Today's 2021-22 playoffs ushered in the second game day, and three "Kobe bryant disciples" Tatum, Booker and DeRozan appeared, but the performance was different. Both Tatum and Booker were victorious, Tatum completed a passionate slaying, deRozan did not perform well, and the bulls suffered defeat. Looking at the three of them, I wonder if the fans will ever have Kobe Bryant in their minds?
The first of the three was Tatum, who also pushed the second matchday to a climax. Before the finale, Tatum received Smart's pass, and a turn cleverly left Owen behind him, and the whistle was scored! Trailing three points before the final 39 seconds, the Green Army came out on top in the most eye-catching series of the year.
On the field, Tatum shot 9-of-18, including 3-of-7 three-pointers, 10-of-12 free throws, and blasted down 31 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.
It is true to say that the first round of the playoffs is a continuation of the final stage of the regular season. From March to April this year, Tatum played in 17 games, averaging 31 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 52.6% from the field and 43.1% from three-point range, leading the Green Army to 15 wins and 2 losses, a proper MVP performance. The Green Army, which had less than 50 percent wins in the half of the season, played tough defenses from January to March, ranking among the top 2 in the league in terms of defensive efficiency.
Tatum also showed his all-round skills in this game. In addition to the offense, he also participated in the defense of Durant, while sending the team up to 8 assists, was ridiculed by the US media as "the Green Army also has a pure point guard". The first 50 playoff games of his career have finally honed today's Tatum.
Although the Nets made their way from 10th in the East To 7th in the East And made it to the playoffs through the playoffs, their performance is also worthy of recognition, but it is still dwarfed by the Green Army in the same period.
This season, Tatum's offensive and defensive efficiency is the second highest in his career. In addition, his efficiency value (21.8), win-per-minute contribution value and true plus-minus (+4.9) all hit career highs, and his true shooting percentage of 57.8% was the second highest in his career. In terms of offensive distribution, Tatum is also more "magic ball" this season. He increased the three-second zone (21.9 percent) and three-point shots (41.6 percent) and cut the percentage of middle- and long-range shots (36.4 percent).
Booker's performance in this game was not as dazzling as Tatum's, but he also won the victory, and the process was thrilling. Against the Pelicans' G1, Booker played 12 minutes in the first quarter and scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, while the Pelicans shot just 3-of-14 in the first quarter. Booker scored another 11 points in the third quarter. In the game, Booker shot 8 of 19, including 4 of 8 three-pointers and 5 of 6 from the free throw line, and had 25 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, with only 1 turnover.
Although all the flowers and applause in this field were given to "St. Paul", who scored 17 points in the final quarter, Booker's contribution cannot be denied.
When it comes to regular season performance, Booker is by no means under Tatum. While his offensive efficiency was the second highest in his career, his defensive efficiency climbed to the top of his career, and even coach Monty Williams had to give a thumbs up to Booker's progress on the defensive end. In addition, his efficiency value (57.6%), win-per-48 minute contribution value and true plus-minus (+4.1) also set career highs.
In terms of offensive distribution, Booker and Tatum, on the contrary, increased the proportion of shots from long-range two-pointers (17.1%) and three-pointers (33.6%), and although the proportion of inside shots (11%) decreased, the shooting rate (69.4%) jumped to the second highest in his career, second only to the 2019-20 season, which can be called "winning by quality".
Of course, Booker is best known for this season when paul still led the team to an impressive record during his absence, and his ability to lead the team was affirmed. As a result, although he was not selected as the final candidate for this season's MVP, he also ranked 4th in the last MVP of the regular season, and it is likely to be among the best. You know, before that, Booker couldn't even touch the edge of the best team. The outside world is upset that Booker did not receive greater recognition in the MVP selection, but Booker has looked further afield, and during the regular season, he has said: "The goal of this season is only to win the championship." ”
Compared with the two juniors, DeRozan has gone a little high this season. Today DeRozan shot just 6 of 25, 2 three-pointers, 6 of 6 free throws, 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. In a game in which the Bucks also played dismally, the Bulls still failed to seize the opportunity to counterattack, losing 86-93 first.
After the game, the Bucks put the "ugly victory" on their lips, and it seemed that the victory alone could not satisfy them. What's more, after the playoff match was determined, many people thought that the Bucks "had more eyes" and arranged the weakest opponents in the top 6 in the Eastern Region to themselves, and they did not take the Bulls seriously in their words. After this game, this argument has not diminished in the slightest. According to the statistics given by the US media, since 2017, alphabet brother has won 14 consecutive victories against the bulls. Fans strangled: "DeRozan avoided James, but met the alphabet brother again, how many nemesis." ”
At first, seeing the Lakers' poor record this season, Westbrook was always muddy, and many people were glad that DeRozan had joined the Windy City, especially when the Bulls' playoff dawn first appeared. Throughout this season, DeRozan's performance is actually commendable. His offensive efficiency and true shooting percentage (59%) are both career-high, and his efficiency value (23.1) is also the second highest in his career. The two 38-point double kills against the Lakers, as well as the 50-point overtime tackle of the Clippers, are even more talked about by fans.
But this season's 2 dark horse riders and bulls in the East Side are somewhat insufficient. The Cavaliers fell directly from the third place in the Eastern Conference to the playoffs, and the Bulls were also criticized for "not being strong". In March and April, DeRozan averaged 26.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, which was a bit of a drop from his average this season.
Judging from the strength of the two sides, Booker is more leisurely, with less pressure through the first round, while Tatum and DeRozan are still under pressure, but the two have a completely different state of mind in the face of pressure. The same "Kobe's disciples", the three of them walk on 3 parallel lines that never intersect. (Supine Braces/Hairy)