LRAB Chapter 390 Honest Mutual Credit, No Deception!
Chapter 390 Honest Mutual Credit, No Deception!
Before the start of this year's Finals, the NBA, as usual, has another big surprise and suspense to reveal.
The NBA draft lottery ceremony!
Hmm... This year's draft lottery, as usual, has absolutely nothing to do with the Pacers.
But who doesn't enjoy watching something funny?
Anyway, the Pacers players, who couldn't go out because of the team's curfew, gathered around the TV that night to watch this year's draft lottery.
"I think it's the Warriors. They've been rotten for far too long. When was the last time this team made the playoffs? Has it been 10 years?" Miller guessed. "It's about time they drafted the number one pick! The league won't just give up on the huge market of San Francisco."
"This is the eighth consecutive year we've missed the playoffs," Webber said casually, chewing gum. "The last time was in their rookie year when I led them to the playoffs, and ever since I left, they've been awful! Serves them right for not making the playoffs! They have to make me play center, serves them right!"
How petty!
A group of people rolled their eyes, too lazy to expose Webber. It was clearly the Warriors who gave Webber the most awesome rookie contract in history: he could opt out of the contract and become a free agent after playing for one year.
Although Lin Tian still doesn't know what got into the Warriors' management that led them to offer such a bizarre contract, they did offer it anyway, and Webber played for a year before demanding a trade or threatening to run away.
All we can say is that one is really daring to give, and the other is really inconsiderate!
When the Crouching Dragon meets the Young Phoenix, it is truly a remarkable encounter!
But Weber is still able to act like a victim and express his grievances?
Shameless!
Webber's departure has truly allowed the Warriors to continue their decline. If Lin Tian is not mistaken, they will have to remain rotten for another 5-6 years before they can make the playoffs again!
Throughout the 90s and 00s, for nearly 20 years, the Warriors were basically one of the top three worst teams in the league! Their terrible performance during that period could be considered as accumulating good karma for their later rise.
"I don't think it will be the Warriors. That team doesn't deserve the number one pick. I think it will be the Grizzlies! That team is just as bad as the others. Most importantly, they're poor! They're so poor they can't even stay in Vancouver and are insolvent."
"They finally moved to Memphis, so the league should at least show some appreciation and give them some benefits. It's a way of helping them out and letting them be the number one draft pick, so at least they have something to look forward to." Webber followed Miller and began his analysis.
"I think it should be the Knicks! They've been really bad these past two years since Ewing retired! Most importantly, Houston is injured and has basically missed the entire season! A place like New York needs a truly top-tier, tall, popular star to anchor the team!"
Carter analyzed, "Plus, they haven't had a number one draft pick in almost 20 years since Ewing, it's about time it was their turn."
"It won't go to New York. With that big mouth of Dolan, Stern probably wants to kick him out of the league to vent his anger!" Christie said. "I think it'll be the Rockets! Like the Knicks, this team needs a new leader to guide them forward!"
"Anyone will do, as long as it's not the Bulls!" Miller suddenly said in a sinister tone, "I believe this is the shared dream of the entire league!"
"Reggie, aren't you afraid that what you're saying will backfire on you?" Lin Tian looked at Miller and knew perfectly well why he didn't want the Bulls to win the number one draft pick.
They were really abused!
But the problem now is, after the Bulls dominated the entire league, it might be the Pacers' turn to run away with them!
If you keep cursing the bull like this, in a few years, it'll be others cursing us!
“We’re different,” Miller said immediately. “We’re much more likable.”
"Do you want to hear what you're saying? Don't you find it funny?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes and cursed. "Pleasant to be liked?"
This Pacers team has assembled multiple foul-mouthed kings in the league, spewing insults at every turn, dominating the entire league by almost two rounds, and offending everyone they can. And you say you're likable?
Hey.
Is the entire league full of masochists?
"It's started! The 13th pick is out!" Carter said in a deep voice, "No doubt about it, the Wizards, with the best record, got the 13th pick! Michael has another chance to draft a bust!"
Carter's words drew a burst of laughter from the entire locker room.
Jordan's selection of Brown was one of the most popular topics of conversation among players throughout the year.
As I said before, watching Jordan get his comeuppance is just so enjoyable!
As the laughter subsided, everyone consciously shut their mouths. With Lin Tian present, these guys didn't even have the intention of opening a betting pool. It can only be said that Lin Tian is not only a pacifist in the alliance, but also the alliance's number one anti-gambling pioneer!
Where he is, there are no conflicts, and there are no gambling tables either!
If Lin Tian doesn't receive a Best Teammate Award or a Special Social Contribution Award, he'll think Stern isn't human!
They enjoy the extra heavy work that the old man does, but he doesn't mention a bonus or even a word of thanks!
That's outrageous!
If I get the chance, I must settle the score with him!
The subsequent draw was quite different from what Lin Tian remembered!
According to Lin Tian's memory, that year the Rockets should have unexpectedly won the number one draft pick!
Next up are the Bulls, Warriors, Grizzlies, and other teams.
But this year, the Warriors became the team that won the first overall pick, which made Webber sigh with disappointment.
The Bulls were the next team to get the second overall pick, which made Miller sigh with disappointment.
Next up was the Grizzlies, which made Lin Tian sigh with disappointment.
Then he noticed everyone staring at him, as if to say, "You have a grudge against the Grizzlies? Then hurry up and tell them, and next year we'll beat him to a pulp."
Lin Tian quickly waved his hand and said, "I'm just playing along with your sighs. To me, who gets in the top three is completely unimportant!"
"I just saw Reggie and Chris sighing, so I stayed with them to avoid being ostracized!"
"cut!"
The group, who had initially thought there was going to be a show, immediately lost interest. Just then, the lottery ceremony ended, and after a few boos, they scattered like birds and beasts, going about their own business.
Lin Tian was the only one left in his room, and he began to recall the order of this year's talent show.
The difference between the draft order Lin Tian remembered and this year's is enormous! There were no major upsets in the top three picks this year. Although they switched positions, the three teams with the worst records still won the first, second, and third picks respectively!
As for the subsequent rankings, they will be determined entirely by the team's record: the Nuggets will be fourth, the Rockets fifth, and so on.
It's worth mentioning that Lin Tian was still wondering who would be chosen as the number one pick since Yao Ming didn't participate in this year's draft when his phone rang.
"How's it going, Lin? We got the seventh pick! Who do you want to select?" The caller was Donnie Walsh, the Knicks' current general manager.
"What? Who do I want to choose?" Lin Tian was genuinely confused. What was going on? Was he now a special advisor to the Knicks? They were asking him directly who to choose?
"Give it to me, enough with the nonsense." Dolan's voice came through, he was incredibly excited, "It's a pity we didn't get a better draft pick, but I don't think that's the problem. The problem is, who do you want to be teammates with?"
"Just tell me the name, whether it's Dunleavy Jr. or Wagner, I'll have Donnie find a way to get it for you! That guy's got some serious connections!"
"James, I never said I would definitely go to the Knicks," Lin Tian reiterated his thoughts. "I'm doing very well in Indiana, and I've never even considered leaving."
"I know, I know, I know," Dolan said nonchalantly. "We lost the competition last time because we didn't have enough incentives to entice you, so this time I'm going to plan ahead."
"There are only two years left. Who knows what will happen in two years? Just tell me who you want to play with in two years! Do you want to continue playing with Vince? I'll get him on board, and you can come back here in two years to reunite with him, how about that?"
"And don't feel pressured. Even if you don't choose us, we can still stay in touch! Whether you stay in Indiana or go to another team, we'll still be friends! If you want to play for any of our players then, I'll just send them to you!"
"Even if we can't build a dynasty team together, I can still help you build one! Just being involved is enough!"
What do you mean by Dolan?
hiss.
This flavor is too strong! It's too overpowering!
"You didn't choose me last time because I wasn't attentive enough. This time I'll do everything I can to win you a chance."
"I know you don't want to be in a relationship right now, but I can wait for you. I'll always be by your side. I'll buy you everything you like."
I want to build a home with you.
"Even if I'm not in your house, at least let me buy the furniture. I just want to feel involved."
"It's my own choice, so don't feel guilty."
"Now that you're in a relationship, can we still be friends?"
It's so similar! It's really so similar!
Wake up, Dolan!
Don't be like Boiling Sheep!
Those simps deserve to die a horrible death!
I, Lord Lin, still prefer that arrogant, domineering second-generation rich kid who knows everything about eating, drinking, gambling, whoring, and whoring!
Unfortunately, Dolan was clearly not awake. He just wanted Lin Tian to give him a name, and then reiterated that he wouldn't spend a single penny more than just enough to cover the poverty line! He also told Lin Tian that Houston was very unhappy lately and was demanding that Dolan strengthen the team!
But Dolan told Houston: If you're not satisfied, I can send you to another team so you can help them strengthen their roster!
Then?
Then Houston behaved itself.
Since he's already won the championship, winning another puzzle championship won't help his historical standing as a player of his caliber.
Moreover, if you join a strong team, you can't afford to slack off! The training intensity, match pressure, living environment, performance requirements, and tactical approaches will all be much more difficult than they are now!
Moreover, if I left New York, I certainly wouldn't earn as much as I do now. Where else can I find as many and good business opportunities as New York?
Leaving New York means more pressure, less money, a more tiring life, more games to play in the summer, and less rest time for Houston.
What picture?
Now I'm in New York, scrolling through data and relaxing, holding onto big contracts, and watching young girls sleep.
Aren't you thrilled?
So, after being rejected by Dolan, the first thing Houston did was to pledge his loyalty!
He contacted the media and accepted their interviews.
Then it goes something like, "As a veteran, I will lead the young people forward!"
What it means to be born a New Yorker and die a New Yorker.
What? I will never leave New York! I will continue to fight here for the rest of my life!
What? My talent won't be taken anywhere by me.
I will do my best to lead the team into the playoffs, and I will never leave before the team gets back on track!
Even if this ship is temporarily stranded, as the captain, I would rather sink with the team than jump ship and leave.
What? If I take too much, then I can take less.
Finally, Houston stated that he would train like crazy, give his all, and lead the team out of its predicament next season, ensuring the team returns to the playoffs!
After making a long statement of determination, Houston boarded a plane to Hawaii.
Hmm... let's have some fun with him for 2-3 months first, and then we'll talk about it.
Training and such, no rush.
The day after the draft results were announced, the final series of the year, the ultimate showdown between the Kings and the Pacers, was finally about to begin!
This is Sacramento's first time reaching the finals since they started having a professional team! And the ever-enthusiastic Sacramento fans had already gathered outside the stadium well in advance.
In addition to the 19312 lucky fans who managed to buy tickets and enter the stadium to watch the game live, at least 2 fans gathered in the plaza outside the stadium, either trying their luck to buy a ticket or wanting to cheer for the team from the closest spot and experience the atmosphere of the finals.
Countless people stood at the entrance holding up signs, indicating their willingness to pay a large sum of money for a ticket to the finals.
The most eye-catching of them all were the scantily clad, beautiful women with swaying figures as they walked.
Yes, everyone knows how they want to buy tickets.
It definitely wasn't paid in cash or by card!
Unfortunately, as the greatest and most important moment in Sacramento sports history, no one will give up their tickets at this time. No matter how dynamic and alluring the girls' poses are, only a very small number of people can get tickets at this moment.
However, the lack of tickets did not dampen the fans' enthusiasm and frenzy. An hour before the game started, after almost all the ticketed fans had entered the stadium, the fans who remained outside began celebrating early.
They sang their team song, chanted the names of Peja, Bibi, Divac, and others, and shouted that Indians were just a pile of shit, and they were having so much fun!
"This place is really not worth mentioning." In the away team's locker room, Miller leaned back in his chair with an air of nonchalance, letting the physiotherapist in front of him give him a final pre-match relaxation treatment. Judging from his eyes, he was clearly full of confidence.
Miller's arrogant demeanor clearly reflects the attitude of most Pacers players today.
This one was a solid win!
To reiterate: it's all about offense.
Throughout the entire history of the league, no one has ever been our match!
The Pacers players are convinced that this year's Finals will be their easiest Finals journey in the past four years!
Although everyone was incredibly confident, Carlisle didn't relax at all. He remained standing in the middle of the group, and after everyone was ready to leave, he clapped his hands heavily and said, "Alright! Alright! Everyone, the last 10 minutes, let's be focused and serious!"
"The Kings, with their accurate shooting and incredibly powerful offense, swept through two top teams, the Mavericks and the Lakers, to reach the Finals. They are definitely stronger than we imagined!"
"Yes, on their way to the Finals, O'Neal got injured, and they couldn't stop Kobe at all. Kobe scored more than 100 points in the last two games. They couldn't even handle Jermaine O'Neal. In the decisive Game 7, Jermaine O'Neal scored 20 points and grabbed 20 rebounds."
"Their defense was terrible; they could barely defend anyone."
"But I still have to say, their offense was incredibly strong! Even when the Lakers were at full strength, with both Shaqs on the court, the Kings tied the Lakers 2-2!"
"Of course, we know that they exploited the Lakers' biggest weakness: their inability to defend the high post, and in the two games they won, they shot an unbelievable and almost unrepeatable percentage."
"Everyone on this team can shoot, and everyone can score."
"But, well, the biggest reason they made it to the Finals was luck. Shaq was injured, and Kobe missed a few shots in a row. In terms of strength, they were far from being a match for the Lakers. Their advancement to the Finals is definitely a positive for us."
After saying this, Carlisle finally couldn't help but laugh, clapped his hands and said, "Then let's go and show everyone how much better we are than them, and whether we are even on the same level as them."
"Crush them! Use their best offense to utterly destroy and crush them!"
"It should have been done a long time ago!"
"Just do it!"
"Crush them!"
"Take them down!"
"Championship!"
"Three-peat!"
Amidst the players' confident roars, the Pacers players walked out of the locker room and onto the court!
That night, the Pacers' starting lineup remained unchanged. It's really hard to find a team in this league that would allow them to make adjustments by changing their starting lineup.
Meanwhile, the Kings also fielded their strongest starting lineup!
Vera Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Siddo Turkoglu, Bobby Jackson, Mike Bibby!
An absolutely pure offensive lineup!
A standard lineup with one big man and four small men, where everyone can shoot!
At the same time, all five players in this lineup have excellent ball-handling, passing, dribbling, and ball-handling abilities.
In addition, Adelman specially designed the Princeton offense for this team, making the ball movement incredibly beautiful and exciting when these five players are on the court at the same time. Various small combinations, zone plays, as well as those brilliant passes, cuts, and various handoffs have made this Kings team one of the most dazzling teams in the league since they were assembled!
The designer of this playing style, Adelman, sat on the sidelines waiting for the Finals to begin, and as he looked at Webber and Christie on the court, he felt a wave of envy.
In his original design, the team's power forward position should be a versatile all-around player who can pass and score, Peja should play the small forward position, and the team's shooting guard position should be a versatile player who can do everything, rather than Jackson, who seems more suited to playing the sixth man position.
Coincidentally, these two styles of players were almost designed based on the playing styles and characteristics of Webber and Christie!
Unfortunately, the Pacers beat them to it.
Especially Webber. Back then, the Kings chased after Webber relentlessly, from the Wizards to the Cavaliers. Every time Webber threatened to leave the team, they would rush to show their sincerity.
But each time, they were ignored.
Irritability!
Well, if it weren't for the absence of these two crucial pieces of the puzzle, Adelman would be confident that the team could even win against the fully-equipped Lakers!
Instead of being accused of an unfair victory, or of only reaching the finals because of the opponent's injury, as is the case now.
However, the Kings still have a chance!
If they can defeat the Pacers and win the Finals, all doubts will disappear, all ridicule will turn into admiration, and all disdain will turn into praise!
What the Kings need to do is win four more games!
"Beep beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, and the basketball was tossed into the air.
Divac easily won the jump ball and passed it to Mike Bibby, known as the "White Devil".
As the second overall pick in his draft, Bibby Kong had impressive stats and a fierce physique, but he was never selected for an All-Star game, and he was even called a bust until this year when he led his team to the Finals with Peja.
After all, behind him are North Carolina's two stars, Carter and Jamison, Pierce, Nowitzki, and others who have already grown into excellent stars. Compared to them, Bibby is simply too mediocre.
But after entering the finals this year, Bibby's confidence soared, and he finally received a relatively fair evaluation, officially entering the public eye.
This series is Bibby's chance to prove himself!
Since it was a battle to prove himself, Bibby played with great aggression. After dribbling past half-court, he waved for a screen from Divac, then dribbled forward one step and, without waiting for Lin Tian to get back in position to defend, he forcefully pulled up for a shot while standing on the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, Bibby scored the Kings' first point in the Finals!
Bibby scored quickly, using a single screen followed by a pull-up jumper and a shot, all in less than 8 seconds.
The Pacers' offense became even faster on the turnaround!
Webber quickly passed the ball from the baseline to Lin Tian, who had already run to the middle line. After receiving the ball, Lin Tian slammed it heavily onto the floor, and the basketball immediately flew like lightning towards the Kings' three-point line.
When the basketball bounced off the floor, it was Carter who got the ball!
Carter simply dribbled the ball once on the floor, then took three steps and delivered a beautifully executed gliding dunk, slamming the basketball straight into the basket!
"boom!"
That shot was faster than the Kings'!
He dribbled the ball only once and completed the dunk in 5 seconds!
Less than 15 seconds into the game, both sides had already completed an attack! This first round of offense and defense, no, this first round of offense, was enough to illustrate the attitudes of both sides tonight.
attack!
A frenzied attack!
Let's see who is the best offensive team in this league!
When Bibby saw Lin Tian preparing to increase the intensity of his defense from the center line during the Kings' offense, he immediately passed the ball to Turkoglu, who was moving forward to receive it. Turkoglu then quickly ran towards the baseline.
Meanwhile, Divac moved up to the free-throw line, received a pass from Turkoglu, glanced around, and then made a no-look pass to Jackson, who was cutting to the wing. Jackson used his speed advantage to drive straight to the basket and made a high-arcing shot over Ben Wallace's defense!
This time, the Pacers couldn't find a fast break opportunity on the baseline, so they could only pass the ball to Lin Tian. After Lin Tian dribbled to the frontcourt, he didn't call for a screen. Instead, he used his signature crossover dribble with a hesitant dribble, then suddenly accelerated, easily passing Bibby in one step.
Then Lin Tian drove straight to the basket, completely ignoring Divac who was still guarding the basket. Lin Tian jumped high and slammed the ball over Divac with one hand!
"boom!"
As the basketball hoop screeched and shook, Divac reacted incredibly quickly. He swiftly grabbed the ball and stepped off the baseline, then launched a long, one-handed throw to the frontcourt, where Jackson caught it.
After receiving the ball, Jackson once again lowered his head and charged towards the inside. Then, just as Christie and Carter collapsed their defense and retreated to the basket, Jackson made a one-handed pass to the far wing.
Peja, the Kings' leading scorer and the Lakers' underwhelming Peja in the Western Conference Finals, received the ball and once again pulled up for a shot!
"Whoosh!"
Another crisp sound, and the Kings score another 2 points!
The game tonight was incredibly fast-paced, with time flying by. Both sides were playing at breakneck speed and had remarkably high success rates, causing the scores on both sides to skyrocket.
Even more outrageous, the game didn't stop until 4 minutes and 49 seconds into the first quarter, when Divac missed a mid-range shot, the ball bounced out of bounds, and Carlisle called the first timeout!
For the first four minutes or so, neither side committed any fouls, and there were no dead balls or entanglements due to loose balls or anything like that.
Both sides played very smoothly and with great ease!
Both sides made few mistakes despite high accuracy, fast pace, and a long number of rounds.
In this situation, in addition to the score of both sides rising rapidly, the fans also enjoyed watching the game immensely!
After all, who enjoys watching a game where the referee calls two times a minute and the player keeps going to the free-throw line?
Only when the game flows smoothly and both sides score continuously, creating exciting moments and wonderful teamwork, can fans truly be captivated and completely immersed in the action.
However, this style of play also illustrates one thing.
That is, neither the Pacers nor the Kings put their energy into defense. They didn't think about defense at all. They just focused on running, attacking, shooting and scoring!
Less than five minutes into the game, the score was 21-19. If they continued playing like this, both teams would score over 40 points in the first quarter!
At the same time, both teams had incredibly high shooting percentages, with the Pacers at 68% and the Kings at 66%!
Both teams give the illusion that they can't miss a shot at all!
Compared to the Pacers and Lakers matchups of previous years, this year's Finals are quite different.
At the very least, although the Pacers and Lakers games were high-scoring and high-success-rate, both teams genuinely put a lot of effort into their defense! The strategy involved strict planning and requirements for limiting the opponent's key players, whether to closely guard role players or leave them more open, whether to play fast or slow, and even how to double-team, one-on-one, or completely leave a player open when they receive the ball in different positions!
In other words, in the previous two Finals, Carlisle and Jackson had both pushed their brains to the limit, conducting incredibly detailed and meticulous research on all the tactics they could employ, matchups, unexpected situations, the strengths and weaknesses of the players, and the team's strengths and weaknesses.
To put it another way, in order to defeat the Lakers last year and the year before, Carlisle lost an immeasurable number of brain cells and hair in a single game. At the very least, Carlisle's hairline has receded at an alarming rate over the past two years!
I've really racked my brains, put in all my effort, and been so worried that I can't sleep at night!
And what about this year?
Carlisle was quite relaxed. He wasn't even in a hurry to devise specific offensive and defensive tactics. He simply waved his hand and said to Lin Tian, "Do what you think is best!"
It's that simple!
Isn't it true that in less than half a quarter, the team not only had an extremely high shooting percentage but also led the opponent by 2 points?
Anyway, for Carlisle, defeating the king is a piece of cake!
You can fight back and forth with the opponent without even having to use your brain.
He didn't even have to think about how to break the opponent's so-called Princeton offense.
Because the Kings' defense was just too bad!
The Pacers' offense was completely unstoppable!
As for the Kings' offense?
It looks flashy and impressive, but their tactics and lineup have some serious problems!
The shooting guard position is a position where you can only focus on your own offense. Jackson can only attack and can't help the team in any other way.
Peja, who plays power forward, is actually better suited to small forward. This would allow him to unleash his full offensive potential and strength while also concealing his defensive weaknesses.
To put it bluntly, the Pacers were able to go toe-to-toe with the Kings based on instinct and the chemistry they had developed in previous training.
Their intensity hasn't been raised at all!
Why hasn't the king been pulled away by the walkers yet?
It has a certain feel to it—a kind of honest, fair, and data-driven mutual exchange that everyone's happy about. (End of Chapter)