Basketball boy, starting to shine from the slam dunk
Chapter 1685: Big Deal on Deadline
2 month 7 day.
Today is the 2019-20 NBA player trading deadline. After today, the player trading market will be closed and no player trades will be allowed.
Therefore, before this, many teams were already ready to seize the last opportunity to use player trades to strengthen the team or make adjustments to the lineup.
When February 2th arrived, various transactions were immediately exposed.
For example, the Pistons sent away former All-Star player Andre Drummond and got Henson, Brandon Knight, and a 2023 second-round pick from the Cavaliers.
The Denver Nuggets sent Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Hernangomez to the Timberwolves in exchange for Gerald Green and a 2020 first-round pick.
The Warriors sent D'Antoni Russell, Evans, and Spellman to the Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 first-round pick (top three protected), and a 2021 second-round pick.
There are also other teams involved in the trade.
Such as 76ers, Trail Blazers, Wizards, etc...
The most eye-catching of these transactions was not the transaction between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, nor the transaction of Andre Drummond, but the fact that the Rockets actually reached a deal with the Cavaliers. The Rockets sent Capela, Rivers Jr., and a first-round draft pick to get Kevin Love from the Cavaliers.
When the news came out, it immediately caused a sensation.
People were discussing it hotly.
"Is this true? The Rockets really got Kevin Love to form a Big Three with Westbrook and Harden?"
"Haha, so that's how it is. No wonder Westbrook returned to the court in the last game, and it seems that the conflict between him and Harden has been eased. I was still wondering, didn't they say before that the two of them were incompatible and only one could stay? How come they suddenly became friends again? Now I know the reason."
"I heard before that Westbrook had been forcing the management to get Love and form a 'Big Three' lineup, but Harden refused. Now it seems that Harden has compromised."
"I'm not surprised. Everyone knows why Harden refused before, but now the Rockets only sent away Capela, Rivers Jr., and a future draft pick in exchange for Love. The price they paid was not high. And with the Rockets' previous lineup, it was obvious that they could not win the championship. If they want to win the championship, Harden must make a compromise."
"But I heard that the Rockets have been looking to trade Westbrook to get an All-Star player from other teams, plus some immediate combat power, or to build a championship-contending lineup with Harden as the absolute core?"
"Those are all rumors. There are so many strong teams in the West, and Harden alone will never win a championship in his lifetime. What I heard is that the Rockets want to use some role players and future draft picks as bargaining chips to exchange for an All-Star player, but not necessarily Love. It is said that they contacted other teams, but obviously failed, and finally chose Love."
"I think Love is the best fit for the Rockets. First of all, it didn't cost too much to get him. Secondly, although Love is not as good as he was in his prime, he is definitely stronger than Capela. He can do a lot more than Capela, and he has a three-point shot that can open up space. In short..."
Regarding the Rockets' deal, people were shocked at first, then made all kinds of analyses, and finally became excited and expectant.
The Rockets have two superstars, Harden and Westbrook, but their record this season is not very good, which has made fans feel depressed and disappointed.
Harden and Westbrook's running-in has never been effective.
Now there seems to be a turning point. Love's arrival may be a neutralizer, reconciling the relationship between Harden and Westbrook and making the Rockets better.
......
Los Angeles.
A group of Lakers players were also discussing the matter.
"I didn't expect the Rockets really wanted to trade for Love." Nance Jr. said, "I thought it was just a rumor."
"It's been going on for so long, how could it be a rumor?" Clarkson said with an expression that said, "I guessed it a long time ago." "When Westbrook returned to the court, he played a lot with Harden. At that time, I knew that there must be something going on."
Everyone looked at Clarkson in surprise: "Do you have inside information?"
"No." Clarkson shook his head, "But I know Westbrook. If this matter hadn't been resolved, the relationship between him and Harden would not have eased so quickly."
Oh, too.
Everyone suddenly realized that this was indeed the truth after thinking about it carefully.
Westbrook and Harden had a lot of unpleasantness before, so how could they reconcile so quickly? There must be other reasons - the root causes of the conflict between the two are that their positions overlap too much, and the other is Kevin Love.
The problem of their overlapping positions is not easy to solve, so the only thing that can quickly ease the relationship between the two is to trade for Love.
At this time, Zubac asked, "Didn't you say before that Harden didn't agree to trade for Love because he was worried that Love would side with Westbrook and threaten Harden's position in the team? Why did he agree now?"
this......
Everyone was at a loss for words. Clarkson looked at Zhuang Yu and asked, "Zhuang Yu, what do you think is the reason?"
Suddenly, a group of people looked at Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu thought for a moment and said, "I guess Westbrook may have made some concessions in this matter, such as publicly recognizing Harden's position as the team leader, giving up some of his own ball rights, and being willing to be the team's second-in-command. In addition, Harden must also know that it is impossible for them to win the championship in their current situation, so he had to compromise."
Oh......
Everyone nodded, thinking that this was most likely the case.
This kind of thing usually doesn't involve one person making a unilateral concession. Everyone has to take a step back before the deal can be discussed.
Harden and Westbrook do have a lot of overlap in their positions on the court, and their playing styles also overlap, but one thing they are consistent about is that they both want to win the championship.
At this time, Holiday suddenly spoke up and asked Zhuang Yu: "Zhuang, do you think Love's arrival will bring good changes to the Rockets?"
Zhuang Yu nodded: "Love is a very smart player and a very selfless player. He has already won the championship. At this stage of his career, he will not compete for team status and ball possession. He also has a good relationship with Russell. I think he will not join forces with Russell to fight Harden. Instead, he may become a lubricant between Harden and Westbrook. From the perspective of technical characteristics and tactics, Love also has such a role. He is an excellent inside player who can replace Capela's position very well. He can shoot three-pointers, which can open up space for Harden and Westbrook, making it easier for the two to break through."
Well, that makes sense.
Everyone nodded again, agreeing with Zhuang Yu's opinion.
Someone frowned and said, "So, the Rockets' strength should be much higher than before."
Someone else echoed: "Although Love no longer has the strength of an All-Star player, he still has a statistic close to 18+10 this season, which is also a quasi-All-Star level. If he joins the Rockets, they can barely form a Big Three."
This is equivalent to adding a powerful opponent to the Lakers.
Even though the Rockets had Harden and Westbrook before, in the eyes of the Lakers players, they were no match for the Lakers.
But now that the Rockets have the Big Three, the situation seems different.
Seeing his teammates' concerns, Zhuang Yu smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about. Everything is just speculation. It's still unknown whether Love's arrival will bring good or bad changes to the Rockets. Even if his joining really strengthens the Rockets and forms a Big Three combination, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Everyone calmed down and were no longer so worried.
Yes, isn’t it just the Big Three? Strictly speaking, the Rockets still only have two Big Two, and Love no longer has All-Star level strength.
Besides, we don’t just look at the star lineup. Didn’t the Warriors lose to us last season with a lineup like that?
There is nothing to be afraid of.
The Lakers are not afraid of the Rockets. After all, they are the defending champions and have won the championship for two consecutive seasons. They have strong foundation and great strength.
But some other teams in the Western Conference are a little nervous.
The Rockets before might not be enough to scare them, but the Rockets now are not so easy to deal with.
......
Zhuang Yu did not continue to pay attention to the changes in the Rockets, but focused on the game against the Lakers.
After defeating the Rockets, they have won 16 consecutive games. Zhuang Yu hopes that their winning streak can continue and create better results.
On February 2, the Lakers played against the Warriors at home.
As Stephen Curry was sidelined due to injury and the Warriors' lineup changed a lot this season, the team's strength was greatly reduced, so the Lakers defeated the Warriors with almost no effort in this game and won their 17th consecutive victory.
On February 2, the Lakers went on the road to challenge the Suns.
There is no suspense in this game either. The Lakers are full of fighting spirit and morale at the moment. There will basically be no variables when playing against a weak team like the Suns.
When the game ended, the Lakers defeated the Suns 124:116.
On February 2, the Lakers returned to their home court for the last regular season game before the All-Star Weekend. This time their opponent was the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets have played very well this season. Their current record ranks third in the Western Conference, second only to the Lakers and Clippers, and their record is on par with the Clippers.
As long as they win one more game, they will surpass the Clippers and become second in the Western Conference.
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