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Chapter 667 - 282. First Encounter with a True Defensive Powerhouse_2

Chapter 667: 282. First Encounter with a True Defensive Powerhouse_2

It wasn’t that McGrady didn’t want to score inside, but rather that he truly couldn’t score there any longer.

This season, McGrady’s mid-range shooting percentage was 43%, his long two-point shooting percentage was 42.9%, and his three-point shooting percentage was 38.6%—almost all career highs. However, his 54% shooting percentage inside and 36.4% close-range shooting percentage were both career lows.

As is well known, the closer to the basket, the easier it is to score. McGrady’s low proportion and shooting percentage for close-range attempts explain why his efficiency sank to his lowest since the 00-01 season when he became a starter.

Shifting focus away from McGrady, Zhang Yang looked at the Rockets’ roster... It seemed they were only willing to spend money after Yao Ming left.

Originally, in 2010, after Yao Ming’s retirement, the Rockets’ payroll for the 10-11 season hit a new franchise high.

The same was true here. Last season, with Yao Ming, the Rockets had a payroll of $63 million, but after Yao left, their total salary increased to $68 million.

With Yao Ming, things like the team’s record didn’t matter much; even though the Rockets didn’t make the playoffs in the 05-06 season, they were third in net profits across the league, trailing only the Knicks and Miami Heat. The team’s market value increase ranked second in the league, only below the Bobcats, and Aleksandar’s net worth rose to first place among team owners in the league.

During this past offseason, the Rockets signed quite a few players. Although not high-salary, most were players earning one or two million dollars a year, and few could be considered high-quality role players. However, compared to the previous Yao-McGrady era, the roster of role players had changed dramatically. After Yao Ming left, they started caring about the team’s record...

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At 9 pm, the Bobcats and the Rockets’ game began.

The Bobcats sent out Felton, Zhang Yang, Hill, Okafor, and Muhammad as their starters, while the Rockets’ perimeter was formed by David Wesley, McGrady, and Battier, with Yi Jianlian and Sagana Diop on the inside.

Okafor won the jump ball against Diop, and the Bobcats took the first offense.

Zhang Yang received the ball in the frontcourt, with Battier standing in front of him. Hill on the wing came up inside the arc to set a screen on Battier’s left. Zhang Yang, using the screen, dribbled behind his back, pulled a sideways step to accelerate past McGrady into the paint.

Yi Jianlian’s help defense on the weak side was very timely. Zhang Yang changed direction to the left, coming in front of the basket where Diop had already moved into position. McGrady was closing in through the middle. Acting decisively, Zhang Yang, facing Diop, picked up the ball and jumped, tossing it towards the basket before the pincer attack from Yi Jianlian and McGrady could arrive... but he missed!

Diop, after moving, couldn’t jump immediately due to his massive size—213 centimeters tall with a 230-centimeter wingspan, but just standing there, he was a significant obstacle for any driving player!

The ball bounced off the rim, and Yi Jianlian secured it, quickly raising it to avoid Zhang Yang’s steal attempt.

Had I known, I wouldn’t have taught Lian Mei these little details... Zhang San fell back sullenly in defense.

However, the opposition lived up to its reputation as one of the season’s "big three defensive fortresses." Their defensive coordination was excellent.

This season, only three teams had allowed an average of fewer than 95 points per game: the Pistons with an average of 91 points, the Rockets with 92.4, and the Spurs with 93. Even the Lakers, ranked fourth in defense, allowed an average of 95.4 points per game.

After losing Yao Ming, the Rockets’ performance improved rather than declined. One reason was that Aleksandar was willing to spend more money on recruiting, but the core reason was their new head coach, Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau had been a defensive assistant under Jeff Van Gundy. When Van Gundy was fired, the Rockets invited Adelman, who was initially interested because of Yao and McGrady but ultimately declined after Yao Ming left.

In the end, the Rockets extended an invitation to Thibodeau, who had been planning on becoming the head coach for the Kings. Being able to stay in the city where he had worked for many years and bought a house, he naturally chose to renew... With the Celtics failing to form a ’Big Three,’ Ainge naturally didn’t extend a coaching offer suited for Garnett to Thibodeau.

After Thibodeau took over, his first suggestion was to poach Sagana Diop from the Mavericks for $2.3 million a year.

Diop, a massive Center at 213 centimeters tall with a 230-centimeter wingspan and weighing 136 kilograms, was a product of the "era of the flesh shield." Picked eighth in the first round of the 2001 Draft straight out of high school and dubbed one of the "dual waters" of the 2001 class alongside Kwame Brown, his highest average points per season before this were 2.3 points... but his rim protection was excellent. Last season, he averaged 18 minutes per game, managing 2.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks—traits that caught Thibodeau’s eye.

This season, Diop played an average of 23 minutes, obtaining 3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game—all career highs. Although he was a liability on offense and even a hindrance—clueless even in finishing easy baskets.

But his trademark in defensive play, rim protection efficiency, made veteran Rockets like McGrady, Battier, and Hayes feel very accustomed. The iron-clad defensive system built by Van Gundy and Thibodeau continued smoothly, and as a result, the Rockets became the second-best defensive team in the league this season.

However, when it comes to the Rockets’ offense...

During the transition from defense to offense, McGrady receives the mid-range pass, faces Hill’s defense, and suddenly pulls up for a mid-range shot... forced into a fadeaway...

Hill’s ability to judge his opponent’s shooting is as sharp as Zhang Yang’s!

McGrady’s pull-up shot had to be altered into a fadeaway jumper, and he misses!

Zhang Yang, seeing McGrady leaning over against Hill, continuously probing, had already prepared to close in, securing the defensive rebound, starting the counterattack... settling into a set offense.

Despite having a cumbersome center, David Wesley, Battier, and Yi Jianlian’s delay tactics were executed very well, creating time for Diop and McGrady to fall back on defense.

Not only that, but after all the Rockets retreated to the backcourt, their defensive positions were on point, and the defensive formation was immediately set up... the league’s second-best defense was not given for nothing.

Zhang Yang passes the ball to Felton and moves to the flank to draw attention.

In the following possessions, the Bobcats ran through several of the regular tactics they deemed appropriate before the game... With 4 minutes and 22 seconds left in the first quarter, Carlisle called a timeout.

Having played nearly four and a half minutes, the score was 5 to 7, with basketball fans in front of domestic TVs watching the live broadcast on edge, and on the scene, Carlisle was on edge too—they were the ones with only 5 points!

Moreover, the opponent scoring only 7 points wasn’t because of their outstanding defense, but purely because the Rockets’ offense was lacking.

The Rockets were the league’s second-strongest defensive team, but also the third-worst offensive team, averaging only 94.2 points per game.

The Bobcats players also found the game nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, they were psychologically prepared, as Felton held a team meeting in the morning, emphasizing with a serious face that tonight’s game would be difficult to play and explaining the reason—the Rockets were the first real defensive powerhouse they had encountered this season.

The last time they faced a top-ten defensive team was in the season opener against the Knights.

After the Knights finished the first month, they ranked ninth in defensive efficiency, quite impressive, but in the season opener, the Knights players lost their composure early on, lacking any enthusiasm on defense...

Beyond that, the best defensive team they had encountered was the Celtics, ranked 13th in defense.

The teammates didn’t remember much else, but they did recall the rankings of the opponents’ defenses and one more thing—"Tonight we need to be prepared for a rough start offensively; it’s not that our offense is inadequate, but the defenses we’ve encountered before were weak. Now facing the second-best defense, we might not immediately adapt to such intensity. If the start really goes poorly, we must not panic..."

Back on the bench, Zhang Yang looked at his teammates who were irritable but not too disheartened—good job, Fat Master!

Zhang San wipes his sweat and glances at the opposing Lian Mei.

Yi Jianlian’s performance in set defense and fast-break defense was even better than Zhang Yang had anticipated.

Yi Jianlian is highly mobile, with a height of 213 cm and a wingspan of 222 cm, exceptional physique, and his defensive awareness, as evident in international competitions, is pretty good... but that had never been displayed in the NBA during all the years he was in the original timeline.

Although Thibodeau has the fault of being stubborn with his core, his understanding of defense is unquestionably solid, adept at utilizing the defensive strengths of his players.

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Today’s update is brief and to the point~