On May 17, several other teams played their final games, the 2006-07 regular season officially ended, and all team records were released.
The Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference with 53 wins and 29 losses. They were dropped to fifth place in the Western Conference.
Moreover, the schedule of teams in the Eastern Conference is generally easier than that in the Western Conference. They only play two games against the strong teams in the Western Conference, but have to play three to four games against the weak teams in the Eastern Conference.
If the Pistons were thrown into the Western Conference, they would definitely not win 53 games.
Before the playoffs have even started, experts are sure of one thing: the championship will come from the Western Conference, and the Western Conference Finals will be more intense and difficult than the Finals.
Ranked second is the Cavaliers, with 50 wins and 32 losses.
The remaining ones are less than fifty wins.
The Raptors ranked third with 47 wins, and the Heat ranked fourth with 44 wins.
The fifth place is the Bulls, with 49 wins. However, because they belong to the same division as the Cavaliers and Pistons, they are ranked fifth.
The Wizards, Nets and Magic occupy positions 6-8, and their records are exactly the same, 40 wins and 42 losses.
The winning rate is less than half and easily enters the playoffs.
On the contrary, the situation in the west is much more tragic.
The ninth-ranked Clippers both have a record of 41 wins and 41 losses.
Ranked first is the Mavericks, with 67 wins and 15 losses, breaking the team's record.
67 wins, which is still the sixth-best team record in league history.
At present, the Mavericks have the highest championship title, but no one can imagine what surprises the Mavericks will bring to the fans.
Ranked second is the Suns, with 61 wins and 21 losses.
Teams that can win 60 games are extraordinary. Historically, if Robert Horry of the Spurs hadn't knocked Nash down, and the conflict broke out and resulted in Stoudemire and Diaw being suspended, the championship might have gone to the Suns.
Ranking third is the Spurs, with 58 wins and 24 losses.
Although their record is not as good as the Mavericks and Suns, no one dares to underestimate them because they have "rich" playoff experience.
The fourth place is the Jazz, with 51 wins and 31 losses.
The Rockets have 54 wins but can only be ranked fifth because they and the Mavericks and Spurs belong to the Southwest Division.
Although they are ranked lower than the Jazz, they have home court advantage, so they have no impact on the Rockets.
The Nuggets have 45 wins and are ranked sixth. The Lakers and Warriors both have 42 wins and 40 losses. However, due to the relationship between competition and losses, the Lakers are fortunate to be ranked seventh and the Warriors are eighth.
This is the Lakers' luck and the Mavericks' misfortune.
At the end of the season, various data kings are also revealed.
The scoring leader is Kobe Bryant with 31.6 points, the rebounding leader is Garnett with 12.8 points, the assist leader is Nash with 11.6 points. The block leader is Marcus Camby, and the steal leader is Baron Davis.
Looking at these statistics, Zhang Zhiyuan shrugged helplessly. None of him was on the list.
These are all honorary points.
The first playoff game will not start until the 20th, and each team will have three to four days to rest and adjust. At the same time, it is also time for the media to build momentum.
In order to attract more fans to watch the game live, the media is full of tricks, looking for trouble and creating gimmicks.
The duel between the Cavaliers and Wizards was hyped by the media as a battle of revenge, with the Emperor fighting the Trident alone. Because the Cavaliers eliminated the Wizards in the first round of last year's playoffs.
The Cavaliers have the super giant James, and the Wizards have a powerful trident. These are all highlights.
Mavericks vs. Warriors is the story of Nelson and the Mavericks. It depends on whether Don Nelson can defeat the team he once built.
The Rockets and Jazz are considered the most intense matchup in the first round, because the two teams have a 50-50 winning rate.
The Rockets are stronger on paper, the Jazz's style of play restrains the Rockets, and the Jazz's bench is slightly stronger.
.......
At the same time, various expert predictions and analyzes are also appearing like ghosts and ghosts.
The spinach companies have also opened their orders and are waiting for the fish to take the bait.
Zhang Zhiyuan had nothing to do and looked at the handicap.
The one with the lowest odds is the Suns, only 4 to 1.
Followed by the Spurs and Mavericks, 1 pays 6.
The Pistons, Cavaliers, and Heat lose 8 to 1.
Although their paper strength seems to be weaker than the strong teams in the Western Conference, it is easy for them to enter the finals in the Eastern Conference.
As long as you reach the finals, your chances of winning the championship are already high.
There are many factors that affect the outcome of a game, such as feel, tactics, player injuries...
In short, according to the analysis of the betting company, the Cavaliers have a much greater chance than teams such as the Rockets and Jazz.
Without the variable Zhang Zhiyuan, their predictions would actually be quite accurate.
The Rockets and Jazz are both 1-for-16, but this does not mean that their strength is only half of the Cavaliers, but that the schedules of both teams are too devilish.
It is already very difficult for these two teams to defeat each other and enter the second round, and they will definitely have to go through a hard battle. And the two teams they have to face in the second round are basically the Mavericks, which is even worse.
Even if there is a very small probability event and they defeat the Mavericks and enter the Western Conference Finals, what is waiting for them is basically the Suns or Spurs.
With this kind of devilish schedule, luck can no longer play a leading role. Strength and excellent team strength are necessary.
Both the Rockets and Jazz are pretty good, at least they give decent odds.
The teams behind them were basically labeled as "unable to win the championship".
Bulls, Nets, Nuggets lose 30 to 1.
Raptors, Magic, Lakers lose 50 to 1.
Wizards, Warriors 1 pay 100.
At a loss of 100, no one will buy it except for the idiot fans of the Wizards and Warriors.
The league has been developing for decades, and there has never been a situation where a team losing 100 to 1 has won the championship.
"Too bad I can't place a bet."
Zhang Zhiyuan said regretfully.
If he could, he would stud the Rockets and take a gamble.
You pay sixteen for one, you make a lot of money.
Others think the Rockets have no chance, but he thinks they have a great chance.
Historically, the Rockets lost to the Jazz 3-4 in the first round and almost qualified.
Zhang Zhiyuan believes that with the addition of himself, the Rockets can definitely defeat the Jazz. It will be easier to beat the Warriors in the second round, and it will not be a problem to beat the Cavaliers in the finals. The only trouble is the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
"Oh, which team are you watching?"
Smail asked.
"Of course it's a rocket."
Zhang Zhiyuan said.
These words made Smile speechless as a flock of crows flew over his head.
Obviously, he doesn't believe in Zhang Zhiyuan's vision. After all, so many experts are optimistic about the Suns and Mavericks.
Zhang Zhiyuan's words are more like showing off his shamelessness.
Zhang Zhiyuan can't buy it himself, but he thinks he can help his fans.
So, he accepted an interview with reporters before the game.
Under his guidance, the reporter asked which question: "Which team do you think has the best chance of winning the championship this year?"
"Of course it's the Rockets, no doubt. I heard that some bookmakers gave us a humiliating odds of 16 to 1. I hope they can correct it to show respect for us and avoid bankruptcy.
.”
Zhang Zhiyuan said.
The reporter burst out laughing, Zhang Zhiyuan's outrageous request gave people a very funny feeling.
He laughed for a while, and then continued to ask: "Why, can you tell me your reason?"
"Isn't this obvious? Only the Rockets have the Big Three in the league. Can other teams' lineups compare with ours? Yao must score at least 25 points in the playoffs, and McGrady will score 25 points even less. There are two of them.
Attracting firepower, I can score easily from the outside. It’s not too much to score 25 points. Is there any other team that can match our firepower..."
Zhang Zhiyuan analyzed.
"Wait a minute, the Spurs' GDP is not the Big Three?"
The reporter interrupted Zhang Zhiyuan's narcissism, saying that 25 points is not too much, it is simply too much.
He wanted to remind Zhang Zhiyuan how difficult it was to score 25 points in the playoffs.
"Parker and Ginobili are also called giants? Giants who average less than 20 points per game?"
Zhang Zhiyuan's direct provocation is the best way to make Parker and Ginobili angry. They have nothing to lose if they don't get angry.
Popovich likes to use this kind of off-board trick, and Zhang Zhiyuan treats him in his own way.
Finally, Zhang Zhiyuan also used reporters to suggest that his fans spend a little money to buy the Rockets to win the championship, which is a good deal.
After the news report, many people were shocked.
Although many players will say they believe their team can win the championship when facing the media, their words are somewhat "politically correct".
I just talk about it, but I don’t think so at all.
But Zhang Zhiyuan's tone and the content of his words revealed a kind of determination.
This is a bit funny. Fans and experts don't know where Zhang Zhiyuan gets his confidence.
At the same time, it is outrageous to encourage your fans to place bets.
Once a prediction is wrong and fans lose money, it is quite a loss of character and image.
"He really should find a better agent."
Smith complained, and Smail took the blame again.
Under normal circumstances, agents will teach players some common sense, such as what to say and what not to say.
Now it seems that not only is Smail's ability in signing contracts worrying, but he is also in a mess when it comes to maintaining his image.
...
On the 20th, the playoffs officially begin.
There are four games on this day, the first one is the Bulls vs. the Heat.
The result was shocking. The Heat lost to the Bulls 91-98, which slapped many experts in the face.
Although the Bulls have a better regular season record, experts are more optimistic about the Heat because the Heat have two superstars and because the Heat have playoff experience and championship experience.
These bullshit sounds reasonable at first glance, but in reality it doesn't make sense.
What followed was the Magic vs. Pistons, and the Magic lost to the Pistons 92-100.
Warcraft Howard lost in his first playoff game.
A few hours later, the Western Conference game started.
The first thing to happen is the Rockets vs. the Jazz at home.
The visiting team's players were booed by the fans when they came out.
The playoffs are a life-and-death elimination system, and the opponent is the enemy.
When the home team players came on the field, they were cheered and cheered by the fans.
The cheers Zhang Zhiyuan enjoyed were second only to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Although he has only been in the team for a short time, he can still do what he did.
Battier is usually too honest, making it difficult for fans to focus their attention and interest on him.
On the other hand, Zhang Zhiyuan is either involved in scandals with celebrities or singing and dancing in shows.
From time to time, he also provokes his opponents and makes some sensational remarks. He is so topical that it is difficult for others to ignore him.
At the beginning of the game, the Jazz arranged a starting lineup of Fisher, Deron Williams, Kirilenko, Boozer, and Memet Okur.
Fisher was a member of OK's three consecutive championships, and Deron Williams has grown to a level similar to Paul's and is also a star player.
Kirilenko is a defensive monster, and Boozer and Okur were All-Stars this year.
At first glance, their lineup seems pretty good.
Although there is no super giant who can carry the banner, he is not weak in every position.
The starters for the Rockets are Alston, Tracy McGrady, Battier, Hayes, and Yao Ming.
After more than a dozen games in the regular season, Van Gundy and his assistants unanimously determined that Zhang Zhiyuan was more suitable to be placed on the bench.
Because his desire to take action is too strong, it would be a waste to put him in the starting lineup overlapping with Yao Mai.
Moreover, the Rockets' bench offense is a big problem, which leaves Zhang Zhiyuan to supplement it.
"Why isn't Brother Zhang starting?"
Chinese fans don’t understand very much.
Zhang Lili and Sun Zhengping also happened to talk about this issue on the show. Zhang Lili gave a very reasonable explanation, and some fake fans suddenly realized it after listening to it.
It turns out that putting Zhang Zhiyuan on the bench was not because Zhang Zhiyuan was incompetent, but because he had a more important task assigned to him.
Not bad, Xiao Fan is still very discerning.
The two teams jumped the ball, Okur gave the ball to his own side, and the Jazz attacked first.
Deron and Kirilenko played a pick-and-roll. After changing positions, Kirilenko faced Alston. With his height advantage, he didn't have to worry about being blocked. This was already a good shooting opportunity.
Kirilenko took a shot and missed the ball.
Then McGrady hit the ball, then Okur hit the ball, Boozer grabbed the offensive rebound, Boozer made a turnover, Alston stole the ball, Alston made a turnover, Okur passed the ball after the steal, and Fisher shot the ball.
It was a mess under the basket, like a high school league.
Maybe it was because we had just started playing in the playoffs and everyone was a little nervous.
Zhang Zhiyuan was entertained by everyone off the court. After watching this scene, the fans would probably have the illusion that I can fuck me.
After a minute and a half of court time, the two teams finally opened up. Yao Ming received a pass from Alston at the basket and turned around and made a shot.
0 to 2.
Then, the Jazz started a blacksmithing performance.
Fisher forges, Delong forges, and Oku forges.
It wasn't until the 5th minute that the Jazz made a 3-pointer from Okur.
3 to 8.
Immediately after Yao Ming was blocked by Kirilenko, the Jazz counterattacked and Boozer hit a two-pointer.
5 to 8, what a pity for a dream start.
After that, the two sides started a fighting battle, which lasted until the seventh minute, and the score was still 5 to 8.
"The Jazz's defense is too strong. Every ball must be fought for and there is no limit to defense. The Rockets can't find any good shooting opportunities at all."
Zhang Lili sighed with emotion.
"Why don't Van Gundy replace him with Xiao Zhang? Multiple firepower points can make the Jazz more difficult to defend against."
Sun Zhengping complained.
These words were approved by Zhang Lili, and he also felt that he should go to Zhang Zhiyuan.
As if he heard their voices, Van Gundy called a timeout and was about to replace Zhang Zhiyuan to try to break the situation.
He said, "Just go ahead and do it."
Van Gundy was also worried that Zhang Zhiyuan would be tied up in his first playoff appearance, but he didn't know that Zhang Zhiyuan's mentality was very relaxed.
He vaguely remembered that the Rockets won this game, so he didn't need to do well on the court. If he didn't pull the ball, there would be no problem.
"Zhang is on the field. Let's see his playoff debut. Maybe he can surprise us."
