NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 242 Return to the Essence of Basketball
On December 2001, 12, New York Mayor Giuliani announced that in memory of the fallen firefighters, a fire museum would be built near the central site of the building.

On the 2nd, the owner of the White House also came to the site to give a speech. In addition to expressing condolences to the families of the victims, he mainly announced that America would persist in the war.

Since the Knicks have been playing at home recently, on Sunday the 2nd, Li You and New York City staff went to the scene to serve as the atmosphere team.

For New Yorkers, the biggest good news is that this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony will go ahead as usual, and the subsequent New York International Film Festival has not been cancelled.

Most people have emerged from the state of grief, life must go on, and lively activities must continue.

In New York in December, the weather was getting colder. After attending the dinner, it was close to 12:82 when Li You returned to his home on 23nd Street.

On the TV, most channels took advantage of the popularity of the speeches and began to talk about war matters. Even the talk shows that resumed work no longer made fun of politics at this time, but shouted slogans along with the mainstream media.

There are also some Christmas elements appearing in the room, and Kristen Ritter is arranging the lights while watching TV programs boredly.

On the rare weekend, all the girls went on business trips, leaving only the homeless man at home responsible for decorating the house.
Seeing Li You sitting on the sofa after adding materials to the fireplace, the girl smiled and sat astride her arms and said coquettishly:

"Clay, do they look good? I bought a lot of Christmas lights. We are going to celebrate Christmas together this year!"

The girl will be 20 years old in the middle of the month. Perhaps due to overnutrition over the years, her former model figure has gradually disappeared, and her flesh has grown to the big ball on her chest.
Li You hugged the other person, listened to the girl's whisper, and finally patted the other person's buttocks and whispered:
"Alyce, what do you want for your birthday?"

Recently, I can always see news about Li You on NBC news programs. In addition to sports gossip, it is more about Ax Capital’s profit from shorting Enron.

Luxury goods, cars, houses, these things may be pursued a few years ago, but once they are actually owned, they feel boring.

The girl thought for a while, and finally whispered into her ear. Only then did Li You realize that the other person was only wearing pajamas. Looking at the other person's smiling face, he agreed with the last word:
"Yeah! You really should have more children!"

"."

At the beginning of December, the Knicks' schedule became easier again, with only 12 games in total at the beginning of the month.

Every year after the start of the regular season, some players will always suffer injuries. Just like in the game against the Rockets two days ago, Francis could only sit on the bench and watch the team lose.

On the night of the 3rd, during the game against the Pistons, Stephen Jackson strained his hamstring during a breakthrough.

The Pistons coached by Rick Carlisle have shown good form since the start of the game.

Ben Wallace didn't do much on the offensive end after joining the team. The only thing that changed was that the number of rebounds started to rise.

Although he is just a rookie coach, Carlisle has brought a different playing style to the Pistons, and the number of three-pointers shot has increased a lot!

Unfortunately, it seemed that the Knicks were infected. That night, the Pistons made 25 of 5 three-pointers and shot 20% from the field.

In contrast, the Knicks made 18 of 6 from beyond the three-point line. Their passable three-pointers allowed the team to win easily.

89:97, the New York fans at the scene don’t mind the fight, they will be happy if they win!
Ben Wallace is a little disappointed. Most New York fans seem to have forgotten about him.

In contrast, although he lost the Rookie of the Month in November, Pau Gasol is very popular.

Affected by the schedule, his shooting status will fluctuate, but as long as it is not a back-to-back game, Gasol can still contribute a quasi-double-double of 15+9.

The hardware talents of height and wingspan allow Gasol to eat the pie more easily. After fully adapting to confrontation, Gasol will also attack in the low post and catch the opponent off guard when encountering some misplaced opportunities.

In a semi-transition attack, Gasol rushed across the half court and faced Clifford Robinson's defense.

As long as he catches the ball near the low post on the left and right, Gasol will usually release the ball and go to the line to break through, lean on the opponent, take three horizontal steps to come to the front of the basket and complete the throw sideways.

Although there are not many such rounds, as long as he is stuck in position, Gasol's drifting throws have a very impressive hit rate.

出场35分钟，14中7，罚球6中4，保罗-加索尔今晚又砍下18分10篮板2助攻2盖帽3失误的两双数据。

Madison Square Garden was as busy as ever, with happy New York fans shouting Gasol's name for a chance to get autographs and photos.

After Ben Wallace hugged Li You, he felt a little uncomfortable when he saw such a scene.

Perhaps because of his poor appearance, in the past few years with the Knicks, few female fans asked "Little Ben" for his autograph.

"Well done, Bro! At the end of this season, you will be the rebounding leader!"

Li You patted Ben Wallace on the shoulder as always. Naturally, he could see that "little Ben" had not relaxed his demands on him, and his body had grown stronger.

After hearing the encouragement, Ben Wallace felt much better. He hugged Li You hard and responded confidently:

"I can definitely do this, and the Pistons have a chance to make the playoffs this year."

6分10篮板1抢断1盖帽2失误，本-华莱士的得分没有太多变化，更多的还是承担防守的任务。

In the Knicks locker room, Grant Hill gave Stephen Jackson a psychological massage with a serious expression:

“When you encounter injuries, you have to be patient!”

"Don't force your body, and don't play with injuries."

"This season, I feel there is not much pressure on the schedule. As long as I stay healthy, I will always have a chance to prove myself."

Although the game in November is always a fight, Stephen Jackson also has the right to take shots.

Once Li You doesn't have much playing time, the scorers on the bench are Jackson and big man Wright. The latter, because he is a center, gets more of the pie.

Entering the rotation, neither Artest nor Hill shared much of the ball.

Taking about 12 shots in every game and getting these opportunities, Stephen Jackson can be said to be the hardest-working player on the team.

While the team doctor was still doing the examination, Stephen Jackson was already covering his face in frustration. He was not a rookie and had a hamstring injury. This season's situation is not optimistic.

Seeing that his "good brother" suffered an injury, Artest also hurriedly comforted him:

"Don't worry, Stephen. If your hamstring is injured, you can still do upper body training! I promise to practice boxing with you every day."

Li You heard this as soon as he walked into the locker room. He looked helplessly at Artest who was making noises, turned around and consulted the team doctor:

"How is the situation? Is there any chance of returning from injury after the All-Star Game?"

The two team doctors shook their heads at the same time and did not draw a conclusion immediately. They just said truthfully:

"The specific extent of the injury cannot be confirmed yet, and further examination is required."

Jeff Van Gundy also returned to the locker room after dealing with gossip reporters. Hearing the team doctor introduce the situation, he began to frown for a while.

"Grant is right, health is the most important thing, have some confidence in yourself, and don't forget that the regular season has just begun."

The bald young marshal also doesn't want to see injuries. After all, there are not many available players, and he still doesn't like to use new players as always.

In back-to-back games on the 4th, the Knicks flew to Milwaukee. The Bucks have been in good shape since the start of the game and currently have a record of 9 wins and 5 losses.

Milwaukee fans thought this would be a battle, but Ray Allen was out of shape.

At 88:73, at the end of the game, Pau Gasol stood up from the bench, shook the towel, and began to complain crazily in his heart:
"Can this win?"

Ray Allen shot 20 of 4 in the entire game, including 14 of 1 from behind the three-point line. In the second half of the game, there were a lot of open shots. The Bucks lost, and he had to take the blame!
The Bucks made 28 of 5 three-pointers in the game, and the Knicks made 20 of 5 three-pointers.

Among the five three-pointers hit, Li You alone contributed 4 goals.

Not only were the Milwaukee fans drowsy, but Jeff Van Gundy and George Karl on the sidelines also had their eyes wide open.Perhaps he was competing with the head coach. After the game, George Karl began to criticize Ray Allen for playing too softly.

Ray Allen was not polite either. When faced with doubts after the game, he still firmly said:
"That's the way I play, I'm not going to be afraid to take a shot just because I'm missing some shots."

"As long as there is an open space, I will complete the shot. The essence of basketball is to send the ball into the basket. Why should I imitate Gary Payton?"

The war of words between the two has begun to escalate. Faced with the gossip from ESPN reporters, Li You naturally wanted to stand up for his good brother:

"Ray is right, he will not be the next one, he is just Ray Allen. As a scorer, he needs to maintain this confidence."

"One game cannot explain the problem. Players are not robots, so their status will naturally fluctuate."

When he came to Milwaukee, Li You also brought a Christmas gift to Ray Allen's son. The support of his good brothers made Ray Allen more confident. He was confident that he would win this fierce battle!
Li You said that the players' status fluctuated, but in daily training, he began to pull Grant Hill, Artest and others to start more shooting training.

Unless the shooting touch is extremely stretched, as long as they are willing to work hard, it should not be difficult for most NBA perimeter players to shoot around 33% of three-pointers.

Many times, whether it is a three-pointer from the corner or a 45-degree three-pointer, the Knicks' receivers take open shots. In several consecutive games, the team's three-point shooting percentage has been less than [-]%, and Li You can't stand it anymore.

On December 12, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony was held at Rockefeller Center. As Christmas approaches, Manhattan is also becoming lively.

The NBA has also begun to promote this year’s Christmas game. On Christmas Day, two focus games are prepared for fans:

Lakers vs. Knicks, Raptors vs. 76ers.

One game is an old rival from the past two years, and the other game is a duel between popular players.

For some fans, records, championships, honors, offensive efficiency, and Excel data are not important. Playing well is what they pursue.

Vince Carter and Allen Iverson meet the requirements of these fans.

Similar players include McGrady. Even if his overall statistics are too low, he is still loved by fans. As long as he can perform efficiently in one game, the other inefficient performances can be ignored.

The Christmas game is also a big stage for many players.

As the defending champions, most people have no problem with the Knicks appearing in the Christmas game, but the Raptors and the 76ers playing in the Christmas game are not convincing!

On the night of the 7th, at 76:86, after the Spurs defeated the 76ers, Tim Duncan did not complain, but Popovich began to fight for his favorite general.

14 wins and 4 losses, an excellent record, also gave Popovich more confidence. In an interview after the game, he expressed his straightforward stance:
"I don't like the arrangement of the league and I think the Spurs should be on the stage for the Christmas Day game."

"We had a great record and if you look at some of the teams on Christmas Day, it's hard for me to believe that they're going to put in a great game for the fans."

"."

With 9 wins and 10 losses, the 76ers started the season with a poor record due to Iverson's injury.

Popovich's words did not give Larry Brown face, but were more to defend Tim Duncan.

As a true team leader, Duncan is not suitable to complain about these things. The head coach has to speak out at this time to satisfy his thighs.

The new player Tony Parker has already secured his position as the starting point guard for the Spurs.

The team's excellent record is also inseparable from his performance. Parker agreed very much with the head coach's words and also complained a few words during the interview:

"There were three Eastern Conference teams on Christmas Day, and the Spurs were ignored. The league should consider the feelings of San Antonio fans."

Parker has not yet adapted to some NBA culture. He is a rookie and has a big mouth. Iverson immediately responded in a choked voice during the interview:
"Who is Tony Parker? Who the hell cares about these little characters?"

"The fans loved watching me play, so I appeared on the stage for the Christmas Day game."

"Don't forget your identity. A minor character has no right to tell me what to do!"

The decline in attention this season has made Iverson feel very unhappy. If he is provoked by cute new players, he will naturally not look good.

The Knicks rested for more than three days, and Li You led everyone to conduct fixed shooting training every day.

The essence of basketball is to put the ball into the basket. If you don't have enough shooting talent, you can only win by quantity.

Boring shooting is indeed not as interesting as playing with iron. Shooting training is often not reflected in the game, while playing with iron will give positive feedback to the body.

In the training session on the morning of the 8th, Artest was already numb while doing fixed-point shooting training.

Li You set a requirement of 100 shots and at least 85 hits. If the target is not met, there will be another round.

Perhaps it was because he played too much ball last night. Artest's shooting condition was extremely poor during today's training. He has been shooting for several rounds and the result is that he is getting harder and harder every time he throws.
After consecutive three-pointers from the left corner, Artest couldn't help shouting:
"God! Do I have to pitch until the game starts?"

"Concentrate and keep breathing. If you don't meet the standard, you can only practice more after the game!"

Li You was gloating on the sidelines and counting on Artest. Training will always be effective. Recently, he has digested another talent:
[Grant Hill’s excellent jumping ability].

After acquiring this talent, Li You did not train deliberately, but as the number of dunks gradually increased in games and training, the talent was absorbed unknowingly.

He has to shoot more rounds than others every day, so Artest can only grit his teeth and persist. In this kind of fixed-point shooting training, Brevin Knight performs better than him.
Longley in the atmosphere group has never been able to get playing time, and his daily task is to be a sparring partner for Gasol.

Jeff Van Gundy hoped to train Gasol into the next Ewing and become an excellent traditional center, but unfortunately, this wish came to nothing.

"Coach, I don't want to lose my flexibility. If I gain too much weight, I might not be able to keep up with the pace of the game."

Gasol once again expressed his wishes. Jeff Van Gundy encouraged the newbie on the surface, but was very disappointed in his heart. He knew that everyone was adapting to Li You instead of playing according to his requirements.

On the night of the 8th, at Madison Square Garden, maybe cramming was useful, and the team's three-point shooting finally picked up.

92:104, the Knicks defeated the Pacers!

Reggie Miller suffered some minor injuries in the second half and was unable to play. Under the pressure from the outside, O'Neal did not perform as he did in the last game. He faced too many double attacks and made 8 turnovers.

12 of 3 three-pointers made Isiah Thomas lose his smile again. The record of 12 wins and 11 losses did not seem to meet his expectations.

The Knicks shot 23 of 10 three-pointers. After the game, Li You was also happy. He did not forget to praise his teammates during the interview:

"I like the shooting state of the team tonight. Hard work will eventually pay off. Look at Ron, he plans to continue to practice more."

"Believe me, he will become a star player in a few years!"

"."

Jeff Van Gundy would feel empty after every game, and Li Youlian took over most of the training.

As he walked towards the tunnel, Van Gundy suddenly whispered to assistant coach Thibodeau next to him:

"Tom, have you thought about it?"

Shaking his head subconsciously, Thibodeau was still very confused. As an assistant coach, he has been labeled as Van Gundy.

Thibodeau looked at the back of the bald young coach and thought of the environment of the Knicks, and a trace of doubt suddenly appeared in his heart:
"Can I really be the head coach?"

"."

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(End of this chapter)