The Way of the Center

The 48 minutes of regular time in the playoffs alone is enough to tire people, not to mention that the two teams played an extra time game today. After returning to the locker room, none of the players wanted to move. They just sat quietly in front of their cabinets and closed their eyes to rest.

Van Gundy, who attended the press conference, pushed in, but could only hear a gasp in the locker room.

"Take a good rest, everyone, despite the rest tonight, we will return to Oklahoma tomorrow." These guys have done their best. Although they have lost the ball, Van Gundy has nothing to say. Today they were the winners, but it's a pity that the Lakers have a guy who is destined to become a legend. And that guy is also completing the impossible task again. Unfortunately, this time the Thunder has become a foil to the legend.

Giardina was once again the last remaining spectator. Forty minutes have passed since the end of the game, but Anjie still did not show up and the phone was still unanswered.

Don’t talk about Giardina, now people all over the world can’t find Angel, Ricard, Divac, Olajuwon, Kobe, Catherine...different people who call Angel The same, but the results they get are the same.

An Jie was still leaning against his cabinet at the moment. He felt the vibration of the phone in the cabinet, but he didn't bother to perform the action of connecting the phone. This is the situation for everyone on the Thunder. Playing in Staples is really hard.

"Let's go Tina, he won't be here today. This guy didn't even attend the press conference. He must have left early." Abrahi watched the security guard walk over, so he urged Giardina to leave.

The unwilling little girl called An Jie's phone for the fifth time, but after the beep, it was finally connected this time!

"Where are you?" Giardina was sure that Anjie saw him today, but why, why was the big boy indifferent.

"I just changed my clothes, I'm sorry Tina, I was too tired and busy today. You saw during the game, I can't accompany you tonight." If it is the regular season, An Jie doesn't mind going out to relax after the game. But in the playoffs, he knew he couldn't be distracted.

"Okay..." Giardina's voice looked very disappointed.

Although Anjie didn't have any thoughts about Giardina, he couldn't bear to hear such a pitiful sigh from a girl. He knew that this little girl came for himself, but he didn't even say a word to others when he ran all the way, which seemed a bit too much.

"Okay Tina, if you have time, go to Oklahoma. Four days later, on May 8th, we will continue to compete with the Lakers at home. How do you want to come, I can help you save a few tickets." I definitely won't go out today, and I was busy training Anjie in the next few days and didn't want to be disturbed. Inviting Giardina to watch another game seems to be the only sincere approach. Otherwise, I would be too sorry for this girl.

"Really!? I'm going to sit behind the Thunder bench!" Hearing Anjie's initiative to invite himself, Giardina was suddenly excited.

"Yes, no problem. It's just that I may not have time for the few days before the game. You have to arrange your accommodation in Oklahoma." Seeing the teammates have walked out of the locker room one by one, An Jie also stood up, after all, the team bus cannot be delayed because he is alone.

"One word is Ding'an, see you in Oklahoma!"

"Oklahoma!?" Abrahi looked at Giardina in disbelief. They just arrived in Los Angeles not long ago!

"Hey, it's still early, we can play in Los Angeles for a few days." Giardina held the phone in front of her chest with both hands, no matter which city, as long as there is Anjie, she is willing to go.

The next day, almost all the Thunder players got up late, even An Jie, who has always played like a chicken, is no exception.

The feeling of playing overtime in the playoffs, Anjie and the others never want to experience it a second time. What's more, the Lakers in overtime yesterday were even more active than the 48 minutes of regular time.

But after a good night's sleep, the exhaustion disappeared from the players. Instead, it is the desire for the next game, but also the desire for victory in the next game.

The scene of Kobe standing on the commentary stage celebrating wildly is still vivid. When he thought of this, An Jie's fists would clenched involuntarily. When it comes to victory, An Jie is so stingy. He only hopes that victory will always belong to him, and he will feel distressed when others touch him.

The Thunder team on the plane was full of energy, but Van Gundy was still wearing the big dark circles. The triangle offense of the Lakers is really not very restrictive. You have to know that the Lakers' state is not good in these two games. Van Gundy must always be prepared to fight against the fully-equipped Lakers.

Although the next game will be at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the fans call the "blue ocean". But in front of the Lakers, the advantage that the home game will bring to the Thunder will be very small. The group of guys who can win under the loud "" shout is not so easy to be disturbed by the fans.

Only by restraining the Lakers tactically can the Thunder have a greater chance of winning. In fact, the triangle offense is also a kind of positional offense. In this regard, the rhythm of the Thunder and the Lakers are very similar. This is also the reason why the two teams have not high shooting percentages in the two games. Positional warfare is the most difficult to play, and both teams happen to be teams that like to play positions.

Van Gundy wanted to be fast, but couldn't get up. If you play fast, then Anjie's advantage will not be played. He has not forgotten that the victory in the first game has a great relationship with Anjie.

Keep fighting? That is gambling, betting on who of the two teams can score more goals.

These two methods are obviously not what Van Gundy hopes to use, one is impractical, and the other is uncertain.

He now needs a new idea, a new tactic that can hit the Lakers by surprise.

"Boss, Boss!?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Looking around, only An Jie stood in front of him in the plane. And outside the window of the plane was not the clouds, but the ground he was more familiar with.

"Is this here?" Van Gundy felt that his thoughts were just unfolding, and he didn't realize that the plane had landed.

"What are you talking about? You don't need to be on the plane even if you think of tactics." Compared to Van Gundy, Anjie is really embarrassed to say that he is a workaholic.

"Ann, yes, Ann!" Van Gundy looked up at An Jie, and then wrote An Jie's name on a small notebook.

Van Gundy rushed off the plane excitedly, as if he had found something extraordinary. An Jie, who was only left confused, couldn't touch Bei.

Anjie! An Jie is the new idea he needs! Although An Jie will be the core of the offense for some time in previous games, but since Durant returned from injury last season, he has never used An Jie as a real "core".

The team core is not the same as the offensive core. The offensive core is only responsible for scoring, while the true core of the team needs to take into account all aspects. For a whole season, Van Gundy did not let Anjie be the core of even one game, and now, this is not a lack of choice!

The low post skills of a good center can not only make him an offensive end point, but also make him an offensive starting point. Only if one person creates kills on the inside and attracts double-teams, then more tactics can be introduced.

Center forwards can not only cope, but they can also transfer the ball in front of a defender. Shift the ball widely, from side to side, from outside to inside. Few centers in the league can do this now, but Van Gundy has a guy who can do it.

The Thunder have never really played with center tactics. There is no way, Durant and Westbrook's expressions are too dazzling, even if it is Anjie, they can't dominate the team's tactics. But in the playoffs, Van Gundy decided to give it a try. Anyway, basketball is not football, and adjustments can be suspended at any time during the game. If it doesn't work, Van Gundy can immediately return the Thunder to regular tactics.

"Huh, who the **** said the center is down." Van Gundy picked up the pen and began to draw tactics in the manual, and began to write the essentials on a small note. In that era, most strong teams played around centers. The center is not a tool for grabbing rebounds and making walls for small guys!

After getting off the plane, the Thunder team bus drove to the Chesapeake Energy Arena, and then the Thunder went home from the court. After a day off, the second and third days of training will continue until the fourth day of the third game of the Western Conference semifinals.

This was the normal process arrangement of the Thunder. However, Van Gundy, who had countless tactical ideas in his mind, got off the car and shut himself in the office next to the training ground on the first floor of the stadium, watching more and more papers on the tactics~ www.NovelMTL.com~ Van Gundy's confidence in the game of the day after tomorrow is becoming more and more sufficient.

The playoffs are not only about players, coaches, but also play an important role. Although Van Gundy has never won a championship in his life, it does not mean that he is a bad coach. From Patrick Ewing's Eastern Conference Finals to the Houston Rockets' round of curse, Van Gundy has gone through a lot.

Now, once again using his familiar center tactics, this young but already bald guy is handy.

"As long as it works, we can win!" Van Gundy didn't finish his work until half past ten in the evening. His wife had brought him dinner long ago, but the lunch box was just aside, never touched by Van Gundy.

This workaholic, as long as he devotes himself to basketball, even he himself will feel scared.

However, for a Western Conference semifinal victory, what is this sacrifice?

An Jie, who had already fallen asleep on the bed, didn’t know yet. After the whirlwind team and Durant last season’s brief injury period, he will once again stand at the core of the team and lead the team to fight for his deep desire. Victory! (To be continued.)