Chapter 389 The general's discord with the tens of thousands of characters broke out~
On January 27, the Lakers ushered in their 44th game of the season. Their opponent was the Oklahoma City Thunder, which currently has the first record in the Western Conference.
This game was broadcast live across the country, but for most media, there was not much interest in watching it.
Because the strength of the Lakers and Thunder this season is really very different. One is 13th in the Western Conference, and the other is first in the Western Conference. It is simply a competition between the weakest and the strongest. As for the result, is there any need to think too much?
If the Lakers didn't have the "Four Kings" and a lot of gimmicks, they wouldn't even be on National Broadcast Day.
In the last game, Tang Qian got a silver fragment. After collecting three silver fragments, he exchanged them for a silver three-point card.
That's right, it's a silver three-point card. The effect is that you can score 6 three-pointers in a game with a 100% hit rate.
The effect is very good, but it can only be used for "surprise attack". In normal games, Tang Qian is unwilling to use this "surprise attack card".
But what makes him most happy is that his rebounding ability has once again broken through.
It rose from the original 7 yuan to 7 and a half yuan. Although it was only half a yuan, Tang Qian clearly felt that he could already beat all the league's inside rebounds head-on. This is the most important thing for the Lakers.
.After all, the value of a rebound is sometimes more than just a "2-point shot."
And this adds another solid weight to his quest to win the league's rebounding title this season.
From the beginning of this game, the Lakers took the advantage. Kobe didn't know what happened, but he continued the game style of the previous game. Like Nash, he started to distribute the ball without blinking. Forget about Nash, the Thunder were all
They knew he could pass the ball, but Kobe's behavior made the Oklahomans extremely uncomfortable. Under the strong passing of the two, the Lakers blossomed more. Gasol scored 5 points and Ci Shiping scored 5 points.
, Kobe scored 4 points, Nash scored 5 points, Tang Qian scored 3 points, and Jamison scored 5 points, 27 points in a single quarter, evenly distributed, which made the Thunder lose sight of one thing and did not find the feeling of defense at all.
As for Howard, he played 8 minutes in this quarter and made 0 of 3 shots from the field. They were all low-post singles, without any pass-cut coordination or sports action. Seeing him like this, Mike D'Antoni replaced him with a wave of his hand.
, and then went up to Tang Qian, with no intention of caring about Howard's face. This is the difference between D'Antoni and Mike Brown. He is amiable. Once he really falls out with you, he will fall out with you to the end. It won't be that easy.
Just shrinking and giving in. Besides, now the Lakers and his top priority are to win, win, and win again! For this purpose, and for the stability of his job, Mike D'Antoni began to gradually risk his life.
What kind of star player? What kind of number one center in the league? Get out of here with labor and management! Unless you can bring me victory, record, and playoff spot, labor and management don’t care who you are now!
!!
Tang Qian's shooting in this quarter was actually very average. He only made 1 of 4 shots and 1 of 2 free throws. He got a 3-pointer and his shooting percentage was only 25%. But even so, it was still better than Howard. Howard was
On the offensive end, he got "zero duck eggs", which means he made no contribution. And on the rebounding and defensive end, Tang Qian is not much worse than Howard, so it is normal to be favored by Mike D'Antoni. Besides, his movement
Positivity, pick-and-roll enthusiasm, are all intangible data and contributions, which is also incomparable to that "Warcraft". It's not that Tang Qian has surpassed Howard in terms of hard power. If you really want to make a serious comparison, there is still a long way to go between him and the latter.
, such as the core influence on the defensive end, various abilities on the offensive end, etc., there are all-round gaps. Then why is it that Tang Qian has been so successful in these games, while the opponent has frequently suffered defeats and disgraced faces?
What? There is only one reason for this, and that is that Howard is too arrogant.
He couldn't let go of his former role as the Magic's superstar, and was unwilling to change or truly integrate into the team.
In this way, there are now "all kinds of unhappiness" and "all kinds of unhappiness".
If he really cooperates wholeheartedly with the head coach and the whole team, mainly plays pick-and-rolls on the offensive end and assists in the low post, and actively assists in defense on the defensive end and complains less, then he will still be much more effective than Tang Qian. After all, Tang Qian, besides pick-and-rolls, he can still play for the time being.
He can't play in the low post alone, which reduces his tactical options by more than half, and Howard's influence as a defensive core cannot be matched by Tang Qian for the time being. Don't look at Tang Qian's rebounding, which is also good, and his block number is even higher than Howard.
But for the overall defense of the entire team, his core role is not enough. It is still a little bit behind. This is why Howard can be elected as DPOY consecutively. His core defensive ability is top-notch.
Any team that has him can build a defensive system around him, but Tang Qian can't do that right now.
This is the invisible ability of data, but it really exists.
Unfortunately, this season, he has not learned the lesson yet and is still dreaming of being the "league's number one center".
This is the most fundamental reason.
Tang Qian didn't have so many ideas. As long as there was an opportunity, he wanted to seize it and was unwilling to miss it easily.
Comparing the mental states of the two people, it is clear at a glance.
In this way, Kobe saved a lot of physical energy on the offensive end, so the intensity on the defensive end can be maintained for the time being.
He allowed Russell Westbrook to make 0 of 5 shots in a single quarter and only scored 1 point through free throws. This kind of defense can be called tyrannical.
And coincidentally, one of the "Thunder Young Masters", "Du Shao", didn't feel very good in the first quarter. He only made 3 of 8 shots in a single quarter, with a shooting rate of 37%. For "Du Shao" this season,
This is already very abnormal. You must know that Kevin Durant’s shooting percentage in the current season is over 51%. With this kind of shooting percentage data, who can compete with him head-on except his great rival LeBron James?
"Tang, don't worry, you just hit the few balls reasonably, there is no big problem." Nash said to Tang Qian when he came off the court. "Well, I will pay attention to it, Steve." Tang Qian.
Qian nodded. He knew that this was an old player passing on his game experience, so he nodded seriously and said.
27-23, the Lakers led by 4 points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Thunder showed off its power, but it had nothing to do with the "Thunder Young Masters". Except for the "Thunder Young Masters" and Ibaka, all the team's shooting percentages were 100%. Although most of them only took one shot.
, but he made 12 of 20 shots in a single quarter, with a shooting percentage of 60%. It was not fake. This made the Lakers defensively confused for a while. Westbrook was still protected by Kobe and made 1 of 4 shots in a single quarter. In the first half,
1 of 9 shots from the field was his offensive record. Durant didn't have much defensive pressure, so he felt better and made 3 of 7 shots, with a shooting percentage of over 40%. In other words, the Lakers' second quarter
He defended the Thunder's offensive core, but was defeated by role players and substitute players.
25-30 in a single quarter, at halftime, the Lakers were 1 point behind.
Let me say here that the Lakers actually had a good shooting percentage in this quarter, 10-for-17, and the team also had 10 assists, far more than their opponent's 6. But their free throws were really ugly.
Point, the culprit is Howard. He made 1 of 8 free throws in a single quarter and 1 of 10 free throws in the first half. If his free throws were a little better, the Lakers would not have entered the second half with a deficit.
In the locker room, head coach Mike D'Antoni calmly criticized Howard's free throws. He hoped that the latter could work hard and practice more. Otherwise, for the sake of the team's interests, he could only replace Howard when his opponent "cut Howard".
It's time to rest. What's the hidden meaning of this sentence? That's Howard, you'd better practice free throws as soon as possible, otherwise I will only reduce your playing time. You can decide what to do yourself.
Although Howard is not very smart, he is not a complete idiot either. He is still smarter than the "hermitage master", so he suddenly turned dark and said, "If labor and management don't care about you, what can you do?"
The look on his face. Soon, he knew what Mike D'Antoni would be like. He only played less than 4 minutes in the third quarter before he was replaced, and then he was not able to play again in the entire quarter. On the contrary,
Tang Qian played very well in this quarter, with continuous running cuts and pick-and-rolls. He scored 2 of 3 shots and 5 points. At the same time, he also got 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 shot on the defensive end.
assists, which can be called a perfect "sixth man" performance.
Kobe gradually discovered the benefits of playing pick-and-rolls with Tang Qian. Not only did he save energy on the offensive end, but every time, the latter blocked the block very strongly and securely, which allowed him to break through the efficiency and improve linearly. Whether it was scoring or scoring.
Passing the ball has become more threatening.
No wonder Steve supports him so much. Although his ability is not as good as that of Dwight Howard, he is willing to sacrifice and do the dirty work, so he works with him and becomes more comfortable. This is true on the basketball court.
It’s not surprising, because basketball is not a simple game of superstars. A combination of five people with super abilities is definitely not as good as a combination of five people that are suitable for each other. For example, the “Big Three” of the Houston Rockets in the 1998-99 season in NBA history, Ola
Juwon + Barkley + Pippen were eliminated in the first round because they were not suitable for each other. Although the "big dream" of that season was 35 years old, it was still the last healthy season, the tail end of the peak, and the season.
Not to mention perfect attendance, he averaged close to 19+10+2.5 per game. He is still one of the top five centers in the league. He was selected to the All-NBA Team for the last time in his career, which is an example. Barkley is also 35 years old and is also at the end of his peak.
You can get data close to 16+12+5. Finally, there is the 33-year-old Pippen. He has just been released from the Bulls dynasty. His physical condition and competitive level are still at their peak. He is full attendance during the season and averages close to 15+7+6+ per game.
With 2 all-around statistics, he was also the "Mr. Ten Million" with an annual salary second only to Olajuwon for the Rockets that year. Don't think that "Mr. Ten Million" is very devalued. In fact, the league's salary cap at that time was far less than it is now.
, the salary cap for the 2012-2013 season is about 58 million US dollars, while the salary cap for the 1998-99 season is only 30 million US dollars. This means that if a team accommodates 30 million men, then the salary cap is full.
At that time, Olajuwon's season salary was US$12.94 million and Pippen's was US$11 million. The two of them combined accounted for US$23.94 million in salary, which means that there was only US$6.06 million left in the salary cap. In this case
Next, how do you build a complete team? Well, the Rockets really did it.
The regular number of players in a single season is only 9, and then they temporarily sign players from the Development League to play, or in other words, they make up the number.
Furthermore, Charles Barkley mocked himself as "the stupidest thing in his career". In order for the Rockets to successfully sign Pippen, he automatically cut his salary and only received a symbolic annual salary of US$1 million. I thought this was the case.
Sacrifice can be exchanged for an NBA championship, but the "honeymoon period" between him and Pippen quickly ended, and even eventually evolved into a situation where they never interacted with each other until death.
Losing both men and money, losing his wife and losing troops, this is the true portrayal of Charles Barkley's season.
After being eliminated in the first round, Pippen quickly packed up and left for Portland, which had a higher bid. The vigorous "Rockets Big Three" failed. In fact, the Rockets and Lakers that season were somewhat similar, that is, the core
The lineup is aging, and the substitute lineup is not strong. But the difference is that the Lakers still have strong substitutes. In addition to Jamison and Meeks, there are also Blake and Jordan Hill, etc. In addition, the owner of the Lakers and the Rockets
The team's owners are different. They are willing to spend money. The season was a mess, which was entirely caused by the unreasonable lineup structure and injuries. If the "four kings" did not get injured one by one and showed full attendance, they would actually be able to play a good game.
A relatively decent report card. Moreover, the lineup structure places too much emphasis on fame and offense, but ignores the defensive end. If you sign a few wing defensive players, it will definitely be more useful than hoarding attackers. But the "Four Kings" are indeed
Taking up too much salary, Kobe has 27 million+ million, Gasol has 19 million+ million, Howard has 19 million+ million, and Nash has 8.9 million+ million. A rough calculation shows that they have taken up almost 75 million of the total salary of 100 million, and Ben
What is the league's salary cap for the season, but it is around 58 million, which is not enough for the four of them. If Houston owner Alexander had been more generous that season, not to mention paying nearly 30 million US dollars in luxury tax like the Lakers, no matter how much more
10 million can also make up for the shortcomings of the Rockets' bench that year. After all, except for Olajuwon, Barkley, and Pippen that year, the others were small players whose names you had never heard of, and their personal abilities were so bad.
host.
But after paying so much money but not making it to the playoffs, the Lakers, Kobe, the owner, the head coach, the players, and the management would all be disgraced and become a complete classic historical joke. So under this pressure, Kobe also gave up.
Without the obsession to take action, he now only has one thought in his mind, and that is to win.
Since you can't win with Howard, then replace him. It doesn't matter whether he is a star or a substitute. 24 just wants to win and the rest doesn't matter!
No. 29's high-quality pick-and-roll has just optimized his offensive end. In this way, what wouldn't he want to do?
He shot over 66% in a single quarter and scored 9 points. At the critical moment, Kobe helped the Lakers tie the score.
75-75, the two sides were tied and entered the final quarter.
The tenacity of the Lakers exceeded everyone's expectations. The fans at the scene, the fans in front of the TV, and the media were all surprised. Surprisingly... it was not a one-sided game, but evenly matched???
It seems that the Los Angeles Lakers are not that weak.
In the last quarter, Kevin Durant, who had a poor shooting touch, began to "cheat", and the "magic trick" and "arm swing loop" appeared, which instantly caused Ci Shiping to receive three defensive fouls in a row.
Six fouls were sent off the court. And he also scored 7 consecutive free throws with a 100% shooting rate. The score instantly surpassed the Los Angeles Lakers. How will the Lakers respond? Or will the Black Mamba start his personal career?
Scoring mode? No, tonight the Black Mamba seemed to have suppressed his fangs. By continuously attracting passes, Tang Qian and Gasol scored points one after another. After a while, he filled the gap behind.
.
At this time, Westbrook, who had been in a slump for three quarters, appeared. He made sudden shots and scored 6 points in an instant. These 6 consecutive points were also his "highest" moment in the game. Why do you say this?
?Because soon, Kobe re-intensified the defensive intensity, allowing Westbrook to miss all three remaining shots in the fourth quarter. What about the Lakers themselves? After accumulating strength for a full three and a half quarters, Kobe finally began to take over the game.
Since he played very easily in the previous games, at this juncture, No. 24 still has plenty of physical fitness.
With 3 of 4 shots, Kobe's strong performance extinguished the Thunder's chance of winning. The final score was 105-96, and the Lakers won the game by 9 points. Their 2-game winning streak was a good start to the second half of the schedule. This book
The best player of the game was naturally Kobe Bryant, who had a near triple-double, with 21+9+14 and a shooting percentage of 66.7%, which is the perfect stat sheet for No. 24. In addition to him, Steve Nash also scored 17 points2
With 8 rebounds and 8 assists, Gasol had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Tang Qian had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 assists.
Tang Qian was already quite satisfied with this figure after just 28 minutes of playing.
After all, tonight’s opponent is the No. 1 player in the Western Conference, right?
Then on January 29, the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans without Anthony Davis, winning three consecutive games.
Just when the Los Angeles newspapers began to advocate, Dwight Howard's face became increasingly ugly.
Because he discovered a problem. The Lakers' three-game winning streak seemed to have nothing to do with him.
His name is mentioned less and less in newspapers.
This made the "Warcraft", who looked smiling on the outside but was actually very sensitive on the inside, both uncomfortable and annoyed.
However, now that the team is in the midst of a winning streak, he has no good opportunity to speak out, so his agent Dan Fagan suggested that he hold back for the time being and wait for the opportunity. And not long after, the "opportunity" that Howard was looking forward to came true.
Appeared.
PS: Because this chapter involves many plots later, Xiaozi has been revising it for a long time, and has postponed it until now~
However, I still completed the 10,000-word explosion. I hope everyone can use their little hands and cast a small vote~ Huhu~