NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 348 Present and Future (Daily Chapter)

On Monday, June 2004, 6, Sports Illustrated followed the hot topics and released its latest weekly issue.

The cover is a photo of Li You raising a glass with both hands at Staples, and the accompanying title is also very simple:
"GOAT!"

The huge English letters are particularly conspicuous. This issue of the magazine mainly reviews the performance of the Knicks in the 03~04 season.

In addition to player interviews, there are also introductions from management and team staff.

D'Antoni also occupies a lot of content. As long as he continues to win the championship next season, the championship coach will become a famous coach in history.

Some coaches gain respect by relying on their senior industry experience, but D'Antoni relies on outrageous results to prove himself.

The Knicks' tactical system also has weaknesses, but unfortunately, as the core defender, Li You can not only provide assists, but is also the best scorer in the league.

This makes the Knicks in the regular season very different from the playoffs. Once the role players are in poor condition, they end up using the strongest tactics.
In the exclusive interview, D'Antoni talked about his tactical philosophy:

"Compared to complicated tactics, I trust the players' intuition more!"

"There is a high probability that the players selected by our second-round picks will not land in the NBA."

"That's why sometimes the Knicks run seven-second plays."

"About 40% of the players in this year's draft should be international players."

The Bulls relied on the triangle offense to win the championship, and Phil Jackson became famous.

At the Tarrytown Training Center, after a morning of discussions, in the afternoon, only Li You, D'Antoni, Mike Malone and Glenfield were left.

Mike Malone said this euphemistically, and the general meaning is that there is no missed opportunity, and at most one player can be added through the draft.

"Kobe Bryant represents the future? He can't do anything without me."

As an assistant coach and part-time scout, Mike Malone has a better understanding of the players in this year's draft.

"Next season, as the leader of the team, I will continue to lead the Lakers to the championship."

Replacing Li You with other core defenders will have a completely different effect. Anyone who knows football knows that the Knicks cannot be copied.

"Without me, the Lakers wouldn't have won the championship!"

Compared with O'Neal, who is about to be abandoned by the team, Kobe does not have these worries, and the Lakers will most likely become his team!
Next season, thinking that I will become the boss of the team, my bad mood improved a lot after losing in the finals.

"In the long regular season, I hope the players can free themselves and just trust their instincts once they get the opportunity."

Of course, this is also to promote yourself. Some teams may look forward to the future, but there are always teams that want to pursue the championship immediately.

"The Knicks are showing us a different kind of basketball. This is a tactic that spans the ages!"

As the draft approaches, Lakers fans worry about the disintegration of the team every day, while Knicks fans curse the Bobcats as "thieves."

O'Neal has one year left on his contract, and Bass really doesn't seem to be planning to renew it, which means that the league's No. 1 center will most likely be traded.

But being drafted by the Bobcats is not necessarily a bad thing!
Trenton Hassell is a member of the towel team in the Knicks and is responsible for daily training. After joining the Timberwolves this season, he immediately secured his starting position.

Different from the atmosphere of other teams, several people on the Knicks team are a little reluctant to leave the team. They also receive a basic salary, and New York can earn more.

"At the end of the first round, it is also difficult for us to select qualified rotation players. Without salary space, staying healthy becomes more important."

On the afternoon of the 21st, as the Bobcats will conduct the expansion draft tomorrow, the Knicks also began to prepare.

"I'm still the best big man in the league, and I can still score efficiently in the finals. Walton knows how to pass the ball to me, while some people will only show off in isolation."

The Knicks have several players with non-guaranteed contracts. Although they don't have many opportunities to play, fans feel unhappy when they are poached.

In the same way, D'Antoni, who is also famous, may not be able to achieve such achievements if he changes to another team, but this assumption is difficult to establish. Mustache has no intention of proving himself.
Knicks fans are very satisfied with this issue of the magazine. In contrast, Lakers fans have been a little worried after reading the news in the newspaper recently.

"The future defeated the past, and the master tactician changed the NBA!"

Grunfield had a headache. Looking at the Knicks championship photos in the office, he suddenly complained softly:

It seems that he has received the news of contract extension. Kobe did not talk too much about his teammates during the interview, but expressed his position to Lakers fans:
"I'm not leaving Los Angeles, this is my home!"

Perhaps because negotiations with the team broke down again, O'Neal began to sarcastically mock again in an interview with the Los Angeles Times:

"I will dedicate my time to basketball, and I hope my teammates can be as hungry for a championship as I am."

"I have won MVP and FMVP. I deserve a big contract. This is my attitude towards contract renewal!"

"Change change for whole money" can improve your performance with a high probability. As for the championship, sometimes you need some luck.
After the draft, there will be a freeze period, and each team still has time to think about whether to pursue the future or gamble on the present.

The Bobcats have more opportunities. It can be expected that this team's record in the new season will not be very good, and the selected players will have the opportunity to express themselves.

Neither of them talked about the loss in the Finals. Coupled with the "Shaq did it too" incident at the beginning of the season, this internal fight seemed to mark the end of their friendship.

There were also people who wanted to copy the Bulls, but in the early 90s, no one could succeed because Michael Jordan was unique.

O'Neal believes that he is still the number one center in the league, and a significant salary cut is simply impossible to happen.

This situation is obvious. After all, O'Neal is older, and Kobe has just entered his peak period. If you choose one of the two, the Lakers who plan to rebuild will naturally choose the future.

"Shooting, breakthroughs, free throws? As long as the players feel confident in the offensive method, they should resolutely implement it."

This kind of hindsight evaluation makes people in the industry sneer. In the NBA, tactics are indeed important, but more important are the people who execute them.

"You know who I'm talking about! He always wants to prove himself, but he is just an ordinary star, and there is a huge gap between him and the MVP."

This statement is asking for a big contract. In the NBA, salary represents respect.

The winner will naturally be praised, and D'Antoni's basketball philosophy was praised to the sky by Sports Illustrated:

"Grant should not accept the invitation. I don't even want Gasol to participate in the national team. These games will increase the risk of injuries."

Sitting behind his desk, Grunfield handed D'Antoni the report in his hand, which was the medical team's evaluation of Stoudemire's knee.

After undergoing minimally invasive surgery, the rookie also had to take extra care. Grunfield did not want the "asset" to depreciate, so he only needed to give a report so that D'Antoni would know what he was doing.

Frowning and opening the report, D'Antoni didn't expect the medical team to give such a poor evaluation, but this was all expected and could only be used as a reference:
"We can consider trading Wright. His competitive status has declined seriously. It is not a lineup problem. This will affect the player's attitude."

D'Antoni also gave his own opinion. The attitude of "what should I be afraid of if I get the money" is not suitable for a championship team. After all, bad performance is easily contagious.

Mike Malone nodded flatteringly, indicating that he agreed with the decision.

When the other two assistant coaches were planning to seek the head coaching position, Mike Malone, who had just joined last year, gained trust and agreed with whatever the mustache said.
Grenfield saw Li You hanging by the window drinking coffee, turned his head and consulted:
"Lee, what do you think we should do to prepare for next season?"

"It is difficult for us to make deals, and it is impossible to sign big-name free agents. As for international events, it will not affect the team."

"We can wait until after the All-Star Game to extend our recovery period and have a passable record. After all, we still have our old rivals in the Eastern Conference."

Li You leaned against the window and responded simply. After all, it was his big contract that affected the team, and it was basically impossible to strengthen it.

At present, only the mid-level exception can still recruit good players. Li You is not optimistic about Wright's trade. It is not an easy task to find a successor.

Although D'Antoni wants the team to continue the state of the past two years, he also knows that Li You is right.

70+ wins is still unreliable. If you relax appropriately, you may be able to reach the top with 60 wins.

Grunfield sighed secretly. The dilemma of large contracts will gradually become more prominent in the future.

If the smaller Knight could be signed and traded instead of leaving the team as a free agent, the loss to the team would be minimal.

But such a situation is difficult to happen. This part of the salary space was eventually eaten up by Li You. After the big contract is covered, as the years increase, the team may face the loss of personnel.

Just like that Bulls team back then, Michael Jordan's big contract filled the salary cap, and it was difficult for the team to strengthen other than sign-and-trade.

When injuries befall the Bulls, the record will naturally fluctuate. Fortunately, the Knicks are still young, but this will eventually happen in the future. This is the objective development law of a dynasty team.

"Lee, in this draft class, besides the players from the University of Connecticut, are there any other candidates under Bartelstein?"

Grunfield took this opportunity to ask Li You directly. Mark Bartelstein has been busy with Okafor's work recently and has not had time to say hello to the team.

"As far as I know, there shouldn't be. You can just pick any player at the bottom of the first round. After all, the rotation will not change next season."

Li You only watched the lottery picks introduced by Sports Illustrated magazine. He stopped paying attention to the last pick because the rookie would not be of any help to the Knicks.

Now after joining a championship team, rookies will not get any opportunities and can only throw away the towel.
There are still star players in the offseason today. The Suns will not renew Marbury's contract, and the latter will enter the free market.

At the same time, Anfernee Hardaway was also touted by the Suns. According to rumors, the other party seemed to be targeting the Mavericks' core guard Steve Nash.

But if they want to sign Nash, the Suns still have to work hard. They don't have enough salary space. They face the same dilemma as the Knicks and have to find a successor.
Li You was not paying attention to the three people's discussion on how to send Wright away. For him, the current lineup is enough to support him for several years.

On June 6, the Bobcats started their own actions:
They gave away the 2004th pick in the first round of 4 and the 2004 second-round pick, and traded up to get the opponent's 2nd pick from the Clippers.

The Suns also took advantage of this opportunity and traded their 2005 first-round pick to the Bobcats, allowing the other team to select Jahidi White in the expansion draft to help the team clear salary space.

This operation was not illegal. The Knicks also wanted the other party to help, but unfortunately the other party did not buy it at all.
Soon the Bobcats announced the 19 players they selected.

Among the players in the atmosphere group, Russell Butler of the Knicks was also selected, and Gerald Wallace of the Kings was also on this list.

Now the name of "thief" is confirmed. New York fans naturally don't like to be teased.

In the limited playing time, Butler can be regarded as a 3D seed. He will be drafted after good training. The small-amount transaction exception has no effect on the Knicks.
On the 23rd, the Bobcats' trade continued, giving up the scumbag Pachulia selected from the Magic, trading the latter to the Bucks, and obtained a 2004 second-round draft pick.

With the second pick, the Bobcats will not miss Okafor. They have the core inside line and most of the team building has been completed.

On June 6, at 24:19 in the evening, the 2004 draft will be officially held, and ESPN will also broadcast it live.

An hour before the draft begins, Madison Square Garden is buzzing again.

The Cavaliers coaching staff and management were dispatched together, and LeBron James also appeared in Manhattan.

James deliberately wore a black suit and always had a smile on his face. Next season, when the team completes its reconstruction, he will be able to show off his talents. As the host of ESPN, Mike Tirico noticed that many reporters were surrounding Jeff Van Gundy, and he also praised:
"With the first pick again, maybe the Cavaliers will emerge from the Eastern Conference next season. Coach Van Gundy is transforming this team step by step."

"The future belongs to young people. I believe that under the guidance of champion coaches, talented players will realize their talents."

Van Gundy, who was being interviewed at this time, had a particularly bright smile. He was dressed in his iconic "red scarf" again tonight:
"We will draft a big man, and in the Cavaliers' system, we need to rotate quickly defensively."

"The big man must have a certain ability to switch defenses, and more importantly, he must be able to complete the task of assisting defense. He will become the core of the team's defense."

Van Gundy's words have almost made it clear that the Cavaliers will definitely choose Dwight Howard.
Tom Thibodeau on the side was a little nostalgic for the atmosphere of the scene. After observing for a while and not seeing anyone in charge of the Knicks, he knew that the other party didn't care about this draft at all.

On the other side, Bickerstaff, who wears glasses, has also attracted much attention. After the upward trade, the Bobcats will most likely accept Okafor.

Although he did not directly disclose the team's selection, Bickerstaff also introduced the future team plan with a bright smile:

"As a brand new team, I focus on the future in the new season. The selected rookies will get more playing time after joining the team."

"Before the rookie contract ends, the team's goal is to reach the playoffs. To this end, we have also made long-term plans!"

Like Van Gundy's selection, Bickerstaff also believes Eastern Conference teams should wait.

After the rookie contract ends, Li You will also turn 30 years old. No one is sure how the league structure will change by then.

This approach is the safest. The new players are about to enter their peak period and the Knicks have become an older team. That is the best time for each team to launch an attack on the championship.

The Cavaliers and Bobcats chose the same team-building idea, but the Magic, who won the 10th pick, had troubles.

Due to a knee injury, Alan Houston will most likely be out for the season next season.
McCready is not very optimistic about the future of the Magic. The "second man" scorer for a season has conflicts with the management.

The Magic management's evaluation of McGrady is not ideal either. Waist and back injuries will affect the player's condition.

McGrady has declined a lot this season due to injuries. After weighing the pros and cons, the Magic plan to sell depreciating "assets" in advance and stop losses in time.

Before this news broke, the Magic team had kept a very low profile since arriving at Madison Square Garden.

The draft is about to begin, and James is following the Cavaliers.

Arriving at Madison Square Garden, James was reminded of the Knicks' grand championship parade not long ago.

In Times Square, many celebrities played Li You wildly. The atmosphere of the X-playing conference was extremely hot, as if the whole city was cheering for the champion.

James participated in the Knicks' visit to the downtown area to express condolences to the fans, and he was deeply impressed by the crazy atmosphere at the scene.

The conditions in lower Manhattan are not very good, but the fans are extremely enthusiastic. This has something to do with the atmosphere of New York basketball. This situation also makes James envious.

As the scene gradually became quiet, David Stern took the stage. Under the expectant eyes of the Cavaliers, the president opened the envelope and announced with a smile:

"With the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Dwight Howard from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy."

Everyone on the Cavaliers was applauding. Dwight Howard was wearing a somewhat loose dark blue formal suit, a white shirt and a silver tie. When he heard his name, he immediately hugged his family and friends.

With a smile on his face after taking the stage, Howard took the Cavaliers hat and put it on his head. Howard stepped forward to shake hands with David Stern and the two took a photo.

The two No. 1 picks join forces, one inside and one outside, and the Cavaliers will most likely rise next season!

High school rookies usually have some problems, but for a rebuilding team focused on the future, they don't care about this.

With the second overall pick, the Bobcats selected Emeka Okafor;
The Chicago Bulls selected Ben Gordon with the third overall pick;

With the fourth pick, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Shaun Livingston;

With the fifth pick, the Washington Wizards selected Devin Harris;
The Atlanta Hawks selected Josh Childress with the 6th overall pick;
With the seventh pick, the Phoenix Suns selected Luol Deng;
With the 8th pick, the Toronto Raptors selected Rafael Aruyu;
With the ninth pick, the Philadelphia 9ers selected Andre Iguodala;

With the 10th overall pick, the Orlando Magic selected Luke Jackson.

With the 29th overall pick, the Knicks selected Anderson Varejao.

After the first round of the draft, David Stern paid special attention to Howard when he walked off the stage, which made the latter smile from ear to ear.

The draft is still going on, and ESPN's interview with Howard has come to an end.

When reporters asked about this year's finals, Howard sighed without any thought:

"Incredible, the largest winning margin in history. I followed the 4 games this year, and Lee's performance was like Superman!"

"At the end of the year, I will only be 19 years old. The future must belong to young people. Just like Lee ended the era of the Bulls, the Cavaliers will also defeat the Knicks and win the championship."

After an ESPN reporter heard these remarks, he asked maliciously:
"Dwight, we all know that LeBron James is also very young. He is only one year older than you. How many championship trophies can your combination win?"

As if thinking of some classic moments, Howard suddenly laughed and confidently answered:
"Not 1, 2, 3, but 5 and more. I can't wait. I believe that under the guidance of coach Van Gundy, we can bring more championships to the Cavaliers!"

"."

The draft was also a trade moment. The Bulls traded second-round pick Jackson Varman and a 2005 first-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Luol Deng.

The Mavericks traded Antawn Jamison to the Wizards for Devin Harris, Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse.

The Nuggets also traded Jameer Nelson to the Magic for a 2005 first-round draft pick.

Regardless of the transaction, the Cavaliers eventually became the biggest winner in the 2004 draft. With the two top picks joining forces, the future is promising!

Before the draft ended, LeBron James, who was interviewed by ESPN, also became particularly confident:

"Coach Van Gundy made the right choice. In the new season, the Cavaliers will enter the playoffs."

"Dwight may still need to adapt to the intensity of the game. We will not rush to prove ourselves because we know how talented we are!"

"Give us some time, I will lead the Cavaliers to break the curse, and we will definitely bring a championship to Cleveland!"

Every year the Knicks draft a big man at the end of the first round, and this lottery-scraping exercise has so far had little effect.

Gazulic has entered the rotation, but he can't squeeze out Mutombo. After Varejao joins the team, he will most likely have to wave the towel for a season, and then he will have to compete for playing time.

After the draft, the Cavaliers became the focus, and Jeff Van Gundy seemed to be leading this team to once again attack the championship.

On the morning of the 25th, ESPN reviewed last night's draft and also discussed the team's ideas on the show.

There were only three people in the studio at this time, and Mike Tirico got a general idea of ​​the rookies after hosting the draft last night.

After introducing several new players who might help the team, Mike Tirico brought up the recently discussed trade:

"If the Lakers choose to trade O'Neal, will the championship-chasing team choose the league's No. 1 center?"

Stephen A. Smith became energetic after hearing this question, and immediately gave his answer without looking at Tolbert opposite:
"I think there must be a team doing this!"

"The Knicks are strong, but they're not going to win all the time."

"Championship teams will all encounter problems, and this year's Lee's contract will put the team into some difficulties, which will extremely test the management's operations in the future."

"There will always be teams that stand out during this period, and maybe they won't be able to dominate for a while like the Knicks did, but they will win the championship."

These words made the two people in the studio speechless. The New York sports commentator almost said that some team would "steal the championship"
Tolbert shook his head. He didn't have much tendency, but said very objectively:
"I remain skeptical about O'Neal's physical condition. He is still the best big man in the league, but he will always have problems guarding pick-and-rolls."

"If you want to trade for O'Neal and challenge for the championship, the defensive end will face the dilemma of guarding the pick-and-roll."

"Stephen makes sense. We really can't predict the future, let alone know whether the Knicks will continue to be like this in the future."

"But I think opportunities are reserved for teams that are prepared, and there will definitely be teams that choose to trade for O'Neal."

"Regardless of the championship, entering the playoffs is also a success. Of course, the transaction must also take into account the wishes of the players. O'Neal will not allow himself to join a team that has no potential to compete for the championship."

Perhaps the Knicks' dominance is too strong, and teams always preach that "the future is promising."

After the ESPN program was broadcast, it was recognized by many fans:

“Trust the process!”

This mentality first appeared among Philadelphia fans. Since 96, they have not defeated the Knicks and are now completely numb.

On the contrary, the Pacers and Pistons are still struggling, the old Miller is still chasing the championship, and Rasheed Wallace, who has been running for half a season, is unconvinced by the loss.

On Saturday, June 6, Li You attended Ivana’s family gathering at Briarcliff Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The 18-hole golf course has a beautiful environment. Li You is wearing a white suit and his swing is also very beautiful!
Ivana on the side smiled happily, and Tang Jade used his superb skills to crush Li You again.

"Okay, Ivana, go see your brother and younger brother and entertain the beautiful girls they brought."

Tang Jiade patted his daughter on the shoulder, and the latter first stepped forward to kiss Li You, leaving a red lip mark on his right cheek, and then left with a smile.

Li You shrugged. The White Rabbit did it on purpose, but Tang Qade didn't care. He leaned on the club and said with a low smile:

"Lee, you can't wait passively. I know that you think that Spitzer will no longer keep an eye on Ax Capital after he becomes governor. I want to remind you that this is only a possibility!"

"People on Wall Street seem to be waiting for opportunities. He did offend a lot of people, but you also have to realize that time is money."

"You need to use the power of lobbying groups. This is the United States, you have to adapt to the rules, and the "Wall Street Sheriff" will also compromise."

Without waiting for Li You to speak, Tang Jiade immediately gave his own solution:
"Roger Stone, conservative political consultant and founder of Washington, D.C. lobbying firm BMSK, I know you have a lot of money, and billionaires shouldn't compromise!"

Hearing this name, Li You tried hard to search for information in his mind, and then asked in a low voice with an inexplicable expression:
"The same lobbyist who suggested that you publicly consider running for the reform nomination against Buchanan in the 2000 presidential election?"

Mentioning the bad things that happened back then, Tang Qade felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly tilted his head and said:
"Come on!"

"Don't worry about this, I swear, you will fall in love with this guy!"

"."

(End of this chapter)