NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 817 Bold Words at the Beginning of the Season (Chapter without Main Character)

On Thursday, December 29, 2011, after a lackluster Christmas Day game, TNT premiered its new season.

As a newcomer to the studio, O'Neal is very happy and has been actively interacting with fans on social media in recent days. The old Shaq is really looking forward to the game that night.

A nationally televised matchup naturally attracts a large audience, and the game between the Knicks and the Lakers is undoubtedly the most popular.

Unfortunately, Li You did not travel with the team to Los Angeles for the back-to-back game, but Lakers fans were very happy about this. With a record of 0 wins and 3 losses at the start of the season, everyone was hoping for a victory!
The suspension has had a significant impact on many teams. Some players are not very disciplined, and after such a long break, their bodies have become "rusty."

For Lamar Odom, "rusting" is a minor issue; his physique is completely out of shape, and his "bloating" has worsened.

In addition, Stoudemire's shooting has been poor in recent games, Iguodala's offensive desire is not strong, and Evan Turner's shooting is still improving, so it is not surprising that they have lost three games in a row.

Only Lou Williams and Matt Barnes were in top form on the team, with the bench actually performing better than the starters. Coach Byron Scott could only offer a tactful comment on this:
"We need some more time! I believe the offense won't be a problem for the team, so please be patient, fans."

"."

Quite a few teams have lost their first three games in a row; in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics and Nets also lost.

Pierce suffered a heel injury and his shooting became increasingly poor in several games. Although Anthony of the Nets was regaining his form, Garnett lacked offensive desire for three consecutive games, scoring in double figures only once.

Most matches this week tended to be a contest of who was worse, with only a few young teams showing dominance at this time.

The key match of the night was set shortly after the game began, with Odom, who was not in good physical condition, once again underperforming, suffering several consecutive "head-snatching" attacks in the first quarter.

With the Knicks starting slowly and missing shots, the Lakers successfully assisted their old rivals with rebounds!
With 2 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter, boos erupted again at Staples Center.

"shush"

When Odom received a pass from Raymond Felton, he cut down the middle and tried to find Stoudemire under the basket, but ended up passing the ball out of bounds.

On the defensive possession, Odom turned into a wooden stake when facing Gasol who was in the low post on the left. Gasol spun past him and easily completed a one-handed dunk!
Seeing this, head coach Byron Scott could no longer sit still. He stood up again to call a timeout, while waving to the newly signed free agent, Troy Murphy.

On the commentary booth, Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller almost lost their composure. Even 37-year-old Ben Wallace seemed more energetic than Lamar Odom, suggesting that the left-handed magician had clearly let loose during the offseason.

In the Christmas Day game, they were suppressed by Boozer and Joakim Noah, and their rim protection was also a big problem, allowing Derrick Rose to frequently penetrate to the basket;

Three days passed, and the situation remained unchanged. Odom, who had heard the boos, returned to his seat with a grim expression. Everyone was silent except for Byron Scott, who was still loudly giving instructions:
"Stay focused, watch the rebounds, we need more energy."

Iguodala nodded repeatedly. Actually, it was a good thing that Odom was off the court. The opponent couldn't keep up with the pace of the game and was detached from the system, always giving the Lakers the illusion of playing 4 against 5.

Lou Williams, standing among his teammates, was still waiting for the coach's call, but Scott wanted to stick with the starters tonight and didn't rotate players like he had before.

In contrast to the silent Lakers bench, the Knicks' side was much more lively. Kyrie Irving and a group of rookies got up early to high-five the starters, shouting and cheering, looking extremely excited.

Lead assistant coach Mike Malone didn't give many instructions, just reminded Baron Davis to control the pace and continue with the fixed tactics before giving him a pep talk.

As for D'Antoni, the mustache had already used a fadeaway jumper and was essentially out of control from the start.
After the timeout, the Lakers finally broke their scoring drought. Iguodala received the ball on the left wing, used Stoudemire's fake screen to fake a move to the right and then drive to the left, striding past Marion to cut straight to the basket.

The Staples Center erupted in cheers again after the successful drive to the basket earned a free throw.

"This isn't the Lakers' rhythm. Perhaps Stoudemire is still suffering from a back injury, and he lacked aggression tonight."

Reggie Miller, taking advantage of the free throws, started talking about injuries again, seemingly to save face for Stoudemire, while Kevin Harlan chuckled and brought up Ray Allen, making a pointed remark:

"Although the sample size is small, Ray Allen's usage rate has been on the rise compared to the past few years."

"A seamless integration; apart from age, there's nothing to criticize."

With both free throws made, the score reached 27-21. Iguodala, who was retreating on defense, began to loudly call for his teammates to get into position, and Felton immediately began to press Baron Davis on defense.

Near the free-throw line, Ray Allen gestured to Ben Wallace under the basket to set a screen. As Wallace started moving, he quickly reached the top of the arc, and the big man Troy Murphy, who had just entered the game, also moved with him.

The screen posed little threat. The bearded man, feigning a start, saw Ray Allen moving slowly and suddenly accelerated toward the right sideline, immediately sending out a pass.

Gasol, who was previously near the right sideline, simply moved to position himself in advance, leaving Turner, who was chasing him, with a delay. By the time Ray Allen caught the ball on the right side and threw it, he could only make a token attempt to defend.

"shush"

Amid boos, the basketball traced a slightly flat arc and swished through the net. Marion, who had already squeezed into the left side of the defense, gave a thumbs-up as he retreated to defend. The tactic was simple and brutal, yet surprisingly effective.

Stoudemire's strong attack under the basket failed to put the ball in the hoop, and with Gasol grabbing the rebound, Davis had already crossed the mid-court line after a long pass.

Iguodala retreated to defend against two opponents, aiming at Marion who was following up. Facing the bearded man on the fake pass, he could only helplessly watch his opponent score.

With one minute remaining, both teams began making substitutions. The Lakers failed to score an embarrassing point. After Irving made a buzzer-beating step-back jumper, the score was 38-21.

Barnes, who didn't get a shot off after coming on, returned to the sidelines dejectedly with his hands on his hips. The whole team lacked energy, and for the first time, he felt that having a training fanatic like Kobe in the locker room was a good thing.

On the TNT commentary desk, Reggie Miller looked at the statistics with some helplessness. Stoudemire was 2-for-8, and although he made a three-pointer, his performance tonight was just as bad as Odom's.

Looking at another rebound in the statistics, Miller couldn't hold back and offered a rare critique:

"The suspension is no excuse. As the team leader, Stoudemire's performance has been terrible!"

"In my opinion, there are problems in the Lakers' locker room. If they want to return to the Finals in 66 games, they must get back into form as soon as possible."

Kevin Harlan noticed Ray Allen's stats: 3-for-4 shooting, all from beyond the arc, for 9 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal, performing with high efficiency, just like in the previous two games.
"I like the tactics the Knicks used a lot during the Christmas Day game. When Ray Allen screens for Lee, the two of them can easily complete an offensive play!"

"This is something to watch more in the new season. Davis is good, but it will be difficult for him to play Lee's role."

"."

The nationally televised game ended after three quarters amidst Miller's nagging. In the final quarter, the Knicks' height dropped drastically, with Markieff Morris even playing number 5.

With an incomplete roster, the rookies attacked relentlessly. Lou Williams, who intended to honestly back down, ended up shooting worse and worse, going 1-for-5 in a single quarter and completely ruining the game.

At the end of the game, with the score at 119-82, Lakers fans in the screaming seats at the back had already left the arena. Fortunately, the dim lighting in Staples Center concealed the embarrassing scene.

Despite losing the game, Stoudemire was all smiles and happy to see his old teammates. He scored 15 points on 4-of-17 shooting, and although his performance was subpar, it didn't dampen the good mood of the Lakers' new leader.

Iguodala didn't seem to care much about the result. Although he was upset, he maintained his composure after the game. Only Odom left the field early, as the fans were going crazy and he didn't want to waste any more time on small talk.

Ray Allen quietly scored 23 points in 31 minutes of play, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, 5-for-8 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He even had a smile on his face during his post-game interview with Sager.

"Usage rate? I don't care too much about these numbers. The coaching staff has indeed implemented more three-point shooting plays, and my job is to complete that task with high quality."

During his time with the Celtics, Rondo frequently fed the ball, but the team's screen-setting details weren't as good as the Knicks'. In this aspect, New York was indeed far ahead.

Wearing a Lakers purple and gold plaid suit, Sager was clearly also paying attention to the new tactics. The old man chuckled and asked about the Christmas Day game and the Warriors' performance. Ray Allen shook his head and smiled, giving a simple reply:

“I don’t want to lie. Actually, we cooperated like this back in Connecticut. The tactics weren’t complicated. It’s just that at first, no one knew how to double-team Lee.”

"All the changes stem from the core players."

He'd barely finished speaking when a slightly excited Kyrie Irving jumped and hopped in front of the camera, grabbed his older brother, and started gesturing and shouting:

"The best shooting duo in NBA history! New York's 15th championship!"

Tobias Harris and Markieff Morris, as top rookies who weren't sent down to the G League, were now circling around the veterans. Back in the locker room, Ben Wallace, watching the rookies still sharing his championship experience, adopted a boss-like demeanor and sat down to give them some advice:

"Listen, rookies, if you don't want to become softies like Odom, keep practicing boxing every day."

"This will help you adapt to the league better; softies can't win championships."

Seeing Morris's enthusiastic response, Tobias Harris was a little stunned. Assistant coach Charles Oakley was actually starting boxing training sessions. Before entering the league, he never expected that he would have to do these things.

Meanwhile, in the TNT studio behind, Shaquille O'Neal was continuously criticizing the Lakers. Without Kobe, the old Shaq genuinely hoped Los Angeles could win.

"The Nets lost by only 23 points, the Warriors by 19 points, and the Lakers lost by 37 points tonight!"

"Look at these numbers, this is not the performance the Lakers should be playing."

Kenny Smith, however, remained unaffected by his emotions. He argued that early-season games don't tell the whole story and offered an objective analysis:
"Felton's performance in the last few games has indeed been less than ideal, and currently no one on the Lakers can play Nash's role."

It's normal for a season to suddenly decline. The suspension also affected Felton's physical condition. Although he didn't have the swelling like Odom, the gap on both offense and defense was obvious compared to last season.

Ernie Johnson, who was about to say something positive about the Lakers, was interrupted by Charles Barkley, who bluntly remarked:
"Kobe used to call the Lakers players 'lazybones,' and now it seems he was right!"

"I don't have high hopes for this Lakers team. They seem to lack the desire to win. Maybe Jim Buss is regretting it. Trading Kobe might be the beginning of the Lakers' decline."

Losing four straight games at the start of the season wasn't that bad. Hearing the two players offering their conclusions about the Lakers, Ernie Johnson had to end the discussion early, reminding everyone again:
"On the 31st, Li will turn 34. His salary this season is $2959 million."

"Under the Tier 3 luxury tax clause, the Knicks will pay a large amount of luxury tax. The three-game winning streak is a satisfactory result for now, but the dense schedule ahead will be a bigger test."

"."

Four games a week will become the norm, and the older generation's advantage will soon be caught up by the younger generation.

-

On Saturday, December 31, 2011, mainstream media across the United States were reporting on Li You's birthday. Unlike previous years, with the increase in his assets, the general public could also see some of the superficial wealth.

With a salary approaching $3000 million, he is the highest-paid player in the NBA, and his salary will most likely continue to increase in the coming years.

In terms of basketball revenue, a portion also comes from the hook. Although specific figures have not been disclosed, revenue of around 4000 million is considered a reasonable estimate.

Just recently, the Wall Street Journal also revealed that Li You acquired eight resorts from Morgan Stanley, five of which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of New York.

Following the formal restructuring, $200 million in debt was cancelled and $400 million was converted into equity. The newly established AL Resorts controls eight resorts, which have once again become high-quality assets.

In addition to the HHC divested from GGP, Li You has reaped considerable rewards this year, with at least $40 billion disclosed so far. If stock holdings are included, the figure would certainly be even higher.

The New York Times recently reported on Pier 17, which HHC has announced will be redeveloped. This is also one of the assets held by Lee Yoo. In short, everyone knows that 34-year-old Lee Yoo is truly wealthy.

Paper wealth and fixed assets have different perceptions. Tang Nade was almost bankrupt a few years ago and had to choose a decent conference room to film his reality show, but the public still believed that he was very rich.

MSG also launched a special program on Lee Yoo today. Although he was chosen by his father back then, it doesn't affect the fact that James Dolan now takes all the credit.

After a flurry of praise, Walter Frazier had to change the subject, asking about the big gossip that commentators had been discussing recently:
According to an ESPN salary expert, the Knicks' salary this season will reach $1.1 million, and the second luxury tax threshold is $9243 million. Will we exceed this threshold for the next few years?

The team legend asked a rather tactful question, but salary is indeed a major issue. This season, the salary cap is $6186 million and the luxury tax threshold is $7493 million.

The extra $1 would incur a $1.75 fee, which is too much, and even New York fans are starting to doubt whether the team can continue.

When the topic came up, the curly-haired boss stopped his exaggerated claims and instead offered fans a glimpse into the situation based on reality:
"The Knicks' goal is to surpass the Celtics and become the team with the most championships in NBA history."

"I won't consider the luxury tax until we achieve this goal. In fact, without restrictions, Li could easily get 5000 million, which isn't a lot of money."

James Dolan has clearly also "caught up" on his past experiences, and when talking about new acquisition Ray Allen, he didn't forget to boast about his own abilities, revealing to fans for the first time:

"If we follow the latest collective bargaining agreement, it will be difficult for us to strengthen our roster, but after my recommendation to the board, some clauses have been pushed forward to next season."

“We signed Ray with the mini mid-level exception, and the Heat also benefited by signing Shane Battier with the same mini mid-level exception.”

"Alisson should thank me; I gave the Heat an opportunity."

Forbes magazine predicts that Li You's wealth is still increasing, while Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison lost more than 20% of his net worth in 2011.

James Dolan was clearly gloating. The board wasn't really welcoming of him; nobody wanted to deal with the Knicks, playing around with the Tier 2 luxury tax—that was a complete lack of sportsmanship.
The two then discussed the issue of player return, and the curly-haired owner, seemingly unconcerned, revealed further details about the team's plans:
"With four games a week, we really need everyone back. Li won't play that many games; with such a tight schedule, his playing time won't be much."

"The finals are Li's stage. Before that, everyone needs to take on more responsibility."

The show was mostly filled with good news, but towards the end, Walter Frazier picked up on a subtle hint: James Dolan would also try to save money if possible.

Considering Gasol's max contract and Baron Davis's large contracts over the past two years, Walter Frazier feels there are still uncertainties.

Miami Heat owner Arison has been quite active lately, and like James Dolan, he also gave an interview to local Miami media.

However, the two have completely different styles. When discussing the luxury tax, Alisson didn't make any promises, but instead talked about team culture:

"Blindly bringing in star players won't work; the league is demanding teams prove that!"

"The Heat are completely different. I don't care about paying more money, but building a real winning culture is obviously more important."

“Every player who comes to the Heat goes through a transformation. Just before Christmas, McGrady told me that his knee had recovered to its best condition in recent years.”

"That's the impact the Heat have. Everyone on the team is working hard, and that's what competitive sports should be like."

After discussing team culture, Arison didn't forget to show his concern for the star players. He also wished LeBron James, who had just gotten engaged, all the best, saying that the chosen one was in great form this season and that the special training seemed to have really worked!
That evening, the Knicks continued their road trip, defeating the Kings 121-91. Rookie DeMarcus Cousins ​​fouled out after three quarters, shooting 2-for-10 and contributing only 9 points.
In another key game, the Spurs also secured a modest victory, 88-101. Kawhi Leonard, starting for the Spurs, only scored 7 points, but after the game, Popovich repeatedly praised him.

"I believe Kawhi can play the role of Bruce Bowen, and he will be a championship piece for the Spurs."

The old man's coaching style has changed. He is no longer as strict as before, and he will give players more opportunities when they make mistakes.

The main reason for this situation is that Tim Duncan has not yet recovered. In three out of four games, he scored less than 10 points, and he seemed to be detached from basketball.

With 3 out of 10 shooting, Duncan played only 22 minutes tonight, contributing 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers. It was his first time scoring in double figures this season. After returning to the locker room, he remained sitting in his seat, seemingly lost in thought.

George Hill thought the eldest brother was beyond saving; Li You was too busy with life, while Duncan was completely escaping reality, his meditation making him seem mentally unstable.
Few people were talking in the locker room. Kawhi Leonard, a rookie, didn't say much, but he could sense that the atmosphere was off. He looked at Duncan for a while, then subconsciously scratched his head, not knowing what to say.

With a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, the Spurs were in decent form in the first week of the new season. Back in the locker room, Popovich offered a pep talk, and seeing Ginobili giving him a wink, he immediately started comforting him again.
"Tim, with four games a week, we've decided to give you a rest for one game. The team's goal is the playoffs, that's where you'll shine."

The old man put on a kind face and kept comforting Duncan's thigh, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Duncan just nodded in agreement and then sat silently in his seat.

Seeing this, Parker sighed inwardly. Since the "wife-swapping scandal" last year, his old teammate had barely spoken a few words to him.

When everyone had rested and were preparing to go home, Parker took the initiative to tell Duncan the good news, and introduced it with a smile:

"Tim, you know, there are salary issues in New York, and Boris might not be able to renew his contract next season."

“I’ve talked to him about this. If he has the opportunity, he’d like to come play for us. This guy would definitely fit in perfectly with the team.”

The two have been good friends since their youth team days. Parker went to great lengths to poach Duncan to strengthen the team. Upon hearing the news, Duncan seemed to snap out of his daze, perhaps thinking of his time in Los Angeles, and subconsciously frowned, saying:
"Will he share his championship experience? I've had enough of the people in New York."

(End of this chapter)