vncnus Chapter 635 The inexperienced and seemingly hopeless American team! Let's get started today!
Chapter 635 The inexperienced and seemingly hopeless American team! Let's get started today!
"This is completely different from the NBA! If you try to play FIBA games the way you play in the NBA, you'll definitely encounter a lot of difficulties!"
"Remember, watch, learn, and listen! Don't rush! Don't forget, our opponents have been the dominant force in world basketball for the past six years! Watch carefully and learn as much as you can from them!"
At this point, Coach K looked at his bench and said, "Chris, Shawn, and Carmelo, take a rest. Ben, Kirk, and Chris, the three of you go in!"
At Coach K's command, the American team began their rotation.
After making three changes, the current roster of Team USA is Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwight Howard!
With this lineup, it becomes crystal clear who the core player is and who controls the ball!
Hinrich is a functional guard whose mental attributes outweigh his actual abilities, and whose defensive attributes outweigh his offensive ones. He has excellent off-ball skills and is also quite adept at defense. Gordon is a pure scorer who can initiate attacks and make shots from anywhere in the half-court.
Although Bosh's offensive range is not as wide as Gordon's, his shooting accuracy and precision are quite good!
"The US team has made a lineup change! They've brought on three players at once. These three players may not be as strong as the three who were just substituted, but their shooting ability and versatility are definitely much better!" Yang Yi immediately began to analyze the lineup as soon as he saw it.
"The real test for the Chinese team has arrived! Let's see if our lads can maintain their advantage against this lineup!"
After the player change, James no longer had to awkwardly share the ball with Paul. James became the most reliable ball-handler. He dribbled to the frontcourt, watching his teammates' movements while also trying to draw the defense himself.
Then James suddenly flicked the ball with one hand to Gordon, who had just circled out from the inside.
Gordon didn't adjust at all after getting the ball; he spun in mid-air and jumped up to shoot right in front of Wang Shipeng!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp crack, this microwave-like player, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in his rookie year, began to showcase his explosive shooting touch as soon as he stepped onto the court.
After the shot went in, Hinrich immediately yelled, "Defense! Everyone on defense! Watch their positioning! Pay attention to key players! Give Lin to me!"
"If you hand me over to me, then you're all finished, aren't you?" Lin Tian smiled and glanced at Hinrich, then suddenly accelerated and broke through, leaving Hinrich behind in the blink of an eye. He drove all the way to the basket, attracting a triple-team from the American team. Then, with one hand, he flicked the ball to Wang Shipeng, who was left wide open.
"Whoosh!"
With another crisp sound, Wang Shipeng hit a three-pointer, quickly retaliating!
The substitutes are definitely more balanced in terms of firepower than the starters, but they are significantly inferior in defense and overall ability.
Facing the Chinese team with two strong points, they couldn't defend! With Lin Tian's absolute speed and Yao Ming's inside presence, their defense was like paper. With one drive and one pass, the entire defensive line would be torn to shreds immediately.
There's nothing that can be done about it. These young players on the US team are all treated like precious treasures by their respective teams, who are afraid they'll get hurt or tired.
Many people would rather defend if they want to, or at least do a token defense if they don't want to, so as not to look too bad.
Ultimately, they are all pampered young masters who have been used to a life of luxury. They haven't experienced too many defeats or setbacks yet. They haven't reached the age where they need to hone themselves and sacrifice themselves so that they and the team can improve rapidly at the same time.
Another point is that they haven't let go of their pride.
To put it bluntly: these guys are taking FIBA games too lightly!
The game was progressing rapidly. The new lineup that Coach K brought on was indeed capable of putting up a fight on the offensive end. They no longer relied so much on breakthroughs, and the lineup was more reasonable. However, their offensive efficiency was just so-so.
After all, there are many differences in the details of the rules, and they still need to adapt, especially the three-second rule. With Yao Ming standing under the basket, regardless of how many blocks he can make, his intimidation makes many people look at the basket and hesitate to break through.
Relying solely on shooting, it's difficult for them to maintain a consistently high shooting percentage. On the other hand, while the opposing Chinese team's average ability is definitely inferior, under the leadership of their two star players, they not only have excellent teamwork but also play a well-structured and rational game.
"The Chinese team played more like a whole, a team. Their cooperation was quite organized, and their thinking was quite clear. They were to take advantage of Lin Tian and Yao Ming's matchup and make them the absolute core and starting point."
After the first quarter, Yang Yi was clearly quite satisfied with the Chinese team's performance, and he couldn't help but smile as he analyzed the game.
"Then the other three surrounded the two, and the whole team clenched their fist tightly. Whether it was offense or defense, they were both reasonable and united."
Yang Jian laughed and said, "Watching this game so far, I even feel like it's a training match. It's like a group of experienced old thugs using their experience and teamwork to bully a bunch of exceptionally talented high school students with unlimited potential."
The reason why the two Yangs are so confident at this moment is that after the first quarter, the Chinese team beat the American team 25-14!
They were leading the US team by a full 11 points!
During the break, Lin Tian leaned back in his chair, resting while looking at the still refined and composed Old K across from him, and suddenly understood what the old man was up to!
Throughout the first quarter, the US team didn't play with any intensity or make any adjustments. They simply kept changing players on the court and experimenting with different player configurations.
In the first quarter alone, the US team had 10 players waiting to play. Apart from Deron Williams and Jahlil Okafor, the other 10 players had already played.
"That old man's sly," Lin Tian muttered, then said to Jonas, "Coach, they're using us as a training tool!"
"I felt that too," Jonas nodded. "He wants us to teach his youngsters a lesson. He wants us to beat these American guys so badly they'll feel hopeless and lost, he wants us to shatter their confidence!"
"I can imagine that after this game, or at some point after the game is already decided, that old man on the other side will suddenly stand up and give a powerful speech, igniting the team's already collapsed morale."
"It seems everyone was right; this year's US team is just here for training!"
"So what should we do? Should we keep a few tricks up our sleeves so they can't learn them?" Yao asked curiously.
"No!" Lin Tian and Jonas shook their heads almost simultaneously. Then Jonas smiled and said, "They want to learn? Let them learn! They want to be hit hard and then rise from the ashes? Then we'll grant their wish! We'll crush them to ashes! Let's see how they rise again!"
After Jonas finished speaking, he waved his hand and let Yao Ming, along with substitutes like Da Zhi and Liu Wei, continue playing.
On the other side, the five-man combination of Wade, Paul, Anthony, Bosh, and Stoudemire continued from the end of the first quarter.
This is a lineup with only one absolute ball-handler and four finishers. It is the lineup that the US team can field right now, the one that best suits their offense and maximizes their offensive energy.
More importantly, both big men in this lineup are players who are good at and like to run pick-and-rolls, and Anthony and Wade also have good off-ball abilities.
Wade excels at cutting to the basket, while Anthony is a master of catch-and-shoot jumpers.
As soon as this lineup came on the court, the US team's offense became surprisingly smooth!
From Wade's first appearance on the court, where he made a cut to receive the ball and scored a layup over Yao Ming, reminiscent of Wade's dramatic fall in a FIBA game, to Paul's subsequent pick-and-roll plays with Stoudemire and Bosh, where he passed the ball to these two shooting big men for points.
On the Chinese side, they were playing with ease. Yao Ming was already a pillar of strength under the basket, and now that the US team had lost their heavy center Howard, Stoudemire and Bosh were no match for him and were repeatedly attacked under the basket.
"They didn't even use full-court press?" Lin Tian said casually, sitting on the bench. "Did they forget, or did they simply not want to?"
Looking at Old K across from him, Lin Tian found the old man increasingly amusing.
His tactical setup and unfocused play today suggest that he wasn't even trying to win; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was deliberately throwing the game.
How humiliating a defeat is this guy planning to give the American team a lesson?
Or perhaps, this is a preparation to teach the American team a lesson with several crushing defeats?
Four minutes into the second quarter, the point difference between the two sides narrowed slightly to only seven points.
35: 28!
China Fortune team continues to control the game.
Then, Jonas waved his hand, and the Chinese team made a substitution!
Yao Ming, Liu Wei, and Sun Yue took a break, while Yi Jianlian, Lin Tian, and Zhu Fangyu returned to the court!
On the field, the Chinese team's lineup became Lin Tian, Wang Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, Yi Jianlian, and Da Zhi!
This lineup is clearly a pure offensive lineup!
Jonas couldn't resist and wanted to compete with the US team in offense and speed!
Anyway, we have Lin Tian, so we're not afraid!
Lin Tian only needed to glance at his team's current lineup to fully understand what Jonas was up to.
After he received the ball and came to the frontcourt, he raised his hand and made two gestures. Then Yi Jianlian and Da Zhi both walked out of the three-point line.
The Chinese team's offensive positioning this time was such that all five players were outside the three-point line!
Lin Tian didn't even rush to attack or drive to the basket.
He was waiting, waiting to see what the American team would choose.
Are you coming out or not?
Why aren't you coming out? I have a three-point shooting percentage of around 40% in the NBA. Although Yi Jianlian has never played in the NBA, he is a power forward known for his shooting.
If you don't come out, then we're going to vote!
The American team also had a very rich and detailed scouting report from the Chinese team. After exchanging glances, Stoudemire and Bosh made a decision at the same time. Both of them stepped outwards to prevent Da Wang or Yi Jianlian from receiving the ball and shooting.
As a result, the entire three-second zone for the US team became as empty as a parking lot that hadn't even opened yet!
All seats are empty!
Upon seeing this, Lin Tian didn't hesitate any longer. He accelerated forcefully, flashing past Wade who was defending him, and in the blink of an eye, he rushed to the inside and unleashed a powerful one-handed dunk!
Turning back, Paul of Team USA continued to wave, signaling Stoudemire to come up and set a screen for him. After the two separated, Paul continued to advance two steps forward and then made a no-look pass, intending to pass the ball to Stoudemire who was cutting to the basket.
But this time, Stoudemire didn't get the basketball at all!
Lin Tian had somehow positioned himself in front of Stoudemire, grabbed the basketball, and launched another counterattack towards the frontcourt!
Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng were positioned on the left and right sides, forming a triangle formation with Lin Tian. As long as the US team tightened their defense to stop Lin Tian's aggressive play, the two of them would immediately have a huge amount of shooting space!
For example, in this round, Paul, who made a mistake, and Wade, who quickly caught up with Lin Tian, were eager to stop him from advancing!
But after Lin Tian reached the free throw line area, he suddenly made a behind-the-back pass without looking. The basketball immediately flew to Wang Shipeng's side. Wang Shipeng took two steps forward and grabbed the basketball. Without any adjustment, Lin Tian's pass was perfect!
Wang Shipeng received the ball, pulled up, and decisively launched a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
Clean and crisp, three points made!
China has widened the score gap once again!
"Here's a piece of advice, Chris," Lin Tian said to Paul as he returned to defense, "Don't run pick-and-rolls with Amare in front of me. I know with my eyes closed how he'll move and attack after that!"
"These are all things I've already done before!"
Lin Tian's trash talk hasn't had much of an effect on Paul yet; at least the guy seems to be keeping a calm demeanor.
Paul then spread his arms, signaling everyone to spread out and not rush, to take it slow, while the basketball rolled under his feet.
Paul really likes this way of advancing the ball; it's easy and effortless, and he seems to have a sense of accomplishment, like he's effortlessly controlling the game.
"An 8-second violation, you idiot! Didn't you read the rules before you came? In FIBA, even ground balls are timed!" Lin Tian stood in front of Paul, mocking him with disdain. "Or are you illiterate and can't understand the rules at all?"
"FU..." Paul was startled and sensed something was wrong. He instinctively looked up to see if he could still accelerate forward.
But as soon as he looked up, he knew he was doomed! He had been tricked again.
Not only because he saw a blatant 24, proving that his move could be used, but also because Lin Tian had disappeared!
After saying that, he leaped and pounced, grabbing the basketball rolling on the floor and quickly passing it to Zhu Fangyu, who was sprinting down the wing!
After Zhu Fangyu dribbled the ball at lightning speed, he successfully slammed the ball in with a one-handed dunk before the US team could complete their defense!
"Looks like you really didn't read the rules and had no idea I was lying to you." Lin Tian stood up unsteadily and looked at Paul, saying, "Read more books, it'll do you good. Otherwise, you'll be practically illiterate, and I'll feel bad for messing with you."
"Shut up!"
Paul cursed angrily, then pursed his lips and continued his attack!
However, facing Lin Tian's defense, and given Lin Tian's familiarity with Stoudemire, Paul was unable to utilize Stoudemire for double-team plays, and once again, he was unable to organize the team's offense.
The only thing is that the US team still has Wade at this time. His ability to finish under the basket and his feeling of looking for the basket after being fouled are just too good!
Thanks to Wade's repeated attacks, the US team managed to stabilize the situation and prevent the Chinese team from pulling away again.
But for them to close the gap? That's clearly wishful thinking!
With three minutes remaining in the second quarter, both coaches made substitutions, and the starting lineups from both sides took to the court simultaneously to continue the duel in the final minutes of the first half!
But clearly, the US starting lineup, which failed to find its rhythm and chemistry in the first quarter, also failed to find its rhythm at this point in the second quarter!
As soon as they stepped onto the court, the US team's starting players once again showed signs of discomfort and disorientation.
They really didn't have many options against FIBA's defensive rules and the Chinese team's compact defense.
Clearly, a halftime break wasn't enough for them to find their rhythm and chemistry.
James and Paul still don't click at all; when one is in control of the ball, the other just watches. Howard is still completely dominated by Yao Ming and has no chance to fight back.
When the team's tactics fail to work and his teammates are unable to draw multiple defenders, Battier becomes virtually invisible on offense.
In the starting lineup of Team USA, only James can drive to the basket a few times and Anthony can make a few mid-range jump shots. Apart from these two who can provide the team with relatively stable scoring, the other three players are playing a physically uncomfortable game.
By the end of the first half, the gap between the two sides had widened again!
33: 52!
China is already leading by 19 points!
"That night, we really beat this young American team to a pulp! They had no chance to fight back. The American team's offense was disorganized, and their defense couldn't stop our inside and outside stars."
At the end of the first half, Yang Yi made a sharp comment: "Now I know what Lin Tian meant by what he said before the game."
"He's not arrogant, he just knows football too well! Just by looking at the roster, Lin Tian knew what level this American team was at!"
"But honestly," Yang Jian continued, "if the US team hadn't been playing against us, but against other teams, they definitely wouldn't have had such a tough time! I think the US team and the other top teams in this World Championship would have been able to go toe-to-toe."
"As for those slightly weaker teams, they'll still get crushed by Team USA!"
"It's not that this American team is too weak, it's that we're too... well, it's that we just happen to have the perfect counter to their lineup!"
Yang Jian, being an official employee of China Sports, originally wanted to say "it's because we're too strong," but hesitated for a moment and ultimately didn't open his mouth.
Officials, after all, need to be composed, calm, and restrained. (End of Chapter)