Chapter 1997 Crisis Situation, the Lakers Are in Chaos

Although many people say that the Lakers are the Big Three team, many people even think that the Lakers are the dual-core team of Ji Feng and Kobe. After all, in terms of on-court performance, data performance and off-court fame, Ji Feng and Kobe are basically several miles apart. Grade, even Gasol would be eclipsed in front of them, let alone Bynum.

Although after O'Neal retired and Yao Yao was injured and changed his style of play, some people have been saying that Bynum is the last fig leaf for traditional centers, tied with Howard for the top spot among centers in the East and West, but many fans still feel that Bynum is in the Lakers. The status is not high, even dispensable.

But no one understands Bynum's role for the team better than the Lakers themselves.

Although Bynum has always been criticized, he was ridiculed in high school for his poor physical fitness, slow movement, lack of dominance on the court, many injuries, glass attributes, average offensive methods, etc. This is why he entered the league at the age of 18. The reason why he was looked down upon by the draft picks is that a big man like him was definitely sought after by many people at that time. A guy like Bogut could be the number one pick, which is enough to show what the draft picks were like at that time. How much I like big guys.

The Lakers selected him because the Lakers coaching staff took a fancy to Bynum's ability. Bynum likes physical contact under the basket and has a tough style. He is a traditional center prospect. Bynum has developed a certain degree of offense under the basket. Skills, soft shooting touch, and knowing how to use his broad body to create offensive space. His huge weight makes him qualified to compete with various centers. At the high school level, no one can challenge the penalty area where he is stationed. Although Bynum's lateral movement speed is average, The agility of his steps under the basket is quite different from that of Eddy Curry of the same age, and he has not shown extraordinary passing talent.

But that's enough. What else can you ask for from a newcomer? The Lakers believed that he could become the next giant in the basket, and they would always trust him even if he was reimbursed.

Although there were some deviations in the development of things later, Bynum did grow well. Especially in this era, when traditional centers are withering, Bynum's role becomes increasingly precious. Although his scoring ability is still average, he still has not grown to O'Neal's Big Mac level, but this is exactly what the Lakers need most.

The Lakers don't need Bynum to score many points. 15 points per game is still enough. The Lakers have a large group of scoring heroes. What the Lakers need is his excellent ability to protect the frame, block shots, grab rebounds, and help defend. This way With Bynum paired with last season's Feng and a perimeter defender like Kobe, the Lakers' defense is impregnable. This is the confidence that the Lakers dare to switch and play fast.

Bynum is an indispensable part of the Lakers' lineup. The Lakers' tactics are basically inseparable from Bynum's existence. The help that his excellent frame protection ability can bring to the Lakers is visible to the naked eye.

Not to mention anything else, when facing the Heat, why are James and Wade cut in half in terms of breakthrough efficiency? In addition to Ji Feng and Kobe taking turns to defend on the outside, Bynum is also crucial on the inside. Bynum in the playoffs Nahm's 2.2 blocks per game says it all.

If nothing else, with Bynum standing inside, you just can't break out!

From 2008 to the present, the Lakers' twin interior towers have dominated various interior rankings for a long time. They can attack and defend, can attack and defend, can play singles, help defend, and can pull out in pick-and-rolls. This interior combination is also the key to the Lakers' four consecutive championships. .

Ji Feng has said countless times: "Bynum is our great hero. His role has been underestimated, but we are extremely aware of his importance."

Bynum also gave the Lakers the confidence to defeat the Heat. He played in position, and the paper-thin interior line on the opposite side was unable to compete with the Lakers' interior line.

But now, the status of Bynum's injury is unknown, but there is no big problem. To be on the safe side, he will definitely not be allowed to return in this game. This has also greatly weakened the Lakers' entire tactical system. Although Jordan Hill and Powell are also They are very tough, but their personal abilities and physical fitness are limited after all, and they basically do not have the ability to attack independently. This will affect the entire Lakers' internal style of play and the flow of the entire Lakers team.

"The Lakers are now facing a real challenge. Regardless of whether Wade did it on purpose or not, this is the critical moment to change the situation on the court." Barkley said in the live broadcast room.

"SHIT, although I think injuries are also part of the game, it is really regrettable. I am also a big man. I understand his pain. I hope Bynum will be fine and return to the game soon." O'Neal said.

In addition to the instructions and concerns about Bynum, the commentators were also worried about the situation on the court. The Lakers' advantage will most likely be reversed by the Heat.

The timeout ended and the Heat came out with all their best players. Although nothing could be seen from their expressions, the purpose was already clear. They wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to smooth out their disadvantage.

The main players of the Lakers also returned. Bynum was replaced by Jordan Hill. Hill's face was solemn. He also knew how much pressure he was under, which made him feel weak all over.

After all, this is the first time Jordan Hill has played in the Finals. In the previous playoffs, he averaged 8.9 minutes per game, scored 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, and shot 54% from the field. His presence can be regarded as a good supplement to the Lakers' inside line, with high efficiency. Not bad either.

But at this time, he needs to be the big brother inside. He needs to resist the Heat's impact on the inside. You can imagine how much pressure he is under.

The Heat seemed to know that Jordan Hill was the weak point of the Lakers lineup. In the rest of the second quarter, the Heat only shot two three-pointers, and all the rest of the points came from the inside. The crazy breakthrough made some players who were already injured because of teammates The panicked Lakers formation was smashed, and their 8-point advantage was lost in 4 minutes. The Heat shot a 15-5 in a short period of time, but took a 2-point lead.

Jordan Hill committed three fouls in the second half of the quarter and had to be replaced. Powell came on, and the Lakers seemed a little stretched inside.

Finally, at the end of the first half, James' long three-pointer helped the Heat lead 58-51 by a full 7 points entering the second half. In this quarter, the Heat led by a full 15 points!

This was the largest single quarter scoring difference between the Heat and the Lakers in the two-year finals, and it was also the first time the Lakers were overtaken by 8 points.

The situation is extremely critical!

The Lakers fans at the scene fell into silence...

The camera lens continuously captured several important players of the Lakers, especially Ji Feng. Ji Feng did not play well in the last half of the quarter. He seemed very anxious. In less than 7 minutes, Ji Feng took 10 shots. However, he only hit 4 goals, including one three-pointer. Ji Feng scored 12 points in this quarter, but he made 3 turnovers and 2 fouls. His shooting percentage also dropped to the bottom, only 48.9% in the first half.

This is the first time in Ji Feng's career that his half-time shooting percentage has dropped below 50% in the playoffs!