Vol 3 Chapter 269: I am more optimistic about Pelicans

An Luo actually has some pitiful Timberwolves players. They are all very powerful. Towns and Butler are both All-Star players; Teague was also an All-Star player, and his performance this season is still outstanding; Wiggins should be considered a quasi-All-Star player, and with his talents In the event of an accident, he can also be an All-Star in the future. From this point of view alone, the Timberwolves should be very powerful. But such a group of players is not ideal.
Perhaps there are many reasons for this, but An Luo still feels that Thibodeau should bear the greatest responsibility for this.
Thibodeau seems to have not come out of the bull state yet. He still emphasized the defense and the tactics of fewer three-pointers. There was nothing wrong with this seven or eight years ago. But the alliance today is completely different from that time. NBA teams are increasingly advocating a balance of offense and defense, and the offensive end is becoming more and more dependent on three-pointers, which means that Thibodeau’s theory is no longer in line with the league’s popular trends.
This season, the Timberwolves averaged 22.5 three-pointers per game and hit 8 three-pointers per game. Three-pointers accounted for 26.1% of the total. These three statistics are the lowest in the league.
Although under Thibodeau's leadership, the Timberwolves did improve. This season, they have won 16 more games than last season! And finally returned to the playoffs after many years. But most of the credit is due to the addition of Butler's support and the growth of young people such as Downs.
The tactical lag is only part of it. What he most criticizes is his overdraft of the main lineup. According to statistics, the average playing time of Timberwolves starting players is 34.6 minutes, ranking first in the league, and the average playing time of substitute players is 13.7 minutes, ranking first in the league.
Both Wiggins and Towns are only 22 years old, and it’s okay to play more time. The problem is that for 28-year-old Butler, 29-year-old Teague, and 32-year-old Gibson, Thibodeau also arranged a lot. Playing time. Even though they were free from injuries during the regular season, their exhausted bodies are difficult to maintain in the more intense playoffs. And because he has always been the main force, so the Timberwolves' bench lineup rarely gets the opportunity to exercise. It seems unrealistic to expect that these players who averaged only about 10 minutes per game in the regular season can stand up in the playoffs and show off their power and help the main force. So in the series with the Thunder, there are few players on the bench who played particularly brightly. Belica, who performed well in the first two games, fell silent in the next two games.
The use of the main and substitute players can also be seen from the efficiency value. This season, the Timberwolves' starting lineup ranks third in efficiency in the league, and their bench ranks first in the league. Thibodeau is still to blame for such a big gap between the main force and the substitute.
Of course, in this league, like Thibodeau, the main force and head coach, there are several others. But their tactics are closer to the mainstream. Even if the main players play for a long time, the tactics that save more energy are not a big problem.
Thibodeau is a well-known head coach in the NBA. His iron and blood defense made him successful in this league, but it also became his constraint. The current situation of Thibodeau is easily reminiscent of Phil Jackson, another famous "Zen Master" in the past. His "triangular offensive tactics" have been successful in both the Bulls and the Lakers. But it stumbled on the Knicks. And because he forced the players to play "triangular offensive tactics", he had a very unpleasant quarrel with Anthony and was eventually fired. The same goes for Thibodeau. His iron-blooded defense helped the Celtics win the championship in 2008 and allowed the Bulls to have the best record in the league for two consecutive years. But he stumbled on the Timberwolves. Of course, this is not all to blame him, the times are changing too fast. If Thibodeau does not conform to the situation and makes some adjustments to his own tactics and hiring strategies, I am afraid that Jackson's yesterday will be Thibodeau's tomorrow.
After the end of this series, Anluo finally ushered in a break. The intensity of the playoffs really made him feel tired. Fortunately, it is not the first experience, and the Timberwolves are not particularly difficult to deal with.
When returning to the locker room, An Luo was blocked by reporters. Although there was a special press conference after the game, An Luo did not attend. It's still tiring to deal with that guy. However, An Luo is still very enthusiastic about domestic reporters. Therefore, An Luo still could not hide.
An Luo took the reporter to the visiting team's locker room. The two chatted about this game and the whole series. Although the reporter An Luo hadn't seen much before ~EbookFREE.me~, the questions raised were still around the game. And the other party was obviously well prepared, and many problems were not discovered by An Luo before.
Finally, the topic was introduced to the second round of the playoffs.
"We all know that the Thunder are going to fight for the championship. But the teams in the second round of the playoffs are the strongest teams in the West. How do you prepare for this?"
"In fact, we did not make particularly targeted preparations. After all, we are very familiar with these teams. What we should do is to be ourselves. No matter who the opponent is, we only need to do what we should do well. You can win. Of course, it's not easy. But we are always trying to do our best!"
"Then Anluo, what do you think of the next opponent?" The reporter might think that he didn't express it too clearly. As soon as he finished his voice, he added: "The Blazers are in a bad situation now, but Everyone is optimistic that they can get one or two points back. Who do you want to be your next opponent? Who are you more optimistic about?"
"Uh...actually, with these two teams, I hope to meet the Blazers. After all, their backcourt is very strong, and we are also very good. The exchange of fire between the two sides will be very interesting. But I think the Pelicans do not I’ll give them a chance! Rondo and Holiday, the two guys’ defenses are so good! They are very successful in limiting the Blazers’ backcourt shots. I don’t think Lillard and McCollum Is there any way to solve this problem in the fourth game."
"So, in the Western Conference semifinals, how many games do you think you will play against the Pelicans at most?"
"I'm very optimistic that the Pelicans can sweep the Trail Blazers. But that's only for the Trail Blazers. For us, it doesn't make a difference to play a few games. The important thing is that we will win."