three-point line!

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Kidd hit his first three-pointer of the game!

"Did you see that, you damn idiot! Let it go! Keep letting it go! I'll show you what I'm capable of." After scoring, Kidd was extremely excited and unleashed a torrent of abuse on Lin Tian.

It wasn't just because he made that shot, but because Kidd knew he had it after he released the ball!

That feeling was indescribable! It was the feeling of him getting into the zone tonight, his zone completely open!

Tonight we'll vote that bastard Lin to death!

This is how Kidd feels right now.

"That shot of yours almost made me leave the game." Lin Tian watched Kidd make the three-pointer, shrugged unhappily, and said, "Because I thought it was the game-winner! To be honest, I'm not as excited as you when I make a game-winner, it's like you would celebrate every time your wife 'passes away'."

"Because that's incredibly rare. Most of the time, she'll just hug your bald head, make you relax, and comfort you by saying you're just too tired lately."

"Oh, sorry, my dear Jason, I forgot, you don't have a wife. You got kicked out by your wife and she beat you up, right?"

"Shut up!" Kidd's eyes immediately turned red upon hearing about being beaten up by his wife.

Damn it, don't you know the saying "don't hit someone in the face"?

Why keep bringing up such trivial matters!

That's because I'm afraid of my wife.

I'm just respecting my wife!

It's about respect!

Divorce is also a matter of respect!

If I really move...

Kidd was trying to clear his name in his mind, but Lin Tian didn't wait for him. Instead, he suddenly accelerated and drove into the paint again. After drawing Garnett's help defense, he didn't pass the ball to Stoudemire who was following up. Instead, he made a low pass and passed the ball to Okur behind Blunt!

Because Blunt predicted that Lin Tian would pass the ball to Stoudemire, he had already moved toward Stoudemire to help defend. But Lin Tian anticipated his prediction and passed the ball to Okur, who was unguarded at the moment.

Okur received the ball and easily scored another 2 points with a floater!

"Sorry Jason, did I just sneak up on you? Did my move just now make you feel frustrated and powerless? Did it remind you of your beautiful but unforgettable wife? Let's have a drink tonight. Is there anything bothering you, or something that's not working out physically?"

"Just tell me, we're best buddies!"

"Go to hell!" Kidd cursed again, then caught the basketball and quickly dribbled it to the frontcourt, while gesturing for Blunt to come up and screen for him.

"Are you going to let me go?!"

"Let go! Why won't you let go? If you're so capable of getting in, I'll keep letting you in!" Lin Tian had absolute trust in Kidd's touch!

If he could kill people, he wouldn't have been oppressed and suffered so much for the rest of his life.

"Let's go!"

Full of confidence, Kidd created space again, and after a screen, he pulled up and threw the ball.

"Bang!"

Sure enough, the guy threw it decisively, and the basketball hit the ground cleanly.

Stoudemire grabbed the backboard and passed it back to Lin Tian.

"I know what you're thinking, Jason." Lin Tian caught the ball, and this time he didn't rush to advance. Instead, he slowly looked at Kidd and said, "You think you're in great form because you scored the last goal, so you want to do another one, right?"

"But I have to tell you, if your gut feeling were reliable, you'd be the scoring champion by now! Your low shooting percentage is just because your gut feeling is unreliable, isn't it?"

"I'm different! I'm the scoring champion, so my intuition is absolutely reliable! For example, right now I feel like my shooting touch is off the charts tonight, and I can easily sink three-pointers!" (End of Chapter)