At the start of the 2006-2007 season, the Philadelphia 76ers had a bit of luck and got three consecutive home opportunities.

Three games against the Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Atlanta Hawks.

Among them, the Eagles' lineup is still quite young, and the new season can only be said to be a training run-in, and it can't set off any big waves for the time being. The Raptors and Jazz, on the other hand, are both upstarts who are considered to be on the rise in the new season.

Unlike the sudden rise of the Raptors, the rise of the Jazz can be said to be expected.

After the old duo either retired or switched to another team, the Jazz experienced several years of slumps. During this period, the Russian Kirilenko burst out with amazing energy, played all-round performances, and once became the team's top name.

However, the lack of offensive ability, especially the lack of killer-level skills on the offensive end, has become a further constraint for Kirilenko. The Jazz failed to rise quickly, and their record continued to decline, and they fell out of the public eye for a time.

This period of downturn has also become an opportunity for Jazz to turn around in the future. Drafted together with the "Queen Bee" Paul, known as one of the two point guards in the draft, Deron Williams Jr., who played in the first season, appeared to be relaxed under the guidance of the old coach Sloan, showing a very high basketball IQ.

In the 04-05 season, Carlos Boozer, a back-and-bones boy who was signed through a notorious "anti-water agreement", also gradually grew up, with a weird back-of-the-head shot that was unguardable, and his rebounding strength grew day by day, becoming a pillar of Utah's interior line.

In addition, through multiple signings and trades, many role players who were originally thought to be not going to do much in the future have also shone brightly under Sloan's system.

Space center Memiteoku, Kirilenko whose tactical status has declined but his strength is still the same, Matt Haplin, a white tough guy, and Fisher, an old fish who has just been traded from the Warriors.

The combination of players with their own strengths, but not very top-notch, creates good chemistry. The Jazz don't seem to have any blockbuster trades and reinforcements in the new season, but their actual strength has already risen to a new level.

Last season, the Jazz finished with a 41-41 record and failed to make the playoffs in the miserable West. They are back in the new season, and the goal is naturally to make the playoffs and become a spoiler.

Rocket fans must clearly remember that in this season's playoffs, it was the Jazz led by Deron and Boozer who eliminated the Rockets with Yao Mai in the first round of the playoffs, adding another heavy stroke to the Rockets' playoff history.

After falling behind 0-2 and losing 2-3 to Tianwangshan, he completed two consecutive wins and finally eliminated the rocket.

The tenacity of this Jazz team can be seen.

"Deron Williams, hit the shot!"

There was already a hint of surprise in the voice of the home DJ, on the court, the Jazz team cooperated inside and outside, the classic blocking and dismantling cuts, the continuous running without the ball, Sloan's tactical thinking was implemented very thoroughly, and the Jazz were simply an iron army, with no flaws in tactical execution.

Taken together, Boozer is too short, slower, and takes a long time to prepare for his shots, so he is not a true master of heads-up with the ball.

And Delong's physical fitness is bursting, his hand is stable, and his sense of shaking rhythm is unmatched. But under Sloan's system, creativity is a little lacking, and the assist stats are beautiful, but he is not a true playmaker.

But these two players can turn over the sea on the court and look good for all the teams.

At 13-15, the 76ers led by two points, and the first quarter was already halfway through.

The 76ers, who got off to a good start in the last game, took advantage of the aftermath to continue to chase and play, and the offensive end felt good, Iverson, Korver, and Iguodala all hit a few difficult shots that were out of balance, and the team's morale soared, and the Jazz started a tug-of-war against Maimang.

The fans were excited, shouting, and the stadium was buzzing, and it looked like Philadelphia was doing well.

But Cheeks knew in his heart that the challenge had just begun.

On the court, Webb chose to shoot with a straight arm after receiving the ball, perhaps due to a knee injury, poor power control, and hit the iron.

"Smack!"

Deron Williams leaped to his feet, grabbed a rebound in the air, and then quickly advanced to the frontcourt.

Iverson continued to press forward, and made several physical contact with DeLong. But the difference in strength between the two was not small, and Deron almost pushed Iverson up front, looking unpressed.

Tactics were set, DeLong bent down to dribble, Oku quickly lifted up from inside the box, and Boozer also came from the weak side.

Delon started instantly, rushed to the side with Boozer's block, and then changed his rhythm and went to the basket.

Iverson chased closely, and under the basket, Hunter raised his hands high to prepare for a block, but the basketball in Delong's hand suddenly changed direction and hit the ground behind him.

Outside the three-second zone, Boozer was already in place, and after receiving the ball, he did not hesitate to shoot in the middle, and the basketball fell into the frame steadily, and the 76ers' lead was erased in an instant.

"Alas......!"

Near the three-second zone, Webb shook his head, a pair of old legs couldn't keep up with the speed of the Jazz's pick-and-roll, and Delon made a quick and deadly pass, giving Boozer excellent time to adjust.

Back on the offensive end, Iverson swooped down with the ball, shook Delon to his side with a few swings, and then took advantage of Hunter's cover to get into the three-second zone and threw his hand high.

In the restricted area, a slender figure rose from the ground, arm length almost touching the ceiling, and slapped the basketball out behind Boozer, who was recovering the defense.

AK47！

A typical Jazz defensive strategy, even if Delon on the outside is passed by Iverson with incredible speed, Kirilenko, the big lock roaming in all directions, can be blocked in an instant. The strategy was based entirely on Kirilenko's frightening agility, covering up Boozer and Oku's flaws in defending the attackers and adding a lid to the basket.

After the block, the basketball was picked up by DeLong, and the small tank began to sprint, sprinting all the way, ignoring the collision of Iguodala, who was supplementing, and forced into the 76ers basket and scored with a dunk.

"Hmph."

After landing on the ground, Delon did not make the slightest gesture of celebration, coldly like an assassin, and turned away, followed by the long sighs of the Philadelphia fans.

"This little fat man is too powerful, this body beats the point guard, isn't it obvious that he is bullying people!"

DeLong's strength advantage was excellent, and against Iverson's defense, he was able to break through almost with strength. Coupled with his strange and inexplicable sense of rhythm, he stabbed a sharp blade under the Philadelphia basket.

One point break, one point break, in the next game, Delon and Boozer began to play their respective opposing advantages, and there was no one to stop on the offensive end. DeLong's power, Boozer's mid-range shot, Iverson's thinness, Webber's slowness, and the two Jazz players became a nightmare for the 76ers, constantly rubbing salt in the team's wounds.

23-17, the Jazz took a six-point lead, and the official timeout of the first quarter had passed, but Cheeks did not replace Chen Mu.

Just when Chen Mu was a little strange why he hadn't sent himself on the field, Cheeks called a timeout.

"Chris, get some rest."

As the starters returned to the pitch, Cheeks announced in a single sentence that Webber's playing time in this game would be drastically reduced.

And that means......

"Chen, from now on, you have to take on heavier responsibilities."

Pulling Chen Mu aside, avoiding Weber's slightly lost eyes, Cheeks whispered in Chen Mu's ear: "If you want to be a starter, you need completely different traits from the sixth man. ”

"The sixth man is the propeller of the team's transition section, and what is needed is the feeling that can explode as soon as he is on the court, and the ability to preserve his touch in frequent commutes and disappearances. The starters, on the other hand, need continuous output and long-term focus on both offensive and defensive ends. In other words......"

The light in Cheeks' eyes flashed, and it seemed that he had been thinking about replacing Chen Mu in the starting lineup for a long time.

"It's constant physical support!"

Although Chen Mu's physical strength has improved compared to last season, it is still one of his shortcomings. Substitute players can rest at the beginning of the game, when both sides are full of physical strength, and go up to consume when the opponent's physical strength drops, and in terms of physical consumption, they have a natural advantage.

But the starters are completely different, and they have to be ready to fight against their opponents at all times and keep their energy high for long games.

Chen Mu, can you bear it?

"From now until the second half of the second quarter, for 14 minutes in total, I'm not going to replace you."

Cheeks continued: "You have to be there all the time to contribute except for the pauses and breaks. I know something similar happened last season, and the result was that you ran out of energy, you had a coma, you had cramps. ”

"If you don't show in the next few games that you have the physia to be a starter, I'm going to keep my current starting line-up. And if you can prove it, perhaps, it's really time for us to adjust our starting lineup. ”

Chicks said it very clearly, and Chen Mu was like a mirror in his heart, and nodded and said, "Don't worry, coach, I'll prove it to you!" ”

"Good, keep up the fighting spirit." Cheeks smiled, "I hope you won't make me regret my decision." Now, let's get on the field! ”

"Yes!"

Chen Mu shouted, turned around and nodded slightly to Weber, and then walked into the court.

Last season, Chen Mu was beaten enough by Boozer against the Jazz team, and was once thought to have hit the rookie wall, and it took a long time to recover.

Now at the beginning of the new season, I have faced the "bitter master" Bosh and Boozer in a row, I really don't know if it is God's arrangement, or ...... Uh, the author's arrangement.

"Playing with two ghosts banging on the door?"

Looking at the expressionless duo of DeLong and Boozer on the other side of the court, Chen Mu's heart burst with fighting spirit.

"We in Philadelphia, there are a lot of exorcists, ......!" (To be continued.) )