warrior godfather

Chapter 297 Going to compete for the championship with dignity (5000)

In the end, the Warriors lost to the Mavericks with a disparity of 76:98. This is the only time the Warriors did not score more than [-] points in the playoffs.

With the loss of G5, the big score of the series came to 1:4, and the Warriors were eliminated by the Mavericks, ending the 2010-2011 season playoff journey.

After the red light came on, all the Warriors players tried their best to smile, and hugged and shook hands with the Mavericks players one by one, congratulating them on entering the finals.

The veterans of the Mavericks were very surprised. They thought that as a young team that had been rising rapidly, the Warriors players must be very young and vigorous, unable to accept the result of failure, but they did not expect them to be so graceful.

These veterans know best that winners are often magnanimous, and the demeanor after failure is the real magnanimity.

The Mavericks players suppressed the joy in their hearts, shook hands with the Warriors players one by one, and encouraged them patiently.

They have experienced too many failures, and they know best what it takes when they fail.

Zhang Yu also came to Carlisle, shook his hand vigorously, and said:

"Rick, you won, and I lost with confidence. The Mavericks are a great team. I have seen all the essential elements of a championship from you. Your execution and cohesion are rare in the world. Come on, Representing the West to win a championship."

Carlisle nodded:

"Thank you, Ronan, this may be our last chance, you are still young, the Warriors are still young, the future belongs to the Warriors."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Zhang Yu came to Nowitzki. Nowitzki only had a sleeveless T-shirt on his body. He was holding Curry's jersey, and he had just hugged Klay.

He is now the focus of attention of the audience, the Warriors players came to him one by one to congratulate him, the smile on Nowitzki's face has never been broken.

When Nowitzki saw Zhang Yu, he bent down and hugged him. Zhang Yu joked:
"Congratulations, Dirk, you're just one step away from being the toughest 'tough guy.'"

"Hahaha!" Nowitzki laughed heartily, with a hard-earned expression on his face, and nodded heavily, "Yeah, after being hacked, I never thought I could reach the finals again , I was black seven again last year, I am almost desperate, but all this is finally over, there is one last step, the last step..."

He repeated in a low voice, with both firmness and apprehension in his voice.

Zhang Yu patted his forearm and said:

"Dirk, don't you think this is arranged by God? First, defeat the defending champion, then black eight beat the Mavericks team, and finally go to compete with the Heat that beat you, or the re-emerging Bulls. Champion, this is a legendary road!"

"Legendary..." Nowitzki muttered to himself, and smiled wryly, "My experience is indeed 'legendary'. I was hacked eight, and then was hacked seven. I don't expect any legends anymore. I just hope To be able to redeem my past and wash away my soft-ass reputation."

Zhang Yu pretended to be serious and said:
"You will, as long as the Mavericks win the championship, the Warriors will lose to the championship, and there is no shame at all."

"Hahaha……"

Nowitzki laughed, and Zhang Yu shook hands with Kidd and others before returning to the locker room with the players.

Zhang Yu's speech during the timeout was very effective. None of the Warriors players were particularly disappointed. This is also because after the score became 1:3, the Warriors were prepared for losing from top to bottom. After a little frustration, they accepted the reality.

If the Warriors lost to the Mavericks in the tiebreaker today, no matter how hype Zhang Yu said, it would be useless.

Zhang Yu's eyes swept over everyone one by one, hesitated for a moment, and said to Curry:
“Stephen, you and I go to the interview.”

The Warriors were "annihilated" tonight, and everyone's performance was not good enough.

Needless to say, Butler, Chandler and other veterans are not good at offense, and Zhang Yu puts on another offensive lineup, and they have no room to play.

Clay and Green had a brief highlight moment, but they disappeared in the second half and scored just in double figures.

Curry encountered a double-team in this round of the series that he would not encounter until ten years later, but he himself has not yet grown to that point.

If the opponent defends him in the traditional way, Curry can burst out with amazing strength, but facing double-teaming, he has no better way to break it than throwing the ball to his teammates.

In this game, he scored 18 points, 8 assists, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 turnovers. The data seems to be very good, but it is mainly due to the Warriors' tactics.

In addition to Curry, the Warriors have no second reliable ball-holding point. Even if he will encounter double-teams while holding the ball, Zhang Yu can only let him hold the ball and create four-on-three opportunities for his teammates.

Every time he attacks, the ball has to pass Curry's hands. His assists are naturally indispensable, and 8 assists are actually less. If Butler is more accurate, Curry's assists will definitely be in double figures.

As for enough rebounds, it was because Zhang Yu put up a lineup of one big and four small ones, and the backcourt rebounds needed everyone to shrink and protect. Curry happened to have an excellent sense of rebounding and grabbed 9 backcourt rebounds.

In fact, on the basketball court, every basic statistic can be said to be deceptive. Scores, assists, and rebounds can be counted. Steals and blocks are more difficult to count. It can be brushed out a few times.

Mistakes and fouls have completely different meanings for different people. Many fouls by center forwards are to protect the frame, and they are a last resort.

Some players repeatedly sent unforced errors, which caused a serious blow to the morale of the team, while some stars could not cover everything under double-teaming. Mistakes were inevitable. The defense they attracted far exceeded the loss of the mistakes they sent. That's how Curry's 4 turnovers came about.

After this round of the series, except for G3, Curry's statistics in the other four games are similar to today's. He tried his best, but he couldn't change the overall situation. His average score in his early 20s per game seemed pale.

It's not his fault. No one can be double-teamed without reducing production and efficiency, and Curry is certainly no exception.

But reporters won't blame Curry, it doesn't mean they won't blame Zhang Yu.

When Zhang Yu came to the interview booth, the reporter's questions all revolved around the double-teaming suffered by Curry:
"Ronan, in this round of the series, Curry encountered a very high-intensity double-team defense from the Mavericks. Compared with the previous round against the Grizzlies, his scoring dropped by about 12 points. You are prepared for this ?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said:
"No, before the series started, I didn't expect the Mavericks to flank Steph like this. Carlisle did a great job. He caught our weaknesses."

"Are you saying that the Warriors' weakness is that only Curry can score?"

"Yes."

The reporter asked again:

"We can all see that when Curry can't score high points, other people can't stand up. It is difficult for the Warriors to win. Will the Warriors bring in stars to assist Curry in the summer? He is already the scoring leader and a team leader. He's a superstar at that level, and his teammates don't seem to be able to keep up with him."

Zhang Yu said without hesitation:
"No, the Warriors have no plans to introduce stars in the summer. We are on the right path and there is no need to make changes"

"Haven't you considered building a Big Three team? The Warriors have very high-quality chips. As far as I know, the Bulls almost completed the feat of the Big Four last summer. The Warriors should also have such an opportunity."

Zhang Yu glanced at the reporter who asked the question. It was a white man in his thirties wearing glasses, with a gentle appearance, but he asked very tricky questions.

The Warriors have a big ball market, and Curry has shown great strength, but the quality of the role players is not good enough. The Western Conference Finals seems to be the ceiling that the Warriors can reach at present. It seems that they can really stud everything and pursue the championship.

If Zhang Yu didn't answer well and there were rumors of a trade, the team would inevitably panic.

"First of all, I have to correct one of your mistakes. My players are not high-quality chips to trade stars. They are all a group of talents. Two years ago, the Warriors ranked No. 12 in the West. Now, we have reached the Western Conference Finals, and this It is not our limit, I will not trade my players for some so-called stars, I believe that they will all grow into stars in the future, and by then, we will compete for the championship with dignity."

"Are you saying that the big three teams like the Heat and the Celtics are not fair enough to win?"

"Of course not." Zhang Yu said, "I respect every player's choice. They have the right to decide their own career, but my basketball philosophy does not allow me to do so. I never think that basketball is a game of piling up superstars. Excellence is the foundation of a team becoming stronger."

"So you pin your hope of the Warriors becoming stronger on rookies like Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green?"

"Of course, they, like Steph, are the future of the Warriors."

"With all due respect, they don't seem to be very talented players. Even if they grow up, they can't help the Warriors break through the Western Conference Finals? Black eights don't happen every year."

The meaning of these words is obvious. The Warriors can enter the Western Conference finals because the Grizzlies overturned the Spurs, not because of their true strength.

Zhang Yu smiled:
"If you can see the talent in them, it's your turn to be the manager."

"Hahaha……"

There was a burst of laughter from the crowd, and Zhang Yu continued:
"Our ability to reach the Western Conference Finals shows that we have the strength of the Western Conference Finals. Moreover, you will soon see the talents of Jimmy and the others. We will go further next year."

"You mean, are the Warriors going to compete for the championship next year?" The reporters cheered up.

"Why not?" Zhang Yu asked back, and said firmly, "We are only one step away from the finals, and I am not a person who is content with the status quo. Remember, it took me three years to win for the Bulldogs. Two championships, it took two years to bring the Warriors to the Western Conference Finals, I said the Warriors will compete for the championship, and the Warriors will definitely win the championship!"

"Coach Z..."

The reporters were in an uproar and asked questions one after another, but Zhang Yu got up and left directly, ending the interview.

That night, the Warriors left Dallas overnight and flew back to Oakland.

On the plane, no one slept. After the playoffs, they will usher in a very long vacation. Some have time to rest, so there is no rush.

After some enlightenment from Zhang Yu and some communication with the Mavericks players, the Warriors players gradually accepted the fact of losing. They exchanged plans for the offseason with each other, and buzzing voices filled the cabin.

Curry sat with Butler, whispering about tonight's game.

"I played too badly today, we had a chance to win..." Butler said angrily, still immersed in self-blame.

Curry reassured:
"The boss has said it all. I don't blame you. The Mavericks are indeed stronger than us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be out 1:4. This is not something that can be changed just by being in good condition."

"But it's good to win one more game. Maybe it's a 2:3 tie, and Nowitzki won't be so amazing. We may still have a chance." Butler sighed.

After getting along with Curry for a few years, Butler's personality has also been influenced by his friends. He is no longer as withdrawn as he was in high school, and has become much more cheerful.

This is also Zhang Yu's intention. Zhang Yu knows that Butler has caused troubles in the locker room when he was in the Bulls, Timberwolves and 76ers. His personality is very withdrawn.

Zhang Yu didn't want Butler to affect the stability of the team's locker room. On the one hand, he used his kindness and prestige to Butler to teach him, and on the other hand, he also let Curry's optimistic personality influence him, so that he gradually learned how to be correct. teammates get along.

Curry saw Butler obsessed with his own abnormality, and changed the subject:

"Let's not talk about this, it's all over... Do you know what the boss said when he was interviewed?"

"What did you say?" Butler was aroused by him.

Curry said:

"The boss said that next season we will go further and compete for the championship!"

"Championship?!" Butler's eyes widened in surprise, and he lost his voice.

He didn't control the volume and was heard by others. Chandler, who was sitting in the row in front of the two, turned around and asked:

"Championship? Who wants to compete for the championship?"

Curry told reporters that Zhang Yu said that the Warriors will not form the Big Three next season and will still compete for the championship:
"...After you get off the plane, you will know by looking at your phone. It must have spread on the Internet."

Chandler said in surprise:

"Did the coach say that directly to the reporter?"

Tony Allen, who was sitting in the same row as Chandler, also turned around, puzzled and said:
"Isn't this normal? We have reached the Western Conference finals, and the next goal is of course the championship. Are we still thinking about competing for the runner-up? Or do you have no confidence?"

"Tony, I really don't have confidence. You already have a championship ring. We were the first-round team last season. This season, we will enter the Western Conference finals and next season will compete for the championship. The span is really a bit big." Chandler smiled wryly. .

He looked at Curry, paused, and said:

"Stephen, I'm not targeting you. When I was in the Hornets in 08, we ranked second in the Western Conference in the regular season, only one game behind the Lakers. Chris Paul almost took the MVP from Kobe. That's his. The third season, but in the playoffs that year, we fell in the second round. I am very happy that you can get the scoring champion and a first team. You played well in the first two rounds, but we can reach the western finals , It has a lot to do with the Spurs being hacked. We can beat the Grizzlies, but it doesn’t mean we can beat the Spurs. We are still far from the championship team.”

Chandler spoke very sincerely and convincingly. After hearing this, several people fell silent, and even Tony Allen did not refute. They all agreed with Chandler's words.

Chandler added:

"But the coach has already made bold statements in front of the media. Everyone knows that our goal for next season is the championship. If we can't do it..."

He didn't say any more, but everyone knew what he wanted to say.

If the Warriors don't win the championship, they will be reduced to a laughingstock.

"I trust the boss," Curry said suddenly.

"Huh?" Several people looked at Curry suspiciously.

Curry said calmly:
"When I went to Indiana to try out, the boss said that he would take me to win the championship, and then we won two championships; the boss said that I can play in the NBA, I will become a star, and now I have won the scoring title and the championship. For a while. Since he said that we can compete for the championship, then we will definitely be able to. I know the boss. What he dislikes the most is speaking big words in front of the media and creating psychological pressure for us.

Butler nodded heavily and said:

"That's right, what the boss said must be reasonable. Since he said so, then we must have the strength, but we haven't realized it yet. I must practice hard in the summer. As long as we can help Stephen, the championship will also win." It's not a problem, after all, we were already champions before we came to the NBA!"

Chandler and Tony Allen looked at each other, seeing deep surprise in each other's eyes.

Curry and Butler have a level of trust in their coaches they've never seen in their former teammates.

Big Z sitting in the back row also participated in the discussion, he said with a smile:

"Jimmy, if you want to compete for the championship, it depends on how far you can grow. Tyson and I have no potential to tap. How far the team can go depends on the progress of you young people, right? , Andre?"

"Eh? Yes, you're right..." Kirilenko, who was sitting next to him, froze for a moment and nodded.

His expression was a little dazed, the word "champion" was too far away for him, he had never been close to this goal in his entire career, but when the contract was about to end, he heard the word.

If possible, I really want to stay here and play...

No one else noticed the change in Kirilenko's expression, because more and more people participated in the discussion, and Green had strong confidence:
"I'm just a low pick, but I'm definitely not worse than those lottery picks. The rookie second team is just the beginning. Next season, I will be in the defense. I will shoot many, many three-pointers, and I will pass a lot of assists. By then, we will definitely compete for the championship!"

"whispering sound--"

The others hissed softly. Green always liked to talk big, and no one took what he said to heart.

Green was a little anxious:

"I'm telling the truth. The coach came to Sekino to look for me at Christmas, that's what he said. I can definitely do it. As long as I practice hard in the summer, there will be no problem!"

Curry laughed:

"Okay, since the boss said it, let's compete for three points after you practice shooting."

"Forget it, you have been said to be the league's top scorer, I can't compare to you..." Green said angrily.

"Hahaha……"

There was a burst of laughter in the cabin, and the laughter became louder and louder.

Everyone talked and laughed loudly, and no one mentioned the championship again, but everyone kept Big Z's words in their hearts.

They are the ones who can decide how far the Warriors can go in the end, and they must not live up to the trust of the coach.

　I didn't check the time for the scheduled release, and it was scheduled to be eleven o'clock tonight...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)