The older superstars of the NBA

After winning the first two games, the Golden State Warriors ushered in the third game.Their opponent in this game is still strong, and it is the Houston Rockets who have the ability to hit the Western Conference Finals.

The lineup of the Houston Rockets is not bad. The team has an All-Star player like James Harden, and a man like Dwight Howard who could once replace LeBron James alone.

There is also no shortage of role players with stable output pitchers and fierce defensive guards.

From the perspective of player configuration, the Houston Rockets are indeed very strong.

Even so, the game was successfully won by the Golden State Warriors.

Stephen Curry scored 27 points, Klay Thompson scored 16 points, and Zhao Feiyang also scored 16 points. Only with the outstanding performance of the three guards, the Warriors scored more than half of the points.

On the Rockets side, James Harden performed the best, but only scored 24 points. Trevor Ariza hit four three-pointers, scored three breakthroughs, and scored a total of 3 points.

The most anticipated Dwight Howard is in a very hip state. Not only does he have no fighting spirit, but he is also tightly restricted by the Warriors on the defensive end.

The Warriors also learned to use the tactic of chopping "Master Huo" and sent him to the free throw line many times. Unfortunately, Dwight Howard failed to seize the opportunity to counterattack, and repeatedly missed shots, and lost many good opportunities in vain.

After such a battle, the Golden State Warriors seemed to be on the hook, and they played extremely well in the next dozen or so games.

They won the 16-game winning streak in one fell swoop, directly shocking the entire league.

Under the tactical training of head coach Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry also played the strongest performance since his career.

He has become the most watched defender in the league.

The other players are also in good condition, and it can even be said that the entire team is developing in a better direction.This also allowed the previously questioned rookie coach Steve Kerr to dispel the doubts of the fans.

Even in the eyes of the fans, Steve Kerr may not be the one who can save the Warriors, but he will not push the Warriors to a worse situation.

After all, former head coach Mark Jackson couldn't win 16 consecutive victories.

More importantly, most of the 16 consecutive victories were obtained by defeating the league's super teams.This also means that most of the super teams have played against the Golden State Warriors, and there is no doubt that they all lost to the Golden State Warriors.

If this state can be maintained until the playoffs, then it is entirely possible for the Golden State Warriors to hit the finals.

For a while, the fans in the Bay Area cheered endlessly, imagining the bright future of the team.

"Cole is such a good guy, and the whole team is also very good. I haven't seen this kind of team style of fighting in a long time... If nothing else, we have a good chance of rushing to the Western Conference Finals …”

"Be bold, I think we can reach the finals, the Rockets lost to us, the Spurs lost to us, the Clippers also lost to us... Who else is next?"

"Damn it, almost 40 years have passed since the Warriors won the championship. If they can win the championship this time, it will be the city's strongest glory in the past half a century..."

There are fans who are optimistic and positive, and of course there are fans who are worried about it.

"We're doing really well right now, but I think it's just the beginning of the season ... Guys, there are 60 more games in the regular season ... The other teams may not be back to shape ... "

"Yeah, it's not a good thing to be too proud. Of course, the Warriors have great players, but we have to maintain this momentum until the playoffs. That's when the real winners and losers... ..."

"Now we are ranked No. [-] in the West, which is good, but not every season the No. [-] in the West can win the championship. It can only be said that we have a certain probability of winning the championship. This is not absolute..."

Regardless of the controversy on the Internet, there is a peaceful and peaceful atmosphere within the team. It is rare for the management to encounter such a good start. They are almost full of confidence from top to bottom, believing that the team must have a lot to do this season.

It was also at this time that the problem of the team management also came.

On the second day after the end of the [-]-game winning streak, the Warriors' high-level conference room, owner Joe Lacob held a routine meeting with a group of shareholders.

Originally, there were no major problems in the regular meeting. In the past, it was only the general manager of the team, Bob Michael, who made an explanation to clarify the recent situation of the team.

But today is different, the shareholders are very excited about the [-]-game winning streak.

After all, the more games the team wins, the higher the attendance rate will be, the better the peripheral products will be sold, and the more various business cooperations will be obtained, and the market value and profits of the team will naturally increase.

Especially once the team can make it to the Western Conference Finals, they will definitely earn a lot of money at the end of the season.

A shareholder named Pol Brooks stood up after Bob Michael's speech. He poured cold water on the enthusiasm of the crowd.

"Listen everyone, I know everyone in this room really wants the team to do well... But we have to think about it, can the team make it to the finals now?"

"If we can't make it to the finals, or if we are weak in the late stage, if we are eliminated in the playoffs and can't even make it to the Western Conference finals, what should we do?"

"For a businessman, profit is always the most important thing. Even if the team has a good start this season, the team's best record in the past four or five seasons is only the Western Conference semifinals. You are not gamblers. We It’s impossible to pin your hopes on the next good luck, right?”

Paul Brooks' words made everyone calm down instantly.

No one spoke, even the boss Joe Lacob watched him silently, expecting what he would say next.

"The luxury tax threshold stipulated by the league this season is 7680 million dollars, and our salary expenditure has reached 9280 million dollars. Do you understand how much luxury tax we have to pay?"

As soon as Pol Brooks spoke, the shareholders in the entire conference room were completely dumbfounded. Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, and their faces became solemn.

The standard luxury tax penalty starts at $500 per dollar on the first $1.50 million and increases over time, as the league sets out to pay.

接下来的500万美元每美元1.75美元，然后是每美元2.50美元，3、25美元，每500万美元罚款增加0.50美元工资增长。

"Except for the past two seasons where the team made the playoffs, we failed to make the playoffs in the previous three seasons. The team's profitability in these three seasons was not ideal. … I As a team shareholder, I hope the team will be more stable...."

"Profit is the premise. If you can't get more income, then reducing expenditure is also an option..."

After Pol Brooks finished speaking, whispers started in the meeting room.

Team owner Joe Lacob looked indifferent, not knowing what he was thinking.The general manager Bob Michael hesitated for a long time, then suddenly stood up.

"Mr. Ball, I don't agree with one thing. Competitive sports need to burn money...The team's record in the past few seasons was really bad, but judging from the last two seasons, we have already entered the playoffs The ranks of the game team...."

"It seems that there is still a certain distance from the championship, but for the Warriors, it is no longer impossible..."

"As long as we maintain the current investment, maybe the team will achieve surprising results this season. At that time, I think the team's profitability will definitely not be bad..."

Facing Bob Michael's remarks, Pol Brooks did not refute, but asked the other party, "Bob, I know you love basketball very much, and I also love this sport...Professional sports of course More money needs to be invested, but if more money is guaranteed to win, then why haven't the Knicks won the championship?"

As soon as these words came out, Bob Michael was suddenly speechless.

Pol Brooks continued, "Of course, I'm not saying that the team should be stingy...In fact, I thought of a feasible way..."

Everyone's eyes once again focused on Pol Brooks.

"The team has two players who can seek trades. Veteran Brandon Larry has an annual salary of 260 million US dollars this season. He still has a one-year contract, but he is already 34 years old. He was devastated by injuries at the end of last season. After that, his scoring average this season has dropped to 2.1 per game. …”

"I think we can trade him, or cut him...."

"Also, the Chinese player Zhao Feiyang has an annual salary of 1200 million US dollars this season. His performance is certainly not bad. He has averaged 17.9 points per game so far...but his role in the team is not that strong. In my opinion Come on, even without him, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry can lead the team to victory. …”

"The team needs a reliable substitute, but is it necessary to spend 1200 million to sign a substitute?"

"At the beginning we thought the team was not strong enough, so we did this... However, judging from the recent record, the team's victory will not be affected without him! If we are willing to save money, choosing to trade him can be regarded as a A good way...."

"The team doesn't need to have a winning streak, as long as we can successfully stabilize the top three records in the Western Conference, and then enter the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs.... Just trade him for a A reliable striker, I think maybe it will help the team more...."

As soon as these words came out, the entire meeting room became restless.

Bob Michael was the first to rush to speak, "Mr. Ball, as a substitute, Zhao may have some overlap with Stephen and Clay...but he is very strong, leading the second team is definitely a very good team. Great choice, even if you can't see it now, it will definitely have an effect in the playoffs...."

"Also... After he came to the Bay Area, our attendance rate has increased a lot, and many Chinese fans have come to watch the game... His contribution is not small..... .so I don't think he should be an option to trade...."