One Guard

Early in the morning after the game with the Pelicans, Yiyang drove his "road tank" to the U.S. Route Center Arena. The Mavericks players must first meet in the arena, then go to the airport together, and finally rush to Minnesota by Cuban’s private jet.

Before this season, Yiyang was the first person to come every day for seven and a half years. But this record was broken this season. When Yiyang pushed open the locker room door, Kuzma was already helping to clean up the locker room bench.

"Kuz, why are you here so early? What time did you add to your training yesterday?"

"I'll go back after you walked for a while, hehe."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven o'clock."

Yiyang couldn't laugh or cry. He left at ten o'clock in the evening. After he left, Kuzma actually practiced for an hour! Tired all night, Kuzma can come so early today. Now Yiyang finally knows why Kidd and the others were so surprised at their own efforts. Because now Yiyang is also surprised by what Kuzma has done.

"Continue to push yourself, focus on the most important things, and then focus your life in the training hall... This is the same throughout my career, and I will do the same."

This is what Kuzma said in an interview with Mougin, but Yiyang didn't care too much at the time. But now it seems that Kuzma is really acting according to this goal.

A training freak like yourself? It's really interesting. This summer league MVP is really not built.

"Do you want to try your training results tonight?"

"Of course! But..."

"Well, today you are either against Ty Gibson or Andrew Wiggins. These two guys are not easy to provoke. If you are nearly lucky, the boss may even let you go against Towns. . But it’s okay, you still have the opportunity to show yourself, do you want to hear my opinion?"

"Of course!" Kuzma leaned over to Yiyang excitedly, and Kuzma would follow any suggestions Yiyang made to him!

After all, sitting next to him, but the greatest star in the world!

"Don't force yourself to shoot some difficult shots. I think every time I shoot is very safe. If you shoot forcibly, then with your current ability, you will struggle very much."

Yiyang's words are very simple, this is what almost every coach will say to the players. But when this sentence came out of Yiyang's mouth, Kuzma thought very seriously.

Yiyang is very clear that Kuzma will not get too many open opportunities today, whether it is against Wiggins or Gibson. But the more so, the more patience Kuzma needs. As one of the best defenders in the league, Yiyang is very clear. If you can make offensive players irritable, then your defense will get twice the result with half the effort.

"Well, I will finish my job!" Kuzma nodded vigorously, then picked up Yiyang's luggage and moved it to the team bus. After all, it is one of Kuzma’s jobs to take luggage for the big brothers in the team...

※※※

The target center at 8 o'clock in the evening is extremely lively, and the temperature in Minnesota in November is already very low. But around the center of the target, you can only feel endless fanaticism!

Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, this summer, the Timberwolves finally have their own Big Three. For a team that has missed the playoffs for 14 years, such a lineup undoubtedly makes fans extremely happy. The Timberwolves can finally get rid of the label of fish belly!

Facts have proved that the arrival of Jimmy Butler, who is eager for victory, has indeed injected new strength into the Timberwolves and brought a winning culture. The start of the new season is 5 wins and 3 losses. This kind of performance can be described as a dream for the Timberwolves.

The Mavericks' 10-0 start is just an example. You can't ask all teams to do as exaggerated as they do. The Timberwolves started with 5 wins and 3 losses, which is already very good.

And in the last three games, the Timberwolves have just won a wave of three consecutive victories. This indicates that this team has also begun to go on the right track, and they will become one of the forces that cannot be ignored in the West. From being No. 1 in the Western Conference that year to now having a chance to enter the playoffs, the Timberwolves spent a full 14 years and should see results.

There is no doubt that this team that has finally transformed from the Huskies into the Timberwolves is considered to be the hope of breaking the Mavericks' undefeated golden status. You know, the Timberwolves' paper lineup is extremely powerful. In addition to the "Big Three", there are strong players such as Jeff Teague, Ty Gibson and Jamal Crawford. Coupled with Tom Thibodeau's coaching, the Timberwolves are definitely likely to make a big difference this season.

With the paper lineup, the Timberwolves do not lose to any team. But basketball is not a simple game on paper. Although fighting back to back, the Mavericks didn't want their winning streak to end.

Maybe the Timberwolves don’t know that winning is also addictive!

In the warm-up before the start of today's game, Kuzma's shooting rate from beyond the three-point line made Yiyang delighted. Although the actual game and warm-up conditions are completely different, you will be strongly disturbed during the game. But at least today, Kuzma's feel is no problem. The serious training last night gave Kuzma an immediate effect.

The three-point shooting is like that, even Curry has a hand-icing time. But as long as you practice a lot, the frequency of hand heating is definitely much higher than the frequency of hand ice!

Although Kuzma is not as lucky as Mitchell, he has secured his starting position early. But this guy is still working hard, waiting for an opportunity that belongs to him. Yiyang believes that when the opportunity comes, Kuzma will definitely be able to seize it!

Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. This sentence sounds very tacky, but Daniel is the truth!

After the start of the game, the referee signaled both sides to prepare for the starter at the designated position. Today, Nowitzki returned to the starting lineup. The reason is simple. Carlisle is afraid that Guy won't be able to deal with Gibson.

Gibson has always been one of Thibodeau's surprise soldiers during the Bulls period. This guy may not have the dominance of Embiid in the penalty area, no organization like Green and no particularly precise three-pointers. But Gibson is amazing, he knows everything!

Low post attack? Can fight. Pull to shoot beyond the three-point line? There is a threat. Defensive and rebounding? His enthusiasm is enough to cope. As an auxiliary role player, Gibson's jackpot attributes are precisely the capital he can survive in the league.

Although Gay defensively, he still needs a serious inside player to restrain him in the face of Gibson.

The referee blew a whistle and the Mavericks had the right to attack the ball first. However, at the beginning of the game, it was not Butler, Downs, or Yiyang who ignited the target center, but Tay Gibson!

Hayward received a pass from Yiyang and went into the penalty area to force a layup. Under Jimmy Butler's doomed delay, Hayward's speed was affected. Taking advantage of this delay, Gibson strode forward and jumped sharply and successfully blocked Hayward's layup!

Teague picked up the basketball quickly, then immediately launched a counterattack. He took a long pass and delivered the ball to Wiggins accurately, and Wiggins rushed quickly to dunk the basketball before the Mavericks returned to defense.

"Monster dunk! The Timberwolves are very powerful and grab two points at the beginning!" The commentators all applauded the Timberwolves' active applause, breaking the Mavericks' undefeated golden status, Huskies...no , The Timberwolves might really do it!

Hayward was a little too careless. He didn't expect that Gibson, who was only 2.06 meters tall, had such a strong air defense capability. Gibson's athletic ability has always been underestimated, he just doesn't rely on athletic ability to play, but this does not mean that Gibson's athletic ability is not good. Just like Hayward, isn't his athletic ability also underestimated because of his skin color?

The iron-blooded defense Thibodeau brought to the Timberwolves is not so easy to crack.

The Mavericks attacked for the second time. Yiyang took over the screen and broke through Teague. Downs switched to Yiyang.

This guy Downs is different from other big men. Although he is a center, he is not slow. It is not easy for Yiyang to single him.

But in fact, Yiyang didn’t plan to play singles with Downs at all. After he got the ball, he threw the ball into the air at will. Gobert, who got rid of the restraint of Downs, easily received the basketball dunk with both hands, and angrily. cake.

Once Gobert runs into a passing guard like Yiyang, it is very simple to score. Take a look at the Rockets’ "Cake King" Capella, playing under Paul and Harden. Doesn't Capella also play well?

2 to 2, the two sides returned to the same starting line. After an attack, Towns turned over Gobert's head and shot a jumper. Just when everyone thought the Mavericks were about to overtake the score, the aggressive Gibson crushed Dirk and grabbed the offensive rebound abruptly!

Dirk, who is nearly 40 years old, is really deceived now. This guy's tens of centimeters bounce, there is no way to effectively protect the rebound.

After Gibson grabbed the rebound, he immediately took off from the basket twice ~www.novelmtl.com~ to put the ball in. The Mavericks lost points twice in a row because of the role player Gibson!

After a few rounds, the Mavericks relied on Yiyang's three-pointer to tie the score again. This game was more anxious than Carlisle had imagined. It was not the performance of the Timberwolves' "Big Three", but the guy Gibson used his enthusiasm to ruin the Mavericks' good opportunities time and time again. Defending him was far more difficult than Carlisle expected.

In the fifth minute of the first quarter, Jeff Teague broke through with Gibson's screen. Yiyang quickly bypassed the pick and roll, and Gibson retreated to the bottom corner. This ball is not blocked by Yiyang, and there is no delay in transposition. It stands to reason that Gibson should have no chance.

But this guy was stunned by his faster footsteps and quickly got into position. Before Dirk re-attached, he received Teague's breakthrough and fired from the bottom corner. The basketball passed through the net, and the Timberwolves regained the lead by 3 points. !

"Pause, pause!" Carlisle called the game to a halt, although the 3-point gap was not big. But the game was suppressed by the Timberwolves for five minutes, which is not normal.

Gibson, if the Mavericks become passive because of a mere Gibson, it would be too shameful! But the fact now is that the Mavericks' lineup does not have a good way to take Gibson.

Dirk definitely couldn't help it. Look at the appearance of old Dirk panting. The tracks of the "German Chariot" have rusted, and he cannot defend as aggressively as before. How about changing Guy? If you change Guy, Gibson will definitely hit the inside! Gobert dares to make up for it, and Downs has a chance! Therefore, without Gobert's protection, letting Gay defend a pure power forward with rich offensive methods is tantamount to suicide.

"Kyle! Come here, I need you to play in the fourth position!" In the end, Carlisle called Kuzma. Yiyang smiled slightly, no, here's a chance!