Zeng Fanbo was abandoned! The Nets defeated the Suns 110-109! In this battle, I have to admit 5 realities

On October 12, the NBA preseason ushered in the second game of the Suns and Nets China Game! In the first game between the two teams, the Suns defeated the Nets 132-127 in overtime. Although this contest is not a regular season level confrontation, the process is also full of suspense, and the Nets debut of Chinese player Zeng Fanbo has added focus. In the last game, the Nets started with full firepower. Kathomas scored 14 points on all 6 shots in a single quarter, leading the team to a 20:4 offensive, establishing a double-digit advantage at 39:29 in the first quarter. But the Suns quickly stabilized their position. Devin Booker took up the offensive banner in the second quarter, contributing 12 points in a single quarter, gradually narrowing the point difference, and chased the score to 89:84 after three quarters. The two sides fell into a stalemate in the final quarter. The Nets dragged the game into overtime with a 37-point performance in a single quarter. However, the Suns scored 11 points in overtime and finally sealed the victory.

In the first game, the performance of the players showed obvious differentiation. Thomas's 22-point output continued his explosive scoring power, but his offensive choices were still arbitrary, and his 6 assists could not hide his habit of "prioritizing singles". On the Suns' side, Booker's performance of 18 points and 5 assists was quite satisfactory. As the only All-Star left on the team, his connection with the organization is still rough, and it will take time to adjust to the new lineup. New aid Dillon's performance of 18 points and 3 assists is worthy of recognition. His tough defense has repeatedly destroyed the Nets' offense, and his adaptability is beginning to show. Chinese player Zeng Fanbo's debut was not satisfactory. He played 10 minutes as a substitute and did not get a chance to take a shot. He only had 1 steal. However, his 3 fouls and a plus-minus value of -15 exposed the gap with the NBA rhythm. In this regard, Jeremy Lin gave advice: Zeng Fanbo is entering the NBA for the second time, so don’t hesitate and just rush.

The first quarter started, and both sides quickly entered the state. On the Suns' side, Porter Jr. took the lead in turning on the outside firepower and hit consecutive three-pointers to start the offensive; the Nets responded strongly with Dillon's "inside and outside shots". He not only succeeded in breaking through the basket, but also hit a cold arrow from the outside, and once formed a confrontation with the Suns. However, as the game progressed, the Nets offense gradually fell into a "Thomas single-core support" situation, and other players made limited contributions; while the Suns core Booker stepped forward and hit three consecutive three-pointers, leading the team to an offensive climax. After the first quarter, the Suns led 32-21 by 11 points, firmly holding the initiative.

The situation quietly changed in the second quarter. The Suns' Booker and the Nets' Dillon's shooting percentages dropped at the same time. The two made only 2 of 8 shots in this quarter, and the offensive end stalled. At the critical moment, the Nets' Zawei stood up and hit two consecutive three-pointers to "stop the bleeding" for the team and effectively narrow the point difference; at the same time, the Nets' Thomas always maintained a stable output. He continued to score with his flexible breakthroughs and mid-range jumpers, leading the Nets to launch a 15-6 counterattack before halftime, chasing the score to 52-54, only 2 points behind the Suns, and bringing the game back to balance.

After changing sides and fighting again, the Nets' bench lineup took the lead. Mann scored 5 points in a row as soon as he started, including a breakthrough layup and a three-pointer, helping the Nets take the lead 57-54. This was the first time the Nets took the lead in this game. But the Suns responded quickly. They reorganized their offensive rhythm and launched a 14-3 attack wave through internal and external linkage. They not only regained the lead, but also expanded the point difference to double digits. After that, the two sides began to rotate training, and substitute players came on stage one after another to adapt to the rhythm. At the end of the third quarter, the Suns still maintained an 8-point lead at 83-75.

The final quarter of the game entered a "tug of war", and the suspense lasted until the last moment. The Suns started with a 7-0 spurt, widening the point difference to double digits; the Nets did not give up and quickly responded with a 6-0 counterattack. Tyrese Martin of the Nets became the "savior" at the critical moment. He scored 9 points in a row with sudden inside and outside shots, including two three-pointers and a hard hit under the basket, leading the Nets to chase the score to 98-98. Then the game entered the "one goal determines life and death" stage: Suns Wolf hit a key three-pointer to take the lead, and Liddell counterattacked and succeeded in a layup, extending the lead to 4 points; but the Suns failed to hold on to the advantage, and Jared Butler hit a three-pointer to tie the score again. At the last moment, Tyrese Martin broke through and drew a foul, and made two of three free throws to help the Nets take a slight lead; when the Suns tried to make the final attack, the Nets' Wilson completed a key steal, completely ending the suspense of the game. In the end, the Nets reversed the Suns 111-109 and won this focus game.

In this battle, I have to admit 5 facts:

1. Thomas is indeed a double-edged sword! On the offensive end, he is indeed the only player of the Nets who can destroy the opponent's defensive system. In the first game, he had 22 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and an efficient performance of 7 of 12 shots. Today he scored 16 points and 4 rebounds. His offense is still very aggressive, he hits the mid-range shot accurately in emergency stops, and he has a good control of the rhythm of small hits and big hits after breakthroughs. He can also feed the alley-oops of his teammates inside and deliver running orders to the outside. But even so, it can't hide some of his fatal flaws. For example, his offensive choices tend to be individual singles, and he will only pass the ball when he is double-teamed and there is really no room to shoot. In addition, his defensive ability is worrying. Today's plus-minus value is -16, ranking last on the team.

2. Booker is still the top 10 attacker in the league! 18 points and 5 assists in the first game and 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the second game. After Durant left the team, Booker transformed from a "scorer" to an "offensive and defensive core + organizational hub". In this campaign, he relied on his personal ability to break through and deliver assists, but his ball control rhythm was obviously not as good as that of a traditional point guard. He made 4 turnovers in 27 minutes. It must be said that the Suns in the new season will almost completely bind their offensive system to Booker. How to balance scoring and organization will be a problem that he must overcome..

3. Dillon is indeed a jack-of-all-trades player, he should go to a playoff team! He scored 18 points and 3 assists in the first game and 12 points and 2 rebounds in the second game. As a new addition to the Suns, although he is not the core, he perfectly fits the needs of the Suns: on the defensive end, he faced the opponent's strong resistance, actively stole the ball, and destroyed the opponent's fast break several times, effectively alleviating Booker's defensive pressure; on the offensive end, he can shoot three-pointers and create damage through breakthroughs, providing the team with stable outside firepower. His "toughness" was particularly noticeable in the game - he still completed a layup after physical confrontation with his opponent, which gave the Suns the toughness they lacked.

4. Zeng Fanbo has not yet reached the standard for NBA-level rotation. After playing 10 minutes in the first game, the statistics were an embarrassing 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal and 3 fouls. On the offensive end, he failed to make two three-point attempts, and his movement could not keep up with the team's rhythm, and he could never find an effective chance to catch the ball. On the defensive end, the 3 fouls were all caused by insufficient confrontation and errors in judgment - once he reached out to pull someone after being easily passed by the opponent, and once when he took off at the wrong time when covering defense, these details all show that he has not adapted to the intensity and rhythm of the NBA. In today's game, he didn't get even one minute of playing time. Previously, the outside world expected him to convert his contract into a two-way contract, but now it seems basically hopeless. Recognize the gap and continue to improve and polish yourself.

5. Although Bill, Durant and others have left the team, the Suns' record in the new season may be even better than last season. There are two big guns in Booker and Jaylen Green on the outside. Dillon Brooks is both offensive and defensive at the third position. On the front line, there are veterans like O'Neal (3 of 5 3-pointers in this campaign, 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), as well as outstanding young players like Richards (5 assists, 4 in this campaign, 11 points). Young players, including Oso Iguodaro, have also improved significantly (5 of 7 today, 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists). In addition, after Jaylen Green returns, Allen (3 of 5 3 points, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in this campaign) can become a reliable scoring point on the bench. The Suns should not be ignored.