NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 555: A Generation of Players Defeated (Daily Chapter)

On Thursday, May 2008, 5, the NBA announced this season's best defensive team, and Bruce Bowen, who was selected to the second team, also announced his retirement.

Bowen did not say much about this "consolation prize", but the interview published by the San Antonio Express once again broke the defense of Spurs fans:

"Love and loyalty."

In addition to reviewing Bowen's contributions to the Spurs, the article also focused on community and family. However, the article's comments on Duncan's departure surprised many fans:
"I understand Tim's choice. He just wanted to pursue the championship. He was crushed by the outside comments."

"In San Antonio, I feel the warmth of home. Basketball is not just about winning. This is my choice. I will continue to live in this city after I retire."

This was the first time Bruce Bowen commented on his former teammate's choice. The San Antonio fans were very moved after seeing it, and some even launched a "burn jersey" campaign again. Duncan is a hypocritical liar!
The column in the newspaper soon sparked discussions among more basketball commentators. Judging from the results, Duncan's choice was a good one, as the Lakers defeated the Jazz in the first quarter of Game 2.

Leading 2:0 in the semifinals, considering the two teams in the other group, "the Lakers' return to the finals" is almost a foregone conclusion.

In the semifinal that night, LeBron James encountered targeted defense, shooting 19 of 4 and scoring 12 points from free throws. Howard also failed to sustain the offense and the Cavaliers lost on the road.

81:89, the Celtics pulled one point back, the score between the two sides was tied at 1:1, and the Cavaliers had taken the initiative.

In another match, the Hornets lost away and the Suns held their home court. Although they were behind by a large margin, at the end of the game, O'Neal took the initiative to speak out and make a promise to the Phoenix fans:

"I have a reason not to lose. We will defeat our opponents and enter the Western Conference Finals!"

In front of the camera, the old shark was sweating profusely. If the opponent's pick-and-roll jump shot had not been out of shape tonight, the Suns would have been ready to go fishing.

As he got older, O'Neal still couldn't solve this problem, which could be considered a fatal weakness. Therefore, many basketball critics were not optimistic about them, and no one believed that Steve Nash could have continuous outbursts.

As for Stoudemire, his defensive efficiency has been declining year by year since joining the Suns. "Double-leak combination" is the evaluation given to the Suns' inside combination by commentators.

After the game, in the TNT studio, the director once again showed the fans in front of the TV this year's best defensive lineup:
The five defensive players are:

You Li, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tyson Chandler;
The five players in the second defensive team are:

Chris Paul, Bruce Bowen, Sean Battier, Marcus Camby, Dwight Howard.

There is actually some controversy about the selection of the best defensive team. The Knicks' Raja Bell had better defensive statistics, but the coach chose human relations again this time.

The trio did not comment too much on tonight's game, but instead discussed Bowen's remarks after his retirement. Kenny Smith noticed that his old partner was a little silent and took the initiative to give his own opinion:
"I don't like the title of this article. Duncan led the Spurs to the finals 4 times. He has done his best!"

"He left his best years to this city, and San Antonio should not question his loyalty."

Ernie Johnson glanced at Barkley, who remained silent, and finally took over the conversation with a smile, and by the way, provided fans with a new piece of gossip:
"I agree with Kenny. Duncan won the MVP in San Antonio. This award also belongs to this city!"

"It is reported that head coach Popovich intends to leave the coaching bench due to health reasons, and assistant coach Mike Budenholzer is expected to take over this position."

"The Duncan-era Spurs may become a thing of the past."

Since fainting in New York, Popovich's health has been deteriorating. Duncan left, Bynum was injured, veterans retired, and the team's record declined. Faced with difficulties, the old man finally couldn't stand it anymore.

Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson has confirmed his departure. Including Popovich, there are now two head coaches leaving the Western Conference.

Another championship team fell. Charles Barkley began to shake his head when he heard the news, as if thinking about his career, and finally said regretfully:

"Bruce Bowen is right. I respect him, but he is not the MVP and does not understand the pressure this award brings to players."

"MVP means you are the best player in the regular season. Everyone expects you to lead the team to win the championship, but the reality is not like that. Basketball is a game for five people."

"We all want to end our careers with one team, but it's hard to do. Duncan's loyalty is not cheap. San Antonio should thank this big man!"

"Without Duncan, they wouldn't have made four Finals appearances."

The director also switched to Duncan's performance in the semi-finals at the right time. At 2:18 in the first quarter of G35, Duncan perfectly integrated into the triangle offense and frequently provided assists.

The Lakers are getting better and better, Duncan is also getting better, and Kenny Smith has always insisted that Los Angeles will return to the Finals, and now he is adding fuel to the fire again:
"With Billups unable to play in Game 3, the Knicks have a high probability of easily advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. If Duncan meets Lee again this year, I believe he will perform better."

"Chuck, if Duncan is successful with the Lakers, do you think he will choose to return to San Antonio in the future?"

Charles Barkley glared at his partner in annoyance. He didn't really want to see the "grouping" succeed, so he only gave a vague answer to this question:
"I don't know, but I think the Spurs will welcome Duncan home, after all, they had a great experience."

Charles Barkley felt jealous again when he thought of Duncan's success with the Lakers and his return to the Spurs in the last years of his career. It was more painful to see the success of a team than to lose money in a casino.

On May 5, the Lakers flew to Salt Lake City early and began preparing for tonight's game.

Duncan was in a bad mood after reading the newspaper early in the morning. His old teammate retired and criticized him, and Popovich retired without telling him. The friendship between the two sides for many years seemed to have a crack.

The TNT program guessed correctly that Duncan did have plans to return home, as he had too many memories with the Spurs.

Lamar Odom was in a good mood. Not long ago, at a party welcoming Duncan, he met the Kardashian sisters, whose popularity has soared in the past two years.

Both his career and "love" have made progress, and Los Angeles is his blessed land.

"Lamar, we need you to be a backup tonight!"

As soon as breakfast was over, Phil Jackson pulled Odom aside, looked him in the eye, told him his decision, and then called Duncan and said simply:
"The defensive strategy needs to be adjusted. We made it too easy for Deron Williams in the last game. Tim, the team needs you to participate more in defense."

Odom tilted his head indifferently and Duncan nodded silently. The old KFC man was very satisfied with this and the atmosphere in the team was very good now.

After the assistant coach explained the tactical adjustments, Phil Jackson greeted everyone, clapped his hands continuously to attract attention, and said slowly with a smile on his face:

"It's not easy to play away in Salt Lake City, but we have to end this series as soon as possible. I think you all know the team's goal!"

"Close your eyes now. We need to meditate briefly and recall the tactical adjustments. You can complete the duel with your opponent in your mind."

Since Duncan joined the team, Phil Jackson has started to "play tricks" again. Not only has he resumed the practice of fumigating the locker room with sage, but meditation has also been included in training.

The championship coach's impressive operation has won the respect of Duncan. As for the effect, it seems pretty good so far.
Kobe, who was meditating, no longer had the annoyance he had before. Recently, Hook announced that Li You's third-generation signature shoes would have a finals color scheme in the near future, which made him very angry again.

Although the Lakers had a good record, the hook did not give him too many resources. The new Durant had a tendency to overshadow him internally, and his signature shoes had not received the attention they deserved. When the meditation was over, the rookie and the staff began to distribute equipment. Fisher quietly approached Kobe and asked for his boss's opinion:
"I'm going to recruit Matt Barnes. He's always wanted to play in Los Angeles. This guy is definitely a tough guy. Bro, what do you think?"

The Warriors also have a tendency to disband after Fish. With more than a month left before the free market opens, many players have already started to take action. Fish plans to help his old teammates and fulfill his original promise at the same time.

"I know him. If he doesn't mind being a substitute, he can come play for us."

"Ariza is in very good shape. If nothing unexpected happens, he can occupy the starting position for a long time. I don't want to see quarrels. You must understand what I mean."

Kobe patted his old teammate, smiled and agreed. Fisher also showed a satisfied smile, and he had fulfilled his promise.

The feeling of completely controlling the team made Kobe a little fascinated. Duncan did not compete with him for the position of leader. If he could win the FMVP trophy, this season would be completely perfect.

"Iverson was betrayed? It seems like the Nuggets are not going to offer him a contract."

"With the player option, he can earn more than 2000 million US dollars next season. He earns too much!"

Vujacic and Jordan Farmar were still gossiping about the latest news, Iverson's agent blasted the Nuggets management, and the outdated "Son of Philadelphia" was also making sarcastic comments about the players who were "banding together".

Kobe's good mood disappeared again when he thought about how his former good friend no longer contacted him. When he boarded the bus, he saw Duncan's calm face and encouraged himself again:
"I'll make it!"

More than 19000 Salt Lake City fans flocked to the Energy Solutions Arena that night. The Jazz, returning to their home court, did not take a long time to warm up. They entered the game state early and took advantage of mistakes in the first half to successfully suppress their opponents.

46:52, the Lakers made 11 turnovers in the first half, while the Jazz only made 5.

Although the Lakers narrowed the gap in the third quarter and Andrei Kirilenko fouled out in the fourth quarter, the Jazz still had the last laugh, withstanding the pressure and successfully protecting their home court.

101:106, the victory made the Energy Solutions Arena boil over, and the fans on both sides of the player tunnel were swearing and mocking loudly:
"Go home, loyal Tim Duncan, to your new home in Los Angeles."

Duncan looked calm and walked away quickly, but Kobe behind him was angered by some "dirty words" and was able to enter the player tunnel with the help of security personnel.

Phil Jackson didn't expect that Duncan and Kobe would make 10 turnovers. The opponent was more difficult than he thought. The Lakers failed to complete the sweep, which made him a little regretful.

In the game going on simultaneously at the Palace of Auburn Hills, most of the Detroit fans had already left, and future core Rodney Stuckey once again presented an "ugly" game to the fans.

三节不到六犯离场，9中1，三分线外4中0，罚球4中3，怒砍5分1篮板2助攻4失误
Every time a rookie guard meets Li You, his statistics will drop sharply, but it is really unacceptable for Pistons fans to see his statistics drop to the level of Rodney Stuckey.

114:84, some fans were still booing, the opponents made large-scale rotations, which was a humiliation for them!

Hamilton scored a team-high 28 points and was in a bad mood when he was interviewed on the sidelines. He was sure that he was in the team's plan, but many teammates would leave the team next season.

"The series isn't over yet, and I'm very grateful to the fans who showed up tonight to support us. I'm very sorry to lose in this way."

"We lost some easy scoring opportunities, which is my responsibility. Coach Saunders has been emphasizing this. We didn't do a good enough job in the details of the game."

Hamilton, who took off his mask, was still a little frustrated when he said this. The ABC reporter had obviously done his homework and took this opportunity to add fuel to the fire:
"I noticed that Rodney Stuckey had two very bad performances, and general manager Joe Dumars seemed to be more optimistic about him. Does this mean that he is actually overrated?"

The situation of "if I say you can do it, you can do it" always happens in the NBA. The head coach has players he trusts, and the general manager also has talents he likes.

Hamilton is an honest man. He doesn't want to participate in the "competition" of the team. He simply shrugged his shoulders and replied helplessly:
"Rodney is playing against Lee. We can't expect too much from the rookie."

"The team will not pin its hopes of winning on rookies. As veterans, we must take on more responsibilities."

The booing in the arena made Rasheed Wallace feel bad. He cursed after entering the locker room, which made it difficult for Billups, who was dressed in a suit, to comfort him:

"We expected this outcome, Bro, and no one blames you."

Wallace, who wanted to kick over the ice bucket, finally sat down angrily, thinking back to the past few years, and looking at his old teammates' Buddhist appearance, and finally complained in a low voice:

"Damn it! How did they do that? A talent show? I don't believe that bullshit!"

If it was the main lineup, losing after a hard fight could be barely acceptable, but Wallace felt angry when they were beaten by the substitute lineup in front of the home fans. This was simply another kind of humiliation!
Having spent a year in the Knicks, Billups knew some inside information. His old teammates looked at him and gossiped quietly:
"When Greenfield was the general manager, Lee could decide who to pick at the end of the first round. In short, the players he selected were perfect for that system."

"?"

Wallace looked incredulous. He didn't believe that Li You was still paying attention to rookies, and he didn't believe in vision. Every team has a large number of scouts, and these people are more professional than the players.

Billups didn't explain either. Who would have thought that the last pick in the first round and the second round pick also had "gold".

In his opinion, Prince and Raja Bell are both defensive-level players, and no team has such a luxury configuration.
Veteran Lynch Hunter also got a chance to play tonight, but ended up being completely disadvantaged in the matchup. Rondo led the team to a wave of attacks during the rotation phase, which made the game no longer suspenseful at halftime.

Thinking of the beatings he had suffered over the years, Lynch Hunter suddenly spoke in the locker room:
"Guys, I'm planning to retire. I'm not interested in playing basketball games with Lee anymore. I've had enough of this for so many years. It's time to end it!"

Entering the league two years earlier than Lee You, Lynch Hunter has been "badly beaten" since 96. The commentators have been laughing at Iverson, but in fact he didn't win many games.
He went to the Lakers to curry favor with them, but still failed. Since then, his career has been on the decline. This year, he suffered another disastrous defeat. Lynch Hunter simply gave up.
Everyone in the locker room looked at the veteran. Rasheed Wallace opened his mouth and wanted to say something to retain him, but found that he didn't know what to say.

Antonio McDyess, who entered the league in 95, also showed a surprised expression on his face. Thinking of his experience in the East, he finally said frustratedly:

"Maybe after the contract ends next year, I will choose to retire."

When coach Sanders returned to the locker room, he found that the players were all silent. He was in no mood to give any more chicken soup. After a few simple encouragements, he prepared to go home to "heal":
“Maybe I should go back to college basketball.”

The more frustrated the opponent was, the happier the Knicks were. Back on the hotel bus, everyone was singing and shouting. They got the match point 3:0 and they will make it to the divisional finals again.

Chandler, who was selected to the first defensive team, was shouting loudly. He was a useless player in the Bulls, but now he has transformed into a defensive giant!

Rondo, who has always disliked playing, also followed JR Smith's "chanting" at this time. For a newbie, experiencing big-game games for two consecutive years, this experience has even surpassed many veterans.

The joyful atmosphere on the bus also made Li You, who was slacking off, smile. Noticing that Artest beside him was in a bad mood, he immediately turned around and comforted him:
"Ron, I guarantee you'll get a big contract and you can play in New York as long as you want."

"."

Artest nodded, but did not respond immediately. Thinking of his glorious experiences over the years, he finally smiled:
"Thanks, Bro, I'll talk to Matt about it, you know, I'm from Queens."

(End of this chapter)