NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 527 Achieving Greatness? (Daily Chapter)

On Sunday, November 2007, 11, the NBA announced the Player of the Week for the second week of the new season:
Kevin Garnett from the Eastern Conference and Yao Ming from the Western Conference both won awards.

Driven by the Knicks for many years, most teams will choose to rush to start if they want to get a better regular season record.

The "Big Four" Celtics have won five straight games after their big win over the Nets on Saturday, and are undefeated this season;

After changing the head coach and Adelman injecting the Princeton system into the team, the Rockets currently have 5 wins and 1 loss, leading the Western Conference.

It is worth mentioning that Tracy McGrady also won the Player of the Week in Week 1. The Rockets' dual core won the two awards at the beginning of the season!
Due to the depth problem of the lineup, Garnett did what he said and showed his tough guy character. He averaged 40.3 minutes per game this week and fulfilled his promise to the fans.

再加上场均22.8分14.8篮板6.3助攻2.8抢断1.0盖帽4.0失误的豪华两双，沉寂了许久的波士顿球迷彻底沸腾了！

With a shooting percentage of 58.1% and a free throw percentage of 82.6%, Garnett not only demonstrated his versatility, but also his excellent efficiency, which earned the former MVP more praise.

As for the "grouping" behavior, as the Celtics continue to win, only some sour people are still jealous.

After all, for most fans, basketball games are all about results. As long as you win, you will always get respect.

The friction between Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce has tended to intensify over time.

The taunts of the loudmouth Pierce not only angered the outdated "Son of Philadelphia", but also caused some star players whose teams had poor lineups to express injuries, with local sports media also adding fuel to the fire.

In this situation, McGrady, who started his Eastern Conference road trip and flew to Charlotte to prepare for tonight's game, suddenly stood up and spoke for Iverson in an interview before the game:

"Some players should respect Allen Iverson. He seems to have forgotten that Iverson led the team to the conference finals!"

"Iverson has also won the scoring title. Think about the honors he has won. What qualifications does he have to point fingers at such a player?"

"If he really has the ability, why haven't we seen him in the playoffs in recent years? Don't bring the team's strength into yourself. We know who is the better player!"

I have to say, the record is good, the data is not bad, and the words are firm.

Since being defeated by the Jazz in the first round last year, McGrady has rarely spoken out. This outburst stunned many sports reporters.

Yao Ming seldom participates in these topics. He quietly rejected the Lakers' recruitment. Now it seems that this choice is not a bad one. The Rockets do not have so many troubles and the locker room is more harmonious.

Chinese sports media usually don't report negative news, as if the players are all "brothers". The interviewer did not ask Yao Ming about the latest hot topics, but continued with the same old question:

“With more playing time this season, how is playing in the Princeton system different from before?”

"I'm still adapting to the system, but the way the team passes the ball gives me a feeling of being in an international tournament."

In the locker room, Yao Ming sat in his chair and answered questions with a smile. On the other side, his good partner continued to output with sleepy eyes:
"This way of building a team destroyed the league. How much money did Stephen Marbury get? He made many players very passive."

"."

The bitter words cannot affect the Celtics' winning streak. For players like Pierce and Marbury who have led their teams to the bottom for many years, the feeling of winning is simply wonderful!
It was not until this time that the two players, who had almost lost everything in the first half of their careers, understood why the atmosphere in the Knicks locker room has always been so good.

No one likes to lose. Even if it is the team's arrangement, as long as they still want to play well, they will complain to each other if they lose to a certain extent.

The Celtics only have three games this week and the schedule is relatively easy. On Sunday, the coaching staff wanted to take a day off, but Gartner took the initiative to organize a training session.

Even with such inward-looking atmosphere, the players participating in the training all had smiles on their faces. Head coach Doc Rivers was also smiling from ear to ear. It was so joyful to win.

After warming up in the morning, the players trained in groups. Before lunch break, the team organized the players to be interviewed. This situation would hardly happen in the past. After all, apart from the local media, who would interview a bottom-ranked team?
The Celtics' training facility is in Waltham, some distance from the city center. Not many sports journalists have visited in recent years, but this time a large number came.

"Standing together" is not a problem, "standing together and losing" is a joke.

A group of reporters congratulated Garnett on winning the Player of the Week award. Garnett couldn't help but smile proudly when he was surrounded, and his beard seemed to stand up.
"Kevin, can you replicate what the Knicks have done in recent years and remain undefeated in November?"

In previous years, reporters from the Boston Globe always disdained New York's record, but this time it was the home team's turn, and everyone was very excited and couldn't wait to experience the joy of New York fans.

"I'm confident we can go undefeated in November, you know, we have a relatively easy schedule compared to other teams."

"With every game, the team's strength improves. This feeling is indescribable. Everyone has integrated perfectly into the team!"

Garnett said this with a serious expression, and finally slapped himself on the chest twice to express his excitement.

On the other side, Marbury was also very happy. He didn't get many opportunities in this team, but most of the time, he played the role of tactical initiator.

It was as if he had returned to his rookie season playing for the Timberwolves. Tactics such as pick-and-roll, double screen, and off-ball were all back. He no longer needed to take on everything. Marbury recognized himself and knew that he didn't have that ability.

Being a core guard is not easy. Marbury accepted the new role without complaining. When talking about his position in the team, he couldn't help but praise the head coach:
"Coach Rivers is a genius. He saved me. He is completely different from the coaches I have been in the past. I feel like I am back playing in high school."

Speaking of high school, some New York reporters remembered that Marbury's team at Lincoln High School was also a great success. He had made a huge name for himself in New York since he was very young.

ESPN reporters always find different angles to interpret players' words, "High School Basketball" - Chicken Soup Basketball.
"Stephen, have you digested all of Coach Rivers' 100 tactics? We saw a smooth offense in the game."

In the past, ESPN reporters ignored him, but now they actively asked questions. Marbury enjoyed being the center of attention and responded with a bright smile:

"Yes, it was also a challenge for me, but fortunately I completed what the coach asked of me."

"No team in the league can train as hard as we do. I think we can continue to win the next games. I can't find any reason to lose."

Among the many players on the Celtics, only Ray Allen is the calmest. His performance is acceptable whether he is with the Bucks or the Supersonics.

Ray Allen, who has always been the core player but now becomes the second choice, did not feel too happy about this. However, he is still the upright boy and did not get carried away by the victory:

"We haven't achieved anything yet. The new season has just begun. I prefer to set my goals for the long term."

"If I can't get first place, I would like to increase the rotation. How to manage injuries is very important. I don't want to encounter problems in the playoffs."

Looking at Ray Allen who answered questions seriously and poured cold water on the team, Pierce was secretly unhappy. This behavior was not in line with the current locker room culture. On the contrary, Perkins was more likable.

"It's dangerous and tiring to log in! I don't care about the statistics. I can help Kevin get a position. I am willing to sacrifice for the team."

"Playing together makes us brothers. This is the team culture of the Celtics."

Perkins doesn't have much playing time, and when the team speeds up, Garnett will swing to the No. 5 position. However, it is rare for him to get attention, and this "iron-blooded blue-collar" is also trying hard to show himself.

Eddie House, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen didn't get praised, but Rivers didn't forget about them. He praised these role players in front of reporters:

"Energy! Our bench brings more energy to the team!"

"Don't underestimate them, the statistics cannot measure the impact of these guys"

Everyone in the atmosphere group also enjoyed hearing the head coach's constant praise in a hoarse voice. It is always better to be in the newspaper than to be unknown!

At 19:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Knicks faced their first nationally televised game of the new season, facing their old rival the Heat.

The constant praise from the neighbors has also boosted the New York basketball market, with more online fans participating in related topics, which has indirectly led to price increases for the screaming seats at night.

Tonight's game will be the last home game of the week. The team will then embark on an away trip in the Western Conference and face two back-to-back games. With five games in a week, the schedule is quite stressful.

In the past few years, the Heat has been one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference, but with the emergence of injuries, this championship-contending team seems to have fallen behind completely this season.

0 wins and 5 losses. After the start of the new season, the Heat have been struggling to win under the leadership of Pat Riley.

Miami fans were all hoping that Dwyane Wade would be able to return from injury, but in this nationwide live broadcast, the Flash was still sitting on the bench in a suit, watching his teammates being "beaten."

The Heat fell into a scoring drought from 8 minutes and 32 seconds into the first quarter. The greasy-haired guy almost broke his voice during the timeout, but it didn't help in the end.

As time went by, the Heat's score remained at 8 points. When Smush Parker, who came off the bench, missed a three-pointer from the left wing, laughter once again filled the arena.

Ricky Davis, who was substituted off the court, was wide-eyed. There were 4 minutes and 20 seconds left in the first quarter, and there had been no points for a full 4 minutes. There was a high probability that a "tragedy" would occur tonight.

Anfernee Hardaway, who joined the team during the offseason, retreated while loudly calling out to his teammates to match up in time. The outdated veteran now just wants to lose with dignity.
O'Neal ran and stumbled back to the half court, looking grim at this time. None of the open passes he made went in. The old shark had difficulty catching the ball in some rounds. He missed his little brother a little.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The Knicks made an early rotation, and Gasol was sitting on the bench wiping his sweat. The recent games were easier than expected, but he was still a little slow to warm up.

After handing out the towel, David Lee, who was wearing training clothes, did not forget to flatter and comfort his teammates who had performed poorly in recent games:
"Don't worry, Pau! Once Thanksgiving is over, I'm sure you'll be able to get back into shape. Honestly, I can't imagine what it's like to play so many games."

Gasol nodded, a smile reappeared on his face, and he responded in a low voice with his hands covering his mouth:

"It's hard to describe. The coach told me that I was fine physically, but it might be a psychological problem."

The cheers were getting louder and louder. Jason Williams, who was returning to defense at the top of the arc, took a look at the movement behind him and immediately felt that something was wrong. The opponent had already opened up space for attack.

The opponent had just stopped, and Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, began to slow down. Facing the close defense, he suddenly increased his dribbling strength, leaned against the defense, and turned around quickly.

The basketball disappeared from in front of him in an instant. Jason Williams was still trying to adjust his center of gravity, but Li You had already lowered his shoulders and accelerated, and easily got rid of the defense amid the cheers of the fans.

O'Neal, who was at the lower left side of the basket, seemed to be stuck to the floor. He didn't have time to move his feet. Li You had already held the ball in his right hand and leaned forward to make a layup!
"Bang!" The ball went into the basket accurately after a high shot.

"Oh!"

Amid the cheers, Haslem, who was standing near the right baseline, was a little numb. His defense was broken with one poke, and his assist defense gave Dio a three-pointer in the bottom corner.

Several Heat players subconsciously looked at the head coach. Facing everyone's gaze, Pat Riley did not make any response. He made a tactical gesture with a blank expression, indicating that the ball should continue to be passed to O'Neal. At 8:22, such a score difference made the Heat players' mentality explode, and Jason Williams could not help but start to speed up.

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, Chandler retreated quickly, not giving O'Neal the opportunity to comfortably get the ball in the low post. The two rushed to the basket and started to pull.

According to the established tactics, Anfernee Hardaway should have received the ball on the left wing after passing the screen, but Williams did not expect that he would gain half a body position by changing direction in front of the top of the arc.

As his teammates ran out of tactics, Jason Williams seemed to dribble past Li You, continued to accelerate, and then neared the free throw line and realized that the defense was approaching again.

Haslem was standing too close to the basket and realized that he might face help defense. After hesitating for a moment, Jason Williams suddenly jumped up and threw the ball behind his head without looking at anyone.

Williams threw the ball with his right hand, the action was chic and comfortable. As soon as Williams landed, the basketball was intercepted by Li You beside him in the air.
As if the ball was given to the opponent, laughter broke out again. Hardaway, who didn't receive the ball on the other side, could only try his best to chase and defend, but unfortunately his speed was too slow and he stopped in frustration before he could get back to the three-point line.

Li You almost took off from the free throw line, gliding long distance in the fast break, stretched his body in the air, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and slammed it down!
"boom!"

The basket made sounds and the arena was filled with shouts; this was the rhythm of a crazy bullying of the weak.

"What the hell!"

Seeing Li You retreating with a relaxed look on his face, Anfernee Hardaway, who had a small mustache, felt a surge of anger in his heart. He cursed under his breath and ran to the baseline helplessly to continue kicking the ball.

"I always think Dwyane Wade is the best player at defending Lee!"

"Wade's absence has an impact on more than just defense. On offense, the Heat currently only have O'Neal who can change the Knicks' defensive strategy. Someone must step up to solve the problem at this time."

On the ABC commentary stand, Mark Jackson began to emphasize Wade's influence again. Compared to O'Neal, he has always insisted that Wade is the real core of the team.

After the pick-and-roll, Mike Breen could only sigh as he watched O'Neal catch the ball and squeeze to the lower left corner of the basket. His movements were a little distorted and he faked a layup.
"Injuries seem to have taken away O'Neal's explosiveness. If he were a few years younger, the Shark's attack would definitely end with a dunk."

Finally breaking the scoring drought, O'Neal angrily yelled at the baseline referee, thinking he should have a free throw.
Perhaps he was too excited. When defending the pick-and-roll again, O'Neal finally delayed it. On the left wing, facing Li You who held the ball with his left hand, he slid desperately.

Chandler seized the opportunity and when Li You attracted two defenders, he strode down quickly.

Just as he expected, Li You leaned forward and accelerated, gaining half a body position from O'Neal, swung his left arm in front of him, and made a ground pass that tore through the defense.

After receiving the ball in the paint area, Chandler faced Haslem who was helping defend him, took a step forward, swung his left arm, and slammed the ball into the basket!

The ball went in and the whistle blew. Haslem's tug-of-war didn't work. Chandler, who had completed the dunk, raised his arms and shouted excitedly while showing off his muscles:
"what!"

There was also jubilation on the bench. Even Artest and JR Smith, who were dressed in formal attire, joined in the wild celebration. The atmosphere team couldn't wait to get on the court.

O'Neal, with a furious mentality, made a gesture with a dark face, and then quickly walked to the bench. Pat Riley could only wave to veteran Mourning.

Ricky Davis watched O'Neal drinking the "oral solution" crazily and didn't dare to speak for a while. He waited until the boss's emotions stabilized before he spoke to comfort him:

"Wait until we have a full lineup and win it back."

O'Neal didn't even look at the other team. He watched his teammates continue to miss shots with an expressionless face, and finally responded in a low voice:

"It's over. My era is over. I can't recover to my previous state."

Hearing the boss whispering like that, Ricky Davis had a puzzled look on his face. He didn't remember any "O'Neal era".

In the last few minutes of the first quarter, Haslem was found by Dio while defending a pick-and-roll. He made three jump shots after splitting the left and right elbow areas, and then had another shot to the free throw line.

The Heat's defense completely collapsed. Seeing Li You grab the rebound and throw it casually, and Prince in the frontcourt dunking with both hands without any defense under the basket, Pat Riley sat back in his seat.

There was silence on the bench, but the New York fans in the back were still shouting provocations. Many fans seemed to have forgotten the iron-blooded Knicks team and had lost respect for the greasy-haired coach.

Mourning's free throws saved some face for the Heat. At 12:40, when the first quarter ended, the staff at the technical desk in front all shook their heads.

Wade, who was dressed in a suit, couldn't help but cover his face on the bench. Although he lost 5 games in a row, he didn't lose so badly before.
Rondo, who was ready to play, didn't look at the score difference. He looked serious. After the start of the new season, he studied tactics and got more opportunities:

"We played low-post tactics, and the opponent had already given up on defense, so we were able to continue to expand our lead."

"."

Before going on the court, Rondo grabbed the eager rookie Thaddeus Young and signaled everyone to pass the ball to Gasol and slow down the pace.

After the game started, Smush Parker, who returned to the No. 1 position on the opposite side, couldn't stand it anymore. The rookie yelled "arrogantly" in front of him and repeatedly disrupted the offensive rhythm.

Although this was a national live broadcast, Mike Breen watched the Knicks continue to hit hard during the rotation phase, and finally couldn't help but say:

"If the defending champions keep this form, no one in the league can match them!"

On Monday, the 12th, many sports media outlets reported on last night's game, which was so brutal that after the game O'Neal would rather pay 2 US dollars than attend the press conference.

70:128, another 58-point defeat. In the morning ESPN program, the "Big Four" were no longer praised, but Li You was praised again:

"Lee makes the teammates around him better and better, which is why he will become the most popular teammate in the league."

Before the new season started, ESPN launched an anonymous survey, and almost all NBA players participated. In the end, Li You won the "Best Teammate".
In fact, most talented young players don't like to work with Li You, but role players in the league are eager to play in New York.

There are the most popular surveys, and naturally there are the least popular teammates.

In the end, Kobe Bryant won the boring award of "Most Unpopular Teammate". Kobe was labeled as unsociable, having a weird temper, and being a bootlicker.

It’s no wonder that Kobe has a sullen face every day. Most players in the league have little respect for him and everyone wants to see him make a fool of himself.

The Knicks flew to Los Angeles that afternoon and will face the Clippers at Staples Center tomorrow night.

Sports reporters in Los Angeles couldn't get any big news. The Lakers started off mediocre with 3 wins and 2 losses, Kobe Bryant wasn't clamoring for a trade, and the home team's goal this season seemed to be selling tickets again.

Since the Knicks rarely accept interviews, sports reporters didn't get the chance until the next afternoon when they came to the stadium for training.

The Lakers have already flown to San Antonio for an away game, so when setting up the venue tonight, the staff covered the championship banner above the stadium early.
Charles Barkley has been calling on Kobe to text Li You, but as his "mortal enemy", Kobe naturally would not accept the advice.

The Los Angeles reporter played this role at this time. Under the mocking gazes of the reporters around him, he calmly asked about the topic he was concerned about:

"Lee, I want to hear about your experience in managing the locker room. Yes, under Kobe's leadership, the Lakers' locker room was terrible, and the entire league was aware of our situation."

The relatively dense schedule also dampened some of Li You's enthusiasm for basketball. Seeing the other party's serious look, he simply teased his old rival to amuse himself:

"See the flags above the arena? 12, only one of which Kobe helped the team get."

"There were only 11 flags over Madison Square Garden, but I helped the team get nine of them."

"So, my locker room experience is not suitable for Kobe. For now, as long as the Lakers win more games, everything will be fine."

"."

The Clippers' team reporter laughed when he heard this. Although his own team is always ignored, he doesn't mind seeing the opponents in the same city get into trouble:

"I want to correct what Lee said. It was O'Neal who helped the Lakers win the championship."

For a moment, the atmosphere became extremely joyful. Everyone couldn't wait to see Kobe's reaction, and it would be great if he could have another fight with O'Neal. The traffic value of these two teams was greater than the content of the game.

That night, the Knicks played bravely again. Prince made 14 of 9 shots, 5 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 6 of 4 free throws, scoring a season-high 24 points.

118:84, Zach Randolph is alone and leads the team to 4 consecutive losses
On the other hand, as the Rockets lost, the Spurs easily defeated the Lakers. Head coach Popovich led the team to 6 wins and 1 loss, quietly leading the Western Conference.

90:105, although Duncan made 13 of 2 shots and scored 5 points, the Spurs ended the suspense of the game as early as the first half.

托尼-帕克16中11，高效砍下26分4篮板9助攻1抢断2失误的数据，法国人再次打爆了湖人队外线。

At the press conference after the game, Kobe was sullen, but he still encountered difficulties. The ESPN reporter asked a very aggressive question:

"Kobe, you only scored 38 points in the first half and performed very badly on the offensive end. Why didn't you go against Parker on the defensive end?"

"."

Seemingly too lazy to answer such a boring question, Kobe, who shot 19 of 9 shots, 5 of 0 from beyond the three-point line, and scored 18 points, responded casually:
"We have our own tactical arrangements."

Although the Spurs won, there was not much joy among San Antonio sports reporters, and Duncan still had no reaction to the contract extension.

After finishing the game that night, Duncan was about to drive home and greeted the team staff in a low-key manner. When he found his Toyota in the parking lot, his cell phone rang.

“Maybe we can achieve greatness”

Looking at the message above, Duncan, sitting in the driver's seat, had mixed feelings. Every year was the same start, and the four finals had almost worn out all his patience.

But thinking of the words "big win, big win" he shouted to the fans, Duncan finally did not reply to Kobe, and thumped the steering wheel to vent his emotions:

"Boom"

(End of this chapter)