NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 779 The Privileges of a Superstar (Chapter without a main character)

On Wednesday, February 23, 2011, several teams continued to "maneuver" ahead of the trade deadline.

The 76ers have confirmed that Kobe Bryant will play in tonight's game against the Wizards, and Gilbert Arenas, who is leading the team's push for the number one draft pick, is also in high spirits, proactively offering his support before the game:

"I will make Kobe understand the Eastern Conference basketball model!"

After the Wizards broke up their "Big Three," Arenas and Antawn Jamison couldn't be traded anywhere. Arenas' reputation plummeted, and Jamison was relegated to being a stat padder.

In an effort to promote John Wall, the Wizards actively made trades, but unfortunately no one was willing to take him on. Championship contenders simply didn't need him, and tanking had already filled the gap in their budget.

Under these circumstances, although Arenas occasionally served as a substitute, he maintained his high standards, and his teammates were all obedient. With a record of 18 wins and 37 losses, the Wizards were having a great time.
Mamba naturally looked down on this weak team. He received a grand welcome at the airport that morning, and Philadelphia fans were incredibly excited. Some even took out loans on the spot.
"We've finally beaten the Knicks!"

"."

Even New York sports media went over to join the fray, updating the news on Twitter, and naturally, fans of both teams started arguing again.

The reason the 76ers regained their confidence was mainly due to the four-team trade announced this morning, which received very negative reviews from multiple basketball commentators.

The Bobcats traded Gerald Wallace to the Trail Blazers, the Mavericks traded Caron Butler to the Bobcats, and the Knicks traded Tyson Chandler to the Mavericks.

Ultimately, the Knicks acquired Shawn Marks, Joel Przybilla, and first-round draft picks in 2011 and 2014 from the Trail Blazers, as well as a second-round draft pick in 2011 from the Bobcats and the Mavericks.
The Bobcats acquired Dante Cunningham from the Trail Blazers, the Mavericks' 2011 first-round draft pick, and the Knicks' 2011 second-round draft pick.

Aside from their championship-winning center, the Mavericks only have three second-round picks. Their starting small forward is gone, prompting commentators to give them extremely low marks.
“We see no future other than more luxury taxes.”

The Knicks have given up two players in the trade, which undoubtedly saved them a lot of money, and their goal of downsizing has been achieved.

Charlotte fans didn't cause any trouble after the trade was completed. While Gerald Wallace's ability to play through the injury after being elbowed in the lung is commendable, his physical condition inevitably declined.

Michael Jordan won't offer a big contract; Caron Butler seems like a better value!
Mark Cuban seems to have gone all in, promising a big contract during the offseason in order to acquire a championship-winning center.

Chandler's long-term contract is settled; as for his performance, that's Nowitzki's problem to consider.
The Mavericks naturally welcomed the arrival of the championship-winning center. Michael Finley, who currently works for the team, was the one who had been advocating for this trade.

Barea warmly welcomed his senior, and Kidd also believes the team has made an important signing. As for the lack of a striker, that remains to be seen in future moves; Cuban has already made promises on Twitter.

"Pay attention to the trades that happened on the 24th. I believe everyone can see the Mavericks' determination to win the championship!"

On the night of the 23rd, the American Airlines Center was packed to capacity. Although Chandler was unable to play, the pre-game cheers were nonstop as soon as the championship center was seen sitting on the bench.

With his long beard, Chandler, dressed in a black suit, waved to the fans. A six-year contract has solved the problem of subsequent contracts. Although it is not an absolute maximum salary, he has the opportunity to earn 20 million in the future.

This is the salary level of a superstar. When Chandler sat on the bench, he looked at Cuban and couldn't help but smile kindly. It's really too generous!
Tonight, the Mavericks' opponent is the Jazz. Due to the falling out between head coaches Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan, the veteran coach resigned before the All-Star break, and Tyronn Corbin has now taken over the team.

During warm-up, none of the sports reporters present saw Deron Williams. Cuban, sitting in the front row, seemed to have already received the news, with a confident smile on his face.

After the game started, Peja Stojakovic, who had just signed a contract with the Mavericks, was in good form. Although he looked a bit weak on the defensive end, he seized the opportunity beyond the three-point line.

Jason Terry and J.J. Barea, who came off the bench, also performed well, with the two actively increasing the pace and leading Nowitzki in a run-and-gun offense.

Although the German hasn't received much attention this season, he has been honing his skills over the past few years, completely making up for his weaknesses, and is currently considered the best stretch power forward in the league.

During the offensive transition, Andrei Kirilenko received the ball on the right wing, was faked out by Nowitzki, and was eventually overtaken by the German tank, prompting the referee to blow the whistle.

Unlike the outspoken owner, Nowitzki remained "gloomy-faced." Although the trade was good, he still felt that a championship was "far away."
At the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks held a double-digit lead at 26-36, and the American Airlines Center erupted in cheers.

Head coach Carlisle was very satisfied with the team's performance. Although Nowitzki had some minor defensive issues at the center position, he was able to unleash the team's full offensive potential.

The trade also thrilled Kidd, who pulled Barea aside and gave him a series of instructions, finally patting the smaller player on the shoulder and loudly encouraging him:

"Unleash your potential, Bro. The coach isn't limiting your imagination; you need to be aggressive."

Jason Terry looked just as gloomy as the German. Butler's departure made him unhappy, and the team needs to rebuild its chemistry, but it seems there's no time to lose.

Fortunately, the Jazz seemed to lose interest in winning, and even as the Mavericks' shooting percentage dropped, they maintained a double-digit lead.

The referees didn't add any drama. In the first game of the All-Star Weekend, the game was fast-paced, and in the end, the Mavericks easily won 96-118 thanks to their offense.

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers, Cuban, dressed casually, stood up and repeatedly high-fived the fans, clearly showing the big-mouthed boss's good mood.

Nowitzki, who played through three quarters, went 9-for-15 and scored a team-high 23 points. The two guards off the bench had a breakout performance, and the German finally smiled during the interview.

"A trade? It would definitely be a huge help to the team, but I also want to wish Butler all the best. He's a true fighter who has given us a lot of energy."

"Tyson is outstanding, and his championship experience can help us!"

Chandler kept high-fiving his new teammates, hugged Barea and joked, and Michael Finley on the sidelines also stepped forward to bump fists with him. Having just joined the team, the championship center had already established himself.

During a sideline interview, Kidd also joked about his new teammates:

“I texted Tyson a long time ago that coming to Dallas would allow him to earn more money, and I swear he’ll love it here!”

Although Dallas fans weren't as enthusiastic as New York fans, Chandler was quite satisfied with the current situation, and he grinned along with Kidd's teasing.

"Kidd and Lee are both masters of controlling the game, and I think I can fit into the team seamlessly."

"But I hope his three-point shooting can be like Lee's, you know, that can help us win games. For that, I will share my championship experience without reservation!" Kidd's shooting has improved, but his usual 1 for 7 and 2 for 8 has lowered his impression score. The veteran doesn't care and laughs with his new teammates.

Jason Terry breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. He just hoped everything would go smoothly, as time was running out for everyone.

-

On Thursday, February 24th, the last day of the trade deadline, a blockbuster trade once again stunned sports commentators.

The Cavaliers traded Mo Williams, their 2011 and 2013 first-round draft picks to the Jazz, and Mehta World Peace to the Mavericks;
The Jazz traded Deron Williams to the Cavaliers in exchange for DeShawn Stevenson, Matt Carroll, Eduardo Naheira, a 2013 first-round draft pick, and cash from the Mavericks.

In this trade, the Cavaliers received an All-Star guard and the Mavericks' 2013 second-round draft pick. After the information was released, Dwight Howard updated his Twitter account:
"After Lee and Gasol, the most dominant duo in the league has emerged!"

"."

Even before the All-Star Game, sources revealed that there were problems in the Cavaliers' locker room. Now that the championship forward has been traded, combined with "Happy Beast's" attitude, it's not hard to see that the two had a conflict.

Deron Williams is very satisfied with the trade. After falling out with the veteran coach, he urgently needs to prove himself, and the Cavaliers are one of his preferred destinations.

Actively interacting with his partner, Deron Williams quickly retweeted the post, with a very simple message:
"I've arrived, Cleveland!"

This trade saved the Cavaliers a little bit of salary, and the Jazz quickly gave up Matt Carroll and Eduardo Nahera, leaving only two players whose contracts expire this season.

Basketball commentators were stunned; the Mavericks had gone mad. After completing this trade, their luxury tax would skyrocket for the next few years.

Since no one leaked the deal beforehand, discussions have grown increasingly heated since the deal was finalized.

The Hawks traded Mike Bibby and others for Kirk Hinrich, while the Rockets traded Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic and a 2011 first-round draft pick – both of which have gone largely unnoticed.

During TNT's pre-game show, the trio gossiped about the inside story of the trades, with Charles Barkley publicly criticizing "The Happy Beast" on camera:
“Howard played a stupid role in this trade. I have the exact information that Raja Bell was originally the one to be traded, but he ultimately prevented the trade from happening.”

"The Cavaliers now have to play Jamario Moon at the 3 position, which is a disaster. I don't have high hopes for Deron Williams' arrival; they'll have a hard time building chemistry!"

The broadcast showed Artest's statistics for the first half of the season: his field goal percentage was less than 40%, and his three-point percentage was only 30.8%.

After Howard's injury, the Cavaliers' record was overtaken by the Celtics. During this period, Jamario Moon, a substitute, performed more consistently and seemed to have won the trust of "The Happy Beast".

"To me, this seems more like a personal feud; Raja Bell and Howard are clearly closer!"

Kenny Smith raised an eyebrow and stated his opinion without analyzing the rationale behind the trade, then added again to the camera:
"That's the privilege of superstars! The Cavaliers resolved their locker room issues quickly, and they did it better than the Lakers!"

"If conflicts erupt during the playoffs, it would be better to complete the trade. The arrival of Deron Williams would strengthen the Cavaliers' offense and upgrade their backcourt."

"I'm optimistic about this combination. The Cavaliers previously lacked an offensive initiator, and now all they need to do is stay healthy."

With the Knicks losing last night, the reigning champions seem to have completely lost their motivation to trade. Ernie Johnson couldn't help but sigh when discussing the trades of the past two days:
"The Knicks will make a big splash in this year's draft! I'm not optimistic about the Cavaliers' future; Howard's back injury is a concern."

“He only played 21 minutes last night and still felt discomfort in his back. Deron Williams may be able to handle Wade’s defense, but he also needs to adapt to the new system.”

"."

The trio didn't make many announcements before the game. The Heat were playing the Bulls on the road, and in everyone's opinion, the outcome of the game was not surprising.

After the game started at 20 p.m., James and Wade were unstoppable, combining for 19 points, giving the Heat a 31-23 lead in the first quarter.

Just like in previous games, it was expected that the Heat would gradually widen the gap, but unexpectedly, Chris Bosh continued his first-quarter performance, seemingly channeling his inner bricklayer.
With a 9-point lead at halftime, the Bulls suddenly went on a run in the third quarter as Wade and James both missed shots, completely igniting the United Center!

With a 14-27 run in the quarter, the Bulls took the lead, and Derrick Rose celebrated by clenching his fist as he walked to the bench.

In the final quarter, despite James and Wade going to the free-throw line one after another and Rose missing several shots, the Bulls managed to hold on to the game thanks to Luol Deng's outstanding performance.

With the score at 89-93, the cheers in the arena were deafening, with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah even bumping chests in celebration.

On the Heat's bench, a sleepy-eyed McGrady smirked, seemingly unfazed by the loss. He leisurely strolled to the sidelines, high-fiving his teammates and continuing to project superstar charisma.
波什今晚18中1，靠着罚球怒砍7分9篮板，三分线外6中0，差点就把公牛队的篮筐砸歪了。

The former star player stood with his hands on his hips, showing no sign of frustration. He kept telling his teammates, "It's mine! If we score a few more points tonight, the Heat won't lose."

Coach Spoelstra didn't seem to care much about the loss. In his view, the Heat's pure strength was still far ahead, and the whole team remained confident.

When interviewed on the sidelines, LeBron James was asked about his former team. The "Chosen One" smiled and offered a simple blessing:

"The Cavaliers have acquired an excellent core point guard! This will greatly help their offense, but we remain confident that the Heat are ready to face any challenge!"

"Rose showed leadership tonight. His talent is incredible. The basketball god didn't favor us, but we still united as one during the game."

Wade has been beaming since he saw Artest was traded that morning. David Lee is tanking with the Raptors, and the Flash is extremely happy about the fate of the championship forward.

While his friend was being interviewed by TNT, Wade didn't forget to cheerfully call out from behind:
"The Cavaliers are stronger now. Dwight did the right thing; the locker room is very important."

Haslem, who had joined in, was equally delighted. Seeing Artest in trouble, he was happier than anyone else, and at that moment, he joined locker room leader Wade in shouting:

"Championship experience? The Heat don't need that, because we are the champions, and everyone is ready!"

"."

(End of this chapter)