Champion Creed
Chapter 977 - 319: Sweating a lot, right, Shaq? (Asking for monthly votes!)

Chapter 977: 319: Sweating a lot, right, Shaq? (Asking for monthly votes!)

Erik Spoelstra was used to staying up late.

Especially when the head coach himself couldn’t manage to stay up.

You can’t expect a nearly 70-year-old man to stay up watching game tapes.

Hubie Brown became the head coach of the Warriors, and his health began declining.

It turns out, not all old men are suited for working as NBA head coaches.

Hubie Brown goes for health check-ups every week, and since he started coaching the Warriors, his average blood pressure has been rising.

An NBA head coach experiences countless emotional ups and downs in a 48-minute game.

A referee’s missed call, a player’s defensive lapse, an opponent’s malicious foul, all can instantly enrage an otherwise calm coach.

Such intense emotional swings are definitely a severe test for the heart and blood vessels of a 70-year-old.

Hubie Brown’s family was very worried about his health, repeatedly urging him to resign. But Hubie Brown wanted to make up for his regret at the Knicks and insisted on leading the team to win the championship before he would stop.

So Spoelstra volunteered to take on a lot of Hubie Brown’s work.

That’s why tonight, Erik Spoelstra gave up a date with a cheerleader and is studying the Mavericks’ game tapes.

The Mavericks and the Warriors are old rivals, facing off four times in the regular season, Warriors won 2 and lost 2.

One of the wins was because Shaq was absent, and when the Twin Towers were complete, the Warriors’ record against the Mavericks was 1 win and 2 losses. The win was thanks to Roger scoring 57 points, crushing the Mavericks with offense.

For the Warriors, the most difficult to deal with on the Mavericks is Shaq.

With the Warriors’ current season’s interior configuration, there’s simply no way to handle Shaq in the paint.

Last season’s Hawks at least had Kurt Thomas and Dream, but even they struggled to limit him. This season, Stoudemire and Troy Murphy on the five positions are like paper against Shaq.

Double-team? Are you sure you want to leave Dirk Nowitzki open?

Spoelstra has been praying not to meet the Mavericks in the first round, because Shaq is too formidable against the Warriors’ lineup.

Heaven responded, putting the Dallas Mavericks in front of the Warriors.

The only way to deal with the Mavericks is through head-on offense.

At this moment, Spoelstra’s phone suddenly rang.

He looked at his newly bought camera phone Nokia with bloodshot eyes, the caller display showing Roger’s name.

Spoelstra instinctively glanced at the clock, it’s almost two o’clock, what’s Roger calling for?

"Roger?"

"Erik, I knew you hadn’t slept yet."

"Is something up?"

"Reminding you to sleep, afraid you’ll suddenly die. Don’t think about it, we can’t hold back Shaq, at least not this season, the only way is to defeat him with offense."

"You know, as a center, Shaq will always be the more stable force on offense. Can we win the next series with him in an offensive showdown?"

"Others can’t, but I can. Or rather, Amar’e and I can." Roger’s response was without hesitation, showcasing his confidence.

Spoelstra had nothing to say, indeed if it was Roger, there is a chance to defeat a super center in an offensive duel.

"By the way, Roger, why aren’t you asleep yet?"

Before Roger could answer, Spoelstra heard Scarlett Johansson’s slightly husky voice coming from the phone receiver: "Tell the truth Roger, did Eva and Anne wear these for you too?"

Then followed the sound of wet kisses.

Spoelstra:...

Alright, he knew why Roger was staying up.

Saving the Bay Area on one hand, busy saving souls on the other.

With great power comes great responsibility indeed.

"Cough cough... wait Scarlett, don’t be so hasty, I’m on the phone here. Anyway Erik, get some rest. We’ll handle everything with offense in the game the day after tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Spoelstra sighed.

Even Roger didn’t hold much hope for the team’s defense this season.

But really there wasn’t any option, you could see Amar’e working hard, his defensive habits improved compared to the beginning of the season, at least he wouldn’t just stand under the basket looking clueless without raising his hands, waiting to block shots relying on his bouncing speed.

However, transforming defense requires time.

Roger is already an incredibly fast-improving player, yet it took him three seasons to go from poor defense to good defense, until the fourth season when he made the All-Defensive Second Team, and the sixth season to the All-Defensive First Team.

Throughout NBA history, many scorers made their mark in the first year of their career, but few defensive stalwarts shone brightly in the early stages of their career.

Even Ben Wallace, widely regarded as having the strongest defensive impact currently, back then in Atlanta had to be a backup to Kurt Thomas.

The team considered strengthening midway through the season but didn’t succeed, now every team trading with the Warriors is extremely cautious, every team desires maximum benefits in trades because nobody wants to be that "fool who makes a stupid trade and informs Roger to once again notify the league."

Take the 76ers for example, they were willing to let go of the expiring contract of Mutombo, but demanded multiple starter players from the Warriors, clearly exceeding Mutombo’s value.

Thus, the Warriors can only enter the playoffs with this lineup that has obvious defensive holes.