NBA: I am a master dealer

Chapter 374: Consider playoff opponents!

After beating the Cavaliers, the Knicks went on the road to challenge the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans have plummeted this season, with a current record of only 25 wins and 47 losses, directly diving into the lottery zone.

You know, the Pelicans were a playoff team last season, and Davis, the thick-eyebrowed brother, played at a top level.

This season, although the thick eyebrow brother is still vigorous, the team's large number of injuries and endless shortage of major generals still make them unable to have a place in the Western Conference.

Both Davis and Evans were absent from this game.

There was not much suspense during the game. The Knicks defeated their opponents 107:99.

The score seemed to be close, but the Pelicans never took a lead from beginning to end and lost completely.

薛连城22投10中拿到了30分12助攻5篮板。

In this game, he deliberately increased the number of shots, with the natural goal of competing for the scoring title. After all, there are only a few games left in the game, and now the distance between him and Curry is very close.

He is averaging 30.41 points per game so far, while Curry is 30.58 points.

That's right!

Both sides showed signs of fatigue and dropped a bit.

But both sides showed their desire for the scoring title.

After all, basketball is still a sport that focuses on scoring. Everything is judged by the score, so the gold content of the scoring champion is still quite high.

In terms of individual awards, it is second only to the regular season MVP.

Even if it is placed in the entire honor column, it definitely has weight, and it is not as useless as it is on the Internet.

There is often a voice saying: This is a brush honor.

But actually, absolutely not.

A team's roster consists of fifteen players, and there are more than four hundred players in the league. How can the person with the strongest score be an unknown person?

Even if you let your hands and feet go, if you can win the scoring title, that is definitely your ability.

In other words, the scoring title itself is proof of your strength.

It shows that your scoring ability is the best in the league, and you definitely have your own killer move to stand out among many top stars.

What's more...

Basketball games are all about scoring. The scoring champion has no gold content, so what data does it have gold content?

Score is the statistic that most intuitively reflects your value.

Those fans who say that scoring champions have no value must be a super-giant fan group that does not have many scoring champions. Because their idols do not have multiple scoring champions, they naturally do not recognize the value of scoring champions.

If their idol has four or five scoring champions, then they can immediately jump up and say that this is the most valuable honor.

This is why the scoring champion is worthless.

You must know that in the Jordan era, ten scoring titles were a shocking honor, and it was considered the foundation for Jordan to become the best in history.

Without the support of these ten scoring champions, even if Jordan has six championships and five regular season MVPs, he will not have that kingly aura.

Then it continued into the new century, and the scoring champion was still valuable. Iverson and Tracy McGrady relied on their scoring champions to become the top players in the league.

Then came Kobe's explosive scoring performance, followed by Wade, one of the best shooting guards in history.

If Wade doesn't have that scoring champion, his entire career will be eclipsed, and the best third shooting guard in history will feel less worthy of his name.

Then to Durant.

And here, voices saying that the scoring champion is worthless began to appear one after another.

Especially when Durant completed three consecutive scoring titles, a lot of negative comments about scoring titles began to spread. The all-around king is the mainstream, and regular season MVP, championship, and finals MVP are the three indicators to determine the best in history. .

why?

Because I, King James, only have one scoring champion, I really don’t have an advantage. In addition, Durant’s three consecutive scoring champions are sharp and sharp. If the gold content of the scoring champion is recognized, it will threaten my James’ status.

and so……

A large number of comments denying the scoring champion have become mainstream. In addition to the fans' contribution, media reporters are also publicizing it.

Gradually, the scoring title became dispensable and became an absolute honor.

You must know that in the past, the scoring champion was almost the standard for the best first team. Unless your record was really unsightly, you would definitely be included in the first team.

This is the gold content of the scoring champion, and it is also an important indicator to measure the value of a player. Score is also the most intuitive statistic.

Even the salary offered by the team owner is first determined based on your scoring.

Your scoring is rubbish and your rebounds are good, but you may not be able to get a big contract.

Even if you score garbage and have a lot of assists, you may not necessarily get a big contract.

Your other two statistics are not good, but your scoring is particularly good. There is no doubt that you will definitely get a big contract.

unless……

You are going crazy with data brushing.

Hmm... It's the kind of player who attacks the frame as soon as he gets the ball, but can't pass it out once he gets the ball.

Otherwise, it is impossible for the team not to give you a big contract.

In the statistics column, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks are all for scoring.

You said that the scoring champion has no gold content?

Are you kidding me?

and so……

Xue Liancheng is also eager to win the scoring title.

The scoring champion can not only increase his honor and quality, but also allow his golden thighs to evolve again. Naturally, he is bound to win.

same.

For Curry, the honor of scoring champion is also extremely important.

Or to be more precise, this is the only major honor he can touch at the moment. After all, the regular season MVP is still uncertain. The records of the two teams are not much different, and Xue Liancheng's data is much better than him.

Only by fighting for this scoring title can he increase his chips in the MVP battle.

Only the scoring champion, currently in his hands, is an honor that can be seen.

Furthermore...

He needs this honor so much now.

Because it has been seven years since he entered the league, he still can't do anything. His high popularity has not brought about a substantial improvement in his status, but the scoring champion can.

The two sides have now sparked a fight.

However, Xue Liancheng was not in very good condition in this game, and his touch was slightly bad. He only hit 22 goals in 10 shots. This means that after removing the 19% hit ability, his true shooting percentage was only 7 of 36.8, . % hit rate is really hard to describe...

Oladipo's performance in this game was average, scoring 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Lopez was troubled by foul trouble and scored 11 points and 6 rebounds on 13 of 6 shots.

But despite this, they still defeated the Pelicans without any blood.

It has to be said that the role players play is too important.

As for the Knicks, there is always someone who can step up and add firepower to the team.

This game was Galloway, who scored 13 points on 7-of-19 shooting, showing a very good potential for chaos.

but……

Don't have too many expectations. After all, Galloway has always been a role player. He can't even have stable playing time, let alone determine the trend of the game.

This is just a good feeling brought about by occasional bursts of form.

Pelican here.

Jrue Holiday was still strong, with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Babbitt scored 14 points, Cunningham scored 12 points, and Ajinza scored 12 points.

Douglas on the bench had 16 points and Alonzo Key had 10 points.

These people are all pure role players. It can be said that they broke out collectively, which allowed them to deal with the Knicks until the end.

The next day, in the game between the Warriors and the Wizards, Curry was equally crazy. He took 24 shots, but only hit 9 goals and scored 26 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Warriors narrowly won by 1 point and almost lost.

It can be seen from this that Curry also has the mentality of winning the scoring champion.

But Curry's stability has always been worse.

Xue Liancheng has the ability to predict, a 15% open hit rate bonus, and an ace % hit skill. These three abilities of his can ensure his scoring minimum.

As long as he concentrates on getting points, 30 points should be no problem.

The condition is slightly better, and 40+ can be easily obtained.

If the feel is overwhelming, 50+ is not impossible.

From this point of view, he has an advantage.

But in the last game at the end of March, this situation still did not change.

Although the team easily defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106:91, his personal performance was hardly outstanding.

26投11中，总共拿到了31分14助攻6篮板的数据，效率还是一言难尽。

After the game.

Xue Liancheng reviewed himself and felt that he was too impatient. The more he thought about scoring, the stiffer his shooting movements became, and his mentality affected his performance.

He felt that it was necessary to be steady, return to the previous mode, and take action when he found an opportunity. If there was no room for action, he would never force it.

This ensures efficiency while also increasing deterrence. Rather than working hard to score more points with more shots like now.

The Warriors played the Jazz today and won.

Curry took 23 shots and hit 11 goals, including 10 of 5 three-pointers and 5 of 4 free throws. He also scored 31 points.

In addition, there are 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Except for the scoring data, there is indeed a gap between him and Xue Liancheng, and the gap is obvious.

But the focus of the two is on scoring, rebounding and assists are secondary...

For now, the two are deadlocked in the battle for the scoring title.

Xue Liancheng had not yet burst out his energy. He scored 40 or 50 points and jumped over from the library at once.

Curry couldn't score high points and suddenly distance himself.

Neither side can do anything to the other.

The battle for the Eastern and Western Conference playoff spots has become particularly interesting.

After the Jazz lost to the Warriors, their record came to 36 wins and 39 losses.

The Mavericks also lost to the Knicks today, with a record of 36 wins and 39 losses.

The Rockets are 37 wins and 39 losses.

The Grizzlies also lost today, suffering a losing streak, with a record of 38 wins and 37 losses.

Only the Trail Blazers showed their strength and won two games in a row. After defeating the Celtics, their record reached 39 wins and 37 losses.

at present……

Only the Trail Blazers have a greater advantage, but no one dares to pat their chests. After all, they may fall out if they lose two games in a row.

The Grizzlies are still firmly ranked sixth in the Western Conference, but they have lost two games in a row. Their morale has been greatly affected. It is really difficult to say whether they can survive this situation.

The future of the Houston Rockets has also become extremely uncertain, because they only have a half-time lead and can fall to ninth if they are not careful.

The most difficult thing now is the Jazz and the Mavericks. The Mavericks are still ranked eighth due to their victory advantage. However, their record is the same as the Jazz's and they may go to the guillotine at any time.

The current playoff battle in the Western Conference has become very fierce.

The east is even more exciting.

The Celtics, originally ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference, experienced two consecutive losses, 41 wins and 34 losses, and have been surpassed by the Hawks and Hornets.

After all, they met the Clippers and Trail Blazers.

The former is the top team in the Western Conference and is so powerful that it is not surprising that the Celtics cannot win.

As for the latter, the Trail Blazers are competing for playoff tickets, so how can they relax? It's normal for the Celtics to lose.

Although the Hawks also lost to the Raptors today, they won two days ago. Their record reached 42 wins and 34 losses, still ranked sixth.

The Hornets have only played one game in the past few days, with a current record of 41 wins and 33 losses. The winning difference is the same as that of the Eagles, jumping directly to fifth place.

The Celtics could only finish seventh.

In addition to the fierce competition in the front qualifying, the competition for the last ticket in the playoffs is also fierce.

The Pacers have played three games in the past few days, losing 2 and winning 1. Their record has reached 38 wins and 37 losses, and their playoff spot is in danger.

The Pistons have only played one game in the past few days, a difficult victory over the Thunder, and their record has reached 38 wins and 37 losses, which is exactly the same as the Pacers' record. However, due to the difference in wins, the Pistons still ranked ninth.

The two teams really reached the stage of life and death struggle.

It's bad enough for the Pacers to lose two games, but what's even worse is that they have to play the Knicks in two more games.

The pistons are relatively better, but there is no room for slack.

The Bulls have one win and one loss, bringing their record to 36 wins and 39 losses, which is only two games behind the eighth-place Pacers.

As long as they win 3 more games in the next seven games, they will be able to securely enter the playoffs.

But it's very difficult.

After all, no one can squat there with their head in their hands and get beaten, and they can't maintain victory all the time.

The Bulls' next opponents are the Pistons, Bucks, Grizzlies, Heat, Cavaliers, Pelicans, and Digital Man.

The Pistons are direct competitors, one game is equal to two games, which is very crucial.

As for the Grizzlies, Heat, or Cavaliers, which one is better? Their road to the playoffs is very bumpy.

As for the Wizards, they have 2 losses and 1 win during this period, and their record has reached 35-40, which is basically bad.

of course.

Not completely dead yet, but not far away from death.

Now basically only the Pacers, Pistons, and Bulls are left to fight for the last playoff ticket.

The Bulls' schedule looks difficult, but it's actually relatively easy.

After all, the Pacers are going to meet the Knicks twice. In addition, there are digital men, Cavaliers, Raptors, and Nets.

The Cavaliers and Raptors are both ruthless characters. Not only do the Pacers have to beg the Knicks to let them go, they also have to beg the Cavaliers, Heat, and Raptors to establish their rankings as soon as possible so that they can hope to get through.

Otherwise, looking at this schedule, we will lose at least 4 games.

but……

The most ruthless one has to be the Pistons.

Their next schedule is the Mavericks, Bulls, Heat, Wizards, Heat, and Cavaliers.

Either the top teams in the playoffs are competing for tickets to the playoffs. It is really a devilish schedule.

How many games can be won? It’s really impossible.

But if you keep losing, that's really possible.

This is the current battle for eighth in the Eastern Conference, and it is definitely one of the most exciting playoff battles.

At this time, the Knicks are already thinking about their playoff opponents.

Director Lu even went to Xue Liancheng and asked for his opinion: "Xue, who do you personally think is the best to deal with among these opponents?"

Xue Liancheng wanted to say the same thing, but considering that this sentence was too pretentious, he chose to keep a low profile, "They are all quite strong, but I have no fear."

Director Lu was quite serious: "Indeed, their strength cannot be underestimated."

Xue Liancheng almost laughed out loud and asked, "What do you think?"

Director Lu: "Although the Bulls have fallen, their staffing is still there, they still have playoff experience, and they have top stars. They are definitely a strong opponent. If we don't want to consume too much, my idea is Avoid it.”

Xue Liancheng nodded: "That makes sense."

As the saying goes, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse, and a centipede is dead but not stiff. The Bulls have never missed the playoffs since Rose joined. Even in the two seasons when Rose was injured, they were still tough.

Because Butler is up and Gasol is here, their internal and external structure is balanced.

Although they were swept by the Heat in the second round last season, they were still very strong. In the third game, they were defeated by Xue Liancheng's ultimate kill, which broke their mentality and allowed them to be swept.

If Xue Liancheng didn't have that ultimate victory, the two sides might have to fight many more games.

Therefore, although the Bulls' iron-blooded defense is no longer iron-blooded, their foundation is still there!

If you don't want to be consumed too much, naturally you can't give the Bulls a chance to challenge.

Director Lu sees this relatively clearly.

Tyronn Lue continued, "As for the Pistons, they are young and energetic. They have a strong impact, but they have zero experience in the playoffs. They are newborn calves. They may be a little timid, but their combat effectiveness is not necessarily very strong. It is a suitable choice." opponents, but their schedule is too difficult, so I don’t think they have a chance.”

Xue Liancheng: "You mean... we'll take a rest against the Pacers next? We'll just stare at them in the playoffs?"

The Pistons are indeed a soft persimmon. They reached the threshold of the playoffs recklessly this season, with no playoff experience at all, and no stars who can hold on.

Definitely a good choice.

only……

As for the Pistons' schedule, it's really difficult.

Then there is only one opponent left, and that is the Pacers.

Director Lu smiled: "What do you think?"

Xue Liancheng thought for a moment, "I listen to you."

In fact, what he wants to say is, it doesn't matter...

Just picking and choosing in the first round is not his style at all.

In his opinion, it's the same for everyone, there's nothing to choose from.

because……

He is rushing to compete for the championship. In his world, he can accept the challenge of any opponent. Such a climb to the top is the real king.

Playing tricks, scheming, and picking opponents are all off-board moves.

Ok……

In one sentence, in the face of absolute strength, all opponents are paper tigers.

He doesn't care whether he meets the Pacers, Pistons, or Bulls in the first round.

But as the head coach, Tyronn Lue has to worry about this. "Then it's decided. We will meet the Pacers in the first round. When the time comes, you will definitely be very welcome when you return to Indiana."

Xue Liancheng smiled: "I don't know whether you will welcome me or not. There is a high probability that you will be scolded..."

(End of this chapter)