Chapter 755: Chapter 755
About 9 minutes into the first quarter, both sides began to gradually enter rotation.
The score on the court was 28 to 26, with the Warriors leading by a slight margin.
The Cavaliers’ role players’ performance tonight was disastrous, as they attempted a total of six shots but only managed one field goal by Wade on a drive.
The Cavaliers’ offense was essentially revolving around the duo of Hansen and Jokic.
Jokic was exceptionally strong, scoring 14 points and grabbing 4 boards in a single quarter, while Hansen contributed 10 points and 5 assists.
O’Neal felt that Jokic had a flair reminiscent of his younger days, and indeed, the Cavaliers during this starting period played somewhat like the OK Lakers back then.
Even though the others were struggling, the dual core was unstoppable.
However, this is not good news for the Cavaliers, as the two main players expended so much energy right from the start, making the remaining game harder to play.
The fans in the stands also felt a bit unsettled.
Last year, the Cavaliers’ championship ring night was spoiled by the Celtics. Is this year going to continue the "tradition" with another opening day loss?
This feeling only intensified for the fans especially when both sides started rotating.
Because JR’s condition was so poor, Malone had to promote Wade to the starting lineup; moving Wade to start weakened the Cavaliers’ bench, creating a vicious cycle.
At this time, the lineups on the court were: Cavaliers: Rose, JR, Korver, West, Dedmon;
Warriors: Livingston, Thompson, Iguodala, Jordan Bell, McGee.
The Warriors had the possession, and Thompson made a cut to shake off JR, receiving a pass from Bell, and scored with a driving layup, helping the Warriors widen the point gap.
Bell, a 38th pick second-round draft trade acquisition for the Warriors this year, has a physique similar to Green and a temperament that matches well with him. Green directly regarded him as his protégé, which made him like a less potent version of Green on the court.
At this time, the camera panned to the Cavaliers’ bench.
Malone was still sitting on the sidelines, conversing with Hansen about something, seemingly unconcerned with the on-court situation.
Hansen and Malone were discussing tactical issues for the team. The most update n0vels are published on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝘯𝘦𝘵
In the past two seasons, as Jokic’s prowess continuously improved, the frequency of using the pick-and-roll tactics between him and Hansen also increased significantly.
This conflicted with the Cavaliers’ original One Star and Four Shooter system.
More often, the pick-and-roll was just a supplementary tactic outside the One Star and Four Shooters System.
Including last season, it was used as a trump card tactic.
But starting from this season’s training camp until tonight, the state of the other team members has just been too poor.
So Malone was preparing to adjust tactics, using the pick-and-roll between the two as a regular strategy.
However, this would be a stamina test for Hansen and Jokic.
Hansen felt this wasn’t a problem.
If Malone were to suddenly switch from the One Star and Four Shooter system to pick-and-roll, it would be a test not just for him and the coaching staff but for the whole team.
But this is actually a gradual process, merely a matter of priority and energy distribution between him and Jokic.
Moreover, there’s one more crucial point.
During the last dynasty season at the Grizzlies, the targeting they experienced was notably apparent.
No matter how strong the team, by that stage, their tactics would have inevitably been thoroughly studied by opponents.
Therefore, a team like the Cavaliers changing tactics as they play might seem high risk but is actually a surprise tactic for the opponents.
It’s like an old artist facing adversaries on stage. Originally following a routine, suddenly changing the combo is called a sneak attack, a betrayal of the martial way.
Regarding the current substitute phase...
Just as the two finished chatting, cheers erupted from the crowd.
Rose and Dedmon with a pick-and-roll, accelerated past McGee, penetrated the lane, and scored with a layup against Bell.
In the Warriors’ offense, Thompson was agile; he, who originally cut inside after a pick-and-roll, suddenly backpedaled to receive a pass from Bell and took a shot.
However, as an ex-Warrior, West anticipated Thompson’s choice, pounced out early to help defend, and Thompson’s shot did not go in.
After Dedmon secured the defensive rebound, the Cavaliers launched a fast break. Rose drove the ball, charging from the backcourt all the way to the frontcourt. Upon reaching the three-point line, a deceleration forced Livingston ahead to slow down, then suddenly accelerated past him into the lane for another layup and score.
This basket immediately ignited the scene, and the Cavaliers tied the score.
In fact, during the opening ceremony, some Cavaliers fans expressed doubt. Clearly, Rose played so well in the preseason; with JR not performing well, why didn’t Malone use Rose as a starter?
If you’re a Rose fan, you might even think Malone was disrespecting my Rose, being biased.
However, in actuality, this arrangement was precisely Malone’s recognition of Rose’s abilities.
Because Rose’s style is similar to Little Thomas, or Iverson for that matter. As a scoring-type Point Guard, if they don’t have enough ball possession, they’re less effective on the court than specialized role players like Korver.
Moreover, in the One Star and Four Shooter system, having the ball in Hansen’s hands is definitely the optimal solution.
So just like Malone dealt with Wade last season, placing Rose on the bench was to give him more ball possession, better showcasing his abilities.
You could also say that Rose earned his competition with Wade through stellar preseason performance in Malone’s eyes.