NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 602: "Old Man" also needs a trophy?! (Daily Chapter)

On Monday, December 2008, 12, the NBA announced the new season's Player of the Month. Contrary to fans' expectations, the winners were all "new generation" stars:
LeBron James from the Eastern Conference and Chris Paul from the Western Conference beat out a group of "old guys" and successfully won the award.

The Cavaliers visited New York after Thanksgiving and played offensive basketball, but lost by 28 points, ending their winning streak and bringing their November record to 11 wins and 14 losses;
Comparing the team records, the Celtics quietly rushed to second place in the Eastern Conference with 16 wins and 2 losses. After the crushing defeat to the Knicks in the opening game, the "old men" managed to win a series of consecutive games.

The Knicks are also very stable. After losing to the Mavericks away from home in the absence of Li You, they also had a winning streak. At the end of last month, they scored 140 points in the home game against the Warriors!
Although the opponent scored 110 points, the New York fans watching the game were very excited. There was no defense, only goals.
Although the Cavaliers' record is not advantageous compared to the above two teams, thanks to their outstanding offensive basketball in the new season, team leader LeBron James still won the trophy.

In the Western Conference, the Lakers have also performed exceptionally strongly, currently with a record of 14 wins and 1 loss. The easy schedule allows them to consistently bully the weaker teams!

Phil Jackson expanded the team's rotation, which resulted in Tim Duncan's statistics not being impressive, with only occasional strong performances.

Kobe's statistics were also "mediocre" and his playing time was reduced a lot in the first month. In the end, Paul took away the Best Player of the Month award. The Hornets had 9 wins and 6 losses, and their record was also not advantageous.

The two stars' statistics are very good, and their individual performances are very efficient:

场均27.8分6.4篮板7.2助攻1.9抢断0.9盖帽2.8失误，詹姆斯在场均出场35.7分钟的情况下，投篮命中率为49.9%；

The 27.3% three-point shooting percentage and 77.4% free throw shooting percentage are somewhat lagging behind, but the 9.4 free throws per game show that the Chosen One has completely transformed and begun to evolve into a ball-handling forward.

场均20.3分5.7篮板11.6助攻2.8抢断3.1失误，投篮命中率52.3%，三分球命中率为39.3%，罚球命中率为85.7%；

Chris Paul played for 37.7 minutes and averaged 13.4 shots per game. With these statistics, he deserved the award.

After the awards were announced, the Sports Center show in the morning broke the news that the "old men" of the Celtics were very unhappy.

Last night, before flying back to Boston, Pierce, who was interviewed after the game, seemed to have guessed that he would not win the award. He talked about the "trophy" issue and complained loudly in the locker room:

"I can't understand the league's award criteria. The Celtics' record is as good as any opponent, but when discussing these awards, we are always ignored."

"The new generation of stars? Who cares about them? We have been in the league for so many years, and who has won so many honors?"

"This is so unfair. I don't understand why this is happening. The league lacks respect for veterans!"

Although the footage played was just a clip of an interview, anyone could see that Pierce was jealous. When Garnett was asked about the small trophy later, although he did not make a clear statement, he also supported his teammates:
"The team with the better record should be rewarded."

Marbury was even more excited, thinking that the "Big Four" did not get the respect they deserved. Such an outstanding record was actually ridiculed by the fans. Finally, he said emotionally:

"The league will only take care of these more popular players!"

The only one who didn't say anything was Ray Allen. Although he was unhappy, he didn't get the Player of the Month award for his outstanding performance. It is very likely that the award will be given to the coach. To avoid a boomerang, he just said calmly:
"I just want to keep winning! The team is in good form and we can't relax."

Following the news of the "Big Four"'s statements, the news came out that head coach Rivers won the best coach of November, which made the fans in front of the TV laugh.

If we only discuss the record, the Celtics don't deserve the award!
The Western Conference's best coach award went to Phil Jackson, and it was not surprising that he won the award. After all, it was difficult for him to win the award in the past few years. Now that the lead has been broken, it is time for the old man from Kentucky to win the award.

Unlike the sourpuss in Boston, Kobe still maintains his superstar status. He has seldom accepted interviews recently and started to focus on the subsequent Christmas game. The special Mamba needs to accumulate strength in advance!

That night, the Celtics returned to their home court and prepared a small award ceremony for Rivers before the game. Both management and fans were very satisfied with the current record.

Rivers never mentioned the record, after all, he really got the trophy. In the pre-game interview, the Coach of the Month didn't want to make his players sad, so he gave some chicken soup again:

"It's a pity! If we can win the honor, we will bless each other. If there is no trophy, we will still unite and keep moving forward."

"This is the Celtics, we only care about the team's 17th championship banner! Boston fans will be proud of us!"

"."

The "chicken soup" is pleasant to the ears of the sports media. In fact, the trophies cannot be distributed to more Eastern Conference players, mainly because Li You has won too many trophies over the years.

A few years ago, when Sports Illustrated released photos of Lee Yoo's "achievement room" in his home, it would cause a sensation. But now, when they take photos again, fans won't react much, because it's too late.
Everyone is aware of this situation, but no one says it out loud, because if they are judged only by their performance, they are all "honor thieves."

The angry old men put in all their energy in the back-to-back games and defeated the Magic in three quarters.

Milicic became a toy for Garnett and Perkins, and coupled with his poor accuracy from beyond the three-point line, head coach Stan Van Gundy replaced the main lineup early and announced his surrender.

At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 84:111. At the TD Garden, Boston fans were cheering for the home team, who had extended their winning streak.

The Magic shot 28 of 5 from beyond the three-point line. In the new season, many teams followed the Knicks' footsteps and became three-point teams, but the only team that got a good record was the defending champion.

With 7 wins and 11 losses, the team has a chance to make the playoffs if it continues to maintain its current momentum, but head coach Stan Van Gundy is not satisfied with the progress of the game, and the press conference even "reversed" the game:

"We played well against a team that had a mix of All-Stars in the starting lineup, we just didn't make those shots!"

"I support awards based on performance, and Lee and Mike should win, but I don't think they care about it."

"The Magic are a young team and we are still learning from the defending champions"

On Tuesday, November 11, while Boston's sports media was still calling for the "old man" to be honored, New York next door also started to do something. Trophies? They can create their own:
"2008 New York Top Ten Sports Newcomer Award"

The New York Post launched the awards yesterday morning and began calling on sports fans to vote online for athletes and coaches from the four major sports leagues.

As for why he was a "newcomer", it was mainly because Li You made a suggestion and then "circled" Mario Chalmers' name.
As long as there are limited conditions, it is easy to operate!
Chalmers has no hope of winning the NBA's best rookie, but giving him the consolation prize in advance can make the newbie happy for a few days.

You have to prepare the bait in advance when fishing, and "suck-up" should also get some positive feedback.

Every December, Manhattan enters the Christmas atmosphere early. Although last month's "Black Friday" stampede caused casualties, it still couldn't stop people's love for the holiday.

The daytime temperature dropped to 3 degrees, but the cold weather could not affect the newbie's fiery heart. He arrived at Madison Square Garden early in the afternoon, and Chalmers strode in the parking lot!
The awards were all pre-determined. Sophomore player Thaddeus Young was completely stunned by this. He really didn't expect this kind of operation to happen.
After entering the passage, Thaddeus Young saw the happy face of the newbie and felt a little envious. The guy in front of him had brought about earth-shaking changes in the "Knicks rookie culture."

In the past few years, the representative of insufficient strength and lack of flattery skills is Novak, who was on the edge of the rotation and was often sent down to the Development League;
The representative of a player who is a flatterer, has certain abilities and meets the tactical needs of the coaching staff is David Lee. He is rarely demoted to the Development League, but can only play in garbage time.

But this year the situation has completely changed. Through his own "efforts", Chalmers has gained the recognition of fans in just one month.

Not only did he successfully enter the regular rotation, but he also received a "commitment to be a substitute." As the last pick in the first round, the newbie showed latecomers another way to succeed.

As he was about to enter the locker room, Chalmers suddenly showed off his latest "skill" and shared his success experience with his teammates again:

"Dude, do you know about scented tea? It's getting cold, and I noticed Lee changed up some of the drinks!"

"It's not English tea, it's an Oriental tea."

"."

Thaddeus Young almost had a question mark on his face. He had a feeling of "Why are you so good?" Who would care about this stuff?

Chalmers shook his head and looked like he didn't understand. He had seen through the locker room environment of the Knicks. If he wanted to make it, he couldn't just rely on pure strength.

"David got the starting spot tonight! This guy is really lucky, and I don't know where he will end up."

"Gary and Novak have reported to the Reno Bighorns again. There will be a big man coming from Spain next season. I think they have no hope." Unlike the "suck-up", Thaddeus Young, who is about to enter the team's options, is more concerned about the movements within the team. The Knicks are too "cooperative".

D'Antoni often takes vacations. At the end of last month, when the schedule was not tight, he suspended confrontational training, but unfortunately, these vacations have nothing to do with the rookies.

In order to show themselves, rookies usually practice more on their own initiative. Assistant coach Mike Malone is also a devil, and from time to time he will pull out players with good performance from subordinate teams to participate in training.

This will delay the Reno Bighorns' record, but the players who are invited will not refuse and will even "fight for their lives" in training sessions.

The main reason for this situation is the reputation of the Knicks. Some scouts are keeping their eyes on this side. After New York's invitation, other teams also followed suit, greatly increasing employment opportunities.

Hearing about the changes in the team's personnel, Chalmers breathed a sigh of relief. The endings of these "predecessors" did not look good. His contract has just begun, and it seems that he needs to increase his efforts:
"Did Brandon Roy say anything bad about Lee? I remember he seemed to like Kobe"

Hearing Chalmers' words, Thaddeus Young's mouth twitched slightly. They are all NBA players, and everyone usually saves face, but the newbie did not play by the rules and showed an "all-in" attitude:

"Man, you gotta think about what you're gonna do if you go play in Portland in the future?"

"If you can get a big contract, why not stay in New York?"

Chalmers didn't care. Seeing his silent teammates, he shrugged indifferently, then quickly entered the locker room. Seeing that Li You and others had already changed into training clothes, he immediately praised them:
"Those thieves should really be shown how much the boss loves basketball! Should he win an award just because he's old? That's a damn rule!"

"."

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Seeing the newbie's ingratiating smile and chattering praises, David Lee on the side felt his scalp tingling. He couldn't move anymore. In order to fight for the starting position, he didn't even rest on Thanksgiving.

Li You didn't pay much attention to the situation in the team. He was also practicing extra on Thanksgiving Day and working hard for the football team. When he heard the newbie talking about the small trophy, he waved his hand and said casually:

"Pierce used to be my good brother. This guy is really unlucky. It seems that he has not been selected for the All-NBA Team many times."

"We will play again before Thanksgiving, and then we will teach them a lesson! Those with better records didn't complain, so he should play his role well."

"Just be a good background board!"

"Pierce, Marbury, Garnett, and James are all clowns. They shouldn't win awards if they lose."

Thaddeus Young was the first to speak, followed by JR Smith with a wide grin, and the atmosphere group also responded. For a while, there was a flood of flattery, and even Chalmers had no chance to show himself.

"."

Although the game that night was not broadcast live across the United States, it still attracted the attention of many basketball commentators, and Greg Oden is still very popular.

Travis Outlaw has been in great form this season, supporting the offensive firepower of the Trail Blazers' bench. At present, he has a chance to compete for the best sixth man award and can be considered a rival to JR Smith.

At Madison Square Garden, Artest's circle of relatives and friends has expanded a little, and sect members have begun to appear. Although the election is over, the "struggle" continues!
Through O'Neal's guidance, more and more black people began to pay attention to the medical bill. For this reason, Artest also ran around and actively participated in various activities.

"Mr. World Peace" made a big appearance at the celebration last month, and with a bulging wallet, everyone welcomes Artest's fight for the interests of black people.

Before the game started, in the MSG commentary booth, seeing Artest still sitting on the bench, Walter Frazier pondered for a moment, and finally criticized tactfully:

"Metta should ask Lee for advice on how to separate basketball from life!"

"I know he is doing the right thing, but he is still a Knicks basketball player and he has to take responsibility for his job and continue to work hard for the championship!"

In many games, Artest made 10 of 3 shots and 9 of 3 shots, and his finishing at the basket was a mess. He relied entirely on three-pointers and free throws to support his stats. His physical condition has obviously declined.

Despite this situation, black fans in New York still strongly support Artest. As a commentator, Mike Breen cannot criticize, otherwise he will definitely be "attacked".

"Tayshawn has been in great shape, but he has played too many games this year, and fortunately Lee has held up the team's offense."

"Facing the combination of Aldridge and Oden, our rebounding will be tested tonight."

Mike Breen automatically ignored the big man Eddy Curry. The former potential rookie had become fat as a ball and had heart problems, so he was no longer in the Trail Blazers' plan.

It was thought to be an inside duel, but less than 6 minutes into the game, Oden looked painful after landing after defending Li You's three-pointer.

New York fans had been looking forward to it for several days, but the No. 1 pick left Madison Square Garden in a hurry again.

Since entering the league, the media has been promoting him constantly, but so far, Oden has not played a complete game in New York since entering the league, which makes fans return home disappointed every time.

Soon everyone's attention turned to Brandon Roy, but after watching a few rounds, facing Li You's switching defense, this core player did not have a brilliant performance and only missed mediocre shots.

Roy, who was trying to break through for a layup, watched the basketball hit the rim and bounce out. He heard the cheers of the fans and became more depressed.

The big man Joel Przybila, who had just come on as a substitute, slowed down the team's offensive tempo. Facing the Knicks' tacit switching and fast rotation defense, it became increasingly difficult to launch an offense.

Steve Blake was still working hard on defense, but in the transition offense, Li You advanced very quickly and soon caught up with him.

Rookie player Nicolas Batum was quite active, but the noisy environment seemed to affect his judgment, and he completely ignored Prince who cut in from the side.

When Li You changed direction while pushing the ball, broke through the middle with the ball in his right hand, and rushed to the free throw line carrying Blake, Batum retreated to the paint area and tried to assist in defense, but the basketball suddenly flew into the air.

Completely unguarded, Prince came to the lower left side of the basket, jumped up and easily scooped up the ball in the air, then dunked it with both hands!

"Oh!!"

Cheers resounded throughout the stadium again. On the other side, Brandon Roy, who retreated to the right corner, frowned. They had to launch another positional attack.

Head coach McMillan on the sidelines tried to establish an advantage inside and again directed his players to let Aldridge receive the ball near the left baseline.

Facing David Lee's tough confrontation, he tried to get close to the basket by shooting continuously, then suddenly turned towards the baseline, and with his height advantage, he missed a straight-arm jump shot.

Chandler trapped Przybilla behind him, but the big man's efforts to grab the ball were in vain. With Prince receiving the ball, the Knicks launched another counterattack.

After two consecutive rounds of back-and-forth running, Pulzybila, who had just come on the court, was confused. After returning to the half court and landing, he heard the loud calls from his teammates and followed Chandler to the top line.

When Li You received the ball on the left wing, Steve Blake called his teammates and wanted to double-team him immediately, but when he saw Pursby stopped inside the three-point line, he immediately felt something was wrong.

Just like what we saw in the video lesson, Li You, who had the ball in his right hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, swayed his body to the right front, and then quickly changed direction forward.

Even though he was prepared, Blake still lost his defensive position at the first moment and had no time to call for help from his teammates. After Li You made an emergency stop, he ignored the big man inside the three-point line and quickly made a jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

The clean and neat goal made the New York fans at the scene cheer loudly again. At 7:14, the score difference suddenly widened, and there was also jubilation on the Knicks bench.

Fully engaged in the game, while Rondo was still communicating with the coaching staff, Chalmers had cheered five times and waved his towel seven times. Then he returned to his seat, looked at Thaddeus Young's envious eyes, and said again:
"Man, do you still want to play in Portland now?"

"."

(End of this chapter)