NBA: I am a master dealer

On the afternoon of the day when the George trade was completed, Kupchak made another move, signing former Eagle King Joe Johnson for 2 million over two years.

This is the end.

The Lakers' roster is thus formed.

Point guard: Xue Liancheng, Clarkson who has renewed his contract, Marcelo Huertas.

Shooting guard: Newly signed Courtney Lee, former Eagles king Johnson.

Small Forward: George, Glenn Robinson, James Johnson, Waldepeace.

Power forward: Randle, newly signed Marvin Williams, Blake.

Center: Zubac, Larry Nance.

There are fourteen people in total, and there is still one spot left, but it doesn't matter anymore. The Lakers' overall lineup for the new season is basically complete.

The first starting position, if nothing else, should be Xue Liancheng, Courtney Lee, George, Randle, and Zubac.

of course.

This is a conservative starting list. Each position has a corresponding player. In other words, the point guard is a point guard and the center is a center. There is no confusion about positions.

But such a lineup is actually not suitable for the small ball era. When it is necessary to protect rebounds and frames, it is more appropriate to use Zubac to support it. However, if Zubac is always placed on the court, it will definitely be a disaster.

Especially when facing the Golden State Warriors or the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry and 58 can hang Zubac up and beat him.

And this is Zubac after he has matured. For example, the current first-year Zubac does not have the strength to start.

and so.

This is destined to be a false start.

As for the other player at the center position, Larry Nance, he is even less capable of starting. This guy's height, wingspan, and weight are more like a power forward, but his playing style is that of a center.

This is very fatal.

It feels like your software is huge, but your hardware facilities can't keep up. This will make it difficult for Nance to gain an advantage in the confrontation, and the frame protection effect is directly at the lowest level.

Fortunately, Nance has a very soft touch and can get up to the high post to shoot. Of course, he doesn't have any three-point ability, but his shooting range is relatively far, and he also has good footwork in the low post.

But in fact, the Lakers have no shortage of people who can perform on the offensive end.

Therefore, Nance can still play as a substitute, and there is no need to think about starting.

Once the center position is confused, who will take over?
The point guard must be Xue Liancheng, there is no doubt about it.

As the head of the team and the core of the offensive system, the Lakers are his team now.

The shooting guard will also be Courtney Lee, and there will be no changes.

Because Joe Johnson is getting old after all, he is 35 years old this year, and all aspects of his body's functions have significantly declined. His speed, explosive power, athletic ability, and impact are no longer what they used to be.

What's more... physical talent has never been Joe Johnson's specialty. Joe Johnson's strongest strength is strength and rhythm changes.

As he grows older, his physical condition becomes even worse than before, and his defensive power is greatly reduced.

of course.

Glenn Robinson can also serve as a starter, but given Robinson's serious lack of offensive ability, it is a bit reluctant to start.

In comparison, Courtney Lee is much more balanced on both offense and defense.

Therefore, at the shooting guard position, Courtney Lee is obviously more suitable to start.

And if you encounter some heavy forward All-Stars who need to defend, maybe Glenn Robinson will be more effective.

There is no need to discuss the position of the small forward. It must be Paul George. As one of the four small forwards, he is an All-Star and can be said to be the best player of the Lakers except Xue Liancheng.

As for the power forward position?
Because the interior positions have been confused, the power forward and center are actually about the same.

In order to increase speed and impact, it is no problem for James Johnson to play as a power forward.

Marvin Williams also has impact and explosive power, and is also very suitable for the power forward position.

So either one of the two can take the lead.

The difference is that James Johnson is better defensively and has excellent cutting awareness and coordination, while Marvin Williams is stronger on the offensive end, especially in three-pointers. Marvin Williams needs to be stable. Much more.

It depends on the trade-off.

If you need a three-point shooter and space, then go to Marvin Williams.

As for defense and air-cutting, James Johnson is obviously the better choice.

As for Randall?
Although the offense is strong and the defense is weak...that's not to say weak, the main reason is that the defensive will is really poor. Randall is a typical player who is more obsessed with the offensive end.

But there is no way, he must occupy a starting position.

After all, as a potential new star of the Lakers, he posted a double-double in his first season, has excellent athletic ability, and is full of energy on the court. He is really a very lovable player.

Anyway, the fans and management like it very much. Randall's playing style when he enters the league is indeed very exciting.

in this way.

The starting lineup of the small lineup is: Xue Liancheng, Courtney Lee, George, James Johnson, Randall.

The substitutes are: Clarkson, Joe Johnson, Glenn Robinson, Marvin Williams, Zubac, Larry Nance.

The depth of the lineup is quite deep.

Although this group of substitute players is not enough to stand alone or become a starter for another team, they are definitely more than enough to serve as substitutes.

It still looks like that.

And this summer's free market has come to an end.

The summer league also starts singing at this time.

But all this has nothing to do with Xue Liancheng.

As the new face of the league, events of this level are far away from him. Even preseason games, if he doesn't have to practice together with his teammates, he doesn't need to participate at all.

of course.

In fact, he didn't have to participate.

Because he is recovering from his injuries.

During this period, something happened that involved Xue Liancheng.

That was the Rio Olympics. In the group finale, the men's basketball team once again lost 60:94 to Serbia. It was a complete loss.

Not talking about this game, but the entire Olympic journey, the men's basketball team lost completely.

The men's basketball team played a total of five group matches without a win. They lost to their opponents by an average of 29.6 points per game, which was the largest net loss to opponents in the Olympics since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

It’s really… it’s heartbreaking to see it!

All the fans jumped to their feet.

"What the hell, you've come all the way to find me."

"There are still some people who are so awesome that without Xue Liancheng, can the men's basketball team still be able to do it?"

"Xue Liancheng didn't come, so we witnessed the worst Olympic record in history."

"If Xue Liancheng steps onto the Olympic stage, I dare not say that he is invincible. It is not a dream to reach the top eight."

"Brother, be bold. As the number one player in the current basketball world, his arrival is enough to transform the men's basketball team, and it's not too much to compete for medals."

"Indeed, Xue Liancheng has proven his ability to lead the team for two consecutive years. Xue Liancheng definitely has the ability to transform the team."

"Xue Liancheng is very strong, but it's not as outrageous as you said. He lost an average of 30 points per game. If Xue Liancheng comes, he will immediately become a top three team. Do you really think that other teams are dead?"

"I don't know if other teams will die. Xue Liancheng's entry into the men's basketball team will definitely make your eyes drop."

"Who doesn't know how to brag? It turns out I've been in the NBA for two years and haven't played for the men's basketball team once, haha..."

"There is something wrong with you. You are lying in the hospital recovering from your injuries. Do you still want him to come to the sidelines to cheer you on?"

And this fire finally burned Xue Liancheng. but.

The burning was not very intense, after all, the fans wanted to criticize those few people who performed extremely poorly.

Xue Liancheng is now a national treasure, so there is naturally a lot of tap water to put out the fire for him.

time flies.

It’s late September and early October in a blink of an eye.

Each team officially kicks off the new season at the press conference. Xue Liancheng still has to attend and then take makeup photos.

This time he chose the No. 9 jersey.

At the meeting, he met Paul George.

George: "Xue, I really didn't expect that we would turn from opponents to teammates so quickly."

Last season, the two sides met in the first round of the playoffs, and George even quarreled with Frank Xue Liancheng's "FOX Sports" reporter.

And now.

He actually became a teammate.

It is true that things are impermanent.

Xue Liancheng: "I was not surprised, because your performance in the playoffs in April really surprised me, so I told Kupchak that I need you."

George smiled and suddenly said meaningfully: "Teach me how to win the championship?"

This is what Kobe told Howard about teaching people to win championships.

Here George is obviously making fun of his idol.

That's right.

Kobe, who was not far away, also smiled.

Xue Liancheng immediately looked serious: "Yes, next, I will tell you how to win a championship ring."

George also actively cooperated, "It's a great honor. I will do my best to help you."

then.

The two held hands and hugged.

Kobe on the other side almost fainted with laughter. He held his belly and replied: "I hope you will do what you say and don't be like some people and end up turning into a joke for future generations to laugh at."

Xue Liancheng and George couldn't hold back at this time and were happy.

Kobe is indeed optimistic enough to laugh at himself about his own embarrassing things, which is not something ordinary people can do.

but.

After such a fuss, the strangeness between Xue Liancheng and George disappeared immediately.

……

And this time.

"ESPN" updated the team strength rankings.

First east.

As the defending champion, the Knicks undoubtedly rank first. Although they lost Xue Liancheng in the offseason, they added another ball-carrying core, James. In addition, the Knicks lineup has not changed, so their The strength is still very strong.

Xue Liancheng proved last season that he can lead Oladipo + Lopez to the championship, which shows that there is no problem with this lineup structure.

Next, James will be tested.

After all, the Knicks, who have not continued to strengthen, are actually already very strong.

Second is the Miami Heat.

Riley and Wade talked back and forth, and finally reached a consensus and gave him a two-year contract worth 2 million.

Although it is still shabby, it is at least a quasi-maximum salary.

Wade eventually relented and did not accept the Chicago Bulls' two-year offer of 2 million, choosing to renew his contract with the Heat, which allowed their lineup to be retained.

Although the Big Three failed to advance to the Eastern Conference finals last season, they still showed strong competitiveness and fought fiercely with the Cavaliers, which shows that their overall strength is still online. Considering that they were a first-year team last season, The running-in may be lacking, so it is not surprising to lose to the Cavaliers in the playoffs.

When they make a comeback this season, they will definitely be the top players in the Eastern Conference.

In addition, they also made a move during the offseason.

Trading Ibaka for Will Barton and Sabonis Jr. has made the Heat stronger to a certain extent.

in this way.

Their lineup became Wade, Will Barton, Anthony, Por Gizins, Gasol, plus Hardaway Jr., Winslow, Richardson, Wayne Ellington, Sabo Jr. Nice, etc., overall it looks pretty good.

The third is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Although James once again picked up his pants and ran away, they still have two All-Star players in Irving and Love in their lineup.

In addition, many high-quality role players such as JR Smith, Channing Frye, Shumpert, and TT Thompson are still there, which allows their strength to be preserved to a certain extent, and they are still competitive in the Eastern Conference. .

As for how competitive it is?

That depends on the performance of Irving and Love.

Fourth is the Toronto Raptors.

They basically didn't do much during the offseason, which allowed them to preserve their overall strength. DeRozan, Lowry, Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, Carroll, Joseph, Powell, Patterson, and more There is a rookie Siakam.

There are still many players who can play, and they are definitely competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Fifth is the Celtics.

They also retain a relatively complete lineup from last season, including Thomas, Bradley, Smart, Olynyk, Rozier, Zeller and others.

On this basis, they acquired All-Star level insider Horford, supplemented the defensive powerhouse Amir Johnson, and selected the top prospect Jaylen Brown. Their overall strength has actually become stronger.

No matter how mediocre Horford is, he is still an All-Star, good at both offense and defense. Their empty inside line has finally been greatly strengthened.

In the new season, there is a reason why the Celtics are favored.

Sixth is the Atlanta Hawks.

Although they lost Horford, they also welcomed the once all-powerful Howard.

Teague has left, but Schroeder has proven his impact last season and is definitely an excellent offensive defender.

Millsap, Howard, Schroeder, Bazemore, Korver, Sofolosha, Prince, Muscala and other strong players are enough to ensure their competitiveness.

The most important thing is that Budenholzer's offensive and defensive system is still there, which allows them to maintain the coordination and passing ability of the previous two seasons in the new season.

The seventh is the Washington Wizards.

No matter what, Wall is a top-notch All-Star defender in the league, and there is absolutely no problem with his personal ability.

Bill is also entering his fifth season, and it's time to realize his talent.

In addition, their lineup from last season is basically retained, so there should be no overturn this season.

The eighth is the Chicago Bulls.

It's the same problem as the Wizards, but they lost a lot of Gasol, Dunleavy, Noah and others.

But they added Rondo, McAway, Lopez Jr. and others, and their strength is still there.

This is the current top eight rankings in the Eastern Conference.

Basically, they are optimistic about the established strong teams. As for the newly emerged Pistons last season, they were directly ignored.

(End of this chapter)