One Year Left to Play-Chapter 257 - 91: My Kidneys Can’t Possibly Have a Problem!
Zhang Hao's focus during games is something that sets him apart from others.
Players with such a level of concentration are rare!
Just now, he went to block Kevin Willis, thinking that Jason Williams could secure the rebound, but the moment Jason Williams failed to do so, Zhang Hao immediately observed the court's positioning and found the counterattack route.
The Heat's chase defense was just a waste of energy; the Brooklyn Nets deployed dual point guards to ensure smooth ball distribution.
It's good if Kenny Anderson can catch the ball and launch a fast break immediately, but if not, the player passing or rebounding inside can pass it to Chales first, without delaying Kenny Anderson's speed to lead the counterattack.
The most reassuring aspect for the Brooklyn Nets is Zhang Hao!
When Zhang Hao gets going, the Heat have to retreat faster, expending more effort to control the pace.
Ultimately, their players are just beginning to learn Pat Riley's pace-control strategy. It looks somewhat like the iron-blood era, but it's only through constant hard training they've managed to resemble anything.
When they focused on controlling the pace, their offense became more hurried; they had to manage both pace and success rate, which was beyond their capability.
More importantly, they were in a trailing position; thinking about how to make up the score distracted them from focusing on one task—preventing the opponent from scoring.
As for the Brooklyn Nets, the underdogs have nothing to fear; they have one goal to pursue with full effort, and now their goal is to find opportunities for Zhang Hao to charge forward, making their gameplay more fluid.
Counterattack opportunities aren't always there, but whether there's a chance or not, Zhang Hao has to push, draining the opponent's energy.
By the third quarter at 6 minutes and 55 seconds, the point difference reached 18; it wasn't a large margin, but Pat Riley called another timeout.
Pat Riley felt that their Heat team would be done for this game.
Unless their outside shooting turns explosive, continuing like this would result in a loss for the Heat.
Moning is the team's cornerstone, ensuring the team's base strength isn't weak, but it's hard for a center to turn the game around; only someone like Olajuwon, who can drive and distribute like a small forward aside from post-up, might have a chance. Moning doesn't have these capabilities.
Unbelievable! Pat Riley didn't expect that this group from the Brooklyn Nets could perform like this.
Because even though this group played well, Pat Riley still didn't think aside from the three to five players, others would have a long tenure in the NBA.
Yet, it was this group that delivered a performance he couldn't solve!
Overall, Pat Riley felt the problem was still within their own team.
However, Pat Riley chose not to use some tricks, like changing formations to suddenly switch to mid-to-late 80s style, accelerating madly… Instead, he continued to emphasize defense during timeouts.
On offense, he made adjustments and tried to strategize, but all based on the foundation of controlling the pace.
But such adjustments had poor effects; from the first quarter on, unable to create a lead through defense, their Heat were always in a passive state.
Does Pat Riley not realize their lineup is not suitable for such play?
Of course not, what he wants is to change the team's discipline, to ensure the continuity of defense under any circumstance.
He knows they definitely can't beat those top strong teams currently, and they have no solution against weaker team's bursts. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
But his aim isn't the present but the future; no matter how they play, he knows they can't go far in the playoffs.
Therefore, changing the team and making it better adapt to the shortened three-point line in the new era is what he aims for.
...
Pat Riley's constant emphasis on defense actually showed effectiveness, often causing scoring droughts for the Brooklyn Nets, though the Heat's offense lacked continuity.
From late in the first quarter, the Brooklyn Nets have been slowly extending the lead.
In the fourth quarter at 3 minutes and 37 seconds, Zhang Hao, dragging his heavy steps, leaned his weight and forced Owens, who was switching defense against him, into the three-second area left side for a bank shot, even without strength to turn, fortunately luck favored and the ball bounced off the board, circled the rim, and fell into the net!
Finally, with Zhang Hao's shot making it, the Brooklyn Nets made the score 79 to 58, expanding the lead to 21 points!
Pat Riley called a timeout.
"Indeed, when the lineup is poor, all ideas are ineffective…"
Pat Riley pursed his lips, substituted out the main lineup, surrendered!
He doesn't regret giving up the opportunity to coach the New York Knicks, because in this team, except being the owner and having a cash-printing owner, everything else is better than when he was with the Knicks.
He signed an indefinite contract unless he voluntarily resigns or the owner pays a huge breach penalty; he has 100% power over team staff movements, allowing him to reshape the team his way, a right neither the Lakers nor Knicks ever granted.
He has an obsession—to defeat Michael Jordan in the playoffs!
In '92 and '93, both years his New York Knicks were championship favorites, especially in '93, when they were Eastern Conference champions, but two consecutive years in playoffs, his Knicks were eliminated by Jordan.
Even though in '94 he led the Knicks to defeat the Bulls, Jordan had retired that year.
