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Chapter 709 - 297. Let’s buckle it together!

Chapter 709: 297. Let’s buckle it together!

The Chicago Bulls have averaged 102.6 points per game while allowing 96 points per game this season, with a net score of 6.6 points ranking third to last among the eight top-tier teams; only the Suns and the Spurs have lower net scores than the Bulls, while the Bobcats, Lakers, Hornets, Pistons, and Jazz all outperform the Bulls.

Ranked tenth in offense and fifth in defense in the league, the Bulls’ overall performance can be described as the least impressive among the top eight teams.

Tonight the Bulls’ offense was indeed lackluster. The Bobcats had their best defenders on the floor in four positions, except for the point guard, where they didn’t start Rondo. They did well in man-to-man coverage and trapping, and with Yao Ming not focusing on one-on-one plays, the Bobcats effectively shut down the Bulls’ simple passing game.

But their defense was completely out of sync with the ranking!

This was in the early stages of the game, when Zhang Yang, Felton, and Okafor hadn’t yet lost their touch. Scoring only nine points in nearly five minutes, even the top three defensive teams—Pistons, Rockets, and Spurs—wouldn’t dare guarantee they could defend this well.

Without waiting for his teammates to reply, Zhang Yang continued to gripe, "Yao plays only 32 minutes per game, and Wallace only 33 minutes. Plus, they spend over 10 minutes each game on the floor separately, so the best part of their defense doesn’t even last 20 minutes... Really sneaky, pretending to only have the fifth-best defense, and then springing a surprise in the game?"

With Hinrich and Wallace being two of the best all-defensive players, Yao as a top-tier shot blocker, plus Deng, Duhon, Nocioni, and Smith (Joe)... to only rank fifth in defense, the Bulls’ owner should fire Skiles!"

Teammates: "..."

Hill cocked his head and spread his hands, Okafor expressionless, Perkins with a pained look, Felton as frustrated as if he were seeing Perkins as a blood brother...

They also felt the sting of play, but with Zhang Yang’s tirade, their frustrations seemed to have eased somewhat.

Carlisle gathered the players together to make personnel and tactical adjustments.

After the timeout, Zhang Yang and his teammates returned to the court, with Felton and Perkins continuing to play. Hill and Okafor were substituted out, Mike Miller and Millsap came on.

Looking at the opposing lineup, Zhang Yang couldn’t help but let out a string of curse words.

Nocioni was substituted out, Chris Duhon came in, and the other four stayed the same! They were still intensifying their defense!

Yao Ming, who had been watching Zhang Yang closely, saw his future national teammate’s lip movements and sported a smile that almost got the referee to blow the whistle.

When they had faced off in the past, it was always him cursing, and now he finally got to see Zhang Yang curse!

Yao Ming thought to himself, knowing Sefolosha can’t guard you well, did you still hope we’d switch him in so you could hammer him? Keep enjoying Hinrich sticking to you, Big Ben’s help defense, and the faster rotational defense!

Duhon, a mere bench player with averages of 6 points, 3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, had already secured a 2-year, 11 million US dollar contract extension, thanks to his defense which had been rated by Phil Jackson as the best team-defending point guard in the Eastern Conference.

The Bobcats are on offense, frontcourt inbound.

Felton and Millsap initiate a pick-and-roll offense.

The strengths and weaknesses of specializing versus being versatile were clearly presented in Millsap and Okafor.

Okafor made timely weight adjustments, and his athletic ability wasn’t ruined by a major injury. At 25, he was entering the prime of his career—the kind of work he was expected to do in the paint he could do well, including one-on-ones, catch-and-finish, shooting, defending, and even passing. Moreover, his level was quite good. He could maintain the All-Star level stats of 15+10+2+2 easily over the next four to five peak years. Given his hardworking nature, as he improved his fundamentals and technique, he might even get past the 30-year mark by switching to a ground game to extend his form for several more years... after all, with "Little Duncan" as a successful example right there, all he needed to do was to copy the homework.

Millsap, still a second-year rookie, might match Okafor in his peak years. For now, he certainly falls short, but his efforts are single-minded and clear—he focuses on high-post screening and facilitating. In this aspect, his talent is exceptional, and his pick-and-roll skills have already surpassed Okafor’s.

"Little Duncan"—after all, there’s a "little" in his name, while Duncan, as a post player, has the basic skills and techniques guaranteed at 90 points; Okafor is currently around 80+, and might reach 85+ in most areas at his peak, but at best only a few areas might get over 90+... The gap in talent between the two is quite evident.

Okafor and Felton’s pick-and-roll cooperation failed to effectively create chances, but Millsap managed to do it!

Millsap’s pick angle and timing were better, providing Felton with better space to start, and he successfully dribbled past Big Ben Wallace to the right elbow area.

Simultaneously, as Zhang Yang, who had raised to a higher position, suddenly stopped and cut back towards the basket on the left, Yao Ming immediately halted his leftward movement, stepped back to the top of the restricted area, turned to face the baseline, blocked the inside lane for Perkins’ alley-oop, and covered Zhang Yang cutting in for the assist.

Ben Wallace noticed his partner’s movement and sped up his retreat to prevent Felton from getting past him for a direct layup.

As Felton’s foot crossed into the paint, he suddenly came to a halt, stepped back, gathered the ball, and made a close-range jump shot... and it hit!

to 8, the Bobcats lead by 3 points!

On the Bulls’ offensive side, Hinrich lobbed the ball to Yao Ming in the low post. Hoisting the ball, Yao Ming suddenly flicked it backward to the right.

Luol Deng, using Ben Wallace as a screen, cut to the basket and took Yao’s pass, overcoming Zhang Yang’s defense to score the layup! The difference was back to one point!

Millsap’s hesitation in the chase-down defense was not decisive enough to catch up, Perkins was too slow to cover, and the overly eager Zhang San took a severe beating.

The offense and defense shifted, and Felton continued to initiate a pick-and-roll offense with Millsap.

This time, Ben Wallace didn’t hasten his backpedal but maintained close coverage to restrict Felton’s shooting space. Felton successfully drove past Ben Wallace into the key... only to encounter Hinrich’s help defense!

When Zhang Yang moved up to the high post, Hinrich didn’t follow!

Felton wanted to pass to the high post, but Ben Wallace didn’t continue the chase and blocked the passing lane between Felton and the high post. With Zhang Yang left open at the high post, Felton couldn’t get the pass through!

After intercepting Felton’s optimal passing opportunity, Wallace closed in for the double-team. Felton decisively drove toward Hinrich and forced a shot...

The choice wasn’t bad, but unfortunately, it didn’t go in.

Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound, and in the transition from defense to offense, Hinrich advanced the ball to the frontcourt and continued to pass to Yao Ming in the low post.

Playing as a center and distributing the ball from the low post had become increasingly rare in the NBA, and using the low post as a pivot point was even scarcer. The last big man to play this way was named Sabonis.

Yao Ming often played this way domestically, but upon joining the NBA, in the first two years, his guard partner Francis was a ball-dominant guard, and in the recent three years, his guard partners didn’t cooperate with his off-ball movement, the kind termed ’exhausting work,’ rendering the tactic nearly abandoned.

After joining the Chicago Bulls, he demonstrated this skill in training, catching the eye of Head Coach Skiles, who used it on occasion.

Yao Ming wanted to replicate the offense from the previous round, but Luol Deng had just provided an off-ball screen on the left side of the free-throw line with Ben Wallace, and Zhang Yang had preemptively left Duhon on the left baseline open, who received the ball at the elbow.

When Luol Deng, using the screen to shake off Mike Miller, cut inside, he saw Zhang Yang standing in his path, exuding a bring-it-on attitude.

Luol Deng’s cut was hindered, and Yao Ming couldn’t pass the ball immediately, Mike Miller and Millsap’s pick-and-roll defense was not set properly, but with Zhang Yang’s help, they didn’t leave anyone open. After screening Deng, Zhang Yang rushed toward Yao Ming, Millsap followed with Zhang Yang’s help, blocking Yao Ming’s angle to pass to the left side of the key. Mike Miller also pulled in from the free-throw line...

The Chicago Bulls had three players on the left side of the key, and Yao Ming was surrounded by four opponents!

Yao Ming quickly dribbled to post up Perkins, caught the ball and turned to avoid Zhang Yang’s steal attempt, raised the ball for a close-range standing shot... and missed!

Hinrich, Duhon, Luol Deng, and Ben Wallace immediately retreated on defense, not even trying for the offensive rebound. With four opponents crowding the key, Yao Ming couldn’t squeeze in.

Zhang Yang secured the defensive rebound and passed it to Felton, but a fast break was no longer an option.

The Bulls’ team offense had stalled after one rotation, but Coach Skiles didn’t mind from the sidelines.

Neither of their point guards excelled at off-ball movement. Hinrich was better, at least reaching an average level, but Duhon was purely a catch-and-shoot guard when off the ball, and one of smaller stature at that. It was normal for the opponents to disrupt Yao Ming’s low-post playmaking.

His purpose in deploying two point guards was not to score.

Felton advanced to the frontcourt, this time he didn’t choose to pick-and-roll but instead went straight for a drive against Duhon!

Duhon couldn’t hold his ground and was bulldozed by Felton, yet he followed closely by Felton’s side.

Felton drove close... and had to brake outside the key.

Yao Ming moved to the top of the restricted area arc, standing like a mountain in front of Felton!

Zhang Yang, on the left side of the key, used Millsap’s screen to shake off Hinrich and ran to the high post, but the passing lane was cut off by Ben Wallace who moved within a step of the free-throw line; Millsap was momentarily held up by Hinrich’s switch and couldn’t cut to the basket right away.

By the time Millsap turned and squeezed past Hinrich to cut in, Duhon had already reattached himself to Felton, forcing Felton to stop dribbling. Yao Ming also smartly relocated to the top left of the restricted area arc, blocking the path for Millsap’s cut.

Mike Miller, contested by Luol Deng in a physical matchup at the front... Felton, seeing he was about to be cornered for a steal by Duhon, prepared to take a forced shot, but then noticed Perkins cutting in from the left baseline and hurriedly passed the ball!

Perkins received the ball in the key, dribbled to dodge Yao Ming’s "short arm" reach.

With the comparison, Perkins looked quite nimble.

Upon reaching the basket, Perkins leaped hard, his hands slamming the ball toward the hoop... "smack"... "clang"...

Ben Wallace rushed from the center to the basket area, his hand smacked Perkins’ dunk attempt against the rim!

Yao Ming’s reach wasn’t in vain! By making Perkins dribble an extra time, he successfully aided Ben Wallace in getting the block!

The ball bounced off the rim, Yao Ming boxed out Millsap going for the rebound, Ben Wallace turned to rebound, but then darkness loomed... Zhang Yang, over both Ben Wallace and Perkins, pressed the rebound back into the basket!