NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 353 Injuries and Self-Discipline (Daily Chapter)

On July 2004, 7, several mainstream newspapers in Cleveland were criticizing the trade that had just occurred yesterday.

As a championship coach, Jeff Van Gundy also spoke out:

"Trust is mutual. I don't understand why a deal reversal would happen. If a player is not satisfied with his role, he can raise it."

"I don't like trading trust for deception!"

During the interview, Van Gundy was furious and looked extremely serious. He didn't expect that he was being fooled.

Yesterday morning, the Jazz signed free agent Carlos Boozer, and critics were surprised when the deal was confirmed.

With team options in hand, how could the Cavaliers make such a mistake?
Soon the media broke the news. Because he wanted to focus on national team training, Boozer reached a verbal guarantee with the Cavaliers at the beginning of the month.

After the freeze period, the signing was delayed again and again. Boozer, who finally became a free agent, chose a larger contract and was signed by the Jazz for 6 years and US$6800 million.
As a short insider who can get double-doubles, even if it is not within the team's plan, he can still get good bargaining chips through transactions.

As a result, the players were let go for nothing. Van Gundy and the Cavaliers management felt that they had been fooled, and naturally they were furious!

Next year, Kurt Thomas will be 33 years old. For him, the next contract will most likely be the last high-paying contract of his career. Naturally, he will have to play hard in the new season.

Remembering Old Mike's warning, Edna ignored the scenes she had seen in the past few days and tried to stay rational and calm.

The 31st happened to be a Friday, and when the July trade was about to end, Stephon Marbury was finally taken over by the Hawks.

Li You, who was enjoying the sunshine with his eyes closed, was soon shaken awake by Scarlett. He came forward and held up the picture album in his hand, and asked enthusiastically:
"Do you want to choose an elevator? There are 7 cabins. Although it can only accommodate 13 people, it seems that you can get better service if you have an elevator."

The Hawks offered the same contract as Steve Nash. Although Marbury hopes he can get the maximum salary, the market situation is like this.

Beautiful data can ensure that players are not underpriced. The new season has not yet started, and agents have begun to spread rumors. Invisibly, competition has begun.

On Saturday the 31st, at Peninsula Manor in Greenwich, Li You, wearing only beach shorts, was already sunbathing by the swimming pool.

When announcing the signing of Marbury, the Hawks also sent away Allen Henderson, Jason Terry, and a protected 2007 first-round draft pick;
In the end, the Mavericks traded Tony Delk and Antoine Walker.

However, from a player's perspective, although this behavior is somewhat "treacherous", Boozer did receive a larger contract.

The weather has been cloudy for the past week, and finally sunny weather came at the weekend.

Christen-Litte quietly walked up to Edna. Seeing the other person's face blushing slightly with a hint of envy, she suddenly whispered an invitation:

Li You hugged the excited girl and said casually without looking at the album:

"We all live in one room, and the better services are reserved for the cabin."

After Gasol gets the maximum salary, Stoudemire's contract will be squeezed virtually.

Although agents who pursue maximizing profits know that the Knicks are willing to spend money and can extend the contract even if they have the Bird Rights, they still have to prepare with both hands!
The most important thing for Stoudemire, who is still on the bench, is to get enough playing time to show his talent again.

This is where a lot of the contradictions lie. As for other issues, they are all trivial matters.
Some people are complaining about the Cavaliers, some are gloating after seeing Boozer fooling Van Gundy, and some are singing praises for the Cavaliers. Without the second and fifth boys, they can still win in the new season.

There will always be some bad things happening within a team, but they are not complicated.

Although Boozer did not keep his word, many players still stood by him.

Li You is too lazy to think about the details. In his opinion, yachts in recent years lack a sense of technology, so as long as they are safe and can support long-distance voyages and transatlantic cruising, that's enough.

At 169 feet and seven inches, a yacht over 51 meters is not very big. Li You plans to change boats when the population increases in the future. This yacht with a budget of 3000 million will be sold by then.

Ever since arriving at Peninsula Manor, Edna has been a little cautious. The security personnel near the gate have guns. After being warned by the bald old man, she knew that some New York media reports were true:

"Don't talk nonsense when you go out!"

Christen Ritter visited the boat show several times, but finally rejected some emerging brands. Even Scarlett was given a spell of ecstasy by the New York dealer. Both of them felt that traditional yachts were quite good.
Perhaps considering Li You's personal preference, the salesperson recommended by the dealer in New York was also a blonde girl.

Players just want to get more playing time and better statistics, and then get bigger contracts.

Milinda has already read the contract. She and Jin are both in Manhattan this Sunday. Everyone has already discussed this yacht, and only the young girl still feels a little novel.

Taking advantage of the good weather, this girl named Edna has been visiting frequently recently, hoping to finalize the deal as soon as possible.

FeadShip's yachts all have similar appearances, and customization mainly involves changes in interior design and layout. These are matters of personal preference.

The swimming pool is some distance away from the beach and the houses. Thanks to the lush forests, the air here is better than that in Manhattan.

Theoretically, the Knicks can support three maximum-salary contracts, but this will further lock up the team's salary space.

"Silver party! Definitely a silver party!"

In the case of knee problems, Stoudemire needs to get a long-term contract with a maximum salary to make it worthwhile. Both of them have requirements for the new season. Recently, many media have begun to create conflicts out of thin air.

There won't be many conflicts between the workers, but during the interview, James still avoided talking about the matter. After all, Boozer is still his teammate.
The NBA is the most profitable basketball league in the world, and the primary purpose of most players is to make money.

Point guards who are good at playing poorly have their limitations. Marbury is naturally unhappy that he and Nash enjoy the same treatment, but this is already the best contract currently.

The same goes for Stoudemire. He also wants to get a maximum salary. The last year of his rookie contract is a team option. If he performs well, he can renew his contract with the team in advance.

The tall Edna was wearing a somewhat conservative white swimsuit, pretending that she didn't hear Li You's words, watching Scarlett take the initiative to kiss, her face suddenly turned red, and she secretly exclaimed:

FeadShip, as a long-established manufacturer of customized yachts, has finally won the favor of chicks.

Li You let Scarlett squeeze into his arms and casually agreed to the dress selection request.

Tony Delk is likely to be given up by the team. This small guard has been wandering in the league and currently seems to have a bright future.

On the other side of the swimming pool, under an umbrella, Scarlett, wearing a red swimsuit, was holding a picture album and continuing to ask questions. Kristen Ritter came up from the pool and came over to ask questions from time to time.

There will be no harmony within every team. For the Knicks, Kurt Thomas is entering his contract year, and the same is true for Stoudemire.

"If you think the elevator is good, then install it. Anyway, it's within the budget. The delivery time is still more than a year. Just communicate with us if you think of anything."

"Do you want to participate in the evening activities? Maybe you will like this kind of life."

Edna was shocked. Her appearance was not as good as the two of them. She knew what the invitation meant. Although she was a little moved, she still shook her head and refused:
"Thank you, Alyce! I prefer a quiet life."

Kristen Ritter, who had her black curly hair tied up in a ponytail, nodded carelessly. The blue bikini had very little fabric, which highlighted her slender waist and slender white legs.

The little follower didn't care about adding some fun. She had already adapted to this kind of life. After being rejected, she hugged him, twisted her waist and walked towards Li You, while whispering:

"Clay has always been very generous. Don't worry about the order. As long as the quality of the ship is good enough, we may have the opportunity to cooperate in the future."

Edna's thoughts were racing, and Li You was so charming under the blessing of the beautiful knife. She had long noticed the Fox 400 list.

Thinking about appearance, I looked at my figure again, and finally I could only sigh secretly:
"Maybe this is God's will."

On Monday, August 8, Li You had been lying down for two weeks. In addition to swimming, sunbathing, and fishing every day, the rest of the time was spent practicing hard.

Scarlett, who had been playing in New York for two months, was summoned to Los Angeles by her mother, leaving only Kristen Ritter to accompany Li You around.

In the afternoon, Catherine Winnick came over to relax. She didn't come to Peninsula Manor often, but she spent more time taking care of Happy the husky.

Every time he comes back here, Happy seems to have awakened his bloodline and will "ooh" a few times.

When summer comes, he is both hairless and stupid. Li You throws the tennis ball in his hand into the woods. Happy no longer plays the wolf and runs away happily chasing the ball.
Wearing black suspenders and white shorts, watching Happy run away, Catherine called twice but did not come back, and immediately said helplessly:
"It's eerily quiet here in the winter, you should consider getting more pets."

It is a long distance from the gate to the main house. The road is lined with trees and grass, which is green this season.

Catherine looked at the scenery that was completely different from winter. After Li You grabbed her right hand, she could only stare strangely.

"Happy is enough. He likes it here. This is his paradise in winter. I will come with you next time."

Last winter, Li You asked Catherine to help take care of the house. Most of the time, it was just her and her little attendant. It was fine for half a month, but after about a month, everyone couldn't stay.

Li You hadn't lived here for too long, and when he heard Catherine complaining about the terrifyingly quiet environment here, he realized some problems.

After walking around a lot with Li You on her arm, Catherine happily said when she saw the beautifully maintained grass in front of the house:

“Sure enough, this place is more suitable for vacation in summer!”

In the evening, a few people played on the beach for a while and enjoyed the sunset together.

The beautiful sea view made Catherine feel a lot better. There were too many bad movies, which made it uncomfortable for everyone.

After dinner, Catherine opened another bottle of champagne. Li You couldn't help but shake his head as he listened to the two people in the living room complaining about Hollywood's resource problems.

There are too many beautiful girls and too few good scripts. For ordinary actresses, acting skills, an agency, and the courage to devote themselves are indispensable.

Scarlett is a child star, and she never acted in bad movies when she was a child.

Catherine played a small role in a cheesy boss movie like "My Lover" and guest-starred in a few episodes of a popular TV series, but her resources were far behind.

But beautiful girls still have a chance as long as they have the courage to devote themselves. Catherine and Li You are the same age, and they are still the same after all these years. Obviously they can’t let go.
After handling emails in the study, when Li You returned to the living room on the first floor, the two of them were already tipsy.

In the past two years, American Idol, a variety show, has swept the United States. In May, the finals ended. Until now, there are still relevant reports on FOX programs.

NBC will continue to broadcast this year's Olympic Games and has recently begun to make announcements.

Phelps, a talented swimmer, has received a lot of attention recently for his slogan of winning eight gold medals.

The news on TV did not attract Li You. Instead, Catherine, who was drunk, threw herself into her arms with a teasing smile and said with a low smile:

"If you can beat me tonight, you can join us. I like Alyce and I want to sleep with her tonight!"

With flushed cheeks, Catherine talked drunkenly and squeezed Li You's muscles with her hands from time to time.

Looking at the girl who threw herself into his arms and raised her head, Li You's lips twitched slightly. This girl has a third-degree black belt, a second-degree karate, and a very high level of "gangster excitement punch".

Seizing the opportunity, Li You picked up Catherine and put her on his shoulders, which made her laugh. Soon the two came to the bathroom to "tussle".

Tonight, two against one, Li You decided to strike hard. The sports media could not find Li You who was practicing hard at home, but Kobe Bryant has recently become the subject of heated discussions among the public.

After the illegal invasion, Kobe's legal team continued to try to find opportunities to counterattack.

However, after struggling for so long, some legal experts who are watching the excitement and not taking it too seriously said:

No matter how many games the offended white girl played on the same day, as long as the other party clearly stated in court that she rejected Kobe's behavior, she would be likely to be convicted.

In this case, Kobe's best choice is to meet the woman's conditions, let the other party stop accusing him, and then reach a settlement.
It's just that the two sides haven't reached an agreement yet. With the help of well-wishers, the illegal intrusion case has become more popular recently. Obviously, Kobe is in trouble again.

The U.S. men's basketball team was in good shape in the warm-up match and defeated its opponents with its transition attack.

On August 8, Li You appeared on NBC's program. The Athens Olympics was about to start. This time he was doing pre-match analysis for the US men's basketball team.

After Bob Costas stayed at NBC, his popularity dropped a lot and he no longer reported much NBA news, which obviously had a big impact on him.

Although NBC has lost the NBA, its overall development has not declined. They are still the number one TV station.

In the studio, both of them were wearing black formal suits. The director showed pictures of the recent warm-up match of the US men's basketball team. With a quick counterattack, Puerto Rico was unable to fight back.

Bob Costas did not steal the show. The two have known each other for many years. He understood Li You’s character and took the initiative to guide the topic:
"After the defeat in the World Championships, the U.S. men's basketball team ushered in its strongest lineup. The boys performed well in the warm-up match. Lee, do you think the U.S. team can win the championship this year?"

This question is a commonplace, but Li You did not predict that "the Dream Team will show dominance" like most football commentators did. Instead, he said seriously:
"We must clearly realize the fact that basketball is constantly improving!"

"In my opinion, this team has obvious flaws. Different rules will produce different games. Once it encounters foul trouble prematurely, this team with a low fault tolerance rate may lose."

"The championship is no fluke. Head coach Larry Brown should consider allowing rookie players to get playing time, expand rotations, maintain defensive intensity, and control the number of fouls. This will be the key to winning."

Bob Costas was a little surprised. He didn't expect Li You to be cautiously optimistic about this team:
"Lee, do you think this extremely talented team will eventually lose the gold medal?"

Li You did not deny it outright, but gave his own opinion again:
"No, of course they have the ability to win the championship, but an important prerequisite is that when encountering zone defense, they must respond from the outside."

"The absence of three seconds of defense means that the opponent's big man can stay under the basket. The smaller court means that the defensive players have less distance to run."

"When the above two situations occur, the power of regional defense will be doubled."

"It will become a little difficult to score inside. Once the opponent chooses to appropriately let go of outside shots, who can take on the task of breaking the deadlock?"

There is a topic only when there is controversy. Bob Costas thought about it and gave an answer with a smile:
"Allen Iverson? He stole the scoring title from you. Depending on his personal ability, he may be able to respond easily."

After hearing this answer, Li You was not polite, but shook his head and replied:

"Unstable shooting status, coupled with limited size, Iverson may not be able to play the game that fans expect."

"I know Grant and Duncan. The former is better at one-on-one and transition attacks on the wing. Although the latter is very dominant at the basket, he may get into foul trouble in the Olympics."

"I think the ball should be given to Marbury in the key rounds. He is strong and as long as he can find the shooting state, he can help the team solve its problems."

"."

On the morning of the 10th, after the NBC program was broadcast last night, Li You's comments triggered a heated discussion among football commentators.

After a detailed analysis, Li You gave his answer:

"The level of this men's basketball team is average and it is difficult to show dominance!"

Li You is not just talking nonsense. Judging from the data, the current shooting level of this team is indeed low.

Most ball commentators are still very confident. If they can't make a shot, they will defend. By relying on transition attacks, they can still crush their opponents!
In the TNT program, Li You rarely appeared, so naturally he had to follow the trend and discuss it.

Only Charles Barkley among the three supports Li You's view, which is in line with his "star quality theory."

In the studio, Kenny Smith was still touting this men's basketball team:
"Lee overlooked one point. Head coach Larry Brown has rich coaching experience and he will solve the problem of zone defense!"

"Good players come together and they know how to win."

Hearing his partner start blowing X again, Charles Barkley immediately responded:
"Solve this problem? Coach Larry Brown has excellent coaching skills, but the players can't make shots and the coaching staff can't do anything."

"This is a matter of players' individual abilities. We cannot expect everyone to suddenly find their shooting touch after a timeout."

Both of them in the studio put on serious faces, and Ernie Johnson, who was sitting in the middle, didn't want to say anything depressing at this time. After all, the U.S. team had already arrived in Athens:

"Lee makes sense, and I believe head coach Larry Brown and the coaching staff are ready."

"There are four young men on the bench. They can also enter the team rotation and increase the depth of the lineup."

"On the 15th, we will face the opponent Puerto Rico in the warm-up match. Everyone can take this opportunity to adjust the game state."

Charles Barkley still shook his head. With his big mouth, he knew how to get attention. At this time, he simply turned on the crow mouth mode in the show:

"If we can't respond from the outside, maybe we will lose to our opponent!"

The opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics will be held on the 13th. NBC will broadcast the entire event live, and Li You will continue to participate in the commentary work.

On the 15th, the U.S. men’s basketball team ushered in the first game of the Olympic group stage.

Facing the Puerto Rico team, everyone on the Dream Team suddenly stretched their hips and fed the American fans in front of the TV!
Larry Brown kept his word and challenged Duncan in the first game. Of course, this may have been assistant coach Popovich's idea. In short, Duncan played 36 minutes.

虽然出场时间最多，但邓肯表现得却非常拉胯，11中4，三分线外1中0，罚球9中7，15分16篮板4助攻5抢断2盖帽7失误。

If you had covered up the name, you would have thought these were numbers produced by Kenyon Martin.
Of course, there is also Allen Iverson on the team who is even more hip:
出场31分钟，14中5，三分线外10中1，罚球6中4，15分4篮板3助攻1抢断3失误。

Iverson showed his scoring style!

希尔同样出场了31分钟，15中7，三分线外3中0，罚球4中2，拿到全队最高的16分。

In the end, Puerto Rico defeated the United States in the first game of the group stage with a score of 82:94.

After the loss, American fans and commentators couldn't hold back:

"You can lose this way!?"

It is really unimaginable that the US team will be blown away by Carlos Arroyo and Eddie Cassiano!

前者16中9，砍下全场最高的24分，并且还送出了7次助攻仅有2次失误；
The latter came off the bench and played only 14 minutes, shooting 7 of 6 and 4 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, scoring 18 points. He was also the team's winner.

The Dream Team made 21 of 3 three-pointers in the entire game. The game seemed to be going in the direction predicted by Li You. No one on the American team responded from the outside.
After a day off, on the 17th, the U.S. men’s basketball team faced the host Greece.

The trend of this game was similar to what Li You predicted. Duncan seemed to have adapted to international competitions, but after meeting the host, he was troubled by fouls.

In the end, Duncan only played 27 minutes, made 7 of 6, scored 14 points, and received 5 fouls.

Hill played 33 minutes. Although he only scored 7 points on 4-of-14 shots, he was still the best player on the team.

Head coach Larry Brown reduced Iverson's playing time. He played 30 minutes and shot 14 of 4, including 7 of 3 from beyond the arc, scoring a team-high 17 points.

80:71, defeated the opponent with difficulty, and the dream team saved some face.
In the next group stage, after defeating Australia, fans thought that the American men's basketball team had found its form. However, in the group stage on the 21st, the Dream Team once again impressed everyone.

At 84:94, the upset occurred again, and the Lithuanian team defeated the American team.

Although they defeated Angola, the U.S. team ended up with only a record of 3 wins and 2 losses in the group stage.

In the quarter-finals, the Spanish team saw that their opponent had become the American team, and they were suddenly depressed.

On the 26th, in the quarter-finals of the men's basketball team at the Athens Olympics, with 1 minutes and 4 seconds left in the game, after another transition attack to complete a dunk, Hill suddenly clutched his knee in pain after landing.

In the NBC studio, Bob Costas saw Hill injured and subconsciously looked at Li You beside him.

Injuries occurred after landing without confrontation. Li You naturally knew that this was definitely not a good thing. However, the game was still going on, so he could only send blessings:

"God bless Grant!"

On the morning of the 27th, the U.S. national team announced Grant Terhill’s injury status:

"Teared cruciate ligament in left knee."

After getting the news, the New York media immediately blamed Larry Brown:

"In such a fast-paced game, almost every game has to play 33 minutes, no one knows why Larry Brown made such a rotation!"

The Los Angeles Times started to get weird, and several columns analyzed why Hill was injured:

"The Knicks' tactical style of play will put more strain on the players' bodies!"

"Every player who leaves the Knicks will invariably experience a certain decline in physical condition."

"Alan Houston and Larry Johnson were all seriously injured at this age."

"Head coach D'Antoni, who has the best record in history, is overdrafting the team. Maybe Lee's physical condition will also have problems in the future."

A well-founded analysis has convinced many fans who believe in the process.

No one can beat physical exertion. Duncan also suffered injuries under the use of Popovich. Li You has played so many games, there is no reason that he will always be healthy!
There was not much rest time. On the night of the 27th, the U.S. men’s basketball team unexpectedly lost to Argentina in the semifinals.

79:89, losing this game, the dream team can only compete for the bronze medal.
On the NBC program, Bob Costas sighed regretfully. After the two summarized the game, they also asked questions that the fans were concerned about.

Li You was very confident about his physical condition, but at this moment of losing, he simply replied:

"Self-discipline is the greatest wealth for a player!"

"I have always been strict with myself. I think I can play until I am 40 years old."

"."

(End of this chapter)