Champion, please stay!

Chapter 286, Section 284: A Glimpse into the Life at the Start of the Season
Yi Shui's one-on-one play choices are also different from those in previous encounters. He is more keen to drive into the paint and shoot, just like... a young snake with shooting teammates like Fisher, Horry, and Antoine Walker back then!
Hollins's statement is understandable. Last season, only Curry, Yi Shui, and Webster could consistently make long-range shots under high-intensity competition for the Knicks. In the Eastern Conference Finals, it was only Yi Shui and Curry. Yi Shui had to take a lot of one-on-one shots from the outside to create opportunities for the inside players to attack and score.

But now Yi Shui not only has Curry and Webster as his two helpers, but also has added three top catchers and shooters: Ray Allen, Frye, and Mike Miller. Learning from Kobe's early offensive style is undoubtedly the best option.

That was proven to be the best outside shot of the first decade of the 21st century, bar none.

霍林斯看向对面其他人的数据，库里21分5助攻、雷-阿伦16分、钱德勒15分10板。

Aside from the four star players who scored in double figures, the other seven players who took the court scored a total of 37 points. If Chandler is also included in the role players, that's 52 points!
In regulation time, the team's offense was unstoppable. When role players got tired of running and the pitchers' touch dropped, Yi Shui stepped up and unleashed his attack...

Hollins feels he, as head coach, should take responsibility for the team's poor performance against Yi Shui tonight.

If the point difference in the loss is small, as the head coach, he will be very irritable. But if the loss is by more than ten points and the opponent scores 30+ points twice in a single quarter, he can calm down and think things through.

He placed too much emphasis on Yi Shui's long-range shooting, always leaving Marc Gasol to protect the rim alone.

After Gay or Marion were beaten by Yi Shui, Tony Allen, Rose, Vazquez, Sam Young and others had to use rough tackles to stop Yi Shui and prevent Gasol from committing too many fouls. This not only caused Yi Shui to frequently go to the free-throw line, but also affected the defense against the Knicks' wing shooters.

However, given Yi Shui's height, mobility, ball-handling skills, and shooting ability... how can the Knicks' shooters defend against his penetration?
Hollins shook his head, deciding to focus on tactical maneuvers and find a way to contain the opposing team's attack.

In the third quarter, for example, they defended the opponent's team offense very well. If they can force the opponent to play Curry, Ray Allen, and Chandler for more minutes in the first three quarters, the final quarter will be easier to play.

As for the Yi River... leave it to Ross to handle!
Hollins, D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, and Cheeks all had periods of overlapping playing careers. They all witnessed James Worthy, Larry Bird, Kyrie Irving, Hakeem Olajuwon, and others using their individual abilities to compete against opposing stars and achieve victory. Mark Jackson, in particular, witnessed the birth of the basketball god.

Their coaching philosophies share some common ground—relying on the team and the head coach during regular time, and relying on superstars for the decisive offensive plays.

Hollins believes that Rose will never be able to replicate his performance from his second year at Yishui, and may never be as good as Yishui in the future, but that's not how the game goes.

Byron Scott and James Worthy weren't as good as Thomas and Bird, but they had both defeated those two opponents.

As the head coach, he must believe in his superstar, do his job well, and believe that Rose can make the game-winning shot!

...

On the other side, after celebrating the victory with his teammates and the fans at the scene for a while, Yi Shui opened the system.

"Blooming Roses:"

Derrick Rose: 8-for-15 from close range, 7-for-9 from the free-throw line after drawing fouls in close range, total: 23 points; You: 6-for-10 from close range, 12-for-12 from the free-throw line after drawing fouls in close range, total: 24 points. Goal 1 achieved.

You led your team to victory against the Grizzlies in the opening game; objective 2 is now complete.

Congratulations on receiving the reward: Auspicious Start (Skill).

The next phase of the mission is about to begin.

Looking at the 24-23 score in the paint, Yi Shui was relieved that he had driven in at the last moment of the fourth quarter, drew a foul, and made both free throws, and that Rose did not score afterward, otherwise this skill would have been useless.

Rose's 8 out of 15 close-range shots looks average, only 53% accuracy.

However, according to Yi Shui's count, Rose had 6 floaters on the three-second sideline of the basket tonight, making 2 of 4 in the first quarter and 0 of 2 in the second quarter. He probably lost confidence and stopped shooting later. In other words, Rose used his preferred style of play to attack the basket, and he made 6 of 9 shots tonight! In addition, he drew fouls on 3 shots and made 3 free throws that drew fouls!
Moreover, it's quite impressive that a point guard dares to take six floaters in a game, even though he's not good at them. Most point guards don't even take six close-range shots in a game.

Aside from close range, Rose took 10 shots tonight, going 0-for-2 from three-point range. One was a risky shot in the third quarter when he was left wide open, and the other was a buzzer-beater at the end of the game... which can be ignored.

Making 4 out of 8 jump shots from the free-throw line is pretty impressive!
Aside from his drives to the basket and three-pointers, all of Rose's other shots tonight were quite interesting to recall.

His floaters are all taken from a fixed distance on either side of the three-second zone sideline, and his mid-range jump shots are all taken from the free-throw line. It's clear he's practiced a lot and achieved some results.

The Grizzlies' layered defense against perimeter isolation plays also left a deep impression on Yi Shui. Their teamwork was so impressive that it forced him to drive into the paint. Fortunately, his impact was strong enough to overpower the opposing wing defenders, and those guys on the wing alone gave him eight free throws.

As for outside free throws, he only had one free throw attempt, and he only made that one long two-pointer. Fortunately, he shot well from three-point range tonight.

When teams like the Grizzlies, Celtics, and Pacers are in a game, the referees tend to be more lenient.

Stern's 'game differentiation strategy' is very wise...

At Madison Square Garden, after the opening match, Yi Shui was busy until the early hours of the morning.

When the game report between the Knicks and the Grizzlies came out online, fans were shocked.

With 36 points in the first quarter and 35 points in the final quarter, the Knicks scored a total of 124 points against the Grizzlies!
The Grizzlies were already one of the top six defensive teams in the league early last season. Even after the Cavaliers acquired Jamison and their defense collapsed, the Grizzlies remained firmly in the top five defensive teams. After the All-Star break, they went even further, becoming the second-best defensive team after the Celtics.

After acquiring players like Tony Allen and Carlos Boozer during the offseason, they were considered the strongest candidate to be the league's best defensive team.

This team was scored on by the Knicks by 124 points!
The key point is that, according to media reports, the Grizzlies' defense wasn't bad in this game, but they just couldn't stop the Knicks' team offense and Yi Shui's one-on-one plays.

Yi Shui, Curry, and Ray Allen combined for 72 points, while eight role players added 52 points, demonstrating a balanced attack from multiple players!
Numerous video clips from the game have been released online, showing the Knicks using various maneuvers such as slalom, reverse runs, cuts, and passes to tear apart the Grizzlies' defense and create opportunities for the paint and wings.

These tactics have given fans a refreshing experience!
However, this scene felt strangely familiar to the fans…

In the 08-09 season, with Mike D'Antoni as head coach and Yi Jianlian selected as the offensive core with the number one draft pick, the Knicks defeated the Thunder in their opening game. Yi Jianlian scored 45 points to announce his arrival, and New York set off a second season of fast-paced whirlwind. The Knicks eventually won 55 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, shocking the basketball world.

In the 2009-10 season, the Knicks started with a 16-game winning streak, their fast-paced style sweeping the league, winning 68 games and the championship. Yi Shui won three NBA MVP awards in one year, announcing the arrival of a new era for the NBA.

The Knicks seem to be up to something again this season!
The Knicks' resounding victory over the Grizzlies and their brand-new fast-paced style once again thrilled fans, officially kicking off the new season.

The Knicks' big win over the Grizzlies was stolen the very next day by the Heat's Big Three!

At 5 p.m. on the 31st, the Heat will host the Hawks in the season opener.

Joe faced his former team one-on-one and showed no mercy, sinking five three-pointers and scoring 23 points.

詹姆斯出战41分钟，18投11中，加上12中8的罚球，拿到30分10板10助攻。

斯塔德迈尔17投12中，加上5中4的罚球，拿到28分6板2助攻2盖帽。

The Big Three led their team to a crushing 129-97 victory over the Hawks, a total of 32 points!
The Hawks have a decent roster; in fact, their roster structure and depth are excellent, with both veterans and young stars.

The Heat acquired star players from three teams to form a Big Three, and the Hawks were the only team that didn't suffer much of a loss.

They formed a young core of Eric Gordon and Al Horford; Jeff Teague also began to realize his potential in this year's Summer League and preseason; Josh Smith and Marvin Williams are in their prime, with veteran Mike Bibby leading the team, and veterans like Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, and Jamal Crawford assisting them.

Before the season started, many media outlets were optimistic about the Hawks' future, believing that the Hawks could rise like the Knicks, Grizzlies, and Pacers of the past two years. Their performance in the opening game was also highly anticipated, but they were ultimately crushed by more than 30 points by LeBron James and his team!

On the Yi River side, when they saw the match report and the post-match comments, they had only one thought—just as expected.

What a joke! You should take a good look at Stern's actions!
After the schedule was announced in late September, Yi Shui saw some media outlets praising the Hawks' talent and predicting they would make a name for themselves.

But upon closer inspection, he realized that they had simply replaced Joe Johnson with Gordon, who was about to enter his third year of high school.
Although Gordon averaged 15+ points per game as a substitute in his first two years, can he compare to Joe Johnson in his prime?
After a moment's thought, Yi Shui understood Stern's intention in arranging the schedule and the media's hype—to generate buzz for James' debut with his new team.

The Hawks are considered peripheral figures in the media landscape; anyone can use them, and no matter how much hype is given to them, it won't offend fans of other teams. Casual fans might genuinely believe that the Hawks have a bright future.

At this time, LeBron James, who was a natural counter to the Hawks, along with Amar'e Stoudemire, who also had a good counter to the Hawks, and Joe Johnson, who knew the Hawks' style of play very well, faced off against the Hawks... which led to the current explosive performance of the Heat's Big Three.

With a lead of almost 30 points, Yi Shui wanted to go up and shoot two more shots and make an assist, but he doubted he would have the courage if faced with that situation. At 8 p.m., a popular game in the Western Conference started, and Yi Shui watched the live broadcast on TV—Lakers vs. Warriors.

The live stream ended at 10:30 PM. It was a really exciting match!

Paul, who had a lackluster preseason performance, played much better tonight than Yi Shui had expected.

面对死敌德隆，保罗13投仅4中、其中三分球6投仅1中、加上2中2的罚球，个人进攻表现糟糕，只拿到11分。

But he also had 12 assists and only two turnovers!

拜纳姆面对姚明、夸梅-布朗，10投5中、加上5中4的罚球，拿到14分9板2盖帽，表现中规中矩。

Odom, who came off the bench, had a mediocre performance tonight, scoring 12 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists.

Josh McRoberts, on the other hand, was activated when he met Paul. He played 23 minutes in pick-and-rolls with Paul and scored 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Kobe Bryant benefited the most from playing alongside the core pick-and-roll duo of Paul and McRoberts!
20投11中、其中三分球7中3，加上10中10的罚球，拿到35分7板3助攻2抢断。

面对出战31分钟拿到15分8板4助攻2盖帽的姚明、出战40分钟拿到31分11助攻的德隆、出战30分钟拿到21分的埃利斯、以及打出13分8板2助攻2抢断3盖帽的杰拉德-华莱士……

The Lakers narrowly won 112-108 thanks to Kobe Bryant's clutch shots against Gerald Wallace in the final moments of the game!

11 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, and 2 turnovers. Paul controlled the game, while the veteran scored through off-ball movement and crucial isolation plays. He was incredibly strong!
However, Deron Williams was truly a match for Paul, scoring 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting, as if it were child's play.

Unfortunately, no Warriors player stepped up to score in crucial moments, and Ellis missed his last two offensive possessions against Kobe's defense.

Yao Ming's playing style has changed a lot, which reminded Yi Shui of the quarterback-style long pass from the Little Giant during the World Championships...

After watching the live stream, Yi Shui came across a news report about a high-profile matchup that didn't garner much attention—the Spurs crushed the Pacers 122-107 at home.

首节30比23、第二节31比29、第三节29比28、末节32比27，马刺队全程压着步行者队打，每一节都占上风！
Moreover, it seems that their offense overwhelmed the Pacers' defense, forcing the Pacers to score rapidly starting in the second quarter!
On November 1st, the second rest day after the Knicks' season opener, another highly anticipated season opener sparked heated discussions among the media and fans.

The Bulls lost to the Thunder at home!
还真不是公牛队打得不好，诺阿拿到13分14板，6个进攻篮板球、8个防守篮板球，还有2助攻2盖帽。

韦德28分、波什23分、哈登15分7助攻，两大巨星和两大新星率队拿到了104分，防守做得也不错、篮板球保护得也好。

Westbrook, for example, was defended by Wade and Harden in rotation, plus Noah and Bosh protecting the rim, which limited him to 5 of 14 shots and 3 of 5 free throws, for a total of only 13 points.

The Bulls dominated the Thunder 75-67 in the first three quarters.

但杜兰特24投16中、其中三分球7中5，加上14中14的罚球，狂轰51分，其中末节单节21分！
Durant made a quick move, allowing Westbrook to achieve a triple-double of 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists despite Westbrook's inability to get going with his drives and passes.

Westbrook doesn't pass the ball to Durant that often, but when it gets to Durant, it's an assist.

Adding to the Bulls' woes, Griffin's consecutive dunks in the final quarter angered the hot-tempered Noah, who was ejected for elbowing Griffin, leaving the team without its defensive anchor under the basket.

The Thunder were able to outscore the Bulls 36-24 in the final quarter, coming back from behind to defeat them 103-99.

Yi Shui also watched the live broadcast of this match.

What impressed him most about the Thunder, and what shocked the media and fans the most, was their talent!
Facing the defensive system built by the Bulls' new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Thunder were unable to execute any tactics in this game.

But they couldn't hold onto the defensive rebounds, and at this point, players like Westbrook, Tyrannosaurus Rex, 28-cardi, and Jeff Green, who weren't particularly keen on defensive rebounds, went on a frenzy for offensive rebounds; Griffin used his explosive speed and quick cuts to shake off Bosh and penetrate the paint; Durant relied on his individual skills to score like crazy...

The Thunder did a good job defending against them, and Scott Brooks was decent in that regard, but he relied more on his talent.

The Flash and the Dragon King were also unlucky, getting overwhelmed by the Thunder's talent in their debut.

This is also related to the poor performance in recruiting small forwards during the offseason; Korver, Mike Miller, James Posey... they didn't manage to acquire any of them.

If it weren't for snatching Keith Bogans from the Spurs and picking up Ronnie Brewer, whose rookie contract had expired, from among the players the Jazz didn't want, there would be no one available at the small forward position.

Both players are decent defensively, but their offensive abilities are average. Ronnie Brewer can only drive to the basket, while Bogans has a spot-up three-point shot but poor positioning.

...

At the start of the season, during the opening match and two rest days, Yi Shui's attention was diverted to other teams. There were too many teams that interested him this season, and he was eager to know how they were performing.

On November 2nd, the Knicks' second regular season game began, and Yi Shui threw himself into his team's game.

In the evening, the Knicks hosted the Bobcats.

D'Antoni changed the starting lineup, keeping positions 1-3 and 5 unchanged, and using Frye at power forward.

Gibson needs to work on his shooting. Once he improves, he needs to demonstrate his shooting ability and create a threat when he comes off the bench before D'Antoni will consider starting him again. Otherwise, it would be better to start Amir Johnson directly.

The Bobcats fielded a starting lineup of DJ Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Stephen Jackson, Diaw, and Kaman.

Yi Shui looked at the opposing bench as he entered the game. Apart from the starters, the Bobcats' only viable substitutes were Muhammad, Tyrus Thomas, and... Livingston?
从07年重伤后，这位天才高中生接着又连续报销了3年，07-08赛季全部报销，08-09赛季打了10场报销，上赛季打了36场报销。

The Bobcats, who let go of most of their key players last season, signed Livingston to a one-year, $930,000 contract with no other available players.

Larry Brown, the veteran coach, joined the Spurs in 89 when the team formed a duo of Terry Cummings and David Robinson.
In 91, Cummings' performance declined, and he resigned midway through the season to join the Clippers, who had formed a trio of Mark Jackson, Ron Harper, and Danny Manning.

In 93, the Clippers performed poorly, so he resigned and joined the Pacers, who had assembled a star-studded roster with Larry Bird.

After coaching the Pacers for four years, he squandered a great opportunity and resigned. But right after he resigned, the Pacers, led by Larry Bird who took over as coach, won 58 games and battled the Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After leaving the Pacers, Larry Brown seamlessly joined the 76ers, where he stayed the longest, coaching for six years and enjoying Iverson's peak years. In 2003, seeing that the 76ers had no hope, he resigned.

It was another seamless transition; he joined the Pistons, who had reached the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season, and won the only championship of his career. However, the following year, he clashed with the players again, flirted with Isiah Thomas during his coaching tenure, and then went to New York to sign a long-term contract with a multi-million dollar annual salary after the season ended.

Yi Shui guesses Larry Brown never dreamed that after a lifetime of speculation, at almost 70 years old, he would be outmaneuvered by Jordan, work hard to lead his team to a good year, and get broadcast contracts and sponsorship fees, only for Jordan to dismantle the team.

After the game started, the Knicks completely dominated the Bobcats on both offense and defense.

The Bobcats' offense was never good; they relied entirely on defense and star players' one-on-one plays to win. But with the departures of Felton, Gerald Wallace, Harrington, and others, their offense now depends on Stephen Jackson and Kaman, while their defense relies entirely on Kaman under the basket and Muhammad off the bench...

首节32比18、第二节33比25、第三节30比21……

易水首节打了前7分钟、第二节打了后5分钟、第三节打满，出战24分钟，13投9中，其中三分球4中2，加上4中4的罚球，拿到24分3板4助攻1抢断2盖帽，率领尼克斯队以95比64领先山猫队31分结束第三节，打卡下班！
In the final quarter, Chalmers led Willie Green, Mike Miller, Gibson, Birdman, Amir Johnson, Webster, and others through garbage time. The substitutes were even more ruthless than the starters!

When the starting players are still on the court and the point difference is so large, they will reduce their defensive efforts to conserve energy and reduce the risk of injury. This is a standard practice for experienced players, since they have no real animosity towards the Bobcats.

But the substitutes didn't care; they just wanted to score and show themselves, resulting in a 35-16 quarter score.

The Knicks crushed the Bobcats by 50 points, 130-80!
Jordan, who came to watch the game from the away court, turned green with rage!

He regretted it; he shouldn't have gone on the expedition with the team just to establish a "team-loving persona"!
During the offseason, after letting go of most of his key players, Jordan was heavily criticized. Seeing this could potentially impact home game ticket sales for the new season, he started to "play the victim," telling the camera that too many players wanted to re-sign, and his finances couldn't afford it. He could only watch helplessly as his key players left, expressing his deep regret. He promised to stand firmly with the team in the new season, weathering the storm together, and, unless absolutely necessary, to be at the arena every night to cheer on the players…

After the game, when Jordan was interviewed and asked about the Yi River, he did not answer but said, "In my mind, Kobe is the best player in the world. He was when I retired, and he still is now. He is the only player who could possibly beat me."

(End of this chapter)