Chapter 195: Trade now while the trading window is still open
After the MVP rankings were announced, the media began to hype the related news.

Charles Barkley, the NBA commentator on TNT, said on the 12 noon sports news:

"Shaquille O'Neal averaged 27.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last season, and 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds so far this season, which is a big drop.

Judging from the data, Shaquille O'Neal, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Great Shark, has lost his dominance as the top player in active service.

Then I think that the NBA will enter an era of fierce competition among many players, and superstars will compete for the position of the best player in active service.

Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Wolverine, Kobe, McGrady, etc., all the stars are shining, I am very much looking forward to the beginning of a new era. "

The Los Angeles Times spoke up for the OK Band and published an article on its official website, saying:
"The reason why the Sharks' statistics have declined is because he has to give some shots to the Mailman and the Glove, not because his form has declined. He is still the best player in the NBA.

It is obviously unfair to put Kobe in seventh place in this MVP election. His role in the team is crucial and he deserves to be in the top five. "

At around 2:00 p.m., in the NBA commissioner's office in New York, David Stern put down the microphone.

Just now, Knicks owner Dolan talked to him for a while about this issue's MVP and complained about the league's different treatment of Wolverine.

In fact, the MVP rankings during the regular season are made by the official themselves, and no media people participate in the selection. Only the final selection is made by the media people.

Of course, for the sake of fairness, votes also need to be controlled, otherwise those media people will definitely be easily manipulated.

This task was too tedious and had to be updated once a week, so he handed it over to Adam Silver.

He was dissatisfied with Adam Silver's response and handling of the Oseko violence incident last season. The All-Star Wolverine complained that Silver was racist. His impression of Adam Silver became worse and worse, and he believed that Silver did have racist tendencies.

So from then on, many important things were handed over to Luo Sihua Daley, and the focus was on training Daley as his deputy.

But after all, Silver is also a senior vice president, so this time the MVP ranking list will be handed over to Adam Silver for management.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Hua took Wolverine down from the first place.

So far, Wolverine is better than Duncan in terms of both record and personal performance. Isn't this a mess?
The Knicks make the most money in the league every year, but you are targeting the Knicks' star player. Isn't that digging your own grave?

From this incident, he once again confirmed that Adam Silver did treat Wolverine differently, which made him very unhappy.

"This person has decent management skills, but he has no political vision, is short-sighted, and has a tendency to discriminate against races. It's very disappointing."

After repeated consideration, he decided to marginalize Adam Silver within the company.

Of course, he still didn't want to waste talent, so he decided to take another look. If it really didn't work out, he would just find a marginal position for him or fire him directly.

"Luo Sihua..."

After thinking it over, he called Loshua Daley and asked him to take over the MVP rankings from now on.

After receiving the notice, Adam Silver was stunned.

Damn you old man, I finally got some power, but you took it back so quickly? Are you going to kill me?

After solving the problem of Silver, David Stern began to consider the suggestion just made by James Dolan.

The Knicks signed a huge billion-dollar bad contract in 01. Now that the Knicks have a new core, this contract has seriously hindered the Knicks' reinforcement.

Generally speaking, once a new core is formed, if the old core can still play, they will be traded away to make room for the new core and build a lineup around the new core.

This doesn't even have to do with the status of the old core. Even if the old core is still in its prime, they will generally choose to be traded.

So Dolan suggested that the league could introduce an amnesty rule that would allow the Knicks to buy out Alan Houston's contract and no longer occupy the team's salary space.

The purpose of this rule is to give each team a chance to regret, so he personally thinks it is a good idea.

But generally speaking, rules are made in the off-season, and now in the season, I’m afraid they are not applicable.

He actually hopes that the Knicks can achieve results as soon as possible. He was a little annoyed when they were eliminated by the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Because the ratings for the Nets and Spurs in the finals were a mess, setting a record for the lowest ratings for the finals in a decade, and ticket revenue also hit a new low.

"You idiot, what were you doing before? If you had proposed this rule during the offseason, I would have approved it long ago." He couldn't help but complain in his heart.

In the afternoon, He Zhongqiu got three tickets and gave them to Zhang Jin, who had just arrived in Los Angeles, and asked him to pass them to Yuan Heping and Lin Dian and invite them to watch the game.

Two second-tier tickets were given to Yuan Heping and Zhang Jin took a third-tier ticket.

During the days he was in New York, He Zhongqiu would get him a second-tier ticket for any Knicks home game.

When renewing the contract with the Knicks, there were relevant benefits in the contract, such as accommodation subsidies, dedicated parking spaces, etc.

One of them is that during the regular season and playoffs, the Knicks must provide two front-row tickets and five second-tier ordinary tickets for free at home games, and two second-tier and three third-tier tickets at away games.

That night, He Zhongqiu received the news that the release date for Blade 3 had been set. The premiere would be held at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday, March 04, 3.

The date for the premiere was specially chosen. The Knicks have a home game on the 9th and an away game against the Digital Team on the 12th, so he can attend the premiere on the 10th.

On the 9th, the Staples Center is star-studded.

Lakers: O'Neal, Karl Malone, Devin George, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton

Knicks: Mutombo, He Zhongqiu, Bonzi Wells, Alan Houston, Nash
At 7:30, the first release was announced.

At :, the starter starts.

After He Zhongqiu appeared on stage, he greeted some familiar Hollywood stars, chatted with Yuan He, Ping, Lin Dian and Zhang Jin for a while, and then went to warm up.

This game is a nationwide live broadcast of the Lakers, and TNT has the broadcasting rights.

Barkley said: "The Lakers lost to the Knicks last time, so they should win this home court, otherwise the four super giants will lose face completely."

Kenny Smith said: "The Knicks can lose to the Warriors, and with the Lakers' strength, there is no problem in beating the Knicks.

Moreover, the Lakers have not lost since their last loss to the Knicks, and the four super giants are getting better and better at running-in. "

"Really?" Buckley asked with a grin.

Kenny Smith also smiled and said, "There are still problems between the OK combination, but Payton played well, he connected the whole team, and the Mailman also averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds per game, which is the key reason why the Lakers' record caught up."

Barkley nodded, picked up a statistics sheet on the table, and said: "No matter how Payton and Karl Malone perform, the key to whether the Lakers can play well lies in the OK combination.

Here are their stats so far this season, let's see how they perform, the stats don't lie."

"OK." Kenny Smith nodded.

Barkley read O'Neal's statistics and said, "Shaq's statistics have dropped a lot. He has withdrawn from the MVP competition. That's for sure."

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "But his performance is still crucial."

巴克利说道：“科比上赛季场均41.5分钟，30分6.9篮板5.9助攻2.2抢断0.8盖帽，命中率45.1%，其中三分命中率38.3%。

而这个赛季，目前是场均37.6分钟，24分5.5篮板5.1助攻1.7抢断0.4盖帽，投篮命中率43.8%，其中三分命中率32.7%。”

Kenny Smith immediately said: "From the data point of view, Kobe and O'Neal have both dropped a lot."

At this point, he made a turn and said, "But this is because the team has Payton and Karl Malone, he and O'Neal must give up some shots and ball rights.

So I agree with the Los Angeles Times that there is nothing wrong with the status of O'Neal and Kobe, they are still in their peak form. "

Barkley shook his head and said, "NONONO, you can't analyze it like this, Kenny, you should analyze the data more deeply."

"Then tell me, Charles. If you're wrong, don't blame me for not giving you face. I'm a fan of the OK band." Kenny Smith said with a straight face.

Barkley laughed and said, "I think the reason why the Big Shark has reduced his shots is mainly because his physical strength is no longer at its peak. He can't play anymore and he can't digest more shots."

"Charles, be careful or O'Neal will beat you up." Kenny Smith laughed.

"He can't beat me."

Barkley was smug, and then added: "As for Kobe, his shooting percentage has dropped, which is enough to explain the problem. There is something wrong with his condition and he has been affected by something."

"What's that?" Kenny Smith asked casually. "Of course it's the Eagle County incident. Damn it, Kenny, you messed with me again?"

Big mouth Barkley blurted out, and only then did he realize that he had been fooled by Kenny Smith again.

"Ha ha……"

Kenny Smith couldn't stop laughing.

After the warm-up, Phil Jackson said calmly in front of the Lakers bench: "Gentlemen, this is our home court. If you don't want to lose, then perform better and play according to the tactics. Of course, if you want to lose, then it's up to you."

After he said this, he turned around and sat back on the bench.

Payton looked at Kobe and O'Neal and sighed. It was really tiring to play for the Lakers. These two guys who hadn't even graduated from kindergarten were so difficult to coach. He came here to curry favor with them, but he didn't expect to become a kindergarten teacher.

The game starts, jump ball.

"Snapped!"

He Zhongqiu touched the ball first and the Knicks attacked.

Nash's condition has recovered. He advances to the frontcourt while observing the Lakers' defensive formation.

Gary Payton was the main defender against him, Kobe was on the right wing, Devin George was on the left wing, and O'Neal and Karl Malone were at the left and right waist positions.

"Three-two zone defense?"

His brows furrowed.

As a point guard who is good at dribbling and breaking through, what he hates most is this kind of double team defense.

Kobe's defensive efficiency this season is 102, and Payton Sr. is 103. These are the two best perimeter defenders.

The Lakers didn't double-team him in the last game. Are they going to double-team him tonight?

Yes, he guessed correctly.

Phil Jackson didn't want to use a double-team on Nash, but he couldn't lose this home court. If he lost, his morale would be at a disadvantage when he met the Knicks in the finals.

There are defenders on both the left and right wings, so of course he can't look for a double-team and can only go to the top of the arc.

"They are really going to attack me."

But when he approached the top of the arc, Kobe and Devin George immediately moved to the top of the arc, preparing for a double-team.

If he dared to break through at this time, no matter which side he broke through from, he would definitely encounter fierce attacks from both sides.

He was about to break through from the top of the left arc. Devin George's defense was okay, but not as good as Kobe's.

At this time, Bonzi Wells immediately ran down to the left elbow area, cutting inside and asking Nash for the ball.

At the same time, He Zhongqiu ran up to the right end of the free throw line and raised his hand to ask for the ball.
Devin George still double-teamed Nash at the top of the arc, because the Lakers played a three-two zone defense, they only needed to double-team the ball handler, and the opponent's off-ball movement did not need to be guarded.

Nash outside the arc immediately pulled to the right and passed the ball to He Zhongqiu.

He Zhongqiu received the ball, and the Postman rushed in front of him. At the same time, Kobe on the right wing immediately came over to double-team him.

"Whoosh!"

He Zhongqiu threw the ball with one hand and gave it to Wells who cut into the penalty area from the left elbow area.

Wells received the ball and made a layup in three steps. O'Neal returned to defend the basket. He made a slight change to the right, avoided O'Neal, and made a layup from the right side of the basket, hitting the backboard.

Barkley said: "Bonzi Wells is a heavy forward-guard swingman. His shooting is unstable, but he has good ball-handling and breakthrough ability and has a great impact on the inside.

Whether it's a pass-and-cut tactic or a breakaway tactic, he can play it."

Kenny Smith said: "He doesn't have enough organizational skills, so he doesn't have many opportunities to dribble and break through in New York.

Without a basket, he is not a good complement to the Knicks' tactics, and he cannot open up the defense on the outside.

When Nash breaks through with the ball, the lack of pulling force on the outside will limit Nash's breakthrough.

So although the contract of the C-level shooting king is large, his role is still very critical to the Knicks, and he is necessary to exist.”

Barkley said with a smile: "No one said Alan Houston is not important in the Knicks. His mid-range shots and three-pointers are both very good.

In the main lineup, when Nash breaks through with the ball, the outside shooting depends on him.

Unfortunately, after this injury, his form seems to have been affected and has declined significantly compared to last season."

At this time, Kobe broke through with the ball, then made a quick stop jump shot and the Knicks attacked.

He Zhongqiu landed directly at a high position this time and did not go to a low position at all.

This is the tactic Rick Carlisle arranged for him, because his free throw skills have improved, and his high-post shooting skills are much stronger than the mid-range shots on the wings, so this high-post tactic was specially arranged for him.

In fact, the distance between the free throw line and the center of the basket is 4.225 meters, while the distance between the center of the basket and the left and right waist positions is only 3.79 meters.

Although these two positions are at the edge of the penalty area, they actually belong to the mid-range shooting area, which is 3.5 meters away.

Duncan's 45-degree bank shot usually requires him to take a step inside and enter the close shooting area, which will increase his hit rate.

But his bank shots are best from these three positions, and the system has marked them early on.

Especially when facing teams with very strong perimeter defense, such as the Lakers, Pistons, Nets, and Spurs, he can also form a supporting screen with Nash in the high position.

His organization and support ability is average, which is his shortcoming, but with the improvement of tactical ability, his screen has been upgraded to level 70, so the high-post tactics assigned to him are mainly based on personal offense, or use pick-and-roll to cover Nash's breakthrough.

Nash held the ball close to the top of the arc, and He Zhongqiu immediately moved behind Payton.

Without stopping, he immediately rushed down from the top of the left arc, holding the ball beside Payton, despite the double-teaming of Devin George on the left wing.

Payton was blocked when he turned around. Devin George was not as fast as Nash. Nash successfully broke through the two of them and entered the paint area.

O'Neal immediately returned to defend the basket, and the Postman immediately moved sideways to defend Nash.

At this time, He Zhongqiu had already rushed into the penalty area from the left side of the postman, and Nash was on the right side of the postman.

The moment Nash dribbled the ball with his right hand, he suddenly pushed it hard towards the floor on the postman's side. The basketball hit the postman's left foot and bounced up. He Zhongqiu arrived at this time and jumped up to catch the ball.

"Shet!"

Under the basket, O'Neal looked at Wolverine flying in the air, feeling like crying but without tears.

"boom!"

He Zhongqiu made a ferocious one-handed slam dunk, hitting O'Neal on the head.

"Oh! Wolverine... dunk! Beautiful! Wolverine dunks over Shaq, but Shaq's block was not high enough." Barkley shouted excitedly.

"The high-post pick-and-roll + breakthrough pass tactics, Nash's cooperation with the Wolverine on the offensive end was really smooth." Kenny Smith praised.

Barkley immediately complained: "It's just that the perimeter defense is not that good. It's better to let the rookie start than to have the mid-range shooting king start."

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Wells + Alan Houston + Nash, I don't think the defense on this perimeter is any better than last season."

Barkley suggested: “Based on the current regular season situation, the Knicks cannot play against teams with strong perimeter defense.

The Lakers, Spurs, Pistons, and Nets, as long as these four teams have a complete outside lineup, the Knicks should not be able to beat them.

Their perimeter defense is too weak, and relying solely on Wolverine to make up for it won’t work, unless Wolverine’s ability to help and help defense reaches Garnett’s level.”

"Trade it quickly before the trade window opens," said Kenny Smith.

"If it could be traded, it would have been traded a long time ago," Barkley said.

(End of this chapter)