118 Use Both Hands to Explode the Frame

Next round.

Zhang Jun singled out James again.

This time James chose to move up one step ahead of Zhang Jun and impose a lot of physical confrontation on the opponent.

Although James plays the small forward position, his weight reaches 113kg. Compared with the 111kg on his side as a rookie, James has also gained 2kg of weight and muscle.

However, Zhang Jun's weight is only 98kg, which is not even a little bit worse in comparison.

"James weighs more than Aldridge's 112kg. He is really a tank on the court."

Zhang Jun accelerated one step to pass James, but the latter's defensive speed was also very fast. Although Zhang Jun could always be squeezed by Zhang Jun by half a step, James perfectly used his body and strength to give Zhang Jun more Confrontation helped him hinder Zhang Jun's breakthrough.

Near the free throw line again, Zhang Jun chose to take a big step to the left. James was a little wary of his change of direction, so he just kept up without grabbing the position and rushing forward with all his might.

Zhang Jun stepped forward and directly took a horizontal fadeaway jumper. This is also not his usual finishing habit.

This action immediately attracted the attention of everyone on and off the field.

If Zhang Jun's mid-range shot in the round just now was luck, then the shot in this round should not hit again.

Because under normal circumstances a person cannot be lucky twice in a row.

James tried his best to make up for it, but Zhang Jun's wingspan was too exaggerated, so he just guarded the opponent's face and did not cause any interference.

Uh-huh!

The sound of a basketball hitting the net was heard.

James looked back and retracted his hand after confirming that the basketball shot was made. He looked at Zhang Jun's face and finally showed a solemn emotion.

Zhang Jun, who only knows how to break through, is a rookie with excellent future potential in James's eyes, and he is also very likely to be the strongest player among this rookie class.

That's all.

But Zhang Jun, who can shoot from mid-range, has to make James feel like he is facing a formidable enemy, because Zhang Jun, who can both shoot and break through, will be at least an All-Star level star.

"He actually made another shot!"

"It's impossible to call it luck this time."

"Does this kid really have a stable mid-range shooting ability?"

"My dear, this is amazing. Although the breakthrough is very lethal, in a higher-intensity game, if it is targeted by the opponent, it will be completely useless."

"In last year's Finals, James, who was guarded by the Spurs, is the best example."

"But with the mid-range, it's completely different. What offensive weapon is the most lethal in the playoffs is the mid-range!"

Buckley said with slight amazement.

Barkley, who has played in many playoff games in his career, can say with certainty that mid-range is the most powerful offensive method for scoring in the playoffs.

Because the defensive strategy of any team in the league today is to focus on defending the inside, there is a natural lack of defensive points in the mid-range and outside.

Even the Spurs' perimeter defenders like Bowen are just one-on-one man-to-man defense. Apart from Kobe, there are very few players in the league who are frequently double-teamed in the mid-range.

This is also the reason why Kobe is so difficult to guard.

Kobe, who is double-teamed in the mid-range position, can really do too many things.

In the Trail Blazers coaching bench, Nate McMillan clenched his fists excitedly.

The team doesn't have a plan to train Zhang Jun yet. It's not that Nate McMillan hasn't thought about it. He just wants to see Zhang Jun's performance in the NBA before making a decision and consider which direction to train Zhang Jun. Capabilities are improved.

Of course, if there is a breakthrough, Nate McMillan doesn't think there are many people in the league who can coach Zhang Jun, unless they are masters like Iverson or Wade, but it is completely unrealistic for two people to coach Zhang Jun.

As for other abilities such as mid-range, three-pointers and passing, the choice of improving these abilities depends on which one Zhang Jun is suitable for. The most important thing is which one he can improve.

"Now it seems that I don't need to worry too much about Zhang Jun's ability development. This kid has already started mid-distance training in advance and is starting to show results on the court."

On the court.

James broke through Zhang Jun three times and reached the basket and succeeded, and also made Zhang Jun a 2+1.

After scoring the goal, James showed off his biceps and looked at Zhang Jun with a mocking look on his face, "It's too early for you to win the ball from me."

Zhang Jun looked at James with a look of contempt and wanted to rush over and beat him.

This is the second time Zhang Jun has faced off against a superstar in the league. Although the Trail Blazers won the Lakers in the first game of the opening game, Zhang Jun was personally overwhelmed by Kobe Bryant, who scored 45 points and 8 rebounds. 4 assists, this is what a person can do.

This time against James, Zhang Jun felt like his whole body was about to fall apart. This guy was always going to have a wild collision. If his physical fitness was slightly worse, he would have to be sent to the hospital immediately after the game.

At the end of the second quarter, Zhang Jun made 5 of 8 in a single quarter against James and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

But James, on the other hand, played a more dominant performance than Zhang Jun, making 6 of 9 shots, 2 of 4 free throws, and scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.

The Cavaliers still lead 50:44.

The third quarter of the game.

Zhang Jun made a sudden pass to Luo Yin to help the opponent score a three-pointer. Luo Yin's pass to the ground helped Zhang Jun fly into the air and complete a dunk.

The outstanding performance of the two directly disrupted the Cavaliers' defensive rhythm. Aldridge got an open opportunity and directly stopped the Cavaliers with 3 consecutive mid-range shots.

Mike Brown called a timeout and rearranged the defensive tactics, but on the offensive end, he still had to count on James alone.

James, who is both a father and a mother on the court, couldn't help but glance at Zhang Jun, Luo Yin, Aldridge and others who were celebrating with high-fives on the opposite side.

"Why do I never have teammates like this? Can I still lead the Cavaliers to the finals this year?"

The Trail Blazers played a 30:20 offensive surge in the third quarter, not only regaining the disadvantage but also taking the lead in one fell swoop.

The last quarter of the game.

James wanted to end the game, so he suddenly carried Zhang Jun into the basket.

In order to defend James, Zhang Jun had already received his fourth foul of the game, but he was still given an extremely exaggerated performance by the opponent.

Zhang Jun also started to attack the Cavaliers' position. James' defense was very good, and Zhang Jun was the one who defended the Cavaliers best.

He has used breakthroughs and mid-range challenges to James many times and achieved good results. The most important thing is that he greatly consumed the opponent's physical strength.

In the final 2 minutes, Zhang Jun's breakthrough caused James to foul and go to the free throw line. At this time, the Trail Blazers still maintained a 10-point lead.

The Cavaliers did not plan to play, because tonight's game was also their second back-to-back game. Mike Brown replaced James in advance, which was an announcement of surrender for tonight's game.

James, who had scored 36 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, received applause from all the Cleveland fans. The name "Son of Akron" was passed over the court, but James obviously had some unpleasant emotions on his face.

After the penalty, Nate McMillan also replaced Zhang Jun and all the main players in the second round.

"Your mid-range shots are very beautiful. You can shoot more mid-range shots like you did tonight in future games."

Monty Williams also stood up and said at the right time: "Playing this way is much easier than if you keep breaking through. It will also reduce your risk of injury. The most important thing is that your opponent will have a harder time guarding you."

Zhang Jun nodded. In tonight's game, he was able to score 33 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists under James' defense. It was really not easy.

He has counted that after James realized that he had mid-range, he no longer took such risks and only defended breakthroughs. In tonight's game, Zhang Jun only made 4 of 10 shots from distance, which was not very efficient.

However, in conjunction with his breakthrough, it destroyed the Cavaliers' defensive formation, and only then did Luo Yin and Aldridge join forces to show off their power.

"Sometimes personal scoring efficiency cannot fully reflect a player's strength. The value that changes in offensive methods bring to teammates on the court is often not reflected in data."

"Don't mention it, mid-range shooting is really useful."

Post-game interview.

A reporter asked: "Zhang Jun, you tried a lot of mid-range shots in tonight's game. This is really inspiring."

"Everyone in the league is very clear that the mid-range is the most important weapon to kill the game and change the game. Is this just an attempt in one game tonight or will you use this kind of offense often in the future?"

Zhang Jun thought for a while and said: "Actually, tonight is just an attempt to change my offensive method, but I found that after I played like this, both Aldridge and Luo Yin could get a more comfortable offense. One of them scored tonight." He scored 20+10, and one person scored 26+4+4.”

"So I will continue to make such offensive choices in the future because it can help my teammates get more comfortable offensive opportunities."

Nate McMillan nodded with great satisfaction.

A scorer not only thinks about his own scoring, but also thinks about his teammates' offense at all times. What should I say?

Nate McMillan just wants to say that Zhang Jun is so damn smooth.

"Without Randolph, our offensive space has become more flexible. The only shortcoming is the lack of inside players on the bench."

"If it weren't for this reason that I could only push James Jones to the power forward position, Zhang Jun might not have lost to James in the second quarter."

“But even then we beat the Cavaliers.”

"Honestly, the Trail Blazers are better off without Zach Randolph!"

Nate McMillan couldn't help but sigh.

.........

The Trail Blazers are about to face their third opponent in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic.

Before the game started, Nate McMillan looked at the players very solemnly and said: "The Magic's current record is that they have won five games and ranked first in the Eastern Conference."

"Be careful of their monster Howard inside and a bunch of shooters on the outside. This team's offensive firepower is very fierce."

Luo Yin said very confidently: "We are no longer the Trail Blazers team last season. We are also very strong and we are not afraid of playing against the Magic."

Aldridge nodded in affirmation and said: "Yes, we are fully capable of defeating the Magic. We are now at the forefront of the league on both offense and defense."

Nate McMillan is very satisfied with the self-confidence shown by the players. He also requires the players to be determined to defeat any opponent as long as they play.

The starting lineups of the two teams were shown on the big screen.

Trail Blazers: Joel Przybilla, Aldridge, Zhang Jun, Brandon Luo Yin, Jarrett Jack.

The Magic's starting lineup: point guard Jameer Nelson, shooting guard Maurice Evans, small forward Hedo Turkoglu, power forward Rashard Lewis and center Dwight Howard.

Before the game started, Dwight Howard was doing shooting training on the court with a cheerful face. He imitated Zhang Jun's fadeaway jumper and said.

"Hey man, did you hit James like this in the last game?"

Zhang Jun looked at the pile of tendons on Dwight Howard's body and couldn't help but sigh.

As Chuck Daly said before, there is no shortage of talents and top picks in the NBA. Once you enter this league, you will find that there are countless players with such talents and abilities.

"Dwight, you need to lean back a little more. Your range is so small that it's almost not called leaning back."

Howard crossed his arms unconvinced and looked at Zhang Jun with contempt, then laughed and stretched out his hand.

"Then I know where your backward angle will be. I will remember it and send you a block."

Zhang Jun, who stretched out his hand to high-five Howard, looked at him in confusion.

"It took you so long to ask so clearly that you wanted to cover me up!"

"This Howard is not a good person either."

Game start.

Jump ball at midfield.

Howard jumped high and jumped to get the offensive ball on the first possession.

Joel Przybilla, who was fighting for the ball with him, had almost no chance of winning. Howard jumped too high, and his bounce speed was extremely amazing.

Magic offense.

Jameer Nelson advanced with the ball, and Hedo Turkoglu asked for the ball at the top of the arc.

He first raised the ball to find the position of his teammates. After confirming that the Trail Blazers were well positioned on the court, he immediately dropped the ball for a single with the ball.

Zhang Jun defends Hedo Turkoglu.

The latter's breakthrough speed was not very fast, but he kept supporting Zhang Jun with his elbow during the breakthrough process, using his body to move forward while preventing Zhang Jun from destroying the ball.

Hedo Turkoglu broke through to the basket. Zhang Jun very smartly accelerated his pace during defense to block Hedo Turkoglu in front of him to prevent the opponent from continuing to break into the basket.

With no chance, Hedo Turkoglu immediately turned around, hugged the ball and put Zhang Jun on his back to start the transmission.

Jameer Nelson and Maurice Evans cut to the basket from two lines, and Howard set up a pick-and-roll at the right waist.

The Trail Blazers have to switch defenses in the pick-and-roll at this position, because if they don't switch, the inside line will be unguarded.

call!

At the moment when Aldridge and Luo Yin switched defenses, Hedo Turkoglu suddenly passed the ball to Howard who had blocked the ball. The latter was three steps away from the basket, took a step up and jumped directly into the air.

boom!

!

Howard of Warcraft's extremely swollen hands exploded the frame.