am i proud?

Chapter 251 The Small Ball Era Arrives Early?

On the evening of January 2004, 1, the inside and outside of the "Staples Center" were brightly lit, the arena was full of voices, and all 21 seats were packed.

Some people will ask—"Why 19060 seats? Didn't you say 18997 seats before?"

This needs to be said a little more... "Staples Center" is not only used as a basketball stadium, its capacity will vary according to different uses.

It can accommodate 20000 people when it is used for concerts and boxing matches, 18118 people when it is used as an ice hockey stadium, and 16096 people when it is used as an indoor American football stadium.

When used as a basketball stadium, it can accommodate up to 19000 people, including 18997 people at home for the Lakers, 19060 for the Clippers, and only 12974 for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks.

The starting lineup sent by the Warriors is center Yao Ming, power forward Clifford Robinson, small forward Antawn Jamison, shooting guard Jason Richardson, and point guard Chauncey Billups.

Although the Warriors have made great strides this season, ranking fifth in the Western Conference, there have been gossip... The boss of the team, Antawn Jamison, has become more and more dissatisfied with his tactical status.

In fact, in the original time and space, Jamison was traded during the offseason last summer. He was sent to the Mavericks, while the Warriors got former All-Star point guard Nick Van Exel.

In the 2003-2004 season, Jamison also won the "Best Sixth Man" award in the Mavericks. I really don't know why he went to the Mavericks to play the sixth man. He was a proper boss when he was in the Warriors... Maybe it was just to win a championship ring?

This transaction is obviously impossible in this life. After all, the Warriors already have the "second brother" Billups who is in the sky. How can they need Van Exel, a former All-Star who is already 32 years old?
Therefore, Jamison did not go to the Mavericks as in the original time and space, and his current position in the Warriors is in jeopardy... Whether it is Billups, who is at his peak, or Yao Ming, who is getting more and more fierce, they have seriously threatened his boss position.

In fact, Jamison's strength is still very strong. He averaged 20+ points per game last season and averaged more than 8 rebounds per game. He can definitely rank in the top ten among all strikers in the entire Western Conference.

It's just that Jamison's performance in the playoffs of last season was really a little hip, and Billups' "real thigh" stole the limelight. Even the rookie Yao Ming performed better than him.

So... even in Oakland, Jamison's popularity has dropped a lot compared to before. More and more fans have regarded Billups and Yao Ming as the future hope of the Warriors, and their attitude towards Jamison has become more subtle.

The "General" Arenas played well in the Wizards this season. Under his call, Jamison may really want to change jobs.

Being able to get together with old friends in the past, and at least be able to sit firmly in the "second head" position, is better than staying in the Warriors.

If it continues like this, not to mention continuing to be the boss, even the third seat may not necessarily belong to him!

You must know that in addition to Billups and Yao Ming, the Warriors also have Jason Richardson... In terms of performance this season, Richardson's average of 18.2 points per game is not much worse than Jamison.

Although staying in the Warriors is definitely more hopeful to hit the championship, Jamison obviously still values ​​his future more... What's the use of a championship as the third or fourth?
Thinking of him, Jamison is also from North Carolina. Michael Jordan was brilliant before, and Vince Carter became famous in the league later. He can't be much worse than these two seniors, right?
Or back to the game...

In the TNT live broadcast room, Barkley and Smith, the "unknown crosstalk combination", officially appeared again.

This time Barkley was obviously more embarrassing than before. After all, last time he kicked Smith hard enough, it is said that it still hurts when he pooped for several days afterwards!
"Hey, Kenny, what do you think of today's game?"

"Does it matter what I think? Anyway, you must still be optimistic about the Clippers?"

"Yes, are you also optimistic about the Clippers? Oh, this is rare. It's rare for the two of us to agree once!"

"Ah bah! Who the hell agrees with you? I'm optimistic about the Warriors!"

"Hahaha... Let me just say, you boy and I must not be optimistic about the same team! By the way, don't you think that the Warriors have internal conflicts, which will affect this game?"

"Contradictions? Are you referring to Antoine? Hehe, that's why you are too shallow! Let me tell you, Antoine is a smart guy. He knows that staying with the Warriors is the best choice for him. If he really wants to go to the Wizards, he has no chance to compete for the championship... Uh, it should be said that he doesn't even have a chance in the playoffs!"

"Isn't that what you said? The Wizards' strength is not good, but if Antoine joins, they should still have no problem reaching the playoffs, right?"

"Hey, our 'great Sir Charles', did you learn math from your physical education teacher? Take a good look at the current record of the Wizards. They only have 11 wins. Do you think multiple Antoines will allow them to win 30 games in the next regular season?"

"Uh...it's really not possible! Unless they can have me in my peak period, or Michael in my peak period... well, even if it's me and Michael, it's not easy to win 40 games out of more than 30 games!"

"That's right... So, I bet Antoine will not leave the Warriors, at least not this season!"

"Hearing what you said, it seems to be true...but it's true that they have internal conflicts? The Clippers have Darling King. Do you still think the Warriors can win tonight?"

"Hey, hey, Charles, when you were the boss of the Suns, would you be happy if some of your teammates performed very well?"

"Nonsense, of course I'm happy!"

"But...if that teammate's performance has already threatened your position as the leader, are you still happy?"

"This...I think I can't be happy...Why are you asking this?"

"Don't worry, listen to me... What will you do if a teammate threatens your boss position?"

"Uh... I should try my best on the court, and I must play better than him!"

"That's to say... With your IQ, you can think of this. Could it be that Antoine couldn't think of it? He's Michael and Vince's younger brother!"

"Well, it makes sense... huh? You want to be beaten, don't you? How dare you turn a corner to belittle my IQ?"

"Oh, don't pay attention to this, this is not the point, the point is that we have been talking for a long time tonight, and we haven't gotten to the point yet! Uh... what bet shall we bet tonight?"

"Ah? Your butt doesn't hurt anymore, does it? Didn't it feel good to be kicked by me last time?"

"Huh... each other! Remember when I kicked your ass first... If I had known that you kicked so hard later, I wouldn't have stopped my kick!"

"Hahaha...Okay, let's get back to the topic, bet...how about an opening game tonight?"

"What opening game?"

"It's just a bet on which team will score the first goal first. I'll bet on the Clippers and you bet on the Warriors. Let's bet $100 for a small bet, how about it?"

"Oh, this gamble is quite new, okay, I'll take the gamble!"

……

The Warriors have a strong starting lineup, while the Clippers field an incredible lineup -- center Wang Dalin, power forward Ron Artest, small forward Matt Barnes, shooting guard Quentin Richardson and point guard Marco Jaric.

You are not mistaken!

Wang Dalin appeared in the fifth position!

Although Wang Dalin is also a real 211cm, he is completely a younger brother compared with Yao Ming, and Artest's height of 201cm is also half a head shorter than Clifford Robinson's 208cm.

In addition, the 206CM Jamison is also much taller than the 201CM Barnes, and the inside height of the Clippers lineup is obviously at a disadvantage.

The reason why the old Dunleavy sent such a starting lineup was mainly because Mourning's knee was uncomfortable again.

Old Deng Levy probably thought so... Instead of sending Wang Zhizhi up and being blown away by Yao Ming, it is better to let Wang Dalin go to the fifth position to try!

Wang Dalin can launch an attack directly from the outside, and Yao Ming will definitely not be able to spot it;
And if Yao Ming wants to beat Wang Dalin inside... To be honest, old Deng Levy thinks he might not be able to beat him!

Besides, even if Mourning's health is fine, he still can't guard against Yao Ming, and his height is only 208 cm, not as good as Wang Dalin!

Seeing Wang Dalin standing in the middle circle and preparing to jump the ball, Yao Ming couldn't help but said in surprise: "Dalin, are you coming to play center forward?"

Wang Dalin smiled slightly and said, "Why, can't it?"

Yao Ming smiled proudly: "Okay, of course...don't cry when I teach you a lesson!"

Wang Dalin said with a smile: "I don't know who will teach whom!"

While speaking, the referee walked between them with the ball and threw the ball high up.

Yao Ming just jumped up to the height of a palm, only to see that Wang Dalin in front of him had already jumped a head higher than him. With his long arms reaching up, he passed the basketball to Artest behind the center circle.

Whether it is the jumping height or the jumping speed, Wang Dalin is more than one grade higher than Yao Ming, so how could he lose to him in the jumping ball?
Artest passed the ball to Jarich, who carefully dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and handed the ball to Wang Dalin at the top of the three-point arc.

Although Wang Dalin's position in this game is the center, he will not go to the basket to fight against Yao Ming, but he will go outside the three-point line and play a high position to support.

Uh... In fact, this can't be regarded as a pure high-post support, because he saw that the opponent's defensive player was relatively late, so he raised his hand and shot without hesitation.

With a "swish", the sound of the basketball passing through the net is always so pleasant.

Musselman yelled anxiously on the sidelines: "Jason, Antoine, watch out for me, don't let Darling-Wang shoot outside the three-point line!"

In the TNT live broadcast room, Smith reluctantly took out a hundred-dollar bill, crumpled it up and threw it to Barkley.

Barkley didn't take it seriously either, and picked up the banknotes with a smile and said, "Kenny, should we start the second round of gambling now?"

Smith gritted his teeth and said: "Okay! Tell me, how do you bet?"

Barkley said with a smile: "In the second round, let's bet on which team will lead at the end of the first half. I will bet on the Clippers and you bet on the Warriors. Let's not bet big. The bet is only $500. How about it?"

Smith sneered and said, "Okay, I'm betting!"

……

As the game passed by, Musselman's brows gradually frowned.

It's not that the Warriors fell behind by a large margin. The scores of the two sides have been rising alternately, and the point difference has been hovering between 2-4 points. No one can widen the point difference.

Musselman frowned mainly because he felt that he didn't understand Wang Dalin... Isn't this style of play too weird?

If he also traveled from a later life, then he could see at a glance that Wang Dalin's presence on the court at this moment is somewhat like that of James during the Lakers.

It’s just that James is threatening to break through, forcing the opponent’s defensive players to stay behind. Wang Dalin is just the opposite... He is threatening with his precise outside shooting, so that the opponent’s defensive players must press close to him, so that it is obviously easier for him to break through.

Of course, it is impossible for him to break through every time. The Warriors will definitely double-team him within the three-point line, so most of his breakthroughs are just feints, and he will often pass the ball to an open teammate before encountering double-teaming.

In fact, this is "one star and four shots", but because of Wang Dalin's super shooting ability, his offensive deterrence is stronger than that of "Emperor Zhan" at the peak of later generations.

Everyone knows that when you really can't guard James, it's better to let him shoot from the outside. No matter what, it's much better to let him shoot from the outside than to let him burst in.

Although James has practiced well in three-pointers late in his career, he is still a breakthrough player in the final analysis. In terms of shooting stability, he is not as good as Wade... "The Flash" has always been very accurate in mid-range shots, even better than the peak Kobe!

Of course, since it is "one star and four shots", in addition to this "one star", the strength of "four shots" is also very important. For example, James used to have many excellent pitchers such as Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, Sean Battier, and JR Smith.

At the moment, Kyle Korver is in the Clippers, and Wang Zhizhi, Eddie House, Ron Artest, Matt Barnes and others all have good three-pointers... I dare not say that the league is top-notch, but it is relatively reliable.

In fact, the injured Drogbiak can also vote, but he is not as accurate as Wang Zhizhi.

And Bobby Simmons... His three-point shooting percentage this season is indeed a bit horrible, but Wang Dalin knows that this is only temporary, because this next season will evolve into a very good shooter, and his three-point shooting percentage is 43.5%.
In the first quarter, the Clippers took a total of 21 shots, 9 of which were three-point shots, and they hit 4 of them... This is terrible!

The person who threw out the "magic ball theory" once said - "If a team shoots 40 three-pointers in a game, as long as they can make 16 of them, that is, the shooting percentage is 40%, then they are almost impossible to lose!"

yes!According to the shooting rate, a 40% three-point shooting rate is equivalent to a 60% two-point shooting rate, and 16 three-pointers are equivalent to 24 two-pointers!

40 three-pointers with 16 shots is not too outrageous, but 40 two-pointers with 24 shots... Isn't this ridiculous?
Even if it is the "Peak Shark", he can't guarantee that he will be able to score 40 goals every 24 shots, but now Wang Dalin dares... He will definitely score more than 40 goals in 16 three-point shots, because his three-point shooting rate is far more than 40%!
As of this game, he had made 275 three-point shots this season, and made 129 of them, with a shooting percentage as high as 46.9%. This still took two "Super God Pickled Peppers", resulting in an extremely dismal shooting rate in the entire 6 games... If it wasn't for those games, his three-point shooting percentage would definitely not be lower than 48%!

46.9%!It is higher than the overall shooting percentage of many outside stars!

If he hadn't really played such a performance, in this era where three-pointers are generally ignored, who would dare to believe this kind of thing?
Take a look at Kobe Bryant. His shooting percentage last season was 47.5%, and his three-point shooting percentage was close to 40%. This season is also the same. His three-point shooting is far more accurate than his original time and space!
Look at people like Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and Allen Iverson. Their three-point shooting percentages are more or less more accurate than themselves in the original time and space.

Stars who are already very good at outside shooting, such as Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Peja Stojakovic and others, their three-point shooting percentage has not improved compared with their original time and space, but the number of three-point shots has increased significantly.

Wang Dalin didn't notice, or most people in the entire league didn't notice... After Wang Dalin destroyed the enemy's defense with a three-pointer and led his team to win the championship twice, the style of play in the entire league has undergone slight changes.

Although this change is not obvious, so most people have not noticed it, but the change is real.

Although it is not yet possible to advance the league to the small-ball era of later generations, if this evolution continues, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, the small-ball era will come earlier.

In fact, Wang Dalin doesn't like the style of play in the small ball era... the fierce inside confrontation in the past is gone, the wonderful mid-range fadeaway jumper is gone, and the dunks are also reduced. Everyone knows how to shoot three-pointers!
As everyone knows, in the playoffs, what can really kill the game is the unsolvable mid-range fadeaway jumper similar to Jordan and Kobe... Isn't that what Durant and Leonard did later?

And the most criticized thing in the small ball era is the decline in defensive strength, especially the inside defense... A mere Rudy Gobert can actually win two DPOY awards?

As far as his defense is concerned, the frame protection is not as good as "Uncle Mu" back then, and the defense is far worse than "Hard Special" and "Big Ben". So he can actually sign a five-year $5 million maximum salary contract?

That is to say, in the small ball era, if he is just a blue-collar center in the early 21st century, it will be difficult to earn an annual salary of 800 million US dollars!

Some people say it's wrong, isn't "Big Ben" also a blue-collar center?Didn't he still sign a four-year, $4 million contract with the Bulls?

That's right, he did get a big contract, but it was already the summer of 2006... and Big Ben had already been selected to the All-Star team at that time, had a championship ring in his hand, and won the best defensive player award for 4 times. He is not a pure blue-collar center!

Some people say that there is another Eric Dampier?

Have you forgotten the dignified "Second Center in the Western Conference"?

That's right, that guy did sign a 2004-year $7 contract with the Mavericks in the summer of 7300, and his average salary has exceeded $1000 million.

But... besides Mark Cuban, who else would give him such a big contract?
The Mavericks were also in a hurry to go to the doctor. After all, O'Neal hadn't had time to go to the East at the time, so they had to find a more reliable center with a meat shield to deal with him, right?
What's more, in the 2003-2004 season, Dampier also averaged 12.3 points, 12 rebounds and 1.85 blocks per game. Apart from Yao Ming, where is there a more reliable center than him in the entire Western Conference?
……

Or back to the game.

After the first quarter, the two sides tied at 28:28.

I have to say that the overall strength of the Warriors is indeed higher than that of the Clippers... The Clippers players have played very well, but they still can only draw with the opponent.

After a short intermission, players from both sides returned to the court again.

Wang Dalin finally started to show off his power. At the beginning of the second quarter, he went inside twice in a row, successfully dunked once, and caused Yao Ming's defensive foul once.

Seeing Yao Ming committing two fouls at the beginning of the second quarter, Musselman frowned even tighter...

　Thanks to "Sea Demon God" for rewarding 100 starting coins!Thanks to "Principal Ant", "Is Not Drunk" and "Aoyue Ningshuang" for their encouragement!The new character, Artest, has been launched, please give me some feedback when you have time, thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)