NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

In short, the Lakers' situation this year is absolutely terrible, even worse than the years when they were lottery picks due to trades and injuries.

Is it about aiming for the championship or securing the future? Is it about making a tough decision or giving the veterans a dignified experience?
The Lakers' season, while not exactly tumultuous, is certainly beset by internal and external troubles.

Of course, even so, their foundation is still there. No matter how much Kobe was plagued by injuries, he was still one of the best shooting guards in the league, definitely a top ten player.

Therefore, the Lakers' record this year is still quite impressive. As of now, they are still very competitive in the Western Conference and are among the top teams in the West.

However, they are showing fewer and fewer signs of being champions.

For the Lakers, with strong opponents all around and various top teams fighting tooth and nail for a better ranking to contend for the championship, every game is crucial.

The game against a depleted team like the Bobcats is even more crucial, as every win would be a huge boost to their morale, and each key victory would greatly increase the Lakers' chances of winning the Western Conference championship.

"Both teams continued with their previous starting lineups tonight. The Lakers fielded Bynum, Kirilenko, Durant, Kobe, and Fisher, while the Bobcats had Lin, DeRozan, Hayward, Boozer, and Yao Ming."

As the match drew near, Kenny quickly read out the starting lineups for both sides at the TNT commentary booth, which had been specially set up for the sake of the show.

"The Lakers' recent record isn't particularly good. They've only won 6 of their last 10 games, and in their last game they even lost to their crosstown rivals, the Clippers, who are second to last in the Western Conference. They desperately need a win to get the team back on track."

"And the Bobcats, although they lost their leading scorer Rose and suffered a losing streak, they have now gained another leading scorer, Lin!"

"Of course, it's not the Lin we know who takes off his suit and reappears, but another Lin who has become Charlotte's savior. Under Jeremy Lin's leadership, the Bobcats have now won three straight games, and they definitely want to continue their winning streak and momentum."

"At the very least, they certainly hope that when Rose returns, the team will still be in contention and still have the possibility and probability of competing for the top spot in the East."

O'Neal couldn't wait to chime in: "Then the biggest highlight of this game is undoubtedly the duel between Lin and Kobe!"

"Yes, we all know that these two are completely mismatched, they are not even in the same position. But we also know that Fisher is arguably the 30th best starting point guard in the league."

"Although he was ranked 29th a week ago, he has been ranked 30th since Augustin was ousted from the starting lineup."

"When Fisher can't guard the opponent's point guard, Kobe always steps up to switch with him and take over guarding the opponent's point guard! So tonight, can Kobe lock down Lin? Charles, what do you think? Are you prepared to call me 'father' for a week?"

"I hope Lin can get past Fisher first, and then we can talk about Kobe. It's too early to be thinking about a showdown with Kobe right now." Barkley was equally confident, saying, "We've all seen Lin's previous games."

"His outbursts in these three games were mainly due to three points!"

"1. His opponents were unprepared for him and had not studied his matches."

"2. Good skills, stable mentality, and plays a rhythmic style of play."

"3. It relies on a relentless fighting spirit and a fierce determination to gain a foothold in the league!"

"So what about now? After three games, if I may be so bold, Lin's three advantages have vanished! At least not tonight!"

"1. The Lakers are well prepared. Kobe himself said that he watched the highlights of Lin's three games. We all know Kobe. If he said he watched them, then he must have watched them very carefully and systematically. He must have a way to deal with Lin tonight."

"2. Fisher is old and slow, and can hardly defend against anyone anymore, but he still has experience and he still has size! Fisher is indeed no good against those speed-oriented guys, but he is definitely no problem against Lin, who focuses on rhythm."

"3. After three games, Lin is already famous throughout the United States. Everyone knows him. A guaranteed contract is not a problem. His drive has come to an end. He won't be so incredible anymore!"

"All his advantages are gone! So, Shaq, I should be asking you, are you ready to be my adorable son for the next week? I'll buy you a present, how about a pacifier?"

"What a coincidence!" O'Neal laughed. "I prepared a diaper for you, hopefully you won't wet the bed tonight! And more importantly! Charles, you really don't understand basketball at all!"

"I doubt you've even seen any of Lin's draft reports!"

"Lin's wingspan, vertical jump, and standing reach are indeed unremarkable. He is 191 cm tall but only has a 196 cm wingspan. His vertical jump and standing reach are also below average."

"but!"

"Lin Ke isn't the technically skilled guy you described. His real weapon is his speed!"

"Here's a set of the simplest data for you: Lin's starting speed is 13.93 miles per hour, the fastest in the race, even faster than Wall's 13.25 miles per hour!"

"Lin's average speed is 16.66 miles per hour, the highest among this year's rookies, faster than Wall's 16.48 miles per hour!"

"Lin's top speed: 18.85 miles per hour, second only to Wall's 19.3 miles per hour, making him the second fastest in this competition!"

"His 40-yard sprint time of 4.3 seconds is second in this competition, only behind Wall's 4.1 seconds."

"So? What can you tell? Lin's speed is top two in this draft! Apart from the number one pick John Wall, no one in this year's rookies can compare to him in terms of speed!"

"And Wall is the undisputed fastest guy! As for why Lin didn't show his absolute speed advantage in the previous games? I think it's probably because his jumping ability, wingspan, and absolute height after jumping are not that great."

"So a more rhythmic style of play suits him better than blindly charging into the paint! But that's still true, it's just relative. If he's up against a top guard like Deron Williams or John Wall, his physical attributes other than speed will hold him back."

"But against Fisher? Wake up, man! This is Fisher! Fisher is almost 40 years old. My grandma can score 30 points against Fisher's defense!"

Faced with O'Neal's counterattack, Barkley was clearly doing a poor job. He was embarrassed for a moment, and then stubbornly said, "What does that prove? The Lakers have Bynum and Kirilenko in the paint. If he chooses to drive, he will be locked down by help defense just the same!"

"And don't forget our bet. Our bet isn't just about Lin playing better than Fisher; it's about him breaking through Kobe's defense and targeting!"

"He can't do it! As long as Kobe plays mismatch defense, Lin will definitely be shut down!"

"I know Kobe better than anyone!" Shaquille O'Neal's former teammate said confidently. "I know what kind of person he is! Seriously, if Kobe had listened to my advice, I would have had him have surgery and given up the season instead of playing with an injury."

"His performance right now is truly heartbreaking! This isn't the Kobe I know; he's been playing terribly this year!"

"Rest well, recover from your injury. Given his age and desire for victory, he can definitely return to his peak."

"But now that he's stubbornly refusing to let go and insisting on playing despite his injury, his performance has declined significantly."

"If it were a few years ago, or even last year's Kobe, if you said he could shut down Lin, I would have supported him without hesitation. But this year, he has the will but not the strength!"

"So I have to once again sincerely advise Kobe: Take a rest when you need to! Kevin is great too!"

"Rest?" Kobe, who was already on the court, could hear the commentators. He muttered under his breath, "Rest my ass!"

Jeremy Lin on the other side was also fully in the zone, jumping up and down to warm up. He was clearly quite excited.

Those who don't know the situation might think that Jeremy Lin is simply maintaining his strong desire to win.

But the truth is, of course, not just that. His excitement at this moment also stemmed from the fact that Lin Tian had given him a completely different match strategy and plan before the competition.

"Play to your strengths! Unleash your full potential, Jeremy." Lin Tian instructed during the team's final pre-game meeting last night. "I remember your speed; it's the best among your draft class?"

“Show everyone! Let them know that you weren’t chosen because you’re incompetent, but because those general managers are all idiots!”

"Yeah, all 29 general managers are idiots! I can still see your talent and energy."

Then, Lin Tian bluntly told Yao Ming: You won't have much time tonight, and your playing time will be reduced appropriately.

As for the reason?

With Bynum as a pure center, Kirilenko's speed has long since declined, and with Kobe Bryant carrying an injury and Derek Fisher aging, the Lakers' current roster, if judged solely on speed, is definitely among the bottom three in the league!
Apart from Durant, no one on the team can run.

If I play against you Lakers, won't I speed up and chase you down and beat you to a pulp?
Tonight, the Bobcats have only one task, or rather, one tactical goal: maximize speed and sprint at full speed!
start running!
"Is this going to work?" Van Gundy couldn't help but sit down next to Lin Tian again. With the match about to start, he said worriedly, "Isn't it too early and too hasty?"

"Jeremy has only played three good games. You're already putting too much pressure on him to shoulder the responsibility of the whole team. If he doesn't play well, the popularity and confidence he's worked so hard to build up might collapse again."

“You are just like me when I was a child. My neighbor, Aunt Wang, would repeat the same thing a thousand times over if her son ate one less bite of vegetables than he did yesterday. She would describe it as a more terrifying and crucial event than the collapse of the Soviet Union or the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Do you understand what I mean?

“I understand.” Van Gundy nodded, implying, “You just want me to shut up, right? Fine, I won’t say anything.”

"Then why aren't you leaving? Let's switch Brad over." Lin Tian said, "Tonight is Jeremy's big day, the night he truly sets sail. I need someone to cheer with me, not someone to spoil the fun and dampen my spirits."

"But what if Jeremy doesn't perform well..."

"Then I will sincerely apologize to you and ask you to help me think of a way to make amends." Lin Tian blinked his big eyes, his whole body shining with a light called 'sincerity'.

“Fuck! What a devil.” Van Gundy didn’t want to talk to Lin Tian, ​​so he stood up, patted Stevens, and gestured for him to switch places with him.

"Dudu!"

It was at this moment that the referee blew his whistle, and the game began!
Yao Ming's height and wingspan once again helped the team gain possession of the ball on the first offensive possession of the day.

After receiving the basketball, Jeremy Lin did not pause, look around, and observe as he had in the previous two games. Instead, he lowered his head and suddenly accelerated, passing Fisher in one step before he could react.

In the blink of an eye, many people only realized at this moment: this Asian boy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and amazed the whole of America within a week was so fast!
In the blink of an eye, Jeremy Lin had already strode towards the Lakers' basket. At this time, Bynum had not yet returned to his defensive position, and only Kirilenko had his arms outstretched in an attempt to block Lin's attack.

Facing this former best defender in the league, Jeremy Lin drove all the way to him, then jumped, made physical contact, and then suddenly made an underhand pass, throwing the ball under Kirilenko's elbow.

A figure leaped high behind Kirilenko and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand.

Gordon Hayward!
"A lightning start!" O'Neal laughed triumphantly. "Charles, how was Lin's performance this round?"

“Not bad,” Barkley said irritably. “But he has to keep playing like this all night! One highlight isn’t enough to be considered ‘excellent’.”

"Let's pray that Kobe switches onto Lin quickly! Otherwise, Fisher is going to get beaten to a pulp by Lin!"

Amidst casual conversation and laughter, the Lakers' offense proceeded quite smoothly. Kobe held the ball in the low post, backing down DeRozan one-on-one.

Even though DeRozan had been influenced by Jordan and received one-on-one guidance, and even though Kobe's performance this season wasn't great, it wasn't something DeRozan could easily let go of. Kobe turned around and shook off DeRozan, then made a layup near the basket, scoring 2 points for the team.

Unlike Lin Tian's previous offensive strategy when leading the team, Jeremy Lin didn't immediately accelerate and sprint relentlessly during the Bobcats' attack.

Firstly, he really didn't have that ability; he needed his teammates' support more than Lin Tian did. Secondly, the team still had Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer, two true inside players, and he couldn't just keep ignoring them and running around on his own.

Jeremy Lin also knew that if he really played recklessly and without regard for the consequences, not only would Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer be ruined, but he himself would also definitely not be able to perform well.

So after the Lakers scored and Jeremy Lin realized he wouldn't have any easy fast break opportunities, he immediately waved to signal everyone to slow down and steadily dribble to the frontcourt to organize the offense.

After several rounds of passing, the ball came to Yao Ming's hands near the waist. Bynum, wary of Yao Ming's shooting range, had no choice but to come out from the inside as well, but Yao Ming almost immediately threw the ball behind his head.

This ball not only went over Yao Ming's head, but also over Andrew Bynum's head.

Just behind Bynum, Jeremy Lin happened to pass by, grabbed the basketball, and started moving. In the air, he made a strong contact with Kirilenko and scored a layup!
"How about this round, Charles? How about this round?" Less than a minute into the game, O'Neal couldn't contain his smile; he was confident of victory.

"Yao's playmaking ability has been underestimated!" Barkley still insisted, "Yao's playmaking is absolutely top-tier in the league! But we've all underestimated him!"

"Yao's pass was 90% credited for this play. As for Lin's layup, even my grandma could make it if she caught that kind of ball."

"I fucking hope your grandma doesn't end up in the hospital with Kirilenko." Payton couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out, "Does your grandma know you're planning to send her to fight Kirilenko one-on-one? That's Kirilenko, for crying out loud!"

"You thought it was sweet and sour pork?"

"Lin is even better than I expected," Stevens couldn't help but say. "These two rounds have shown that his confidence is truly off the charts!"

“He’s good, but not quite at the level I expected.” Lin Tian said, “Brad, believe me, his performance tonight is just the beginning!”

The Lakers' second offensive possession once again found Kobe in the low post, a tactic the Lakers have been using frequently lately.

Everyone knows that Kobe's form and stamina are not very good this season, so they simply pass him the ball more at the beginning of the game, so that he can take advantage of his full energy to catch the opponent off guard and score more points.

"Gordon defended brilliantly!" Stevens, sitting on the sidelines, suddenly couldn't help but pump his fist and exclaim, "Perfect timing!"

"You don't need to exaggerate like that. I'll give Gordon plenty of playing time," Lin Tian said with a smile. "I didn't just choose him because of your reputation; the more important reason is that I genuinely think this guy is capable!"

Stevens was caught off guard by Lin Tian's words and scratched his head sheepishly. As a newcomer to the NBA, he was not thick-skinned enough, and his methods for trying to increase opportunities for his "own people" were quite naive, which Lin Tian directly exposed.

"However, Gordon defended really well this round." Lin Tian's voice remained quite relaxed.

Hayward's defense, which earned such high praise from both of them, occurred when Kobe was one-on-one with DeRozan. Hayward appeared at just the right moment, blocking Kobe's path as he turned.

Given Kobe's physical attributes and skill level, he could immediately perform a reverse spin to create space and then shoot, but his knees and back clearly couldn't support him performing such a difficult, high-density movement before making the shot.

"Boom!"

After a muffled thud, Kobe missed a shot despite being double-teamed. Yao Ming grabbed the rebound, evaded Bynum's close defense, and passed the ball back to Jeremy Lin. (End of Chapter)