NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 597 "They don't have that ability?!" (5500 words chapter)
On Saturday, November 2008, 11, the NBA launched 1 games.

The "new team" Oklahoma City Thunder challenged the Rockets away. It happened to be Sunday on the other side of the ocean, so they naturally would not miss this game.

The Thunder's schedule for the first week of the new season was relatively friendly, with only two games, but the team lost its first home game to the Bucks, which disappointed the happy Oklahoma City fans.

Durant hasn't changed his temporary girlfriend recently, but he has become more and more addicted to surfing Twitter, and his browsing intensity even exceeds that of many fans!
However, such behavior has narrowed the distance between big stars and ordinary fans. In addition, Durant is only focused on the game, so his high-intensity surfing has received a lot of praise.

In the game against the Bucks, Durant made 14 of 5 shots and scored only 12 points at home, 98:87, leading the team to a loss. After the game, he began to reflect on himself on Twitter.

After flying to Houston on Halloween, Durant once again made a scene, taking the initiative to speak boldly before the game and recalling his "childhood memories":
"When I was little I always imitated Tracy McGrady's style of play, but when I got into the league I realized I was wrong."

"Modern basketball has changed, and I will play the right basketball like Lee did."

Durant sent out two consecutive tweets before the game. In the locker room, he looked through the messages on his phone and happily replied to his die-hard fans. He likes such interactive moments.

After Westbrook entered the locker room in denim overalls, he saw his teammates typing away and couldn't help but complain again:
"How long will I have to play as a substitute? The coach doesn't trust me at all!"

Head coach PJ Carlesimo put the newbie on the bench. Their main goal in the new season is to accumulate talent, so the game strategy is to let Durant continue to play.

The Thunder had no objection to this, but Westbrook was an impatient person. He was always one of the first few to arrive at the training ground every day and almost the last to leave. As a result, the coach did not make any special arrangements for him.

"Stop talking, Bro! Don't complain in the NBA. At least you still have stable playing time. Anyway, things will definitely get better in the future."

Durant looked up and comforted the newbie, but he didn't take it seriously. For a defensive guard, it was normal for him to be a substitute. He skillfully switched to a small account and browsed Facebook again.

Westbrook, who was preparing to change his clothes, was still muttering to himself. He was the last one to arrive during the pre-game warm-up today. In addition to taking photos, he also wanted to express his dissatisfaction.

It's a pity that Durant was busy looking at the pictures and didn't think about his teammates' thoughts. When he saw the goddess' latest Halloween photos, he couldn't help but feel cold in his heart:
"I want to eat his heart!"

In the photo, Scarlett, dressed as a vampire maid, pounces on the sofa, has her slender waist grasped, and "bites" Li You's neck. Due to the shooting angle, the two of them look "closely fitting together."

The day before Halloween is the most lively. I thought the carnival was over, but I didn’t expect another “surprise” tonight.
After watching the screen for several months, the beautiful fantasy was suddenly broken. Durant was in a strange mood and pressed the keys quickly, completely ignoring his teammates in the locker room:

"No! This is a holiday for children!"

"."

On the other side of the ocean, the Rockets are still very popular. At the beginning of each season, fans have great expectations, hoping that the "Yao-McGrady" combination can break through the first round.

During the preseason, McGrady did not participate in the game due to injury. Fortunately, he officially returned to the game after the start of the regular season, which made the fans very happy.

The same goes for Yao Ming. He injured his toe during the Olympics and actively received treatment after returning to the United States. He finally obtained permission from the medical team before the start of the regular season.

No one was late at the Toyota Center on Saturday, and it was very lively before the game started. However, after the game officially started at 19:30, the enthusiasm of the fans began to wane as time passed.

When the first half of the game ended, McGrady walked towards the player tunnel with a grim look on his face. He made 9 of 3 shots and scored 12 points. Facing a rookie team, he did not show his dominance.

41:42, even though they were only one point behind, Durant was not happy either. He left the player tunnel early, leaving his teammates with a puzzled look on their faces. Was he dissatisfied with their performance?

After watching too many Knicks highlights, many fans feel unhappy when watching these low-scoring, high-free throw games.

In the second half of the game, both teams continued their low shooting percentages. In the end, the score was fixed at 77:84. The Rockets won their third consecutive victory, and the Rockets fans at the scene finally cheered!

McGrady made 15 of 6 shots and Yao Ming also made 15 of 6 shots. The two scored 22 points and 16 points respectively. Such performance naturally will not receive much praise.

As the former "second man", McGrady is expected to win every new season. When attending the post-match press conference, the fat and out-of-date star still showed confidence:

"You know, I've only recovered 60%. Coach Adelman is right. The team will get better and better!"

"We never set the goal of getting past the first round. After coming to Houston, I have said more than once that I just want to lead the team to win the championship."

In this regard, Yao Ming on the side could only smile. He had eaten too much big cake and had become immune to it. After spending so many years in the NBA, he had already experienced that winning the championship was harder than the big mouths said.

"The team's shooting was a little bad! But we won the rebounding game. We won't be satisfied with this. I will get back to my form as soon as possible."

Compared with Yi Jianlian, Yao Ming can already communicate easily and knows some memes. While New Jersey is still teasing "Yi", the Houston media is cheering for the Chinese big man.

Routine questions, the two spoke very nicely in front of the reporters, until the ESPN reporter suddenly asked the former "second person":

"Tracy, have you ever thought about playing like Lee? In the new season, he is more focused on three-pointers. In the first two games, he scored double-doubles of 42 and 41 points respectively."

As one of Kobe's few good friends, McGrady also disliked Li You. He frowned sleepily, stared at the reporter and interrupted in a deep voice:

"I have no interest in following Lee, and I will not imitate his playing style. Remember, I am the only scorer in the league!"

"."

Some reporters covered their mouths and whispered with expressions of gloating on their faces. It was obvious that McGrady's team's performance was poor and his statistics were not good, but he had a mysterious confidence.

"In your career, your three-point shooting percentage has never exceeded 29.2%. Last season, it was the lowest in recent years, with a three-point shooting percentage of only %."

ESPN reporters began to remind McGrady how poor his statistics were. Hearing the two arguing, Yao Ming managed to keep a smile, but could only sigh in his heart:

"hope everything is fine."

When the losing Thunder players got on the bus back to the hotel, they all felt a little disappointed. It was a bad start, and more importantly, they had too few opportunities to be exposed this season.

TNT will broadcast 53 games this season, with the Knicks and Lakers accounting for 10 each, leading all teams, and the Hornets the least, with only 3;
These nationally televised games are usually held on Thursdays, but occasionally they are broadcast on Tuesdays.

ESPN and ABC had a total of 90 games, with the Knicks getting 16, leading all teams, while the Thunder only got one.
Friday belongs to ESPN, and there are occasional broadcasts on Wednesday. Sunday is ABC's broadcast, and the only national live broadcast, the Thunder, is scheduled for Friday the 21st.

This is the dilemma faced when playing in a small market. It is difficult to get positive feedback. Head coach PJ Carlesimo does not give too many motivational speeches, which makes everyone feel more depressed after losing two games in a row.

After getting in the car and putting down his schoolbag, Durant started chatting on Twitter, while intensively browsing the goddess' updates. Westbrook, who got 16 minutes of playing time, made 7 of 2 shots and held his breath at this time.

"We have to earn respect through our own efforts. I don't like being pitied!"

Hearing the complaints from the former dunk champion Desmond Mason and veteran Joe Smith, Westbrook retorted, but the veteran quickly chuckled:
"Rookie, this is the NBA! Sometimes no matter how hard you try, nothing works! You like Kobe? If he didn't play in Los Angeles, he wouldn't get all that attention!"

Noticing the newbie's unconvinced look, the top draft pick Joe Smith curled his lips and finally rapped:
"Kobe is not Lee. He doesn't have the ability to dominate the game. Without those national broadcasts, who would know him? A clown imitating Michael Dunk?"

"."

After being persuaded by several people, Westbrook stopped "fighting back", and his NBA dream was shattered again. The entire league was full of commercial flavor. In a way, it was more like a basketball reality show.

The assistant coaches noticed the situation and began to calm the players. Not everyone likes moving to Oklahoma City, which is one of the difficulties to be faced in the new season.

Durant had no intention of uniting his teammates. He didn't think too much about it. Hook's big contract and tactical core had basically met his current needs. Seeing the goddess update Twitter, the keyboard was pressed again:

"Maybe the family needs a little princess. The bad boys have grown up and started to tear the house apart! I have a marathon tomorrow and I'm a little nervous."

"It will be as beautiful as you."

On Sunday, November 11, the NBA announced the first week's Player of the Week:
Lee Yoo of the Eastern Conference and Chris Paul of the Western Conference won the award, and both the Knicks and Hornets are currently undefeated.

三场比赛，保罗的数据还算正常，场均21.7分5.3篮板12.0助攻2.3抢断0.3盖帽3.0失误，投篮命中率为50%，罚球命中率为87.7%。

对比之下，李佑的41.5分4.5篮板10.5助攻2.0抢断1.5盖帽2.0失误就让球评人失语了。

The data samples of 62.3% shooting percentage and 51.9% three-point shooting percentage were too small, resulting in no comments after the award was announced, only praise. There were only two games on the day, the Bucks challenged the Knicks away, just to witness Li You winning the small trophy at home.

After the failure of the "Zun Yi" meeting, old rival Richard Jefferson was traded to Milwaukee, and the Bucks lineup underwent significant changes. Li You's schoolmate Charlie Villanueva officially took over.

With the addition of Ramon Sessions and Andrew Bogut, the starting lineup put together by Scott Skiles looks very competitive!

However, in the game that night, the Bucks completely lost their accuracy at halftime, not only making 7 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, but also 12 of 5 from free throws.

The opponent failed to seize the opportunity to easily score, which made D'Antoni, who was hanging up on the sidelines, smile. The game entered the Knicks' rhythm early on, 41:58.

During the halftime break, Madison Square Garden was filled with a joyful atmosphere. In the MSG commentary booth, Mike Breen and Walter Frazier were chatting happily:
"I noticed that after the start of the new season, the Lakers still insisted on the triangle offense, and most teams did not learn our tactical system. Why did this happen?"

As a team legend, Walter Frazier also likes to belittle his opponents in his own broadcasts. After hearing the question, he answered without hesitation:

"Any tactics need players to execute them. I know there are many professionals who think the Knicks' tactics are too simple, but they never thought of one thing."

"If Lee's three-point shooting percentage is only 30%, will coach D'Antoni still insist on using this tactic?"

“I think most teams want to emulate us, but unfortunately, their core players can’t play like Lee.”

"I respect Kobe, but he doesn't have the ability to dominate the game outside the three-point line. He is more suitable for playing in the triangle offense system. Lee is different. He has completely changed the sport!"

The Bucks took only 7 shots from beyond the three-point line in the first half and made 1 goal, while Li You took 8 shots from beyond the three-point line with a hit rate of 50%.
The two teams' tactical play styles are completely different, one is still pursuing the low post, while the other is pushing hard to counterattack and throw three-pointers as soon as it gets the chance.

Mike Breen nodded repeatedly, looking at the technical statistics while continuing to joke about the team's old rivals in recent years:
"I think New York fans admire Jefferson very much. Unfortunately, after coming to the Bucks, it is still difficult for him to beat Lee!"

"."

After the start of the second half, at the end of the third quarter, Tyronn Lue was substituted in and the Bucks gave up early.

Back in the familiar arena again, rookie Joe Alexander missed a layup and Tyronn Lue hurriedly retreated, but the Knicks successfully blocked the rebound. Li You "grabbed" the backcourt rebound and continued to accelerate.

Near the logo, the slowed-down Tyronn Lue tried to defend in advance to disrupt Li You's dribbling rhythm, but he just paused slightly and Li You in front of him pushed the ball and changed direction while moving.

Seeing that Li You's center of gravity was lower when he switched to his left hand, Tyronn Lue didn't bother to "destroy" and began to slide desperately.

In the blink of an eye, the two men rushed across the three-point line. Amid the laughter of the fans, Li You did not slow down and started directly against the defense.

Tyronn Lue, who was near the free throw line, tried to jump up to block the shot, but he overestimated his athletic ability. The moment he jumped up, he was pushed out of the baseline by Li You who took off into the air.
"Oh!!"

Grabbing the ball with his left hand, Li You pulled his arm back in the air, and his body instantly turned into a reverse "C" shape, and he slammed the ball into the basket amid cheers!

He stumbled into the basketball hoop and was patted twice in a friendly manner by Li You. Tyronn Lue forced a smile on his face.

Perhaps it was the memory that evoked his mind. When he received the ball again at the baseline, looking at Li You who was directing the defense in the half court, Tyronn Lue couldn't help but ask himself:

"Can time really defeat him?"

"."

84:118, the Bucks suffered three consecutive losses. Since the start of the new season, they have only beaten the Thunder. The offseason trades seem to have no effect.

After scoring 44 points, Li You appeared in the media room in a dark gray suit. All the sports reporters applauded and cheered. The TNT reporter couldn't wait to stand up and ask:

"Lee, congratulations on getting 40+10 again! Can you talk about your shooting choices in recent games?"

"Currently, the Knicks and Lakers are the only undefeated teams in the league. Will you meet again in the finals this season?"

The "Vampire Succubus" almost made him overdraw his physical strength on Halloween. Li You, who "throws the ball blindly", naturally wouldn't say that playing like this saves effort. When he heard the two questions, he showed a "serious look":
"The team's data analysis team told us that three-pointers can help us win, so I increased the number of shots."

"The effect is pretty good. I don't care how many times the team took the shot. The victory is the best proof."

"As for the finals, it's too early. The regular season is very long. I just want to bring exciting games to the fans and enjoy the fun of basketball."

Seeing that he could not add fuel to the fire, the ESPN reporter seized the opportunity to "reveal the enemy's situation" and quickly asked:

"The Lakers plan to take the top spot in the league. Lee, will you respond to this challenge?"

After playing only three games, Li You raised his eyebrows, and seeing everyone's expectant eyes, he jokingly said:
"I hope the team can stay healthy. The record is not the top priority this season. Maybe New York fans prefer to celebrate the championship in Madison Square Garden."

Some New York reporters started to make a scene. Actually, Li You was right. Fans had already started petitioning. Everyone wanted to win the championship at home.
Soon the press conference turned into a show of boasting. If it was a few years ago when Li You "threw the ball randomly", some people would still question it. But now, even if some commentators say that he was just faking the data, more people will refute it:

"How can you call it brushing when it comes to GOAT!"

On Monday, November 11, a major transaction attracted the attention of fans: Allen Iverson was sent away.

The Nuggets sent the "answer" and acquired Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Sheikh Samb from the Detroit Pistons.

In the last year of his contract, Iverson failed to get a contract extension commitment from the Nuggets, and the rebuilding Pistons finally decided to extend an "olive branch" to allow the son of Philadelphia to return to the Eastern Conference.

Billups seemed calm about the deal. Since Lynch Hunter said that, the Pistons' locker room completely collapsed.

No one organized training during the offseason. After the start of the new season, except for Hamilton, most players were out of shape, indicating their attitude of completely giving up.

So in an interview, Billups did not explain his decision, but simply gave his answer:

"I just want to change the competitive environment. Maybe in the Western Conference, I can lead the team to better results."

"In the Eastern Conference, no one wanted to face Lee in the playoffs. In fact, I was the first player to imitate Lee's offensive choices. Unfortunately, I failed to live up to the expectations of Detroit fans."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to bring my championship experience to the team. No matter where I go, I still love this city."

The other protagonist in this transaction refused to be interviewed. Iverson seemed to have lost his defense. Only his followers stood up for their brother and cursed the Nuggets management for being "inhuman."

The new season has just begun. McGrady, who is plagued by injuries, is as inefficient as ever. Vince Carter has lost most of his selling attributes and led the team to 1 win and 3 losses.
Iverson was sent back to the Eastern Conference. Considering that the Pistons have not played against the Knicks in the new season, some die-hard fans have lost their defense again, and there may be four more beatings in the future.

On the other side of the ocean, among the four known as the "Four Great Shooting Guards", only Kobe seems to be competitive. Just thinking about the finals a few months ago, fans are also a little nervous:

“It’s time to win once.”

The Knicks only have three games this week, and the Hornets and Wizards are not under much pressure. The Lakers only have one game against the Clippers in the same city this week, which is also a welfare schedule.

On Wednesday the 5th, that night, Zach Randolph suddenly broke out and led the Clippers to the end.

102:106, the Lakers won hard, but fortunately Kobe was accurate in free throws tonight.

21中8，三分线外2中0，罚球14中11，27分2篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽2失误，拿到全场最高分的科比赛后再次露出笑脸，湖人队延续了不败战绩。

The Staples Center was packed. The Lakers' attendance was still considerable in the new season. They defeated their opponents with difficulty, and the fans at the scene were still cheering for Kobe.

Kobe, who was sweating profusely, thought he would be praised, but he underestimated the reporters who liked to add fuel to the fire:
"Kobe, why don't you take more shots from beyond the three-point line? Lee has scored 4+ in 40 consecutive games."

Kobe was puzzled, staring at the other party and said harshly:
“I never play for stats!”

(End of this chapter)