NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 783 "Vulnerable" (Chapter without main character)

On Thursday, April 14, 2011, the NBA regular season officially ended, and the related statistical awards were immediately announced!

Although the Brooklyn Nets missed the playoffs, the team was among the first to send their best wishes to Carmelo Anthony this morning, and their Twitter activity only grew more lively after the update:

"Winning the scoring title in his first season with the team! We will witness Carmelo Anthony's great Nets career together!"

"."

The comments section below this post was quickly flooded with well wishes. Knicks fans, who have been criticizing the team since March, were even more vocal in their criticism after seeing the Nets' official statement.

"Shameless clown! Anthony doesn't deserve this trophy!"

"Another stat padder. The last one was already abandoned by the Lakers. Anthony should give up on the award selection."

"A scoring title with an average of 28.7 points per game? Carmelo Anthony has racked up stats all season and this is the level he's at? The Nets are destined to fail!"

The comment section was "invaded" by New York fans, and most of the related articles were sarcastic and mocking Anthony's less than 45% shooting percentage.

Fans didn't approve, but Anthony's family was proud of his award. Lala shared the post and congratulated her husband, also posting several photos together.
"A great start!"

Jay-Z recently congratulated the University of Kentucky, the NCAA tournament champions. This year's final was held in Newark, New Jersey, and the famous black singer went to the locker room to celebrate after the game.

Now that Carmelo Anthony has won the scoring title, Jay-Z and his fellow Black friends have come to congratulate him, and everyone is sharing photos on social media. As the big brother figure, Jay-Z couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark at the end:
“Brooklyn is about to become the sports center of New York. At 26, the future belongs to Anthony.”

"."

That's the allure of a big market. The Nets haven't even officially moved yet, and the team has already started pre-selling VIP premium season tickets for the 11-12 season.

Anthony's popularity has skyrocketed, which is much better than when he played in Denver. When he was with the Nuggets, New York fans didn't attack him as a "fringe player".

In the afternoon, TNT also began to hype up this year's playoffs. Without the Knicks, the suspense of the championship has increased significantly.

Although the Heat have been taking out loans lately, the Big Three don't seem to be as dominant as they used to be. At least the regular season has shown that the three of them can be inconsistent, and their playoff stats are questionable.

The broadcast director released the Eastern and Western Conference standings early on, and the East-West dominance remains unchanged:

The top 8 teams in the Eastern Conference are:
The Heat won 63 games, the Bulls won 61 games, the Cavaliers won 57 games, and the Celtics won 55 games.
The Magic had 48 wins, the Hawks had 45 wins, the 76ers had 44 wins, and the Pacers had 42 wins.

The Knicks finished ninth with exactly 41 wins, thus missing the playoffs.

The top 8 teams in the Western Conference are:
The Thunder had 57 wins, the Mavericks had 54 wins, the Lakers had 50 wins, and the Nuggets had 49 wins.
The Rockets had 47 wins, the Hornets had 46 wins, the Trail Blazers had 45 wins, and the Grizzlies had 45 wins.

The Spurs also won 41 games this season. Like Li You, Duncan missed all the last few games of the regular season. The former MVP's stats have declined sharply, and there are already rumors of his retirement.

In the studio, the trio had different expressions when they saw the rankings again. Having experienced the Knicks' high win rate for so many years, seeing 41 wins now was indeed a bit uncomfortable.

However, none of the three would analyze the specific reasons; don't ask, the answer is always the luxury tax issue.
"Philadelphia fans should be the happiest of all the playoff teams, and I think Kobe can be dominant in the playoffs!"

"Many media reporters seem to be planning to vote for Derrick Rose, hoping that the young man will not suffer the same embarrassing situation as Nowitzki, and being eliminated in the first round is not worthy of the MVP honor."

Kenny Smith was more friendly, taking advantage of the footage of Philadelphia fans celebrating wildly to speak up for the Mamba again.

This is arguably the biggest highlight of the first round, after all, Kobe is the only core player with championship experience on the playoff team!

Since Kobe left the Lakers, his teammate has lost his "aggressiveness," but Charles Barkley's firepower remains undiminished, and he made a pointed remark about the Lakers:
"Despite a poor first half of the season, Stoudemire and Iguodala proved themselves together!"

"I agree with Jim Buss's point of view. The Lakers have a championship culture. Those championships were not created by Kobe. If the team can be better without him, then trading Kobe was the right choice."

"As it turns out, the Lakers' management did make the right move. They are now third in the Western Conference and will face the Hornets in the first round."

"Given David West's ACL injury, the Lakers are highly likely to make it to the semifinals, and this year they even have a chance to reach the Finals again. The championship culture is reviving!"

With David West out for the season and Chris Paul having to lead the team alone again this year, the Lakers currently have a multi-ball-handler system, with all three perimeter players capable of initiating offense.

The Los Angeles team has a better rotation than the Hornets, and before the playoffs have even started, Los Angeles fans are already celebrating the arrival of the semifinals.

"I'm not worried about the Heat's first-round series. I'm more interested in the Rockets than the superstars!"

"Can Yao lead the team to further success after McGrady's departure? Their opponent is the Nuggets, and I think the Rockets have the advantage in their matchup."

Ernie Johnson clearly knew what Chinese fans across the ocean cared about. During the regular season, although McGrady didn't explicitly criticize, he didn't forget to defend himself when discussing past playoff performances:
"When I was in the Western Conference, I never played with a player like Shaq."

"Basketball isn't a one-man show. I wasn't as lucky as Kobe, which is why I chose to join the Heat. Championship teams need roster depth."

The director edited together clips of McGrady complaining this season, and almost every time the playoffs were mentioned, the "washed-up second man" would shift the blame.

Even Rockets fans couldn't stand it anymore and started criticizing their former star on social media:

"McGrady has no right to criticize his partner; he should look for his own problems."

Fortunately, Yao Ming was in good physical condition this year. Although he only played 62 games, the Rockets were able to establish themselves after the trade. On the other hand, the Grizzlies were too tired in the final stages and dropped to 8th place.

The Western Conference standings are also related to the Spurs' tanking. If it weren't for the undignified nature of losing so many games, Popovich might have led the team to a direct run for the number one draft pick.

The Spurs, who consistently held the 9th seed, failed to put pressure on the teams ahead of them, and the Grizzlies ultimately secured a playoff spot without much trouble, prompting Memphis fans to hold a grand celebration.

After the three of them analyzed the situation, they felt it was rather dull. Watching the basketball of the "Big Three" was uncomfortable. Having gotten used to the Knicks' games, many commentators were not excited about this year's playoffs.

When discussing this season's awards, outspoken Charles Barkley also made a joke about Anthony:

"The scoring title trophy should be split in half with Lee! Anthony should be glad that Lee isn't interested in these honors anymore."

"We hope to see his gratitude at tomorrow's press conference."

-

On Friday the 15th, the NBA officially announced the statistical leaders for this season:
With an average of 28.7 points per game, Carmelo Anthony of the Brooklyn Nets won his first scoring title and led the team to 39 wins. Although the record was not good, it was still a successful year overall.
With an average of 15.2 rebounds per game, Kevin Love of the Timberwolves has had a breakout season, leading the team to 17 wins as a "double-double machine," and the trophy is the best consolation.

With an average of 11.6 assists per game, Li You's playing time has reached a career low, with only 69 games played this season, easily maintaining a double-double record.
With an average of 2.6 blocks per game, Andrew Bogut also racked up impressive numbers with the Bucks, who were poised to be the number one draft pick.

Averaging 2.4 steals per game, the Hornets' Chris Paul has seen a slight decline in offense since returning from injury, but his defense remains solid, making him one of the few small players in the league who excels on both ends of the court.

The top performers in the statistics all received a crystal trophy, and Carmelo Anthony was the happiest of them all. He quickly updated his social media after receiving the trophy, and also continued to offer exciting news to Nets fans:

"Guys, I swear, being the scoring champion is just the beginning! Let's witness greatness together!"

"."

The Lakers' popularity cooled down a bit after they traded Kobe, but with the playoffs approaching, Los Angeles fans are getting excited again. The first round is no problem, and many are even starting to look forward to the Finals! Andre Iguodala, who plays both offense and defense, has won the trust of Lakers fans. His style of play is completely different from Kobe's, who relied on contested shots. Iguodala is more selfless, but his physical attributes are equally explosive.

At noon, the Toyota Center training facility was packed with sports reporters. The Lakers' first playoff game is the day after tomorrow, and head coach Byron Scott has been busy making grand promises lately.

After practice, Stoudemire and Iguodala were surrounded by reporters for an interview. Both seemed to be in good spirits and smiled confidently when talking about the playoffs.

"You know we can achieve even better results! 50 wins doesn't reflect our true strength."

Wearing a gray T-shirt, Stoudemire tilted his head at the reporters, and everyone understood what the championship forward meant: Kobe had held the Lakers back.

Iguodala, as always, maintained his humble attitude, showing not only confidence in the team but also respect for the opponents.

"Coach Scott has a reasonable plan for everyone, and you know, our goal in April is to stay healthy."

"Chris Paul is outstanding, and it's quite stressful to guard him, but as the team's perimeter leader, I will take on the defensive responsibilities."

"I prefer limiting my opponents on the court rather than scoring. Amaré is no ordinary player; he has a wealth of clutch experience, which is our biggest asset in the playoffs!"

"."

The championship forward was all smiles. It's so much better without Kobe. The locker room is more united, and the whole team has a completely new spirit!
Los Angeles sports reporters are also very satisfied with the current team atmosphere. Although the "catching the mole" segment is gone, as long as the hype is strong enough, the fans will still buy it.

Kobe's departure did not cause a drop in viewership for the broadcasters. On the contrary, with the victory, the Lakers restarted negotiations with Time Warner. In short, the team got back on the right track.

In the afternoon, ESPN released the Lakers' interview, and no one seemed to miss Kobe. Barnes and a few others even made pointed sarcastic remarks.
"We've become more united, and honestly, nobody wants to see their star players constantly missing shots in the playoffs."

"Danger, Lakers team! Things will only get better!"

The Philadelphia 76ers said goodbye yesterday. Kobe and his teammates have already flown to Chicago. The local sports media didn't get to interview the Mamba, but fortunately, head coach Doug Collins is an old acquaintance.

After the afternoon practice session, Doug Collins, smiling, was interviewed and immediately boasted about his opponent the following night:
"Kobe reminds me of Michael Jordan! Compared to Derrick Rose, Kobe has the full range of dunking moves."

"His hunger for victory far exceeds people's imagination. Just like Kobe said, the playoffs are his stage. The Bulls need to be careful!"

"."

Kobe was also very satisfied with the head coach. Byron Scott always emphasized the pick-and-roll tactic, and after joining the 76ers, he rediscovered his best style of play.

Without giving reporters a chance to interview him, Mamba told his teammates to leave quickly. Jrue Holiday followed closely behind his leader, and only after arriving in the locker room did he whisper to Brand:

"I'm a little nervous! I might be facing off against the MVP tomorrow night."

"MVP? Forget it, I don't think that rookie is capable of winning it. If Kobe had come earlier, the trophy might have been his."

Brand grinned broadly as he flattered Mamba, who, though he retorted with a serious expression, betrayed his true thoughts with a smile.

Nobody in the Lakers would praise him like that; those lazybones only complained and fought amongst themselves. In a good mood, Kobe patted the rookie on the shoulder, adopting a boss-like demeanor, and said in a deep voice:

"I'll handle Rose! Stick to our game plan perfectly, listen, seventh place isn't our true strength!"

"."

Holiday patted his chest in respect, he was truly impressed by the Mamba. Kobe's training attitude was impeccable, and Philadelphia at 4 a.m. witnessed the Mamba's hard work!

-

At 12:30 PM on the 16th, the United Center was packed to capacity, and the Bulls' long-standing opening animation was once again shown on the big screen in the center of the court.

The bulls' charge drew loud cheers from the fans in the arena, and when Derrick Rose was introduced, the roar almost broke the stadium.

Chicago media have already coined the term "MVP," and the Bulls' future looks promising!
Wearing his red away training jersey, Kobe frowned when he heard chants of "MVP." When it came time to name his next team, the Bulls rejected his request, preferring the young Derrick Rose.

On the ESPN commentary desk, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy chatted happily before the game, and Mark Jackson, seeing that neither side had changed their starting lineups, also began to praise the Mamba:
"If Kobe can successfully limit Rose, then the Bulls' offense will have problems."

"We don't know what defensive matchups the 76ers will employ, but someone has to step up and solve this problem during the game."

Van Gundy was talking about Li You's rookie season when his partner mentioned Rose, and he smiled and chimed in:

"Tom has created a perfect tactical system. This Bulls team is a bit like the early Knicks, and their defense is ranked first in the league!"

"Rose doesn't have Lee's God-given shooting touch, but his drives are extremely threatening, and his pull-up jump shot is also very good."

"This is a test for Kobe. He will definitely take over the defense, and as the team leader, he must take on more responsibility."

The Bulls' starting backcourt consisted of Derrick Rose and Keith Bogans, while the frontcourt duo of Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer shone brightly in the second half of the season, and center Joakim Noah also began to realize his potential.

Before the game started, on the bench, Kurt Thomas kept high-fiving. After being bought out, Thibodeau recruited a championship striker to make up for the team's lack of championship experience.

"Listen, Kobe's a clown! Be tougher, he can't keep up with you!"

"Noah, foul hard when necessary, this is our home court."

Kurt Thomas kept giving everyone instructions, Rose and Noah nodded in agreement, and Boozer grinned and bragged along:

"You can go toe-to-toe with Lee! Dealing with Kobe won't be a problem. We'll have a chance to provoke him. Trust me, the match will be easy."

Luol Deng didn't say anything. Ever since the veteran came to the locker room, Kobe had become a "clown," and Boozer's attitude had changed as well.

This gave Rose a lot of confidence. He hasn't had many opportunities to play against the Lakers in the past, and Kobe was very dominant in some games. Tonight, he really needs to establish some psychological advantage.

The 76ers are still playing with three guards. Jodie Meeks looks nervous, and Spencer Hawes seems a bit overwhelmed. The Bulls' advantage is too obvious!
At 13 p.m. sharp, the game began, and as Noah jumped for the ball, the shouts from the United Center were deafening.

The first possession was a pick-and-roll between Noah and Rose at the top of the key. Holiday couldn't get past them in time and could only watch helplessly as his opponent lowered his center of gravity and drove straight to the basket.

Facing a collapsing defense, Rose easily assisted Boozer for a jump shot on the right side near the baseline!

On the other hand, the 76ers' offense immediately found Kobe, but unfortunately, the Mamba's turnaround fadeaway jumper in the right-side area missed.

During the transition offense, Rose received the ball and charged forward, failing to get back on defense in time, allowing the Bulls to score another 2 points.

In the following minutes, the 76ers managed to respond with some grit thanks to Brand, but the Bulls had multiple players contributing, and Rose was completely unstoppable, constantly tearing apart the defense.

At 6:14, in the commentary booth, seeing the one-sided situation, Mark Jackson couldn't help but sigh:
"The worst has happened; the 76ers don't seem to be prepared."

(End of this chapter)