The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!

The Bulls have their own advantages.

The combination of Bozer and Joakim Noah in the paint is more imposing.

The decline of Tyson Chandler put the New York Knicks at a disadvantage in the paint.

This was evident in the first two games.

However, the Bulls' main tactics, along with what Thibodeau is skilled in, do not primarily start their offense from the paint. Therefore, even after noticing this point, Thibodeau didn't immediately change the lineup or adjust the tactics.

Not until after losing the second game of the series did he finally waiver when it became necessary to change the lineup.

The third game of the series commenced at the Bulls' home stadium in Chicago.

All Bulls fans were present, cheering for their team.

In this game, the Bulls, back on their home court, clearly entered the state faster and also played with the effect they desired:

Bozer kept attacking both inside and outside, scoring 9 points in the first quarter alone.

Noah's presence on offense was also more significant than in the first two games.

He is not an inside player known for scoring individually.

But his coordination and organizational passing skills are quite good.

Originally, he would become a "Double First Team" player next year, although the media called it the "most watered-down Double First Team" after he received it.

Still, those two awards' gold content is evident, enough to prove his ability.

The Bulls held the initiative in the paint.

Yet, by the end of the first quarter, the New York Knicks were only 1 point behind.

The passive situation in the paint did not affect the New York Knicks' strong performance on the perimeter!

This is quite an exaggerated thing.

And also a very unbelievable thing.

In past NBA scenarios, a team's problem in the paint would invariably affect the perimeter's performance.

But the New York Knicks continued to keep the score close despite the passive situation inside.

The reason is simple:

The New York Knicks' perimeter is strong enough!

No need to say much about Su Wan.

Stephen Curry has reached a new level of capability following the "Vertical Jump" rule changes.

In addition to Paul George...

Compared to originally, George's progression speed isn't fast.

But this mainly refers to his slower progress in ball-handling offense.

Yet, in other areas, his progress isn't slow.

Whether it's cutting without the ball, catch-and-shoot, or defensive entanglement ability, he's stronger than his original self at the same period.

Apart from the championship buff bonus, there's also the unavoidable one-on-one situations with Su Wan during practice games, causing him to improve defensively faster than originally.

Under Su Wan's guidance and the champion buff's influence, as well as Su Wan's decoy ability, his ball-handling skill without the ball has matured more than originally.

He's almost at "half All-Star" level.

He can completely be the main force of the team, and his performance when he explodes can reach All-Star level.

Tonight is his "day of explosion."

The New York Knicks rely on the perimeter "trident" to stick close to the score despite the oppression inside.

Moreover, as the game entered the second quarter, Dior and Tyson became more familiar with the Bulls' inside offensive model, providing better responses against Noah and Bozer.

The New York Knicks transitioned from a "close-tied" state to a "proactive" state.

It's Thibodeau's "headache" time again!

Tyronn Lue and Mike Ma exchanged knowing smiles.

They were not too surprised by this result.

They both understand Bozer's capacity to carry the team, and he and Deron Williams were dubbed the "New Utah Double Kill," yet Deron Williams couldn't reach Stockton's heights, nor could Bozer reach Malone's!

The best results they've led a team to is only the Western Conference semifinals.

His many years with the Jazz team have proven that Bozer lacks the ability to carry a team in the playoffs, especially currently in the semifinals. The fundamental reason is Bozer's inability to handle the ball enough.

This gave opponents a means to limit him at crucial moments.

The New York Knicks began changing tactics from the latter half of the second quarter, and whenever Bozer stepped up for a pick-and-roll, the inside players would attempt to double-team early. As soon as he got the ball, they formed a surround to force him to pass faster.

During this process, Bozer's biggest problem as a core inside player was exposed:

Lack of good passing ability.

For two seasons in his career, his average assists per game exceeded 3.

But these occurred during his time with the Jazz Team.

After leaving the Jazz Team and while with the Cavaliers early on, his average assists per game never exceeded 3.

His average assists per game stayed around 2 for years.

Judging from his play style and choices after getting the ball, he is more inclined to be a finisher himself, rather than a strong facilitator or passer.

After all, in several seasons, his average turnovers per game exceeded his average assists!

The fact that he could dish out more than 3 assists per game at the Jazz Team is inseparable from the system Jerry Sloan specifically built for him and Deron Williams.

Deron also performed his best passing plays during his time with the Jazz Team.

Jerry Sloan worried a lot for both of them to more closely resemble "Utah's Double Killers".