On May 2, Beijing time, the First Leg of the Suns and the Lone Rangers' Western Semifinals was about to begin, and before the game began, Lone Rangers head coach Kidd also accepted an interview with the media, and he also praised the Suns as a team, especially praising Ayton by name, and even said that he might not continue the game strategy with the Jazz in the last round.
One of the most important reasons why the Lone Rangers were able to eliminate the Jazz in the last round of the game and even lead 2-1 in the absence of Doncic in the first three games was that Kidd used a large number of 5 small lineups to make Gobert, who had a 4-year 205 million contract and an average annual salary of more than $40 million, very uncomfortable. So why is it that such a good tactic, Kidd did not dare to use it in the second round?
Kidd replied, "We have to be clear that the game plan against the Jazz won't work against the Suns because we know that the opponent's advantage is mid-range and can also shoot three-pointers through the conversion offense." And Ayton and McGee aren't Gobert and Whiteside, they can get the ball into the basket, so our big players will be tested more. ”
Kidd's words, while blowing Ayton wildly, can be said to make Gobert also lie down, but he did expect the enemy to come first. Because the Suns have made it clear that if the Lone Rangers use small ball tactics, they will let Ayton attack more.
Paul said Ayton has a high basketball IQ and can do what the team needs him to do. And Ayton himself also said, "Nowadays, the league does have a lot of small balls, 2 meters 01 players can go to the top 5 position, everyone thinks that there is no need for the traditional 5 position, but we will be loyal to our own culture." I'm going to try to punish the little ones, just like they try to punish the big ones on the perimeter. ”
Compared with Gobert, Ayton has a wider range of offensive techniques and projections, and Paul's passing ability is significantly stronger than Mitchell's, so if Kidd continues to use a small lineup, it is indeed likely to pay a painful price. Of course, it should not be realistic for Kidd to completely abandon the 5 small, after all, the 5 small lineup can maximize Doncic's lethality, so if it is necessary to grab points to attack, even if the inside line may be exploded by Ayton, Kidd should still come up with his 5 small lineup in a certain time period.