The longest river

Chapter 254 The Results Don't Lie
Yang Shuai only learned about the news from Boozer and Horry chatting in the locker room.

Compared to what he knew, this sentence contained an extra "们" (men).

"That's something he would do; after all, he's the kind of guy who would throw the ball into his own basket for a triple-double."

Boozer's words lend credibility to the headline.

The season before Yang Shuai announced his return to the Cavaliers, Davis once threw the ball into his own basket in the final quarter against the Jazz when the team was already leading by 25 points, in order to get the last rebound and achieve a triple-double. The league later issued a special announcement to cancel his rebound, making him "instantly famous".

Therefore, it seems reasonable for Davis, who is capable of doing such absurd things, to say such a thing.

Yang Shuai later checked the news and saw Davis's original words in the interview.

"When I heard that Hansen was going back to Cleveland, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep. I knew I would be the best scorer to be alongside him. As for LeBron, I think he is a complement. He can help us score better. I think he can form a connection with us."

You can tell that Davis is still the same flamboyant guy, but that doesn't quite match the content of the article title.

As Yang Shuai knew, this was just another way for the media to hype things up.

However, apart from Yang Shuai's curiosity, not many people would care about the truth.

Fans were happy to have some drama, and the Cavaliers players were also happy to have more ball possession due to Davis's departure.

If I had to say something, it would be that it put pressure on James.

Now that Davis has left, if James' performance doesn't improve, then Davis's words become a tacit confirmation.

The Cavaliers' first game after the trade was a home game against the Pistons, led by Reed and Anthony.

After being traded to the Pistons, Reed had more opportunities to showcase his ball-handling and offensive abilities, and he is currently the Pistons' leading scorer with an average of 22 points per game this season.

As for Anthony, compared to James, his NBA debut was dismal. Against the Spurs, he made 4 of 15 shots, scoring only 12 points and 7 rebounds.

At that time, because of James' outstanding performance in his debut, the media criticized Anthony harshly.

However, Anthony then demonstrated the same top-notch adaptability he had in the NCAA, adapting to the intensity of NBA games in just half a month.

He averaged 24 points per game last week with a 48% field goal percentage, performing exceptionally well.

Scott's strategy for this game was to have Posey guard Reed and James guard Anthony.

With Anthony's outstanding performance, media opinion has also shifted, with those who previously criticized Anthony now believing that he deserves this year's Rookie of the Year more than James.

So this is also an opportunity for James to prove himself.

In particular, considering the size and defensive capabilities of the Pistons, they also assigned Anthony to guard James, and the two directly matched up on both ends of the court.

However, the final result was that James was suppressed by Anthony on both offense and defense.

Vaccaro and Johnson were right; Anthony's playing style wasn't a good fit for Young because he's a pure scorer.

Indeed, this is true. Compared to Marbury, he is more suited to the title of "Lone Wolf." Once the ball is in his hands, he will not pass it unless absolutely necessary.

But it is precisely because of this that he can excel at scoring.

After all, the idea of ​​being a ball-dominant playmaker is counterproductive for Yang Shuai. For most players, focusing on one thing is more effective.

Moreover, thanks to his excellent ball control and acceleration, his "two-threat" offense is really hard to defend.

James was repeatedly outmaneuvered one-on-one by Anthony, and after he was forced to stop jumping, Anthony repeatedly scored with mid-range pull-up jumpers.

Conversely, when Anthony defends James, he simply allows him to shoot, but when James drives to the basket, he goes all out with physical contact.

Carmelo Anthony's size is very similar to LeBron James', and he played power forward in college and wasn't much lighter than James, so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage in a physical confrontation.

最后比赛打完，安东尼全场16投10中，高效砍下20分6板2助攻。

作为对比，詹姆斯15投5中，得到11分10板7助攻。

The Cavaliers easily defeated the Pistons 106-93.

杨帅得到了40分5板10助攻，布泽尔20分14板。

詹姆斯·波西的骑士队首秀也发挥不俗，三分球6投3中得到了11分4板2抢断2盖帽。

Under his defensive leadership, Reed underperformed, making only 6 of 17 shots for a total of 12 points.

At the post-match press conference, Yang Shuai praised Posey's performance.

"His defense gave us energy and was a key factor in our victory."

When Posey was with the Grizzlies, the team required him to be the core of the perimeter, and he was under a lot of pressure every night, which prevented him from performing at his best.

But now that he's with the Cavaliers, he doesn't have to think about so much. He just needs to focus on defense and shooting threes. The game has become easier for him, and he's actually playing better.

Of course, after such a game, reporters would naturally ask about James' performance, especially when compared to Carmelo Anthony on the other side.

"His shooting was so-so tonight, but he's constantly improving, and we all know he's only 18," Scott said, sticking to his usual refrain.

However, when a similar question was posed to Yang Shuai, he couldn't help but purse his lips.

He was getting impatient with all the questions being asked about James.

For LeBron James right now, his performance won't improve significantly if his shooting doesn't improve.

"LeBron is just a rookie. What's more important for us tonight is that the team played well as a whole."

Yang Shuai has made his point very clear: if a team can't win a game because of a rookie's poor performance, then that team doesn't deserve to talk about competing for the championship.

Compared to James' performance, the Cavaliers' overall performance was more important in this game.

Posey brought much-needed perimeter defense to the team, and Boozer performed better than before with more ball possession. These things that were present in training were shown in the official game, which is more important.

Because that proved the Cavaliers made the right trade, and the Cavaliers are now more of a championship contender than before.

Yang Shuai's remarks sparked a heated discussion after the game. Some people interpreted them as Yang Shuai expressing dissatisfaction with James' slow progress, especially considering the performance of fellow rookie Carmelo Anthony.

However, compared to Yang Shuai's words, it was Anthony's post-game interview that became the focus of attention.

When asked about the reasons for his outstanding performance tonight, Anthony appeared very confident.

"I played like this in high school and college, and I can still play like this now."

As basketball progresses to a higher level, most players are eliminated. Carmelo Anthony's exceptional adaptability fully demonstrates his talent.

However, Anthony's words were seen as a response to the outside world's speculation about whether he or James would be the Rookie of the Year. After all, James is still struggling, while Anthony is getting better and better.

Time flies, and it's already the end of December. The annual Christmas is just around the corner.

The Cavaliers will also participate in the Christmas Day game, visiting Portland.

Yang Shuai's first match against his former team, who is also the defending champion, is a key game of the season.

The Trail Blazers have performed exceptionally well so far this season, topping the Western Conference standings ahead of powerhouses like the Lakers, Spurs, Timberwolves, and Kings, and are poised to defend their title once again.

Speaking of the Trail Blazers' roster, especially starting player Yang Shuai, it's very familiar; it's practically the Portland Pistons.

This may be a little joke played by history, but this Trail Blazers team is no weaker than the Pistons of the past.

Putting aside the fact that the head coach is Carlisle instead of Brown, Rasheed Wallace and Billups have played for this team for several seasons, and their experience and teamwork are much better than those of the Pistons.

The Cavaliers were clearly at a disadvantage in this game.

During warm-up, the Trail Blazers players came over one after another to greet Yang Shuai.

When the camera focused on Yang Shuai, cheers erupted from the Portland fans.

When the visiting team took the stage to introduce Yang Shuai at the opening ceremony, the host broke with tradition and delivered a carefully prepared introduction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's stand up and welcome the 5-time NBA champion, 5-time Finals MVP, 3-time MVP, 3-time AMVP, from Cleveland High School, 6'8", number 16, GOAT, Hansen Young!"

Before the host had even finished speaking, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers as fans stood up and applauded Yang Shuai's entrance.

Yang Shuai also made his signature listening response.

He anticipated cheers from the fans for his return, but the fans' enthusiastic response exceeded his expectations, as if he had never left.

Moreover, right after the opening ceremony, Allen, who had not appeared at the Rose Garden Arena for a long time, also appeared on the sidelines and presented Yang Shuai with the championship ring from last season.

The Trail Blazers' opening ceremony had already taken place during the opening game, but due to personnel changes, those players who were no longer with the team received their championship rings upon returning to their home court. Yang Shuai, as one of them, was no exception, but the owner personally presented him with a ring, a treatment that is extremely rare.

It's clear that the entire Trail Blazers team, from top to bottom, has great respect for Yang Shuai.

Of course, that respect was off the court. Once the game started, their double-teaming of Yang Shuai was more intense than any other team.

This isn't because they're targeting anyone, but rather because after losing Yang Shuai, their absolute core player, head coach Carlisle, combined the team's strengths and weaknesses to build the Trail Blazers into the league's strongest defensive team. Their current defensive setup is unmatched by any other team.

Take the two Wallaces in the paint as an example. Wallace is a monster in help defense, and Ben Wallace is far more mobile than the average center. They directly cover the entire area inside the free throw line.

Then there's Prince, a strong defensive player, to lead the defense against the opponent's offensive spearhead.

Of the starting five, Hamilton is the only one who isn't particularly good at defense. If Yang Shuai were the shooting guard instead of Hamilton, then other teams would really have no chance of scoring.

Under this level of defensive intensity, it's difficult for Yang Shuai to win the game relying solely on his individual abilities. At this point, it depends more on the ability of the other Cavaliers players to seize opportunities.

No matter how fast the Trail Blazers' help defense is, it still takes time for them to rotate.

James was the first to get a chance, and he seized it, hitting a three-pointer right from the start.

Making that first open shot is crucial because it usually changes the defense immediately.

However, the Trail Blazers did not do that; they continued to allow James to shoot. Carlisle is clearly not an ordinary coach.

However, James was exceptionally strong tonight. After receiving a pass from Yang Shuai at the high post, he made a mid-range shot, scoring 5 points in a row at the start of the game.

After the shot went in, Yang Shuai couldn't help but give James a high five.

It's been almost two months since the season started, and LeBron James' shooting has finally improved?

Yang Shuai had high hopes for this, but reality quickly slapped him in the face.

Billups' defense only extended out a little, and James missed several shots in a row.

As it turns out, James's early performance was just a temporary surge of form.

Moreover, after missing several shots, James began to cut to the basket without the ball, but facing the Trail Blazers' defensive wall of two Wallaces, his attempts to finish the cuts all ended in failure.

In addition, the Trail Blazers' excellent defensive awareness and speed prevented the Cavaliers from launching fast breaks. Seeing this, Scott had no choice but to replace James with Horry and move Yang Shuai to point guard to create a stretch lineup.

Because both Ilgauskas and Boozer can reach mid-range, this is essentially Yang Shuai's version of "one star and four shooters".

This adjustment achieved unexpectedly good results.

At this moment, James looked somewhat embarrassed when the camera panned across him.

Davis's words seem to have come true; James can't really help the Cavaliers, or rather, the Cavaliers seem to be better off without James.

After four quarters, the Cavaliers ultimately failed to win the game.

Just as Yang Shuai proved during his time with the Trail Blazers, when the ball-handling style of play faces a strong team, physical fitness becomes a huge test.

Especially as the game progresses, not only the ball-handling playmaker, but also the shooters are experiencing a decline in stamina due to energy depletion.

Not to mention that Carlisle, as Yang Shuai's former head coach, also understands this point, so he constantly wears down the Cavaliers' stamina on the defensive end.

Yang Shuai scored 38 points, but only made 13 of 31 shots throughout the game, making it the toughest game he has played since joining the Cavaliers.

Boozer and Ilgauskas also performed significantly below their usual season level against the Wallace duo.

As for James, he only played 27 minutes in the entire game. He had a good start, but continued to struggle afterwards, ultimately scoring only 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 3-of-11 shooting.

At the post-game press conference, Yang Shuai was again asked about James by reporters.

Having become somewhat numb, he simply gestured for the reporter to skip over it.

Since the start of the season, the media has reported on James's efforts to practice his shooting.

Although shooting is not something that can be mastered overnight, tonight was just a microcosm. Since the start of the season, James' shooting has remained stagnant.

Yang Shuai didn't know exactly how much effort James put into shooting.

Based on his previous encounter with James at the gym, James doesn't seem like someone who can't put in a lot of training.

But now it seems that the chances are limited, because you can pretend to work hard, but the results don't lie.

(End of this chapter)