Hello everyone, I am Simon, one of the founders of The Clutch Time. This series will launch a weekly event of the week. It is expected to compile about 5 pieces of news, and will add my own personal notes and relaxed talk. Welcome to like it. NBA and basketball fans come in and chat together.
This week we’ll first talk about Damian Lillard and Paul George’s quarrels, choking each other, then Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell’s turmoil and leadership transition, and then we’ll look at the invention of Nick Nurse, the most experimental coach in the league. Corner area defense, and finally talk about the talented MPJ and award items.
【Simon Weekly】
- 2020 0727-0802: MPJ and Antetokounmpo, who always throw the ball in the wrong direction, repeat the KD drama?
- 2020 0713-19: Invincible unlucky team, play more and complain less
- 2020 0720-26: Elder Lu’s sexual misconduct and key factors in the rematch
1. Damian Lillard and Paul George’s heart-to-heart quarrel
Let me start by saying that I am a fan of Lillard.
The general situation is as shown in the video. It was probably in the game between the Trail Blazers and Clippers on 8/9. After Lillard missed a key free throw, Patrick Beverley shouted "Dame Time". After the game, Lillard responded in an interview and said that he had sent both Beverley and George away. He went home, and this point poked fun at George, who had been getting facial shots all the time. He choked under a B/R post, "You are going to be sent home this year, respect." At this time, Lillard replied. He hit hard, "You should continue to be a team boy, escaping adversity, you are just a bunch of idiots." George retorted weakly, "I was more successful than you in the first team, Dame Time is over." Then immediately The IG limited action petition said that he has experienced 6 serious injuries and should be respected. Everyone will be sent home. There is nothing to say. Lillard posted a message saying, "Trash will pray that I fail, but I will keep touching it like basketball." Bottom rebound.”
From my perspective as an outsider, Beverley just played normally and had nothing to say, and it didn’t seem right to not shout out. Lillard also spoke normally after the game and emphasized respecting his opponent, while George was beaten to the point of collapse. It was more than a year ago when I finally won a game and found the opportunity to talk back, and in the end I had to use the pacer's deeds to embolden me. Yes, Lillard really played poorly in this game. He missed a key free throw and a three-pointer. He really had no Dame Time, but let’s not mention the two buzzer-beaters in the playoffs.Just looking at his performance this season, the record set by Lillard has not been achieved by George.?
Further reading:The lost hammer of Thor! Paul George's Top 4 Peak Moments in the Regular Season (2018-19 Thunder Era)
Lillard's most fatal blow was definitely to choke George and turn him into a team player, which completely hurt his soul the most. Lillard has always stayed with the Trail Blazers, and is one of the few clean ones in the current NBA era of hugging. George is the standard who hugs if there is a big leg. Although every time it is a trade, he takes the initiative to threaten and passively accepts it. When he was with the Pacers, because of the team He threatened the Pacers to trade him without trading for a star power forward (it was said to be AD). Even if the team forced him to keep him, he would not renew his contract. Then he was shot by Lillard and disintegrated. Seeing that the Thunder had nothing to do, he wasKawhi LeonardAs soon as I said it, I was tempted to join hands on the speedboat to hug this thick thigh. I just kept hugging each other and I didn't know how far away I was from Lillard. And when someone pokes a sore point and posts a long article talking about the injury and recovery, it should be respected, but no one disrespects this! ! !
To be honest, it is really not easy for George to still perform as a star after a serious injury, and it deserves respect. However, George just got distracted about this whole thing. Until not long ago, he was still talking about the game he was killed by Lillard more than a year ago. The ball was a bad shot, please... I just made it... It's still a bad shot, bad shot. Regardless of which team's fans at home and abroad, almost everyone is asking George not to collapse, so George should not collapse and lose his character. Okay, let's follow Leonard and strive for a championship!
- NIKE JORDAN latest shoes｜Go now
- NIKE Limited Time Outlet Shoes｜Buy Now
- NIKE Outlet special sale area｜Snap up now
2. The relationship between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell
The second heart-wrenching drama is starring Jazz.ESPN published a report discussing the romance between Rudy Gobert and Domovan Mitchell in great detail. The general idea is that Gobert caused Mitchell to get Covid-19, which was just the trigger. In the past, there was a deep knot between him due to various issues such as ball rights, Gobert's personality similar to the team's senior, direct requests to brush his statistics, and who is the team's signature.
Further reading:Jazz savior! Donovan Mitchell’s top 3 regular season moments
The article mentioned that every time Gobert didn't get the ball, he would directly ask his teammates to pass the ball, and the explanation was not to share, but to ask his teammates not to do it themselves, and Mitchell is the main ball handler of the Jazz, which makes his role very embarrassing. During a post-game interview with the media, Gobert shouted "Please pass more penalty kicks to me" as he passed by and often talked about how Mitchell would have more spotlight after joining. According to Jazz insiders, Gobert clearly expressed He is unhappy that Mitchell has a sneaker contract and more endorsements, but he denies it himself.
According to reports, Mitchell was diagnosed again and was really upset with Gobert. He refused to answer calls and messages. Before the team was going to conduct a team video conference, Gobert told his teammates that it would be uncomfortable and weird if they didn't talk to Mitchell first. In the end, Joe Ingles jumped. Come out as peacemaker and let Gobert and Mitchell talk. Interestingly, Gobert said a lot to the media that we are all good, while Mitchell only said in an interview that "Right now, we're good" and refused to go into more details.
Vaguely, I think this incident has caused a leadership transition for the Jazz team. Gobert and Mitchell are like a repeat of the problems that have occurred in star partnerships in the past. New stars are strongly challenging senior leaders, such as Kobe and O'Neal, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Lillard and Lamarcus Aldridge, to name a few. This time, it was Gobert's naivety that caused a big problem, and he had to hand over control of the lounge, allowing Mitchell to become the team's de facto leader on and off the table. I also believe that Mitchell is the leader that the Jazz need. His skills, demeanor and decisiveness at critical moments are all in line with what a cornerstone star should be. After Mitchell returned to the team, he also apologized to all team members because his reaction caused a disturbance, which is what a real leader should do.
- NIKE JORDAN latest shoes｜Go now
- NIKE Limited Time Outlet Shoes｜Buy Now
- NIKE Outlet special sale area｜Snap up now
3. Nike Nurse’s clever horn-type zone defense
I think the head coach of the Raptors, Nike Nurse, is the most experimental and creative coach in the NBA. I have written an article before about his offense. Recently, Nurse has developed a very creative defense, which I call defense. In the horns tactic, he deployed a zone defense, but unlike the common perception that the defenders are in the front, he placed Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, who are the strongest defenders and have a large coverage area, while the defenders were placed on both sides of the back.
The Raptors are currently the team that least likes to defend three-pointers in the NBA. They are the team that has taken the most three-pointers in the league, and it is also the team that has taken the most corner three-pointers in history. But what is interesting is the three-point shooting percentage of the Raptors' opponents. It is also the lowest in the league at 33.4%. Of course, this is definitely a matter of luck, but Nurse’s formation that plays to the team’s strengths is definitely indispensable, and every player on the team clearly knows their tasks on the court, and no one hesitates or tries to make up for their teammates. If something goes wrong, panic and make up for it. But if you look closely, it's not that the Raptors don't guard three-pointers, but they know clearly who has a worse shooting percentage. For example, when facing the Heat, we saw Anunoby following Duncan-Robinson. Even the star would let go of three-pointers. But role players who specialize in three-pointers will never let go.
Like a precision-operated team, although the Raptors have no superstars on the books, all members are not only healthy but also have a good understanding of each other. From the coach to the players, there is a clear division of labor and each player is placed in the most suitable position. Don’t forget They are the defending champions.
4. The sun finally clears the clouds? 5 consecutive wins for the first time in 6 years
The Suns have really been simmering for too long, but no one expected it to break out at this time, and Devin Booker is definitely the main reason. He is currently averaging 29.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 5 games, including the Clippers win (yes, again). It was Paul George who made many key hits. At the same time, Booker also won 5 consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Further reading:The Lonely Sun King: Devin Booker’s Top 7 Peak Moments of the Regular Season
However, compared to Booker's scoring explosion, I think his great evolution in distribution is the reason for his transformation. Several beautiful cuts and singles distribution made me think it wasLuka DoncicWhen holding the ball, his pick-and-ball split with DeAndre Ayton is quite satisfactory, and he plays like Doncic, who has more stable shooting and isolation skills.
In addition to Booker, Mikal Bridges's single defense is another highlight. Facing the Pacers, he directly locked in TJ Warren, who was scoring explosively. His wingspan and positioning are very outstanding. Against the Clippers, he intercepted first. Only because of Booker's buzzer beater, and the current three-point shooting level of 35%, has he become a heavily relied upon 3D wing.
Ayton has a stable offense and is quite competent as the final line of defense. Ricky Rubio is an important core in maintaining supply and defeat. Cameron Johnson and Dario Saric occasionally perform well. At the start of the rematch, the Suns only have a 1% chance of making the playoffs, but currently they are only half a game away from the ninth-place Trail Blazers, and they definitely still have a chance to compete in the playoffs.
5. MPJ’s talent that cannot be concealed
I saw the Golden Nuggets game on the turntable and thought Kevin Durant was thereRun to the golden nugget and hug togetherAdding in the golden nugget, he has a similar body shape and smooth shooting feel, and is stronger and more powerful. His internal and external skills are like the young KD and Melo. Michael Porter Jr. has currently scored at least 20 points and 10 points in 4 consecutive games. In rebounding, he is the first Golden Nuggets rookie to perform like this since Carmelo Anthony.
Further reading:From Nugget Future to Denver Ace: Michael Porter Jr.
But thinking about it, it shouldn’t be such a surprise. MPJ is the top high school student in the United States, the MVP of the McDonald’s All-Star Game, and the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2018. He was a future star who was evaluated as having no special flaws and a high ceiling. However, he only played two games in his first college game. He broke his back in a fall within minutes. After diagnosis, he had to undergo microdisc surgery and was reimbursed. When everyone advised him to recover slowly and go directly to the draft, MPJ chose to speed up his rehabilitation and come back early in order to live up to the fans, but his performance was not good.
No one dared to take a gamble in the 2018 draft. After the Bulls, who were the only ones to receive MPJ's health report, also skipped, it was not until the 14th pick that the Nugget had the capital to draw a lucky bag. The Golden Nugget was also patient enough and devoted resources to help MPJ. MPJ himself was also perseverant enough, including implementing a vegetarian diet and abiding by the schedule arranged by the team. After joining, he underwent a second back surgery once and for all, and the team arranged an exclusive physical fitness coach. Rework your training schedule to transform your body in one fell swoop.
And all of this finally came to fruition. A healthy MPJ is a nightmare for opponents. Everything in front of him is an opportunity for misplaced attacks. He is 6 feet 10 inches, has excellent coordination, and has a good shooting touch. He can use his speed to overcome long players. , wings and defenders can use physical conditions to play in isolation, which just makes up for the lack of terminators in the Golden Nuggets. With MPJ, Jamal Murray can have a wider shooting space, Nikola Jokic has more ball matching options, and the entire Golden Nuggets Around the age of 24, it looks like a blue chip stock ready to explode.
6. Controversy over NBA award shortlists
The NBA officially announced the list of award finalists this week (only counting pre-rematch results). Many awards have been controversial. Among them, I think the most controversial is that the Most Improved Award does not include Devonte Graham. From 4.7 points, 2.6 assists, 1.4 rebounds, He improved to 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. The other three finalists were Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram and Bam Adebayo. I feel like the Most Improved Award should be given to those players who were really not unknown at first, but later emerged and became famous, such as Duncan Ronbinson and Devonte Graham. I think they are qualified. Ingram and Adebayo I think are OK. Put Doncic When he came in, it was obvious that the NBA wanted to support him, and he was already competing for the MVP level. Putting it here, it feels like I am talking about the ocean, and you are carrying a mouthwash cup to me.
Another controversial defensive player of the year does not have Marcus Smart, but I think this part is okay, because in front of him are Gobert, AD and Antetokounmpo who have nothing to say.
Again, I am a Lillard fan.
Finally, back to Damian Lillard this week, the league announced the MVP shortlist this week, which are LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. My huge question mark is that Lillard can't even be shortlisted! ? Lillard's biggest problem is his record, but if you take the Trail Blazers' injury problem into consideration, I think it's amazing that the Trail Blazers can still compete in the playoffs.
It’s true that the three finalists are very good, but the statistics of the four players are similar. Lillard has the best shooting performance but suffers from defensive statistics. However, if compared with the most valuable, Lillard is definitely the most valuable player of the Trail Blazers. He is an indispensable main force, and he has set many more magical and crazy records this season than the other three finalists combined.
