Champion Rules

Chapter 242, Section 238: An Inescapable Cage for the Frontline (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
On January 1, the New York Knicks got off to a winning start in 2010, defeating the Atlanta Hawks for the second time this season.

For reporters, the most talked-about aspect of this match was not the victory itself.

Rather, it was an adjustment made by the Knicks to their starting lineup.

Wilson Chandler, who had been a starter for two months and performed well, averaging 14 points per game, was suddenly removed from the starting lineup.

Ron Artest, who averages 7.6 points per game, has been promoted to the starting lineup.

This highly disruptive move sparked widespread discussion after the match.

Lynch also had to face a series of sharp questions.

"Is Wilson unhappy about being suddenly stripped of his starting position?"

"We all always put the team's interests first."

Do you think this will cause chemical damage to the locker room?

"There isn't one at the moment, and I believe there won't be one in the future."

"Wilson was not in good form tonight. Is this related to his removal from the starting lineup?"

“I don’t think there’s any real connection between the two. Occasional fluctuations in form are normal in a long 82-game regular season, and we still trust Wilson.”

Lynch's answer was watertight.

But the reporters didn't believe a word of it.

Because the problem was clearly not as smooth as he made it out to be.

Every sports journalist in the world knows that team locker room issues fit the "bathrobe theory".

A person was wearing a bathrobe, which at first glance seemed unremarkable.

But if you have the ability to lift your bathrobe, you're sure to find something amazing inside.

Wilson Chandler was definitely affected, without a doubt.

In his third year, he diligently played as a substitute for the first two years of his professional career, with Trevor Ariza firmly holding onto his starting position.

This season, he finally made it big and got the starting opportunity he had been dreaming of, and he played quite well.

He was shooting threes and picking up girls when he was suddenly robbed by Thai gangsters in Queens, New York.

No wonder he's unhappy.

To say that Wilson Chandler has no emotions is as absurd as saying that Tim Duncan is a beastly power forward or that LeBron James is a skilled player.

The reporters' guesses were indeed correct; Lynch could tell that Wilson Chandler was somewhat dejected.

But he can't throw a tantrum.

This is because it's the third year of his rookie contract.

In another year, he will face the first contract renewal of his professional career.

No team in the entire league would offer a big contract to a role player with a history of "disrupting locker room chemistry".

Therefore, Wilson Chandler can only suppress his emotions, accept the arrangements, and try to adjust his mindset.

The Knicks have not yet directly exposed any locker room problems.

But Lynch knew that if this starting lineup didn't work, the problems would only multiply.

If the team can win after the adjustments, Wilson Chandler will have nothing to say.

But if the adjustments fail and the team can't win, Wilson Chandler's patience may be running out.

Everything is about victory.

The Atlanta Hawks are strong, but not a real challenge.

But the real challenges followed.

On January 3, the New York Knicks visited Miami to challenge one of their arch-rivals, the Miami Heat.

Dwyane Wade was particularly excited about this game, and the reason was obvious—all three of the Knicks' losses this season have come on the road.

So far this season, the New York Knicks have not lost a game at home.

However, their away journey was not without its challenges.

The Flash was relaxed before the game: "Ha! Just like Sir Charles Barkley said, it's my turn!"

But Miami fans felt a sense of helplessness, like Lincoln's Civil War efforts were in vain, upon hearing this.

Black players may seem to be free, but they are still being dominated!
It was even more brutal than the rule of the Southern plantations back then!
That evening, Dwyane Wade had a great shooting touch during warm-up.

While it's not perfect, I'd give it a 9 out of 10.

Number 3 glanced at his beloved Pau Gasol. Tonight, as long as Gasol could contain Lynch, Wade was confident he could dominate the Knicks' entire perimeter.

Pau Gasol nodded knowingly: "I will do my best."

Before the game started, Lynch noticed that Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest were looking at each other, but neither of them seemed inclined to greet the other.

There were no pleasantries, no nods.

They just looked at each other, neither of them seeming willing to take the first step.

Lynch tapped Ron Artest's tense shoulder lightly with his fingers: "Aren't you going to say hello to your old teammates?"

Ron Artest rarely showed an embarrassed expression; someone as shameless as him rarely felt embarrassed.

His gaze remained fixed on Jermaine O'Neal, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly at his sides.

Finally, he just let out a heavy sigh: "To be honest, I'm not really that familiar with him."

After this obvious evasive answer, Ron Artest's face hardened like a steel mask, becoming as grim as a statue.

His serious expression didn't disappear until the match started.

The Knicks gained possession first, and Lynch received the ball in the low post, preparing to isolate and attack Pau Gasol.

But Pierce relentlessly double-teamed him, and everyone knew that Ron Artest was not a reliable open defender.

At the beginning of the game, most teams will choose to leave Ron Artest open to test his shooting touch.

Lynch passed the ball to Artest, and as expected, his jump shot missed. This is exactly what Mike Malone meant when he said that starting Ron Artest was like installing an unstable, defective part in the offensive engine.

It could extinguish a smoothly running attack at any time.

The game continued, and the Heat's offensive onslaught surged forth.

Dwyane Wade was about to drive to the basket, but he noticed that Lynch was positioned very far out tonight, primarily guarding Paul Pierce!
Paul Pierce was initially very excited, but soon fell into deep unease.

Is Lynch primarily guarding me?
After the game, won't I get criticized like LeBron James?!

Dwyane Wade didn't rush to attack; instead, he prepared to lob the ball inside to Pau Gasol.

In terms of height, Pau Gasol has a clear advantage.

This is an opportunity to play out of position.

However, after Wade raised the ball above his head, he discovered that the battle for the inside position was not as smooth as he had imagined.

Ron Artest, the ruthless man from a boxing family in Queens, is turning every muscle and bone of his body into a moving noose.

He used grappling techniques reminiscent of wrestling and his arms, thick as steel cables, to entangle Pau Gasol's body.

He resisted fiercely, almost violently.

Pau Gasol suffered severe impacts to his knees, lower back, and chest.

Every thrust and every exertion of force he made was accompanied by a sickening sound of muscles colliding.

Pau Gasol suddenly bent his knees and lowered his shoulders, using his last bit of strength to forcefully push forward, finally carving a sliver of space out of the beast's deadly grip!
"Give it to me!" he hissed from deep within his throat.
Dwyane Wade passed the ball in, and just as Heat fans were cheering and preparing to see Pau Gasol punish the mismatch,

Pau Gasol, who had just picked up the basketball, immediately saw that Ron Artest's fingers had already touched the ball.

Although it was just a finger flicking the ball, the force transmitted was terrifying.

To the horrified eyes of Miami fans, Ron Artest almost used the strength of his fingers to pry the basketball away from the Spanish giant's iron-like hands!

Ron Artest made a quick move, fiercely pouncing on the still-bouncing, out-of-control basketball, and then threw it to Steve Nash, who was already sprinting forward.

The latter easily scored with a layup.

Seeing this, Philip Sanders pumped his fist with satisfaction: "That's it!"

This is exactly what he wanted Ron Artest to do.

Ron Artest is only 201 cm tall. He's not tall enough to play power forward, but he's tough enough.

If someone could effectively help Lynch play the power forward position, everything would become much simpler!
Amidst the cheers of his teammates, Ron Artest did not boast or trash talk as he usually did.

He still wore that serious "iron mask," ignoring the cheers around him.

As if drawn by an invisible gravitational field of war, he hunched over, bent his knees, and once again, with the focused intensity of a hunter, clung tightly to the edge of the enormous shadow cast by Pau Gasol's body!
Lynch had never seen Ron Artest like this before.

Ron Artest's recent encounter with Jermaine O'Neill seems to have activated his hidden second personality.

Just like how LeBron James can't help but display his performative personality the moment he sees a camera.

Artest has become less talkative and more serious.

At this moment, what burns within this body is only a pure, unadulterated thirst for victory, a thirst so intense it could melt steel into liquid!

All Lynch knew was that Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal didn't get along well while playing for Indianapolis.

Was he simply trying to prove to Jermaine O'Neal that he was better?
If that's the case, then he must have hurled a lot of nasty trash talk at Jermaine O'Neal before the game and just now.

Artest's thoughts tonight were hard to fathom, but Lynch knew only one thing: the Heat were in trouble today.

Pau Gasol and Ron Artest engaged in another physical battle, and seeing that the passing lanes were blocked, Dwyane Wade abandoned his intention to pass the ball.

He took two steps back, widened the distance between them, and suddenly accelerated!
Raja Bell spotted Dwyane Wade's drive, but just as the two were about to collide, the Flash used a swift spin to get past the experienced defender.

After gaining space, Dwyane Wade pulled up for a jump shot.

Over the years, The Flash still hasn't been considered an elite jump shot.

But it is also quite threatening.

Wade shot the ball, but immediately afterward he heard a sharp crack.

"boom!"

Lynch appeared quickly and swatted away Dwyane Wade's jump shot!
The cheers of the Miami fans abruptly stopped.

The two landed almost simultaneously. Lynch pointed at Ron Artest, who nodded in acknowledgment.

In just two rounds, Dwyane Wade and Pau Gasol felt the pressure from this frontcourt duo on the defensive end.

The third person to feel this oppressive feeling was Paul Pierce.

The Heat inbounded the ball, and Paul Pierce dribbled in one-on-one, drawing Lynch's defense, hoping to pass to Wade who was cutting off the ball.

But just before he could make a decision, Ron Artest suddenly stepped in and double-teamed him.

This wasn't part of the Knicks' established defensive strategy; it was purely an instinctive reaction from the former Defensive Player of the Year.

With his extensive experience, Artest instantly sensed the perfect opportunity to double-team.

In the steel cage built by Lynch and Artest, Paul Pierce couldn't even pass the ball in time.

He instinctively clutched the ball tightly to his chest, futilely trying to find a passing lane.

In that instant, Ron Artest's massive hands slammed down, clamping down on the ball like a hawk seizing a rabbit.

With a fierce growl, he pulled hard—the basketball was ripped from Paul Pierce's arms!

Another steal, another fast counterattack.

The Miami Heat, who are determined to win the game, have not been able to execute a single complete play since the start of the season!
After landing from the dunk, Lynch raised his hand and made a fist.

Ron Artest responded.

The moment the two men's fists collided, Dwyane Wade's heart sank.

Oh shit.

It was supposed to be my turn to win!

(End of this chapter)