Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 1111 The Level of a World-Class Coach, Old Nelson's Response

Gasol faked a shot and then drove straight to the basket. He wasn't fast, and his physical attributes weren't exactly explosive, but he had long strides and good fundamentals. With those two steps, his breakthrough was quite intimidating.

Zhu Fangyu and Sun Yue simultaneously collapsed to defend, trying to stop Gasol's breakthrough. However, Gasol's vision and passing skills were truly impressive. He made a no-look pass, sending the ball back to the outside.

Fernandez, who received the ball this time, was naturally left wide open again. The attacker caught the ball, pulled up and shot, and the three-pointer went in once again!

"Whoosh!"

Spain scored 3 goals in a row! A perfect start.

"This Spanish team is really well-prepared!" Yu Jia said. "Their opening goals were truly beautiful!"

"Not only were they beautiful, but they were also unexpected, employing tactics that most people would never think of," Yang Yi said. "Who would have thought that after the start, the Spanish team would allow the Gasol brothers to take consecutive three-pointers, and then have Pau Gasol drive and dish?"

"Tonight, they took an unconventional approach, aiming for complete surprise!"

"The Chinese team is in a bit of trouble! It's not that we're worried about Spain's unexpected tactics, but rather their shooting touch! These three consecutive three-pointers at the start will boost their confidence and cause us to unconsciously extend our defense to the perimeter. This will make it much easier for them to penetrate or attack the basket!"

"Substitution! Old Nelson has made a substitution!" Yu Jia glanced at the field and shouted, "The old coach's reaction is really quick! Less than two minutes into the game, he's already making a substitution. Has he discovered some weakness in the Spanish team or a problem the team needs to improve?"

"Maybe they'll bring in a different inside player. The Gasol brothers are definitely not something Yi Jianlian can defend alone; he needs help! Sigh, if only Yao Ming could play, then we wouldn't be afraid of the Gasol brothers."

"Teacher Yang," Yu Jia glanced at the players on the court and couldn't help but exclaim, "Teacher Yang, they didn't change the inside player, Old Nelson brought in a shooter! It's Da Peng! It's Wang Shipeng!"

Yu Jia's words were like a slap in the face to Yang Yi, leaving Yang Yi embarrassed and only able to adjust his glasses before forcing a dry laugh and saying, "A renowned coach is indeed different from others; his thoughts are beyond the comprehension of us commentators, hahaha."

On the court, Wang Shipeng replaced Sun Yue. This substitution clearly shows that the Chinese team is strengthening their shooting, but their defensive strength has also declined significantly. In addition, Sun Yue can play the point guard position. His driving and passing organization skills may not be the best, but they are more than enough to support Lin Tian.

But now that they have Wang Shipeng, who can basically only be used as a pure shooter, the task of organizing, advancing, and passing the ball falls entirely on Lin Tian's shoulders.

This substitution was quite bold, typical of Don Nelson, but it also demonstrated his absolute trust in Lin Tian.

The subtext of Don Nelson's substitution was clear: with you here, passing and playmaking are enough; we don't need to find you any more help.

Lin Tian immediately understood why Old Nelson made the substitution.

Old Nelson clearly felt that with him on the team, finding open teammates to shoot was a piece of cake. For China, the important thing was to get the open shooters to make the shots.

China just had a golden opportunity that Sun Yue squandered. If Spain hadn't been so accurate, then Nelson would definitely have given Sun Yue another chance. But given the team's current situation, having conceded three goals in a row, Nelson's patience is running out.

If you don't make it in one go, come down and rest for a while. I'll try a more accurate one next time!

If something more accurate still doesn't work, then we'll try again!

This is Nelson's philosophy: Perfection!

I'm not going to play the game of balance with you, or the 4-point defense and 6-point offense strategy, I'm going for the ultimate!

When he was young, the old man could win the division championship with his defense, and now that he's old, he can create a dynasty with his offense!

balanced?

When he was 30, he no longer knew what balance was.

China's offense: Lin Tian dribbles the ball to the frontcourt. At this point, China is already 7 points behind Spain, and their start has been quite difficult.

But who is Lin Tian? He was only 7 points behind, but Lin Tian acted as if he didn't see it. After coming to the frontcourt, he didn't rush to attack or force a shot. Instead, he directed his teammates to make runs and passed the ball out early. Then he observed and waited for an opportunity at the top of the arc.

Then, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated. He ran incredibly fast, without any warning, and started moving almost in the blink of an eye.

Although Rubio is also a genius, how can his speed compare to Lin Tian's? Not to mention that Lin Tian caught him off guard, making it impossible for him to catch up with Lin Tian.

"Help! Help!" All Rubio could do was shout at his teammates to remind them to help.

The Spanish team was naturally very concerned about Lin Tian's cut-in, chasing after him relentlessly. Fernandez even blocked Lin Tian and Xu Yong, making it difficult for the two to find an angle to connect.

But when the Spanish defense quickly got into position and almost completely surrounded Lin Tian, ​​Xu Yong's pass was not aimed at Lin Tian at all, but was directly given to Zhu Fangyu in the bottom corner.

Zhu Fangyu received the ball with great confidence and calmly pulled up for a shot.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, the Lakers scored 3 points!

Yang Yi shouted, "Beautiful! What a brilliant feint! Lin Tian's off-ball movement has drawn the entire Spanish defense, causing a chain reaction that has given China an easy opportunity on the perimeter."

"This is a superstar! The world's number one player!"

Spain attacked again, and this time Rubio, under Lin Tian's tight pressure, still dribbled the ball slowly but steadily across half-court.

Lin Tian once again discovered the unique quality in this young man.

Although he doesn't have the drive, speed, or explosive physical attributes that many young people should have, he possesses a composure and calmness that many players who have played professionally for over 10 years haven't had.

But beneath this calm exterior and style, Rubio always manages to deliver many dazzling and unbelievable passes.

Lin Tian watched the videos of Spain's previous matches and noticed that many of Rubio's passes were on the verge of being mistakes; if they were even slightly off, they would have resulted in a turnover.

Therefore, Lin Tian could see that although this guy had only 1.5 turnovers per game so far, that was not his true level. He made fewer turnovers because his teammates understood him, knew his style, and knew his passing routes.

The Spanish team's near-perfect chemistry and unparalleled teamwork throughout the entire Olympics significantly reduced Rubio's mistakes, as his teammates were there to cover for him.

If Rubio were to go to the NBA and encounter teammates who are not as familiar and tolerant, his turnovers would definitely increase, and he would certainly have to reduce his flashy passes at the coach's request.

And then, I guess I'll just fade into obscurity.

But ultimately, Rubio still has his own labels: steady yet reckless, mature yet radical.

Lin Tian had already figured out how to deal with Rubio; he had a complete plan.

It was from this round that Lin Tian began to guard Rubio throughout the entire game.

He started physically attacking Rubio from the backcourt and began to contest with him.

However, Lin Tian also maintained a balance, not pushing the intensity of the confrontation to the limit, and not really risking his life to restrict him.

This level of competition ensures that Rubio is constantly worn down, while also allowing him to control the ball in the attacking third without having to pass.

To exhaust him to the greatest extent possible.

So, no rush, take your time and enjoy yourself!

Lin Tian watched as Rubio confidently walked up to the frontcourt and then delivered a rather stylish one-handed bounce pass.

From a practical standpoint, the pass itself was just average, but it was very entertaining. However, Navarro had to lower his center of gravity very low to receive the ball, which means that Wang Shipeng, who was defending Navarro at that moment, was not very good at defending.

If Sun Yue were to switch to defend, Navarro would likely have no way to launch a direct attack and would have to pass the ball out again to look for an opportunity.

But if Wang Shipeng defends, Navarro can quietly adjust himself, then suddenly pull up and throw the ball into the basket with a floater!

Spain has scored 5 consecutive points since the start!

Their attack was incredibly effective, and their players were in impeccable form!

"It seems that the Chinese team has encountered Spain at their best! Tonight's match will probably be very difficult for us to win easily." After watching a few rounds, Yang Yi couldn't help but give his assessment.

Spain is a tough opponent!

"It's alright." Lin Tian smiled when he saw Wang Shipeng's dejected look. "He's the best shooting guard in Europe. You're really planning to keep him scoreless?"

"You can always get those points back yourself!"

"Understood!" Wang Shipeng nodded, quickly recovering from his frustration. He was a player with a big heart, and he would take the gains and losses of one or two points to heart, but when it was time to move on, he wouldn't stay stuck on that one point forever.

This time, after Lin Tian arrived at the frontcourt, he didn't pass the ball directly. Instead, he dribbled twice at the top of the arc before accelerating and breaking through again.

Then, just as he expected, just like in the first round.

Spain's double-team is coming up again!

If you dare to double-team me, I'll pass it again!

Lin Tian moved two steps towards the far end, preventing the Spanish defense from immediately returning to their positions, and then passed the ball out as soon as he created space.

Wang Shipeng, who was left out, caught the ball and, without hesitation, pulled it up and threw it!

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, Wang Shipeng hit a three-pointer!

This goal proved that Don Nelson's substitution was correct!

The Chinese team is currently lacking scoring options; they lack players to score!

As long as the scoring keeps up, everything will be fine! As long as someone can make the shot when Lin Tian is double-teamed, everything will be fine!

After Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng, the two devils from the city, hit three points one after another, the morale of the Chinese team was completely restored. They also recovered from the dazed state they were in at the beginning when they were beaten by the Gasol brothers and began to play an offensive game against the Spanish team.

Without Yao Ming, the Chinese team really struggled to defend against the Spanish team led by the Gasol brothers. This was a major reason why Don Nelson abandoned the idea of ​​focusing on defense and half-court sets from the very beginning.

Throughout the first quarter, the Spanish team's offensive efficiency was astonishing. They shot over 60% from the field and an impressive 87% from three-point range, making 7 of 8 shots in the quarter!

With this terrifying firepower, the Spanish team scored 34 points in the first quarter, making it their most efficient quarter in this Olympics.

But the Chinese team is really no weaker than the Spanish team.

Although Spain's situation is completely different from China's, their defense is very strong! Spain's greatest strength is their balance!

They have NBA starters and star players in every position, and most of them have played together since childhood, so their chemistry is practically a product of childhood training.

It would be no exaggeration to say that their defense is the second best of all 12 teams in this tournament.

But against the Chinese team, their defense suddenly became ineffective.

They cannot defend against China.

Or rather, they couldn't stop Lin Tian!

Throughout the first quarter, Spain used double-teaming to target Lin Tian. Whenever Lin Tian had the ball in the frontcourt and showed an offensive posture, the Spanish team would immediately double-team him, with at least two players coming up to double-team him.

Under Spain's defensive pressure, Lin Tian didn't score a single point in the entire first quarter!

Although Lin Tian did not score, he delivered 7 assists and had no turnovers in a single quarter, despite facing double teams almost all the time!

It can be said that Lin Tian completely broke through the Spanish team's double-team, rendering it useless against him.

But Spain just wouldn't change; they stubbornly kept double-teaming.

However, judging from the results, their double-teaming was indeed useless.

Because the Huaxia team also scored 30 points in this quarter, even without Lin Tian's score, relying on Xu Yong who scored 10 points in a single quarter and the Yaodu duo who hit 5 three-pointers together, the Huaxia team's offense was not a problem at all.

"Why is the Spanish team so insistent on double-teaming us?" Yu Jia asked, puzzled. "Their double-teaming allowed us to score 30 points in a single quarter! We only managed about the same number of points against Angola."

"Maybe it's because they double-teamed Lin Tian that we only got 30 points?" Yang Yi emphasized the word "only," making it easy for Yu Jia to grasp the key point.

"So, the Spanish team's message is: 'The rest of you can beat me if you want, but I absolutely won't let Lin Tian crush me?'"

"That's exactly what I mean!" Yang Yi nodded and said, "I think that's Spain's plan."

"From that perspective, their plan was successful." This time, Yu Jia nodded decisively and said, "Lin Tian didn't score in the first quarter, and they still took the lead."

"But I don't think their head coach will be satisfied," Yang Yi said with a smile again. "There are many reasons why someone might not score. Some might take 10 shots and not score, while others might take 5 shots and not score. But how many shots did Lin Tian take in the first quarter?"

"Zero attempts! Lin Tian didn't even try to shoot, nor did he attempt to break the double team with his offense. In other words, Lin Tian wasn't even in the zone! He used the intensity and attitude of a warm-up to lead our guys to a 30-point quarter!"

"The Spanish team was telling Lin Tian in their own way: You can win, but we absolutely will not allow you to explode. And Lin Tian's response was equally resolute: You are not worthy to make me choose; I haven't reached the point where I have to choose between two options!"

"Another piece of evidence to prove this is that Lin Tian didn't make a single mistake in the first quarter! Seven assists and not a single turnover, which shows that the Spanish team's double-teaming had no effect on Lin Tian. In this quarter, Lin Tian's message was, 'With this level of intensity, you don't even give me a chance to shoot!'"

"The Spanish team definitely hoped that Lin Tian would make 2-3 mistakes, and that they would be unable to score due to being double-teamed after taking a few shots, but neither of these scenarios occurred."

"Their plan has absolutely failed."

"There's another point!" Yu Jia suddenly realized and followed Yang Yi's words, saying, "Teacher Yang, the Spanish team is indeed leading us by 4 points, and their offensive form is indeed very good."

"On the other hand, they made 7 of 8 three-pointers, a 65% field goal percentage in the quarter, but they only led by 4 points. What if their performance dips? What if they're not as accurate? Could we just go on a run and take the lead?"

"That's right! So, although Spain is leading, they're actually quite panicked right now! They'll likely change their strategy. Look, the second quarter has already started! Let's see what happens in the second quarter!"

In the second quarter, Don Nelson did not let Lin Tian, ​​who had played the entire first quarter, continue to play. Instead, he let him rest. Guo Ailun, who had his first starting opportunity against the British team and had played reasonably well, returned to the court at this time.

Old Nelson clearly valued his speed and hoped he could provide some resistance against the veteran defender Calderon on the Spanish team's field.

Unfortunately, Guo Ailun was still a bit inexperienced. He failed to put up a fight against Calderon right away and was instead challenged by substitute Ibaka.

In the first possession, he successfully broke through Calderon's defense and drove to the basket, where he made his signature spin move and was about to go for a layup when Ibaka blocked his shot. Calderon then made a fast break and scored 2 points for his team with a layup.

Next up was Guo Ailun. When he broke through, he accidentally drove into a crowd of players and was blocked by Ibaka again. This time he didn't get blocked, but after receiving the ball, he couldn't find a teammate to receive it. After spinning around twice, he was called for a traveling violation by the referee.

"Substitute!"

When Old Nelson saw this, he could no longer tolerate it.

Little brother, come down and rest for a bit, calm down.

The old man's substitutions are always swift, accurate, and ruthless, without hesitation! (End of Chapter)