The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 389 - 204 The Strongest Team and the Strongest Player
Chapter 389: Chapter 204 The Strongest Team and the Strongest Player
On Christmas night, the FedEx Forum was packed to capacity.
It’s worth mentioning that this was the Grizzlies’ first appearance in a Christmas game in team history.
Moreover, coincidentally, this year Adidas and the League jointly launched a special edition Christmas jersey for the first time.
The Grizzlies’ jersey prominently displayed the team logo on the front, a large bear head, exuding a fierce wildness.
During the pre-game warm-up, the cameras swept over the crowd and then quickly focused on a front-row seat.
When Scarlett’s figure appeared on the LED big screen, it immediately drew enthusiastic cheers from the fans in the stands.
Scarlett waved in front of the camera with a confident smile, rightfully so as Marvel’s number one goddess. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Of course, these cheers were not just for Scarlett herself but also due to the explosive news that emerged this month.
Why did James say "you want to drink Hansen’s bathwater" about Durant? Because Scarlett and Hansen took a bath together!
And back when the Grizzlies and the Thunders were in the playoffs, Hansen had trash-talked Durant, claiming he didn’t let Scarlett come to the game because she was too tired, and now, here she was!
The camera quickly found Durant, who was also looking up, but when he looked down his face turned green.
Hansen’s Anti-Fans System showed a +1.5 that just wouldn’t stop.
This was like hitting a jackpot right at the start!
After the opening ceremony, both teams’ starting lineups were announced.
Heat: Chalmers, Wade, Durant, Bosh, Perkins
Grizzlies: Conley, Hansen, Guy, Randolph, Little Gasol
Amidst the cheers of the fans, the starting players from both teams made their entrances.
This much-anticipated Christmas game, also the finals rematch between last season’s champions and runners-up, was officially set to begin.
Little Gasol won the jump ball against Bosh, Conley took control of the ball to the frontcourt, and the Grizzlies started the game with low-post tactics.
However, Randolph’s first attempt didn’t succeed.
The person most affected by James’s trade was Bosh. In "history," this season, to maximize team spacing, the Heat had Bosh extend his offensive position directly to the three-point line, transforming into the familiar "Bosh-at-the-arc."
But now with James replaced by Durant, the Heat needed Bosh to pose an offensive threat in the low post, so Bosh had regained his weight.
At this point, Bosh’s weight was not only similar to his time with the Raptors, but his mid-range shot was even more reliable than before, marking the peak of his personal career.
He was no longer clearly outmatched against Randolph on defense.
Especially with Perkins on the Heat’s front line, Randolph’s offense relied more on long hook shots or mid-range techniques. Bosh could exploit his height advantage to put significant defensive pressure on Randolph, provided he could hold his ground.
Turning back, the Heat’s frontcourt strategy had Durant and Bosh execute an off-ball screen, with Durant receiving Wade’s pass and hitting a steady mid-range shot.
After a month of integration, the Heat’s tactical system was gradually taking shape.
Wade became the one dominating the ball, while Durant played the role of an off-ball scorer.
This maximized both of their individual abilities and also reduced Durant’s physical expenditure from too many isolation plays.
Looking at it now, the biggest beneficiary of the trade between the Thunders and the Heat seemed to be Durant.
Could Durant develop his playmaking ability?
In the "history" known to Hansen, the answer was no.
While the concentration of ball-handling duties might increase Durant’s average assists per game, the actual effect was similar to Zhang Fei’s delicate embroidery.
Durant only truly became the reaper when he joined the Warriors, where as a terminator he reaped with his scythe.
Now with the Heat, he seemed to have entered that state prematurely.
The Heat’s record this season benefited from being in the East, but it wasn’t just due to the Eastern Conference advantage.
A top-tier terminator like Durant, coupled with an elite coach like Spoelstra, meant that the Heat’s strength was expected.
Another unsuccessful inside attack for the Grizzlies, this time Durant on a fast break received the ball, and taking on Guy at the right 45° three-point line, he released a quick shot that went straight through.
Durant starting with a quick 5 points set the crowd abuzz.
Following the basket, Durant let out an excited roar of victory.
Scarlett’s presence didn’t distract him; it was as if she equipped him with a Bloodthirst buff.
For the first time this season, the Grizzlies faced trouble right from the start.
After Conley brought the ball up, he signaled for a play and handed the ball to Hansen.
Hansen, with the ball, executed a pick and roll with Little Gasol.
Perkins was a traditional center; his inability to defend out high was something that could be exploited.
But as the pick and roll actually took place, Spoelstra’s defensive strategy was also activated.
Wade slid past Little Gasol’s pick, with Perkins quickly switching with Bosh to cover Hansen.
Although the Heat could no longer execute the fast defensive rotations without James, the foundation of their defensive system was still in place.
Hansen had just a moment.
He broke to the free-throw line, releasing a floater just before Bosh could fully come out to defend.
The basketball sailed over Bosh’s fingertips towards the hoop.
"Swish!"
This was Hansen, who only needed that brief opportunity!
The FedEx Forum was instantly filled with the cheering of the fans.
This season, with the team’s strong performance, Hansen was mostly coasting.
As he had stated early on, as long as the team won, his statistics were of little concern.
