Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 370: Will You Spend Your Life Resting on Your Merits?

Brown tried many ways, but he failed until the end of the game.

If it was just Hansen, or just Jokic, he could have tried to force the ball out of their hands, but now these two are on the same team...

What happened on the court was more like the situation encountered at the beginning of the game, with both players having opportunities for mismatched singles.

If you defend one of them, the other one can quickly complete the mismatch singles.

This is the legendary chicken feet cheese.

Brown also tried to let go of the other three players of the Cavaliers and focus on defending Hansen and Jokic, but Korver and Covington both shot decisively from the outside tonight and their hit rate was quite good.

In other words, Malone's arrangement of role players in the past half month of training was to put those who could shoot accurately on the court.

In the end, Brown could only play offense and look for breakthroughs from Korver and Jokic.

But the embarrassing thing is that when Simmons was on the court, Hansen completely ignored him, which made the 76ers' offense more and more like four against five.

Originally, with Butler on the court, the 76ers played passively but were able to maintain the situation. At halftime, they were only 43 points behind the Cavaliers at 56 to 13.

But when Malone replaced TT with Kuzma as the starter in the third quarter and the Cavaliers had more space on the court, the 76ers' defense was distracted and they were directly defeated.

To sum up, the 76ers' sudden adjustment of tactics against the Cavaliers failed in two aspects: offense and defense.

The Cavaliers eventually defeated the 118ers 96-76 at home, winning a crucial positioning battle.

赛后的数据统计，76人队那边恩比德空砍26分12板，骑士队这边韩森三节得到33分6板6助攻，约基奇28分11板6助攻。

The 76ers were completely beaten to death by these two.

Because of Embiid's outstanding performance on the court and his flamboyant personality, he is also well-known among Eastern University fans.

So as soon as the game was over, fans in the forum were inspired to write poetry.

"In the second year of Bede, the emperor personally led an expedition to Cleveland, killed a lion to offer sacrifice to the heavens, and vowed to capture the city. However, he was strangled by Emperor Han Tian and his general Nicholas, and was defeated. The emperor fled back to Philadelphia alone."

At the post-match press conference, reporters asked about Hansen Embiid’s provocative remarks before the game.

Hansen read the report and knew that Embiid did not mean what the reporter asked.

But at this time, he couldn't explain for Embiid. He smiled and replied:
“I have an African lion at home.”

Embiid killed the lion to complete his coming-of-age ceremony, but Hansen kept the lion as a pet, which clearly shows the difference between the two.

Not to mention that Embiid's is more fiction, but Hansen is real.

After finishing the game with the 76ers, the Cavaliers defeated the Thunder and Raptors in succession, achieving a three-game winning streak.

The opponents were obviously not used to the Cavaliers' sudden adjustment in play, or it could be said that there were few teams in the league that had the defensive resources to limit Hansen and Jokic at the same time.

But then the Cavaliers lost to the Rockets, which gave other teams some inspiration.

After D'Antoni took over the Rockets, the Rockets started playing Money Ball, which pursued breakthroughs and three-pointers, but in addition to that, it also constantly created opportunities for Harden to play one-on-one against the opponent's center, which is commonly known as "military training."

So in essence, the playing styles of the two teams are very similar.

Even in this game, it was not just Harden, Paul and Gordon also took turns to mention Jokic.

Jokic's physical exhaustion on the defensive end ultimately affected his performance on the offensive end.

So this provides an idea for other teams: instead of thinking about how to defend the Cavaliers, they should think about how to consume the Cavaliers.

Han Sen is not easy to consume. After all, with his defensive ability, it would be boring to play one-on-one against him. However, Jokic's defense, especially the mismatch defense, is his weakness.

Malone's final response was to replace Korver with Kuzma as the starting player.

Even if Jokic's ability to defend smaller players can be improved, the improvement will not be significant, so a more effective way to deal with it is to try his best to improve his ability to set screens from the outside.

In this regard, Hansen and Covington are both good players, and Kuzma is also a good choice because he can do the puppy step.

If JR was in good shape, this problem wouldn't have occurred.

Even if Powell was still on the Cavaliers, he has both shooting and defense, so the starting position would belong to him.

But now, Malone can only use Kuzma.

In the end, this effect can only be considered as a passable one.

Kuzma's physique is still that of a forward. His speed is there, and he won't be very effective when facing fast shooting guards.

However, another impact of Kuzma's starting lineup is that JR fell out of the team's rotation.

This also made JR very dissatisfied.

He had finally managed to get a starting spot by replacing Irving last season, but he was gone after only half a season.

The way he expressed his dissatisfaction was also familiar. In garbage time in the final quarter against the Suns, he directly untied Monroe's shoelaces on the court.

This quickly earned him a huge fine of $2 from the league.

Just after the game against the Suns, Malone found Griffin and talked about JR.

Malone has always adhered to the principle of treating everyone equally in his coaching, so his treatment of JR will be the same as before, with a suspension.

But he still had some concerns.

Because things are different now, JR is now the hero who helped the team win two consecutive championships.

Just like Curry would choose to stand with Green, Malone also understands the concept of meritorious basketball.

"What do you think of George Hill?"

However, Griffin's sudden question made Malone stunned.

After he came to his senses, he immediately understood what Griffin meant.

Griffin wants to use JR to trade George Hill.

Hill is an all-around guard who can organize, shoot three-pointers, and defend. He is also tough and has execution ability. He is the kind of player that every head coach would like.

Speaking of the Cavaliers' current situation, JR has been squeezed out of the rotation list, but he is still earning a salary of over 1500 million and is now making trouble. If the Cavaliers can trade for Hill with him as the main player, it will undoubtedly be a better thing for the team.

"Will the Kings agree?" If it were Lu, he would probably object at this moment because he is emotional, but Malone is a more rational person.

Hill averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Kings this season, and his three-point shooting percentage was a career-high 45.3%. JR cannot be traded for him.

"Yes, Donovan Mitchell is growing much faster than expected, Buddy Hield also needs playing time, and of course, they will ask to include Dejounte Murray in the trade."

After listening to what Griffin said, Malone understood.

This is actually equivalent to exchanging Murray for Hill, and JR is just a balancer in the contract.

After Rose was absent, Murray also got some time and performed well, especially in the game against the Suns, where he scored in double digits. Hansen suggested that the new players selected by the team really have potential.

If Hansen continues to stay with the Cavaliers, trading Murray is not a good option, but Hansen will leave the team in the summer, and dynasty is Hansen's only goal before leaving.

So it is worth sacrificing part of the future for the present.

"I think we should ask Han's opinion on this matter." Malone gave his suggestion after thinking about it. He was actually a little curious why Griffin would talk to him about the trade.

"Han doesn't care about the trade, and asking him about this matter would be embarrassing him." Griffin also spoke frankly.

Of course, Malone also thought of what he thought. JR is a member of the meritorious group. Trading him is bound to cause dissatisfaction among the old members. For example, people like TT might also cause trouble.

But in order for the team to become stronger, someone has to take the blame. He made this decision and he is the one who should take the blame. If he finds Han Sen, it would be equivalent to putting the blame on Han Sen.

Moreover, there is an agreement between him and Hansen that the draft needs to be discussed with Hansen, and Hansen will not interfere in the signing and trading of other players.

"I still stick to my suggestion. JR and Han have a special relationship." Malone was still very rational.

Griffin eventually accepted his advice.

The next day, he found an opportunity to talk to Hansen about this matter at the training ground.

Han Sen thought for a while and gave Griffin his answer: Give the kid another month.

Griffin agreed.

This year's NBA trade deadline will be moved forward to before the All-Star Game, but it is only early December, so there are still nearly three months left.

After talking with Griffin, Hansen found JR.

"Be at the training hall at 6am tomorrow morning."

Wade, 35, has a natural decline due to age, while JR, 32, has more of a condition problem.

If you want to get back into shape, the best and only way is naturally to practice.

Of course JR knew about Han Sen's breakfast club. He felt a headache when he thought about it and was about to speak.

"If you don't come, don't look for me if you encounter any problems in the future." However, Han Sen did not give him a chance to speak.

The next morning, Hansen took Jokic, Kuzma, Cunningham, and Wade to train in the strength room. JR appeared at the door yawning.

He really didn't want to come, but he didn't dare not come after Han Sen said that.

The training intensity of Hansen's breakfast club is very high. When Jokic first joined, his face turned pale.

JR's approach was even more direct, he just vomited.

However, this also reveals the real reason why JR has been in poor form this season. He probably hasn't practiced much this season.

When they went to have breakfast after training, JR said he couldn't stand this kind of thing.

"Then you can wait to be traded." Han Sen was straightforward.

"They want to trade me? Why should they trade me?!" JR suddenly became excited when he heard this.

He won two championship trophies for the Cavaliers. Is this how the Cavaliers treat a championship hero?

The Cavaliers traded Irving before, and now they want to trade him again?

Is it true that as long as the player's condition is not right, he will inevitably be traded?

This is really cold-blooded!
His voice was quite loud, and the other people who were chatting stopped and looked at him.

"You're not even fit enough to play in your current state." However, Han Sen's next words made JR wilted.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

Seeing JR's reaction, Han Sen's tone softened a bit. "If you want to prove them wrong, don't say you can't hold on."

This is the NBA, and the NBA is a commercial league. Did the team pay you less?

Business is business, and that's how the NBA works.

Unless you are Kobe or Nowitzki, who is one man for one city and has led the team to success, don't think about resting on your laurels for the rest of your life.

And that kind of thing is also a mutual achievement. If you only think about meritorious basketball, it will only block the team's future.

The next morning, JR was not there when Han Sen and his friends arrived.

Just when Han Sen thought he would not come, he showed up after ten minutes.

Han Sen was relieved when he saw this. The arrival of this kid meant there was still hope.

Time flies and it is already late December.

Christmas is approaching, and Cleveland is also filled with Christmas atmosphere.

This year the Cavaliers will continue to participate in the Christmas game, and their opponent is the Celtics, who are currently ranked first in the Eastern Conference.

Irving has not caused any trouble so far this season, and the Celtics have been making great strides.

In fact, the lineup of Irving, Bradley, Durant, Horford, and Towns is as strong as the Warriors last season.

"Let's charge towards the 18th championship in team history!"

That’s the slogan for Boston’s season.

The latest TNT show before Christmas also discussed the Celtics' chances of winning the championship this season.

That does look more and more likely as the season unfolds.

However, the topic was quickly derailed.

Because the Celtics' championship and the Cavaliers' dynasty failure are equivalent, a new topic is: If Hansen fails in the Cavaliers' dynasty, does it mean that he cannot surpass Jordan?

Four people, including Ernie Johnson, also expressed their views on this topic.

O'Neal: After Hansen helped the Cavaliers defend their title, he surpassed Jordan because he won five championships in the first eight seasons of his career, which is the best in history;
Barkley: When Hansen won the first championship in the history of the Cavaliers, he had surpassed Jordan, because Jordan was unable to lead that Cavaliers team to win the championship;

Johnson: Jordan not only won six championships, but also two dynasties, and retired for two years at the peak of his career. If Hansen cannot do this, he is doomed to be unable to surpass Jordan.

Smith: We must admit that the competitive environment Jordan faced back then was not as fierce as Hansen's now, but only by dominating all his contemporaries can one participate in the discussion of the best in history. Hansen needs this championship to end this topic, and he needs to put his name on every list.

This episode of TNT also sparked heated controversy among fans on social media, making this Christmas battle even more eye-catching.

Because the two teams are in the Eastern Conference, and the East-West situation has changed this year, in a sense, this game is a preview of the "Finals".

Whoever can break through from the East will win the final championship trophy.

(End of this chapter)