Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 43 O'Neal's Way
James didn't keep fans waiting too long as he returned in the second preseason game against the Pistons.

The Pistons are also a legendary team in the Eastern Conference. They were the "Bad Boys" who suppressed Jordan for a long time in the last century, but were finally beaten to pieces by Jordan.

In the new century, their "Pistons Five" also suppressed James for a long time, the difference was that they made their core players too old and disintegrated.

This summer, old Wallace also went to Boston to pursue his second championship, and only Hamilton and Prince were left of the former Big Five.

He is famous, but his strength has long since declined. Choosing such an opponent as the first opponent in the new season is, in Hansen's opinion, very smart.

However, the Cavaliers had a much harder time in this game than expected.

At the beginning of the game, James was very generous. After the strong side was cleared, he passed the ball to O'Neal under the basket.

But the Pistons' strategy was very clear. They let James play outside and retreat to the basket as soon as possible.

Although the team's strength has declined, they have played against James for so many years and are very familiar with his outside shooting level.

The result was that James was forced to take mid-range and long-range shots at the beginning, but all of them ended in misses.

Then James gave up the idea of ​​continuing to pass the ball to O'Neal and started to break through with the ball himself.

But once he played like this, O'Neal became a huge burden on the court.

Because he has no shooting ability and his current slow movement speed makes it impossible to break through a block, he is only threatening when he stays near the three-second zone.

But as long as he stood nearby, he was blocking James's breakthrough route.

Especially with Varejao on the court at the same time, James basically had to face a triple-team whenever he broke through.

This scene was just as awkward as Han Sen knew it could be.

It wasn't until O'Neal went off the court and Ilgauskas came on that James felt comfortable playing.

After O'Neal came off the court, he took a look at the score, then turned to look at Han Sen who was still sitting on the bench, and he was completely determined to fulfill the agreement reached between him and Han Sen.

韩森这场比赛打了20分钟，贡献了9分3板1助攻2抢断1盖帽，三分4中2。

His playing time and performance are actually not much different from the previous game. It can even be said that he has shown a rare stability among rookies.

But what is obvious is that after James' comeback, his opportunities were much less than in the previous game.

But Hansen is still considered lucky. The worst one is O'Neal.

奥尼尔今晚打了15分钟，投篮6中3，只拿到了6分5板。

James and Brown attended the post-game press conference alone.

"I don't have any problems. I just had some physical reactions before. We all know that this is just a preseason game." James first took the initiative to explain the reason why he missed the game.

"I feel great right now. I gained some weight this summer and I feel like my level has reached a new height in my career." When talking about his performance tonight, James was full of praise.

"Shaq has no problem, his body and feeling are great, I know this very well in training camp, we just need some time to get used to each other." When talking about O'Neal's performance tonight, James' answer was also very appropriate.

This was a very successful press conference, as successful as if it had been rehearsed.

Then, it almost became a daily routine for the Cavaliers in the preseason.

"Shaq is fine, he's in great shape, we just haven't found the chemistry yet."

"I'm sure Shaq is fine, the coaching staff is finding the best way to use him, and everything will be fine."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Shaq. He knows what he can bring to the team, and we know that, too."

……

Not to mention the fans' ears were callused from listening to the songs, even Han Sen felt like he was being pulled into the world of the TV series "The Sequel to Journey to the West".

To put it bluntly, the problems exposed when playing against the Pistons cannot be solved by simply changing the opponent.

At this time, Brown's tactical level was also thoroughly exposed. The conflict between O'Neal and James' technical characteristics is inevitable, but O'Neal and Wade actually had this problem when they were in the Heat.

Wade, especially Wade before him and James, are not good at shooting.

But after Riley left the court, he was able to solve this problem by adjusting the lineup and tactics, while Brown basically just watched helplessly.

Finally O'Neal couldn't bear it anymore.

In the preseason game against his former team, the Miami Heat, he was aggressive in various singles in the paint.

Because the Heat's starting power forward was Beasley, who had poor assist defense, O'Neal ended up scoring 20 points and 11 rebounds, sweeping away his previous slump.

Then at the post-game press conference, he stated his demands directly in front of reporters and Brown:

"We need a starting 4 who can stretch the floor, which would make me and LeBron more comfortable."

O'Neal's words came suddenly, shocking Brown and James who were standing beside him.

Because this kind of suggestion is best discussed privately, but O'Neal chose to say it publicly at a press conference.

This is not a suggestion, but a requirement.

And O'Neal is really a smart guy, because he also pulled James into his demands.

This immediately made Brown a little overwhelmed.

He turned to look at James and found that James was also looking at him.

"We are also considering how to make LeBron and Shaq more comfortable. The answer to this question should be available soon." In the end, Brown could only practice Tai Chi.

After the press conference, Brown did not discuss this topic in depth with O'Neal.

O'Neill reported the situation to Hansen and expressed his own views.

After all, his current status is not as high as before, and this is the Cavaliers, and the coaching staff may not listen to his request.

Han Sen told him not to worry, after all, after O'Neal said that publicly, his goal had actually been achieved.

After playing against the Heat, the Cavaliers have completed all seven preseason games.

韩森场均上场24分钟，能够得到9.7分2.6板1.3助攻2.1抢断1.3盖帽，投篮命中率46.2%，三分命中率41.3%。

Such performance is already quite good for a No. 16 pick, especially in a championship-contending team with few chances. The further the preseason goes, the closer it will be to the regular season rotation.

The Cavaliers finished their preseason games on October 10, and their regular season opener is on October 23, with the final four days of rest in between.

During these four days, Brown tried to pair Cunningham with O'Neal on the court during training.

This is a very good sign.

Hansen has already made money by uniting with O'Neal. If Cunningham can also make it into the starting lineup, he will make a profit with a little extra.

……

Time flies and it is already the 27th. The Cavaliers are playing at home in the opening game of the 2009-2010 regular season. Their opponent is the Magic.

The Cavaliers were "unexpectedly" eliminated by the Magic in the playoffs last season. The fans were frustrated for the whole season, and they had a chance for revenge as soon as the new season started.

In terms of scheduling, the league has never disappointed the Cavaliers and James.

Han Sen is also looking forward to the upcoming regular season.

What James said in the press conference was very formulaic, but one thing he said was correct: the preseason is indeed just a preseason.

Only when the regular season actually begins does the season officially begin, and he can officially step onto the NBA court.

(End of this chapter)