NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 548: The only way to greatness? (Daily chapter)
On Monday, April 2008, 4, the NBA announced the Sixth Man of the Year (SMOY) award for this season:
Manu Ginobili of the Spurs received more than 50% of the votes and eventually won the award.

For San Antonio fans, a small award cannot make up for their emotional trauma, especially after watching last night's game, more fans joined the "burning jerseys" campaign.

The "grudge match" received a lot of attention due to ESPN's broadcast. Due to the injury of Andrew Bynum, Kwame Brown started in this game.

The result of the game was beyond many people's expectations. Everyone predicted that the Spurs would lose, but no one expected them to lose so much!

92:114, this focus game ended with the Lakers defeating their opponents. The Spurs were completely suppressed, and head coach Popovich even refused to be interviewed after the game.

It is difficult to accurately describe the strength of the Spurs without Duncan. They may be able to maintain their record with excellent tactical execution, but in the playoffs where talent is tested, they appear extremely weak.

The Lakers' partner in the interior with Duncan is Radmanovic, and the big man's decent shooting completely opens up the offensive space.

Phil Jackson did not rigidly stick to the triangle offense, and more rounds were still pick-and-rolls. It was not difficult for commentators to find that many tactical routines had the shadow of the Knicks.

The changes in modern basketball are subtle. The situation where everyone gathers in the paint area is becoming less and less common. Players like Yao Ming with pure height are no longer suitable for the current league.

To put it more accurately, Yao Ming will become a defensive loophole. Facing a core guard like Li You, he will be a cash machine after being mismatched.

Fortunately, there are not many short players who can reach Li You's level, but this trend is sweeping the NBA.

Maybe the big guys will be ranked higher in the draft, but people don’t mind using the earlier picks to scratch the lottery ticket for the smaller guys.

Ginobili, who accepted the award and answered questions from reporters at the hotel this morning, had mixed feelings. Until now, he still couldn't get used to seeing Duncan wearing the Lakers jersey:

"That's how influential Tim is, I always think he's underrated!"

"While I don't like him wearing a Lakers jersey, last night's game was against the better team."

出场36分钟，16中10，罚球8中5，25分15篮板4助攻2抢断2盖帽3失误，邓肯的两双数据看似平平无奇，但比赛内容却非常丰富。

Most sports journalists were somewhat dissatisfied with Ginobili's comments. They actually wanted to hear some complaints, and it would be best if the two of them turned against each other:

"Manu, do you think the Lakers have a chance to return to the Finals this year? If Duncan returns to the Finals again, will you support him?"

The questions from the ESPN reporter were more targeted. In fact, everyone wanted to interview Popovich, but the old man was hospitalized due to his emotional fluctuations in New York last time, and it would be a bad idea to add fuel to the fire now.

Ginobili gave a positive answer in his heart as to whether the Lakers can return to the finals, and a helpless smile appeared on his face:

"I have to admit that they have a great chance. Tim is so outstanding. He can bring energy to the team on both offense and defense. His joining has brought about a qualitative change to the Lakers!"

"But the Spurs will not give up. We know him and will make targeted adjustments soon."

出场40分钟，22中9，三分线外3中1，罚球10中8，27分3篮板2助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误，科比的表现也非常出色。

The reporter who is familiar with the data of the Lakers' core players did not refute. After watching all four matchups in the Western Conference, the Lakers performed the best, with a balanced offense and defense, and have already shown their "championship potential."

Considering what happened to the Spurs, the reporters stopped making things difficult for him. When Ginobili left with the trophy, the San Antonio Express staff couldn't help but complain to their colleagues:

"I've said it before, the team should pay some luxury taxes appropriately, instead of just filling up the salary cap every year!"

"No one has criticised this in the past, but we all know that championships cost a lot of money."

Generally, columnists usually say good things about the team. After all, the local newspaper audience is still local fans, and no one likes to hear bad news. This also labels Duncan as "selfless".

The reason why Spurs fans burned jerseys in this transaction is mainly because of the collapse of Duncan's image. It turns out that Duncan would play for US dollars, he also likes big cities, and he would also dislike the existing team lineup structure.

All the praises in the past have become a joke. Pure basketball, "mentor-disciple relationship" and "brotherhood" are all fake. Duncan is no different from those ordinary stars in the league.

The public opinion environment is shaped by the media. No one said anything when hearing the complaints of colleagues. This is all thanks to them. They described Duncan too well.

The former teammate won the award. After the Lakers completed routine training at the Toyota Training Center in the afternoon, sports reporters also found Duncan. Everyone wanted to hear the former core player's thoughts.

After eliminating the traitor, the atmosphere within the Lakers team has visibly improved, and with the blessing of victory, everyone has hope.

Duncan, wearing the Lakers' gray sleeveless training suit, had sweat on his face. Compared with his time with the Spurs, his hair was longer and his beard was more refined.

Life in Los Angeles has affected this big man. Since coming to this city, Duncan's exposure has increased dramatically. In front of the camera, he has to pay attention to his image.

Duncan used to think that Li You was pretending to be cool by wearing formal clothes, but now he understands it a little bit. In fact, this choice is more about not having enough trouble.

There is no need to consider what to match, the photo effect is better and the media will find it difficult to be picky.

Yahoo Sports has been tracking news about Duncan. Their situation in New York is not good. The news from the New York Times and MSG are the most accurate.

Under such circumstances, in the first round of this year's playoffs, Yahoo Sports focused more on Los Angeles, and they bet right, as fans were discussing what would happen when "Duncan returns home."

"Tim, will you recruit Ginobili in the future? Is there a chance for you to work together again in Los Angeles?"

When hearing this question, Duncan was a little absent-minded. Sometimes he would miss his old teammates. The Spurs' locker room atmosphere is very good, and it's like "family" in many cases:
"I wouldn't consider it, but Manu got the best sixth man award, and I don't think any team would refuse him."

"Congratulations to him for winning the award. He has made great sacrifices for the team. We all know that it is sometimes difficult for substitutes to find their match form. He is better than you think."

Duncan looked serious as he praised his former teammate. He occasionally made eye contact with reporters and did not raise his eyebrows jokingly as he did before. He seemed to be in an inexplicable state.

Kobe was coldly treated, and sports reporters were more concerned about Duncan's gossip. Perhaps he would only become the protagonist when he met the Suns in the Western Conference Finals, and his old partner was waiting for him.
Fisher is currently recruiting his old teammate Matt Barnes. The Warriors' locker room atmosphere has been affected since problems arose in the contract extension with Baron Davis.

Since his old friend was in trouble, Fisher naturally wanted to help. After all, the Lakers had now become a championship contender, so wouldn't it be better for him to play in Los Angeles?

"If I have the chance, I plan to recruit Rasheed Wallace. What do you think?"

Hearing Kobe's words suddenly, Fish was shocked, but he also read the news. The winning Pistons seemed to be disintegrating. Coach Saunders did not get the trust of the players.
"Maybe he'll choose New York, you know, he said that."

Fisher stopped adjusting his shoelaces, sat up straight, thought for a moment and added:
"But Lee doesn't like working with veterans. We have a chance, provided Wallace doesn't want to stay with the Pistons."

Kobe nodded slightly. His first reaction after seeing the news was to recruit the other party. He no longer cared about the criticism of "banding together". Now he wanted to win more championships!
Odom, who performed well in the first game, did not communicate much with Kobe. The team used him as a trading chip more than once, and Kobe did not refute it, which still hurt him.

"Do you think we can succeed?"

Ariza, who returned to the locker room, couldn't help but look surprised when he heard Odom's question. He had played more time in the Development League in the past, and he was satisfied with the current treatment:
"I don't know. When I was in the Magic, Lewis told me that Lee had the ability to average 40 points per game."

"Maybe Kobe can do it, we have a chance."

Odom shrugged his shoulders and said nothing more. His new teammate had obviously also received "championship experience", but thinking of Kobe's strength, he couldn't help but mutter in his heart:
"40 points? Maybe he has to take 40 shots."

In the past, it was difficult for Celtics fans to experience the joy of bullying the weak, because they were the weak.

Every year when the playoffs come, fans can only watch the party next door, and when they see news reports of a 40+ win, they make a few sarcastic remarks:

"The Knicks ruined the Eastern Conference!" But the situation this year is completely different, 81:117, after the Knicks laid the foundation for victory in the first quarter last night, they finally defeated the 76ers easily. Boston fans don't have to envy their neighbors, they did it too!
80:113, the "Big Four" made their playoff debut, clocking in after three quarters and beating their opponents by 33 points, and the long-lost happiness swept Boston.

斯蒂芬-马布里面对老东家表现得非常出色，10中6，三分线外6中2，罚球6中4，砍下18分4篮板8助攻2抢断3失误的数据。

He completely suppressed the opponent's Mike Bibby throughout the game, allowing the opponent to make 10 of 3 shots and only get 7 points.

Ray Allen contributed 18 points, Garnett scored 20 points, and Pierce also scored 16 points. None of the "Big Four" took crazy shots, but they scored steadily and left the Hawks unable to fight back.

Since Game 2 will be held the day after tomorrow, the Celtics' training is mainly focused on recovery, which makes it difficult for many players to vent their excitement.

The long-awaited victory made Marbury feel a little dizzy. He almost forgot what it felt like to win in the playoffs. Last night's game completely activated him, and now he just felt full of energy.

It wasn’t enough to praise him last night. After the training, Marbury, who was surrounded by Boston sports reporters, showed a bright smile on his face and praised him again:
"Where are all the people who criticized us? After seeing how dominant the Celtics are, they have nothing to say now."

"This is the game of basketball! If they feel it's unfair, they can join a championship team."

"But not every team is like the Celtics. We have a unique winning culture, and the championship banner above the arena inspires everyone."

"."

When talking about the team's history, Boston sports reporters suddenly feel happy. They are not the upstarts next door. The Celtics have the most championship flags in the league!
A hearty victory gave the team infinite confidence. Pierce also forgot about the troubles of "sticking together" and didn't even care about Garnett taking away his position as the leader. He was in high spirits:

"Lyon, keep performing like this. As long as you can get 20 points from the bench, we don't have to worry about losing!"

In the locker room, Pierce held his head high and patted his younger brother, looking extremely confident. Upon hearing the instructions from his former boss, Leon Powe smiled shyly on his dark face and nodded vigorously to show his understanding.

Pierce walked around and talked to everyone, acting like a leader. Garnett didn't care and even cheered his teammates on.

Winning the Hawks did not make Ray Allen happy. The big gap in the regular season records between the two teams was enough to explain the problem.

"Ray, what are you worried about? I feel fine."

Sam Cassell is Ray Allen's old teammate. Although the two had conflicts, as time passed, they finally let it go.

After coming to the new team, the veteran naturally prefers to get along with old friends, which makes the relationship between the two much better.

Ray Allen, who heard the question, looked at the two people who were shouting and bragging, shook his head slightly, thought about it, and finally expressed his concerns:
"The coach seems a bit careless with the 10-man rotation. We should be more cautious and at least wait until the end of the third quarter before making large-scale substitutions."

The inflated head coach Rivers also acted like an X, imitating D'Antoni's five-up-five-down game in certain games. The Boston media appreciated this, but Ray Allen felt that something was wrong.

"You're right, I'll talk to the coach! This is the first time I've discovered that Boston's home stadium is so terrifying, the fans are so enthusiastic"

Seeing Cassell also fall into inexplicable excitement, Ray Allen smiled and responded simply, but he began to worry in his heart:
“Hopefully the game will end smoothly.”

On Wednesday, April 4, Hedo Turkoglu, who won the Most Improved Player Award yesterday, failed to attract attention. Instead, LeBron James, who won two home games, became the focus again.

After last night's victory over the Raptors, James, who attended the press conference, talked about his views on the scoring champion, which sparked heated discussions among basketball commentators:

"I don't care about statistics. I never play for statistics. Yes, I had a chance to win the scoring title, but Lee's playing time started to decrease in April."

"For a young player, the honors are nice, but I want to win a trophy that truly belongs to me!"

"I'm still young, maybe next season I'll be more prepared, I hope to compete with Lee, it's the only way to greatness!"

These words obviously have a hidden meaning. As we all know, the New York media called Allen Iverson a "thief" and believed that he stole Li You's scoring title, which made the trophy of the Son of Philadelphia not recognized.

James obviously learned his lesson and openly admitted that he disdained scoring, raising his profile while also taking advantage of Li You's popularity.
This is the second young player to clearly issue a challenge. The previous "fake fan" has fallen, and James currently has a trend of completely replacing Wade and becoming the real decision-maker of the new generation.

In the morning, mainstream newspapers in New York all praised James' behavior, praising his "competitive spirit", and at the same time sarcastically belittled those stars who scored points by cheating.

In the afternoon broadcast of ESPN in New York, Stephen A. Smith and his partner praised LeBron James' "challenge" and gave him a very high evaluation:
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the pure basketball we have been waiting for!"

"."

The Chosen One's operation won him high praise and also covered up the decline in scoring efficiency this season.

The 76ers who were warming up found themselves being ignored again. Ever since LeBron James "declared war" last night, all the attention had been sucked away by the opponent.

If you look at Reddit, there are even a large number of people cheering for the Chosen One, hoping that James can lead the team to defeat the "Big Four".
Marbury and Pierce are proud of being in a team, but they are boycotted by fans. James, who has won the "One Man, One City Award", is more popular at the moment.

Joakim Noah has been extremely disgusted with his idol since being "greeted" by Garnett. After seeing the relevant reports about James in New York, he couldn't help but feel a surge of fighting spirit in his heart:
"Maybe we can win one too! James is right, we should challenge and fight like men"

After returning to the locker room, the newbie started chattering. Louis Williams saw that Iguodala was silent and couldn't help interrupting after listening to some boring chicken soup:

"Damn it! James just wants to attract attention. You don't think he can really win the game!"

"From 03 to now, the Cavaliers have never won a game against the Knicks! They are losers just like us. Iverson can't do it, and neither can he!"

Noah paused awkwardly, smoothed his messy long hair, and finally confirmed with a questioning tone:
"You never won a single game?"

"Including the playoffs, he really hasn't won a single game. We think he will be the next Allen. Remember, rookie, don't read those boring news. The league is more complicated than you think!"

Iguodala briefly answered the newbie's questions, and soon Reggie Evans and others began to laugh and explain the process of how the Eastern Conference teams were dominated.

After confirming these outrageous results, Noah finally scratched his head and returned to his seat. He lost his excitement and finally muttered helplessly:
"Can you still challenge me after losing like this?"

The game that night was still broadcast by TNT, but the gap between the two teams was too big, so no one discussed this matchup much before the game. Reporters who squeezed into the player channel surrounded Li You, and everyone was gossiping about the latest news.

The TNT reporter seemed to have forgotten about tonight's game. He seemed a little excited and asked about gossip:

"Lee, LeBron James will officially challenge you for the scoring title next season. What do you think of this young opponent?"

Li You, who had not yet entered the locker room, was still wearing a light blue formal suit. He had also read the newspaper in the morning, so he naturally would not spoil the fun at this time, and responded with a smile:
"I welcome any challenge! Basketball should be about competition, only in this way can fans enjoy a higher level of competition."

"In addition to being the scoring champion, LeBron should also challenge himself. He needs to lead the team to win once. He can work towards this goal next season."

The reporters around laughed good-naturedly. The Cavaliers' record was indeed not good, but James' courage was commendable. After all, other young people were not like him.

After answering two more questions, Artest squeezed in. Thanks to his outstanding performance in training, he returned to the starting lineup tonight.

Perhaps Artest was a little annoyed that the reporters were no longer paying attention to him. Noticing that someone still wanted to ask questions about James, he immediately moved closer to Li You and said loudly:

"He should think about how to score against me! He is overrated!"

(End of this chapter)