NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 239 Tom, I need you!

On November 2001, 11, the NBA announced the Player of the Week for the first week.

The Bucks' Ray Allen and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant successfully won the award.

Compared with previous years, the change in the new season is that the awards are divided into Eastern and Western awards.

Although there are only three games and a small data sample, Ray Allen still shows his outstanding performance by averaging 31.7 points per game, shooting 59.6% from the field, 61.5% from three-point range, and 94.4% from free throws. state.

Winning the Best of the Week, Ray Allen used his actions to prove that he is not a big mouth, but that he is better than the "lazy dogs" in the team.

Kobe Bryant in the Western Conference is also in excellent form, averaging 30.7 points per game and shooting 51.7% from the field. His efficient performance seems to be proving his leadership ability. He is no longer inferior to O'Neal!
With two Best of the Week spots available, the players are more motivated. After all, everyone loves trophies.

Entering November, the NBA seems to have completely gotten rid of the impact of the major events some time ago, and the sports media has returned to normal.

After the first week of games, most football commentators started gossiping about the game. The person who was most discussed was not the Player of the Week, but the old man Michael Jordan.

Although he is 38 years old, everyone still has high demands for McNugget. They started with two consecutive losses, and the media who were watching for fun were excited.
Illegal defense has been canceled this season. During the game, we can see some teams starting to defend in a zone. Everyone shrinks near the paint area. Although there is a 3-second defense, shooting to prevent breakthroughs has become the choice of many teams.

The Knicks did not score high in two of their three games. The main reason was that their opponents were getting smaller and smaller.

There were two games on the 5th. After a hard battle between the Sonics and the Magic in two overtimes, at 123:119, the Sonics had the last laugh thanks to Lewis's explosion.

28中15，三分线外8中5，36分19篮板3助攻，刘易斯的表现吸引球评人的注意。

加里-佩顿23中14，三分线外4中3，砍下32分5篮板11助攻的两双数据，也受到了一致好评！
Magic's Alan Houston and McGrady scored 28 points and 27 points respectively. The former made 19 of 10 and the latter 26 of 10. With this performance, coach Rivers was also very satisfied.

For football commentators, what everyone pays attention to is not the outcome of the game between the two teams. In TNT's post-match commentary, Li You was given a "meeting" from a different angle:
Would Lewis be able to perform like this if he were still with the Knicks?

"I think Lewis made the right choice. He got more opportunities to attack on his own instead of waiting for shots."

"Among the 19 rebounds, there were 7 offensive rebounds. Lewis attacked in the low post many times. This situation rarely happened in the past."

In the studio, Charles Barkley returned to his previous "serious" attitude in commentating on football. After saying these words, he faced the camera and put on a "serious face."

Kenny Smith did not agree with this view, but said seriously:

"I believe that the experience of the Knicks made Lewis grow a lot."

"Not every player has the opportunity to play in the finals."

"More games and more big scenes have accelerated Lewis's growth. I'm not surprised that he broke out in the contract year."

"It's normal for the Knicks players to need to cooperate with Lee. If you were the head coach, would you let Lee change his style of play to adapt to role players?"

"Ball dominance destroys teammates" has always been an enduring topic. Ernie Johnson watched the two arguing with a smile, fanning the flames from time to time, and finally gave his own opinion:
"Perhaps we all underestimated the Knicks' previous lineup. The championship was no fluke, and general manager Glenn Field also deserves praise."

"."

TNT's programs began to regain their previous characteristics, and what surprised Li You was the brotherhood shown by the "OK" group.
On the plane flying to Minnesota on the morning of the 6th, Li You read the news in the newspaper, and a "?" suddenly appeared in his heart.

When ESPN resumed gossiping about the Lakers' internal news, Kobe, who won the best of the week, took the initiative to express his position:
“Seeing the horrific events in New York made me appreciate life so much more.”

"I hope to make everyone feel more happiness through basketball. Shaq has always been a good brother of mine. There is no conflict between us."

Under "Love without Borders", O'Neal did not say anything about his younger brother's disobedience. He also expressed respect and showed a "brothers are good" attitude for the first time after the finals.

Grant Hill also saw news of these interviews on the plane, but he was not interested in gossip, and was more interested in reading technical statistics:
"Richmond seems to be really old and has been underperforming in these games."

Grant Hill had witnessed the veteran's peak season, and seemed to recall the high-spirited Richmond who won the All-Star Game MVP, and couldn't help but sigh.

Li You noticed Karl Malone's performance, compared it with the 36-year-old man, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Injuries are indeed an athlete's biggest enemy."

In Week 2, the Knicks played a total of 4 games, two of which happened to be back-to-back. The coaching staff hopes that everyone can find their shooting state and does not have many requirements for victory or defeat.

The Timberwolves were greatly affected by the penalty of draft picks, but they have also won three consecutive games since the start of the new season, and Kevin Garnett is still in excellent form.

Before the game started, Garnett also didn't forget to talk loudly. He obviously didn't want the New York media to brag about the new star:
"I'll let the rookies on the opposite side see a real confrontation!"

"."

There is no need to fight, Gartner "spontaneously combusts", Minnesota fans just like this. The tougher Garnett expresses his stance, the more everyone likes him.

That night, witnessed by more than 6000 fans at the Target Center Arena, Garnett kept roaring loudly and then hitting high jumpers again and again.

Garnett, who has the style of an old-school player, took the initiative to defend Gasol. Although he kept fighting, he never lost.
At 3 minutes and 6 seconds of the third quarter, the Knicks played a roll-up tactic for Li You.

Gasol moved to the right at the elbow and toward the baseline. After setting the screen, Li You quickly made a shot.

Garnett naturally wanted to give instructions to his teammates loudly at this time, but Trier-Brandon was a beat late in pursuit, and Li You easily caught the ball on the right wing.

Amid the boos of the Timberwolves fans, Grant Hill at the top of the arc sent a cross pass. When the ball reached the player, Li You didn't even look at the basket. He turned around immediately after receiving the ball and made a quick jump shot!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Garnett, who was not in a good mood, did not forget to put pressure on the referee at this time, and kept nagging loudly:
"Illegal screen, they fouled the screen, look at this rookie, his feet are not clean every time!"

"."

Since the start of the game, Garnett has not stopped talking. This way of playing is of course effective. Artest has long been in foul trouble.

Garnett spoke too fast and mixed in some slang, which often confused Gasol. Li You watched with amusement. After completing the attack this time, he did not forget to joke twice when retreating:
"Maybe it would be better if it were changed to Spanish!"

Garnett was stunned for a moment, then realized that Gasol might not understand most of his trash talk. Looking at the blank expression on the young Gasol's face, he couldn't help but curse inwardly:
"Shet!"

The Timberwolves' back line does not take on too many offensive tasks, so Li You spends most of his time on the defensive end.

The score has been lagging behind since the first quarter. Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines even tried a twin-tower lineup, but the effect was still not good.

No matter how the Knicks adjusted, the opposite coach Sanders insisted on shrinking on the defensive end, assuming a posture of surrendering.After the rotation of the lineup came into play in the fourth quarter, the Knicks' Knight only organized but did not attack, Stephen Jackson was confident, and Artest missed the layup, and they were suddenly beaten 4 by the opponent: 8.

Jeff Van Gundy, with his arms folded on the sidelines, shook his head helplessly. After thinking about the back-to-back games ahead, he simply shouted to his players to continue taking action.

In the end, the Knicks took 87 shots and scored only 90 points.
90:102, the Timberwolves won 4 consecutive victories.

The team won, and Garnett was slightly embarrassed, shooting 25 of 8 and scoring a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds.

There were too many jump shots, and Gasol didn't feel a real confrontation. He just felt that his opponent could really steal them.

Szczerbiak of the Timberwolves made 19 of 14 shots and scored 35 points, his best performance. On the road, Artest also had problems with his defense.

Regardless of the outcome of the game, the enthusiastic Timberwolves fans still like to take photos with Li You after the game as always.

The two teams will only play each other twice in a season. For many fans of the Timberwolves, seeing Li You once a year naturally does not want to let go of such an opportunity.

There is no grudge between the two teams. After all, it is difficult for the Timberwolves to break through the Western Conference blockade.
Pau Gasol felt Li You's popularity, but he didn't expect that the away fans would be even more enthusiastic.

On the night of the 7th, back at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks easily defeated their opponents.

The Hornets' offensive pace was slow and the position was hard to fight. Baron Davis couldn't make a shot and could only beat the basket.

The Knicks' outside shooting was also stretched, but the failure of his teammates to make shots did not affect Li You. After 3:32 in the third quarter, the Hornets completely collapsed.

98:90, the Knicks gave their opponents three consecutive losses.
Before New York fans had time to rejoice for two days, they challenged the Pacers away from home and lost to their opponents by 12 points.

On the night of the 10th, back in New York, the Knicks easily defeated the weak Warriors again at 88:98.

After the start of the new season, the record was 5 wins and 2 losses, which was a good record. However, it was rare for football commentators to have the same opinion and gave the same evaluation:

"The Knicks are no longer a championship team."

What makes ball commentators feel helpless is that even if the Knicks lose their dominance, they are still among the best in the Eastern Conference. Since the start of the game, only the Nets have a record of 5 wins and 1 loss that can beat them by a small margin.

There were many games on the 10th. After the Nets defeated the Cavaliers at home 84:87, ball commentators were completely disappointed with the Eastern Conference.

贾森-基德这场比赛11中3，砍下10分7篮板4助攻的全能数据.
Facing the Cavaliers with 1 win and 5 losses, such a performance will naturally not receive too good reviews.

On Sunday the 11th, after experiencing consecutive back-to-back games, the Knicks had another day off.

Li You has already started preparing for Thanksgiving. There will be more people celebrating the holiday this year, so naturally he will have to work hard.

While the players rest, the coaching staff starts working overtime. The beginning of every season is the busiest time for everyone.

Assistant coach Thibodeau discovered that Jeff Van Gundy was in a bad mood after the start of the regular season. There was nothing anyone could do about this situation.

Li You is very clear about his technical characteristics. On the offensive end, he does not need a complicated system at all. He can play many tricks just by picking and rolling.

In these games, the Knicks have shared the ball more, and their opponents can always easily break through zone defenses.

Most of the time, Jeff Van Gundy doesn't need to remind the director. Li You shouts a few times on the court, and the players know how to move and where to catch the ball.
In the past, the coaching staff would discuss tactics and study opponents in the office, but as the Eastern Conference deteriorates year by year, this situation becomes less and less.

The next game will be against the Trail Blazers. The opponent has 4 wins and 4 losses since the start of the game, and their performance is quite satisfactory. The assistant coach talked for a long time, but Jeff Van Gundy's eyes went straight.

"Jeff, should we try the twin-tower lineup for the game the day after tomorrow?"

Assistant coach Thibodeau asked twice, but in the end he had no choice but to pat the bald young coach.

Seeing that many tactics were drawn on the whiteboard in front of him, Jeff Van Gundy came back to his senses and subconsciously said:

"We can try to set up a zone defense in the opening game to see how the opponent shoots."

"."

Everyone on the coaching staff was a little speechless. Fortunately, everyone gave the bald young coach face, and then they formulated a game plan step by step.

At noon, while others were leaving, assistant coach Thibodeau comforted him in a low voice:
"Your recent state is not right, Jeff. The team is in a rebuilding period, and we don't need to pay attention to the voices from the outside world."

Looking at his most trusted assistant coach in front of him, Jeff Van Gundy said emotionally:

"Tom, I want to leave the team. I don't feel any sense of accomplishment here."

"Four consecutive championships, I can't even recruit the players I want to the team."

"This is not the treatment a championship coach deserves. Year after year, have we really helped the team?"

Assistant coach Thibodeau was immediately startled when he heard this. He subconsciously looked around and noticed that there were only two of them left in the tactics room. He hurried over and closed the door, and then asked in a low voice with some excitement:

"Why? We have succeeded here, and we have achieved things that no one could have imagined."

"Leave the players' matters to the general manager, we only need to be responsible for the tactics."

Jeff Van Gundy did not answer the question, but looked directly at assistant coach Thibodeau and asked seriously:
"Tom, if I choose to leave, will you come with me? I need you, and we can change a team to fully demonstrate our talents."

"We can decide the players we want, we can develop the players we want, and we can even create a real tactical system."

As if thinking of a bright future, Jeff Van Gundy suddenly became a little excited, but assistant coach Thibodeau was a little confused. Hearing the invitation, he didn't know how to answer for a while.

Looking at the bald young handsome man passionately starting to draw cakes, Thibodeau suddenly had an idea in his mind:

"Do I have a chance to be a head coach?"

"."

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(End of this chapter)