Chapter 1105: Chapter 352: Those Subtle Changes
Of course, he hoped that Gary Payton would be luckier than himself.
He wished that after Tim Duncan saved the Admiral, he could also save the Glove.
At this moment, Gary Payton looked at the Lakers’ fate on the newspaper, feeling restless.
This season, Roger seemed to be settling scores with all those "old friends" from the ’90s.
Michael Jordan in the regular season couldn’t escape, and Karl Malone in the playoffs couldn’t escape.
Gary Payton didn’t know what else Karl Malone could do; he had given up his tactical position, his possession of the ball, and even the dignity of a superstar to support someone like Kobe.
And the result? All he got was dragging Roger into a Game 7 in the series.
But who cares in which game a loser loses?
Losing in the fourth game or the seventh game essentially makes no difference; you won’t be praised for holding out for a few more games. In the eyes of the fans, there are only winners and losers, no in-between.
The former totem of Seattle couldn’t help but worry: what if Karl Malone’s fate happened to him?
He didn’t know what that would be like, and it made him nervous.
During the regular season, Gary Payton didn’t avoid facing the Warriors; in fact, the two sides had met four times this season. The former DPOY was no longer a threat to Roger in single defense.
What he could offer was more of a protective layer, preventing Roger from having his way on the outside.
But to truly contain that number 14, Payton would still need the help of his teammates.
And whenever anything depends on others, you feel extremely nervous because you can’t decide your own fate.
This unease made Gary Payton absent-minded in training, and Gregg Popovich noticed his condition.
In fact, the primary target for the San Antonio Spurs last summer was Jason Kidd, and there was already a preliminary agreement between the two sides.
But Kidd’s wife didn’t want him to go to a small, desolate city like San Antonio; she felt her husband would have a greater influence staying in a place like New Jersey, close to New York.
So during the second meeting, Kidd turned down the Spurs again.
years later, although Kidd once told reporters: "Every day since I turned them down, I’ve regretted it."
But there’s no medicine for regret; a refusal is a refusal. After failing to recruit Kidd, the Spurs had to recruit Kidd’s weaker version, his good buddy Gary Payton.
Thus, Payton was only ever the Spurs’ backup plan.
In Popovich’s view, if Payton could be upgraded to Kidd, the Spurs would have a 100% chance of establishing a dynasty.
But fantasies are meaningless, and Popovich wouldn’t dwell on such things. Besides, Gary Payton would be just barely adequate. As an experienced veteran, he would surely adjust his state quickly.
Regarding the next series, Popovich was extremely confident because he had already devised the most targeted defensive strategy.
The Warriors’ biggest change this season was the addition of Mutombo and the return of an injury-free Marcus Camby. In their regular-season encounters, he admitted that these two players had helped the Warriors significantly, but not enough to completely change the team.
But will strengthening the inside defense to contain Duncan defeat the Spurs?
No, it won’t be that simple.
After all, the Spurs aren’t an offensive team; their wins rely on defense.
Although the Spurs only won one game against the Warriors in the regular season, Popovich clearly understood the difference between the playoffs and the regular season. With this more targeted defensive strategy, the Warriors couldn’t possibly win as easily as in the regular season.
Moreover, the Warriors were still coached by a rookie. Just because he could handle Phil Jackson doesn’t mean he could handle himself.
The San Antonio Spurs would once again flatten the West. With the latest targeted defensive strategy, Popovich was certain about it!
What Popovich didn’t know was that the Warriors’ change wasn’t just Camby and Mutombo.
Yes, on paper, the Warriors’ change was indeed only Camby and Mutombo. But beyond the books, the team’s change was happening subtly.
They were even quite different from during the regular season.
At this moment, in Oakland, Marcus Camby, driving to the training facility, saw a giant billboard featuring himself.
Perhaps for a superstar like Roger, such billboards aren’t uncommon.
After all, throughout the Bay Area, and even in Atlanta, his giant billboards are all over the city.
But for a player like Marcus Camby, an advertisement like that is particularly precious.
It means his skills are recognized; it also means he is loved by fans.
And this was the most unexpected surprise for Marcus Camby this season so far.
In his eight-year career, Marcus Camby was experiencing being loved and adored for the first time.
In Toronto, no one paid attention to the Raptors before Vince Carter joined.
In the Knicks, he was just a temporary replacement for Patrick Ewing, and New York fans weren’t even particularly fond of Ewing himself, let alone Camby.
Since entering the professional basketball world, he had never felt a sense of belonging. He often missed playing for the University of Massachusetts, where all the fans would stand and cheer for him as soon as he stepped on the court.