novelno Chapter 497: Exploded overnight (two-in-one)
Chapter 497: Exploded overnight (two-in-one)
After their 25-game winning streak was ended by the Lakers, everyone seems to have adapted to the referee's penalty standards. The teams' defensive actions against the Sonics' perimeter have begun to become more and more intense. It has become commonplace for several outside shooters to be pulled.
Seattle fans also scolded them at first, but they couldn't stop scolding because the league would occasionally criticize other teams in this way, but in fact, the intention was already obvious.
Now in the league, only the Sonics shoot the most outside 3-pointers and have the highest shooting percentage. This is what the league wants to suppress. Not to mention that the referees are targeted. Even if it is a one-size-fits-all league, all teams have the same penalty scale. The one that suffers, is weakened, and is most affected is still the SuperSonics.
And if you want to dig inside, the SuperSonics' inside line is actually not weak.
The combination of Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler can compete with any center in the NBA today, even Dayao and O'Neal. Coupled with Sakuragi's rebounding ability, no one can say that the SuperSonics are weak inside, but that is mainly reflected in defense. end.
Although both of them can take advantage of the cake on the offensive end, they are still basically playing against a weak team. Facing the level of Yao Ming and O'Neal, it is ultimately up to Lin Dong to create opportunities for them.
For Lin Dong to achieve that point, unless there are some special circumstances, most of the time it is actually safer for Lin Dong to attack by himself, and the consumption is almost the same anyway.
Therefore, blocking the Sonics' perimeter is equivalent to placing all the Sonics' offensive tasks on Lin Dong alone.
It really doesn't matter if they play against a weak team. They can't block the Sonics' outside perimeter, and they can't block Sakuragi and Chandler from eating the cake. No matter how they play, it will be the same.
But if playing against a strong team, Lin Dong really can't score all the points in a targeted situation.
Just like the previous loss to the Lakers, Kobe was allowed to guard Lin Dong alone in the first three quarters, and his shooting rate was about 70%. He was basically in a defensive state. Losing the ball was just a matter of Lin Dong's luck and concentration. After all, no one could It is impossible to guarantee absolute concentration for 48 minutes.
But Kobe's defensive strategy was not to prevent Lin Dong from scoring, but to consume Lin Dong's physical strength.
More importantly, after the rest of the Sonics were blocked for three whole quarters, they basically had no touch in the last quarter and couldn't make any shots given the chance.
At this time, the Lakers will slightly open up some opportunities for others and use double teams to restrict Lin Dong.
Facing the defense of Kobe and Doug Christie at the same time, coupled with the consumption in the first three quarters, Lin Dong's shooting percentage in the fourth quarter really couldn't improve. He didn't even have many shooting opportunities, and he felt cold from the outside and couldn't make any shots. , it is natural to lose.
He has stamina potions and status potions, but he has won three consecutive championships. After having achieved his breakthrough by ‘giving up taking medicine’, to this day, Lin Dong really has no idea of taking medicine anymore.
Unless you are facing a desperate situation when representing your country in the 2008 Olympics and have to fight for this nation, you will just drink these potions for personal honor to win the game...
I already have enough personal honors. I don't need to rely on that to prove anything, and I don't care about it, so it's better to lose completely.
So in the final analysis, what the Sonics still have to solve is the pressure resistance problem on the outside.
Throughout January, the SuperSonics' record was somewhat lagging compared to their previous winning streak.
On the 12th, they lost a game to the Spurs, and they lost by a big score.
The opponent used the same tactics as the Lakers. They went up to the twin towers to ensure confrontation with Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler. They tried to grab more rebounds and minimize the chances of SuperSonics' second attack. There were various foul levels on the outside. Interference, locking the feel of the Supersonic outside line.
On the SuperSonics side, Lin Dong deliberately reduced the number of shots and made more balls for the outside.
Frankly speaking, Lin Dong feels that with Ginobili's one-on-one defense, he can actually defeat the Spurs on his own.
But it’s just a regular season game, and it’s an ordinary game that has had its 25-game winning streak interrupted. Rather than relying on himself to win the game alone, Lin Dong is more willing to let the team’s outsiders feel and adapt to the foul-level players. Defensive trouble.
If they develop the habit of solving everything on their own, and if they cannot overcome this problem when facing the Lakers and Cavaliers in the playoffs, they will be quite passive by then.
The focus of daily training in the SuperSonics Arena is anti-interference three-pointers. Kaede Rukawa, Iguodala, and Chandler are all the main training echelons.
In addition to 500 open shots every day on rest days, there are also 100 anti-interference shots, and the anti-interference targets are Lin Dong, Payton and Sakuragi Hanamichi...
Three on three, take turns, rely on strength to crush your defender, rely on experience to trick your defender, rely on physical strength and burst to overwhelm your defender, you have to try all types, one person will fight thirty first, Then we will see who has the worst defensive performance, and let them come over and hit 10 more...not to train the defenders, but to let these guys find some confidence!
It was a perfect arrangement, but the result was a little less than perfect.
The three pitchers have been guarded so much that they are a little autistic. Facing these three people, how many people in the entire league can successfully shoot 3-pointers when they guard you for 3-pointers? Not to mention scoring goals!
Lin Dong's all-around defense is painful, and Sakuragi Hanamichi's anticipatory defense is even more disappointing. On the contrary, Payton, the best defensive point guard in history who once won the DPOY, became one of the three defenders. The weakest link is that he has to play 10 more balls with these three people every day.
Payton was joking at first, but then he got a little angry.
These three beasts!
When they beat Lin Dong and Sakuragi Hanamichi, they looked nervous as if facing a formidable enemy. When they beat me, they looked cheerful and relaxed. They were in completely different states. So could the results be the same? !
Is this treating me, the best defensive point guard in history, as a soft persimmon?
Payton was forced to use his greatest strength. Every time he trained, his old face turned red and he swore not to let these beasts score any goals, but the results often backfired.
After all, I am getting old... Sometimes my consciousness keeps up, but my body cannot, and there is nothing I can do about it.
And this further created a relaxed state for those three people to fight against themselves. Instead, they performed well and had already entered a vicious cycle from which they could not escape.
At the same time, Payton is not the only one who is depressed.
The pitcher is even more depressed. These three are already the league's top defensive experts. Not only do they specialize in guarding you for 3-pointers, but they also limit you to only shooting 3-pointers. How do you do this?
The shooting percentage is completely horrible. When playing against Payton, he can basically score seven or eight goals out of 30 goals. Rukawa Kaede even scored 11 goals that day. But against Sakuragi and Lin Dong, he can basically score one or two goals or even both. No.
If you jump up, you will be blocked, and if you escape, you will be physically challenged. Under the restrictions of being unable to pass or break through, this is really a hellish level of difficulty.
But McMillan also said, don't think it's unfair or difficult. When you face the Lakers and Cavaliers in the playoffs, you still won't have a chance to break through. You won't be able to squeeze in from the inside of those two teams. You can't even pass the ball in the space, because when the ball is given to you, it is for you to finish. You pass the ball...
Everyone knows that under such intense confrontation, if you can get a 30% hit rate, it will definitely be enough. Therefore, even if you feel desperate, you are still working tirelessly to find a shot that is more suitable for you. Law.
Chandler's 3-pointers basically rely on misalignment to take advantage of his height and wingspan. Players who can pull to the outside to defend him cannot be taller than him, so the emphasis is on stability.
Iguodala's 3-pointer relies on flexible movements to get rid of it. It is the most standard and professional 'solution' among the three when facing outside defense.
Rukawa Kaede relies purely on the word "quick". The step of aiming at the frame seems to be a non-existent thing for him. He can catch the ball in the air and twist his waist to shoot, and even has the position of the basket welded to death. For people in my mind, there is no need to aim at the frame or anything like that!
The characteristics of the three are steadily improving under targeted training, but their performance on the court is also steadily declining.
After all, being blocked every day is too depressing, and poor touch when playing has become the norm. McMillan and Lin Dong’s plan is to end this special training program before the All-Star Game at the end of February. By then, no matter how much they have improved, they will We have to call a stop, otherwise we won't be able to get back the feeling in the playoffs.
The collective status of the outside line is a mystery, and Lin Dong deliberately reduces his shots in order to temper the team, so next...
They lost a game to the Mavericks on the 23rd, and actually lost another game to the Pistons on the 28th. The Sonics, which had always been playing an invincible posture, seemed to have suddenly lost their majesty, which made many anti-fans look at it with shock and confusion. happiness.
And when they play the Cavaliers on the 31st at the end of the month...probably because of the long-cherished wish of the two teams, and also because the three unbeatable strengths of the Cavaliers against other teams were all suppressed by the Sonics, coupled with the Cavaliers' weak bench, The touch that caused the SuperSonics' perimeter to suddenly explode was that the Sonics' perimeter actually exploded. They made 19 of 29 three-pointers in the game, a shooting rate of over 60%. They pushed the Cavaliers into the mud and rubbed them.
And this friction gave the Cavaliers a new small forward...
Ron Artest!
Artest, who was previously packaged by the Wizards to the Magic in exchange for Tracy McGrady, was actually given up by the Magic in exchange for Varejao of the Cavaliers, plus two future first-round draft picks.
The Magic deal really caused an uproar when it first came out.
According to various sports commentators and even the Magic themselves.
This means using existing assets to exchange for a future, and there is a tendency to break up and reorganize the team.
Although Artest is one of the strongest defensive players in the league today, he does not have the role to serve as the core cornerstone of a team. In addition, with the three-nation competition for hegemony in the league, other teams have already extinguished their ability to compete with them this season. The idea of fighting among these three companies is a wise move when the Cavaliers are in urgent need of a fifth man and exchange it for two future first-round picks. After all, there are three major obstacles this season, and a team like the Magic It is destined that none of them can get through, and even the playoffs this year are on the line. Don't let Artest's worth be wiped out by then.
Not to mention Artest himself, the simplest reason: I want the championship, I want to beat the Sonics, beat Lin Dong, step on them is my lifelong wish, let me win the championship. The champion is willing to retire on the spot the next day!
As the first player in NBA history to be hit on the back by a Sonics tactical board, he obviously has every reason to say this.
However, the words of the players, the team, and the experts, the three-step process has not had the desired effect of calming public opinion.
Fans across the United States were dumbfounded.
Varejao and Artest not only have a salary mismatch, but also a serious mismatch in terms of strength. Two future first-round picks seem to be very valuable, and they are also a desperate move by the Cavaliers to carve out their future. But to be honest, a first-round pick in 2007 Round and a first-round pick from 2008, something that has to wait at least more than a year and after next season to be cashed in, you use it as a bargaining chip in exchange for a strong player like Artest?
You're not the No. 1 pick! With two first-round picks outside the lottery, is there any chance that you can get another Artest to train you again? The probability is very small, okay!
This is simply not a good deal for the Magic.
Coupled with the recent termination of Lin Dong’s contract with Nike, Nike is committed to building a team that can defeat the Sonics, and the previous transactions between the Lakers and Cavaliers also had Nike’s shadow, and other insider information has been exposed one after another, which undoubtedly gives this team The incident adds more conspiracy theories and a bedrock of suspicion.
Artest is an endorser signed by Nike, and Nike has previously threatened Battier with endorsements to leave the Sonics. So now that the Magic have traded Artest to the Cavaliers in an extremely unreasonable deal, is Nike behind the scenes? Trading?
——Definitely! The boss of the Magic still has a business cooperation with Nike. If Phil Knight really opens his mouth, wouldn't it be just a matter of one sentence?
——Otherwise, the Magic are out of their minds. Seeing that they have a chance to make the playoffs this season, they end up sending away their main generals at a critical moment to replace them with a rookie who is nothing?
——The Cavaliers are a bit awesome this time, and their vacant fifth man has been filled...
——Protest against Nike’s interference with the league! Sway the team's decision!
——Save it, brother, you have no evidence, people are consensual, so you are just protesting.
——Nike’s character is so bad this time. I heard people say that Nike helped form the Cavaliers and Lakers in order to put pressure on Lin Dong to accept a low-priced contract. Now Lin Dong has rejected it, and he actually did it again. This is all a stab in the back.
——Be more confident and remove the word "heard". This is what Nike did!
——So what if we cause trouble? When did it become an Asian’s turn to dominate the NBA? There’s nothing wrong with supporting Nike!
——That is, those who help the Sonics talk to Lin Dong are still not Americans! Should the air in Dragon Kingdom be sweeter and the moon be rounder?
——Didn’t the people from the Dragon Kingdom say that real gold is not afraid of being refined by fire? If Lin Dong is really the god of basketball, would he still be afraid of being targeted? What's the matter, are you scared now?
——Afraid of your mother! Let’s see who laughs last. I’ll crush five of your knight’s balls in the finals and leave five for you to explode!
There is a quarrel on the Internet about this. Both sides are justified and extremely inflammatory.
Phil Knight was also a big head and two heads over this, and he was really a little angry.
Those who help the Cavaliers and Magic speak for themselves are all driven by some Internet trolls under his command. They are a specialized public opinion team, and no matter what opinions they put forward, they are well-founded.
But those who helped the SuperSonics and Lin Dong talk to each other were able to take the bait completely. Every rebuttal was well-founded and very clear, and they were very clear about the various rules of the NBA and even about the dispute between Nike and Lin Dong. I understand all my grudges very well...
It just happens once or twice, but these well-founded comments and replies are everywhere. This is definitely not what ordinary Internet fans do.
Who did this?
That Yang Dong from the Sonics?
That woman is indeed a master of public opinion. She had already seen it when she first joined the team a few years ago, but it didn't look like it. After all, although the public opinion this time was related to Lin Dong and the SuperSonics, it did not directly burn the fire. Regarding the SuperSonics, everyone is discussing the dispute between Nike, the Cavaliers and the Magic. Yang Dong has no reason to choose to actively enter the battle circle at this time. This has no benefit to the SuperSonics at all. On the contrary, it is even more Intensifying some Lin Hei's resentment.
So, is it Under Armor?
Phil Knight couldn't help but laugh when he thought of this possibility.
A small workshop with annual sales of less than 30 million, fighting such a public opinion war with Nike?
Are your brains showing off?
Not to mention whether it has the power to stir up public opinion, but in terms of motivation alone, what is it trying to do?
Lin Dong said that he wanted Under Armor to bite off a piece of flesh from Nike, but Phil Knight regarded it more as a 'harsh word' and a 'facade talk'.
Just bite if you say you will? Do you really think you have enough influence to control the US market?
The combination of stars and products is certainly a natural partnership, but you have to understand that it is a two-in-one partnership. Without products and just having stars, you can only win a wave of praise, but it cannot be converted into real money at all. Not to mention influencing the brand market!
Expecting to overthrow Nike with just a few words of personal influence is simply a fantasy and a fantasy.
So...who is it?
While Phil Knight was still thinking hard, on February 9, the SuperSonics faced the Rockets at home.
The Rockets' record this season is in the middle of the Western Conference and they are very hopeful of entering the playoffs.
Although they didn't get Yao Ming's No. 1 pick like history did, nor did they get Tracy McGrady like history did, they retained the Rockets' core lineup that was the most comfortable to match, Francis + Mobley + Cato.
Coupled with the acquisition of David West from Jordan this season and Sean Battier, who left the SuperSonics as a free agent, the Rockets' lineup has been further improved.
Although it is more than one and a half points behind the top giants, it can compete with most of the league's top teams, and even win or lose.
As for Shane Battier's return to GOD Arena for the first time this season, both Seattle fans and the SuperSonics themselves expressed a warm welcome. Before the game, the SuperSonics' regular high-standard pregame prelude was also extra long.
The home court actually played a BGM for Battier, as well as some video clips of him when he was with the Sonics, which made the atmosphere extremely touching.
And just when everyone thought that the Sonics were going to have a warm theme and had been dragged into the plot, it was the turn of the last 'king' of the Sonics to appear, and almost all the lights in the entire arena went out.
The entire arena turned pitch black in an instant.
Buzz buzz...
The scene suddenly became noisy, accompanied by the screams of some children, which made the audience sitting in front of the TV almost think there was a power outage in Seattle.
But the next second...
Uh-huh!
Two fluorescent lights came out of the dark player tunnel.
The entire arena fell silent in an instant. Everyone, all the cameras, and even the eyes of countless fans across the United States were attracted by the two fluorescent lights in the pitch black.
It’s impossible not to be attracted…
Do you think you can’t see the two fluorescent lights that are only as big as the sole of your foot? useless! It is so conspicuous in this arena, like a firefly in the dark, so bright and outstanding!
Its light pace, shining fluorescence, miraculous pace rhythm, and the two shoelaces that are also shining deeply attracted the fans in the audience and even fascinated the whole United States. More than 47 million viewers are sitting in front of the TV!
At this moment, that pair of luminous sneakers, that pair of sneakers that seemed to represent the only light in the world, took only a few seconds to be deeply imprinted in the minds of every American fan. Branded into the soul, never to be dissipated!
ready? go!
Accompanied by the host's passionate voice and the lights suddenly turned on, Lin Dong appeared in front of the world as gorgeously as a king wearing his sparkling new sneakers!
From this moment on, the game is no longer important...
There were no lines, no advertisements, and Lin Dong didn't even mention Under Armor. But after the game, the Internet was filled with questions from fans.
——Concept shoes? Nike?
——Didn’t Lin Dong already sign with Under Armor? If there is one, it must be from Under Armor!
——It won’t be the flash shoes with LED lights like before, right? The battery doesn't last long at all, it looks good for just a few days after I bought it.
——More dicks than that one, okay? Only the soles of those shiny shoes shine, and they have to be stepped on. But look at the pair on Lin Dong’s feet. They are shining from beginning to end, and you don’t need to step on them at all. It’s definitely not the case. Flashing shoes are not LED lights either!
——That’s right, there were a few close-ups during the game, and even his shoelaces were glowing. What kind of LED lights can be sewn into the shoelaces?
——Holy shit, what kind of shoes are they? Is it for sale? It would be great if it could be mass-produced. Wouldn’t it be awesome to wear such a pair of shoes when going out at night?
——The news is lagging behind, right? Under Armor has made an announcement! Those are fluorescent shoes, which can automatically absorb light sources. They will be officially launched on the official website on February 20th. The price is only 499 US dollars, which is less than 500 US dollars! However, it is said that the production capacity is limited, and only 10,000 pairs will be put into the market in the first batch. If you want it, hurry up and grab it. People are quick and some are slow.
--watt? ! Isn’t it sold offline? Offline I can queue up a day in advance, but online I have to fight for the Internet speed, how can I grab it...
——Offline, you can only wait until the end of February before it will be put on the shelves in Under Armor stores, and then it will be 799 a pair!
——I will pay 630! Is there anyone with fast internet speed who can help me grab a pair online? I pay 630!
——I will pay 650!
——I will pay 699!
——Everyone, get out of here, I’ll pay you 1,000! Is it money that I care about? What I care about is whether I can be the first in the United States to wear it!
——Farm Elf? Aren't you a Lin Hei? You grabbed the damn dragon shoes!
——I just like collecting shoes, okay? It doesn’t matter who speaks for you!
The internet just went crazy...
The scene where Lin Dong made his debut in the dark was really heart-wrenching. Needless to say, Lin fans, Under Armor just announced the first batch of 599 prices, and they haven’t even started selling yet. As a result, the next day Crazy netizens have already sold a pair for 2,000 on the black market.
The news reported this incident, and this caused another kind of terrible popularity-that is, the entire United States is waiting for the official website release date of February 20, and everyone across the United States wants to grab a pair!
No matter if he likes Lin Dong or not, no matter if he likes basketball, or even if he likes shoes!
Buy it for 599 and sell it for 2,000. If you squeeze a little more, with the production speed of Under Armor's small workshop that everyone knows, you might be able to sell it for 3,000+ in two or three months!
But you only need to sit at home and click the mouse to make one or two thousand US dollars, isn't it great? Who the hell would have trouble with money? !
It became popular overnight!
Now... Phil Knight really couldn't sit still.