Vol 3 Chapter 445: Not that bad

Did not stay in Indiana more, after the game, the Thunder and his team returned to Oklahoma for the first time. In a short interview after the game, Donovan answered the reporters questions about the next game against the Warriors with a blank face: "Now, Andre's injury is the most critical thing for us. We are now. The details are not yet clear. Perhaps everything is not that bad."
"I believe there will be nothing wrong with Andrei!"
"Pray! Andre is safe!"
...
But the result of the matter was disappointing. Robertson’s initial diagnosis was a torn patellar ligament in the left leg. This type of injury is not uncommon in the NBA. The most recent one was Jeremy Lin, with a recovery period of 8-12 months. This also means that after Robertson undergoes surgery, he will enter a long recovery phase. At least, this season is unable to appear on the court.
In fact, everyone is mentally prepared. From the time when Robertson slid to the sidelines with his hands on the floor and his expression was extremely painful, everyone knew that his problem could be serious. It's just that no one thought that it would be severe enough to be reimbursed for the season.
Injuries have always been part of this league and part of all professional athletes. No matter how people fear him and hate it, no one can get rid of it. Unless, do not enter the circle of professional athletes. It can be said that every professional athlete has struggled with injuries throughout his entire career. Lucky people can overcome injuries and have a successful career; unfortunate people can only leave the field sadly.
Such things are not uncommon in the NBA. There are countless people who have fallen to injury. There are even more ordinary players. Every time a major injury occurs in this league, it will sound the alarm for all players. Everyone was surprised and sighed, but more truly worried and scared. Of course, everyone will also be glad that such a thing did not happen to them. No one wants to see this happen.
After the news of Robertson's injury was announced by the Thunder, the entire league was praying for him. But for the Thunder's coaching staff and management, it's not a problem that can be solved by praying. The question they have to face is how to fill the gaps in the team's offensive and defensive system after Robertson is absent.
Although Roberson's strength is far from being comparable to the Big Three, his importance to the Thunder is not small at all. As the defensive core of the entire Thunder, with him on the field and without him, the Thunder are completely two teams. At least, from a defensive point of view. You know, it's not that easy to start with the big-name Thunder team. What's more, Robertson has no shots, free throws are average, and three-pointers are more dependent on players. But Robertson did it, and he can get ten million annual salary in the Thunder! It depends on its own strong defense.
The statistics are not deceiving. When Robertson is not on the court, the Thunder lose 10.4 more points per 100 possessions than when he is on the court. This is enough to explain all the problems.
More importantly, in the infinite defense system that the Thunder now rely on the most, Robertson plays the pivotal role of "He appears wherever he is needed". His presence is a huge bonus to the defenses of Westbrook, Anlow and Paul George.
Especially for Paul George, he is a defensive vanguard himself. But when Robertson is on the court, the opponent's top scoring players don't need him to stalk. Robertson went back to do the hardest things. Now that Robertson is injured, Paul George must distract to deal with the league's top perimeter scorer.
Robertson's biggest role is still in the playoffs, or the finals. In the regular season, a strong offense may be easier to change the trend of the game, and everyone is almost fighting the game. But in the playoffs, he was eliminated if he didn't pay attention. So everyone will come up with the strongest combat effectiveness. At this time, the defense has a greater role in the game. The phrase "defense wins the championship" makes sense no matter what era. It can be said that in a game that more tests the abilities of stars, a top defender is definitely something that every team with which they play against will not want to encounter.
Now the Thunder have lost a trump card in the playoffs and even the finals. One can imagine what their mood will be. However, there is no time for them to blame others. For the Thunder, the most urgent thing is to find a replacement for Robertson. The most uncomfortable thing is that after missing the trading period, the Thunder can no longer find a substitute for Robertson through the trading market window~EbookFREE.me~Of course, there are still many in the buyout market that can be used to top the market. player of. But the Thunder is not that difficult yet.
Grant, which they spent a lot of time training, finally grew up. This season, Grant on the bench averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, which is an indispensable part of the Thunder's offense and defense. Although his defensive ability is a lot worse than Robertson, it is also a lot better than those who bought out the players on the market. Moreover, on the offensive end, it is much more reliable than Robertson.
In fact, the Thunder kept Grant in the team in a fat contract this summer, and it was precisely because of the young man's potential. On the offensive end, Grant is aggressive and likes to jump into the basket to make kills. Every night, he always used this way to get himself on the free throw line again and again, and efficiently contribute to the team. Of course, Grant's main value is still reflected in his defense. He can rebound, block, steal, and has excellent frame protection ability. Outstanding defense awareness, combined with his own speed and athletic ability, makes it easy for Grant to integrate into the Thunder's unlimited defense system. His physical condition will not suffer from defensive outside players or inside players.
Therefore, the current situation for the Thunder is not as bad as imagined. Although Grant was young and didn't have the experience of Robertson, God still gave the Thunder some time to adapt and adjust. What they need to do now is to allow Grant to adapt to the starting lineup as soon as possible and find his place in the Thunder Big Three system. However, this is not a simple matter. easy to say, hard to do.