Champion, please stay!

Chapter 287, page 285: Forcibly Taking the Week's Best Player Award!
On the West Coast, a player wearing number 24, who wished to remain anonymous, heard Jordan's comments in the news and scoffed.

If Jordan had said this two years ago when he led his team to the championship, he would have been overjoyed.

But after the Bobcats suffered two consecutive losses to start the season, including a crushing 89-108 defeat to the Hornets in the opening game and a 50-point blowout by the Knicks in the second game, it's understandable that Jordan would say such things. After all, he's a capitalist now, and he needs to create controversy to divert attention.

However, he did not want to respond to this statement and refused to discuss it when asked for a phone interview.

On the Yi River, after seeing the news, they didn't think about anything else, they just felt that all the god-like players were petty.

The basketball god said he didn't care about his status as a sophomore who got two MVPs, but deep down he cared more than anyone else.

He suspected that if Jordan were ten years younger, he would probably have to spend a year in the gym lifting weights to lose weight and return to the court to compete with him for one or two seasons.

If I were 20 years younger... that would be wonderful.

If every night there's an opponent like the Grizzlies, who would want to play against the Bobcats?

Jordan's words successfully diverted the media's and fans' attention from the Bobcats' 69-point loss in the first two games, and they began to discuss who was stronger among Yi Shui, Kobe, and Jordan.

Only Jordan would use this to distract fans.

Although Jordan's words brought him some controversy, when people discuss who is better, they first single out Jordan, and then discuss Kobe's performance in the 05-06 season and Yi Shui's performance last season.

In the interview, Yi Shui showed great respect to the basketball god and the Black Mamba: "Four championships are more than one, Michael is right."

...

On the 4th, the Knicks hosted the 76ers and won 103-96.

The Knicks narrowly won by 7 points, scoring more than 20 points less than in the previous two games. It wasn't that the opponent played particularly well; on the contrary, the opponent played particularly poorly. Rather, it was because they scored an absurd 33-16 in the first quarter. D'Antoni immediately started the second quarter as a game of practice, trying out tactics that he had come up with after the preseason but had not yet been tested.

When playing the Bobcats, D'Antoni was quite cautious in the first half. Even though his players weren't putting in much effort on defense, he still carefully adjusted the lineup and arranged offensive tactics, considering that the opponent still had players like Stephen Jackson, Kaman, and Diaw.

But the 76ers, a team that tanked last season but failed to win the top draft pick, also have their star player Iguodala injured.

Speaking of the rest of the Dream Team, although they didn't win the World Championship, they all had outstanding performances at the start of the new season.

Rose scored 32 points in his first game, Durant scored 51 points, Love had 25 points and 21 rebounds, Odom had a triple-double in his Hornets debut, Westbrook had a triple-double... all of them performed admirably.

Iguodala, upon returning to the US, experienced persistent wrist pain and was diagnosed with a wrist fracture. He will be sidelined for 8-12 weeks and is expected to recover before the end of the year.

With no need to witness Iverson's retirement in the new season, the 76ers have been actively recruiting during the offseason, clearly aiming to win.

The lineup is decent.

Although Brand doesn't deserve the typical 5-year, $08 million max contract he signed in 8200, he averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds last season. He has a shot, post-up game, and is good at post-up defense, so he can be considered an excellent starter.

Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks had good rookie years, and their performances in their second year are worth looking forward to;

Lou Williams, one of the league's top reserves;

Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights are also strong substitutes;

The players acquired during the offseason, Nocioni and Spencer Hawes, are both starting-caliber players.

With Iguodala absent, every player on the 76ers team, from Holiday to Lou Williams, Brand, and Thaddeus Young, was simply playing their own game and getting crushed by the Celtics 78-102 in the opening game.

易水今晚17投9中，其中三分球2中1，加上9中9的罚球，拿到28分8板5助攻2抢断1盖帽。

He didn't score many points in the game; his main role was to stretch the defense and facilitate the transition of play. He left the high-efficiency scoring areas, such as receiving long-range shots from the outside and cutting to receive passes, to his teammates.

He will be responsible for the high-difficulty one-on-one plays and shooting.

This was something he had already confirmed when he called the coaching staff to discuss the direction of tactical development after the player recruitment was completed.

Someone has to do these things, and he enjoys these challenging attacks.

He recalled two interviews. One was in the summer of 1989, when Phil Jackson, who had just become the head coach of the Bulls, told Jordan, then a three-time scoring champion, "Our team will no longer allow you to be the scoring champion."

Jordan asked, "What are you trying to do?"

The Zen Master replied, "The team needs you to give up your high-efficiency shooting areas where you can easily score, and give them to role players. We need you to shoot in low-efficiency scoring areas, rather than taking opportunities from role players."

Then, Jordan won seven scoring titles in a division with low scoring efficiency, including six NBA championships.

In 2000, Kobe complained to the then Lakers general manager, the man with the logo, "Shaq is taking all the easy shots."

The man with the logo replied, "He's a center, he's born to be in that area. The team needs someone to come out and shoot from further away, someone to drive into the paint and score when they can't shoot. You can't do that?"

Kobe turned and left, embarking on a path where he would create challenges even when none existed, and never looked back, assisting Shaq in achieving a three-peat.

Last season, Yi Shui was still planning his future career from the perspective of a 'new generation player', with the season goal of striving for victory and improving his skills.

After winning the championship, he began to change his approach, drawing on the most successful perimeter play from the past—strengthening his offensive capabilities and improving his scoring ability in inefficient offensive areas. This summer, he focused on practicing mid-range shooting and one-on-one penetration techniques.

If he has the ability to take on difficult offenses, he can be like Jordan in the 90s and Kobe in the past 10 years. No matter how his teammates change, as long as his teammates are capable of making good shots in the high-efficiency offensive areas, he can lead the team to a championship!
However, against a 76ers team without Iguodala, Yi Shui's one-on-one play was actually easier than his tactical positioning and passing. Tonight, even with D'Antoni playing so carelessly, the 76ers' group of one-on-one specialists still managed to create a scoring frenzy. He stepped up in the middle of the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points in 6 minutes with 4 of 6 field goals and 5 of 5 free throws, extinguishing the opponent's comeback wave.

Yi Shui delivered a stellar performance, secured the victory, and D'Antoni attempted tactics he wouldn't normally dare to try, resulting in a triple win for the Knicks.

...

On the evening of the 6th, the Knicks played their first home game of the season, a back-to-back, against the Jazz.

Yi Shui looked at the opposing team; apart from Kirilenko, the other four players in the starting lineup had all changed.

Deron Williams was traded, Carlos Boozer signed a no-show contract with the Grizzlies, Matthews' contract extension negotiations fell through, and Mehmet Okur's injury recovery is not progressing well and he may retire.

However, the Jazz have a better roster depth than last season!

Because the Jazz promised him a starting position, Rubio entered the NBA a year earlier than Yi Shui remembered. The Spanish golden boy, who had just turned 20, averaged 7.7 points, 4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2 steals in the first 3 games. His passing, defense and rebounding abilities were better than the media expected.
3年1000万从快船队挖回来的拉加-贝尔担任首发分卫，场均8分，前3场比赛合计投进5个三分球；

Millsap, who had spent four years on the bench, became the starting power forward. In the first three games, he averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks, taking off successfully and becoming an all-around player on offense, defense and passing.

Al Jefferson, who was traded back from the Timberwolves, has become the Jazz's new star player, averaging 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in his first three games.

The bench features Earl Watson, CJ Miles, rookie Hayward, Ronnie Price, rookie Derrick Favors, and immediate impact rookie center Mozgov and Biedrins.

If you include the injured Azubuike, the Jazz have an excess of quality players on their active roster!
Azubuke didn't have a team doctor who got into the NBA through nepotism, his knee wasn't put back in the wrong position, and his injury is recovering well. He is expected to be fully recovered in January or February, and could return as early as March.

Most importantly for the Jazz, Sloan wasn't completely heartbroken by the "Where is Deron Williams going?" soap opera. Instead of resigning, he signed a four-year extension until the 2014-2015 season, preparing to give it his all at around 70 years old.

The Jazz management did not disappoint Sloan, making every effort to recruit players, using all available money and draft picks to build a roster that suited Sloan.

The Jazz have a 2-1 record in their first 3 games, with their offense being much worse than last season, averaging only 95.3 points per game, ranking sixth from the bottom in the league.

The firepower of the core offensive trio of Rubio, Millsap, and Al Jefferson is significantly inferior to that of the trio of Deron Williams, Boozer, and Okur.

Shooting guard Raja Bell's scoring ability is not as good as Matthews', Kirilenko is a year older, and there are not many strong scorers on the bench. In the first 3 games, they took a total of 37 three-point attempts and only made 12, with nearly half of them made by Raja Bell alone. They are third to last in the league, even worse than the Bulls.

However, the defense has improved significantly. The starting lineup at positions 1, 3, 4, and 5, as well as the bench players, have all made qualitative improvements in defense, allowing only 92.7 points per game, which is third in the league!

Regarding offseason signings, Yi Shui feels that the Jazz are very similar to their Knicks.

The Knicks, if they can't get the superstar they want, then they don't need a superstar; they just want to fill out their roster depth.

The Jazz, on the other hand, clearly knew that no superstar would join them. They used their cap space and draft picks to acquire Al Jefferson, whom the Timberwolves wanted to trade, and signed suitable role players to successfully complete their rebuild.

The competition started at 8 p.m.

Just like in the previous three games, the Knicks started the game with an offensive surge, but their offensive momentum was quickly thwarted by the opponent.

The Grizzlies are known for their ruthlessness, while the Pacers are known for their toughness. These are the two top defensive teams in the league.

The Jazz, currently ranked third in the defensive standings, have an aggressive defensive style!

Raja Bell, Kirilenko, and Millsap are all known for their fierce defense.

Rubio is also the least Spanish-style guard, more like a 'naive' version of Kidd.

He is aggressive on the ball and, when the intensity of the match increases, although he may be shaken off by Curry due to his close defense, he can effectively delay Curry's offensive attacks using screens. When receiving help defense from the wings, his role is almost on par with Tony Allen and Chris Paul.

Center Al Jefferson was a poor defender, but his 130-kilogram weight and aggressive defensive moves, combined with Kirilenko's playmaking, made Ray Allen and Frye hesitant to get too close to the basket when they cut in. When they received the ball, they opted to shoot from the relatively inaccurate edge of the three-second zone.

The Knicks' long-range shooting touch was also worn down by the opponent's rough play and vicious fouls.

The Knicks led 15-9 in the first half of the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Jazz narrowed the gap to 20-25 with a fast break layup by CJ Miles, who came off the bench.

As head coaches of top defensive teams, Sloan's defensive philosophy is completely different from Hollins'.

Hollins places more faith in defensive techniques, philosophy, and will, and pursues the limits of defensive teamwork.

Sloan, on the other hand, is a goal-oriented coach who focuses on results.

His young players are far inferior to Tony Allen and Shawn Marion in defensive skills and experience. Rubio and Kirilenko also lack the on-court leadership of Tony Allen and Marc Gasol, and their ability to adapt independently is much worse. They cannot effectively disrupt the Knicks' ball movement like the Grizzlies...

Then let's ignore those things and use physical contact and fouls to affect the opposing wing pitchers' shooting touch. Let Al Jefferson and substitute Mozgov use rough defensive moves to intimidate the opposing players cutting in to receive the ball.

Furthermore, the Knicks have already played 10 games from the preseason to the regular season, giving Sloan an advantage over Hollins in terms of preparation materials.

In terms of containing the Knicks' tactical plays, the Jazz's defense tonight was better than the Grizzlies' in the season opener.

In the second quarter, the Knicks' new fast-paced offense failed to find its footing, scoring only 22 points, while the Jazz relied on Millsap's two difficult close-range fadeaway jumpers at the end of the quarter to increase their score to 24 points.

The Jazz narrowed the gap to 3 points at halftime, with the score at 44-47.

However, in the third quarter, Yi Shui switched to one-on-one mode, paired with Chalmers, who was steady on the wing and could make passes in the middle; Webster, who was accurate in open shots, good at dealing with physical battles, and dared to drive to the basket; Gibson, who had a decent shot and dared to fight; and Birdman, who was fierce in rebounding. The Knicks' score did not continue to decline, but instead soared to 26 points, which was higher than in the first quarter!
Sloan's approach is very effective against most opponents, but its flaws are also obvious. Except for the flanks where Rubio is a prodigy, his ability to flank and provide support is generally poor in other areas.

During halftime, the Knicks coaching staff listened to Yi Shui and copied the Lakers' strategy from last season!
When the Lakers played the Jazz in the playoffs, their best lineup wasn't when the three big men were on the court, but when Kobe led Fisher, Artest, Josh Powell, and Turiaf. Every time this lineup was on the court, Kobe would dominate the Jazz, and the Jazz's defense had no answer for them.

Kirilenko's ability to cut off the middle is no less than that of Garnett and Gerald Wallace, but when he extends out to help defend a specific player, the interference effect is far less. He is better at going inside and helping the big center deal with top centers like Yao Ming, Howard, and Bynum. He performed particularly well, but now there are fewer and fewer centers with strong inside attacking ability.

When the Jazz signed Kirilenko to a six-year, $86.5 million max contract in 2005, some media outlets said he wasn't worth the price. At that time, the Suns were starting the first generation of fast-paced offense, and Kirilenko was already falling behind the times.

Not only did they fail to stop the Jazz on the defensive end, but their offense was also affected.

Millsap scored 15 points in the first half because he was guarded one-on-one most of the time by Frye, but now it's a rotation of Gibson and Amir Johnson, plus Yi Shui's help defense. Millsap missed all three of his shots in the third quarter, only managing to get two points by drawing fouls on offensive rebounds and making two free throws.

The Knicks missed fewer shots and retreated on defense more quickly, which greatly limited Rubio's ability to push the fast break.

In the third quarter, the Jazz's offense relied almost entirely on Al Jefferson's low-post isolation plays to draw double teams and create space for his shots. The team only scored 18 points, even fewer than in the first quarter!
The Knicks extended their lead to double digits, 73-62!

In the final quarter, D'Antoni brought back the starting lineup for tonight: Curry, Ray Allen, Yi Shui-hwa, and Frye, with Chandler attacking the boards.

Although their offense was only average, it wasn't too bad either, and they scored 23 points in the final quarter.

While their defense was only average, at a mid-level, it was enough to handle the Jazz, allowing them to score only 25 points.

首节前半段3分、后半段5分，第二节9分，第三节12分、末节7分，易水22投12中，其中三分球7中3，加上10中9的罚球，拿到36分10板3助攻2抢断2盖帽。

He led the Knicks to a solid 96-87 victory over the Jazz, securing their fourth consecutive win to start the season!

Sloan looked at Yi Shui and felt completely distraught.

Tonight, Curry scored 13 points with a shooting percentage of less than 40%, while Ray Allen only scored 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting from three-point range, one of which was made in the first half of the first quarter.

Mike Miller and Frye, after a few attempts, also lost their shooting touch.

Ke Yishui, when the team's offense couldn't break through, he made the shot himself! 55%+43%+90% shooting percentage for 36 points!
The decade before that had Jordan, the decade before that had Kobe, and now the new decade has brought Yi Shui!

Jordan has long since retired, and Kobe is 32 years old. In another two or three years, we can get through the tail end of Kobe's peak. His roster is young, so we can wait it out.

But Yi Shui is only 23 years old!
However, Sloan has encountered many setbacks in his life, and he has a strong mental fortitude.

In the past two years, many strong teams have emerged in the Eastern Conference. Howard + a group of shooters, Wade + Bosh, both have the potential to defeat the Knicks.

As for the Heat... if Wade stays, and Sloan recruits Joe Johnson and Stoudemire, Sloan thinks it's possible.

Sloan thought of 07, when he came closest to a championship in the previous decade, reaching the Western Conference Finals. If he could just get past the Spurs, the championship would be within his grasp.

In that Western Conference Finals, they actually had the upper hand in regulation time, even having a 20-point blowout. But throughout the series, Ginobili averaged 11.4 points in the fourth quarter. The Spurs trailed in the first three quarters of the first four games, but Ginobili single-handedly led the team to three fourth-quarter comebacks, shattering their confidence in Game 5. They lost the first quarter by 19 points and suffered a 1-4 defeat in the Western Conference Finals. Tonight, the Knicks' style of play reminded Sloan of that Spurs team. They used team offense and defense to stall in regulation time, built an advantage in the third quarter, and then continued to stall... This guy with the mustache learned his lesson from that brat Kerr and came here to torment these old men!

...

The following day, the Knicks hosted the Hornets, their second opponent in a back-to-back game.

After entering the field, Yi Shui looked at the opposing team and saw that their lineup was much stronger than last season.

Shooting Guard: Martin starts, with Belinelli and Marcus Thornton as substitutes; Small Forward: Odom starts, with Peja as substitute; Power Forward: David West starts, with Scola, Jason Smith, and Carl Landry as substitutes; Center: Okafor starts, with Aaron Gray as substitute.

But the team's star players are gone. Odom, Scola, and Martin were all acquired in exchange for Paul. Belinelli and Landry were also acquired in exchange for draft picks that were traded for Paul.

The Hornets' two point guards are Darren Collison and Jarrett Jack.

Darren Collison, a second-year player, replaced Jack, who was a temporary starter in the latter part of last season, as the Hornets' new starting point guard this season.

Fans joked that Jack's performance this time was remarkable, turning the league's best point guard into a floor-bound player, and wondered how long Collison could last.

This teasing also affected Jack's salary. During the offseason, most of the quality role players who tested the free agent market, except for Frye and Amir Johnson who went to New York and received market value, all saw their salaries increase.

But Jack didn't get the job. Top teams didn't want him, and average teams looking to strengthen their backcourt only offered him a maximum of 2 years for $900 million, below market value. The Hornets, however, had a weak point guard position, so they offered him a 3-year, $1500 million contract at market value to keep him.

The Hornets have played 3 games so far, with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. They defeated the Bobcats and the Kings, but lost to the Lakers. Overall, their performance is not bad, and they are capable of defeating weaker teams, especially considering that they traded Paul for a bunch of quality players.

The new head coach, Monty Williams, previously served as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers. After Mike Brown was fired, he came to the Hornets to replace Byron Scott, who went to the Cavaliers to become the head coach and lead the team in tanking.

Monty Williams is capable, but he doesn't know those classic systems. He's good at building traditional offensive and defensive systems, which makes him a good fit for this 'cobbled-together' team.

What surprised Yi Shui was Odom. He thought that after being sold off cheaply by the Lakers, Odom would have a mental breakdown and go to nightclubs to ruin himself.

没想到奥多姆在黄蜂队打得挺开心的，前3场场均15分8.7板5.3助攻1抢断1.3盖帽，成战术核心了，篮板球还是全队第二高，仅次于场均11分10板的奥卡福。

Curry was even more confused than Yi Shui when he learned of Yi Shui's doubts, but he was puzzled as to why Yi Shui had such doubts.

Elementary school student: "How could he have a mental problem? He was the core asset the Hornets wanted when they traded Paul. The Hornets valued him more than they valued Gasol. Look at that trade by the Hornets, what's the difference between that and trading Paul for Odom?"
If the Hornets specifically request to trade Paul for me, I'd be happy, even though I wouldn't want to go to New Orleans... You'd be happy if Paul came here, wouldn't you?"

Yi Shui: "No, Paul isn't as good as you."

Curry: "This time, in your opinion, I'm even better than Paul?"

Yi Shui: "What else? You can make shots and help your team win against the Celtics in the playoffs, but he got slaughtered by 58 points against the Nuggets and just sat there grinning like an idiot."

This logic is ridiculously twisted, and this example is completely illogical, but although the elementary school student rolled his eyes, he felt quite pleased.

His eldest brother may not be good at anything, but he's incredibly biased when it comes to his teammates, showing them absolute trust and never leaving tasks they can't handle to them. He takes on those tasks himself, which makes every one of his underlings like him.

At 8 p.m., the Knicks' second game of the back-to-back began.

The aftereffects of being tormented by the Jazz's thugs last night have kicked in.

The Knicks missed four consecutive three-pointers to start the game, and even when they had the chance, they couldn't make the shot. Yi Shui almost took the ball and started shooting.

But seeing Curry and substitute Mike Miller actively moving around the court, and Amir Johnson actively setting screens and looking for cutting opportunities, while Birdman fought hard for the ball, Yi Shui chose to wait patiently, distribute the ball well, and let the team's offense run smoothly.

On the defensive end, the teammates committed too many fouls, which can be considered a lingering effect of last night's physical battle with the Jazz. On the offensive end, Yi Shui refrained from immediately going on a rampage and instead focused his energy on the defensive end, actively helping on defense and quickly retreating to defend against fast breaks, preventing the Hornets, who had a good long-range shooting touch and a lot of free throws tonight, from going on a rampage.

The score at the end of the first quarter was 19-26, with the Knicks trailing by 7 points. They missed all 7 of their 3-point attempts in the quarter and made only 7 of 23 field goal attempts, for a shooting percentage of just 30%. Fortunately, they made all 5 of their free throws.

However, Yi Shui's patience paid off. As the team continued to play, their accuracy improved. Ray Allen, who returned to the court after playing for 3 minutes in the second quarter, hit the Knicks' first three-pointer of the night, and the Knicks' fast-paced offense kicked in!
Although the defense was still a major problem, Chandler was substituted early due to too many fouls, and Webster couldn't keep up with Belinelli's screen-based runs, allowing the Hornets to score 27 points. However, the Knicks scored 33 points in the quarter, bringing the score to 52-53 by halftime, narrowing the gap to 1 point!
In the third quarter, D'Antoni gave his substitutes more playing time. Yi Shui, who played the full first half, was substituted after playing only 4 minutes at the start of the third quarter. The Knicks and Hornets were evenly matched for a quarter, with the score being 24-25.

In the final quarter, the Hornets brought in a purely offensive lineup of Curry, Ray Allen, Mike Miller, Frye, and Yi Shui, but their defense was terrible, allowing the opponent to score 29 points. If Okafor hadn't missed two free throws, the Hornets would have scored over 30 points in the quarter, but the Knicks scored 37 points in the quarter!
The match ended at 10:21 PM.

易水出战38分钟，22投9中，其中三分球5中1，加上5中4的罚球，拿到23分，外加12板13助攻2抢断1盖帽，率队以113比107逆转黄蜂队，拿下5连胜！

Even the Knicks coaching staff, who had worked with Yi Shui tonight, were surprised by his performance.

Yi Shui has achieved triple-doubles before, totaling 11 in the regular season during his first two years of his career, more than most all-around stars in their careers. However, most of these were due to tight double-teaming by opponents, allowing him to capitalize on the momentum. The rest were also achieved when his teammates were on a particularly hot streak, and he would actively feed them the ball, which can also be considered as taking advantage of the situation.

But tonight, my teammates shot so badly, I passed the ball around a lot in the first quarter and only got one assist, yet I still kept passing the ball to help my teammates get their shooting touch... This is the first time I've ever done this!
There's another thing that D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, and others hadn't paid much attention to before, but now that the team needs Yi Shui as the tactical pivot, they've noticed it.

When Yi Shui was setting up the offense and distributing the ball, his passing accuracy was exceptionally consistent!

Whatever kind of pass you can make in training, you can still make that pass in a match!
Yi Shui acquired the 'transfer station' skill a long time ago. After Mark Jackson's small-ball philosophy permeated D'Antoni's fast-paced system, and his passing skill improved to 88, approaching the top level, it began to truly play its role.

...

After the first week of the new season, each team has shown its new look.

Some teams have fallen to rock bottom.

The Cavaliers started the season with four consecutive losses, totaling 100 points, averaging 88 points and allowing 113 points per game, setting a new NBA record.

This was unexpected by everyone, even LeBron James fans who have been criticizing the Cavaliers for their poor recruitment and roster. They didn't expect the Cavaliers to perform like this.

Other fans were even more stunned. Four consecutive games lost by more than 20 points is something that has never happened since the NBA began to keep detailed statistics.

In the eyes of most fans, the Cavaliers' roster is not bad.

Jamison, Mo Williams, Varejao, Anthony Parker, Hickson, Daniel Gibson, Jamario Moon... these players are the fighting power that other teams coveted after LeBron James joined the Heat in the offseason.

The reason no team has traded them back is simply because these players' salaries are generally too high and the Cavaliers are unwilling to take on bad contracts.

With James gone, this group of players, apart from Jamison and Mo Williams who have one-on-one scoring ability, seems to have forgotten how to play basketball!
However, when the Cavaliers' new addition, Ramon Sessions, who set a single-quarter assist record in his rookie season, comes off the bench and plays drive-and-kick, he can elevate the role players.

There are teams that perform shockingly poorly, and teams that perform surprisingly well—the Suns.

With Stoudemire and Frye gone, and Barbosa traded by the Suns for personal reasons, they brought in Turkoglu in return. Turkoglu, unable to adapt to the run-and-gun offense, has missed the start of the season due to injury...

But Nash, along with players like DeAndre Jordan, Hill, Richardson, Hakeem Warrick, Lopez, Dragic, and Dudley, averaged 12 assists per game and started the season with a 3-1 record, only losing to the Lakers.

DeAndre Jordan has emerged as a rising star among centers, averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 31 minutes per game, becoming the Suns' second-leading scorer.

It is rumored that the Phoenix Suns are interested in offering DeAndre Jordan a four-year contract worth over $50 million or a five-year contract worth over $60 million to extend his contract ahead of schedule.

There's one team that's been having a really bad run of luck—the Grizzlies.

After losing to the Knicks in the opening game, they returned home and slaughtered the Raptors. Then they faced Kobe, who was ecstatic after Durant scored 51 points in the opening game and exploded for 55 points. The Grizzlies lost 102-106, only managing a 2-2 record at the start of the season.

There are also 5 teams that have started the season with a perfect record and remain undefeated so far. Except for one team with a bad reputation that has been overlooked, the other 4 teams have become the darlings of the media and fans.

Among these teams, the defending champion Knicks are 5-0, which is not surprising. Yi Shui, Ray Allen, and Curry, the three of them standing together look formidable.

The Knicks' new fast-paced offense has averaged 113.2 points per game in 5 games, allowing only 95.6 points per game, with a net point differential of nearly 18 points. Their run-and-gun offense has surprisingly been complemented by excellent defense, which has surprised many.

Even if the Bobcats' generous sponsorship of only 80 points in a single game lowered the score, the Knicks' significantly improved defensive performance is undeniable. If the Knicks can keep their points allowed below 100 this season, it will completely change people's perception of run-and-gun offense.

Yi Shui's playing style surprised many people. He averaged 28.8 points per game, ranking third on the scoring list. This was the first time he had not scored 40+ points in a single game after playing 5 games.

但还有场均8.8板6.4助攻！关键是5场比赛合计只出现了9次失误，场均1.8次！
No one was surprised that the Heat went 4-0.

With their Big Three, their initial opponents, apart from the Hawks, were all pushovers.

The Lakers are 4-0, having defeated the Warriors, Suns, Grizzlies, and Clippers in succession. Some people think it's normal, while others are surprised.

Because Paul struggled particularly during the preseason, much like the Cavaliers players, as if he had forgotten how to play.

However, in the regular season, Paul showed a poor side. After playing 4 games, his field goal percentage was less than 40% and his three-point percentage was less than 30%. In other aspects, he was completely different from the preseason. His playmaking performance was no less than that of Nash and Rondo, and his help defense was still excellent. He averaged 13.5 points, 4 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2 steals per game.

Kobe benefited the most, averaging 36.5 points in the first four games of the season, surpassing Durant's 35 points per game to rank first in the league... Both of their average points per game were boosted by that 50+ point game.

The Thunder's 4-0 record shocked the league from the start. Westbrook, Afflalo, Durant, Ibaka, and Griffin formed what was considered the most talented starting lineup in the league.

Westbrook averaged 17 points and 11 assists per game, surpassing Rondo's 10.8 assists per game to rank second in assists; Durant averaged 35 points per game, and his improved ball-handling and attacking ability has led to comments that he is closer to Yi Shui; Ibaka's defensive performance has soared, averaging 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

What brought about a qualitative change in the Thunder's offensive firepower was the third overall pick in the previous draft, Blake Griffin!
In four games, Griffin averaged 17.5 points and 12 rebounds, freeing Durant from having to protect defensive rebounds in the paint or fight for points in the paint, greatly reducing the pressure on Durant to attack the paint.

Moreover, Griffin's playing style is incredibly inspiring. He dunked 15 times in 4 games, leading the league and surpassing even DeAndre Jordan and Tyson Chandler.

His overly aggressive dunking style has drawn a lot of criticism, with his hand movements being considered unclean. In each of the four games, it sparked a conflict, and the referees were also questioned. In each conflict, Griffin's opponents suffered the most.

Of the five undefeated teams, the one that really surprised everyone was the Spurs!

Last season, the Spurs were close to falling below 50 wins, and everyone thought they would gradually disappear like the Jazz at the beginning of the century.

During the first nine-day week of the competition, not many people paid attention to the Spurs' games, and the media reports were not very detailed. As a result, after a week of games, despite a tough start with consecutive games against the Pacers, Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Magic, the Spurs actually won all four games!
If the Spurs wear down their opponents with their defense, it wouldn't be surprising, given that they were once the league's best defensive team for many years.

However, the Spurs averaged 110 points per game in 4 games, second in the league, only behind the Knicks! They allowed an average of 98.6 points per game, with a net rating of +11.4 points, also second in the league, only behind the Knicks! And their 25.5 assists per game surpassed the Knicks' 24.8 assists per game, ranking first in the league!

As a result, after the media's summary report for the first week came out, the Spurs became an overnight sensation!
When Yi Shui saw the Spurs become popular, he was a little surprised, not because the Spurs suddenly became popular, but because they became popular earlier than he remembered.

But the world of basketball has become completely different because of his appearance, and he was just surprised, knowing it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.

That's right, football fans are the most adorable creatures, but also the most forgetful.

Yesterday the Spurs were infamous, but after this first week's summary was released, they became the darling of countless fans overnight.

Even the incident where Carter and Ray Allen were tripped by Bowen has been defended by some people who say that Bowen is a good person who often participates in charity events and raises funds for the disabled. As for the fact that Bowen serves as a director of the foundation that raises funds and that only one or two out of ten of the funds actually reach those who need them, no one cares.

...

The following day, October 8th, the league announced the Players of the Week for the first week.

In the East, Yi Shui won; in the West, Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan shared the award.

Stern was reluctant to give the first week's awards to this group.

He simply didn't want to give it to those three Spurs players, just like how Duncan's total number of Player of the Month awards in his career is less than a handful.

Yi Shui... anytime is fine. Last season he was named Player of the Week 10 times, and he was given all the awards he deserved. There were even one or two times when he could have been denied the award, but he was still given one.

Stern also wants to achieve some amazing records, such as 10 Player of the Week awards in a single season, if conditions permit.

But Stern intended the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for the first week of the new season to be given to LeBron James.

Although James's decision to leave when he couldn't win angered him, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert went to the NBA headquarters for half a month in the summer and promised him many benefits before his anger was appeased.

But they've been promoting them for seven years already, so they still need to keep promoting them. The Big Three have already been formed, so they need a good start, after all, they are one of the most watched players and one of the most watched teams in the league.

Therefore, not only was a schedule best suited for James arranged for the Heat, but also very difficult schedules were arranged for their competitors.

The Magic will embark on a three-game road trip in the West after their opening game; the Bulls will face the Thunder, Trail Blazers, and Lakers in a row.

The Knicks have a better schedule, with their first five games all at home. Apart from the opening game, their opponents are not strong. However, other teams have four games in the first week, while the Knicks have five, including a back-to-back game against teams that seem to have lost their core players and are not strong, but actually have very good roster depth.

Unexpectedly, in back-to-back games, Yi Shui first crushed the Jazz with his individual ability, and then defeated the Hornets by orchestrating the team's offense with his passing. He won all 5 games, averaging 28.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, and even got a triple-double.

The Great One once again amazed the world at the start of the season, his playmaking from the top of the arc was excellent and consistent, with only 9 turnovers in 5 games, some of which were due to his teammates failing to catch the ball.

On the other hand, James averaged 27.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in 4 games, which is good, but everyone knew he could put up such a good performance, so it wasn't surprising.

Some media outlets have even commented that even with Joe Johnson and Amar'e Stoudemire as teammates, James still averages 20 field goal attempts per game, and his playing style remains the same: his teammates spread the floor while he drives and passes, showing no signs of the expected growth.

James stayed on the court after the game was no longer in doubt, and his footwork was still so outrageous... This drew even more criticism.

Stern seemed to have no chance of helping him... Look at Durant, just give rookie Griffin a little preferential treatment and he's taken off!

Yi Shui received the Player of the Week trophy and certificate at noon, feeling quite pleased with himself, but immediately went to the airport with the team to leave New York and fly to the West Coast.

After a five-game home run to start the season, the Knicks' second week schedule features a three-game road trip in the Western Conference against the Lakers, Kings, and Nuggets!

Actually, the Knicks had two days of rest after playing back-to-back games, but the flight from New York to Los Angeles was too long, so they went there early so they could get a good rest on the second day.

Pao Ge, Lao Tiejian, World Peace, Elbow King Little Shark... Oh, right, there's also O'Neal, although it's Jermaine. Just thinking about facing this opponent makes Yi Shui excited!

With the Knicks' private plane arriving in Los Angeles, the eyes of the media and fans have turned to the City of Angels!
(End of this chapter)