Chapter 174 Single Core Leading the Team

At this time, news of Ewing's injury was flying everywhere.

"Ewing is the backbone of the inside line. His reimbursement will inevitably lead to the collapse of the Knicks. We are sure to win!"

In the hotel, Karl Malone was so excited that he was dying, as if he had been injected with a hundred tubes of chicken blood.

"This is the best time, this is the best news." John Stockton was equally excited, but remained calm.

"Okay, calm down. Although the opponent is injured, it is good news, but in the end we must rely on our own strength to win the championship. Now, let's go to a tactical meeting."

Head coach Jerry Sloan said excitedly.

He couldn't help but be unhappy. The Knicks killed the Bulls. He was very worried that the Jazz would not beat the Knicks, but now that Ewing was reimbursed, he knew that the opportunity had come.

"Ewing was injured, the Knicks only had a single-core flying dragon left, and their inside line lost its pillar. Karl, I need you to explode with all your abilities in the finals."

In the tactical meeting that followed, Jerry Sloan said to Malone.

"Don't worry, coach, I will definitely blow up the Knicks inside. Oakley can't defend my mid-range shot." The postman said excitedly.

Jerry Sloan didn't say anything to John Stockton. This was the player who reassured him the most. He said to the main small forward Brian Russell (Byron Russell): "Brian, you are the team The key to winning is to use your defense to limit the flying dragon, can you do it?"

"I'll blow up that bastard rookie, sir." Brian Russell stood up and said confidently.

As the No. 18 pick in the second round in 1993, his pick was much higher than that of Zhao Dong.

Not to mention facing Zhao Dong, he was equally confident facing Jordan.

In 1994, after Jordan retired, he once provoked Jordan face to face, saying that if Jordan wore sports shorts again, then he would beat Jordan up.

Jerry Sloan frowned, feeling not very good, he was talking about defense, not asking Russell to blow up the dragon.

This season he mentioned Russell to the main position, and Russell also played well, averaging 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocks in 31 minutes per game.

But with such strength, if he wants to blow up the flying dragon that can lock up Pippen, he is definitely not clear-headed about Russell.

Of course he won't dampen Russell's self-confidence. He has no better choice at the third position. Russell is already the best small forward in the Jazz.

"Brian, your job is mostly on the defensive end, but I'm going to get someone to help you. Offensively you pull out to the sideline, keep the dragons out of the paint and the strong side, run out of the open, and you'll get a pass from John." Ball." He repeatedly urged.

But he looked at Russell, as if he was still intoxicated by the idea of ​​​​exploding the flying dragon.

At this time, the outside world has already started various speculations about the outcome of the finals.

Unwilling to be lonely, O'Neal has come to New York and accepted an interview with the media. He said: "Ewing's reimbursement will directly lead to the Knicks' collapse. They will lose their height and support in the interior, and their rebounds will drop sharply. And they will lose their low positions. Offensive. All in all, the Jazz got a huge deal, and this is their best chance."

Barkley didn't go fishing. He also rushed to New York to watch the finals in order to join in the fun. He said in an interview with the media: "I think Jordan will be the most depressed. If Ewing got injured earlier, he wouldn't be eliminated, haha!"

The magician also came to New York and said to the media: "This is a disaster for the Knicks. Losing the team's signature player and leader, and losing the pillar of the inside, can they still fight?

So now is the time to test another core flying dragon. Is he capable of leading the team to stand up again? Has the ability to restore team morale? "

In Chicago, Jordan, who was packing his fishing rods and swimming trunks, was stunned for a minute before he realized the news of Ewing's reimbursement.

"Shet, Ewing, if you want to get hurt, you should get hurt sooner. Why do you want to cheap Jazz?" He scolded very depressed.

Then he got a call from Pippen.

"Hey Scotty?"

"Michael, Ewing is reimbursed, do you know?"

"Yes, I just found out."

"So, the Knicks should collapse, do you have any consideration?" Pippen's tone was a little excited and expectant.

Jordan heard this, and he was a little sorry for Pippen, because he agreed to the management's decision to clean Pippen.

"Scotty, I'm just starting to think about it. The Jazz got a big deal this time, damn it."

"But that guy won't win a championship, which is really good news."

"Oh, indeed, that guy is too arrogant!"

"Michael, do you think our lineup... still needs to be adjusted significantly?" Pippen finally asked the question he wanted to ask.

In the past two days, his agent is analyzing the future with him, and he feels that his departure from the Bulls is a foregone conclusion, but after Ewing’s change, he feels that he can stay. Without Ewing, the super center, the Bulls can definitely Beat the Knicks.

Jordan hasn't started to think about this issue yet, and he said vaguely: "If Ewing can't come back next season, or if his condition declines after he comes back, we really don't need to make major adjustments to the lineup. But the management should make some moves, and we also need some reinforcements. .Well, Scotty, I'll talk to management, and I can't tell you exactly what to do right now."

"Okay, please let me know if you have any news." Pippen said helplessly.

After hanging up the phone, Jordan threw down the fishing rod and swimming trunks, and began to think carefully about this issue. Do you still need to trade Pippen?

"Although without Ewing, the Knicks' strength has declined seriously, but the problems on the front line really need to be resolved. Scottie can't deal with the dragon..."

After careful consideration, he picked up the fishing rod and swimming trunks again.

No matter how good the relationship with Pippen is, the first thing he needs to consider is his own interests. Victory comes first, and everything else is secondary. He alone cannot defeat that guy.

"From now on, the team will officially issue an abstinence order. During the finals, all sexual activities are prohibited. All players, including substitute players, will be arranged by the team in a unified hotel, and visits by wives are prohibited..."

Knicks training base, general manager Neil Grant yelled before the start of the tactical meeting.

All the management team has arrived, and the boss Dolan is also here. The atmosphere is very tense, and the morale of the players is low, and they look a little lost.

"Hey, it's time to make up for it, why did you go so early?" Zhao Dong said with emotion in his heart.

Grant added: "Now the media all over the world, including the New York media, is the same. No one is optimistic about us. They believe that we will lose to the Jazz. This is really too bad!"

"Yeah, without Ewing, who is the top insider?"

"Without Patrick, low-post offense, rebounds, and interior defense are all gone. How can we play in the Finals?"

"It's over, it's too difficult for us to win the championship this time!"

The players chattered and chattered, completely demoralized.

Zhao Dong looked at the situation of the players, then at the management, and seemed to be in a daze.

It's no wonder that Ewing's prestige in the Knicks has been too high for more than a dozen seasons, and it has become a habit to rely on him, including the management. Otherwise, they would not refuse to use Ewing to trade O'Neal during the offseason .

But he believes that this is a disaster for the team, but it is the best opportunity for him.

This team, after Ewing's fall, currently has no second All-Star player besides him.

Of course, both Larry Johnson and Oakley have been selected as All-Star starters and substitutes, but they no longer have All-Star strength.

If he leads the team to win the championship this time, it will really be a single-core championship, which will not only benefit his historical positioning, but also make his status in the Knicks, and it will be an excellent opportunity for his influence and reputation in New York. Opportunity to elevate.

For the finals, after Ewing's fall, he had his own ideas, and he didn't think the Knicks would lose to the Jazz.

Inside power is indispensable. This era is still dominated by insiders, to be precise, it is dominated by centers.

The containment power of the center in the low post is indispensable. Without this kind of internal restraint, the outside line will not have enough space.

Ewing fell, and the two old Williams were completely unable to play the main role. Except for Oakley, it was Larry Johnson.

But for these two guys, Oakley doesn't have a low post attack, and Larry Johnson is also half useless, so he must give up the third position and return to the low post.

Skills, his level 90 low-post singles gold medal skills, interior defense has also reached level 90, and full-level rebounding, which is enough.

Then, he still has a big hole card in his hand.

At this time, it was time for him to stand up, so he stood up.

"Flying dragon?"

Seeing Zhao Dong standing up, everyone realized that the team still has a core, and this core performed better than Ewing in the playoffs and even in the second half of the regular season. up.

"I don't know what you are worried about? Is it an insider? Ewing has fallen, so I will come." Zhao Dong shouted loudly.

"Feilong playing center forward?"

"I think it's okay. He was originally a power forward."

"The naked height is 205 centimeters, the height is still not enough!"

"Flying Dragon's low-post singles skills are very strong, better than Ewing's, but the finishing skills are a little worse."

Everyone started talking immediately.

"Flying Dragon, what do you think?" Neil Grant asked excitedly.

"Feilong, do you really want to play center forward?"

Coach Van Gundy also asked quickly.

The rookie coach was a bit in a bad mood. After receiving the news of Ewing's injury last night, he stayed up all night. At this time, two big dark circles hung on his face, which were very eye-catching.

"I have the low post skills, I can play a low post offense with containment. I also have the rebounding, I have the defense, I have the movement ability of the guard, I can defend all the way to the three-point line, I can completely dominate the paint on both ends of the offense and defense. .” Zhao Dong said.

His words immediately brightened everyone's hearts.

"Yes, yes, I think so too." Assistant coach Thibodeau said excitedly.

"But what about the three? What about the organization?" Van Gundy asked.

"The organization can return to the No. 1 position. If it doesn't work, I can play the organization center. Although I am not high enough in the low post, which affects my vision, but I can pull to the high position, so that it will not affect the vision. I can organize the team. attack." Zhao Dong said.

"Organizing center?" Everyone was surprised.

In fact, there are organization centers, but not many. The earliest organization center is the European Sabonis, followed by Divac.

But these two have one thing in common. They are tall, one is 221 centimeters, and the other is 218 centimeters. Only with enough height can they have enough vision to play in the low post.

Without height, there is no field of vision, and you can't even see the position of the opposing team. How to organize?

As for what Zhao Dong said about pulling to a high position to organize, the alliance has never had such a tactical play, and no one knows if it can be done?

"There is no other way now, I think I can do what I said." Zhao Dong said firmly.

"So that's the decision?" Van Gundy, who had no clue, looked towards the management.

At this time, what opinions can the management have? Could it be that they watched the team collapse? A dead horse can only be used as a living horse doctor, so they all nodded.

In this way, the Knicks officially approved Zhao Dong's idea.

"Jeff, take out the main lineup first." Neil Grant reminded.

"OK."

Nodding, Van Gundy wiped off his sweat and said nervously: "My idea is that Feilong is responsible for the low post offense, so the low post should also be equipped with a player who can pull away. But Feilong wants to organize the offense in the high post, so we need Also equipped with a player who can play low attack.

So, I'm going to put Oakley and Larry Johnson in the starting lineup at the same time. Oakley will be responsible for opening when the Dragons are in the low post, and Larry Johnson will be responsible for the low offense when the Dragons are in the high post. "

Grant and the others nodded. There is no problem with this formation, and it makes sense.

Zhao Dong also nodded, taking care of both sides.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Van Gundy breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "At the back line, we need someone to defend Stockton. I'm going to use Charlie Ward and John Starks."

"Agreed." Grant and the others nodded.

At this time, Zhao Dong said again: "The postman can leave it to me to defend."

Van Gundy nodded, and he thought so too.

The Jazz's starting center Greg Ostertag is a big center, but he has no strength. It is too wasteful to let Zhao Dong defend, and Zhao Dong is now the No. 1 height among the Knicks' starters. only then.

Next comes the tactics.

Van Gundy said: "My opinion is that the organization should be handed over to the first position first. If it is possible, then Feilong will be responsible for the offense. If it is not possible, then Feilong can only have two roles."

The tactical discussion lasted for two hours before the end, and then the players hurried to do adaptive training to prepare for the G1 game in the evening.

The management went to hold a press conference to officially announce the news about Ewing's reimbursement to the outside world.

In the evening, before it was dark, Madison Square Garden was overcrowded with celebrities and celebrities everywhere.

At seven o'clock, the arena is full.

The ticket price for the Knicks Finals has already exceeded ten times of the regular season, which is the highest in the league itself. With this increase, the price is no longer affordable for Salt Lake City fans. The number of away fans who can come to support the team is no more than 1,000 , the other nearly 19,000 people are all Knicks fans.

These home fans wore uniform finals T-shirts, and the momentum was still very enthusiastic.

However, because of Ewing's reimbursement, the home atmosphere was still affected, which was not as good as the Bulls' home atmosphere in the Eastern Conference Finals.

On the sidelines, Magician, O'Neal, Barkley, and the Knicks' two Hall of Famers, five or six superstars are all waiting for the start of the game.

At this time, a reporter came to interview.

"Charles, who do you think will be the final winner of tonight's game?"

"I am more optimistic about the Jazz. It's not that I like the Jazz. I don't like them. But I can't open my eyes and tell nonsense. The Knicks lost Ewing. Why should they win the Jazz?"

"Shaq, do you think the Dragons will be able to play tonight like they did in the first three series?"

"A superstar is hard to limit, just like me. Without Ewing, the dragon should get more shots, his data may grow, and continue to play super performance. But the Knicks should lose, single-core Dual-core, the disadvantage is too obvious."

"Magic, do you think the Knicks have a chance of winning?"

"Unless the flying dragon plays a super super performance."

In the rhythm of the music, the cheerleaders danced cheerfully, and then the invited guests performed.

The most famous guest was Whitney Houston. After the song, the audience cheered and raised the atmosphere of the arena to a higher level.

Lindsey sat courtside, next to the Knicks bench, the best position in the game.

She is wearing a light red sleeveless long dress today, the most attractive at the scene, and is frequently shown on the hanging screen by the cameras at the scene.

Beside her is Zhao Dong's agent Ringo Wells, then Grant and other management, and then there are some celebrities.

Among these celebrities, there is a Chinese face, which is known to everyone in Asia, but not popular in the United States, and has little influence. This person is Chenglong.

After filming the Red Zone in 1995, he started preparing a Hollywood film this year, and today he came from Los Angeles to watch the finals.

He wasn't interested in basketball, he came purely because of Zhao Dong.

The first time he ventured into Hollywood was in 1980, when he made a movie called Killer Trench, which didn't make much of a name, so he knows how difficult it is for a Chinese to make a name for himself here.

And now Zhao Dong's name is very well-known in the entire United States, and even in the world. This time, Jordan was eliminated, and his popularity has risen to a higher level. This deeply admires him.

The game started at 8:30, and at 8:00, the two teams announced their starting rosters.

Jazz: Greg Ostertag, Karl Malone, Brian Russell, Jeff Horacek, John Stokes

Knicks: Zhao Dong, Oakley, Larry Johnson, John Starks, Charlie Ward.

In the CCTV live broadcast seat, Zhang Lili sighed: "The Knicks are unlucky this time. At the most critical moment, they fought for the whole season and even killed Jordan's Bulls. When they finally want to reap the honor, alas!"

"It's up to Zhao Dong now." Sun Zhenping sighed.

"Difficult, it's really difficult to lead a team with a single core alone, facing black and white, it's really difficult!" Zhang Lili shook his head.

He looked at the starting roster and said again: "From the analysis of this lineup, Zhao Dong is likely to return to the inside, but the Knicks still lack a true center. The highest height on the field is Zhao Dong. He plays a center? Too short? ?”

Speaking of this, he changed the subject and analyzed: "But being short has its advantages. Ewing is gone, and the inside height is gone, but the speed has increased. If the Knicks play a faster offensive rhythm, it may not be possible. No chance."

"That's right, the Knicks played against the Bulls in the same way. The offensive and defensive transitions are very fast." Sun Zhenping said quickly.