NBA Backer King - Chapter 613

At the end of October, Lao Wang’s family of three returned to Phoenix.

The new season started on the 28th, and after rushing back to Phoenix on the 27th, he immediately went to the headquarters.

Colangelo Jr. made a deal during the offseason. In order to make room for Joe Johnson at the No. 2 spot, he traded Anfernee Hardaway to the Knicks in exchange for a 2004 second-round pick. , and two role players, and some cash.

“Old K, there is no major change in the lineup, and the team’s transaction is very difficult.” Little Colangelo said with an ugly face.

But he said again: “But I think our current lineup is not bad, a little stronger than last season.”

Old Wang took the list and looked at it, and there was indeed no major change.

Centers: Wang Tiejun, Scott Williams, Jack Voskull,

Forwards: Stoudemire, Marion, Zhu Fangyu, Tom Gugliotta, Beau Outlaw, Jumaine Jones

Guards: Nash, Joe Johnson, Josh Howard, Howard Ellis, Randy Brown

Junior Colangelo said: “There are fourteen people in total, and one place is left to be filled.”

He went on to say: “You are not here, the center position can only be taken by Williams and Voskull, but I have discussed it with D’Antoni and the others. He hopes that when you are away, he will play real small ball tactics. Use a center forward, what do you think?”

Lao Wang began to think about this issue. Once a team’s tactical style is fixed, it is difficult to change. Once it is forced to change, it will definitely cause some unexpected consequences. Can it be changed back? Or maybe he can adapt to the small ball style?

He asked cautiously: “Then what does he mean after I come back?”

Jr. Colangelo said: “Of course you are the main player. The tactics of last season cannot be changed.

Old K, don’t worry, we had such a good record in the playoffs last season, if the league didn’t suppress us, we would definitely win the championship, so I won’t let him mess around, and neither will the boss.

In addition, I have talked with him several times, and he will come over soon. You can talk to him and have a communication. ”

Not long after, D’Antoni came.

Old Wang had a chat with him and determined his tactics after he came back.

Of course he is still a little worried. When he comes back, the team should have an adaptation period, hoping that it will not affect the playoffs.

The three of them talked about the situation of the new season of the league together again.

Jr. Colangelo said: “In the west, the Lakers have strengthened the postman, and the Blazers have strengthened Payton. Their strength has been greatly improved, but we have no strong reinforcements. The new season will be more difficult for us than last season. many.”

D’Antoni said: “In the East, the Pistons got Rasheed Wallace and should be stronger, while the Nets got Mourning. Mourning’s state is still not good. Generally speaking, the west is still strong and the east is weak. ”

“Old K, what do you think of the situation in the new season?” Little Colangelo asked.

Old Wang asked: “How about Kobe’s lawsuit?”

“It’s far from over.” Little Colangelo shook his head.

Old Wang thought for a while and said: “Although the Lakers got the postman, but Kobe is involved in lawsuits, how much energy can be devoted to the game is a question.

In addition, Shaq also did it. The relationship between O’Neal and Kobe must be very bad. It should be difficult to tolerate, right? Such a Lakers should not have much competitiveness. ”

Hearing the words “Shaq did it too”, Colangelo Jr. and D’Antoni laughed at the same time. The former said: “There are media reports that O’Neal’s foot injury still exists, and he did not train during the offseason. According to the media From the photos taken, his weight should be out of control again.”

“Then we are in the west, and there is only one real opponent, the Blazers.” Old Wang said.

“Payton joined the Trail Blazers, and the strength of the Trail Blazers should be strengthened to a large extent, but they traded trolls, so I don’t know what to think.” Colangelo Jr. said.

Old Wang considered: “It’s okay to say inside, but the outside is more troublesome. Payton’s defense will definitely limit Nash’s performance. We need to be more cautious when facing the Blazers.”

D’Antoni quickly reassured: “Old K, don’t worry, after you return, we will definitely still play last season’s tactics, focusing on positional warfare, defensive counterattacks and fast breaks, so that if you hold the rhythm, we will not lose control.

Even if Nash is limited by Payton, with his speed and ball-handling ability, it is impossible for the old Payton to completely lock him up. He can still pass the ball to you. ”

He also thought very clearly that he played so well in the playoffs last year, but unfortunately there was an accident in the Western Conference Finals. Otherwise, the hope of winning the championship is very high, so he also hopes to make a comeback this year and replicate last year’s playoffs.

“This is no problem.” Old Wang nodded.

With Nash’s ability, even in Jordan’s peak period, it is impossible to prevent Nash from passing the ball to him. Payton can at most limit some of Nash’s organizational functions.

“By the way, old K, did you know that the Lakers have changed their general manager?” Little Colangelo said suddenly.

“Is Jerry West gone?” Pharaoh asked in surprise.

“No, the new general manager is Mitch Kupchak, a former NBA player. West went to the Grizzlies as the director of basketball.” Colangelo Jr. said.

“Why did West leave the Lakers? The Lakers have won a dynasty in his hands.” Old Wang asked gossipingly.

Junior Colangelo said with a smile: “It’s hard to tell the specifics. The heirs of the Bass family are having a lot of trouble. Kupchak was pushed to power by Jim Bass.”

Old Wang ignored this matter, suddenly thought of a question, and asked: “Bryan, how is our operation this season?”

Little Colangelo shook his head and said: “You are not here. In the first 48 games, we only had 5 live broadcasts in the United States, but since the 49th game, which is the game you came back, we have 34 games and 25 live broadcasts. Several broadcasters made it clear that it was just for you to arrange the show.”

“30 games, barely enough.” Pharaoh nodded.

After chatting for a while, the three of them went to the parking lot, because today the team is going to San Antonio, and the Suns’ opening game is an away game against the Spurs, and they are about to leave.

Lao Wang didn’t go with him to the away game. He was suspended and severely punished.

“Zhu Fangyu, you have to seize the opportunity and work **** the field, understand?” When sending his teammates to the bus, he stopped Zhu Fangyu and told him.

“I will, brother, don’t worry.” Zhu Fangyu patted his chest and said.

“Old K, don’t worry, I will pass the ball to Zhu.” Nash promised.

“Goodbye, boss, we will wait for you to come back to compete for the championship.” Before getting into the car, Stoudemire and others waved and shouted.

Watching the bus leave the headquarters, Lao Wang secretly decided that the more the alliance wants to suppress him, the more he must let them understand that in his era, no one can suppress him.

After staying in Phoenix for two days, Lao Wang’s family of three left and returned home via Los Angeles.

Time passed slowly. On December 15, 2003, Pippen announced his retirement and ended his career.

At the end of the month and the end of the year, two months have passed since the 03/04 season, and the Suns have completed 32 regular season games.

The Suns lost the old king, but unexpectedly, the record is ranked third in the West, better than last season, only behind the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves, and still above the Lakers, Mavericks, and Kings.

The Suns played an amazing run-and-bomb tactic, attacking every 7 seconds, sacrificing half-court positional defense, and greatly improving the rhythm of offensive and defensive transfers.

Its main lineup does not have a real center forward, with Stoudemire and Marion as the inside combination, Marion playing power forward, Joe Johnson and Nash partnering in the back line, and two rookies Zhu Fangyu and Josh Howard take turns as the main force and substitute at the third position.

Nash and Stoudemire began to shine, one fed the cake, the other ate the cake, and the empty catch dunks continued.

In the first two months, Nash averaged 15 points and 11.5 assists per game, while Stoudemire averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds, which is the team’s first scoring point.

Others also performed well. Marion scored 19 points and 11 rebounds, which was the team’s second scoring point. Joe Johnson scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, which was the team’s third scoring point.

Josh Howard started 14 games, averaging 23.7 minutes per game, the main position is the third position, and occasionally substitutes the second position, averaging 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1 steal and 0.8 blocks per game, shooting 43% from the field and 30.3 from the three-point field %.

Zhu Fangyu started 18 games, averaging 29.2 minutes per game, averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.5 blocks per game, shooting 47.5% from the field and 40.5% from the three-point range.

Old Wang has been paying attention to the team’s performance. He is really surprised by the team’s record. D’Antoni’s running and bombing tactic is really beautiful.

But he also realized that this tactic of giving up defense, that is, it can be played in the regular season, once it enters the real playoffs, it will not work.

In the past two months, with the excellent record of the Suns, the media has also hyped up some remarks.

For example, the old K is useless, without the old K, the Suns’ record is better than last season, and last season was the fourth in the Western Conference.

For example, the selfish theory of old K’s style of play, old K is not there, the statistics of other Suns players are on the field as a whole, which is a level higher than that of last season. It is old K who suppressed the performance of all Suns players.

Some media even suggested that the Suns should trade Old K, which can not only get rid of the burden of 20 million annual salary, but also strengthen the lineup.

Lao Wang was a little worried that the coaching staff and teammates blindly believed in running and bombing tactics, which would affect his comeback, but for some reason, he did not contact the team about this.

Fortunately, Little Colangelo is very clear-headed, because he knows Mrs. John’s attitude too well, and he also knows the strength of Old K. Due to his influence, D’Antoni also maintained a certain level of calmness.

But now D’Antoni, with the success of the running and bombing tactics, his self-confidence is also skyrocketing.

In addition to paying attention to his own team, Lao Wang also pays attention to several other major opponents.

In the Eastern Nets, Mourning only played 12 games, and his condition was not good, and then he suffered from physical problems, and was reimbursed again for the season. Affected by this, the record of the defending champion team was not very good, ranking third in the Eastern Conference. It is very difficult for Yao to defend his title, even reaching the finals for the third time in a row.

Pistons, after getting the troll, he found that this team’s defense is really strong, and the competitiveness may even surpass the Nets. It is currently second in the Eastern Conference.

The No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference is the Pacers, an old strong team. O’Neal has grown up. Artest, Al Harrington, Reggie Miller and others have joined forces, and their strength is very strong.

In the West, after the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Suns, there are the Lakers, Kings, and Mavericks.

The lineup of O’Neal, Kobe, and Postman Malone is currently maintained somewhat reluctantly. The three giants rarely play games at the same time. Either O’Neal is rested due to injury, or Kobe is absent from the game due to attending the trial, and Postman Karl Malone is also due to a knee injury. Sick and missed half of the game.

The Timberwolves got Sam Cassell and Madman Sprewell, plus Garnett, to create a lineup of three-headed monsters, the most powerful Timberwolves ever.

Lao Wang analyzed it, and the main opponent in the West this season is still the Trail Blazers.

Although the Timberwolves are currently performing well in the regular season, as long as he returns and suppresses Garnett, the Timberwolves should not be a big threat.

The Lakers depend on the performance later on. If the OK combination cannot be united, it is useless to add the postman, and the postman will not work either.

The Eastern Conference is most likely to reach the finals, nothing more than the Pacers, the Nets, and the Pistons. In his opinion, the overall strength of the Eastern Conference this season has improved compared to last season.

Time entered 2004, on January 1st, the league announced that the All-Star voting began.

This time, the online voting channels in China were not opened.

A week later, the voting came to an end, and David Stern was very troubled when the first week of voting ended.

In his mind, the channel in China was closed, old K was suspended, and there was no old K in the official announcement, so even if Kobe, the most popular, had an accident, the top voter would not be the old K, and the other three major points Wei, but the facts told him that the prediction was wrong, and the old K was still the king of votes in the first week.

Pharaoh Wang won 1.02 million votes in the first week, lower than last year’s first week of 1.21 million votes, but still far higher than the second Carter. It is expected that the number of votes will exceed 3 million during the one-month voting period.

These votes, half from Arizona, half from Japan and South Korea.

Vince Carter, one of the four major shooting guards, had 620,000 votes in the first week, and it is estimated that it should be possible to break 2 million votes in a month.

LeBron James, who he focused on, got 200,000 votes in the first week, which made him very happy.

James really deserves to be a talented player who emerges once in twenty years. He has just made his debut and has achieved the peak data of his debut. The data of 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks, entering the All-Star is just around the corner.

“I hope this young man can take the place of old K in the future.”

…

“Old K, 1.02 million votes in the first week, what do you want to say most about this?” Phoenix TV interviewed Lao Wang by phone.

“I’m not in the alliance, but I’m in the alliance again, haha!” Old Wang laughed.

The second week of voting ended, Lao Wang won another 980,000 votes, and the number of votes in the two weeks reached exactly 2 million, which is still higher than the number of votes. The influence can be seen from this.

January 21st, New Year’s Eve.

The six members of Lao Wang’s family did not go back to their hometown, so they celebrated the New Year in the capital. The eldest daughter went back to her husband’s house in Tianjing to celebrate the New Year, and the second daughter stayed at her husband’s house in Cang*zhou.

In addition, Brother Fei is quietly pregnant with her third child, which is four months old. The expected date of delivery in early June has already appeared. This is also the main reason why she does not go back to her hometown for the New Year.

The 2004 All-Star Weekend is on February 14th and 15th. With the approach of the All-Star Game, the day of Lao Wang’s comeback is coming soon. He will come back in the 49th regular season game. On January 31st, he will challenge the Knicks in an away game .

So after the new year, on the 28th, the seventh day of the lunar new year, I boarded a plane to Los Angeles alone, and arrived in Phoenix on the 29th.

As he returned to the United States, a lot of media attention and topics quickly shifted to him.

“There was no game for half a season. Although there are media reports that Old K still maintains systematic training, no one can guarantee his state. Relevant experts suggest that the Suns continue to maintain the current lineup and tactical play. Change, because without Old K, the Suns record is better than last season, and his impact on the Suns is negative.” The New York Times.

“Suns players be careful, the person who snatched your data is back.” New York Sports News.

“boom!”

Lao Wang saw the New York media reports and said that it was false if he was angry, so he smashed the water glass in his hand.

The first game of his comeback was against the Knicks. He wanted to use the Knicks to tell the New York media that he should not offend anyone.

On the 30th, the league’s All-Star voting ended. Lao Wang was elected as the All-Star vote leader in 2004 with 3.75 million votes, and Vince Carter was second with 2.17 million votes. His popularity is also very high.

Kobe Bryant, who is in the lawsuit, won more than 1.7 million votes, and Dayao won more than 1.4 million votes.

Yao did not win the starting position of the Eastern All-Star center, because Ben Wallace received nearly 2 million votes, and his popularity was quite high. This was Big Ben’s highlight moment.

Surprisingly, as the champion of last season, none of the Nets became an All-Star starter.

Eastern All-Star main players: Ben Wallace, O’Neal Jr., McGrady, Vince Carter, Iverson.

Eastern All-Star Subs: Yao Ming, Kenyon Martin, Kidd, Michael Reid, Paul Pierce, Artest, Baron Davis.

Western All-Star main force: Wang Tiejun, Duncan, Garnett, Kobe, Steve Francisco.

West All-Star Subs: O’Neal, Ray Allen, Brad Miller, Peja, Nash, Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire.

At ten o’clock this morning, the Suns gathered at the headquarters.

“Boss, welcome back!”

When Old Wang appeared, everyone shouted.

“Brother, you are finally back.” Zhu Fangyu shouted happily.

“Everyone played well!” Lao Wang applauded after patting Zhu Fangyu on the head.

He then smiled and said: “Amare, Steve, I didn’t expect the league to be so generous this time, allowing the Suns to have three All-Stars.”

Nash laughed: “I’m also surprised, isn’t the alliance targeting us?”

“Steve, you have such a beautiful idea!” Stoudemire laughed.

“Let’s talk in the car, the time is almost up.” Little Colangelo urged at this time.

Next, everyone boarded the car and rushed to the airport.