My days of working at the NBA

Chapter 43 External Deterrence

Du Ze returned to the bench and had just sat down when, amidst the noisy shouts, a voice sounded strangely familiar. He subconsciously turned around and glanced at it.

Naomi, the black pearl, was waving her little fists and excitedly shouting, "Kick that big ass out of Connecticut..."

It's crude, but very passionate.

Lawrence, who was walking over, happened to see the beautiful woman encouraging him, and his hormones surged forth: "I said I'd crush them, and I mean it..."

Scoring 8 points in a row is truly outrageous.

However, sometimes, bragging and boasting can really backfire.

Retribution came quickly.

After the game restarted, Lawrence, brimming with confidence, missed two consecutive shots, effectively extinguishing his own arrogance.

That's so cruel!

In contrast, Connecticut finally realized the truth and began to value Duze's ability to protect the rim.

In these rounds, they kept Thabeet in constant contact with Duzer.

Thabeet's role on offense has also changed from a scorer to a screener, specifically to block Duze for his teammates, or more accurately, he has become the wall that isolates Duze, preventing Duze from having the opportunity to participate in help defense.

The strategy was very successful, and Connecticut scored in three consecutive rounds.

The score was now 8-6, and the game was back to square one.

Billy King praised, "Jim is very adaptable."

Doru nodded in agreement: "If he didn't even have this much adaptability, he couldn't have become a two-time champion coach."

This old-school, tough coach's resume speaks for itself: he took over at Connecticut in 86, led the team to victory over Duke in 99, and made a comeback in 04, defeating Georgia Tech to win another championship.

This year, under Jim Cahon's leadership, they have once again seen the light of victory in their quest for the championship.

Billy King glanced at Anderson, who was standing on the sidelines: "I wonder what Mike's solution is."

Dorut's analysis was straightforward: "During this stretch of their offense, the main problem is that Matt Lawrence is too selfish. He gets the ball and drives straight to the basket, even forcing shots over defenders, which is very damaging to Missouri. On the defensive end, their perimeter defense is also very loose. A simple pick-and-roll is enough to get past them, and they're not putting enough pressure on them. They're always hoping that Duze will clean up their messes, which is obviously unrealistic."

In just a few words, he clearly explained the problems Missouri is currently facing.

In the next offensive round, the old man pointed at Carroll and then circled his finger around his head.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: you're the team leader, don't let that scoundrel Lawrence continue to act recklessly.

After being thrown two consecutive iron punches, Lawrence, who had been lost, finally came to his senses.

I am not the team's main attacker, but rather a playmaker and support player.

After crossing halfway, the ball was immediately passed to Carroll.

As soon as Du Ze saw the team return to their regular tactics, he quickly moved the ball up the court.

Thabeet, who was positioned opposite him, stopped halfway through his run.

Clearly, Duze's long-range shooting threat was not enough to get his attention; he preferred to ambush Carol on the way.

Seeing this, Du Ze decided to punish him.

After the screen on the perimeter, he bounced out to the three-point line.

Adrian and Thabeet simultaneously swarmed Carroll, who immediately returned the ball.

Du Ze received the ball and, without hesitation, launched a three-pointer.

In.

Although it was an open shot, he had a bad feeling the moment he took the shot, so he immediately used the [Guaranteed Shot] skill.

Logically speaking, such an incredible skill should be saved for the most critical moments, especially when the team is in dire straits, as it can truly be a lifesaver.

But today's opponent is different.

Connecticut's defensive foundation rests on Thabeet's ability to stand still in the paint. Since there is no three-second violation in NCAA rules, Thabeet can stand there indefinitely, until the world goes dark, until the sun and moon go out, or even until he dies.

In this situation, it would be very difficult for Carroll and Lyons to break through and finish the job.

Therefore, when Anderson was setting up tactics before the game, he specifically emphasized Duze's ability to shoot three-pointers, telling him to shoot more from beyond the three-point line and in the mid-range, and to shoot with confidence, using shooting to open up the game and tear apart the space for penetration.

In Anderson's offensive tactics, Duze is the most important element.

If he misses his first three-pointer, his outside threat will be reduced to zero. He won't be able to contain Thabeet, let alone move Thabeet away from the paint.

In that case, the team's space for breakthroughs would be extremely limited, exceptionally limited.

Connecticut's previous opponents were tortured to death in this way.

So, between opening up tactics and saving his life in a desperate situation, he chose the former.

After all, if conventional tactics can't be implemented, where is there any chance of saving a life?

He must punish Thabeet's disregard and become the X-factor in the team's offensive system. Only by moving Thabeet away from the paint can the team's offense function and they see hope of winning.

11:6.

The score gap widened again.

Dorut's eyes lit up: "Oh wow, Duze can shoot threes too?"

Billy King smiled slightly: "Yes, he has the ability to shoot three-pointers. He has made four three-pointers in three games since the start of the tournament. He can make them in every game, so he is quite accurate. It's just that he doesn't take many shots."

Dorut pondered, "If Duze poses even a slight threat, it won't be very friendly to Connecticut."

Billy King added, "But clearly, Jim isn't that worried about Duze's three-pointers."

Remote attack and defense.

Missouri's outside shooters reacted quickly and dared not relax any longer, successfully defending Connecticut's attack.

Turning back, Duze once again pulled to the outside to set a screen for Lyons.

This time, Thabeet dared not ignore it any longer and finally came over.

Just as Lyons rounded the ball, Thabeet, for some reason, delayed and then followed the ball.

Du Ze stood alone once again outside the three-point line, like a helpless little bird hanging on a branch.

Lyons has excellent insight and immediately jumped up to pass the ball back.

Du Ze got an open shot again.

No, it's only half-open space; Osterly is rushing in from the flank.

Du Ze did not panic. He tapped the target first, waiting for the opponent to jump and pounce.

He took a step.

Move it.

This time it's a complete vacancy.

Take off.

Another three-pointer was attempted.

boom.

The ball bounced up and then fell back down.

Join the network.

Du Ze shouted excitedly, "Nice!"

What incredible luck! I actually guessed it!

His three-point shooting is actually quite average. His shooting percentage in training is only 30% to 40%, and that's only when there's absolutely no contact. So you could say it's pretty bad.

Moreover, the NCAA's three-point line has been shortened.

That's why he quickly showed off his outside shooting early in the game.

When there is no competition and you are full of energy, making an extra shot can have a completely different tactical effect.

This ball is crucial, extremely crucial.

If it doesn't go in, all the effort spent on using the "Guaranteed Goal" skill will be wasted.

After sinking two consecutive three-pointers, his outside threat was finally fully established.

The team's tactics were thus fully formed.

14:6.

The point difference has returned to 8 points.