Don't talk trash to him.

Chapter 210 Apart from the fact that God let me be born into this world, this is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me!
Ranked second on ESPN's power rankings is the Los Angeles Lakers.

In third place are the Boston Celtics.

Of course, this is just ESPN's opinion.

There is a lot of debate about which one is stronger, the "Big Three" of the Los Angeles Lakers or the "Big Three" of Boston.

It is also these overwhelming discussions about the Lakers and Celtics that have made many old fans say that they have returned to the era of the "Magic Bird rivalry" in the 80s.

Sure enough, time is a circle.

The Los Angeles media naturally believes that they are the strongest team this year.

Kobe said at the press conference: "No team can stop this year's Los Angeles Lakers!"

Phil Jackson also said: "This is the best opportunity for the Lakers to win the championship since 02!"

The Boston media also believes that after nearly 20 years of silence, it is time for the Celtics to win the championship.

To show the fighting spirit of this team...

They described this Celtics team as "the last fight of three veterans"!
To be honest, this wave of marketing was so successful that many fans later used the term "the old Big Three" to describe this Celtics team.

But in fact, Ray Allen was only 32 years old at this time, Paul Pierce was only 30 years old, and Kevin Garnett was only 31 years old... It is somewhat reasonable to say that some of them have passed their absolute peak, but the combination of the three of them should be described as a "last fight."

This statement is biased.

Everyone knows that this can't be their last season together.

As far as Su Wan knows, the Celtics' lineup was strong for at least 3-4 years, and Ray Allen, who retired the earliest, gradually faded out of the league in 15. And now it's only 07.

The real "last fight of the three veterans" was the Rockets team that Barkley joined that year.

Boston uses this title to describe the Celtics simply because it thinks the title of "banding together" doesn't sound good.

Rationally speaking, Boston was the first team to form a group in the 00s, and they started the "group trend".

Then LeBron upgraded...

You guys stick together, right?

Then don’t blame me for the “peak group”!

Then, Kevin Durant upgraded again...

You guys are at the top of the group, right?

Then don't blame me for taking the hardest path!

Of course, Kevin Durant played it very hard, and his final outcome was the worst:

"Green's formula" closed loop;
Broken Achilles tendon;

No roots;
Kevin Durant proved that he did take the hardest path.

The Cleveland media was very unhappy with the fact that they were ranked ninth in the league.

They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but Shaq left this summer and Vince Carter came in. There is no obvious decline in their strength, so even if they can't stay in the top 4, they should be in the top 6, right?
Now he's only 9th?

"It doesn't matter. Time will tell. Soon everyone will find out where the Cavaliers should rank this season!"

LeBron made his first appearance of the new season, and his huge muscles were eye-catching.

He had become noticeably stronger.

Looking at his tank-like body and listening to his words, the Cleveland reporter had only two words to say:

Peace of mind!

LeBron also talked about Vince Carter: "He's an incredible guy. We have become very good friends and I believe we will get along very well."

Vince Carter agreed: "LeBron is very enthusiastic. When I first came to Cleveland, he met with me many times and helped me get familiar with Cleveland. This guy is great."

What he wanted to say is:
This guy isn't as bad as I thought.

If he were with the Raptors, he would definitely say it directly, but everything that happened when he left the Raptors and his experience with the Nets taught him to not be so outspoken when speaking to the media.

However, even so, what he said was still what he thought in his heart.

At least so far, he and LeBron have been getting along well.

It is worth mentioning that...

LeBron James has become a "big bully". In Orlando, Howard has also become a "big bully" when he appeared in front of the media. However, when he speaks, he always looks like a "sunny and cheerful big boy".

So much so that media reporters always feel that he is a "big fool".

But his expression when he spoke was very confident: "I feel like a superman now, and you will feel the same soon!"

When Howard said this, he was more confident than ever, and his bright smile seemed to say:

I'm not kidding, I'm incredibly strong now.

But at this moment, he didn't know that he would be targeted by the "old shark" trapped in New Jersey because of this sentence.

However, not now. When Shaq heard Howard call him "Superman", he just laughed sarcastically and did not respond at all. He was more concerned about the situation in Cleveland.

Suppressing LeBron and Cleveland is his biggest motivation now.

what?
You said Suwan has also been giving Shaquille O'Neal a hard time, so why doesn't Shaq give him trouble?
Otherwise, how could he be the great Shaq?
For a phenomenal player like Suwan who is currently in the limelight and has almost no chance of making a comeback, Shaquille O'Neal has always been "If you can't afford to provoke me, you can afford to avoid me."

Someone like LeBron will fight back like crazy, and as long as he gets the chance, he will take the opportunity to ridicule.

For example, now, when he heard reporters say that Vince Carter had a good first impression of LeBron, he sneered: "Was my relationship with LeBron not good enough at the beginning? Wait and see, if LeBron can't change his problems, then any player with self-esteem will turn against him!"

When the Cleveland media heard Shaq say this, their expressions changed immediately.

Shaq is so insidious!

In this case, wouldn’t the players who don’t turn against LeBron be considered players without self-esteem?
"Shaq's biggest problem is his mouth!"

"In fact, we all know that Shaq is only good at talking now!"

"You were meant to rot in New Jersey, Shaq. Wait and see, the Cavaliers will be even better without you!"

They immediately launched a frenzied counterattack.

The new season has not yet started, but the second season of the soap opera between Shaquille O'Neal and the Cleveland media has already begun.

As other teams' media days ended one after another, the Pacers' first media day after establishing their dynasty arrived.

As soon as Su Wan appeared in front of the media cameras, a group of reporters rushed over like raccoons seeing honey.

"Su, do you think the Pacers can still win the championship this season?"

In recent NBA history, the Pacers won three consecutive championships, which is the fourth time in NBA history that such a thing has happened.

The teams that won the "three consecutive championships" for the first three times ultimately failed to continue winning the championship.

The Pacers have a chance to overtake all the teams ahead of them.

but……

Su Wan took a look at the staff member’s “dog tag”.

From Los Angeles.

He obviously didn't really want to know the answer to this question.

If Suwan says yes, his second question will probably be, "Do you think the Pacers can still beat the Los Angeles Lakers this year?" If Suwan says no, his second question should be, "Is it because of the Lakers?"

So he just laughed and said: "Our biggest competitor is ourselves. As long as we keep the same goal, we can continue to win more championships. No team can stop us. Whether it's Boston or Los Angeles!"

The Los Angeles reporter, who had been predicted, gave an awkward smile.

He really wanted to refute Su Wan, but he also knew that Su Wan had enough confidence to say such words.

It is reasonable for the overlord of the "three consecutive championships" to pretend to be anything he wants.

Even if he said in front of everyone now that he would achieve more than Michael Jordan in the future, what could they say?

23 years and 3 months old means everything...

However, some reporters keenly noticed the subtext in Su Wan's words:

As long as we keep the same goal...

At first glance, there is nothing wrong with this statement.

But reporters are all able to use their imagination. Combining the well-known salary problem of the Pacers, the reporter who reacted the fastest asked:
"Ron's and your contracts will both expire next summer. We all know the current situation of the Pacers, so in your opinion, is this an uncertainty that will affect the team's ability to maintain a unified goal? According to what I know, Ron is seeking a maximum salary contract, which further increases the difficulty of renewing the contract. Do you think Ron can get a maximum salary?"

Su Wan barely hesitated for a second: "Why not? He is one of the best perimeter players in the league. The Cavaliers gave LeBron a maximum salary contract extension. Since he can get a maximum salary, why can't Ron, who restricted LeBron, get a maximum salary contract?"

"So you support Ron asking for a maximum salary contract?"

"What else? If there is no reward for the efforts and sacrifices, then this alliance will only be left with a bunch of data brushes!"

"But this will make it more difficult for the Pacers management to renew your contract. Are you planning to leave the Pacers?"

As soon as these words came out, the faces of the Indiana reporters standing nearby changed.

Su Wan frowned slightly and took a deep look at the reporter's "dog tag". This would be the last time this guy would interview him, but he still answered the reporter's question: "What kind of contract I should sign is a matter between me and the Pacers. What kind of contract Ron should get should not be an obstacle to this matter, and vice versa!"

The reason for answering this question is that if he does not give a positive response, then countless media will use his reaction to make up stories and cause trouble for the Pacers' locker room.

His idol is not Anfernee Hardaway.

As the leader of the Pacers, it is necessary for him to clearly express his position on the issue.

Sure enough, when he returned to the locker room, Su Wan saw Artest looking at him with a touched expression.

Obviously, he said "Su Wan, you don't have to worry about it", but in his heart he actually wanted Su Wan to intervene in this matter, express his attitude, and stand up for him.

The pressure came to the Pacers management.

Suwan's words meant that management could no longer use the excuse that "Suwan hasn't renewed his contract" to fool Artest.

Larry Bird sat down at the negotiating table with Artest's agent.

then……

Artest's face sank again.

"Big Bird" told his agent: "We appreciate everything Ron has done for this city, so we will give Artest a contract with an annual salary of about 1 million. This is the biggest contract we can give..."

Currently, the league's maximum salary is around 20% of the salary cap, and the maximum salary under the "Bird Clause" is 25%!

Based on this year's league salary cap, the average maximum salary is around 1112 million, and the maximum salary under the "Bird Clause" is 1390 million.

Artest has been with the Pacers for more than three years, which fully meets the "Bird Clause", which means he can sign a maximum of 3 million with the Pacers. But now Larry Bird is only willing to give him a contract of about 1390 million, which is not even a normal maximum salary contract.

Compared with O'Neal's 7-year, 1 million contract and Suwan's maximum salary contract with a starting salary of around 3 million next year, his contract is somewhat shabby.

Naturally, he would not agree to such a contract.

When the preseason arrived, he approached Rick Carlisle and asked for more shooting opportunities.

Of course, before looking for Carlisle, he went to Suwan first: "I can only think that Larry did this because he felt that my data was not gorgeous enough. I want a big contract, and I must play better data."

Su Wan still has two words:
stand by!

The current conflict is between Artest and management.

If he stops Artest, it will eventually become a conflict between him and Artest.

Su Wan would never do such a stupid thing.

And he believes that as long as it is a game he wants to win, Ron Artest will not mess around and will work diligently on the defensive end like he did last season.

In that case, there was no need for him to stop Artest.

Although this will inevitably affect his statistics in the new season, but...

At the age of 22, he led the team to create a "dynasty". His future historical status no longer needs to be proven by data.

As for the contract for next summer.

Let’s put it this way…

Even if he only averages 20+5+5 per game in the new season, it will not affect his popularity in the free market.

Rick Carlisle has a headache.

Today, the Pacers' tactical system revolves around the No. 2 position, and three-pointers account for a large proportion.

Although Artest has the ability to shoot three-pointers, the problem is...

He is a "squat three-point shooter".

Which team would plan tactics specifically for spot shooters?

On the contrary, 99 percent of spot shooters are used to serve tactics.

As for Artest's other means, such as his ball-holding ability, let's put it this way, when the team has Suwan, why doesn't he let Suwan use these tactics?

But looking at Artest's tough expression, Carlisle knew very well that if he did not agree, Artest's future orders to him would definitely go in one ear and out the other.

Carlisle is still very sensitive to the team's stormy times. He doesn't want to be the culprit for the problems of the Indiana "dynasty" and finally become the "scapegoat" of the team.

On this matter, he and Su Wan had the same understanding:

This is a conflict between Artest and the management. He can't be stupid enough to stand out and attract Artest's fire.

Finally he nodded in agreement.

Part of Su Wan's ball-holding offense was assigned to him.

6 preseason games.

Artest began to hold the ball a lot.

Because the opponents were weak, his performance was also very good, averaging 32 minutes and 13 seconds per game, getting 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game, with a shooting percentage of 48.6%.

It seems to have returned to the early stage of the 04-05 season.

But Su Wan knew very well:

installed!

He can play with such offensive efficiency and performance mainly because he and O'Neal Jr. help him attract defense on the court. When both of them are off the court, Artest's personal ball-holding performance has obviously declined a lot.

This has a lot to do with his increasing weight.

Now he is a strong defender on the wing.

The decline in explosive power and the slowdown in pace mean that his breakthroughs give opponents too much time to react. In addition, his offensive methods are as simple as LeBron's, making it easier for those defending him to predict his breakthrough path.

Only when he charges forward can he become unstoppable.

And this is just in the preseason. Once the regular season begins and the opponents become stronger, coupled with the head coach's targeting, his breakthrough will only be further restricted.

Of course, at that time, Suwan and O'Neal Jr. will also spend more time on the court to help him relieve this part of the pressure.

Artest was very satisfied with his performance in the preseason. As long as he maintained this level in the regular season, he would publicly call on Larry Bird to load the money onto a truck and drive it to his house.

He was satisfied, and the Pacers' atmosphere returned to that of last season.

On October 10, the Pacers played their opening game at home.

The first opponent of the new season is Orlando, which was eliminated by the Pacers in the first round last season.

Su Wan was also shocked when he saw Howard's figure when he appeared in front of the media.

Is this really a muscle that can be built in a summer?

To be honest, there was one question that Su Wan could not understand:
Is Howard self-disciplined or not?

If he didn't have self-discipline, how could he have such strong upper limbs.

You can say he is self-disciplined.

When the "young beast" first entered the alliance, he was already dishonest, describing things like finding a prostitute as "saving the soul of a fallen girl."

Now that he has more experience in this field, he finally understands what kind of players these players who have been emphasizing "Big Ji Ba" are.

Especially Howard...

Such a hardworking person only trains his upper body and not his lower body.

For a long time Su Wan didn't understand why this happened.

But now, he understood.

Interestingly, Howard once developed a mid-range jump shot, and his hand shape and the stiffness of his jump shot are almost exactly the same as LeBron's.

What's more interesting is that Howard's "back-to-the-basket" attack has not been developed because he always has trouble standing. In the 11 finals, all the fans witnessed LeBron's embarrassment when he forced the "Puerto Rican mountain".

We can only say that this is the case with products produced on assembly lines.

However, Howard is still very confident. At the press conference, he told the media that "the Magic has changed in the new season." Before the opening game, he reiterated this point to the media: "There is no doubt that we will be the dark horse of this season!"

Suwan agreed with what Howard said. If he remembered correctly, the Magic team was originally ranked third in the Eastern Conference this season, only behind the Celtics and the Pistons.

Even the Cavaliers were left behind by them.

Su Wan also took a look at their lineup for this season:

Stan Van Gundy, Turkoglu, Howard, Lewis...

Ok……

Under the referee's targeting, the "5 vs. 8" team defeated the Cavaliers' "one star and four stars". Now only the "streetball king" Alston has not joined the team, and the other core players have returned.

The rise is inevitable!

Before the game officially started, just like last year and the year before, David Stern presented championship rings to all members of the Pacers.

The third championship banner was also raised above Conseco Fieldhouse...

All the members of the Magic team sat on the bench and watched quietly.

It would be a lie to say I don't desire it.

not to mention……

The Pacers also collected fragments from Orlando in this championship.

The urge to mess things up tonight suddenly came to my mind, and the game officially began.

The big screen at the scene showed the Magic's starting lineup: "Nelson Jr. at No. 1, Maurice Evans at No. 2, Turkoglu at No. 3, Lewis at No. 4, and Howard at No. 5."

The Pacers still have their regular lineup.

Stan Van Gundy's biggest adjustment to the Magic was to move Turkoglu from the power forward position to the power forward position.

It was this change that allowed the "Turkish Jordan" to reach his peak season.

If nothing changes in the future, the final "Most Improved Player Award" this season will go to Turkoglu.

The advantage of the Turks in holding the ball is their large size. They can crush their opponents and slowly move the ball inside, while observing the positions of their teammates and choosing to attack themselves or pass the ball to their teammates.

Rick Carlisle also realized after Turkoglu held the ball a lot that this guy was the same type of player as Dio. It's just that Dio has better physical fitness and athletic ability than him, so he won't become a loophole on the defensive end...

The Pacers' offensive tactics tonight are to focus on Turkoglu and Lewis.

Lewis's defense is no different from that of a chair. As for Turkoglu, his slow movement is his biggest problem, which makes the Magic's flanks an obvious breakthrough point.

But soon Rick Carlisle understood why Stan Van Gundy dared to put Turkoglu and Lewis on the court together...

At his peak age, Howard is definitely the best defensive player in the league.

The most exaggerated point is that even if Lewis and Turkoglu, as the first line of defense, did not interfere well and allowed the Pacers' wings to rush into the penalty area, Howard was able to react quickly and complete sufficient quality defense.

No wonder he is the first "monster" in NBA history to win three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards.

The mobility is truly horrible.

It can be said that this is the mobility of the peak Daben.

But Howard is much taller than Ben...

The Pacers' wing attacks were frequently blocked.

Of course, the main offensive player at this time is Artest.

At 5 minutes and 23 seconds into the first quarter, Artest took 4 shots and only hit 1. Howard blocked his last shot. Then he handed the ball to Suwan.

When Suwan faced Evans, he realized that this Magic team was still missing a key player, Michael Pietrus, who is now on the Warriors.

He was the defensive gate on the Magic's wing in the 09 playoffs.

Without this guy, the Magic's defense really depends on Howard alone.

If facing a young man like Artest, Howard would still be able to handle it with ease.

But now facing Su Wan, his defensive effect was not so good.

Suwan either broke through or shot, luring Howard into a trap, and the entire Magic team's defensive system became passive at this moment.

Rick Carlisle then took out a "small lineup" and used three-pointers to maximize the space on the court.

This time Howard had no time to make up for the defense.

At the end of the first half, the Pacers successfully widened the gap to 10 points.

In the third quarter, the Pacers made 9 of 7 three-pointers, including 3 three-pointers by Suwan alone. Barkley called it terrifying.

Although Suwan did not further improve his physical fitness this summer, his three-point shooting has been developed to 82 points.

The "technical tree" of three-point shooting was lit up by him.

Currently, his ability to catch the ball and shoot three-pointers is the highest, reaching 80 points.

The others are not so good, but Su Wan is still practicing them.

Especially the step-back three-pointer, which has become his main training method recently...

Fortunately, the Magic's three-point shooting got going in the third quarter, hitting four three-pointers in a single quarter, which prevented the team from collapsing immediately.

Bill Walton was also deeply moved when watching the two teams shooting three-pointers against each other. Such scenes were often seen when the three-point shot was first introduced to the league, but they were not common in the 90s.

And now the three-point shot has gradually become the mainstream.

Most teams now choose to respond with three-pointers as soon as possible when facing the opponent's "three-point rain".

But there is nothing we can do. If the opponent scores three points one after another and we keep responding with 2 points, even if all the points are scored, it will take more rounds to make up the point difference.

This is also the origin of the "Moneyball Theory".

Lower hit rate, lower number of rounds, but can create a scoring speed similar to two points.

If this isn't the most efficient way to play, what else is there?
This theory was proposed around 03, and is now gradually becoming the mainstream of this alliance.

At least on the surface, that's the case...

But Bill Walton soon realized that he was overthinking.

Because the game entered the fourth quarter, the ball returned to Suwan's hands. He challenged Evans in a row and scored 7 points in a row, helping the team successfully lock in a 15-point difference. At the end of the game, the Pacers defeated the Magic by 118 points with a score of 102 to 16, successfully winning the first victory of the new season.

苏万全场砍下了37分6篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽。

The terrifying three-pointers in the third quarter and the various singles in the fourth quarter all show that he is stronger and more stable in the new season. Once he finds his offensive feeling, the opponent has no other choice but to pray.

After the game, Su Wan said: "Dwight is right, they have indeed become stronger, and you will soon find out. The reason why they lost to the Pacers by 16 points is not because they are not strong, but because the Pacers are too strong, and you will soon find out!"

The reporter also asked him to comment on Artest, who made 17 of 5 shots tonight, especially his offensive performance in the opening game where he missed many shots and was blocked by Howard.

Su Wan said: "No problem, he wants to take on more responsibilities, which is a positive sign!"

Your uncle dotes on his father!
Everyone can see that Artest was trying to get better stats and get the shooting chance, but Suwan took a different approach and described his actions as a positive attitude.

This is really...

"Ron, do you think it is a lucky thing to be teammates with Suwan?" Irene ran to interview Artest.

The Beast didn't hesitate for a second: "Besides God letting me be born into this world, this is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me!"

So far, Su Wan has given him all kinds of support, whether from the perspective of a friend or a leader. No matter what kind of contract he gets in the end or what the result is, he will not have any opinion on Su Wan.

After successfully winning the opening game, the Pacers continued their strong momentum, sweeping through the entire league like they did last year, defeating one opponent after another and dominating the entire league with a record of 7-0.

In addition, the media also discovered that Suwan’s “dirty words” after winning the opening game against Orlando were not just random remarks.

The Magic are indeed not weak. They won 6 of the 5 games after losing to the Pacers and only lost 1.

The reason why they lost so badly to the Pacers is just as Suwan said...

The Pacers are so strong this season!
On November 11, the Raptors challenged the Pacers, and Calderon returned to the Pacers for the first time since leaving.

He was given a huge cheer at the scene, thanking him for his comeback to the Pacers' two championships.

Su Wan also personally presented him with the championship ring.

Returning to the Raptors bench with the ring in his hand, Chris Bosh stretched his long neck and looked at the championship ring on Calderon's hand with envy, as if he wanted to touch it but didn't dare to.

Players who desire a championship ring but have not yet won it always feel that the championship ring is sacred and untouchable.

Just like when a man first starts pursuing a woman he likes, he is always cautious.

The warm atmosphere disappeared as the game started.

The problem of Calderon joining a weak team was revealed. His strengths could not be brought into play, but his weaknesses could not be compensated by his teammates.

The Raptors' record this season has not changed qualitatively with his arrival.

In the end, the Pacers continued their winning streak.

At the end of November, the Pacers had only lost one game and won 11 of 1 games, ranking first in the league.

First update today.


(End of this chapter)