Chapter 726: Signs of Maturity
On December 28, the Knicks hosted the Warriors.
This was Golden State's 3rd game of the season.
The Warriors had a record of 1 win and 1 loss in their 1st 2 games, beating the Chicago Bulls and losing to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State's roster had not changed much this season, and ESPN predicted that they would rank outside the top 10 in the Western Conference.
However, the Warriors were a team full of madmen.
They were different from ordinary weak teams.
Once they got hot, they could take down any opponent.
Nelson had already made his tactical arrangements 1 day earlier.
In this game, he wanted Chen Yan to attack freely, with the others helping him through screens and rebounding.
Nelson was very familiar with the Warriors.
He knew that neither David Lee nor Kwame Brown could keep up with Chen Yan's speed.
So once there was a pick and roll switch, Chen Yan could torment his opponent however he wanted.
In addition, Golden State's top scorer, Monta Ellis, was an extremely competitive player.
Seeing Chen Yan continuously score, Monta Ellis would definitely ignore everything and look for isolation plays.
The Knicks only needed to strengthen their defense against him, and they could basically limit Golden State's offense.
3 hours before the game started, Yi Jianlian arrived at the arena for warmup training.
He wanted to perform well in this game and prove wrong those Warriors players who had looked down on him.
That night, Madison Square Garden was packed to the brim.
It was the team's home opener for the new season, and many celebrities were also present.
Chen Yan's pre game training was interrupted several times.
He now knew many celebrities, and it felt rude not to respond when they greeted him.
Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson also came.
Both were specifically there to support Chen Yan.
After filming Iron Man, they had become good friends and would occasionally gather.
Spike Lee, Rihanna, Elizabeth Olsen, and many other celebrity directors and artists were also present.
Most of the celebrities who came had met Chen Yan before, so polite greetings before the game were naturally unavoidable.
Tonight, Nelson placed David West on the bench and chose to start Al Harrington, with the goal of creating as much space as possible for Chen Yan.
As soon as the starting lineup was announced, even laymen could tell that Chen Yan would be the primary attacker tonight.
Except for DeAndre Jordan, every other starter had outside shooting ability, which would stretch Golden State's defense wide open.
"New York's fans are as passionate as ever," Barkley said with a smile. "I wonder what kind of performance Chen Yan will give them tonight."
Kenny Smith chimed in, "Chen put up incredible numbers in the last game. Now that he is back home, I am sure his competitive fire will be even stronger."
The Warriors starting lineup was also announced.
Monta Ellis, Klay Thompson, Dorell Wright, Biedrins, and David Lee.
"Is that guy the Warriors rookie?" Curry asked from the bench, pointing at Klay Thompson. "His shooting form is very standard. Very beautiful."
Although Curry could not play because of injury, he usually attended games to support the team.
Chen Yan smiled.
"You can pay attention to his dribbling."
Even though the butterfly effect caused by Chen Yan's arrival in this life meant that Curry and Thompson could not become teammates, Curry inexplicably felt a special familiarity with this innocent looking white man.
The game began.
DeAndre Jordan won the jump ball.
The Knicks had the 1st possession.
Battier got the ball and immediately passed it to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan dribbled into the frontcourt but did not choose to force an attack.
He directly lobbed the ball into the paint to DeAndre Jordan.
The moment he passed the ball, Chen Yan quickly activated, running toward the right corner.
DeAndre immediately passed the ball back out.
DeAndre Jordan was not the type of big man who was good at facilitating, but after playing beside Chen Yan, he had learned a trick or 2.
The pass was good, and Chen Yan caught it comfortably.
After receiving the ball, Chen Yan made no extra movement.
He took 1 step forward and sank a drifting corner mid range jumper for 2 points.
Effortless.
Warriors offense.
Monta Ellis rejected the pick and roll and directly went into isolation against Battier.
It seemed his competitive spirit had been ignited on the very 1st possession.
Monta Ellis performed a series of moves at the top of the arc.
First, continuous between the legs dribbles, then a change of direction followed by a behind the back dribble.
He had absolute confidence in his ability.
Otherwise, he would not have claimed to be the 2nd best shooting guard in the West, second only to Kobe.
During this sequence, Klay Thompson ran open on the perimeter, but Monta Ellis did not even look at him.
Monta Ellis style of play was characterized by lowering his head and forcing the issue.
His skills and athleticism were both good, but his court vision was too poor. He played with too much tunnel vision, which meant he could not reach the next level.
With 8 seconds left on the shot clock, Monta Ellis forcefully started his drive.
Battier maintained his position, and DeAndre Jordan's help defense was also in place.
Monta Ellis forced the shot, flicking the ball into the air.
The basketball rolled around the rim and came out.
It was evident that Monta Ellis still had good touch on his finishes.
Even while losing his balance, he could still shoot with considerable accuracy.
This showed superstar potential.
But he was too reckless, and his offensive intentions were often read by opponents.
In the world of basketball, to become a top player, besides physical ability and skill, brains were also essential.
The Knicks immediately turned defense into offense.
This was their bread and butter.
Barea raced across half court with the ball.
After a slight pause outside the 3 point line, he suddenly accelerated and drove toward the paint.
This hesitation crossover was taught by Chen Yan, and it was very deceptive.
After drawing in Golden State's defense, Barea made a flashy behind the back pass, finding Chen Yan.
Players who spent a long time with Chen Yan all shared 1 characteristic.
They became increasingly flashy, both on and off the court.
Chen Yan caught the ball and looked at the rim, seemingly preparing to shoot.
But the next second, his right foot probed forward.
He instantly shook off Dorell Wright in front of him.
Chen Yan drove into the paint with the ball.
David Lee came over to help.
Biedrins was also in the paint.
Chen Yan jumped early, glided for a distance, then suddenly switched to his left hand, twisted his waist, and flicked the ball in for 2 points.
This shot looked effortless, but anyone who had played basketball knew how difficult it was.
Chen Yan simplified complex things through his extraordinary individual ability.
Chen Yan's most obvious change this season was that he had removed many flashy moves.
This was also a sign of a player's maturity.
Jordan and Kobe were both like this.
Warriors offense.
Monta Ellis still wanted to go into isolation, but he was immediately reprimanded by head coach Mark Jackson from the sideline.
Mark Jackson had high prestige within the team, and he would not allow Monta Ellis to mess around.
After a pick and roll, Monta Ellis passed the ball to the middle.
David Lee softly tossed it up with his left hand, and the ball went in for 2 points with a soft touch.
4 to 2.
Knicks offense.
After setting up in the half court, Chen Yan received the ball and executed a pick and roll.
David Lee switched defensively, and Chen Yan bent down before driving hard past his right side.
David Lee tried his best to keep up, but Chen Yan pulled the ball back with a reverse between the legs dribble.
Then he made a high post jumper.
6 to 2.
The Warriors also entered their half court offense.
Monta Ellis used a screen to get a mismatch against Al Harrington.
Harrington could not keep up with Monta Ellis footwork.
Monta accelerated to the basket and made a delicate reverse layup, scoring 2 points.
Neither team engaged in the run and gun shootout that fans had expected.
Both teams started the game mainly with half court offense.
.....
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