mountain top

Chapter 238 When forbearance reaches its limit.
After trading for Westbrook, a delicate balance had been established within the Knicks.

James Harden, who was officially promoted to the starting lineup by Mike D'Antoni in the new season, is clearly more like a younger version of Steve Nash under D'Antoni's guidance.

This makes it easy for his opponents to play comfortably, no matter who he's paired with on the court.

And Andre Iguodala, who used to always find fault with LeBron James during games, has become much more low-key in the new season because of his painful experience in last season's Finals.

Besides
Because Iguodala is a player who is willing to sacrifice personal statistics for the team, James, who knows that there is no core conflict of interest between him and Iguodala, has been trying to win him over almost every day since the Finals last season.

Even in a certain sense
A large part of the reason why Iguodala was able to become the Knicks' locker room leader in the new season is because he received strong support from LeBron James.

As for Durant?
To be honest, Durant is currently living entirely in the fairy tale that James has woven for him.

Whether it's trying to win over Iguodala or showering Durant with sweet words, James's goal is to become the undisputed number one player on this Knicks team.

But with James still willing to selflessly dedicate himself to the team, this Knicks team, composed of multiple superstars, has indeed become a cohesive unit.

The young Harden was responsible for supplying ammunition to his older brothers on the court.

At the peak of his career, Iguodala is fully committed to both offense and defense, and can also use his playmaking ability to help the team distribute the ball effectively.

Durant, who was completely absorbed in James' sweet words, only needed to focus on scoring.

Add to that James, who seems to have been possessed by a soul, selfless and a team player.

Without a doubt, this Knicks team can only be described as full of vitality and hope.

However.
As December of this year arrived...
Dwight Howard, whom the Knicks acquired in the summer in exchange for Russell Westbrook, has become a disruptor of team balance and a destroyer of team chemistry.

What has Howard wanted since being kicked out of the Magic?
What he wants is to prove himself again.

Especially in that low position that he so desperately wanted.

Howard aspires to dominate all contemporary centers in the low post and prove himself to be a dominant force comparable to Shaquille O'Neal in his prime.

He could play for the Knicks.
Once Howard establishes a foothold in the low post, the rhythm of the game for players like Harden, James, and Durant will inevitably be affected by him.

Moreover, in order to conserve his energy for offense, Howard has even been seen to be putting in little effort on defense in recent games.

This is something that James, who is gradually moving closer to the center of power in the Knicks, is destined to find intolerable.

Because even he is now playing defense seriously.
What gives Howard the right to blatantly slack off on the court?

It's worth noting that James has always had his own set of standards when it comes to being lenient with himself and strict with others.

Therefore, after noticing that Howard consistently struggled to recognize his "junior" status with the Knicks, James decisively took action.

And the Knicks locker room.
When Iguodala, Durant, and James, three big shots wielding baseball bats, suddenly attacked him, Howard was completely flustered.
Where is his former unruly spirit?
With James's subtle probing, the Knicks players, who needed an outlet to vent their emotions, easily broke down the already fragile psychological defenses of this stupid dog who couldn't recognize his own position.

What do you want me to do?

Howard asked, looking aggrieved.

Upon hearing this, the "Knicks' Big Three" immediately made the following demands of this stupid dog.

First, Howard must demonstrate his seriousness on the defensive end.

Secondly, whenever his teammates call for a screen, Howard must obediently go over and set a screen for them.

Finally, unless it's a necessary possession, Howard shouldn't just stand in the low post waiting to receive the ball.

"All you really want is an obedient Rottweiler!"

Howard expressed his dissatisfaction with the demands made on him by the Knicks' Big Three, saying, "I'm an All-NBA First Team center, not some stupid laborer like Kwame Brown!"

Kwame Brown?

To be honest, in the eyes of the Knicks' Big Three, Howard is even inferior to Brown in some aspects for the current Knicks team.

Because brown vegetables are vegetables.

But Brown wouldn't ask Qin Yue to back down the ball in the low post every time.

Seeing this, Iguodala swung his baseball bat and smashed it against a locker in the locker room before saying, "Dwight, you can certainly choose not to accept our demands."

"But from now on, I'm afraid you'll only be able to play as a substitute."

Durant added, "And he's a substitute who can only play in garbage time."

"You can't treat me like this!" Howard exclaimed angrily. "I'm an All-NBA center, how could you treat me like this?"

A center forward?
At that moment, looking at this stupid dog who was still living in his fantasy, James, who had been holding back for a year and a half, said: "Dwight, either accept our demands, or you can only be prepared to play as a substitute."

In the locker room, facing James's ultimatum
At this moment, what else could Howard, who was extremely heartbroken, do but temporarily give in?
"You won!" Howard said dejectedly. "From now on, I'll be an obedient Rottweiler. Are you satisfied now?"

The Knicks' Big Three nodded and said, "We are very satisfied."

Disobedient dogs really do need to be punished!
After this public denunciation of Howard ended, the Knicks' Big Three were thinking this.

……

Taming the utterly clueless Howard.

The Knicks climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference in December with a winning streak.

But with the Knicks, Howard, who lives under constant pressure from his teammates, is clearly going through one of the most difficult phases of his life.

And so, Howard, who felt like he was walking on thin ice every day, faced the Christmas Day game with the Knicks, carrying his extremely aggrieved feelings.

This was a world-renowned battle.

On this night, the Knicks will host the Warriors at Madison Square Garden, the team that delivered a crushing defeat to them in last season's Finals.

that man
he came.

That person once shattered Durant's resolve.

Crush James into dust.

Turn Iguodala into Star Fury.

That man who stands out from the crowd in this era.

The basketball mecca was filled with boos that rose higher and higher, eventually reaching the dome of the stadium.

Entrance ceremony stage
The Knicks' trio all turned their gazes toward the man striding onto the court.

Bay Area fans like to call him Messiah.

But in the eyes of the other 29 teams in the NBA, he is absolutely the world-destroying Satan.

Why do the boos here seem less intense than last season?

In the center of the court, Qin Yue expressed his dissatisfaction with the Knicks fans' weak and feeble welcome ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Brown, who was standing next to Qin Yue, felt that there might be something wrong with the other person's hearing.

“I feel like my ears are about to ring,” Brown said. “You’re complaining that the boos here aren’t as bad as last season?”

Qin Yue nodded and said, "In my opinion, such boos can only prove one thing."

"what?"

"The fans here have no respect for me."

"so?"

"So, I decided to use this next game to tell them that they need to learn to respect others." On the field, after warming up, the starting lineups for both Nyon and Yonhap teams were officially announced.

The visiting Warriors: Brown, Qin Yue, Wallace, Green, Nash.

Home team Knicks: Howard, James, Iguodala, Durant, Harden.

In the opening jump ball, Howard won possession for the Knicks.

Harden dribbles the ball across half-court.

At the top of the table, Howard noticed Harden waving at him.
If he could, Howard would really like to shove two cannonballs up the other guy's ass and tell him: Can you stop treating me like a dog?

Although, after being taught a lesson by the Knicks' Big Three, Howard chose to compromise and became an obedient Rottweiler.

But for Harden, a young player who has never even been selected for the All-Star game, Howard felt worse than if he had eaten shit every time he set a screen for the opponent.

just
With the Knicks' Big Three watching from the sidelines, what else could Howard, this stupid dog, do besides obediently setting screens for Harden?

On the court, Howard, who immediately rolled to the basket after a pick-and-roll, received a brilliant pass from Harden and easily scored two points under the basket.

Seeing this scene in the Warriors' paint, Brown, who was incredibly hungry, immediately cast a look at Qin Yue that seemed to say, "Master Qin, I want to eat a pancake too."

Seeing this, Qin Yue responded to Brown with his eyes: Don't worry, I'll feed you right away.

On the other hand, the Knicks...
Howard, who received the "gift" from "Cuo Ge", not only showed no gratitude, but also ignored Harden's outstretched right fist during his retreat on defense, refusing Harden's request for a fist bump.

To be honest, Howard's behavior is so stupid that he doesn't even know who his on-court dad is.
No wonder he wasted his prime years in Qin Yue's memory.

The Warriors then launch their attack.

Brown perfectly demonstrated to Howard what it means to be a dog.

At a high position, he first acted as a wall for Nash.

He then set a screen for Qin Yue at the free-throw line.

He then quickly drove into the Knicks' basket.

With the ball and player perfectly aligned, Brown leaped into the air and easily opened his scoring account with a powerful two-handed dunk.

Furthermore, after scoring, while pounding his chest in frustration, Brown also made sure to give Nash and Qin Yue a thumbs up.

When eating pancakes, don't forget the person who made them.

This is precisely the survival strategy that Brown has learned in the NBA over the years.

As for the next round, what about Howard, who almost made James look like a meme because he broke down the wall too early?
On the court, the Knicks are on offense.

Noticing that Qin Yue was actively matching up against him, James wanted to use Howard's screen to get a passing or driving lane.

But who would have thought that Howard's premature cut to the basket would allow Qin Yue to take advantage of the situation and corner James.

Fortunately, in the critical moment, Durant stepped up, bypassed Wallace's defense, and scored a crucial two points for the Knicks after receiving a pass from James.

otherwise
James is likely to lose possession of the ball directly under Qin Yue's intense pressure.

However, James got anxious when retreating on defense.

"Dwight, didn't anyone teach you how to set a screen in Orlando?"

James looked at Howard with a puzzled expression and said, "Do you know that you didn't actually block the guy completely?"

Upon hearing this, Howard, who thought to himself, "I blocked it, and you still blame me for not blocking it well," immediately cursed James in his heart as "that damned old dog."

Although, given James' age, Howard should be calling him a puppy right now.

But it was the same as Qin Yue remembered.

Even if it means compromising for now.
During this period, Howard, who was always a spoiled brat with his own ideas, would not willingly act as a dog for his teammates.

This is Dwight Howard.

Historically, even Kobe and Harden could only lament that if this stupid dog had any brains at all, he wouldn't be so brainless.

Madison Square Garden, Warriors' offensive possession.

Qin Yue, who was standing at the top of the key initiating a 4-5 pick-and-roll, was originally just trying to create more opportunities for the opponent to attack the basket by cooperating with Brown in the pick-and-roll.

However, when Qin Yue noticed that Howard dared to gamble that he couldn't shoot and didn't choose to step forward to delay him, Qin Yue immediately changed his mind.

The next second, he gathered the ball and pulled up for a shot.

Not a trace of hesitation.

The three-pointer shot from the top of the arc by Qin Yue drew a beautiful arc in the air before swishing cleanly into the Knicks' half of the court.

On the court, James spread his hands, continuing to pressure Howard, saying, "Delay, delay, damn it! How could you let him shoot like that?"

Seeing this, Howard wanted to defend himself.
He just wanted to test Qin Yue's shooting touch, just like he did with the Magic.

But Howard is no longer the same person he used to be, and at this moment he can only accumulate his dissatisfaction with the team in a low-key and patient manner.

It's the Knicks' turn to attack.

Having gradually mastered the new NBA rules on ball handling and traveling, Harden used a highly controversial step-back move to shake off Nash on the perimeter.

Without a doubt, this was a step back that danced on the edge of the rules.

Harden, from a 45-degree angle on the left wing, shook off Nash and drained a three-pointer.

And at the scene.
As Harden responded to Qin Yue's earlier comment with this Answer Ball, the entire arena erupted in cheers.

At this moment, as a player who can't stand too much noise in away games, Qin Yuexuan strode across half-court and took the initiative to call for the ball. He then initiated a 4-5 pick-and-roll with Brown near the top of the arc.

Howard's delay in this round was timely.

However, Howard, who treated his teammate like "Martial Saint" Jackson, clearly overestimated James's ability to help defend.

So, just as Howard was about to return to his position, Qin Yue, taking advantage of the lack of coordination between Howard and James, swiftly broke through the Knicks' entire defense.

On the court, James is about to throw up his hands again.

Because when Qin Yue unleashed an unstoppable force, crushing Howard and charging into the Knicks' paint, he swaggered around the Knicks' half of the court.
James couldn't understand why Howard was so lax in his defense against Qin Yue.
However, James might not believe it if I told him.

Howard was equally puzzled at this moment. Why did James choose to stand by and watch the show when he had given James enough time to help defend?
Under constant pressure from his teammates.

Howard felt he had done his best on this defensive possession.

This foolish dog, who had only temporarily chosen to keep a low profile, had quietly reached the peak of his dissatisfaction with the team.

Howard hates this world.

And, carrying this ever-growing hatred
Howard must continue to endure.

However, unlike James last season.

Howard's vision and intelligence determined that he was destined not to be as patient as James.

Therefore, since we can't tolerate it
How could Howard possibly choose to endure it again and again?
……

PS: Here's a short 4K chapter (Please stop scolding me, I'll definitely push myself again tomorrow and do another 10,000-word update!).

(End of this chapter)