CHAPTER 1311: CHAPTER 530: ONE VERSUS TWO—CONQUERING THE THUNDER TWINS!

This makes it easier and clearer when the three juniors are on the court simultaneously, but it’s not so friendly for Millsap. The strength of his teammates has weakened, increasing the pressure on him to facilitate the offense and requiring him to score in isolation, both of which he does not do as well as when partnered with the three juniors.

But this is also an opportunity for Millsap to develop.

It’s also related to O’Neal having a good time in New York and not recovering in time for the game. Otherwise, if there was a Big Shark in the paint for ten minutes of dominant play, Millsap would have an easier time.

The Bobcats then returned to their home court for the second back-to-back of the new season, facing the 76ers and Nuggets.

Both games were won thrillingly, first scraping by the 76ers with a 106-105 victory.

Iverson performed poorly against Zhang Yang the last time, scoring only 14 points with 5 assists. This time, he exploded for 28 points and 8 assists, both season highs. When his offensive output was strong enough, Iguodala was freed on defense, causing Zhang Yang significant trouble.

Zhang Yang didn’t play well in regulation time, but fortunately, Afflalo on the wing, Felton beside him, and O’Neal under the basket all scored 15+, with O’Neal achieving a team-high of 23 points, setting a new season high.

Zhang Yang scored 15 points with 6-for-19 shooting during regulation, but at a critical moment, he made a step-back three-pointer over Iguodala, sealing the game.

In the back-to-back against the Nuggets, Zhang Yang’s performance warmed up, scoring 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting, along with 12 rebounds, 13 assists, and 4 steals, achieving a triple-double earlier this season than usual, leading the Bobcats to a 114-109 narrow victory over the Nuggets.

However, after two days of rest, during the Texas road trip, the first stop in Dallas went into overtime, losing to the Mavericks 97-98. In the last moment of overtime, Zhang Yang passed to Felton, who cut in to receive the ball and scored a close-range floater. Then Nowitzki made a pass after an isolation play, and Billups hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

Overall, the game was closely contested, with the Bobcats performing more steadily. However, the Mavericks had several players who could score in isolation during critical moments and could play off the ball. Even with only one ball in play, Nowitzki, Billups, and Terry took turns exhausting Zhang Yang.

The main issue was Nowitzki’s skill, especially his turnaround fade-away jump shot, which he had mastered...

On December 10th, the Bobcats went to Houston to challenge the Rockets, resulting in another defensive battle. Ultimately, the Bobcats, with their strong wing rotation and help defense, blocked the Rockets’ perimeter shooting, and under Zhang Yang’s lead, who scored 26 points with 3 steals, they won the defensive battle 91-84.

Yi Jianlian’s numbers have declined this year, averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds, two points less and one rebound more than last season. This is due to Lopez’s tremendous improvement, increasing his average from 12 to 18 points, with his playing time rising from 29 to 34 minutes.

However, Yi Jianlian’s decline in stats isn’t due to reduced playing time, as his minutes increased from 26 to 28 per game. The ones whose playing time was reduced are Hayst and Landry, with the primary rotation being Lopez, Yi Jianlian, and Scola.

Besides Lopez’s improvement, another reason for Yi Jianlian’s stat decline is Scola entering his peak, averaging 15.2 points. Yi Jianlian’s role has become more functional than before under Thibodeau’s leadership. His offense mainly involves cutting for alley-oops, spacing for shots, and running fast breaks with Brooks. Defensively, he participates in wing traps and pick-and-roll switches, doing the simplest things.

The Rockets’ main trio in the paint, averaging over 45 points and 21 rebounds per game, is among the strongest in the NBA, with options for isolation plays, supporting roles for long shots, and cutting to attack the basket. The two backups, Landry and Hayst, may not be as strong but have their unique characteristics: strong at crashing the boards for one and capable of defending despite lacking shooting for the other.

Combined with starters Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin, and Battier, as well as the addition of Lowry and Battier forming a five-man perimeter group, the competitiveness is indeed commendable. The Rockets have maintained a winning rate of over 50% since the start of the season. After this game, they had a record of 12 wins and 11 losses, which is quite impressive in the Western Conference, given the lack of top-tier talent in both player performance and coaching strategy.

Precisely because of the lack of top-tier power, the Rockets lacked a decisive player. Kevin Martin struggles with clutch plays, Lowry is still in a long development phase, and Brooks has the skill but lacks the physical tools. However, this lineup is budget-friendly at slightly over 46 million in salary, with Kevin Martin at 10.8 million and Battier at 6.98 million being the highest-paid, better than the Bobcats salary cap in the summer of ’07, with not even a mid-level exception. Since ’07, they haven’t filled the salary cap, nor could they offer a mid-level exception.

Leaving space available equivalent to more than a maximum salary for a 7-year veteran, there was still room to sign Arenas or Lewis outright.

Aleksandar shouted, "If we get a superstar, we can win the championship." Zhang Yang really didn’t find anything wrong with this statement. Not to mention, considering the current situation in the NBA, with such a well-structured roster, the Rockets really aren’t without a chance to land a superstar next summer.

It’s just that playing under Thibodeau is as laborious as playing under Pat Riley.

The Rockets may call it a 10-man rotation, but it’s actually an 8-man rotation, and tonight, as the game progressed, Battier also went offline, leaving only a 7-man rotation in the second half...