NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 126 Coach, I Want to Play Basketball
On the night of February 1999, 2, at the Madison Square Garden Arena, fans in New York witnessed the third championship banner rising over the arena.

Throughout the awards ceremony, Charles Sr. and David Stern did not steal the show, but instead gave several veterans a chance to speak and perform.

Since the start of the game, the cheers of New York fans have never stopped!
Perhaps it was the championship that stimulated the chubby Ewing. The gorilla was extremely active after the start, but after catching the ball and hitting the iron continuously, he gradually languished.
What makes Li You feel helpless is that although Oakley maintains a good figure, he also has no touch during the game.

Fortunately, the Bulls on the opposite side are also in a mediocre state. The new head coach Tim Floyd seems to have not been able to integrate the team.

Sprewell may not be used to playing as a substitute. He seemed to be sleepwalking in the first half of the game. Like Ewing and Oakley, he almost smashed the basket.

The content of the game is not satisfactory, New York fans can naturally see that several veterans have retired!
At 46:50, at the end of the halftime game, the New York media present were like Sprewell spraying iron.

In the MSG commentary seat, Walter Fraser also frowned. Ewing made 9 of 2 in the half, scored 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 turnovers.
"It seems that the long offseason has really affected us. Pat needs to find his status as soon as possible. Of course, his cover is doing well."

The commentator Mike Breen noticed that Li You only sent 3 assists in the half game, and almost all the passes were converted into irons. It was hard to say anything for a while:
"In the first game of the season, it is normal to be slow. Fortunately, we took the lead at halftime, and Li is in very good condition."

In the Knicks locker room, the two veterans didn't care about their iron fights. They returned to their seats and continued to chat and fart. Anyway, the team still won the ball:

"Night of Champions, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the game!"

After Li You returned to the locker room, he didn't care about the old guy's state, and simply communicated with the team's new aids Kurt Thomas and Dennis Scott:
"Thomas, let go of your hands and feet. The team needs your tough defense, just like Charles. This is our home court."

After being selected by the Heat with the 95th pick in the first round of 10, Kurt Thomas was traded to the Mavericks last season.

Affected by injuries and the arrival of Nowitzki, Nelson simply gave up this powerful power forward.

Grunfeld signed this free agent, which can be regarded as a good supplement to the Knicks' interior defense.

As the general manager, he certainly knows that Oakley may decline, and Kurt Thomas, who has a decent mid-range shot inside the free throw line and can swing at the fourth and fifth positions, is a good and cheap supplement.

The offensive method is single. In the substitute lineup, Sprewell didn't pass the ball at all, but Chris Childs gave him a few cakes.

Maybe it was too nervous, but Kurt Thomas was determined.

"Chris, pay attention to the position of the ball after the pick-and-roll. Let Thomas find his feeling in the paint."

"Scott, the Knicks can also shoot three-pointers. When facing an opponent like the Bulls, we can use our best means to complete the offense after we defend well."

The striker who was selected by the Magic with the 90th pick in the first round of 4 nodded awkwardly when he heard Li You's words.

Dennis Scott also joined the Knicks as a free agent. The 30-year-old player is currently in decline and his figure is out of shape. Li You's words are more to give the opponent face.

After all, the first half was played really well.
Due to Chris Dudley's poor physical condition, Ben Wallace served as the backup center in tonight's rotation.

In the first half, the interior defense composed of Kurt Thomas was passable, and the rebounds were well protected, but the entire rotation lineup had difficulty scoring after Sprewell hit the iron.

The substitute can barely be regarded as a "four guarantees and one", and the lineup that allowed the "throat locker" to play, but the effect failed to meet expectations.

After Jeff Van Gundy returned to the locker room, he found Li You writing and drawing on the whiteboard.

Chris Childs asked questions from time to time, and Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace kept nodding.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was already used to such a scene, waited until everyone was almost talking, then cleared his throat, clapped his hands and said:

"The second half became tense, and we tried to end the game in the third quarter. This month's schedule is a bit tense, and we have to prepare early."

"."

Kurt Thomas, who just joined the team, looked a little weird, but fortunately, he had an expression of bitterness and hatred, and others couldn't tell that there was any difference in his expression.

For half a month of training sessions, he mostly received defensive training.

Some offensive routines for the Knicks are too simple and rough, basically pick-and-roll, three-pointers, pick-and-roll, mid-range, pick-and-roll, breakthrough.

To change the routine, the big man covers the shooting guard, catches the ball and shoots a three-pointer, catches the ball and throws the mid-range, and catches the ball and breaks through.

Offensively, the job of the big man is to rush to the basket to grab rebounds, and then return the ball to the outside.
If the Knicks hadn't won the championship, Kurt Thomas would have doubted his life. In the Mavericks, there are more offensive routines than the Knicks.

Despite the doubts in his mind, after the second half of the game, Kurt Thomas on the bench saw the real Knicks style of play.

The Bulls, who took the lead, played a regular low post.

New aid Brent Barry quickly slid across the baseline from left to right, came to the right block position, received a pass from Harper, and turned around to attack the frame.

After a feint, he put the ball with his right hand, made a breakthrough with a cross step, and went straight to the basket against Alan Houston's defense.

The same offense, if replaced by Michael Jordan, squeezed through the first line of defense, and rushed to the inside after a quick rush to the basket.

Brent Barry did not have the speed of dunking, and his overly obvious breakthrough intention allowed Oakley to successfully predict, let go of the opposing Mark Bryant, and recovered the defense.

Cooperating with Alan Houston to complete the interception in the air, while separating, Oakley concealed his elbow with his right arm. Brent Barry only felt pain in his ribs, and then he was slapped down on the floor by the two together
"Oh!!"

The fans cheered, Oakley grabbed the rebound, and immediately threw the ball to Li You who responded, quickly advancing along the right sideline, and Harper immediately stepped forward to delay.

The two big men of the Bulls have just retreated to the center line, and the right wing is close to the three-point line. Li You, who holds the ball in his right hand, slows down and dribbles behind his back quickly.

Harper was very familiar with Li You's technical moves, but he didn't expect that Li You suddenly accelerated after stopping the ball sideways.

With the ball in his left hand, Li You lowered his center of gravity, successfully grabbed half of his body, and quickly cut into the paint against Harper who kept sliding.

When approaching the basket, he suddenly changed his rhythm, stole a step in the middle, with the same hands and feet, hanging on the defense, after taking off with his left foot, Li You took advantage of the left hand to complete the basket!
"Shua!" The two-pointer went into the net hollowly.

Before the Bulls' two big men had time to return to the defense, the Knicks had completed their offense.

Harper's physical condition is average. After the opening, he made 5 of 0 and scored 2 points with free throws. If it weren't for the Bulls' substitute lineup, it would have taken half the game.
This veteran always wanted to block Li You's three-pointers. Every time he reached the three-point line, he would readjust his body's center of gravity. As a result, he was easily broken through in multiple rounds.

The two new players on the bench saw the Knicks' special skills. They defended hard and did not blow the whistle, forcing the Bulls to start shooting jumpers again.

Keep hitting the iron, the Knicks counterattacked continuously, Ewing and Oakley stopped running, watching Li You, Alan Houston, and Larry Johnson complete the three-line fast break.

With sudden penalties, the Knicks began to score quickly. The Bulls' several timeouts did not help, and the offensive end continued to hit the iron.

13:26 in a single quarter, after three quarters, 59:76, the game is over.

Harper, who played the third quarter, looked very ugly when he walked to the bench, and the Bulls collapsed. This is a very rare phenomenon in the past few years.

The old players of the Bulls stared straight at the eyes. Without Maidu and others, there is a high probability that they will dive for the No. [-] pick.

"I won't waste time, I have no problem with my state!" Jeff Van Gundy called Sprewell to come on the field, the former All-Star guard replied without looking up, and put on the clothes himself. Training clothes, not ready to debut
The bald young coach didn't want to conflict with the players during the game, so he waved to Charlie Ward with a serious expression, garbage time, and played double point guards.

6中0，罚球4中2，第1场比赛，斯普雷威尔交出了2分1篮板1失误的数据.
The Knicks' bench is not bad, and Ewing and Oakley don't care about the statistics. In the eyes of the two veterans, they should just enjoy the game tonight.

Seeing the conflict between Sprewell and Van Gundy, Li You didn't say a word. Ewing and Oakley are still the leaders in the locker room. If the coach can't even decide who will play, then the bald young coach should get out of class.
As the game time passed rapidly, the final score was fixed at 79:100.

In the first game of the new season, the Knicks finally easily defeated the Bulls.

The New York fans at the scene were very satisfied with the big score victory over their old rivals, and the celebrities present also stood up and applauded.

Jeff Van Gundy's face is not very good, the bald young coach is ready to clean up Sprewell
出场28分钟，17中9，三分线外3中1，罚球4中4，23分4篮板6助攻1抢断1失误，拿到全场最高分的李佑赛后第一时间又接受了采访。

The Gorillas were 11 out of 3, 8 out of 2, and Oakley couldn't find his form. Walter Frazier simply ignored the two veterans and followed suit with a smile:

"In the first game of the new season, we performed very well, Li, do you think we have a chance to defend the title this year?"

Most New York fans are concerned about this issue, and Li You naturally responded confidently:
"Of course, in the third year of the team's running-in, the cooperation is more tacit. Compared with other teams, we have a balanced offense and defense. This year we will definitely defend the title successfully."

Many New York fans were still shouting Li You's name. The commentator Mike Breen saw this scene and asked with a smile:
"We noticed that in the first game, your offensive options have changed a lot. Is this related to your training in the offseason?"

Li You waved to the fans on the sidelines, and then answered frankly:
"Of course, after two seasons, we won the championship again, and more and more teams will study my technical characteristics."

"I will also give a response, not only three-pointers, I will make reasonable offensive choices for defense!"

"."

When Li You returned to the locker room, Jeff Van Gundy was furious at Sprewell:
"Dangerous! Tired of logging! No player can be above the team!"

"To win the championship, everyone will make sacrifices. This is my first warning. If this happens again, you will not be on the active list."

The bald young coach roared angrily, and then briefly summed up the game.

Sprewell, who was sitting in his seat, had a long face, while Ewing and Oakley beside him were smiling and watching the fun.

Back on their seats, Li You and Alan Houston bumped their fists and joked to themselves:
"It's a good thing, at least we still have time to adjust!"

Alan Houston, who scored 20 points in this game, didn't care about the team's atmosphere, and said in a relaxed tone:

"I believe that in just half a month, the team will be on the right track!"

"."

Perhaps the Knicks have an inner ghost. The news that Jeff Van Gundy lost his temper with Sprewell made the headlines of several New York paper media the next day.

"Coach Van Gundy lost control of the locker room!"

"A wrong deal? Sprewell will become a cancer in the locker room!"

Fortunately, the media are not stupid. Sprewell is indeed stronger than Starks, and he didn't belittle the opponent's strength.

The Knicks started the season with a relatively easy schedule, and Jeff Van Gundy almost staged a "catch the ghost" scene in Tarrytown Township's training session the next day
Theoretically, news about the locker room cannot be disclosed to media reporters. This is an internal matter of the team, and naturally it must be resolved internally.

The bald young coach is in a bad mood. As the youngest champion coach, he can't command his players. This is definitely an extremely embarrassing thing!

After being exposed, Sprewell also realized the seriousness of the matter. Playing in New York, he also had to deal with media reporters.

Once you are labeled like this, most of your career will be ruined.

In Sunday's game against the Wizards, Sprewell failed to enter the active list.

This did not affect the Knicks to win.

88:108, the Knicks beat the Wizards at home!
Li You, Alan Houston, and Larry Johnson maintained their hot status;
On the bench, the interior combination of Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace also showed excellent defense.

Assistant coach Thibodeau was very satisfied with this. Scott Thomas and Ben Wallace both made 4 of 3 and scored 8 points;
The bench lineup scored a total of 31 points. Without Sprewell, it doesn't seem to have much impact.

In Week 2, the Knicks only have one back-to-back game to play.

Although the state of Ewing and Oakley is still stretched, the team's record has not been affected much after the offensive core is transferred to the outside.

After beating the Heat and the Magic successively, the Knicks started with an easy 4-game winning streak.

On the night of the 15th, Sprewell sat on the bench and entered the active list, but still didn't get a chance to play.

Seeing the Knicks' bench lineup relying on the tough defensive restrictions of the Pistons to strike iron, Sprewell knew that tonight was another big victory.

Head coach Alvin Gentry only felt that the timeout had no effect, and hung up helplessly on the sidelines, watching the point difference widen and widen.

In the entire second quarter, Li You only played for 2 minutes, and finally moved his body briefly.

At 33:50, halftime ended, and Madison Square Garden was already boiling.

With a 17-point halftime lead, there's bound to be plenty of garbage time in the second half.

During the intermission, Sprewell still didn't say a word. In the third quarter of the game, seeing Grant Hill on the opposite side was still on the court, helping the team to score points, he felt a little tangled for a while.

With 3 minutes and 4 seconds left in the third quarter, Jeff Van Gundy requested a timeout, ready to replace the atmosphere group, and continue to run into the inside combination of Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace.

"Xiao Ben" doesn't dislike the garbage time, and has grown his hair for almost a year. This season, he has a small afro, and after shaking the towel, he bumps fists with the main lineup after the game:
"It's so cool! We can beat our opponent again tonight!"

Back on the bench, Li You took Ben Wallace and handed it to the water bottle, encouraging him by the way:

"Ben, played well in the second quarter, keep it up!"

At this time, the gorilla had no time to comfort the atmosphere group. The opponent hit the iron, and the Knicks switched offenses a lot, turning back and forth frequently, and couldn't help panting from exhaustion.

Throughout the offseason, Ewing basically didn't train much. These weight-loss games have exhausted him quite a lot.

Li You whispered to Chris Childs to let the opponent pass the ball more, Larry Johnson was teasing Alan Houston's choice back then, and Oakley sat on the back of his chair and wandered.

Sensing that the members of the main lineup didn't care about him at all, Sprewell finally compromised. While Jeff Van Gundy finished drawing the tactics, he took the initiative to get close to the opponent and said in a low voice:
"Coach, I want to play"

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(End of this chapter)