No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 1340 - 537: This Is the True Three Giants! (Part 2)
The centers with such static body conditions before him were Oden, Tabit, and Embiid. In the rookie portraits provided by Sports Illustrated before the draft, Zubac was evaluated as, if you went back 5 years, Zubac would have been a lottery pick. It’s just that times have changed, and his style of play is no longer suitable to be the core inside player in the NBA.
However, there are advantages to being a low pick at the end of the first round. Because of this position, Zubac was very proactive in developing towards being a role player from the start, focusing on playing simple ball. He doesn’t have the same court status as the big centers of the past, but he doesn’t have to do more, quickly becoming the main rotation center on a championship-contending team. With his style of relying on height, wingspan, touch, and basketball IQ, he’s just turned 20, and who knows, he might secure two or three long-term contracts worth tens of millions for a small US dollar target in the future.
Unlike JaHill Okafor, the third overall pick of the 2015 draft, who was unwilling to accept becoming a supporting role due to changes in the times and refused to change. By his sophomore year, he fell out of the 76ers’ main rotation, reaching a situation where no team wanted to trade for him.
Like now, Zubac seizes the opportunity to use his sturdy frame to position himself inside to catch the ball and finish easily. Josh Smith has no solution against him.
It’s the Warriors’ turn to attack. After issuing a pass at the top of the arc, Green goes to screen for Curry. Harden prepares early to navigate the screen, together with Ed Davis, they double Curry off the ball.
Green pulls out to the top of the arc, receives a return pass from Josh Smith, and shoots a three from the front... The ball hits the back of the rim, but luckily bounces in.
Turning back, Zhang Yang continues to call out Curry. Thompson is blocked by Harden and chooses to step back, joining Curry to trap Zhang Yang outside the free throw line.
Zhang Yang grabs the ball and slings it from behind his head. Harden takes a step inside the top of the arc, receives the ball, steps back beyond the three-point line, jumps, shoots... and it goes in too!
At the start of the second half, both sides were evenly matched, creating and converting good shooting opportunities.
But in the next two possessions, the Warriors suddenly fell behind—Green and Josh Smith missed two consecutive open shots!
While DeRozan, as Durant went to double-team Zhang Yang, received the ball twice in a row, scoring fadeaway mid-range shots over the extending Josh Smith!
to 72, two minutes into the third quarter, the Lakers have widened their lead to 6 points!
Durant quickly demands the ball for isolation, attacking and passing.
With Durant attracting defense in the middle, Thompson running weak-side screens pulling Ed Davis away, Curry cuts to the left sideline, catches the ball and shoots quickly before Harden can close in, reducing the score to 75 to 78. It was the Warriors’ first crisis at the start of the second half.
It’s the Lakers’ turn on offense again. After Zhang Yang attacked for four consecutive possessions, he pulls to the flank.
Curry just about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking he finally got through Zhang Yang’s aggressive opening few possessions, sees Harden pass the ball to DeRozan and then screens Durant.
What the heck, asked the curious one.
DeRozan uses the screen to shake off Durant’s defense, jumps in front of Curry who didn’t stick to him immediately, and shoots a three after the pick-and-roll...
This timeline’s DeRozan, influenced by Zhang Yang and Harden back in school days, practiced three-point shooting early on. Although he still loves mid-range shots, he hasn’t fully developed three-point techniques—only knowing how to shoot pull-up and catch-and-shoot threes. His three-point shooting percentage stabilized at 35%+ three or four years ago.
Curry’s defense of this pick-and-roll was so ’perfunctory’, to him it felt like practice shooting. The shot went straight into the basket!
to 75, Lakers lead by 6 points again!
But this wasn’t because Curry underestimated DeRozan’s three-pointers or was being careless in defense, it was because his correct anticipation of the opponent’s intention made him momentarily flustered and distracted.
After Zhang Yang finishes, DeRozan follows. After DeRozan is done, isn’t Harden going to start swinging?
And he’s always the one being targeted!
Anyone suddenly realizing they’re in such a defensive position would be stunned for a moment.
As the Warriors’ turn on offense, Green prepares to issue a pass at the top of the arc again.
Durant waves at Green, signaling him to go inside.
Seeing Durant’s dog-chasing hand gesture, Green’s mood instantly turns sour, but he doesn’t act out. He runs inside, knowing he needs this guy to help win a championship, he holds it in.
Green’s inner thoughts are unknown to Durant. Having been the Boss for so long, how could he notice the emotions of those he considers ’role players’?
Like Curry, he also saw through the opponent’s tactical intention—The Three Giants’ endless targeting of Curry.
The Lakers didn’t put in an inside transfer point but put in a big center. When he was on, he was puzzled. Now he understands—the opponent doesn’t need it! They don’t play complete tactics anymore, just pure isolation passes. They don’t need an inside transfer point, just players to finish and catch-and-shoot mid-range shots!
He dares not let Green stay outside anymore.
Green issuing passes to connect team offense, they can indeed create shooting chances, but shooting chances are tough to come to him and Curry.
Thompson is the league’s best off-ball shooter, it’s okay for him to receive the ball.
But chances are most likely to appear for Green and Josh Smith, and that’s very bad.
These two just bricked shots consecutively. When Green asked for the ball at the top of the arc, Ed Davis never even came out and stayed at the free-throw line, preparing to help on the wings! Zubac also didn’t follow Josh Smith, staying close, ready to drop back under the basket at any time.
