Rebirth of Hayes Cyclone

Chapter 289 [Enemy and Friend]

During the break between road games, Hayes and Durant attended Hollywood events and were in a relaxed mood.Bobcats executives were not dissatisfied with the actions of the two, and Yigao was bold.There is no doubt about the strength of the Bobcats. Although their next opponent is the Lakers, proper rest and relaxation are also necessary.

It's hard to say who will win the championship this season.But if you ask who can win the Eastern Conference Championship and the Western Conference Championship, the fans agree that it is the Bobcats and the Lakers.

The two teams in the Finals last season, the Eagles and the Timberwolves, did not have much change in their lineups.The Eagles lost in the finals due to the lack of strength of the substitute players, but after the trade, except for Crawford and Childress, they still had no substitutes to take, and it was difficult to get cheap from the Bobcats.

Although the Western Timberwolves are still a strong team, they are not as good as the Lakers.Iverson has not been able to regain his form. In the new season, his scoring average has dropped to 18.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, shooting 41% from the field and 28% from three-pointers.Starting shooting guard McCants is also out for at least three months with a knee injury.The inside of the Timberwolves also exposed problems. The starting center McDyess is still qualified, but Mutombo is too old to keep up with the rhythm.Mark Blunt is worse than Mutombo, he is a burden, almost the worst center in the league, but his annual salary is close to 3 million.The Timberwolves have lost the momentum they had when they won the championship.

Therefore, both the Bobcats and the Lakers regarded each other as imaginary enemies in the Finals.

In the Lakers training ground, Kobe Bryant and new aid Jason Kaponobi shoot three-pointers.Kobe has never made more than 40% of his three-pointers every season, but this does not mean that he is inaccurate, but because every shot is under the strict defense of the opponent and he misses the shot.Ray Allen doesn't make more than 40% of his three-pointers every season, but he is still one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

Kapono's standard is to be unattended.Kobe and Kapono shot 100 balls in a row, but Kobe's shooting percentage was still a little bit worse. Kapono's accuracy was terrifying, with 100 of 93 balls, and this was not his best score.

Phil Jackson watched the two shoot the basket and said to Kapono: "Very good, I hope you can be as accurate as you are against the Bobcats."

The Lakers made money by trading Walton for Kapono. Although Walton is more comprehensive, none of his personal abilities stand out. His "all-around" equals all-powerful.And Kapono's three-pointers are among the best in the league.Jackson will give Kapono 10 minutes of playing time every game. When the substitute players compete, Kapono can also play a role.

The Lakers' lineup this season is also nearly impeccable.

Centers: DJ Mbenga, Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm.

Power forwards: Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Chris Anderson.

Small forwards: Vladimir Radmanovic, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza.

Shooting guards: Kobe Bryant, Jason Kapono, Sun Yue.

Point guards: Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar.

Among them, Sun Yue was sent to the Development League, Mihm has no ball to play, and the club is ready to cut him at any time.The other three fringes are Brown, Farmar and Mbenga.The competition within the team was unprecedentedly fierce.

The abilities of these people are actually good. Brown's physical fitness is amazing and he has participated in the dunk contest.Farmar has a high IQ and is a master of the pick-and-roll. He has a good grasp of the timing of breakthrough shots and accurate mid-range shots. The disadvantage is that his physical fitness is average and his defense is relatively poor.Mbenga can't attack and has a strong defensive ability.

Pau Gasol handed Kobe a towel, and Kobe took the towel without raising his eyelids, wiped his sweat, and sat down beside Gasol.Neither of them said a word.

Paul Gasol has been with the Lakers for half a year. He knows Kobe’s habits, he doesn’t like to talk, and Gasol is also a person who is not good at words, so although they are the two cores of the team, they are always very quiet when they sit together .

The leader of the Lakers locker room is more like veteran Derek Fisher.Fisher returned to the Lakers last year and signed a contract with his old club again. At that time, Kobe was hesitant. Brief team meetings, unified thinking, to ensure that everyone is working in the same correct direction.

Fisher is such a responsible, diligent, hardworking veteran.If he hadn't persuaded Kobe, maybe the Lakers would have lost their star player now.Fisher was a catalyst and a great speaker.

Kobe was more of a fighter.

The two most famous names in the NBA today are Kobe Bryant and Chuck Hayes.

They have never been rivals in the Finals, nor have they met in any round of a playoff series.But there is a delicate relationship between them.For a fighter like Kobe who strives to win in everything, he already regards Hayes as his greatest enemy in life.He had a hunch that this season would be a head-to-head confrontation between the two of them, and the winner would be king!The one who loses will become the perfect foil.

The two are both rivals and friends.

Kobe said in an interview that he felt a kind of intimacy with Hayes, because they have some similarities in character, both work hard and refuse to admit defeat.When Hayes first entered the league, Kobe didn't pay attention to him at all. He didn't even know Hayes existed.But this sudden rise helped the Rockets sweep the Lakers in 2007, which aroused Kobe's interest.

Since then, Bryant began to pay attention to Hayes.The All-Star Game deliberately let the MVP show his favor, and Kobe wanted to pull Hayes to the Lakers to become his partner.But Hayes refused.Kobe has a new understanding of Hayes, he is a guy who will not be outdone.When Hayes moved to the Bobcats, the competition between them officially began.

The Lakers received strong support last season, and the arrival of Pau Gasol gave Kobe the confidence to hit the championship. At this time, he found that Hayes had improved again.Hayes won the MVP in the regular season and broke the scoring record for active players in the playoffs.Bryant was surprised to find that Hayes' personal ability seemed to be above him.

Later, the American Basketball Association linked James and Kobe together.The two represented the U.S. men's basketball team in the BJ Olympics. Kobe, Hayes, and James were appointed captains together and became the leaders of the U.S. team.

During the training camp, Kobe really saw the strength of Hayes.Compared with personal singles ability, Kobe can beat Hayes.Hayes has too many birth defects. His speed and explosive power are not strong enough, and his offense can only rely on skills.But put Hayes on a team, he is the most terrifying player, he can make five people become as united as one.Bryant never beat Hayes in a group fight.

At this time, Kobe saw the gap.

They all needed each other's help at the time.

Kobe learned Hayes' tolerant way of being a good team player in the training camp, and he knew how to make other people better integrated into a whole.So Kobe focused on passing and defense in the Olympics, and he didn't force shots when the chances were bad like he played in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant's way of playing alone also gave Hayes some inspiration. Before or after training, Hayes often played against Kobe one-on-one. He hoped that his outside offensive skills would become better.

Bobcats VS Lakers, no matter which side wins, there will be a team to end the winning streak.Kobe doesn't want to be the loser, and he can't afford to lose this season.Kobe is about to turn 30 and hasn't won an NBA championship in six years.

Hayes is only 25 years old, just finished his third season, he has already got a championship ring, regular season MVP and All-Star game MVP.

Kobe has been overwhelmed by Hayes in personal honor.Although he is often compared to Jordan, he has never won the regular season MVP or the finals MVP.If he can't win these two honors in the past two years, he will be farther and farther away from the honor as he grows older.This is something Kobe doesn't want to see, he wants to work hard.

Last season, the reporter wanted Kobe to talk about how he felt about Hayes winning the MVP.As a result, Kobe thought for a while, but didn't say a word.Finally Kobe said: "I'm waiting for him in the finals."
After training, reporters interviewed Bryant, let him talk about Hayes' views.

Kobe said: "We respect each other very much. This respect allows us to play at a high level when we confront each other on the court. This summer, I learned a lot from Chuck, and he made me stronger!"

Bryant said he learned something from Hayes, then asked: "Does that mean he's better than you?"

Bryant certainly would not admit that Hayes is stronger than himself.When he said that he learned something, he meant that "the three of us must have my teacher".He said: "If it's one-on-one, I can beat him. But basketball is not one-on-one. Chuck is not without flaws. His jumping ability is not very good. If he wants to dunk under the basket, he has to accumulate energy. .I think the Lakers will find a way to guard him. We will try our best to win this game!"

The reporter also interviewed Hayes and asked similar questions.Hayes praised Kobe's personal ability, "His mid-range jumper, if not the best in the league today, is one of the best. After taking the ball with two steps, feinting, turning around and shooting backwards, this The trick is really like (Michael) Jordan... In terms of style of play, he is the person who is most like Michael, don't doubt my statement, I often try both hands with Michael!"

The reporter asked: "Who do you think is stronger between yourself and Kobe?"

"I'm stronger. Although I can't use those gravity-defying tricks to score, I can make my teammates do these things. I will use my own way to win the game."

Hayes has been doing this all the time, using his own way, using floor flow skills, using teammates, etc... and scoring high points one-on-one with the star, and then rolling his eyes and releasing the domineering spirit to convince the opponent. Hayes may be able to do it, but he pays more attention to the team as a whole, which is the main reason why he is more confident than Kobe!

Kobe has also changed this season.His average of 24.8 points per game is the lowest in recent seasons, but he can grab 6 rebounds and send out 6.6 assists. The number of assists has set a career high.Kobe is not as independent as before. There has been a saying in the league that "Kobe is not alone, the Lakers don't lose". It is not unheard of for Kobe, and his change is also because of Hayes.

Kobe has played in the league for 12 seasons. Although his speed and bounce have declined, his game experience is absolutely top-notch!
(End of this chapter)