No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 871 - 373. Coach: Another night of enhanced tactical inclusiveness

This year’s regular season champion is in the East, with the Western Conference regular-season leader starting the playoffs first. They rest for two days after the regular season ends, with play beginning on April 22.

The Bobcats, the second in the East, start the playoffs at the same time as the first in the West.

However, the Bobcats finished their regular season on the 18th, giving them 3 days of rest, one more than the Lakers, although their finale was an away game, so it’s not much of a difference. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

The Bulls have it the most comfortable, starting their playoffs on the 23rd, with a total of 4 days’ rest, and their finale was played at home.

On the 19th, Zhang Yang took a day off, watched games and scrolled through the news after returning to Charlotte. On the 20th, he got busy again. In the morning, there was a fan appreciation session for the team, and in the afternoon, there was a sneaker promotion event.

Though busy, Zhang Yang had a great time at both the team and sneaker events, fully engaging and enjoying the process.

Realizing many fans may have been watching basketball for years just to see him in person once, he certainly couldn’t have a sour face.

After having fun for a day and relieving the pressure of the forthcoming playoffs, Zhang Yang returned to the team on the 21st, diving into intensive preparations with his teammates.

This first round, the pressure the trio feels is greater than two years ago when they first entered the playoffs.

After morning training, the three sat down together for a casual chat.

"Isn’t our preparation for this round a bit too simple? It feels like there’s not much specific targeting; most of it is regular training. Wasn’t the coaching staff already preparing for the playoffs when we played the Lakers?" Felton asked with a hint of confusion in his voice.

Zhang Yang thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe this way of preparing is the result of the coaches’ discussions over several days.

We have too little experience facing the brand-new Hawks team, and they’ve been constantly changing and improving. Yesterday, Randy gave me two DVDs, one with clips from last month’s Hawks games and another from this month’s games. Just by watching the first two and the last two games of this month, you can already see tactical changes."

Okafor added, "The Hawks players have a lot of tactical freedom, much like we did two years ago. They have no concerns and are willing to try any tactics, potentially always changing things up.

Their core players on the perimeter are experienced, and they have more solutions in mind than we do.

The coaches must have seen how too idealistic adjustments during our matchups with the Pistons, Bulls, and Hornets led to poor starts for them, and to avoid us falling into such a predicament, they chose not to preemptively predict how the Hawks would play, opting to probe with regular tactics since we have an overall strength advantage."

Felton nodded to show he understood.

Okafor’s words reminded him of two years ago, when they made a miraculous comeback from April to achieve 45 wins and fifth place in the East. Even if swept in the first round, they would still be praised at the season’s end.

This time it’s different; they’re defending champions with 61 wins, second in the Eastern Conference, and third in the league.

A day of preparation quickly passed, and April 22, the playoffs’ first game day, arrived.

In the morning, the league announced several awards.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak beat Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace to win the Best Executive Award.

Zhang Yang saw the award winner list while browsing the news during his lunch break, noticing that the votes mainly concentrated on these two general managers.

He also noticed an ’off-topic news,’ mentioning that the Clippers had fired Elgin Baylor, ending his 22-year tenure as the Clippers’ general manager.

Zhang Yang felt the ’Eight-time runner-up’ was truly unlucky. He had just won the Best Executive in 2006, and in the following two years, his operations were flawless, gathering talent well, and his nurturing of talents like Kaman, Livingston, and other brilliant rookies was quite satisfactory. His dealings in signings, trades, and salary caps were all managed very well.

Looking at the Clippers’ roster at the end of this season:

An experienced point guard Cassell, great at leading and inexpensive;

A poorer but luxurious version of Rondo in terms of potential, with an enviable physique, the backup point guard Livingston;

A top-notch wing and guard combo with Al Thornton and Maggette;

A formidable inside duo of Kaman and Brand that could go head-to-head with anyone nearby;

Sixth man is the veteran Mobley, willing to play off the bench, supported by Tim Thomas, Josh Powell, Dan Dickau, Quinton Ross, Ruben Patterson...

This lineup, with a payroll of only 64 million, all while Kaman is already on his second contract!

Even if you put Logo Man as the Clippers’ GM, at best they would operate just like this; it couldn’t have been better.

But the Clippers can’t avoid being full of injuries; every main player has been injured continuously over the past two years. Mobley played 73 games, the highest attendance among the main players, followed by Maggette with 70 games, and Livingston with 68 games... Brand was out for the season.

It just so happened to coincide with the wildest year in Western Conference history... There was no way not to collapse.

Hornets head coach Byron Scott beat Bobcats head coach Rick Carlisle, Bulls head coach Scott Skiles, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, and Magic Team head coach Stan Van Gundy to win the Coach of the Year Award.

Timberwolves’ Bynum beat Trail Blazers’ Aldridge, Magic Team’s Turkoglu, and Spurs’ Guy to win the Most Improved Player Award.

Spurs’ Ginobili beat Mavericks’ Terry, Suns’ Barbosa, and Bulls’ Nocioni to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

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