Popovich called the timeout very decisive, and it would be difficult to catch up if Guo Xu played a few more rounds widened the score difference to more than 15 points. After all, the Spurs are a team that focuses on two-point offense.

He replaced Van Exel and Nestrovic who had just played for a while, replaced Parker and Bowen, and also played small ball tactics.

He also emphasized double-teaming Guo Xu, speeding up the rotation defense on the outside, trying to let Ariza out, and David and Li shot.

This is a large formation with four small ones. Finley, 201cm, plays a guest appearance as a power forward, and Mohamed, who is 208cm tall and weighs 102kg, is responsible for defending the penalty area.

Brent Barry and Bowen both receive the ball and shoot three-pointers, which can help their teammates open up space.

The Spurs' weakness is the inside line. When Duncan is not on the court, both ends of the inside line will become weaker and lack an axis.

In Guo Xu's previous life, if we discuss who is the most low-key player in the NBA, many people will think of Duncan. He has always maintained his good offensive ability, and what is even better is defense. In his 19-year basketball career, he has won a total of 15 best defensive teams, seven second teams and eight teams.

No basketball expert has ever questioned Duncan's defensive ability, even though he doesn't like to jump. Duncan's single defense and assisted defense are all top-notch in history. Sometimes he can delay the opponent's fighter plane by just one of his defense positions, can resist the opponent with a steady lower set, and use his super long wingspan to interfere with the shooting.

After the Spurs selected him, it was not until Duncan retired that he dug up inside star Aldridge. He mainly defended the penalty area for 19 seasons and never missed the playoffs.

Duncan has 11 seasons of defensive victory contributions, tied for second place with David Robinson and Olajuwon, and only Russell has more than 12 times in history.

Among the "real positive and negative values" that only started in the 2000-01 season, Duncan's season with the highest true positive and negative values ​​in defense was in the 2002-03 season, reaching 5.7. In the top 100 NBA statistics, Duncan occupies 12 positions, and Garnett, the second one, has 8.

Popovich knew the significance of Duncan's presence, but he could not let Duncan play continuously, and his physical strength would be problematic in the second half.

Parker can't rest anymore. Don't look at Popovich often scolding Parker on the sidelines. That's a pity that he won't be strong. I hope his disciples will grow into superstars as soon as possible and help the team win.

If Parker is not in charge of guarding Guo Xu, it is even worse to send someone else.

Van Exel lost his speed after several injuries, his defense was poor, and his offense was not very effective. After entering the playoffs, he averaged 11 minutes per game, scored 2.2 points and 1.4 assists, and his shooting percentage was only 21.9%.

The Spurs also have a 191cm substitute point guard Benno Yudri, who is injured and is not much better to force the game.

Popovich remembered what Guo Xu said in an interview. He said that he was a better core than Duncan. Duncan appeared more and could not guarantee efficiency. This is a fact. Guo Xu's strength lies not only in his skills and mentality, but also in his physical fitness.

Duncan averaged 40 minutes per game and would be affected by plantar fasciitis. Guo Xu played for 48 minutes and people would not be surprised that he had the physical strength.

Popovich has guessed that the plan for the Suns in this series is to compete with the Spurs for physical strength and tenacity. The Suns have many young players, and although their strength is average, their health will definitely be better than that of the Spurs' veterans.

The game continued, and the sun still had the upper hand.

Guo Xu strictly guarded Parker, Ariza stole Barry, Howard played against Finley, and they were rarely overwhelmed by the face frame. Finley had the ability to carry the body, but he couldn't bear Howard. He was squeezed away by Howard in the Mavericks in his previous life.

When the Spurs replaced Duncan, the Suns led by 17 points.

Duncan had a backbone as soon as he got on the Spurs. He began to play both inside support, bottom line empty cuts, and outside line breakthroughs.

Now, Popovich's rotation tactics have become a major tactic in today's league, and many teams are scrambling to imitate them.

As the name suggests, rotation tactics are to constantly convert the ball and seek the best chance to make a phone call. The details include pick-and-roll, breakthrough pass, double cover, double contact, sound attack and fast attack. The Spurs' ability to win the championship is inseparable from Popovich's militarized system order, and their playing style is very flexible.

Once the Spurs use double covers to help Parker get rid of Guo Xu, the Suns' inside will be difficult to defend. No matter how fast Guo Xu is, he will not be able to catch up with him every time. D'Antoni saw frequent gaps in the inside, replaced David Lee early, allowing Valejo to come on the court to strengthen his defense.

After Valecho appeared, the Suns' inside offense was a bit short, and their ability to withdraw air and attack the penalty area became worse.

Duncan knew that Valejo had good defensive skills in the penalty area, so he pulled out more frequently to cover his teammates. After withdrawing from the inside, he did not have a good chance and did not rush to shoot and support the attack.

Popovich asked the players to try their best to use 24 seconds of offensive time, and quickly return to defense after taking action to limit the Suns' fast attack. Once they fall into the position, they will double-team Guo Xu and let others shoot.

The Spurs' defense worked, with the Suns leading 11 points in midfield.

In the second half, D'Antoni made a lineup adjustment, and the role of veteran and three-pointer began to play.

The Spurs wanted to drag the Suns into the rhythm of defense, while D'Antoni wanted to fight for attack. He sent Kukoc as power forward, allowing Haslem to play the guest center and defend Duncan, with Howard, Blake and Guo Xu on the outside.

All five players were able to shoot, and the formation was even more wide. Guo Xu no longer looked for cover and directly played singles with the ball, attracting double-team passes.

In the first half, James Jones performed averagely when he played the No. 4 position, making 0 of 2 shots. Now Kukochi can shoot three-pointers and can shoot mid-range shots. When the Spurs are strictly guarding the outside, it is easier to have gaps in the middle distance.

Brother Qi has less playing time now and is almost a marginal player in the regular season, but his shooting ability is not abandoned. He can play in the playoffs. His mid-range shooting percentage is as high as 50%, his three-point shooting percentage is 58.5%, and his overall shooting percentage is 57.1%, which is so accurate.

The outside veteran Payton was abandoned directly. He played the No. 2 position without three-pointers and played the point guard too slowly, which was not suitable. Blake was reused. His playing style was similar to Payton, and his ability to catch and shoot was stronger.

When there is a stable second scoring point on the Suns, it becomes more difficult for the Spurs to double-team Guo Xu. The Suns Triangle attack routine began to show their strength. Guo Xu was double-teamed and passed the ball. Even if he could not directly assist his teammates, Kukoc and Blake could quickly transfer the ball to Howard.

Howard made 3 of 5 shots in a single quarter, scored 10 points with 4 free throws, and was able to break through and shoot.

Guo Xu played the whole quarter and scored 7 points and 4 assists. Most of his energy was focused on the defensive end, following Parker Haslem's cameo as a center to play small ball tactics, Duncan could use his height to attack, but it was even more difficult for Parker to break through.

After Kukochi left the court, Ariza played the power forward. His job was very simple. He opened up opportunities outside the three-point line on the offensive end, and dealt with veteran Horry during defense, actively changing to pick-and-roll.

Ariza and James Jones are both 203cm tall and have an amazing wingspan. Other teams should focus on small forwards. D'Antoni is an outlier. He asked the two to play as power forwards to increase their mobility, strictly prevent breakthroughs from outside, and run faster when counterattacking.

In the Deuts running and bombing system, it is normal to play power forwards around 2 meters, and these two are a little higher than Marion.

D'Antoni is a master in offense. He knows how to arrange tactics to target opponents' weaknesses, but he only needs to sacrifice a little defense for the offense.

Except for Duncan, the Spurs' inside players lack attack power, and the small defense is not a black hole. Horry is a space-based inside player and has no efficiency in playing at low posts. Nesterovic has an advantage in physical fitness, and he cannot play with Duncan, otherwise he will be slow to return to defense.
Chapter completed!