NBA: I am a master dealer

Chapter 339 What is right and wrong!

James' answer was scolded by loudmouth A-Smith, saying that James was hypocritical. How would you, a star player, not know that the team fired the head coach?

In addition, A-Smith criticized very sharply: The team is running normally. It is precisely because of your incompetent performance that you have repeatedly lost to Xue Liancheng, which caused the team coach to lose control and plunged the team into chaos. Changing coaches midway is quite fatal for a championship-winning team.

All this turmoil had nothing to do with Xue Liancheng. He didn't pay too much attention to the problems of other teams because they had already begun a new round of drills.

Feng Lai's rise requires them to practice new lineup combinations.

In this regard, Tyronn Lue is quite considerate. He clearly knew Xue Liancheng's thoughts and directly put Feng Lai into the starting lineup to partner with Xue Liancheng.

But while some are happy, others are sad.

If Feng Lai starts the game, someone will fall out.

And that person can only be Claude.

Crowder averaged 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game last season, shooting 42% from the field and only 29% from three-point range. His performance was really average and he was an innocent little player.

This season, his progress has been very obvious, averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. His overall shooting percentage has reached 47.8%, and his three-point shooting percentage has also reached 34.3%. This kind of performance is worthy of that multi-million salary. .

And now, if he is asked to play as a substitute, it will probably be uncomfortable for everyone.

Anyway, Xue Liancheng clearly felt that Claude was emotional, but he did not choose to comfort him.

If the team wants to improve and get closer to the championship level, then changes must be made.

Crowder and P.J. Tucker have overlapping positions, the same functionality, and a serious lack of athletic ability. These are the crux of the problem that hinders their charge to the championship.

of course.

If they just want to show off their power in the regular season, or just want to become a powerful team, then that is enough and there is no need to make changes.

But their goals for the season don't end there.

They are going to win the championship.

Therefore, the two must take the next one.

Given that the team's offensive firepower is already fierce enough, Crowder's defensive ability is slightly inferior to PJ Tucker. Crowder's elimination is basically doomed.

Claude only thought about it from his own perspective, only thinking about his own personal interests being violated, but never thinking about the overall situation of the team.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with it.

After all, for a role player, establishing a firm foothold is the primary goal. As for winning the championship, etc., he can still pursue it as long as his tactical status and appearance are not violated.

The premise is to ensure one's tactical status and playing time.

This is why Claude has emotions.

but.

From Xue Liancheng's point of view, supporting Feng Lai to ascend to power is the best choice.

Not only because they are good brothers, but mainly because Feng Lai is more athletic and can run and jump. Partnering with him will give you better scoring opportunities.

In addition, Feng Lai's frame protection is better than that of Crowder. After all, his height is there, which can effectively deter the penalty area and have an advantage in grabbing rebounds.

To put it bluntly, there is a clear gap in physical talent. Crowder's effect on the court is just not as good as Feng Lai.

of course.

The premise is that Feng Lai needs to stabilize. One performance alone cannot convince others.

Next.

Verified soon.

After two days of rest, on the 27th, they went to Boston to challenge the Celtics.

This season's Celtics are also a small dark horse. They currently have 17 wins and 13 losses, ranking seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Their strength has not declined due to the loss of Crowder. The main reason is that the Celtics have many people who are good at fighting.

It is not an exaggeration to say that there are a lot of talents, Thomas Jr., Bradley, Sullinger, Amir Johnson, Evan Turner, Olynyk, Jerebko, Tyler Zeller, Smart, etc. .

Except for Thomas, whose defense is sparse due to his height, everyone else is a top defensive player.

Even if they are not strong enough, their fighting spirit is recognized by others.

of course.

Here I have to say that the defensive system built by young coach Stevens is truly unique in the league.

They are one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking third in defensive efficiency, and ranking in the top five in points allowed. If Thomas hadn't held them back, their defense would have been an ironclad.

But even with Thomas, who is a dragster, they are still one of the best defensive teams in the league. This shows that the young coach really has his way.

With the addition of such a strong defensive system, Thomas finally made the best use of his unique talents.

That's right.

It's speed.

Thomas's super speed has been fully utilized in the Celtics' tactical system.

Because there are teammates on the defensive end to wipe his ass, Thomas can let go and do whatever he wants.

And the Celtics' offensive firepower has indeed been comprehensively improved due to the arrival of Thomas Jr.

That's why they've soared this season.

Between Thomas and the Celtics, the two complement each other and achieve each other's success.

but……

This also illustrates another problem. The cornerstone of the Celtics team is actually not Thomas, but coach Stevens.

Or, more accurately, the defense Stevens built.

This is why the old thief Anji dared to tell Thomas to get out.

The story of Thomas driving a truck to load money has been widely circulated since then. He overestimated his role and believed that he was irreplaceable.

In fact.

During this period, the Celtics could achieve an impressive record with any player with excellent offensive ability.

This is why Crowder's departure did not have much impact on the Celtics.

In Stevens' system, the Celtics don't have to be you.

Xue Liancheng played against them in the first round of the playoffs last season and is quite familiar with this team's tactical system.

Ah!
It's really tough, or to put it another way, it hits hard and dirty.

That's right.

Just dirty.

Now the Celtics' main goal is to hit anyone who is about to commit a foul.

The main thing is a fierce one.

In the historical trajectory, Love is one of the biggest victims.

only.

They didn't meet last season, but Xue Liancheng met them.

The beating was indeed quite physically damaging.

But he also has ways to deal with it.

Do you want to be dirty?
Then use the dirty to control the dirty.

If you want to be cruel, I will be more cruel than you.

When there is such a conflict, the referee will naturally intervene, and the Celtics will restrain themselves and not dare to go too far.

Before the start of this game, Xue Liancheng said that he must show his blood. If he is violated, he must not hold back and retaliate in kind.

The game process was not too tortuous.

Because the gap in strength between the two sides still exists objectively.

The Knicks' overall configuration and overall strength are still completely ahead of the Celtics.

Xue Liancheng + Oladipo + Lopez are top-notch in any team. They are definitely not comparable to Thomas + Bradley + Turner.

But during the game, the two sides almost came to blows twice, which was full of fire.

The players on the Celtics team all behaved like bullshit.

Especially Thomas, who has become the Celtics' main star this season. So far, he has averaged 22.6 points, 6.4 assists and 3 rebounds per game. He is the team's most dazzling star.

If this trend continues, Thomas will be an All-Star this season and can be called one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference.

This may have given Thomas the illusion that he was comparable to Xue Liancheng. He was forced to do everything he could to win favor with Xue Liancheng.

But Xue Liancheng just smiled and didn't care too much about Thomas.

Tell the truth.

With his height of 175cm, it is really not easy for Thomas to have a place in the NBA where there are many people.

He also admired Thomas's perseverance and hard work from the bottom of his heart.

But the way Thomas presses Lai Lai is really annoying. Maybe he has always been underestimated when playing basketball at his height, and Thomas will use verbal attacks to defend himself.

competition is over.

Xue Liancheng still hugged the opponent's players as usual, but unfortunately, Thomas didn't give him a chance at all.It seems that they are deliberately creating opposition between them, or creating the theory of old enmity.

He looked at the cooing figure of little Thomas and felt pity for a moment.

The higher you stand, the harder you fall.

After the truck-loading money discussion, Thomas fell directly from his peak. His height and his defensive holes no team can make up for.

This is destined to leave Thomas' figure in the league.

In this game, Thomas did perform well. He made 20 of 8 shots and scored 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The efficiency was a bit low, but he could score.

This is his role with the Celtics and the meaning of his existence.

If he can't even score points, then Thomas is finished.

In fact, Thomas leaving the league has never been a question of scoring.

He has always scored, but because of his height, he is really a solid hole on the defensive end.

Xue Liancheng and Oladipo also grabbed Thomas's point and beat him hard.

Therefore, the existence of Thomas Jr. is to injure the enemy by one thousand and damage himself by eight hundred.

Amir Johnson scored 12 points. This power forward is also a player with extremely good athletic ability, but he is a little rougher.

His style is somewhat similar to Feng Lai's, but in terms of physical talent, he is still far behind Feng Lai, and his ability to protect the frame is also far behind.

Bradley had 11 points, Turner had 19 points, and Olynyk also had 11 points.

It is particularly worth mentioning that Smart has not been able to come ashore this season and is still a substitute member.

However, he was very cruel and provoked Xue Liancheng in various ways before the game.

But it was obvious that they were not players of the same level, so it was naturally impossible for Xue Liancheng to respond.

The only connection between them is that they are both rookies in 14.

Although Xue Liancheng is only in the second round, he has already taken off and become the top player in the league.

Smart was the No. [-] pick, but failed to perform as expected.

Last season, he averaged 27 minutes per game, half of which started. Since Thomas arrived, Smart has lost his starting position and the tactical status he has developed. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The data looks like Very bleak.

What's even more dismal is that Smart's overall shooting percentage is only 36.7%, which is really hard to describe.

In this game, Smart played 13 minutes and scored 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting. It was also dismal.

For the Knicks, adjustments were made for this game, with Von Lay starting the game.

But the offensive end performance was average, scoring 9 points on 4 of 9 shooting, and the defensive end was a bit decent, with 3 big blocks.

薛连城16中11，个人大爆发，爆砍33分16助攻6篮板的超强数据。

Even his role on the offensive end is not just reflected in the data.

Oladipo's performance finally returned to normal, or was a bit sluggish. He made 19 of 8 shots and scored 20 points.

You know, Oladipo scored 8 points directly after receiving a pass from Xue Liancheng during the game, which is 4 of 4.

If Xue Liancheng's feeding pie is removed, Oladipo's data will look even more ugly, 15 out of 4!
I just can't see...

This is a problem with Oladipo's personal attributes. He is still not stable enough and cannot form his own killer move. As a result, once his condition is not good, he cannot score.

Ok……

Perhaps the biggest killer move is playing next to Xue Liancheng, some fast break points and surprise cooperation, these points are still very stable.

Lopez finally got released in this game, making 18 of 10 shots and scoring a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Since Oladipo arrived, his tactical status has indeed plummeted.

In the last battle against the Warriors, they sat on the sidelines in the crucial fourth quarter.

Therefore, in this game, Lopez attacked very fiercely and very effectively.

Crowder was dropped from the starting lineup, and he was really acclimated.

Made 11 of 3 shots and only scored 7 points.

The more you want to express yourself, the worse you will play. This is an inevitable result.

Apart from that, there is one more thing.

When paired with Xue Liancheng, he can have many shooting opportunities, and on the bench, Galloway can make him eat dirt.

Fortunately, Crowder had a lot of time to replace PJ Tucker. In addition, there were five dead players in this game, so Crowder and Xue Liancheng still had some overlap.

And the three goals scored were during this time period.

After defeating the Celtics, the Knicks' record has reached 24 wins and 8 losses, truly stabilizing their position as the leader in the Eastern Conference.

In the next game, they finally returned home to face the challenge from the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden.

As a team on the edge of the playoffs, with a record of 17 wins and 14 losses, they are undoubtedly eager to win the game and gain a foothold.

But the Knicks are also full of momentum. After their winning streak, they already feel like the top power in the Eastern Conference.

Just like the Heat last season, no one wants to touch it.

The results were no surprise either.

The Knicks easily defeated the Pistons 108:96, further solidifying their first place in the Eastern Conference.

薛连城表现一如既往的优秀，17投9中，拿到了26分13助攻8篮板的数据。

Oladipo still struggled in the slump, shooting 18 of 7 from the field and scoring 21 points with free throws.

However, the current Knicks have indeed completed their transformation. Oladipo's poor personal performance has not affected their dominance on both offense and defense.

The most important thing is that it cannot affect Xue Liancheng's performance.

Cooperation with Oladipo failed to produce results, but he can also perform at the top level with Lopez and Vonleh.

Lopez made 15 of 9 shots and scored 22 points and 9 rebounds.

Feng Lai finally got better and found the confidence he had in college. He scored 11 points on 7 of 16 shots and performed quite well.

Especially when it comes to eating cakes, his excellent running and jumping abilities are indeed a big advantage.

Anyway, he was much better than Claude when he was present.

On the offensive end, there is another air-cutting point and assault point, and the effect after the pick-and-roll screen is equally outstanding.

Not to mention the defensive end, Feng Lai's height advantage is not comparable to that of Claude. Coupled with Feng Lai's excellent athletic ability, the frame protection and assisting defense can really be improved to a higher level with the naked eye.

Lopez + Vonleh guard the penalty area, which is obviously like Gasol + Ibaka last season.

This makes PJ Tucker more comfortable on the defensive end.

This is the importance of lineup matching.

Often an inconspicuous role player is replaced, but the effect it can create is really unexpected.

Now that Feng Laiti is in the starting lineup, the improvement on both offense and defense is indeed huge.

Crowder once again struggled with himself, shooting 10 of 3 from the field, still so poor, and only scored 8 points.

Tyler Johnson returned and also scored 8 points.

but.

At this time, they received bad news. Jeff Green will be out for two months.

This is undoubtedly a huge loss for the Knicks.

Without Vonleh's rise, the Knicks' record would definitely be affected to varying degrees.

Because Jeff Green is actually more like a power forward, an inside player who fits the team's tactics better.

David West played more minutes and scored 6 points and 6 rebounds in this game.

Pistons here.

Reggie Jackson scored 29 points. It really felt like a submachine gun. After the bullets were fired, it was very hurtful.

Marcus Morris also gradually gained a foothold in the Pistons. He started the game and scored 17 points. However, the problem of inefficiency and instability still existed. He made 16 of 7 and his efficiency was numb...

Drummond was even more outrageous. He made 15 of 5 shots and only scored 13 points and 9 rebounds. He did not have the crazy performance at the beginning of the game.

Pope made 8 of 3 shots, 4 of 2 three-pointers, and scored 9 points. His performance can only be said to be average, but as a 3D player, he still completed his task perfectly.

Another well-known figure in the Pistons, Brandon Jennings, this once-incomparable genius, who was once the youngest player to reach 50+ points, is no longer magical and is far less brave than he was back then.

He came on the bench for 17 minutes, made 4 of 2 shots, and scored 7 points, becoming a complete role player.

This era is like this. If you take the lead but cannot continue to make progress, it is equivalent to sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat.

The front wave will push you up and slap you to death on the beach.

And Jennings was such a genius who died on the beach.

Xue Liancheng was deeply saddened when he saw this former genius.

There are already several players in the 09 class who can stand alone. Curry, Harden, Griffin, and DeRozan are all leaders of their respective teams. Curry and Harden, in particular, have the potential to become top superstars.

Even Tyreke Evans, Jennings' former rival for Rookie of the Year, is still the team's absolute main force.

Only Zhannings has changed, and his style is no longer...

(End of this chapter)