NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 849 "A Terrible Rest Season" (Chapter without main character)

On Thursday, January 24, 2013, TNT announced the starting lineup for this year's Houston All-Star Game during its pre-game program.

The five Eastern Conference All-Stars are:

Li You, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol.

The five Western Conference All-Stars are:

Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard.

Perhaps due to the lack of intense competition this season, the number of fans participating in the vote has decreased significantly compared to previous years.

Aside from Li You's 228 million votes, the other player with the most votes was LeBron James with 158 million votes, followed by Kevin Durant with 150 million votes.

This situation is largely due to the rotation strategies employed by many teams. Earlier this month, the Spurs were fined another $25,000 for the same reason as before.

The Spurs' key players didn't even come to New York, and Popovich once again rested several key players. David Stern even publicly criticized the Spurs by name, but the practice of resting key players is becoming more and more common.

While the Heat didn't employ the same tactics as the Spurs, Coach Spoelstra's clocked-out rotations were also criticized.

The five-foreign-player lineup pioneered last season has not been used much in the new season. Apart from a few games where they exerted their strength in the third quarter, the Heat mostly seemed "unambitious," as if they were already satisfied with their second-place position in the East.

The two teams mentioned above are considered to be taking turns resting their players, while the Knicks are being forced to adjust their schedules. After turning 35, Li You's playing time in January was reduced to around 30 minutes.

After Kyrie Irving and Pau Gasol returned from injury, D'Antoni insisted on a 10-man rotation despite the relatively light schedule this month, with some games even seeing a 12-man rotation.

Compared to teams that voluntarily rest players, the Knicks' games became much less interesting, not because of any problems with their own playing style, but because their opponents surrendered too early.

In Monday's crosstown game against the Nets, head coach PJ Carlesimo, who replaced "Little General" (Jayson Kidd), substituted Kidd, Garnett, and Kirilenko early on.

Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony played aggressively, especially the latter, who took 29 shots and scored 29 points on 37.9% shooting, leading the Nets to another crushing defeat.

After the game, New York fans went wild with criticism of Anthony, and a near-brawl broke out between the two sides. Carlesimo, however, was very satisfied with his personnel adjustments, and frankly stated his decision to bring in a veteran early:

"We all know that the period before the All-Star Game is a high-injury season, and in order to protect the veterans, the team must increase the rotation."

Having learned from the experiences of the Bulls and Heat in the previous two years, the Eastern Conference has slowed down the competition, as no one wants to suffer injuries at this time, and therefore the excitement of the games has declined sharply.

Despite repeated appeals from the league, no one responded, especially after Rajon Rondo suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. Almost all the top-ranked teams began to control the playing time of their starting lineups.

TNT will be broadcasting the Knicks vs. Celtics game nationally tonight, but with Rondo out for the season and Pierce sidelined with knee soreness, the game has become rather dull.

In the studio, Charles Barkley stopped giving pre-game commentary and instead criticized the All-Star voting:
"If players don't respect the fans, then no one will vote for you."

"Players under 30 should not have their playing time controlled. This only makes the game less competitive. In the past, we wanted to play the full 48 minutes, but now young players only want to watch the game from their seats."

This situation only occurred among the teams in the upper half of the bracket, which Kenny Smith could understand, and he proactively changed the subject, saying:

"Injuries are indeed regrettable. Rondo has been in excellent form this season, and he just recorded a triple-double in the last game. I really don't want to see players suffer injuries like this."

"I don't think there's a big problem with adjusting playing time appropriately. What the league needs to do is give more attention to the teams. The Raptors have a great record, but everyone is ignoring them."

"We all understand the All-Star situation; the league's goal is to get more fans involved in the voting."

Just like the Slam Dunk Contest has become increasingly boring, the AMVP has been almost monopolized by the Eastern Conference All-Stars. It was originally an exhibition game, and after watching it for many years, many fans have lost interest.

"Kenny is right! But I still don't like the current league. In my opinion, the CBA is much more entertaining, and I've fallen in love with that league!"

Shaquille O'Neal, shaking his head and swaying his body, began his usual annual teasing of Tracy McGrady. Before anyone could interject, the old shark grinned and said:

"After a 12-game losing streak, McGrady has now led the team to a record of 7 wins and 19 losses. Thank God he ended his embarrassing record."

"Although McGrady has been losing, many fans, like me, want to pay more attention to him."

Thanks to Kobe's breakout performance last season, many fans have started paying attention to leagues across the ocean, even as the NBA has been relatively quiet.

During McGrady's losing streak, the most-read posts on Reddit were predictions of when he would finally get his first win.

In addition, the incident of McGrady elbowing BJ's Ji Zhe has also gone viral. TNT and ESPN had a heated discussion about it not long ago. No one expected that fans on the other side of the ocean would be so enthusiastic.

While not entirely in favor of making fun of washed-up players, Ernie Johnson still sighed when discussing topics related to the CBA:
"Compared to China, some NBA fans seem to have lost their enthusiasm, and no one believes that young people can break Lee's dominance."

"Perhaps we should make some reforms to the All-Star Game. In any case, I still hope that fans can participate more in the All-Star Game, because it is a gift from the NBA to everyone."

After agreeing, O'Neal changed the subject and continued:
"I noticed that Kobe only received 90 votes, which is his true status in the hearts of fans."

"Even now, I still don't quite understand why Chinese fans like my little brother so much. Is it because he won the championship as a 'passenger'? Or because he scored 81 points against a minnow team?"

"I believe many sports commentators share the same confusion as me, and the same goes for the McGrady incident; those fanatical fans are truly impressive."

Shaquille O'Neal is clearly making sarcastic remarks about Tracy McGrady again. Following the elbowing incident, many fans have been criticizing Ji Zhe, while the long-past-his-prime "second man" is still posting arrogant updates on social media:
"After the game, all the Chinese fans went to yell at him because he wagged his finger at my face, and even his girlfriend scolded him."

"You can't do that to my hero, T-Mac!"

"My Chinese fans are amazing, I love them!"

This matter has recently sparked heated discussions on ESPN, with Stephen A. Smith angrily condemning McGrady's "shitty" behavior on the show and ultimately stating his opinion:
"Tracy McGrady, like Kobe, is deceiving Chinese fans; they are disgracing the status of superstars!"

“Li has said more than once that playing in the NBA is just a job, but they clearly put themselves above the fans.”

"I never want to see McGrady play in an NBA game again. As for Kobe, he should retire immediately and stop fooling those poor Philadelphia fans. You can't do anything."

The opposing team was practically ready to revoke McGrady's U.S. citizenship, but Charles Barkley wasn't interested in the gossip. When the director reminded him, he had to talk about tonight's game:

"The Celtics haven't had as bad a season as people expected, but Rondo's season-ending injury is definitely a huge blow to them."

"Tonight we can only hope for Lopez's performance. I just hope he won't be too bad at defending pick-and-rolls."

"."

At 23:30 PM, head coach Doc Rivers appeared somewhat dejected at the post-game press conference; his time with the Celtics was running out.

"We failed to play to our strengths, you know, that's often how it is in the NBA. This wasn't our night." Rivers's commentary, seemingly an attempt to shift blame, drew scorn from many reporters in the audience. There hadn't been any targeted strategy tonight, and Lopez had stubbornly stuck to his defensive positioning to protect the rim.

A crushing 126-85 defeat left Boston sports reporters breathless, prompting them to ask some very pointed questions:

“Danny Ainge has emphasized more than once that the team has entered a rebuilding phase, but Fabre Melo, whom we selected 22nd overall last year, has not received any opportunities.”

"Many fans believe that the entire team has huge problems. What are your thoughts on this?"

Terrence Jones, selected 18th overall, has been relegated to the G League and has only played three games this season, performing terribly and disappointing Boston fans.

In the pursuit of wins, inexperienced rookies naturally don't earn trust, and Rivers didn't want to argue, simply responding calmly:
“We have outstanding talent, but the lads aren’t ready yet.”

With a record of 18 wins and 24 losses, the Celtics have fallen out of the top eight after their loss. Considering their injury situation, they might even be poised to become the number one draft pick in the second half of the season.

As Rivers left the media room, thinking about the performance of the backcourt duo of Bradley and Morrow tonight, he missed Rondo even more.

Although championship-winning guards like to act as coaches on the court, Rondo does have playmaking ability. Without a core guard, both offense and defense completely collapse.

-

On Thursday, January 31, 2013, the NBA announced the reserve roster for the Houston All-Star Game.

The seven Eastern Conference All-Star reserves are:

Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Jrue Holiday, Paul George, Chris Bosh, Joakim Noah, and Brook Lopez.

The seven Western Conference All-Star reserves are:

James Harden, Tony Parker, Andre Iguodala, Zach Randolph, Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Yao Ming.

In the East, Brook Lopez replaced the injured Rondo, while in the West, LaMarcus Aldridge replaced the injured Amar'e Stoudemire.

The two All-Star teams are coached by Mike D'Antoni and Gregg Popovich, respectively. Having already secured the top seed in their respective conferences, both coaches are returning to the All-Star Game.

On February 1st, with LeBron James winning the Player of the Month award again, the calls for him to win MVP are getting louder and louder.

Unfortunately, the Heat suffered a crushing defeat in their away game against the Pacers that night.

After losing 89-104, the Heat's record improved to 29 wins and 14 losses, maintaining their second-place position in the Eastern Conference.

As the regular season progresses, Brand has gradually fallen out of the rotation. Tonight, the Pacers slowed down, and the veteran got more playing time, but his performance was somewhat lackluster.

Iman Shumpert, the Pacers' rookie last year, has had a standout season, carrying the team's offense alongside Paul George and David West when Danny Granger was sidelined with an injury.

At the post-game press conference, LeBron James was generous with his praise, commending the opponent's defense and giving high marks to the rookie.

When an ESPN reporter asked about winning the Player of the Month award for three consecutive months, James, despite the loss, smiled, shrugged, and joked:
"Luckily, Li doesn't need these trophies anymore, otherwise I would never have had this opportunity!"

"But I feel I deserve these honors. Kevin had the opportunity to achieve 50+40+90 this season, and I am also reaching the peak of my career."

"Being named the best of the month will bring me more attention, and I am very happy to receive this honor for the second time."

Although James did not make a clear statement, the media reporters present could all tell that the chosen one was making a run for the MVP.

Currently, his only competitor is Kevin Durant. The Thunder are ranked second in the Western Conference, and Durant is expected to enter the 180 Club. The competition between the two is currently very close.

When talking about veterans who were not selected for the All-Star game, James did not forget to express his respect for Garnett, who has also been injured recently and whose stats have declined significantly, and has basically been forgotten by fans.

At the end of the press conference, Yahoo Sports suddenly asked about the future free agency market, and a source revealed that James's agent team does not like the assertive Pat Riley.

After arriving in Miami, the two sides did not cooperate closely, and considering Wade's age, many people firmly believed that the chosen one was already preparing to move to the West.

“I’ve never thought about those things, you know. I’m only focused on the current game.”

James didn't explain much, but the local sports media in Miami were somewhat dissatisfied, saying that he was already "not eight" when he joined the team, which was far from the initial promise.

With a smile, he got up and left. After winning Player of the Month for three months, James knew the trophy was basically in his grasp; the hooker had already communicated with him beforehand.

Although he doesn't understand why Li You has become increasingly low-key this season, the Chosen One thinks it's a good thing for him. He doesn't want to fall behind Durant; the position of the second-best hooker is still his.

-

On Tuesday, February 5th, the CBA across the ocean ushered in its penultimate round of matches.

The "elbow strike" incident is still unfolding. After some rational fans switched the ESPN program to McGrady's, his die-hard fans started a new round of attacks.

Despite actively speaking out for their idol, the Qingdao team unfortunately lost again that night, much to the delight of Kobe's die-hard fans. With eight wins, how could McGrady compare to the Mamba?
Despite the loss, McGrady held his head high at home, still looking sleepy during the interview. When asked by a CCTV reporter about the previous "elbow" incident, he proudly stated:
"Listen, he got himself into this mess. Never mess with McGrady, because my fans will take care of you!"

"."

After saying this, McGrady winked at the camera, continuing to act like a superstar, raising his hands and giving a series of high-fives to the home fans.

In the studio behind, Yang Jian looked puzzled, while Yang Yi chuckled beside him, and during his commentary on the competition, he began to say in a sarcastic tone:
"I think my American counterparts sometimes have a point; players who haven't gone to college are no good."

"It would be difficult for McGrady to win 10 games in the CBA. I can't comment on his level, but after getting to know him up close, I believe many fans will realize that he is definitely not a top-notch idol."

"To be honest, even if McGrady were in his prime, Li You wouldn't give him a second glance in the NBA. He has to thank Yao Ming, otherwise it would have been difficult for him to accumulate so many fans here."

Yang Jian, not wanting his partner to be criticized on social media, smiled and proactively changed the subject, saying:

"The CBA regular season is coming to an end, and the NBA will also usher in the All-Star Weekend that fans are looking forward to. This time, Yao Ming is once again the host player. In the second half of the season, the Rockets have a chance to improve their ranking."

"Jeremy Lin will also participate in the Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend; we can look forward to his performance."

Stopping talking about McGrady, Yang Yi sighed inwardly as he thought about how the Rockets, after adding Jason Terry, only had a record of 23 wins and 26 losses.

After the Olympics, Yao Ming, hampered by a foot injury, has had a mediocre season. Yang Yi hopes the Rockets can go further, and at this point, he also offered some optimistic predictions:
"Many teams start strong in the first half of the season, but the Rockets are more used to having a breakout performance after the All-Star break."

"I hope Yao Ming's performance gets better and better."

(End of this chapter)