NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 362 "The Confidence of Top Scorers" (7700 words chapter)
On Thursday, December 2004, 12, after the NBA announced its Player of the Month for the first month, mainstream sports media began to discuss the impact of the new rules.

On the TNT program, Charles Barkley once again lamented that "the league has become soft."

The trio, as is customary, previewed the night's two games.

The showdown between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony has attracted a lot of attention.

In November, Anthony was accused of carrying leaves. Fortunately, prosecutors finally dropped the prosecution and the matter ended.

David Stern was very dissatisfied with this, and even argued with the players union, believing that such news would damage the image of the league.

After entering the new century, the NBA league has cracked down on Leafs and strictly enforced the dress code.

But Anthony, who won the Rookie of the Year award, was obviously inflated and took Iverson's unruly route.

Dreadlocks, hip-hop attire, and off-field troubles make the league a little unhappy, and the media will not let go of these tidbits.
Kenny Smith was still the same as before. When his partner criticized the new rules, he took the initiative and said:
"Steve Nash led the team to an 11-3 record after joining the Suns!"

"In addition to his excellent personal statistics, Nash also improved the Suns' attendance."

There are more than 450 players in the NBA. Being on the list is naturally something worthy of praise, but it also makes the old-school stars unhappy. In the final analysis, they look down on Nash's style of play.
Ernie Johnson doesn't have any prejudice. After staying in TNT for so many years, he knows the nature of MVP.

What is currently troubling the Heat is the health problems of Wade and O'Neal. If it were not for previous injuries, they might have secured their second place.

The impact of the new rules is still fermenting. Before that, brutal defense made it difficult for core defenders to play.

"There is no doubt that in the end we will fulfill our talent and bring a championship to Cleveland!"

As the usage rate further increases, the efficiency does not decrease. If the Spurs have to play 82 games in a season, Lee You may be able to average 40 points per game.
The director showed the data of Li You and Nash to the audience in front of the TV. In response, Charles Barkley began to sigh again:
"The Knicks and Suns are taking a lot of three-pointers every game, and that's not a good sign."

105:81, the Heat defeated the Bulls, and the record reached 11 wins and 6 losses. With the relationship of victory and loss, the Cavaliers dropped to third place.

After winning this game, the Knicks also ushered in 9 consecutive victories.

On the MVP rankings, since the Suns and Spurs have the same record, Nash's name naturally appears on the list.

"But he has to continue to increase his shot count, otherwise this year's MVP will most likely belong to Lee!"

"I admit that he performed very well in the new season, but I will not vote for him. MVP should not be restricted by rules."

In recent years, Li You has usually won the Player of the Month award in November, and the start of the new season is no exception:

场均出场34.6分钟，场均拿到16.0分2.9篮板11.4助攻1.3抢断3.3失误；

"Many people say that Wade's model is Lee, but looking at it now, Nash is more like Lee."

He averaged 7.3 free throws per game and made 94.7% of his free throws.

"It's the fans' choice, people like to see good offense, not just post and free throws the whole game."

Averaged 20.2 shots per game, shooting 53.6% from the field, 9.2 shots from beyond the three-point line, and 45.9% shooting from the field;

He averaged 2.9 free throws per game and made 85.0% of his free throws.

After Alan Houston was confirmed to be out for the season, Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kevin Catto became the core of the team.

No matter how much Barkley belittles it, most football critics and current players know that the new rules will definitely have a positive impact.

The Knicks also defeated the "Orlando Rockets" that night.
108:92, the losing Magic team's record came to 5 wins and 10 losses.

The players are all smart, and reasonable use of the rules is also part of the game. Controversy is the reason for the popularity. Ernie Johnson still praised:

98:72, the Cavaliers transformed into a no-fly team and defeated the Nuggets!
Howard and Gooden teamed up inside and blocked 8 shots. James easily scored 20 points just by relying on breakthroughs and counterattacks.

LeBron James also has a chance to win the Player of the Month, but Li You has better statistics and record, so he can only regret that he failed to win.

11月，詹姆斯场均26.3分7.8篮板6.1助攻2.4抢断1.1盖帽3.2失误，投篮命中率为51.5%。

Regarding Kenny Smith's praise, Charles Barkley began to express disdain again, vowing:
"Why couldn't Nash lead the Mavericks to a better record before the rules were changed?"

Starting from this Saturday, there will be another 4 consecutive away games. Fortunately, the opponents are not strong, and New York fans believe that the team will maintain a winning streak.

In that night's game, the Nuggets were easily defeated.

When encountering a weak team, Stoudemire usually hits hard.

Averaged 11.0 shots per game, shooting 55.8% from the field, 3.1 shots from beyond the three-point line, and 40.9% shooting from the field;

Unless someone like Li You is exceptionally strong and is particularly good at shooting, he can make a name for himself.

"I don't want the game to turn into a three-point contest!"

Handing over this data, Nash has been recognized by many football commentators, and there are already a lot of data samples in one month.

The sports media in Orlando have become numb, and the new season seems to be entering a state of failure early.

However, after the referee restricted some defensive actions, defenders like Nash, who is relatively thin and has better shooting talent, have been strengthened.

On December 12, the Heat coached by Stan Van Gundy did not fall behind.

场均出场34.7分钟，场均拿到32.9分5.0篮板10.7助攻2.6抢断0.5盖帽1.5失误；

In tonight's game, Li You sent out 15 assists, relying on pick-and-roll cooperation to keep Stoudemire eating.

Carmelo Anthony made 20 of 6 shots and only scored 14 points;
The beast Kenyon Martin and the defensive powerhouse Marcus Camby, who the Nuggets had high hopes for, both had a break. The two scored a combined 13 points.
At the end of the game, everyone on the Cavaliers was smiling, and Van Gundy praised the future at the post-game press conference:
"The Cavaliers are still growing, but we have established a new team culture."

The overall performance was extremely efficient. The defensive counterattack system created by Van Gundy amplified James' advantages, and the Cavaliers became visibly stronger.

The data of the "vegetable abuse weapon" began to rise, and when Fisher and Li You partnered, their cooperation became more and more tacit.

In the game against the Yubo team at the end of November, although Li You was visibly fishing, his overall statistics were still very good.

When attending the press conference, Li You was asked the most questions about MVP.

As we all know, Li You ranked first in the MVP rankings last season, and Kevin Garnett finally won the award.

Li You didn't care much about this situation. It was a matter of selection. If the trophy was lost, the fans were questioning the voting media.

Although he was fishing, his record was not bad, so when talking about this award, Li You was not polite:

"I no longer need to rely on MVP to prove myself. In contrast, I want to complete the three consecutive championships that are just around the corner."

"I like this kind of challenge. The Knicks are currently in good shape. Everyone has the same goal. Accumulate more wins before the All-Star Game to ensure home court advantage."

The New York Post reporter was even more gossipy and suddenly asked about the gossip:
"Lee, have you paid attention to the recent events with the Lakers? Vanessa caused the relationship between Kobe and Malone to break up!"

Mentioning the gossip at the end of November, many reporters in the audience began to discuss it in low voices. Not only fans like to see this kind of gossip, but media reporters also like to hear it.

Li You would naturally not pay attention to what happened before Thanksgiving, but he knew that when a New York Post reporter mentioned this matter, there was a high probability that the evidence was conclusive:

"I pay more attention to the shareholders meeting of Manchester United. As for the Lakers? It has been difficult for them to appear in the finals in recent years."

"I only care about potential opponents in the finals!"

On Saturday, December 12, Los Angeles Times reporter TJ Seamus vividly described in the newspaper the process of Malone teasing Vanessa.

Malone's agent Dwight Manley and Kobe Bryant both confirmed the news.

During the game between the Lakers and Bucks before Thanksgiving, Malone's wife Kaye gave her husband's phone number to Vanessa.

The latter called and asked Malone to go to her place to watch the game with his children.

At the Lakers' home court, it's normal for Vanessa to invite her big brother and her family to watch the game, but Malone's agent Manley broke the news about an unusual conversation:

"Hey! Cowboy, are you hunting?"

Manley also emphasized that Vanessa said this sentence twice, and Malone, who was wearing a cowboy hat, quickly responded after hugging Vanessa:

"I'm looking for a Mexican girl!"

Valissa later told Kobe that Malone came to her and said some very inappropriate words, and she also called Kaye to ask her husband to stay away from her.

Kobe was naturally furious after hearing the news. You must know that the two had a good relationship last season, and the two families often had dinner together.

As a result, Malone failed to return in the new season due to knee surgery. Big Brother no longer focused on basketball, but wanted to green him?
When calling Malone, Kobe angrily scolded Malone, who did not deny what he said and gave a silent response.

The explicit invitation shocked the public, and the manager’s revelations were even more outrageous:

"Karl Malone didn't deny it, he just wanted to have sex with me!"

The New York Post quickly followed up. In the morning news report, it even assured that some fans saw Malone giving Vanessa a big hug.
The public knows the character of NBA players, but the fact that a friend's wife is rude to him is still shocking.

After flying to Charlotte, everyone in the Knicks team also asked Fisher for advice. Everyone was particularly interested in this gossip.

Fisher also didn't expect Malone to have this idea. You must know that Kobe has been isolated in the locker room last season, and only two veterans took care of him.

Looking back now, Fisher finally understands why Malone always took care of Kobe.

In the visiting team's locker room, Fisher, who had already changed into training clothes, showed a clear look on his face, then spitted and said confidently:
"I've known for a long time that Ma Long has bad intentions, he is a complete bastard!"

"It's just that I couldn't remind Kobe at that time. As you know, I'm not a big mouth who likes to speak ill of people behind their backs."

"At the beginning, we were joking with Kobe and wanted to pursue Vanessa. Looking at it now, Malone may have joined the Lakers for other purposes."

Fisher is very popular in the players union, and these words also made everyone in the Knicks nod. Malone is indeed a bastard, and they understand why Li You rejected the veteran in the first place.

No one wants their girlfriend to be missed by their teammates!
Barnes stepped forward to fist bump with Fisher, and then cursed Malone together:
"The old guy actually allowed his agent to break the news to the outside world, Farke! He is a scumbag!"

"At his age, he should go home to retire! If I were Kobe, I would definitely go to Malone's house and ask for an explanation!"

Mutombo coughed slightly and joked with a smile:

"Age has never been a problem. I also like beautiful girls, but Malone really shouldn't reach out to his teammates!"

"Maybe in a few days, he will officially retire."

"Hell! Not long ago I saw on the news that Buss thought Malone would return to the Lakers sooner or later, and he almost let him succeed!"

The more people chatted, the more distorted it became. Li You shook his head repeatedly. No wonder Kobe broke the defense. Big Brother is not interested in drinking. His previous concern was all fake.
There are also fans here in Charlotte. Before the game started that night, the fans present were also gossiping.

The Bobcats currently only have a record of 3 wins and 10 losses. With only half the salary cap, the quality of the players is naturally not high.

Okafor is the absolute core of the current team, and the little Knight got the starting position as he wished.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries before the game, but Gasol did not save face for the new player during the game.

At halftime, 58:45, the Knicks easily held a double-digit lead.

Although veteran Steve Smith on the Bobcats bench suddenly found his shooting touch in the second half, Okafor continued to hit the iron, going 6-of-1 in a single quarter.
Fortunately, Charlotte fans didn't care about the home team losing, and even shouted Li You's name in the fourth quarter.

Under the cheers of enthusiastic fans, the Bobcats finally suffered a disastrous defeat.

113:84, the Knicks easily won their 10th consecutive victory!

For Li You, this game is more like a team training match. Knight has played with the Knicks for several years, and the two are very familiar with each other.

The Bobcats' commander was suppressed throughout the game, so it was naturally difficult to win.

The gossip in Los Angeles is still brewing, and Karl Malone still has not come forward to deny it. He seems to be determined to "pursue" his teammate's wife. After flying to Memphis, old friend Mike Fratello invited Li You to have dinner.

Old coach Hubie Brown failed to cheer up the Grizzlies, and the team is still out of the playoffs.

After coaching a few games in the new season, Hubie Brown took the initiative to resign. Eventually, Mike Fratello became the head coach of the Grizzlies.

Although he is very clear-headed in the commentary box and can talk on paper very easily, after actually coaching, it is also difficult for Mike Fratello to reverse the Grizzlies' decline.

With 5 wins and 13 losses, Jerry West no longer seems to be magical. The Grizzlies are still the same in the new season, entering a state of losing early.

In an interview in the afternoon, Jerry West not only expressed his gratitude to veteran coach Hubie Brown, but also talked about his previous wrong choices with the Lakers:

"We made the wrong decision at the time, and there was no doubt that Lee was the best player in the class of '96."

"I even imagined more than once that if Lee and Shaq partnered, the Lakers might be able to surpass the consecutive championship record set by the Celtics that year."

"This is the charm of the draft. What the Grizzlies need now is time. After accumulating enough talents, the team will definitely be on the right track."

After being selected with the third overall pick in 96, Sharif Abdul-Rahim has become a legend for the Grizzlies.

It's just that if you want to enter the playoffs in the Western Conference, an outstanding big man is essential, and the Grizzlies obviously have to wait.

After an easy victory over the Grizzlies, everyone on the Knicks team who flew to New Orleans looked relaxed.

Bearded Davis is likely to be retired for the season, which brings the Hornets' current record to 1 win and 15 losses.
Such a start means that the team will fail early, and head coach Byron Scott is a little helpless about this, but he also knows that failing is the best option.

Although the Knicks began to rotate extensively in this game, the Hornets really failed to live up to the expectations.

After the third quarter of the game, many fans left the venue early.

In the end, at 108:75, the Hornets lost again and continued to dive for the top pick!
On Friday, December 12th, the Knicks played their last game of the week.

After the start of the new season, the Wizards achieved a record of 10 wins and 6 losses. They had a bad start, but gradually regained their game form after entering December.

Arenas, Larry Hughes, and Antawn Jamison have become the Wizards' outside core;

The twin tower combination of Brandon Haywood and Jared Jeffries also completed the task of protecting the rim very well.

The Wizards got rid of Michael Jordan and got back on track. Head coach Eddie Jordan even took the initiative to brag for Arenas before the game:

"Gilbert is the hardest-working player I have ever seen. In some ways, he is even better than Lee!"

"Talent doesn't determine everything. Gilbert devoted himself completely to basketball. I prefer coaching players like this."

The Washington Post also often praises Arenas for his crazy training. In the fourth year of his career, the second-round pick has become visibly stronger!
At 19 o'clock that night, the Knicks did not continue their previous abuse tactics, but returned to defense.

The attendance at the MCI Center Arena was very good tonight. Compared with the Eagles, which only had more than 8000 people watching a game, the number of more than fans was more than double that of the other side.
After the opening, Arenas took on the offensive tasks as always, but after half the game, he made 3 of 0 shots, which was a bit difficult to deal with.

The Wizards defended a 32 zone defense at the beginning. According to the game plan formulated before the game, they naturally had to flank Li You on the top line.

It's just that Arenas started to pretend to be X during the game. The more he played, the more he wanted to prove himself, trying to bring Li You to the same level as himself.
"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, Arenas waved his hand and directed his teammates not to help defend.

Pulling up his shorts, Arenas lowered his center of gravity, and before Li You could cross the midline, he started clapping to encourage himself.

In the NBA, performative personalities are actually very popular. When Wizards fans saw the home team star provoking Li You, it was not a big deal to watch the excitement, and they all cheered.

Li You, who came to the right wing, began to slow down. After dribbling the ball under his hips, he held the ball in his left hand and accelerated with his shoulder.

Arenas naturally anticipated the offensive trend, slid quickly, and used his body to block the breakthrough route.

The crushing breakthrough was close to the right elbow area. Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, and then dribbled the ball behind his back twice very quickly.

Seeing Li You moving left and right in front of him, Arenas stopped and could only adjust his focus according to the defense.

The moment the basketball returned to his left hand, Li You accelerated again, successfully grabbed half of his body, leaned against the defense, and squeezed into the paint area.

In a sudden stop and start, Arenas lost most of his defensive position and was directly in front of the basket. Without waiting for the big man inside to help defend the basket, Li You combined the ball in advance to slow down and exert force.

Arenas, who was chasing from the side, was knocked backwards and had no time to jump up to block the shot. He watched Li You use his strength to drift to the left, and he grabbed the ball with his left hand and succeeded in a throw!
"Shh! Oh!"

Boos and applause sounded at the same time, but Li You's understatement of attack made Arenas look particularly embarrassed.

"Man, you have to keep practicing!"

Li You patted Arenas who was about to complain to the referee. In this kind of one-on-one performance, the referee would not call a small physical confrontation.

At 19:14, Antoine Jamison felt that his teammates were a bit on top and loudly reminded Arenas to calm down.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Arenas, who received the ball from the baseline, quickly dribbled across the half court, and then immediately gave the ball to Haywood at the left elbow.

After his teammate received the ball, Arenas first pretended to cut in from the middle, and then suddenly ran back to the left flank.

Haywood passed the ball a little slower, and Arenas had already reached the three-point line when he received the ball.

Approaching the left block, he raised the ball and feinted. Noticing that Li You was unmoved, Arenas protected the ball to the left side of his body and took a quick test step with his right foot.

When his front foot just landed, Arenas obviously had a change of rhythm. He paused slightly, then suddenly released the ball with his left hand, exerted force with his back foot, and accelerated his shoulders.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Arenas did not feel the confrontation on his side. He was delighted and suddenly took a step forward. He held the ball with his left hand, leaned forward and leaned forward to pick the basket.

"Oh!"

While still in the air, Arenas heard the fans' screams, and then saw the basketball being slapped onto the backboard.
Although the run-up distance was very short after adjusting his steps, Li You jumped higher and bounced faster, which made up for the small flaw in his wingspan.

Gasol twisted around to control the ball and returned it to Li You. The Knicks began to accelerate across the half court.

Arenas almost fell to the baseline. He wanted to quickly return to defense, but he saw Li You dribbling the ball slowly, seemingly waiting for him to defend.

The furious Arenas waved to his teammates again and started a stalking defensive mode.

After scoring twice, the fans at the scene didn't mind. They also started to boo loudly. On both sides of the bench, the atmosphere team also started shouting.

When he came to the right wing, Li You turned sideways to protect the ball. He first returned the ball to Laga Bell at the top of the key, then turned sideways again and opened his hand for the ball again.

After catching the ball, he turned around and faced the frame to attack, protecting the ball on the right side of his body. Li You quickly took a tentative step forward with his left foot to the right.

Arenas, who was clinging to the ball, tried to interfere, but Li You paused slightly as soon as his front foot landed. After deceiving the opponent's center of gravity, he quickly released the ball with his right hand and exerted force with his back foot.

Li You, who was accelerating with heavy shoulders, was about to squeeze through the defense in the blink of an eye. Arenas, who was desperately sliding to the left rear, instinctively increased his stride.

The moment he was about to complete the breakthrough, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, blasted the ball with his right hand, and then dribbled the ball behind his back.

The expected defense did not appear. Arenas failed to control his body, tripped and fell to the floor, and finally slipped into the paint area.
"OH——!"

The fans at the scene exclaimed, and even the Wizards' atmosphere team couldn't help but cover their mouths.

Li You really didn't expect to get rid of the defense so easily. He didn't show any expression on his face, easily combined the ball without any guard, and succeeded in a steady jump shot near the elbow area!
On the Knicks bench, everyone was already laughing. Mutombo and Barnes were wearing towels and laughing.

Arenas, who was pulled up by his teammates, became more and more angry as he thought about it and completely lost his calm state of mind.

In the next round, when Arenas slipped out of the baseline and bounced to the right elbow area to catch the ball, he saw Li You chasing him and did not take action immediately, but stopped.
Arenas, who grabbed the ball with his left hand and turned sideways, had just waved his hand to signal his teammates to pull away. Li You suddenly stepped forward and knocked away his opponent to complete the steal.

"Shet!"

Arenas, who was knocked crooked and lost the ball, immediately cursed. He just looked at Li You's back, but found that he had no time to pursue the defense.

1 vs 0 in the frontcourt, Li You rushed into the paint area and took off with both feet, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, quickly rotated 360 degrees in the air, and easily pushed the ball into the basket amidst the cheers of the fans!
Head coach Eddie Jordan folded his arms on the sidelines and shook his head slightly helplessly. This was not the game plan made by the coaching staff before the game.

At 23:14, Li You made two successful defenses, helping the team widen the point difference to 9 points.

At the head coach's reminder, Arenas had to give the ball to Jamison.

In the second half of the first quarter, Jamison and Larry Hughes became the team's main attackers, helping the team cling to the score.

The game entered a duel, and the fans at the scene were happy to see it. On the last attack of the first quarter, Arenas made a three-pointer and hit the iron again, and immediately punched in frustration.

At 34:24, the point difference still reached double digits.

In the subsequent games, Arenas did not give up even though his hand was not good, and he shot harder and harder!

Arenas, who always believed he could hit the next shot, led the Knicks to a spurt from time to time.

Especially after the start of the third quarter, when the score difference reached 3 points, as Raja Bell and Artest hit three-pointers from the corner, Arenas realized that it was too late to double-team.
The Knicks continued their winning streak by persisting until the 4th quarter, with the score finally fixed at 114:98.

Arenas played 41 minutes and did not seize the opportunity to travel during off-peak hours:
24中7，三分线外10中2，罚球4中3，19分5篮板5助攻1抢断3失误。

With a shooting percentage of less than 30%, Arenas did show the confidence of a top scorer.

Wizards fans are still very considerate. After the game, they shouted Li You’s name loudly, and some even had fun shouting happily:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

In recent years, the Knicks have always been going to the White House, and even the internal staff have become Li You's fans.

After joining the Wizards last season, Arenas didn't really like the atmosphere here and complained to the media from time to time.

After the start of the new season, Arenas seemed to have awakened his big-mouthed nature. He complained to the Washington Post:

“I don’t know why the league always schedules the Knicks for Christmas Day games!”

"How many times have they played? The Wizards deserve more attention."

The Christmas game is the pride of New York fans. Although the championship is not as good as the Celtics, the number of Christmas games is definitely far ahead!

The Wizards seem to have gotten rid of their identity as a weakling in the new season. Naturally, Li You has to strike hard and express his stance to the fans.

出场40分钟，24中15，三分线外9中6，罚球6中6，42分6篮板10助攻3抢断1盖帽1失误。

Li You, who was facing the opponent, could only score 9 points for his performance. After waving to the fans, he actively encouraged Arenas, who came to his side:
"Bro, great matchup! I believe the Wizards can make the playoffs this season."

"I loved the defense tonight, it put me under pressure like I haven't in a long time!"

"."

At the MCI Center Arena, the fans had not left the stadium yet. Everyone seemed to want to have fun. Arenas was pulled by Li You to teach him his winning experience, and he could only smile reluctantly for a while.

"An excellent scorer must believe in himself. You know, I never care about efficiency, let alone inaccurate shots."

"It's the same with training, I like to squeeze the best out of my body."

"Basketball doesn't lie, the performance on the training field will eventually be fed back into the game!"

"."

Seeing Li You share his experience in a serious manner, Arenas felt a little joyful in his heart.

After all, Li You wouldn't say this in the past, which seemed to show that he had been recognized.

Walking toward the player tunnel in a daze, Arenas thought of the revelations from the New York media and suddenly realized that Li You might be lying to him:

"Manhattan at 4 o'clock in the morning? Shet! Fuck you!"

"."

(End of this chapter)