The Lakers just beat the Timberwolves at the Great Western Forum Arena on December 8. After a short period of 13 days, on December 21, the two teams are about to fight again.
Although the Lakers double-killed the Timberwolves in the first two games, so far, this young team has been playing better and better. After Stephen Marbury joined the team, he injected a fresh blood into the team.
Stephen Marbury and Kevin Garnett's pick-and-roll linkage has produced a very exciting effect. Many media have already commented that they think this young pair will be the next historical pick-and-roll combination, just like Stockton and Malone.
Indeed, Marbury's ball sense and explosiveness are quite good, and the first step of the pick-and-roll is quite fast. In particular, he has both the ability to shoot and the ability to end the basket. After he combined the team more than indulged in personal offense, he and Kevin Garnett created a lot of exquisite cooperation.
This is Kevin Garnett's second year. His body has gradually become muscular, adapting to the intensity of the U.S. Basketball game. Compared to the poor performance in the first year, he started on both ends of the offense and defense. The budding, outstanding height and comprehensive skills make up an excellent level of power forward.
Kevin Garnett's registered height is 2.11 meters, but Kobe believes that this guy definitely concealed. In order to avoid hitting the center and falsely reporting his height, the real height is about 2.16 meters. A player of this height has both outside-level speed and skill. The shooting range covers the entire three-point line, and the defensive range also covers the entire three-point line.
Kobe knows that as long as Garnett is given an inside shield, Garnett, who plays the sweeping role, can completely play the performance of a top defensive player. On the offensive end, Kevin Garnett's pick-and-roll quality is not as high as it is later. Currently, he is still a big man with weaker confrontation ability. Whether it is the choice of the pick-and-place position, or the choice of inside and outside disassembly, there is a very large space to improve.
The current Kevin Garnett's technical and physical needs another two or three years of growth as a high school student draft player. He is still far from his peak. The media believe that as long as Garnett and Marbury mature, the Minnesota Timberwolves will transform into a truly strong team, getting rid of the impression of perennial fish belly.
The Timberwolves entered the league in 1989. So far, the record is very bad, and no one has entered the playoffs. There are a lot of reasons, bad draft vision, bad luck in the lottery, and the cold weather is very difficult to retain good players, all players yearn for the east coast of Miami or West Coast Los Angeles-like climate.
"Damn, why should we come to this Minnesota in December!" Just after getting off the plane, this time was not only O'Neill, all the players felt a cold chill.
In December, the average temperature in Minnesota was minus ten degrees Celsius-two degrees Celsius. This is very different from the annual warm temperature in California. Even in December winter, the temperature in California during the day will be 15-22 degrees Celsius, and even at night it is between 5-10 degrees Celsius.
Kobe made a tremble. Minnesota connects Canada to the north. As the extreme north point of the continental United States (49 degrees 23 minutes north latitude), it is in the state, so Minnesota is called the state of the North Star.
The Lakers landed with heavy snow, and the players who came here from the warm Los Angeles of California even wore hoodie sportswear. This Minnesota dress up for this season will definitely feel particularly cold.
"Ah!" O'Neill sneezed.
"Fuck, the fat man is 5 meters away from me!" Bryant took out the mask in the pocket of his backpack and quickly put it on.
"This is just a sneeze!" O'Neill grumbled.
Kobe ignored, he didn't want to get flu, avoid contact from me.
And his party hurried to get their luggage, and then took the bus to the hotel to rest.
Fortunately, the indoor environment of the bus and the hotel has heating supply, which makes the Lakers players feel much better.
"My dear, this Timberwolves spend half of their time in this place." Fisher never came to such a cold place before joining the American Basketball.
"It's too hard, no wonder you can't keep the superstar."
"They finally picked Isiah Leder in 1993 and stayed for three years. This year they went to the Portland Trail Blazers."
"Playing Paul Allen is a good choice. He is very generous to the players and willing to spend a lot of money to form a team." Campbell left a spit.
"The Blazers are a team that throws out money. The starting bench has a large number of high-quality players. On the depth of the lineup, we can't compare with the Lakers and the Bulls."
"Don't go far! Get ready for tomorrow's game." Kirtlandbis ended the endless discussion and drove every player back to the room.
...
At ten o'clock in the afternoon, the Lakers got on the bus and went to the goal center arena.
There is a lot of white outside the window ~ EbookFREE.me ~ It's snowing heavily, and Minneapolis is wrapped in a layer of silver.
In such weather, players need to carefully warm up to avoid muscle spasms caused by hypothermia, or cause more serious injuries.
Kobe ran a few laps in the stadium before the game. At this time, the audience had not entered the field, just ran to sweat, preparing to stop for some stretching.
A player wearing a Timberwolves training suit walked into the court.
"Yo, Stephen." Bryant greeted Marbury with a smile.
This warm smile is so terrible to Marbury!
Marbury recalled that after the last game, he was almost crying when he was on the verge of collapse, and then Kobe handed him a picture of a towel.
"You are a lot better than the last one. Continue to cheer on, you will catch up with me!"
This picture, this line seems to be a nightmare, how many times Marbury woke up in his sleep.
One after another, it's been three games. Brother, can this one win me?
Korby looked at the frightened Marbury, but also a little embarrassed, as if leaving a psychological shadow to this rookie of the same year. Isn't it too much before? Kobe thought about it and thought it was not too much. He was already approachable and even comforted him after the game.
I am really a good person. Kobe said with emotion. Continue to be a good person in this game!
The schedule of the professional basketball team is indeed very strange. Just one and a half months later, the Lakers and the Senling Wolves have three games to play, and Marbury saw Kobe wanted to throw up.
"Hey, Stephen. Are you warming up? Where are you going?" Bryant saw Marbury stepping back toward the player's channel step by step, and couldn't help but wonder.
"My stomach hurts a little, you are hot, you are hot first."
