warrior godfather

Chapter 740
On October 10, the Warriors set off to China and started a week-long trip to China.

Still the same as last year, the Warriors first participated in several commercial activities and community activities where they had close contact with fans, and then at 10 pm on October 5th, they played the first game against the Timberwolves at the Longgang Universiade Center in Pengcheng .

The ticket price for this game was very high by the scalpers. Before the Warriors came to China, Zhang Yu posted a Weibo, saying that the Warriors will play the two preseason games according to the intensity of the regular season. A good viewing experience has made many Huaxia fans look forward to it.

Not only that, but the American media and fans are also paying close attention to these two Chinese games. They all want to know who Coach Z will arrange for the second position after Clay is injured.

At present, it is generally believed that Bogdan will replace Clay's starting position. He performed well last season, averaging 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and his three-point shooting rate is as high as 41.2%. He is familiar with the Warriors' tactics. And it was originally a substitute for the second position, which can be seamlessly connected.

It's just that Bogdan's defense is relatively average, and his scoring ability is far inferior to that of Clay. If he enters the starting lineup, the Warriors' strength at the second position will definitely drop a lot.

Antetokounmpo and Wiggins are also the focus of attention. After Leonard and Green leave and Clay is injured, their performance will directly affect the Warriors' upper limit.

As for the others, they were ignored by the outside world.

Even if it is a double prospect, no one thinks they can play, and those role players are not worth mentioning.

This summer, the league has officially entered the era of grouping. If it wants to compete for the championship, it must at least start with the Big Three, and the dual-core is a bit shabby.

The Celtics even formed the Big Four of Leonard, Durant, Irving, and Horford. Just a few days ago, the Thunder made another move, sending Kanter, McDermott, and the 2018 second-round pick. In exchange for Anthony from the Knicks, the Big Four of Westbrook, George, Gobert, and Anthony were officially formed.

With this deal, the Thunder has become the biggest favorite in the Western Conference. The dual-core Warriors and the Rockets all look bleak in front of the Thunder.

And not long after, Wade and the Heat failed to agree on a contract extension. He joined the Bulls with a two-year $2 million contract to form the Big Three of Rose, Butler, and Wade. The Bulls became one of the biggest favorites in the East in one fell swoop.

But not everyone is optimistic about these two transactions. Anthony and Wade have fallen sharply, and they are no longer at the level of superstars.

And in this era of the three-point king, how much the two retro scorers can play is also a huge question mark.

But the Thunder and the Bulls were very confident in their deal, and immediately held a press conference.

Westbrook, George, and Gobert all welcomed Anthony's joining. Anthony also expressed his determination to compete for the championship in front of his new club. Everything looks so good.

It's just that from the beginning to the end, no one clearly pointed out Anthony's position in the Thunder. He seems to be the superstar who scores like chopping melons and vegetables, and will enjoy a lofty status in the Thunder.

At the Bulls' press conference, Wade made it clear that he obeyed all the team's arrangements, and Stevens also made it clear that Wade will lead more of the bench.

At the same time, Stevens also said that Butler will take on more responsibilities in the new season, and Rose's playing time will be further compressed to maintain health.

This is even more surprising than Wade joining the Bulls. Rose has always been the undisputed absolute core of the Bulls, led the Bulls to a championship trophy, and is one of the top superstars in the league. Out of leadership.

Later, Ross himself stated:
"My body can't bear the load of the long regular season. In order to enter the playoffs in the best condition, I can only reduce the playing time. This is a painful decision. I want to dedicate more wonderful games to the Chicago fans. But for the win, for the championship, I have to do it."

"Jimmy will become the new leader of the team. He is the hardest player I have ever seen. I believe that he can lead the Bulls to new glory. Dwayne and I will fully assist him and attack the championship !"

Under the surprised eyes of the reporter, the Bulls successfully completed the transfer of power, Rose gave up the position of team leader, and Butler finally realized his long-cherished wish and became the absolute core of a strong team.

But then, he ushered in doubts from fans.

Rose's strength is obvious to all. He is the only player in active service who has won mvp + championship + fmvp at the same time. The other two are Nowitzki and Curry. One is the top five power forwards in history and the other is the number one point guard in history.

It is such a historical superstar, but he was able to retire bravely at his peak and made the most sensible choice. In order to win, he gave up his position as the leader of the team. What a selfless act.

However, when the fans praised Rose's selflessness, they also doubted whether Butler really has the strength to take over the leadership responsibilities from Rose?

Rose is a historical superstar, but Butler is not even a top striker. Even in this era of data explosion, his statistics are not brilliant, his efficiency is not high, and his style of play is simple and unpretentious. It turned out that there was only a foul.

Even the Bulls fans themselves don't believe Butler can take over the scepter from Rose.

Butler has always played a supporting role. From the Warriors to the Bulls, from Curry to Rose, he has always been the right-hand man next to the super guard, but he has never played the leading role.

Does he really have this strength?
Only the game can give the answer.

This offseason has produced too many mysteries.

Warriors dual-core, Rockets dual-core, Celtics Big Four, Thunder Big Four, Cavaliers Big Three, Bulls Big Three, Blazers Pseudo-Big Four... In this grouping era, which team can win the final victory?

Are these exciting giant teams really compatible?
Is the hegemony of the Warriors really about to decline?
The answer will only be revealed after the start of next season.

However, the fans immediately got the answer to a question-the Warriors' starting second position is not Bogdan, but Jaylen Brown.

On October 10, in the first preseason game against the Timberwolves, Curry, Jaylen Brown, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, and Looney started the game, ending the suspense about the Warriors' starting debate.

Jaylen Brown, the No. [-] pick with a weak sense of presence last season, came to a team that had just established a dynasty and got the starting position.

In this game, he even attracted more attention than Curry. Even if Curry scored 60+ in a preseason game, the fans would only say "oh", but every time Jaylen Brown takes the ball, regardless of Whether it is the Warriors fans, they will stare at him closely.

Antetokounmpo and Wiggins received the same treatment as him.

Everyone wants to know whether these three rookies selected by Coach Z can carry the hope of continuing the Warriors dynasty.

Fortunately, Coach Z really played this game as a regular season, and they were able to get a glimpse of the reality of the Warriors.

Curry didn't have much desire to attack. He just followed Zhang Yu's instructions, played hard in the first quarter, scored 18 points easily, showed off his skills in front of Huaxia fans, and then paddled on the court.

Antetokounmpo has become the Warriors' main attack point, and he also made the Timberwolves' inside line pay a heavy price.

Like Jaylen Brown, Antetokounmpo also spent an extremely hard offseason. He only took a short rest for a few days after winning the championship, and then devoted himself to self-abuse training.

After the deal between Leonard and Green was completed, Zhang Yu specifically contacted Antetokounmpo and told him:

"Giannis, from now on, you are the No. [-] star of the Warriors. You will gain a tactical status second only to Stephen. Your possession of the ball will increase significantly. Your stats will skyrocket. You will become famous. world, you'll get your own signature shoe... In short, you'll be a real superstar!"

"But the premise of all this is that you have stronger strength. Last season, you are not qualified to be called a superstar. I need a stronger Giannis, and the Warriors Dynasty also needs a stronger Giannis. Come on Well, the door to superstardom has been opened for you, all you need now is your own efforts!"

Zhang Yu's chicken soup was very effective. Antetokounmpo went all out, full of motivation, trying hard not to be a player whose big contract just came into effect, but like a marginal man with a basic salary who was desperately working for a big contract.

Instead of returning to his leisurely Greek training, he came to Charlotte again, to the basketball acceleration training camp, and practiced with Curry.

The future dual-core of the Warriors stayed together all summer, just like the past few summers, the tacit understanding continued to improve, and even reached the point of tacit understanding.

Antetokounmpo joined the Warriors later than Clay, Green, and Leonard, but the degree of tacit understanding between him and Curry is not lost to others, because of the joint training of the two in the summer .

In addition, Antetokounmpo's skills have also improved a lot. After four seasons, his body has been developed to the peak, and there is no room for improvement. If he wants to improve his strength, he can only improve his skills.

He bravely stepped out of his comfort zone, practiced back-up singles and turnaround jumpers hard, his footsteps became more flexible, and his efficiency in short-range mid-range shots also improved by leaps and bounds.

Originally, Antetokounmpo wanted to develop three-pointers, but Zhang Yu stopped him. The Warriors do not lack shooters. Antetokounmpo does not need to worry about space congestion. A direct threat to the rim.

At the same time, Antetokounmpo is also practicing passing the ball hard, learning from Curry, and improving his passing accuracy and imagination.

Green and Olynyk have left one after another, neither Wiggins nor Jaylen Brown are passers, and Curry is the only organization point left for the Warriors, and Antetokounmpo must assume the responsibility of dealing cards.

However, he does not need to deal cards at the top of the arc like Green, and Zhang Yu will not put him on the outside.

(End of this chapter)