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Chapter 148: Celebrity help, new first mate makes his debut! ( words updated per day, begging for monthly subscription!)
Maybe he realized how stupid his previous self-destruction was, or maybe he felt how much damage his behavior had caused to the team.
In short, Artest's recovery date has been brought forward as he actively received treatment after the operation.

In mid-January, Artest recovered from his injury nearly half a month ahead of schedule, giving the team's general manager Mullin the opportunity to strengthen the defending champion team.

However, Artest's trading value, which was far below Mullin's psychological expectations, poured cold water on Mullin in an instant.

In the outside world, no one denies Artest's strength.

But Artest's experience of falling out with the Bay Area and team management in Indianapolis has greatly reduced his trading value.

In the NBA, a player's trading value is never based solely on his performance on the court.

Many factors including age, potential, and commercial value will affect a player's specific trading value.

And this one
A player's character stability will also affect the bids made by teams that want to trade for him.

Artest's current contract will expire in a year and a half.

Given Artest's personality, no team can guarantee that they will be able to keep him after his contract expires.

Also, Artest will be nearly thirty years old when his contract expires.

Therefore, considering Artest's age and personality, the team that wants to acquire Artest in this transaction must be mentally prepared in advance for the high probability that they will only have the right to use him for one and a half years.

All of the above factors have resulted in Artest's current trading value being difficult to match his strength.

Even though Mullin had planned to trade Biedrins and Artest in a package deal, when he saw the humiliating offers from other teams, the Warriors general manager was furious and asked, "Are they treating me like a fool?"

The New Orleans Hornets requested to use Mike James and Rasual Butler to complete the deal.

The former averaged only 05 points per game this season after averaging 06+ points per game with the Raptors in the 20/6.5 season.

The latter is a 3D wing with good value for money.

But Mullin always felt that the Hornets management was insulting his intelligence by wanting to trade Artest and the young Biedrins from the Warriors for a mere cheap 3D player.

The Dallas Mavericks wanted to use Jerry Stackhouse and Devin George to make the deal, and said they were willing to give two future draft picks to compensate the Warriors.

just
As a potential competitor of the Warriors, Mullin, who knows that the Mavericks have been trying to strengthen their front line in recent years, does not want to trade Artest to Dallas.

So, in desperation, Mullin had to turn his attention to the Pacers' roster, wanting to see if Larry Bird, with whom he had a good personal relationship, had any good stuff in his hands.

then
Mullin was scolded by Bird on the phone for two hours.

Because, the only player in the current Pacers who can meet Mullin's needs is Danny Granger, who is the Prince of Indianapolis designated by Bird himself.

Bird never expected that Mullin would dare to set his sights on Granger. Bird angrily scolded Mullin on the phone, "You want Dan? Great, trade him for the Messiah!"

Bird felt that Mullin must be crazy to dare to ask him for Granger.

What's more, the bargaining chip that Mullin used to exchange for Granger was Artest?

You know, Mullin traded Artest from Indianapolis two years ago, and now he wants to use Artest to trade for Granger.
In Bird's opinion, if he doesn't beat Mullin up the next time they meet, he would not be a good bird!
Mullin, who encountered many setbacks in the trading market, suffered from insomnia for several days.

After all, as the Warriors are about to enter a new round of devilish schedule
The anxious Mullin knew very well that the Warriors were now completely relying on Qin Yue to hold on.
Whether it was reducing the playing time or actively slowing down the pace of the game, all the strategic adjustments made by the Warriors to protect Qin Yue could not actually relieve Qin Yue.

As of mid-January, Qin Yue's average number of shots per game was still as high as 24, and his average number of drives to the basket per game was an astonishing nine.

In order to compress the opponent's defense as much as possible and provide shooting opportunities for teammates on the outside, the Golden State Warrior has turned on full power mode since the first day of the regular season.

Every night, he averaged an astonishing 36.1 points, grabbed 14.1 rebounds for the team, sent out 8.8 assists and nearly 4 blocks.

His performance on the court certainly makes his supporters worship him, but if the Warriors cannot get him a reliable helper before the trade deadline
Then Mu Lin could conclude at this moment that Qin Yue’s physical strength would definitely be dragged down by the subsequent games.

Fortunately, just when Mullin was about to collapse, the Bobcats' general manager, Rod Higgins, a close friend of Michael Jordan, called him.

The former Bulls player, who was used by Krause to conduct obedience tests on Jordan, expressed the Bobcats' strong interest in Biedrins to Mullin right off the bat on the phone.

Biedrins is a very scarce mopping-up inside player in the current league.

Higgins firmly believes that if the Bobcats can give Biedrins enough playing time, he will definitely grow into an absolute double-double machine.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with Higgins's judgment of Bidlins.

Because historically, Biedrins did average 11 points and 11 rebounds per game in his peak season.

Coupled with Okafor's back injury, it has become a major hidden danger for the Bobcats who are trying to make a big splash in the new season.

Therefore, the Bobcats need a young and energetic sweeping inside player more than ever to improve the combat effectiveness of their overall lineup.

And almost everyone knows it now.
Jordan is extremely eager for the Bobcats to make a comeback this season and slap the faces of those experts and reporters who questioned his team-building ideas.

Especially slapping Charles Barkley in the face.

Just as Qin Yue remembered.

Although the reason for criticizing Jordan's operation in the Bobcats is no longer the same, when Jordan gave up Jeff Green in the draft last year and used him and other extras to trade Zach Randolph for the Bobcats.
Barkley commented on Jordan's operation: "This deal is terrible. Michael Jordan doesn't know how to run an NBA team at all."

In order to slap Barkley in the face, Jordan hopes that the Bobcats can make a comeback.

In order to realize Jordan's wish, Higgins naturally has to give priority to strengthening the relatively weak inside link in the Bobcats lineup.

On the phone, Mullin, who learned of Higgins' idea, immediately realized that this was a good deal that could be negotiated.

Because, in addition to being Jordan's beloved relative and former Bulls player, Mr. Rod Higgins has another very important label.

He spent most of his 13-year career in Oakland.

Yes, this is a former Warriors star who played for the Warriors for many years and ended his career with the Warriors!
So, Mullin did not rush to talk to Higgins, his old teammate, about the issues he cared about most, but instead spent several hours reminiscing about the past with the Warriors legend.

Seeing this, Higgins said with a smile: "Chris, I know you want to trade Ron and Andre together, but you have to tell me which player you want from our team."

Hearing this, Mullin knew the time had come and immediately said, "Gerald Wallace."

Gerald Wallace, a top-notch wing who is only 25 years old and has both offensive and defensive capabilities.

With a height of 201 cm and a wingspan of 213 cm, he has a nearly perfect model of a striker player. Moreover, his athletic ability is quite amazing, and his running jump can easily exceed one meter.

In addition, during his time with the Bobcats, Wallace also honed his wing singles skills under Jordan's day-to-day training.

This season, Wallace is averaging nearly seven attempts per game.

His ball-handling coordination, which has evolved over time, has made him an excellent attacker who can earn a lot of free throws by rushing on the court.

The only flaw is that
Similar to Qin Yue’s senior Josh Howard, the “Elvis”’s physical fitness is not enough to support his full commitment on both offense and defense.

But for the Warriors who don't need Wallace to continue playing the role of the boss on the court, Wallace is definitely a perfect candidate for the second-in-command.

Well, now comes the problem.

What does Mr. Rod Higgins, a Warriors legend, think of this deal?

After a few minutes of silence on the phone, Higgins said, "I'm willing to make this deal, but I need to discuss it with Michael."

Higgins' willingness to make the deal was related to the rapid growth of "Elvis" Roy.

Although under Jordan's training, Roy reduced his use of overdrawn knees to make unslow changes of direction on the court.

However, Roy, who already had an excellent technical foundation before entering the NBA, quickly transformed himself into an even more troublesome outside scorer. In the game, Roy, who would use his teammates' pick-and-roll to break through and use his skillful back-to-the-basket play to attack the team, undoubtedly proved his technical talent that made some players doubt their lives.
The two skills of turnaround jump shot and post-up shot are not as difficult to practice as people imagine.

It is true that compared with another successor to Jordan, Roy is inferior in physical hardware, but Roy, who grew up under the torture of Jordan in this life, has more of the style of the "Yellow Mamba".

As Roy grew up, Randolph joined the team.
Wallace's position in the Bobcats is naturally no longer unshakable.

Moreover, as a new team in the NBA, the Bobcats still need time to accumulate contacts and build a network of relationships in the league, and are far less calculative than other teams.

In addition, Higgins is a Warriors legend, so Artest's trading value has returned to a slightly normal range.

As a two-time champion and former DOPY, Artest has playoff experience that this Bobcats team lacks.

His badass image can serve as a safeguard for this young Bobcats team.

So, with Jordan's nod of approval, the deal that satisfied both parties was officially reached.

The Warriors traded Artest and Biedrins to Charlotte for Wallace.

The Bobcats' lineup depth has been further strengthened.

The Warriors finally got Qin Yue a player who could relieve his pressure in attacking.

ESPN gave both parties of this deal a high grade of A-minus.

Before leaving the team, Artest, who was about to change his team, took the initiative to find Qin Yue.

"If I apologize to you from the bottom of my heart, will you forgive me?"

Hearing this, Qin Yue looked at Artest and said, "As a teammate, I won't, but as a friend, I have already forgiven you."

Seeing this, Artest forced a smile and said, "I hope you can lead this Warriors team to three consecutive championships. I deeply regret that I can't accompany you to the end."

After a pause, Artest sighed and said, "Tell me, if I had listened to you earlier and had that damn surgery done, how good would it have been?"

The former Bay Area first mate officially embarked on the journey to Charlotte with regret and annoyance, as well as Qin Yue's forgiveness.

Biedrins, who traveled with him, left with expectations for the new team and the desire to get more opportunities to show himself on the court.

Friends come and go, but the championship flag remains flying in the wind.

three days later.

When the Bay Area's new first mate Gerald Wallace, who will wear the No. 45 jersey for the Warriors, arrived in Oakland, Wallace gave an extremely satisfactory performance in his Warriors debut in the game between the Warriors and the Suns that night.

On both offense and defense, the omnipresent Wallace completely liberated Qin Yue, who had to play both the role of father and mother since the start of the regular season.

In the first offensive round after the start of the game, "Afro Gerrard" cut along the middle and completed his first connection with Qin Yue in his Warriors career.

This windmill dunk was so stunning that even Richardson, the dunk king, gave Wallace a score of 9 in his mind.

Richardson gave Wallace one point less to prevent Wallace from being too proud.

Followed by.

Under the joint blockade of Brown, Qin Yue and Wallace, the always majestic Stoudemire did not hesitate to use his playing style called "I lose if I enter the restricted area once" to prove his respect for the Warriors' inside line.

最终，华莱士在当晚的比赛里12投7中，其中三分球1投0中，罚球8罚6中，累计砍下20分7篮板4助攻2抢断1封盖。

After the game, Wallace, who joined the defending champion with great ambition, said in an interview: "I think Messiah and I are definitely a match made in heaven. I will do my best to assist the young king of the Bay Area."

Although Wallace, who is in the honeymoon period after the trade with the Warriors, needs more games to test whether he deserves the title of the new first mate in the Bay Area.

But Wallace, who is generous and humble, integrated into the team in just a few days.

In Qin Yue's memory, Wallace has always been the pride of the people in his hometown, Childersburg, Alabama.

Because after retiring in the future, this black player who only wants to watch his children play and spend time with his family will not only be a good father, but also a good neighbor who loves life.

His iron-blooded and tough style on the court is just his way of playing.

In private, Wallace is actually more like a shy big boy.

of course
After getting to know each other better, Wallace also showed his unique interests and hobbies to his teammates in the locker room.

1 month 28 day.

The Warriors will face the Nuggets at home.

Before the game, Wallace first walked into the locker room with a cautious look on his face, and then carefully asked each teammate whether they had found anyone suspicious.

Richardson wondered, "What is Gerrard doing?"

What is Wallace doing?
After obtaining permission from his teammates and carefully checking each teammate's luggage, Wallace suddenly said, "After my hard work, I have ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack on us."

"."

As a young man determined to become an FBI agent, it is obvious that Wallace just performed
It is a spy game that cannot be more childish.

Although many teammates found it difficult to understand Wallace's childish behavior.

But afterwards, Qin Yue smiled and said, "With Gerard here, you'd better put less things in the locker room that shouldn't be there in the future."

Upon hearing this, Brown quickly hid his collection of pornographic magazines at lightning speed.

"Agent No. 45" Wallace continued his previous outstanding performance in the second game of his Warriors career.

Under Wallace's full defense, Anthony, who averaged 28.1 points per game for the Nuggets this season, shot 21 of 7 from the field.
This indirectly confirmed how successful Wallace was in defending him in the game.

The Warriors, who acquired Wallace through a trade, seemed to have regained their dominance on the court overnight.

The Warriors, who had won consecutive games, officially returned to the upper half of the Western Conference in early February.

Although before the All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, the Warriors still have several heavyweight matchups in February, including against the Lakers, Celtics, and Supersonics.

But compared to the previous arduous schedule, Wallace's joining the team has given Warriors supporters hope that the Warriors can once again sweep all of their former defeated opponents into the trash can in the game.

2 month 7 day.

The Warriors, playing at home at Oracle Arena, officially kicked off their devilish schedule before the All-Star Weekend with a resounding victory.

On the night of the game, the visiting Dallas Mavericks were suppressed by the Warriors from the beginning to the end of the game.

Nowitzki, the German soft candy who was labeled as a "soft egg" by Qin Yue himself, was unable to turn the tide even though he scored 36 points and 9 rebounds for the Mavericks in the game.

After the game, the Mavericks management officially announced that "Little General" Avery Johnson would no longer serve as the team's head coach.

For the people of Dallas, the Warriors led by Qin Yue have become the insurmountable wall of sighs for them in recent years.

The Mavericks need a new team and a new coach to break the unilateral domination that the Warriors have had over them since the 05/06 season.

And in Oakland, after a fantastic night, just when Warriors fans thought the team would win again until All-Star Weekend.
The beauty that Gerald Wallace brought to Warriors fans.
It came to an end quietly.

……

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(End of this chapter)