The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!

Stephen Curry is becoming more and more confident in attacking the rim.

Derrick Rose is not a very good defender.

He has the problem of being slow in cross movement on defense.

I don't know why someone with such strong speed and instant power would have the flaw of being slow in cross movement, but it does exist and confines Derrick Rose from becoming a better player on defense.

He is more adept at defending point guards who rely on explosive power and straightforward playing.

Like Westbrook for instance.

Coincidentally, Stephen Curry is a player who completes breakthroughs using rhythm and agile footwork, which completely stifles him, leaving no room for counteraction.

Meanwhile, Curry's confidence in attacking the rim beneath is continuously increasing during the relentless offense.

This makes Derrick Rose even more difficult to defend against.

Thibodeau's expression becomes completely serious.

The constant attacking and scoring by Stephen Curry was something unexpected for him.

And it has greatly impacted his defensive arrangements...

This point quickly manifests.

Stephen Curry keeps on playing one-on-one against Derrick Rose and scores, especially after the pick-and-roll with the interior players, utilizing the "vertical jump" rule modification for protection, Curry's shot can be described in one word:

Skillful!

The Bulls' simple help defense inside can hardly make much difference.

No matter how the Bulls adjust their defensive line-up, they are always passive.

Thibodeau did not make many tactical adjustments other than emphasizing defensive activity.

The final result is...

The New York Knicks easily defeated the Chicago Bulls with a 15-point advantage, winning the first game of the semifinals.

Su Wan's stat line of 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block was anticipated by everyone, including all members of the Bulls.

But Curry achieving 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists was something most people did not foresee!

Especially Thibodeau, who did not anticipate Curry to be a "powerful breakthrough player" in his envisioned scenarios, hence did not prepare any contingencies, resulting in the Bulls being passive everywhere.

The seriousness in his face after the match clearly shows that he understands that the impact of Curry is not just limited to this game but the whole series.

First and foremost, they can no longer primarily guard Curry outside of the three-point line. Adjustments must be made according to situations.

With Su Wan already there, now with Curry who can shoot and breakthrough, it would be odd for Thibodeau not to have a headache!

After the match, he stated: "Curry has become a X-factor for the New York Knicks; we did not pay enough attention to him, and now we are paying the price for that!"

Derrick Rose also showed self-reproach; he scored 34 points, becoming the highest scorer on both teams, but failing to guard Curry was the main reason for the Bulls' defeat. This made him feel guilty, believing he hadn't done what a team core should do: "I need to focus more on my defensive side; I will study the match tapes to ensure this doesn't happen again!"

On the Knicks side, there is also nothing but praises for Curry.

D'Antoni said: "We hoped Curry would be the X-factor in this match, and he did. We all can see the impact he had in this game; that's Curry!"

Tyronn Lue said: "Curry has already become an excellent player, but many still haven't fully realized this, so they paid the price for it!"

Mike Malone: "Stephen's performance in this match told everyone that he is not a traditional shooter!"

Stephen Curry commented on his own performance: "Coach assigned me a task, and I completed it. I hope I can continue to maintain my form and continue to take on these responsibilities."

He enjoys the feeling of being needed by the team.

In fact, earlier when the media newly recognized this season's New York Knicks put more emphasis on their output beyond the three-point line, aside from Su Wan, someone else needed to step up, and Curry wanted to assume this role.

However, unfortunately, no matter how hard he worked back then, he didn't manage to step up.

Now, finally...

He has assumed the role he always wanted to take on.

A reporter asked Su Wan if he had expected Curry to perform so well in this match, Su Wan answered almost without hesitation: "Of course!"

It's not just empty talk.

In the original league playoffs of 2014 introduced the "vertical jump", and the following season, Curry quickly reached his peak, and besides shooting, he had a very good breakthrough skill, completely distinguishing himself from a "traditional shooter".

Many media then believed that although the rule was modified for LeBron, the ones who truly benefited greatly were actually those ball-handlers like Curry, whose breakthrough ability wasn't that striking originally.

They had very good breakthrough ability but lacked efficiency in finishing at the rim, being frequently disturbed.

The "vertical jump" rule shackled interior defenders just enough to turn them into excellent "ball-handlers".