Chapter 724: Chapter 724
So, is it the same between him and James?
Some James fans couldn’t help but start imagining, knowing that with the Cavaliers eliminating the Celtics, the Cavaliers-Warriors battle 2.0 was right on schedule, Hansen and James would meet once again on the finals stage.
The league’s promotional machine had already been set in motion, and it was crafted into one of the league’s most grudge-filled finals in the past decade.
The number of viewers subscribed via cable television in the United States also hit a record high.
In "history," NBA’s viewership had been declining year by year, with fans even mocking that it was less appealing than the obviously fake UFC, largely because everybody was buddy-buddy, losing the past grudges and controversies.
Before the finals began, the league conducted an online survey targeting fans across the United States.
Over a million fans participated in the online voting.
This survey was divided into several parts.
The first part was the most common survey regarding the league’s winning rate.
The survey showed that 58% of fans thought the Warriors would win the game, while the remaining 42% believed the Cavaliers would win.
And within this, there was also a voting on the big scores, where Warriors 4 to 3 Cavaliers received 34% of the vote, ranking first.
This result also drew dissatisfaction from the Warriors fans, who are Universe Warriors, undefeated in their conference. Some compared them to the 2001 Lakers, but that was seen as an insult to them; 12-0 wasn’t a true reflection of their strength, but simply the minimum number of games in a three-round series.
In their view, the Warriors could finish the fight in no more than six games, and even that was due to the presence of Hansen on the Cavaliers.
The second part was about popularity, which matchup in the finals was most anticipated.
Option a: Hansen VS James;
Option b: Hansen VS Curry;
Option c: Wade VS James;
Option d: Cavaliers VS Warriors;
Unexpectedly, the option that got the highest vote was option c.
It seems that the incident when James relinquished his power with 8 points back in the day was deeply rooted in people’s minds, coupled with the regular season when James shoved Wade in the air, fans were very eager for the matchup between these two "good brothers."
The Warriors had home-court advantage in the finals, and the Cavaliers flew to Oakland the day before the game.
On the plane, Hansen was watching the Warriors’ game footage on a tablet.
Did the Cavaliers sweep the Warriors in the regular season, so they are confident about the finals?
Obviously, the relation between the two is not significant.
Back then, the Magic also swept the Lakers in the regular season, but in the finals, they were gentlemanly swept 1-4.
Though the Warriors fans’ comments might seem arrogant, this Warriors team’s strength is indeed the fiercest opponent Hansen has encountered since entering the league.
The fact that James didn’t cause any trouble and that Green played holding his nose until now was beyond his expectations.
It just goes to show that it’s not just the Cavaliers who are hungry for the championship; the Warriors’ desire for the championship this season is even greater.
What he’s doing now is what great people always say: strategically despise the enemy, tactically value them.
If we’re talking about who has changed the most from regular season to playoffs, it should be Green.
Green’s three-point shooting was a mess in the regular season, but since entering playoffs, he now averages 4.6 three-point attempts per game with a 41% shooting rate, a completely different player from the regular season.
The reason Cavaliers could win in the regular season was indeed due to Green, and now with Green bouncing back, the finals won’t be easy.
The Cavaliers arrived in Oakland in the afternoon, and Malone didn’t arrange any training but let the players rest up.
Although they didn’t go to game seven with the Celtics, they’ve been fighting on defense since game two, which was quite exhausting.
On the other hand, the Warriors ended the conference matches early, and had been waiting for over a week, fully energized.
However, that night, Hansen took Jokic for overtime training.
Along with him, he also called Dedmon.
After watching the videos, Hansen concluded that playing against this Warriors should be about breaking through from the inside.
It should be noted that Bo Gote’s importance to the Warriors was severely underestimated. Since the Mark Jackson era, the seasons when the Warriors lost were usually accompanied by Bo Gote’s injuries, including last season’s comeback by the Lakers.
They previously traded Bo Gote away for luxury tax reasons, now left with only Pachulia and McGee inside; Jokic, though in his second year, after the conference play, had an advantage over them.
Jokic didn’t resist the overtime practice. Chapters fırst released on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥
After all, Hansen had promised him the finest horse in Serbia, and since receiving Hansen’s pass of trust in the Eastern Conference final game six, his love for basketball had increased compared to before.
And the reason Hansen called Dedmon was because the one who could really trouble Jokic was still Green.
Dedmon’s static talent is outstanding, very strong in defense, and he is the Cavaliers’ best option to simulate Green.
Plus, Hansen personally went to Dedmon’s room to find him.
Here’s the conversation between the two:
"Devin, I think you have great potential, I hope you can do more for the team."
"Really? I think there’s such a big gap between me and the others, even if I win the championship, I feel like it has nothing to do with me."
"No, you mustn’t think that way. Everyone has a different role; without any part, we couldn’t succeed last season, and it’s the same this season."
"So what should I do?"
"More training, you need to compete with that Nikola guy, your matchup with him not only makes him better but also makes you better."
He probably is, because essentially it’s to make Jokic perform better in the finals.
But it’s not entirely about that, because back in the Grizzlies, he kept emphasizing the team, which wasn’t just emotional intelligence; it was a fact.
Bench players may not have much playing time, but their help in training is tangible.
Like McGrady joining the Spurs in his last season, and Bartel back in the day, they didn’t have much game time, but played the core role of the opponent in practice.
And Hansen’s approach was effective, even though it was extra practice, Dedmon was very intense in defending Jokic.
Hansen underestimated the impact of his words on Dedmon.
Imagine if Jordan came up to you and said, "Young man, I have high hopes for you," it could immediately give a lost person a sense of direction again.
After the two got into the groove of training, Hansen also started three-point shooting practice with Grover’s help on the side.
He’s now playing the point guard position, directly matching up with Curry in the game.
Since entering the playoffs, Curry not only hasn’t declined, his average scoring increased to 29 points, especially his three-point shooting percentage rising to 42%.
Although three-pointers are just one tool in Hansen’s arsenal, he also needs to prepare to counter with threes when necessary.
On the next day, the game day, Malone arranged for routine practice in the morning.
After practice ended, as Hansen was resting on the sideline, Wade came over to sit beside him.
"LeBron invited me to dinner last night." Wade said as soon as he sat down.
Hansen wasn’t surprised, as he previously thought, the connection between Wade and James wasn’t just individual-based but also family-based, and such bonds aren’t easily cut.
"I refused him." But Wade’s next words surprised Hansen greatly.
Is Wade standing up for himself?
"You should’ve gone," Hansen laughed, patting Wade’s shoulder,
"If you went, you could have gotten some of their info."
Wade shook his head with a smile, realizing that it would be him getting his info pried on instead.
But he quickly blankly stared at Hansen, suddenly realizing that when they were still opponents, Hansen used to pry info from him this way!