blogombal Chapter 695 Regular Season Awards Announced! Second Round of Playoffs Begins
Chapter 695 Regular Season Awards Announced! Second Round of Playoffs Begins
However, although both of them had a disappointing year, they both have something to say!
Bird: If I had a top-three finish, would I be a sloppy pick? I'd definitely choose Roy!
Jordan: If it weren't for Lin's meddling, would I have been a mediocre player? I would definitely have chosen Morrison... no, I would definitely have chosen Roy!
That's what these two are thinking now.
But this year! Next month!
Do you think you can fool us?
Having been in the management team for so many years and built such a powerful dynasty, my eye for rookies is top-notch in the league!
You're telling me not to choose Oden?
So who should we choose?
Should I choose the Florida twin towers who were completely outmatched by Oden in the NCAA finals, or the tall, skinny guy from Texas who looks like a softie?
Do you even know how valuable Oden's credentials are?
How about I give you, Mr. Lin, a lesson on Oden's nicknames?
The last super center in the United States, the savior of American centers, the monster in the paint who took back the hegemony from Lin Tian, a giant beast that is no less than O'Neal, and a top cornerstone that can make the team a championship contender for 10 years!
Based on these titles alone, Jordan felt that if he were Durant, he wouldn't be embarrassed to be called one of the 07 stars alongside Oden.
Not worthy!
In response to Bird and Jordan's comments, Lin Tian only sent them a very brief message.
"1984!"
This string of numbers is enough!
In the 1984 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers, having already acquired Clyde Drexler, skipped Michael Jordan and selected Sam Powell instead.
The rest is history.
The meaning behind Lin Tian sending that string of numbers couldn't be clearer!
The road, I, Lord Lin, have already pointed out; as for whether or not to take this broad and prosperous path…
Bird and Jordan: Get out of here, we're not leaving!
If I had a top scholar, I would definitely pick Oden without even looking!
At least at this moment, that's what both of them were thinking!
To this, Lin Tian could only say: "It's like the sky is going to rain, and a mother is going to remarry; you can't reason with a damned ghost!"
Besides Rookie of the Year, the Sixth Man of the Year award went to Manu Ginobili of the Boston Celtics. He played 77 games this season, all as a substitute, and his average of 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game was also quite impressive.
The Defensive Player of the Year award went to Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets, who is also the league's leading shot blocker this year.
Along with him, Lin Tian, Raja Bell (acquired by the Celtics from the Pacers in exchange for two second-round draft picks before the trade deadline), Tim Duncan, and Prince of the Nets were selected to the All-Defensive First Team!
As for the second defensive unit, it consists of Ben Wallace, Hinrich, Kidd, Garnett, and Battier.
The Most Improved Player award was then given to Monta Ellis of the Warriors, whose breakout season came quite suddenly, averaging over 16 points per game!
Especially in the second half of the season, he averaged over 20 points per game, making him the Warriors' leading scorer! Thanks to his incredible performance, the Warriors were able to mount a furious comeback in the second half of the season, surging all the way to within one step of the playoffs!
This young Warriors team is also highly anticipated by many!
As for the final All-NBA Team and MVP awards, although they haven't been announced yet and will most likely be reserved for the second round, everyone knows that this year's MVP is a foregone conclusion!
Based on Lin Tian's stats, let alone him leading his team to second place in the East, he could be second to last in the East...
That's a bit of an exaggeration; second to last is probably not acceptable.
Even if he leads his team to seventh place in the East, the MVP award will be a foregone conclusion and will definitely be given to him!
Do you know the significance of averaging 40 points per game in a single season, ranking third in history in both average points and total points, and even averaging 50 points per game for two consecutive months?
If Lin Tian doesn't take the MVP award and it goes to someone else, the person who receives it probably won't dare to accept it!
He'd be beaten to death by that petty Lin Tian!
With the first round of the playoffs coming to a complete end and the second round beginning, Lin Tian, who had rested for more than a week in total during the two games of the first round and the interval between the games and the start of the second round, announced his return at this time!
The second round of the competition, a full-fledged comeback!
It's just acting; enough is enough. Any more and it becomes excessive and fake.
Training teammates isn't done in this way, is it?
But to Lin Tian's surprise, his return did not bring cheers and anticipation from Knicks fans.
When he stepped into Madison Square Garden for the final game of the second round, the entire stadium was filled with the cries of fans.
"Let's rest for two more games!"
"We can hold on!"
"No problem!"
"With Amaré and Carmelo on the team!"
"They can carry the team too!"
"have a good rest!"
"We can handle it!"
"Don't give me a pain-relieving injection!"
"Never fight while injured!"
"For a better future!"
"For the greater good!"
The fans' shouts made Lin Tian feel quite embarrassed.
Even with his thick skin, he wondered if he had overacted.
We can only give it our all in this one game, deliver our best performance, and put the fans at ease!
"Lin! You're really popular in New York! The fans would rather lose than see you play with an injury!" Yao Ming walked over with a big smile, clearly in a very good mood.
"How does it feel to be the team leader?" Lin Tian asked without thinking, seeing Yao Ming approaching and then glancing at Carter next to him.
"Boss, don't try this on us. When have we ever argued about this?" Carter rolled his eyes. His brother really hadn't changed his bad habits!
Carter had personally witnessed Lin Tian tearing apart many teams, sowing discord while playing basketball.
It's a pity that this time, neither he nor Yao Ming are particularly interested in being the team's leader; they just want to play basketball happily and work joyfully.
Of course, it's their own business if these two don't compete, but if you look at their performance on the court, their statistics, and their contributions to the team, then Yao Ming has unknowingly become the leader of this Nets team!
大姚本赛季场均贡献21分10篮板2盖帽，命中率高达55%，同时还有着81%的罚球命中率！
In today's league, where O'Neal is aging, Howard is still developing, and Duncan, Stoudemire, and others are primarily power forwards.
Yao Ming can be considered the best center in the league!
Anyway, Lin Tian felt that Yao Ming would definitely make the All-NBA First Team this year!
This guy was very lucky this time; he didn't gain weight like crazy while with the Nets, although this made him less imposing in the paint, less intimidating under the basket, and less effective in post-up play than before.
At the very least, Yao Ming had a season with 25+10 last time, but this time, he clearly doesn't have the destructive power to average more than 25 points per game in a single season.
Although his stats declined, his agility and movement speed improved significantly!
Of course, the most important improvement is its durability!
This guy has played 76 games this season and hasn't suffered any serious injuries in his career so far. He's had a very smooth career!
Carter played 72 games this season, averaging 23.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He is the team's leading scorer and the most popular star in North America, who is also the one who helps the team sell tickets the most.
Although his average points per game are slightly higher than Yao Ming's, his influence on the court is no longer comparable to Yao Ming's!
Another point that further proves Yao Ming is the team's leader is that in the six games Yao Ming missed, the Nets went 1-5! The only win they had was against the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the league's worst teams!
In the 10 games that Carter missed, the Nets went 6-4! Although the record wasn't great, it was about the same as their regular season record.
To put it bluntly, Carter's influence on this team wasn't that great!
After all, Mike Bibby is on this team!
This white guard, who has had a rough few years, a decline in form, and has even started a nomadic career, has found his form again this season. Although he only averages 13 points and 6 assists per game, which is far from his peak, his three-point shooting percentage has reached a career high of 42%!
He has shifted from playing as an all-around attacker and core point guard to a spot-up shooter and playmaker at the top of the key, and this transformation can be considered quite successful!
Then the team also has Prince, who was selected to the All-Defensive Team, to provide defense and three-pointers.
In addition, the team has also promoted another big man, Nenad Kostic, to the starting lineup this year. This big man from Serbia is also a skilled player. Although he does not have a three-point shooting ability, his playmaking, passing, defense, movement and pick-and-roll abilities are quite good!
He was also used by the Nets as a replacement for Gasol, allowing him to play alongside Yao Ming as a twin towers team once again.
On the bench, the Nets' most reliable scorer is still Lin Tian's old acquaintance, the microwave-type scorer Al Harrington, who joined the Nets with Carter back then.
Harrington averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds per game this season, ranking third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind only Barbosa and Ginobili. His ability to shoot and score immediately, as well as his versatile playing style that can be used in both the three and four positions, has made him a significant contributor to the Nets' roster completeness!
If there's one obvious and significant flaw in this Nets team right now, it's their head coach.
Lawrence Frank.
Although this diminutive coach who succeeded Byron Scott has been leading the Nets for several years, he is still essentially a complete rookie. His playoff experience, in-game adjustments, and system building abilities have all been criticized.
Many people believe that if the Nets had a renowned coach, their current roster would be more than enough to make them championship contenders, instead of remaining in the second tier of the Eastern Conference.
In short, this is the team that the Knicks will face in the Eastern Conference semifinals!
"Their interior defense is superior! They have two seven-footers! They'll definitely score more points inside and in the paint than we do!"
Before the game began, Don Nelson gave the players one last instruction on the game's tactics: "But that's fine! This is basketball, not about who can shut down the opponent, it's about who can score more points!"
"This is exactly what we do best!"
"Remember, in the first phase after we get up there, use pick-and-rolls and mismatch isolation plays to let Lin punish their two big men! Mehmet, your three-pointers are crucial! If you can get your threes going tonight and draw out all the Nets' idiots, then we've got this game in the bag!"
"Everyone knows what they're supposed to do when Lin sets a screen and when Mehmet uses his shooting to draw the opponent out of the paint!"
"Cut! Drive! Rebound! Use whatever methods you can, just get inside! Make them unable to finish the game, disconnect their inside and outside game! Make them have to choose between two poisons!"
"My requirement is that, regardless of which cup of poison they choose, I hope it's a deadly, lethal poison!"
"Let them die!"
"Let them die!"
The Knicks players cheered loudly, their morale was boosted, especially after everyone confirmed that Lin Tianzhen was alright, they regained all their confidence.
The Knicks, with their bodies, souls, mentality, and form all at their peak, are ready!
Meanwhile, the Nets on the other side were not ready.
Frank was still talking about something, surrounded by the Nets players. Clearly, his pre-game pep talk and final tactical meeting hadn't gone very well; he had too much to say.
However, the referee on site didn't have any more time for him. After repeated urging and calls, he could only let everyone go onto the field to prepare for the game.
Frank's procrastination and timidity are far inferior to old Nelson's dashing and ruthless style, just in terms of appearance!
It's fair to say that there's a huge gap between a rookie coach and a Hall of Fame-level coach like Don Nelson!
As the referee urged them on, both teams headed onto the court. Yao Ming and Mehmet Okur stood in the center circle, waiting for the referee's whistle. Yao Ming, using his height, successfully secured the first possession for his team.
Bibby dribbled the basketball forward unhurriedly, and after all the players were in position, the first offensive pass was directly to Yao Ming in the paint.
This play also shows that although Yao Ming and Vince Carter don't compete for the spotlight, and neither of them says it, in the hearts of most players, Yao Ming is the current leader of the Nets.
He backed down Okur and kept probing him; Yao Ming's playing style today is significantly different from the Rockets version.
Simply put, his ability to forcefully attack the basket is significantly weaker, but he has made significant improvements in agility, footwork, shooting, and speed!
Of course, no matter what style of play Yao Ming plays, his most lethal and powerful weapon is still his touch!
For example, in this play, after a series of confrontations with Okur and a push all the way to the basket, Yao Ming pulled up and executed a side hook shot, easily scoring 2 points for the team!
Good start!
The Knicks' offense!
Lin Tian received the ball from the baseline but did not rush to advance.
Now, we need to implement Old Nelson's tactics first.
He waved to Okur to set a screen for him.
Then Lin Tian changed direction to create distance. With Bibby blocked by Okur and unable to get up immediately, Lin Tian glanced at Yao Ming's position and found that the guy had chosen to stand near the free throw line to interfere.
His meaning is very clear: I'm giving you the three-point shot, you can shoot it however you want!
But don't even think about mid-range shots or drives to the basket!
Lin Tian: Then I won't think about it!
It would have been so much better to just shoot a three-pointer!
So, Lin Tian stopped dribbling, took a look in place, and then pulled up for a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in!
"Beautiful! Great shot!" Barkley clapped his hands excitedly and shouted, "Both sides showcased their signature moves on their first offensive play!"
"The Knicks are using Lin's terrifying offensive power to relentlessly attack the opponent's interior after setting screens!"
"The opposing interior players will then face a huge problem: should they rush out to defend the three-pointer, or retreat and prevent Lin Tian from attacking the basket?"
"No matter which one you choose, it will be a mistake! Because Lin's firepower is just too overwhelming! Whether it's three-pointers, drives to the basket, or mid-range jumpers, he can use them all without discrimination!"
"How do you deal with a player who has no weaknesses on offense? Not to mention this guy has won countless assist titles and is the league's best passer! This makes all teams hesitant to double-team Lin, because that would only create more defensive gaps!"
"It's fair to say that since Lin's debut, every team that has double-teamed him has suffered heavy losses! And the reason these teams double-teamed him is because they would lose badly if they didn't!"
At this point, Barkley spread his hands and looked at Kenny, saying, "See, it's a closed loop! There's no solution! Kenny, what if it were you? If it were you, how would you deal with Lin's move?"
"Two options!" Kenny said. "First, force your way through the screen, squeezing past Oku to prevent the screen from happening and succeeding."
"Secondly, don't consider defense or whether you can stop Lin, because the Knicks can't stop anyone anyway, so just go for the offense! Don Nelson has made it very clear to everyone: basketball is an offensive sport!"
"Basketball is about who can make the most shots and score the most points. Whoever can do that wins!"
"As for which team the Nets will choose, I don't know."
While the two were analyzing the game in the studio, the match on the court was also progressing rapidly. The Knicks mainly relied on screens between Lin Tian and Okur, and occasionally they would run pick-and-rolls between Lin Tian and Stoudemire.
Anyway, both of the Nets' starting big men are tall, big, and slow, so they really have no way to deal with Lin Tian's endless mismatch isolation plays! (End of Chapter)