Champion Rules

Chapter 297, Section 293: We're Not Barbie Dolls (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

By the time Lynch successfully resolved the season suspension crisis, it was already February.

There are only two and a half months left until the start of the playoffs.

For Lynch, he was happy to resolve these disputes before the playoffs began.

The multiple battles he had been fighting on multiple fronts in the past period left him feeling overwhelmed. Although it wasn't obvious, these miscellaneous tasks still affected his competitive state to some extent.

Fortunately, this form will not carry over into the playoffs.

In addition to resolving the labor negotiations, the New York Knicks are also about to welcome back Ray Allen.

This veteran, who has suffered from ankle injuries, has never actually had a serious injury. If judged by the standards of the 90s, which were that "if you can still breathe, you can still play," he wouldn't even qualify for the injury list.

But Philip Sanders insisted on allowing him to fully recover before returning to the game, to avoid any risk of aggravating his injury.

He'd rather Ray Allen hold back for a while, but he'd be tough enough to use.

I don't want Ray Allen to use it too often, but it feels limp and unusable.

On Ray Allen's first day back in regular training, his obsessive-compulsive disorder kicked in as soon as he reached his designated parking spot.

Ray Allen's private parking space is located in the middle of the three adjacent parking spaces in the elevator lobby.

He had told the people in the locker room that he didn't like having cars on both sides of him. He wasn't a good driver, and having cars on both sides would make parking more difficult for him.

Everyone in the locker room knew that this was just an excuse he made for his obsessive-compulsive disorder.

He just felt that it was most comfortable to have only one car in that parking space.

For months, the Knicks have tacitly created a "faith barrier" for this aloof and unsociable individual.

No one wanted to touch that tranquil territory shrouded in forced taboos.

After all, this strange man wasn't very popular, so naturally no one wanted to make fun of him or provoke him.

But today, he saw a dirty pickup truck parked next to his parking space.

The stained car body and its rough lines resemble a piece of graffiti crudely nailed into a clean wall!

When his obsessive-compulsive disorder flared up, he felt as if a million ants were crawling on his heart.

The last time I experienced such intense discomfort was when I watched LeBron James's fadeaway jumper.

The awkwardness and sharp angles of those movements were like sandpaper rubbing against his visual center.

The pickup truck's owner happened to return to retrieve his belongings. He glanced awkwardly at Ray Allen and touched his nose to hide his nervousness.
"I thought you were apologizing today."

After uttering that dry "sorry," he leaped into the driver's seat like a startled antelope and drove off.

Ray Allen watched DeMar DeRozan leave, his embarrassed look mirroring his own.

He could even guess what Demar DeRozan was thinking.

He might have wanted to say something nice to express his apology, but he couldn't come up with a decent password to pass the game, no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, he could only hastily escape the awkward situation.

People like them aren't always unwilling to speak; they just can't find the secret path to "natural expression."

Moreover, they are not likely to take the initiative to become intimate with others.

They worry that such intimacy will undermine their sense of boundaries.

But they also crave intimacy with others.

Yes, they are a very conflicted type of people, so others will also feel conflicted when they get along with them.

Ray Allen shook his head. There must be something to say about New York.

He never imagined that a small team could have both him and DeMar DeRozan, two such outstanding talents.

Ray Allen walked into the locker room, where a chorus of "Welcome back!" echoed—polite, swift, and mass-produced.

He smiled and responded to everyone, but once he sat down in his seat, almost no one came up to talk to him anymore.

DeMar DeRozan is the same; his island coordinates are just a few lockers away.

Apart from Lynch, almost no one in the locker room would speak to him.

However, Ray Allen sometimes envied that young man.

At least, he met a leader like Lynch as soon as he entered the league.

He guided him in every way and deliberately joked with him.

DeMar DeRozan has never felt the crisis of "I don't belong to this team at all".

He's just a newborn calf, unlike himself back then, when the calf Allen encountered a beastly coach like George Karl.

DeMar DeRozan's performance in tonight's game against the Atlanta Hawks was mediocre, even somewhat dismal.

He couldn't defend Joe Johnson at all, and his one-on-one offense was also limited.

Ray Allen had an outstanding performance in his first game back from injury, scoring 15 points and making 3 of 5 three-pointers.

In the post-game locker room interview, Ray Allen handled the situation skillfully.

But a question coming from the cabinet next door made his fingertips tremble slightly.

"Demar, despite being completely outplayed by Joe Johnson tonight, remained as calm as a still pond, showing no signs of emotion."

You didn't yell or scream, and you didn't grit your teeth; it was as if nothing had happened.

Don't you feel angry?

Charles Buckley thought you were a beautiful Barbie doll.

Your one-on-one moves are a feast for the eyes, and your dunks are absolutely stunning.

But you are not a true warrior.

What do you think of his assessment?

DeMar DeRozan futilely wiped his cheeks repeatedly with a towel, as if that could erase his tension.

However, every movement of his Adam's apple betrayed his anxiety.

In the end, he said nothing, but just sat in front of the locker with his head down like a child who had made a mistake, accepting the camera's agonizing scrutiny.

After everything was over, DeMar DeRozan silently got up, picked up a basketball, and left the locker room.

Ray Allen returned to the scene after changing his clothes, and sure enough, DeMar DeRozan was practicing his jump shot.

When faced with criticism, people like them don't slam their fists on the table and yell like Lynch.

For people like them, when faced with a formidable enemy, they may not express their emotions through roaring and punching.

They never force themselves to be energetic; they simply face the empty basket alone and repeat the same motions.

This is the only escape route for people like them.

But this absolutely does not mean that they are not angry or do not want to win.

Ray Allen was once called Barbie by George Carr, and he knew how humiliating that was.

He so wanted to go up to the guy, pat him on the shoulder, and tell him it was nothing.

But he couldn't take that step.

At that moment, a deep voice suddenly boomed from behind his ear.

"Lei Lei, what are you doing here? Teaching Demar a lesson? Come on, he just parked in your spot. No, he just parked in the spot next to yours."

He turned around abruptly; it was Lin Qi.

"And you? What are you doing here?" "I came to check on him. That guy didn't behave well tonight."

"His off-ball movement is too immature," Ray Allen pointed out DeMar DeRozan's problem tonight. "Once he encounters a slightly experienced defender, he can only rely on one-on-one plays with the ball. But you know, off-ball movement always creates more and easier opportunities."

“Demar is working hard. He’s been studying the game tapes of me and Steve, and yours too.”

“You can use your height to avoid interference, but he can’t. Steve can use his speed to easily shake off defenders, but he can’t. Your experience may not be applicable to him. If he’s willing to learn, I can help him.”

Lynch was surprised by Ray Allen's sudden enthusiasm: "Whoever you are, get off Ray Allen right now!"

Ray Allen wasn't interested in the joke; he remained expressionless, staring intently at DeMar DeRozan's continuously leaping figure.
"I'm not just saying this on a whim, Lynch; I just absolutely hate the word Barbie!"
We're not fucking Barbie dolls!
-
In February, the fully-staffed Knicks only lost two games, to the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs.

But for Lynch, the most surprising thing this month wasn't his winning percentage.

It's DeMar DeRozan's rapid improvement off the ball.

Ray Allen is a very patient guy, and his coaching of DeMar DeRozan is meticulous.

With each run, he would describe in detail his thoughts at the time and his assessment of the situation.

The only annoying thing is that these two guys always have to drag Lynch along for every extra training session!
reason?

If they're alone together, they won't utter a single fart the entire time!
Lynch is so tired.

These two guys are both African Americans and their native language is English.

But we need an Asian whose native language is Chinese to eliminate racial segregation!
Despite the trouble, Lynch was excited about DeMar DeRozan's progress.

When he won the championship last season, he was just an insignificant substitute.

But this year, he might actually become a qualified helper.

As the season progresses, DeMar DeRozan's performance has become increasingly outstanding.

In March, he had his best performance of the season, averaging 23.4 points per game.

Kenny Smith even joked about Flying Pig: "At least Demar is a pretty, pleasing Barbie doll. And you, Charles? You're like a poorly made, ugly, punchable doll!"

But Feizhu still insists on his point of view: "Don't rush, at least the 'punch doll' is durable, but the 'Barbie doll' is not necessarily so. We'll know whether he's flashy or not after he experiences the playoffs as a starting player this year."

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder's record has also improved dramatically.

They have overtaken the San Antonio Silver and Black to become the top team in the West.

After the initial adjustment period at the beginning of the season, the chemistry between James, Durant, and Curry has improved significantly.

But this is not the main reason for the Thunder's soaring record.

The main reason lies in a strategic gamble by Scott Brooks when he was forced into a corner.

The Thunder's center position has been too weak this season, prompting many Oklahoma City media outlets to quip:
"The women James Harden has been playing one-on-one with in nightclubs are all tougher than the Thunder's center!"

Logo had attempted to acquire a center, and before the All-Star Game, he came very close to signing Kendrick Perkins from the Lakers.

But the Los Angeles Lakers are stubbornly clinging to James Harden as their bargaining chip.

James Harden's potential has not yet been fully realized, but once the Thunder acquire Kendrick Perkins, their interior defense problems will be solved.

After weighing the pros and cons between potential and immediate combat capability, Logo chose to abandon the deal.

Ultimately, the Thunder did not acquire any new centers before the trade deadline.

So Thunder head coach Scott Brooks had to make an attempt in February.

He used Serge Ibaka at center, allowing LeBron James to return to the power forward position.

As a result, the Thunder went on a 17-game winning streak!

When the space on the court is stretched to its limit, and even the center can leave the paint wide open, LeBron James, who weighs over 120 kilograms this season, is simply unstoppable.

Scott Brooks is like a man who has been struggling to conceive, only to suddenly discover that his wife is unexpectedly pregnant, and he has inadvertently found the instruction manual for LeBron James.

How to maximize the use of LBJ has always been a difficult problem for Scott Brooks.

You might say this guy is weak, but he actually has some talent.

But while you might say he's strong, it seems like he can't lead the team to any significant results.

He also saw through LBJ's true nature—he was a player with extremely high demands on the roster.

For players like Lynch and MJ, if you give them an 80-point or even 75-point lineup, they can lead their team to a championship.

But with LeBron James, you have to give him a 90-point lineup for him to do the same thing.

Not even a cent less.

From a certain perspective, this proves that LBJ and Lynch are indeed not in the same league.

But then again, there are plenty of other players in this league who, even if you give him a 90-point lineup, still can't lead the team to victory.

For example, Michael Jordan—

Scottie Pippen, his assistant, never proved himself as a key player.

LeBron James is a typical example of someone who's not the best, but not the worst either.

Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder have built a 90-point roster for LeBron James that perfectly suits his playing style.

Thus, in early April, the rematch between the Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder became highly anticipated.

Everyone is eager to know whether this unstoppable Thunder team can upset the New York Knicks.

LeBron James got his wish; this was his first win at Madison Square Garden since Lynch entered the league.

He scored 33 points in the game, rediscovering his status as the number one draft pick.

In games against Lynch, LBJ rarely scored more than 30 points.

Meanwhile, the Thunder shot 43% from three-point range.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are no less of a threat than LeBron James.

Lynch scored 42 points, but the Knicks still lost the game by 8 points.

When the game ended, the TNT studio fell silent.

Charles Barkley is really bad at praising; he never imagined he'd have to brag about LeBron James in front of Lynch one day!

LeBron James himself was anything but silent. As he watched the orange nightmare that had suppressed him for years vanish, a smug expression immediately spread across his face.

"I've said it before: basketball players should focus on basketball itself."

Lynch resolved the labor dispute, but that didn't win him the championship.

Where do miracles happen?
Anyway, it's not in New York!
-
The only impact is that veterans who still harbor dreams will join Lynch on minimum contracts. — Stephen A. Smith discussing the rule in the new collective bargaining agreement that "paying the luxury tax for three consecutive years will result in the loss of the middle-class exception."

The latest MVP rankings are in: Derrick Rose first, Lynch second, and third place—you'd never guess—is LeBron James. —ESPN News Flash

LeBron can choose not to speak up for his players, but what right does he have to mock someone who does? Without Lynch, next season might not even exist. A selfish person like him will never succeed. Because in basketball, selfish people don't win in the end. — Magic Johnson's comment on LeBron's recent remarks.

"Hey Lynch, there's less than a month until the playoffs, how's your form?"

"It couldn't be better. Not just me, we've seen DeMar's progress, we've seen DeAndre's progress, we've seen the consistency of veterans like Ray and Steve, and we've seen Ron's big elbows. All of us are fully prepared for the playoffs."

"Which team, the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat, is the biggest obstacle for the Knicks in the playoffs?"

"neither."

"And what about the Oklahoma City Thunder? It's widely believed that with the Lakers in decline, they are very likely to be this year's Western Conference champions."

"Yes, I know they're very vocal right now. But let me put it this way, when you expect LBJ to do something, you're destined to be disappointed."

— Lynch in an interview with ESPN writer Marc Stein.

(End of this chapter)