Chapter 372: Chapter 284: The Terrifying Nuggets in the New Season!
The Spurs launched another attack.
This time, Leonard used a screen to successfully shake off Zeng Xingyang’s defense.
However, just as he broke through, he was once again met by Butler’s tough team defense.
Butler was relentless in defense, sticking tightly to Leonard, engaging in a fierce confrontation.
Under Butler’s tight defense, Leonard forcefully collided before turning around and attempting a mid-distance shot.
"Clang!" The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.
Aldridge saw this and quickly rushed over trying to grab the rebound.
But Jokic reacted faster, using his forceful backside to shove Aldridge away, securely snagging the rebound in his hands.
After grabbing the ball, Jokic dribbled it past half court himself.
Although Zeng Xingyang is nominally the point guard for the Nuggets, Mike Malone does not insist that Zeng Xingyang always dribbles past half court, preferring instead to have whomever can hold the ball most conveniently advance it forward, to minimize missed offensive opportunities as much as possible.
Once Jokic reached the front court, he handed the ball to Zeng Xingyang in a seamless hand-off.
Simultaneously, Butler quickly cut into the paint.
Nevertheless, Zeng Xingyang did not choose to pass the ball to Butler.
He used Jokic’s massive body to shake off Leonard’s defense successfully.
At this moment, Aldridge hurriedly came up to provide team defense.
Zeng Xingyang feigned a left-side breakthrough but then, without looking at his teammates, tossed the ball high into the air while advancing.
To whom is he passing?
On the other side, Gordon, like a mighty eagle soaring, leapt high to accurately grasp Zeng Xingyang’s pass.
Gordon’s leap was so high that the entire audience gasped in surprise.
His head reached a point higher than the rim, his whole arm surpassing the hoop, it seemed as if he truly was flying in the sky.
However, once everyone realized the person was Gordon, everything seemed to make sense.
After all, last season, Aaron Gordon astonished the world in his dunk contest against Zach LaVine, he is a globally renowned dunk master!
Receiving the ball, Gordon seemed to pause briefly in mid-air, then used his body’s strength on the descent to slam the ball fiercely into the basket.
"Clang!" The basketball was forcefully dunked into the basket, with Gordon’s arm hanging directly on the hoop.
The rim shook intensely, as if the entire Pepsi Center was trembling along with it.
Barkley excitedly stood up from the commentator’s desk, shouting loudly: "The connection between Zeng Xingyang and Aaron Gordon is an ultimate visual feast!"
"Oh my God, what a formidable lineup the Nuggets have assembled this season! Now I can say without exaggeration that their roster talent has upgraded to a frightening level! Opponents across the league will tremble from it."
"The passing between Zeng Xingyang and Nikola Jokic will maximize Aaron Gordon’s dunking ability, allowing fans here to enjoy an ultimate visual treat this year."
Landing, Gordon ran excitedly to give Zeng Xingyang a high-five in celebration.
With that shot, Gordon truly felt he had made the right decision coming to the Nuggets.
Partnering with a top-tier point guard to play is really comfortable.
Zeng Xingyang nodded in response with a smile, for him, such gameplay made things much easier.
He doesn’t care if his average points per game decrease this season; it is inevitable as his teammates’ abilities improve.
His style of play is completely different from Doncic’s ball-dominant approach; he can flexibly step up to play a role according to the team’s needs at the right time.
The score was now 0 to 6.
At the beginning of the game, the Nuggets already showcased several brilliant offense and defensive plays, rapidly mobilizing the team’s morale, whereas the Spurs evidently felt enormous pressure.
On the sidelines, Popovich furrowed his brow, wiping sweat from his forehead.
He knows very well that Gordon’s dunking ability, along with Butler’s elite defense, have greatly enhanced the Nuggets’ overall power.
Although Gordon is nominally termed a dunker, his capabilities go far beyond just dunking; he is also outstanding in defense. Gordon’s exceptional physical talent enables him to defend positions one through five.
Coupled with Zeng Xingyang, Butler, Pope, and others’ switching defensive abilities, this lineup has reached an ultimate state of defensive switching.
It seems Jokic is the only one with any defensive vulnerability.
Yet, glancing at the Nuggets’ substitute bench, Harris and Grant, who helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals last season, were still sitting on the sidelines, ready to play at any moment.
By now, Popovich seemed to have profoundly realized how terrifyingly powerful the Nuggets would be this season; it seemed as though their opponents were no longer the Spurs.
On the court, the Spurs’ offensive effort ended in failure again.
This time it was even more exaggerated, they were directly called for a 24-second violation by the Nuggets’ defense.
Currently, the Spurs indeed lack players who can independently create scoring opportunities.
Parker is aging, his speed far from before, struggling to tear open the opponent’s defense.
Danny Green is well-known for being a 3D specialist, his offensive methods relatively singular.
Leonard is suffering from the Nuggets’ various switches in defense.
Aldridge and Gasol struggled significantly just to connect with the ball in the post.
The Nuggets launched their attack again.
Jokic distributed the ball to Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang dribbled to the arc and began directing tactics.
Butler and Gordon positioned simultaneously.
From this scene, it was evident that Zeng Xingyang consistently held the game’s rhythm firmly in control.
Before the game, the Nuggets transmitted numerous issues, yet at this moment, it seemed as though none of those issues appeared on the court.
This time, Zeng Xingyang did not pass the ball again but chose to play a pick-and-roll with Jokic.
Easily forcing a defensive change to Gasol, he began stringing together directional dribbling.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Since leaving the Lakers, Gasol’s form has gradually declined; after joining the Spurs, it was as though he entered a semi-retirement state. To Zeng Xingyang, his speed had evidently slowed.
In just a few dribbles, Zeng Xingyang detected the rhythm difference and made a lateral step back, gathering the ball and combining it, successfully offsetting the rhythm and then quickly executing a jump shot.
Although Gasol lunged to defend, seeming almost to nearly touch Zeng Xingyang’s face with his defensive move, it didn’t actually cause much interference to Zeng Xingyang.
"Swoosh!" The basketball swished through the net, arrow into the heart.
The score turned to 0 to 9.
"Timeout!!" The Spurs were forced to call a timeout due to Nuggets’ opening surge.
Popovich stepped out with furrowed brows, aware of the issues but unable to resolve them.
This season, on both tactical and talent fronts, the Nuggets have already suppressed the Spurs.
The Spurs’ capability remains unchanged, while the Nuggets have achieved leapfrog progress.