Chapter 525: Powerful players from all walks of life in the new season
For the 2014~2015 season, the Trail Blazers player list is as follows:
Point Guard: Lillard, Beverley
Shooting Guard: Matthews, Anthony Morrow, Vince Carter
Small forward: Batum, Will Barton
Power forward: Aldridge, Yi Jianlian, Garnett
Center: Wang Zelin, Adams, Jokic
The above are all players with official contracts, 14 in total.
"Yo yo yo, look who this is, the World Cup bronze medalist has arrived, why are there no cheers? Are there any envious people? By the way, Nicholas, where did you get it?"
The person who said this was none other than Matthews, who was looking at Batum with a teasing look on his face and yelling.
"Ha ha……"
The coaching staff, staff, and players all laughed and cheered and cheered very cooperatively.
Who doesn't know that the French team led by Batum lost to the Chinese team led by Wang Zelin in the bronze medal game, and so did Matthews.
"Tch, ignore them, I won the gold medal, am I proud?"
Only two people remained silent. Lillard waved his hands casually and comforted Batum.
"???"
Why does this sound so wrong?
Are you comforting me?
"snort!"
Batum ignored the two of them and turned around to continue training.
"Hey, boss."
At this time, Jokic came over, smiled and extended his hand to Wang Zelin.
"Oh, it looks like you have really worked hard!"
Wang Zelin walked around Jokic and finally confirmed that the latter's figure had shrunk compared to the first time they met.
But one thing to say, I am still very fat!
"Sorry, boss, I've worked very hard..."
Jokic quickly explained.
What he is most worried about now is that he will not be able to play because of his weight problem.
"It's okay. The new season has just begun. I only have one request. Before the playoffs, you can ensure that you can lose some weight."
"No problem, boss."
At this time, a group of managers came over, and Nel Orsi greeted him warmly as soon as he came up:
"Boys, we meet again. How was your summer?"
Aldridge smiled: "Mr. Orsi, you should ask Damien and Wang this question. They should have the most fulfilling summer."
"Wang, I watched every game you played in the World Cup. I was stunned! Tell me, have you secretly evolved again in the summer?"
Coach Tristos looked at Wang Zhilin, who laughed, and continued: "No wonder after the World Cup, so many people asked FIBA to re-establish the three-second zone rules."
"Hey, how can you rely on me for this? It's obvious that they are too weak." Wang Zelin complained.
Of course, he can't say how afraid he is of the emergence of the three-second zone.
A truly strong person will not be restricted by rules.
What's more, with the system in place, he is getting stronger every year, and the strength he has shown now is still far from his upper limit.
"Oh ho..."
The crowd screamed strangely, but then began to applaud.
If someone else said this, it might be quite inappropriate, because there are so many strong players in the world of basketball, and there are a few people who dare to say that he can suppress all players in the same position.
But when these words came out of Wang Zelin's mouth, they felt extremely reasonable.
After he conquered the NBA and international arenas, he is now recognized in the basketball world as "the world's number one center!"
At least at the center position, Wang Zelin has become a unique presence in the basketball world.
Nel Orsi led the management to the middle of the crowd, first said words of encouragement, and finally said:
"Last season, we not only set the best regular season record in team history, but also won our opponent's second championship trophy. However, I believe that a mere championship is obviously not enough to satisfy everyone. So our goal for this season, I hope that everyone will
With our hard work, we can defend our title!”
"Defending your title?"
Hearing this word, everyone's hearts were shocked, and they began to wonder about the next appreciation.
"That's right, defending the title!"
At this time, Wang Zelin stood up and spoke loudly, breaking the silence at the scene.
With a glance at all his teammates, he stretched out his right hand and said: "We are young enough! We have unlimited potential! Why be humble? Come on, let us shout the only slogan of this season together."
The first one to put his hand on was Lillard, who looked taciturn on the outside, but was very hot on the inside.
The second one is Aldridge, then Batum, Matthews, Yi Jianlian, veteran Garnett...
"champion!"
Wang Zelin looked up to the sky and roared.
"champion!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
"Grand champion! Grand champion..."
At this moment, the Portland Trail Blazers training ground, including the coaching staff, management, and staff were all shouting in unison.
Next, the media was invited in to begin interviews and makeup photos.
"Wang, what are your pursuits for the regular season record in the new season?"
"Wang, what do you think about LeBron returning to the Cavaliers and pursuing hometown basketball?"
"Wang, are you confident in winning the regular season MVP again in the new season?"
"Wang, do the Portland Trail Blazers have the confidence to challenge for the championship again?"
"..."
As soon as he came up, the media surrounded Wang Zelin and asked all kinds of questions.
"What is the regular season record in the new season? First set a small goal to become first in the Western Conference and Northwest Division, and then pursue a higher league ranking and get a better playoff ranking."
"Hometown basketball? Pah...cough, stop shooting, I didn't, I just thought of happy things."
"Regular season MVP? Of course I hope I can win again. Every player should have thoughts about him. Why should I be an exception?"
"Championship? Do you think besides the Portland Trail Blazers, can you find another team with more championship qualities this season?"
On the media day of the new season, Wang Zhelin answered these questions very casually, even in a joking tone.
As for the final championship, his expression instantly became serious and he asked immediately.
An ESPN female reporter replied: "With all due respect, I think the Cleveland Cavaliers are fully capable of competing for the championship, because they have just recruited Cousins from the Kings to strengthen the Cavaliers' inside line.
Coupled with LeBron Kyrie, this trio is about to shock the league!"
"No, no, I don't agree."
The TNT reporter on the side objected.
"In fact, teams with giants gathered together may not necessarily be able to win, and Los Angeles fans must have the most say on this point.
Don't forget, LeBron, Cousins, and Irving haven't officially played a game yet. It's still unclear how well they can get along.
Comparing the two teams, I have 10,000 reasons to believe that the Trail Blazers, who just won the championship last season and whose core lineup has not changed, have a better chance of winning the championship than the Cavaliers."
"Pa bang bang..."
Wang Zelin applauded the TNT reporter and said with a smile: "I very much agree with your point of view."
After finishing speaking, he couldn't help but feel emotional when he thought about the transaction in mid-August.
The arrival of my little butterfly once again made history happen.
With the summer trade market officially opening and James determined to return to Cleveland, the most important thing for the management is to find strong helpers for James.
Unexpectedly, this time they did not look for Kevin LeFou of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but instead set their sights on DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings.
Actually, I don’t blame them for thinking so.
It is true that Wang Ze's performance in the playoffs last season was too scary. With his own efforts, he managed to raise the voices of many blue-collar insiders.
This summer, not only the Cavaliers, but also many teams, such as the Lakers, Spurs, Thunder, Pacers, etc., have consciously strengthened their interior lines.
As the saying goes: this moment is exactly like that time.
In fact, many things that happened during the offseason made many people think back to the absurd deeds of other teams at the beginning of the century when they kept crazily piling up human shield centers in order to deal with the big shark.
Now, there is a taste!
Finally, at 14:00 noon on August 25th, the Cavaliers officially announced:
The Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers have reached a deal regarding the DeMarcus Kao situation!
The Cavaliers sent the 2014 No. 1 pick Wiggins and the 2013 No. 1 pick Bennett, plus a protected future first-round pick, in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins.
This deal was in the works for nearly two weeks, and after negotiations, it officially came into effect on August 25.
After Cousins joins the Cavaliers, it means that the five-year contract extension worth 80 million yuan that he just reached with the Kings on October 1, 2013 will be paid by the Cavaliers.
At that time, Wang Zelin knew that the trajectory of historical development had once again deviated.
The Cavaliers' Big Three have become a combination of James Irving and Cousins.
Of course, the injured person is still Zui Ge.
From a personal development point of view, Wiggins going to the Kings is definitely beneficial to the Kings, because he can be trained by the team in time.
According to outside evaluations, this deal is a win-win. The Cavaliers can rely on the lineup structure of James Irving Cousins to directly hit the championship.
To put it bluntly, the three Cavaliers are more compatible than the Heat's three.
For the Kings, although they lost an excellent big man who had already cashed in on his talent, they got a talented small forward whose talent is comparable to that of James.
Although Cousins has performed better year by year in the past 10 years, he has been unable to lead the team into the playoffs and cannot prove himself on a higher stage. This is enough to undermine his external reputation.
Much criticized.
Joining the Cavaliers and assisting James to taste the playoffs, it is even possible to reach the top in one step and directly win the first championship of his career. For Cousins, who has been excluded from the playoffs, it is also a great move.
temptation.
Therefore, among this win-win contract, the most embarrassing one may be the new No. 1 pick Wiggins.
After being traded, he also set a new record:
The only No. 1 pick in NBA history who was traded away without playing a single game for his home team after being drafted!
Looking back on Wiggins's high-spirited attitude in the draft, now, it has become a slap in the face.
After all, it was paid in error.
well, let's get back to business.
Speaking of which, even Wang Zelin is a little confused now. How strong are the Cavaliers' Big Three in the new season?
Also, he is wondering whether Cousins can still play the role of the league's number one center in the future after joining the Cavaliers?
You know, Cousins was indeed considered by many to be the league's number one center from the 15-16 season to the 2017-18 season.
His peak season of 27-10 should be regarded as the highest scoring average in a single season by a center position since O'Neal.
grass!
Why do I think so much?
Shouldn't the first thing the Trail Blazers have to watch out for now is the Thunder, Spurs and Los Angeles duo in the Western Conference?
As for how much the Cavaliers are worth, we will know when they get a chance to play in the regular season.
This side of the west.
The Spurs' GDP trio is another year older, and the core responsibility of the team has gradually been transferred to young master Leonard.
But again, never believe what Duncan says, who knows how much gas that guy still has in the tank.
There hasn't been much news about reinforcements from the Thunder, because their core is an explosive combination. As long as Durant and Westbrook are still there, they have hope of hitting the championship.
As for the Los Angeles duo.
Regardless of the Clippers, the team led by Rivers has always been very stable.
On the contrary, it was the backcourt combination of Lakers Rondo and Kobe that made Wang Zelin quite excited.
Whether in terms of technical style or data performance, Rondo is very similar to Kidd in the early years.
It just so happened that in the early years, probably around the beginning of the century, there was news that the Lakers would bring in Kidd. However, the Lakers management later refused to trade Bynum for Kidd, which eventually led to the turmoil of Kobe Bryant leaving the team in 2007.
You know, Kidd drifted away from the Suns after the "domestic violence scandal" in 2001, and was eventually sent to the Nets in July 2001.
At that time, people in the industry believed that Kidd's entire career was over.
But unexpectedly, Kidd broke out in New Jersey and led the Nets to the Finals for two consecutive years. Their opponent in the 2002 Finals was the Lakers.
It was at that time that Kobe and Kidd began to eye each other.
This is why, when the news came out that the Lakers refused to trade Bynum for Kidd, Kobe directly scolded the management for their stupid behavior in public.
Now, after the Lakers introduced Rondo, who has a similar style to Kidd, many fans regard him as a combination of "bankrupt Kidd and old Kobe".
Not only Wang Zelin, but also countless fans are looking forward to what kind of battle this combination can unleash in the new season.
Oh, by the way, I almost forgot that there is another powerful team - the Golden State Warriors!
If I remember correctly, the evolution from Curry to Kuritian began in the following 2014~2015 season.