667: 233: You are very strong, but I want to go drink some water (Please vote for me with your monthly ticket!) 667: 233: You are very strong, but I want to go drink some water (Please vote for me with your monthly ticket!) The San Antonio Spurs’ roster this season hasn’t changed much compared to four months ago.
During the offseason, they only signed veteran Terry Porter, who was nearing the end of his professional career but was a two-time All-Star and one of the best shooters in the early ’90s.
This signing can be seen as a supplement to the loss of Sean Elliott, whose kidney disease greatly reduced his attendance stability, and the Spurs had to find someone who could replace him at any time.
Besides that, the only signing worth mentioning is that they chose an Argentine youngster who played in Italy in the second round.
Of course, he hasn’t entered the NBA yet.
A championship team doesn’t change its lineup.
That is the consensus among most champion teams.
Unless necessary, very few champion teams will make drastic changes to their roster, and the Spurs are no exception.
This season, their average age is 31 years old, and aside from Duncan, most of the main players are old guys.
But it doesn’t matter, Popovich likes this kind of seasoned, stable, and experienced team.
An old car, if properly maintained, often runs even better than a new one.
On the Hawks’ side, the starting lineup has changed from the past two seasons.
The starting five for the season opener were Roger, Pippen, Pierce, Marion, and Big Ben, with three new starters compared to the championship season!
Yes, the Hawks are that championship team that had to make significant changes to their roster.
The Hawks team was very bold in having rookie Shawn Marion as a starter, something rarely seen with championship teams.
However, considering Marion’s excellent performance in the summer league and preseason, Lenny Wilkens still gave him the opportunity.
And Big Ben edged out Kurt Thomas to become the starting center for the Hawks this season.
Although Big Ben’s offense has been just as steady over the years, his defensive performance has far surpassed that of Kurt Thomas.
Of course, Kurt Thomas is not bad either, but Big Ben’s interior defense has reached a level that Lenny Wilkens trusts unconditionally.
This lineup compared to the Spurs’ twin towers is like two extremes.
Steve Jones even thinks the Hawks’ lineup is a bit too short.
“During the championship season, the Hawks’ lineup was already quite bold with Kurt Thomas and Alan Henderson both standing at 206 centimeters.
This season, the height of the Hawks’ lineup has decreased even further.
Shawn Marion is only 201 centimeters, and Big Ben is probably about that tall too.
Hey, does anyone really believe he’s 206 centimeters?”
Can you believe that the tallest person in the starting lineup of a contending team is actually Pippen?
Two years ago, Lenny Wilkens wouldn’t have believed that such a short lineup could win the NBA championship.
But that 1998 championship team gave Lenny Wilkens a passion for shorter players.
He began to believe more in Pat Riley’s theory of the future of basketball.
The gap between short and tall players isn’t as terrifying as people imagine.
The game began, and Duncan won the tip-off for the Spurs.
Little General Johnson steadily pushed past half-court, Duncan jockeyed for low post position, and the Admiral moved like a small forward in motion.
Big Ben used a fronting defense in the very first round, a tactic that made Shaq very uncomfortable and also troubled Duncan.
Little General changed the passing target and pushed the ball to David Robinson with both hands.
Marion reached out to intercept the pass, but the basketball frighteningly grazed his fingertips and flew into David Robinson’s hands.
The Admiral executed a hook shot near the basket, and though Marion, who had failed the interception, leaped up swiftly.
A 201-centimeter forward defending a 216-centimeter center is almost an impossible task.
But in the air, David Robinson watched as Marion rose half an arm above the height of the hoop to block his hook shot!
Marion’s biggest problem on defense right now is that he jumps too much, which makes him easy to fake out.
But if he happens to jump at just the right moment, then sorry, all you’re going to get is a hot, sizzling block!
The Hawks got possession, and seeing the Spurs’ quick retreat, Pippen casually advanced past half-court.
Roger shook off Mario Elie, who once delivered the Kiss of Death for the Rockets, and caught the ball outside the three-point line on the right side.
The moment he caught the ball, Roger didn’t encounter a fierce double-team.
The Spurs’ defense stuck to the old strategy of packing the paint and leaving the perimeter.
In Popovich’s basketball philosophy, the more double-teams, the more defensive rotations are required.
The more defensive rotations, the more likely for mistakes to occur.
Mario Elie covered Roger’s right hand, forcing him towards the left baseline.
Roger took the invitation, moving to the left baseline and drifting for the shot before Tim Duncan could double-team.
This was the difficult shot Popovich wanted to see.
During last season’s Finals, Spree and Allan Houston had a hard time against such defense.
But for Roger, this kind of tough shot had no pressure at all.
The basketball went in, and Roger easily decoded the Spurs’ strategy of packing the paint and leaving the perimeter.
After scoring, Roger gestured with his hand, “Tim, is this how you master the future?”
The Spurs’ defense works perfectly against the Chosen One but is at a disadvantage against a strong mid-range shooter.
Popovich waved his hand from the sidelines.
He had no choice but to bring out another player to double-team Roger.
They couldn’t continue to bet on Roger’s difficult one-on-one touch.
The Spurs attacked, and their pace was slow.
Although this team would remain competitive for the next decade or so, they were not averse to change.