NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 524: The Power of Filling the Salary Cap (6000-word chapter)
In mid-October, as the preseason got underway, the NBA finally emerged from the betting scandal of the previous few months.

Although the league's headquarters is in New York, reporters here took the lead. Even if other regions gave up, there were still investigative reporters who kept an eye on Tim Donaghy's movements.

The desire to win awards for such explosive news is the motivation for many investigative journalists.

No matter how ESPN and TNT try to change the subject, some reporters are waiting for developments after the trial opens in January 08.

NBA fans across the ocean are once again attending the China Games this year.

As early as March 3 this year, Li Yuanwei, executive vice president of the Basketball Association, and Heidi Ueberroth, vice president of the NBA, announced this year's schedule at a press conference.

Originally, the Magic had Francis, a big star who was loved by Chinese fans, but Francis was cut by the team. Currently, the biggest star of the Magic has become Rashard Lewis.

When Lewis is mentioned, Chinese Rockets fans are unhappy. When the offseason just started, various magazines competed to report that one of the Supersonics twins would return to his hometown.

Originally, people hoped that Yao Ming would have a strong helper, but Orlando ended up directly completing the deal with a big contract.

Everything Lewis' agent said before has become a joke. They will go wherever there is more money. As for the hometown team? Let's think about it at the end of his career.
Fortunately, the Rockets have a backup plan. Argentina's main forward Luis Scola finally landed in the NBA, got rid of the Spurs' entanglement, and successfully joined the Rockets!

In this regard, before the new season even started, the magazine, after praising the new head coach Adelman, began to "aim for the championship."

Many young fans have not yet realized what it takes to win the championship, but they were very happy after reading the news. McGrady has such a graceful posture, and it’s time for him to play in the finals with Yao Ming.

On Monday the 15th, when the Magic and Cavaliers flew to Shanghai, they were warmly welcomed by the fans. There were not many reports of scandals here, and the NBA is still a pure competitive sport in the eyes of many young people.

Jeff Van Gundy signed a low-key three-year contract with the Cavaliers during the offseason. The championship coach continues to be tied to James, and Cleveland still believes in him.

But as a head coach, Van Gundy has a lot of troubles. There are two super teams in the Eastern Conference, and with the current configuration of the Cavaliers, they basically have no advantage.

Originally, after several seasons of polishing, Howard's performance became better and better as his game experience increased, but Van Gundy became a little worried when he thought of the Celtics' "Big Four".

The Cavaliers did not catch any big fish in the free market during the offseason. The veterans were unwilling to help the newbies, and most of the rookie players had contracts.

In this situation, Van Gundis thought about it and felt that "outlasting the old man" was the best way. The Knicks successfully outlasted the Bulls that year, which was something he experienced personally.

As long as the time comes, the team is fully prepared, and the championship coach raises his hand and calls, they can rely on more energetic young people to defeat the defending champions.

When they returned to the hotel that night, Van Gundy looked at his right-hand man and told him his plan and arrangements in detail. Thibodeau shook his head and reminded him meaningfully:
“Jeff, I must warn you that the team’s trust is declining!”

"Cleveland fans can accept their team losing to the Knicks, but they certainly don't want to see their home team defeated by the Celtics."

"And we must be in a favorable position in the regular season, otherwise there is a high probability that we will meet these two teams in the semifinals. If possible, it would be best to be No. 1 in the Eastern Conference."

"As long as nothing unexpected happens, the other two teams will meet in advance. This is our best chance for the new season."

Thibodeau had just strolled along the Bund with his teammates. He was dressed in sportswear. Perhaps because he was busy with work during the offseason, he looked unkempt and had none of the demeanor of a famous coach.

Pulling open the collar of his white shirt, the increasingly bald Van Gundy paced back and forth in the room. He certainly knew that first place was the best, but the opponent was a team with 60 wins.

In terms of supporting ability, Lee You-sense is ridiculously strong. Since he entered the league in 96, the Knicks have maintained 60+ wins until now. This record is still continuing and it is highly likely that no one will be able to break it in the future.

"I talked to Gilbert about the long-term plan for championship pursuit, and the Knicks are the best example."

"He totally agrees with this! Think about it, even in three years, LeBron James will only be 26 years old, and by then no one in the Eastern Conference will be our opponent."

"We just need to get to the conference finals again this year and gain experience. I know Boston invited you, but they won't make it, and we all know why."

Thinking of how his assistant coach was almost poached, Van Gundy was a little angry. He made a big promise for his good partner, but Thibodeau remained calm:
"I knew that, so I turned them down. Everyone was aware of the depth issues the Celtics had. The pre-season odds didn't lie."

When the two talked about the team's operations during the offseason, they all started shaking their heads. There were no players they liked in the entire free market. Van Gundy finally sighed:

"Maybe next year we can poach players from New York. The tactical system is the same and the players can fit in seamlessly."

"."

Thibodeau didn't say anything. He was too embarrassed to say that the Knicks players were sometimes bad players. Sprewell had ruined the Bulls, and he had not forgotten that.

When Thibodeau thought about how he spent a lot of money to recruit a player who performed like the former steals leader, he was a little worried about his partner, as this situation would make them completely lose the trust of the team.

On Wednesday, the 17th, in the game in Shanghai, LeBron James was not the focus of the court. Howard, who frequently contributed dunks and tomahawk rebounds, received more applause.

The Magic's shooters were completely inaccurate, and JJ Redick was directly lost. Facing the Cavaliers' zone defense, he either missed shots or was blocked at the basket.

Howard had a great time contributing 14 rebounds and 6 blocks in a single game. After being trained by the national team, he was able to blow up the opponent's inside line by himself.

Jameer Nelson has not yet reached a formal agreement with the team, and he looked a little ugly after the embarrassing loss.

In contrast, Hedo Turkoglu enjoyed waving to the fans after the game, communicating frequently with his new teammate Lewis, and finally joked about Howard:

"Great job, Dwight! If you could come to Orlando, I'd definitely give you a thumbs up!"

There were constant cheers in the arena. Howard showed an expression of enjoyment on his face. He simply hugged his opponent and started to brag:

"You know, I just signed a billion-dollar contract. Maybe you should come to Cleveland and we can form a 'Big Four'. It sounds cool!"

Lewis' salary is actually higher, but after signing the big contract, he became more low-key and never showed off like this newbie:

"I have no interest in playing in Cleveland. I can't think of any team other than New York that would spend a lot of money to improve the roster."

"Two maximum salaries is the limit, man! Enjoy your life first. Now you seem to be more popular than James."

Hearing Lewis's praise, Howard was overjoyed, showing his white teeth and grinning. He just liked to hear such flattery. "Coolie" was not what he pursued.

During the offseason, James was busy fighting for power with Kobe in the national team and didn't pay much attention to the team's situation. As a result, this warm-up game made him dumbfounded again.

Big brother Larry Hughes shot 12 of 2 and almost broke the rim. James was speechless and determined to send him away this season.

However, when interviewed, James did not show this emotion. Instead, he smiled and spoke kindly for his teammates:

"I think everyone is in good shape. The Cavaliers are very good at transitioning between offense and defense. We showed ourselves in front of tens of thousands of fans tonight!"

"As for everyone's condition, I won't worry. The pre-season is to find out the problems. The coach will help us improve the slow start."

Before the end of the month, teams can complete contract renewals with players in advance.

The Knicks did not hand over the contract in order to give the troublemaker a warning, but the Spurs were different. They had always wanted to renew the contract with Duncan in advance, but the other party did not give a clear answer.

On Thursday, the 18th, ESPN gossiped about Popovich's possible retirement during the day, and then at night, on the TNT program, the three of them transformed into psychological masters.

In the studio, Charles Barkley seemed to have become a close friend of Tim Duncan, and he stated Duncan's plan in a positive tone:

"I understand Tim Duncan. He won the MVP but was not respected. He will opt out of his contract in the offseason next year and exercise his player option in advance."

"Relying on my own appeal, changing a city in the Western Conference to recruit more helpers is the best option."

"After reaching the finals four times, I think Duncan must have realized the fact that the head coach is important, but not so important at certain times. The players are the ones who decide the game."

Seeing his partner say this seriously, Kenny Smith, who was sitting on the far right, couldn't help but make a joke:
"You talked to Duncan on the phone? He told you this in person? God, why would he leave San Antonio, a 60-win championship team?"

Charles Barkley certainly wouldn't say that the two had never texted each other. Although the above content was all made up by him, he looked confident:
"Championship contender? Look at the current Finals record. The Spurs have no hope of winning against the Knicks."

"They have filled up their salary cap again this year. With this lineup, if they make it to the finals again, do they have a chance to win?"

"Tim Duncan knows that he can't raise the ceiling of the team. He is not Lee, and his ability is not enough to defeat the defending champions."

"Only by changing the environment can he get out of this predicament. I believe that as long as he opts out of the contract, many teams will welcome him."

This statement seems to make sense, but the "One Man, One City Award" is one of the few important honors in Duncan's career so far. Ernie Johnson also asked curiously:
"Which team can attract Tim Duncan to join? The Phoenix Suns? Form the strongest inside line in the West with Stoudemire?"

"Utah Jazz? Deron Williams is too young. I don't think he will be better than Parker. Lee can easily penetrate the rookie's defense."

"The Denver Nuggets? Maybe they can't offer a big contract anymore. Most importantly, Allen Iverson has never beaten Lee. This is not a good choice."

Kenny Smith had guessed what his partner was going to say, so he simply covered his face and shouted "No, No, No" in the studio.
"Why not the Lakers? Two players who need to prove themselves join forces, and coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense may allow Duncan to go further."

"Andrew Bynum is very talented. After he joins the team, they only need to add perimeter defenders. Kobe can complete those response balls on offense and can match up with Lee on defense."

Charles Barkley, smiling, brought the topic back to the Lakers. After hearing this answer, the two people on the side shook their heads and said "impossible". Kenny Smith finally gave his own opinion very firmly, emphasizing the current situation of the Lakers:
"The news we received is that Los Angeles is actively promoting the championship guard, and they still hope to send Kobe away with a three-team trade."

"Even if Kobe eventually stays in Los Angeles, how can they convince Duncan? Don't forget that the team has been eliminated in the first round in recent years, and its record is far inferior to that of the Spurs."

"."

The show that night ended in controversy. The Spurs' successive years of filling the salary cap eventually laid hidden dangers, and Tim Duncan's choice for next year became a hot topic before the start of the regular season.

On Sunday, the 21st, The Pit gymnasium at the University of New Mexico was packed. Although New Mexico lacks teams from the four major sports leagues, the sports atmosphere here is not bad either.

The preseason games between the Knicks and SuperSonics attracted a large number of fans, and Governor Bill Richardson participated in this year's event throughout.

Cheers continued to ring out in the stadium, but Durant on the court was not happy. As time passed, his mood became worse.

When Li You returned to Albuquerque again, he mobilized almost the entire family. Except for Ivana and Kristen Ritter who were still recuperating, the other girls also came here to vacation and rest.

Melinda, who was sitting in the front row, was dressed in sportswear. In addition to being busy fighting with her opponents in court, she also completed an investment.

Twitter's Series A financing was assisted by Li You's Inno company with US$500 million. The two parties have reached a preliminary cooperation, and Reddit will help promote it.

If everything goes well, Inno will bring in the Ziff brothers for the B round of financing, and both sides will invest another 1500 million. This has already been agreed upon.

Although Twitter has seen user growth since its explosion in July, its profit model remains a question mark.

There has been a situation where money has been flowing like water recently, and Scarlett, who has always been lavish with money, feels heartbroken. Ever since she thought that Marvel's Iron Man was going to flop, she has started to consciously save money.

Sitting next to Milinda, the succubus would whisper a few words from time to time, and after being comforted, she would laugh softly.
Pretty girls always get extra attention. Durant, who saw the goddess again, was not focused enough from the beginning of the game. As a result, he was entangled by Prince and missed shots repeatedly.

There were only 3 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first half. At this time, the Knicks still had Li You leading the rotation lineup. Those who participated in the national team during the offseason would not play too long tonight.

"Defense!."

Defensive cheers were heard again in the arena. The Knicks played with the momentum of their home court, which made the newbies on the opposing team extremely uncomfortable. Delonte West even passed the ball as soon as he crossed half court.

Head coach PJ Carlesimo, who was wearing a dark gray suit, saw that the offense had stagnated, so he lowered his arms, gestured to pass the ball to Durant, and pushed up his glasses.

Durant received the ball in the right elbow area and when he turned around, Prince stuck to him. Facing the thin "big bamboo pole", the low-key forward of the Knicks gave enough confrontation.

The two are not unfamiliar with the matchup. They practiced together when they were on the national team, but the situation is completely different in NBA games. The current teammates are unable to magnify Durant's advantages.

The two big men Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison near the baseline were unable to create space, and although Damien Wilkins in the backcourt was in good shape, Durant didn't want to pass the ball.

As for West at the top of the arc, this guy became invisible after he came on the court and faced Li You. Durant finally didn't look at his teammates, and after a series of tentative steps, he released the ball with his right hand, and quickly stepped back after a powerful blast.

Facing Prince's left-hand interference, Durant faced the defense and missed another shot.
Watching the basketball hit the back edge and bounce straight out, Durant clapped his hands in frustration, and without even calling his teammates, he hurriedly retreated.

Collison tried his best and fought with Gazuric under the basket, but the long rebound bounced out. Dio on the other side successfully predicted it and picked up the ball in the paint area before Wilcox.

After getting the rebound, he took the ball and rushed forward. When Dio rushed across half court, Raja Bell, who was running fast on the other side, had already run to the right corner, and Prince also cut into the basket quietly.

Dio slowed down at the top of the arc and passed the ball to Li You who was following up. The moment the left wing received the ball far away from the three-point line, Delonte West, who had stopped on the three-point line, hurriedly moved to defend.

As the opponent's feet moved, Li You looked at the frame and released the ball with his left hand. He suddenly started, took a big step, stopped again, and stepped back.

West rushed directly to the three-point line from the side after a sudden stop and start. He had no time to make a defensive move. He watched Li You easily pass the ball and make a steady jump shot.

As the three-pointer went into the net, the stadium was boiling again, 54:41, and the score difference was tending to widen.

Glancing at the audience in the front row on the sidelines, they were clapping and cheering loudly. Durant under the basket slapped his thigh again. He lost points as soon as he came on the court and lost all his face.

This game actually attracted quite a bit of attention. After all, Durant performed well in the previous preseason games and had an outstanding performance in the open tryouts, so ESPN made a preview early on.

In the commentary booth, Mark Jackson didn't care about the newbie's feelings. He looked at the technical statistics and joked:

"So far, Durant has made 11 of 2 shots, and his performance from beyond the three-point line is not very good, 4 of 1. It can be seen that he has not yet fully adapted to the confrontation in the NBA."

Mike Breen noticed that the Sonics started to pass the ball boringly on the outside again. Delonte West screened and rolled the ball near the left extension, and Nick Collison received the ball in the elbow area without looking at the frame.

Wilcox in the paint was trying desperately to squeeze under the basket, and Durant and his teammates on the right wing were overlapping in their running positions. In this situation, Mike Breen simply explained for the Supersonics:
"It seems that coach Carlesimo still has a lot of work to do. He must integrate Durant into the team."

In the end, Collison's hand-to-hand pass failed to delay Prince, and Durant, who received the ball on the left wing, had to face Prince again, who raised his right arm and deliberately let go of his left hand.

Durant dribbled the ball without using his weak hand. He paused slightly after dribbling between his legs, and took advantage of the opponent's change of defensive focus to quickly pass the ball outside the three-point line and directly shot against the defense.
The long rebound ball was picked up by Raja Bell immediately, and the cross pass from the elbow area found Li You who was accelerating along the left sideline. The Knicks launched another transition attack.

Durant, who missed the shot, could only follow his teammates to return to defense. Just as he returned to the half court and completed the defensive position, he saw Raja Bell receiving the ball at the top of the arc again.

Durant at the other end of the court clearly saw Dio in the left elbow pretending to move up to screen Li You outside the three-point line, and then suddenly accelerated and moved down.

Just as the coach emphasized before the game, West switched defense immediately, cut off the passing lane in time, and followed Dio to the basket;

Wilcox was a little slow and failed to switch defense in time, allowing Raja Bell to easily pass the ball.

Taking advantage of his height, Durant couldn't bear to watch as Li You received the ball and faked it, deceiving his teammates, letting go of the ball with his left hand, dribbling another step, and then drifting toward the left sideline to shoot a jump shot.

"OH——! Another three!"

Mike Breen shouted in a brisk tone from the commentary booth, and several players on the SuperSonics were visibly frustrated. The score difference became 16 points.
Damien Wilkins, who was in hot form in the first quarter, stopped paying attention to the newbie and took the initiative to signal for him to cover.

As Nelson received the ball at the left elbow, Wilcox set a screen on the right wing. Wilkins accelerated his lateral movement and received the card. He missed the jump shot facing Dio who switched defense in time.

This time, the rebound was picked up by Li You in the left blocking area, and Durant, who had just been squatting in the right corner, started to run back.

As soon as he returned to the half court and stood still, Durant turned around and heard cheers. Then he saw Li You, who was near the right wing, suddenly pass the ball and jump shot while still some distance from the three-point line.

The arc was very high, and Durant subconsciously turned his head to look at the basket, and the basketball finally went into the net.

"Oh!"

The score difference reached 19 points, and with less than 2 minutes left, the game suddenly came to an end. As the Supersonics symbolically requested a timeout, Li You paced towards the half court and high-fived the fans with a smile on his face to show his respect.

"Damn game!"

Durant, who suffered a beating for the first time, returned to the bench and complained angrily as if he was saying that the Supersonics should have won the game.

"You'll get used to it, man! Luckily we only have two games against New York this year, my experience playing in Boston was a nightmare!"

Delonte West, who was traded to the SuperSonics, casually shared his experience, but was glared at by the head coach and stopped talking.

The timeout did not solve the Sonics' scoring shortage. Durant was still in a slump until the last moments of the half when he saved some face with free throws.

66:43, the game lost its suspense and the remaining time completely turned into a warm-up exhibition match.

Coach Carlesimo obviously received instructions from the team. The tactic is almost to give the ball to Durant, let the newbie go and adapt to the intensity of NBA games as soon as possible.

Durant did not show any mercy either. He missed many shots in the second half, leading the team to lose more and more points, and finally lost the game regretfully.

126:86, at the end of the game, there was jubilation on the Knicks bench, and D'Antoni couldn't hold back the smile on his face. His thigh was in better condition than he thought.

全场比赛23中6，三分线外8中2，罚球6中4，杜兰特砍下18分5篮板1助攻1抢断3失误。

Many fans were disappointed with Meng Xin's performance. He was too tough and completely different from when he was in the national team.
Li You, who was being interviewed by ESPN, did not hesitate to praise Durant for his willingness to take responsibility, and only showed a look of surprise when he heard the gossip about San Antonio.

"Tim Duncan's contract? You mean his player option? I don't think he's leaving his city."

"Champions are not the only thing, you know man, I have always agreed with this point of view, the fans are the most important, I believe he will fulfill his promise and bring a championship to San Antonio."

When the young reporter heard Li You's words, he felt something was wrong, as if the boomerang from previous years was about to fly back.

Without getting too involved in the gossip, Li You greeted the fans again after a brief interview. The succubus who likes to show off her affection did not forget to give a kiss in public at the end.

Durant, who was walking slowly towards the player tunnel, felt even worse when he saw this scene. He couldn't help but speed up his pace and comforted himself:

"Just friends. Not married."

(End of this chapter)