NBA: A collection of super busts

Chapter 92 Old man, welcome to the NBA!

The Trail Blazers' internal situation was absolutely turbulent and chaotic.

Their lineup doesn't have a proper center or small forward, but it does have three power forwards.

Dale Davis and Zach Randolph partnered in the frontcourt, Bonzi Wells and Damon Stoudamire formed the backcourt, and Rasheed Wallace was the small forward.

Randolph spent his entire rookie season on the bench before finally getting playing time and breaking out last season. He is now the only true untouchable player and rebuilding hope on the Trail Blazers.

The coach shouldn't let this kind of person be a substitute.

Rasheed Wallace was the team's highest-paid, most famous, and most powerful player, and he also had a fiery temper and a fierce aura.

Coaches wouldn't dare let someone like that play as a substitute.

Dale Davis is the team's best defender, the only one willing to do the dirty work, and more importantly, he has an extremely high annual salary of over 1000 million.

Coaches can't bench players like this.

Since Cheeks doesn't have the guts to put any of these three on the bench, he might as well put them all on the field and fight them all together.

The height, depth, and size of this lineup are undeniable. Randolph is 206 cm tall, Rasheed and Davis are both 211 cm tall, and Wells is a well-known small tank in the league. When these guys play together, it's bound to be a game of intense physical contact and crazy muscle collisions.

"Jason!" Brown yelled from the sidelines before the game started, "Let's give it our all tonight!"

Williams nodded decisively.

Brown is a coach who highly values ​​positional play and systems. Unless there is an exceptional opportunity, he does not allow players to engage in transition or fast breaks.

If we can slow down, then we must slow down.

This positional warfare style suits the Grizzlies well, but it prevents Williams from fully utilizing his talent.

Now that Brown is letting him play fast, he only has one thought: he has to get going! He has to play well. If he can always play in his style and get going in the future, that would be perfect!

Williams, standing on the court, was extremely excited and bounced around several times. On the other side, "Little Flying Squirrel" Stoudemire, although his nickname sounded a bit cute, was a real scoundrel who had been to the police station quite a few times during his time with the Trail Blazers.

"Have you become an idiot from taking too many drugs?" The guy glanced at Williams, looking at him like he was an idiot. "Are you jumping around like a squirrel?"

"I'm cosplaying your dearest mother." What kind of good person is Williams anyway? He immediately launches into a polite, albeit sarcastic, remark: "When he's with me, he loves jumping around like this."

On the other side, Rashid, who was facing Ye Feng tonight, chewed gum, tilted his head, and looked at Ye Feng like he was trash, saying, "Is this all the fourth pick in the league is capable of now? This league is hopeless."

"I almost forgot you were also the fourth pick," Ye Feng said, looking at the arrogant guy. "Trash, a flop!"

"What did you say?"

"I said you're a piece of trash, a dud, oh, and you're also deaf," Ye Feng mocked. "Do I need to repeat myself? Trash, a dud!"

"You haven't even made the All-NBA team, you can't even be an All-Star starter, you piece of trash, and you dare to talk back to me? Who gave you that audacity? Your father, whom you've never even met?"

"I have seen my father!" Rashid stepped forward and pressed his chest against Ye Feng.

"You're this proud even after seeing your own father?" Ye Feng replied with equal disdain. "You two must have loved each other dearly, had a happy family life since childhood, and been a complete family, right?"

Rashid leaned forward again, snarling, "Kid, I don't care what kind of wanted criminal you are, or whatever the hell you are, don't mess with me."

"This isn't a university; this is the world of adults!"

This time, Ye Feng withdrew.

He decisively took half a step back, then waved his hand in front of him: "Next time you speak, keep your distance from others, especially if you haven't brushed your teeth for three days."

While Ye Feng and Rasheed were exchanging barbs, James had already quietly moved away to a distance.

Ye Feng's provocation of Mashburn and the ensuing trouble is something he will never forget, at least this season.

Even if Rashid wouldn't vent his anger on him today, James was determined to stay away from trouble.

But tonight, the only way for this kind of opponent to stay away from trouble is to not play.

The Trail Blazers are a team full of scoundrels, known as "Portland Prison." No decent person can survive on this team.

Wells, who was guarding James, came over and teased him with his burly face, "Hey little virgin, want Uncle to take you to become a man tonight?"

Meanwhile, Randolph, in the distance, was also spewing profanities, mocking Gasol, who now looked like a pretty boy.

Of their entire team, only veteran Davis didn't trash talk to Battier, but that wasn't because he was kind; it was because he was old.

This is the Trail Blazers; there's not a single decent guy here.

"Get out of the way! Shut up! Are you planning to have a match before the game even starts?" The referee walked onto the field at that moment, glaring at the group and saying, "I have never sent someone off before the game has started."

"If tonight is the first time, I'd be more than happy to!"

Under the referee's threat, most people decisively chose to retreat and prepare for the match. Ye Feng shrugged and turned back to his position, while Rashid still glared angrily at Ye Feng, as if he wanted to devour him.

The atmosphere was already incredibly tense even before the match started.

After glancing at his watch one last time, the referee tossed the ball into the air.

Although Gasol is soft, his physical gifts are undeniable. The moment the basketball reaches its highest point, he has already touched it and passed it to Williams.

Williams was clearly excited after receiving Brown's instructions. He dribbled the ball and took big strides to accelerate and charge towards the Trail Blazers' defense.

"Damn it," Brown cursed from the sidelines, shaking his head.

He wanted Williams to hurry up, but he didn't expect him to be this fast.

When you don't have a chance, you should at least stay put and hold your ground, right?

Williams arrived at the frontcourt in the blink of an eye. After three consecutive crossover dribbles, he suddenly turned his head to the left, slightly shifted his body, and threw the basketball from behind his back to the right with his left hand.

This no-look behind-the-back pass is Williams' signature move.

The basketball flew straight to the basket, and Ye Feng, cutting to the basket, caught it. He then slammed the ball heavily onto the floor with both hands, and with a shrug, charged towards Rasheed, who was chasing him.

Rashid lost his footing during his rapid charge, and with Ye Feng's sudden and powerful impact, he was unable to stand firmly on the floor to defend himself and was directly pushed aside by Ye Feng.

Then Ye Feng pulled up from the spot and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!

"boom!"

After a loud bang, Ye Feng arrogantly swung back and forth on the rim a few times before finally letting go and landing.

"Welcome to the NBA, old man." Ye Feng looked down at the disheveled Rasheed and said provocatively, "Feeling the call of the new era?"

Rashid was about to explode when he saw Ye Feng retreating rapidly to defend, his face full of arrogance.

He's always the one bullying others, the one yelling at others. When has he ever been subjected to this?

"ball!"

So, after arriving at the frontcourt, Rashid blocked the position, reached out for the ball, and wanted to vent his anger on Ye Feng and get revenge for himself.

Unfortunately, Stoudemire just glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then dribbled the ball to the other side, waved for a screen, and accelerated to the basket, attempting a layup.

This is the situation for the Trail Blazers.

The team has always been in a state of chaos and disarray.

Because they have stockpiled too many second- and third-tier stars and aspiring stars. These people are all highly paid and have high aspirations, while they lack someone who can command respect and truly outshine the competition.

This team is a true reflection of the fact that no one is willing to submit to anyone else and no one respects anyone else.

Everyone thinks they are the boss.

When former head coach Dunleavy was in charge, he used a "breeding" strategy: he didn't care about anything, you guys just watched and fought for it yourselves, and whoever got it was awesome.

At that time, thanks to the exceptional individual abilities of these players and the prestige of Dunleavy, the team was able to maintain a fairly high level.

But now that Cheeks has taken over, he doesn't have the prestige and methods of old Dunleavy. The locker room is now completely out of control. He, as the head coach, has almost no say, and no one will seriously carry out the tactics he sets up.

When we guys play basketball, we all prioritize one principle.

We'll talk about it when I'm in a good mood.

So Stoudemire ignored Rasheed and Randolph and drove to the basket for a shot.

Although he managed to shake off Williams, he was pinned down by Battier and Gasol under the basket. The ball bounced off the rim and was caught by Gasol.

This is the defensive system Brown built for the Grizzlies: a highly flexible system that provides excellent protection for the paint.

With Gasol and Battier, two very intelligent players with extremely high basketball IQs, one roaming around and the other protecting the rim in the middle, plus Ye Feng, a highly mobile guy who helps defend and cover everywhere, Brown's confidence in this defensive system has increased even more.

Now that the regular season has begun, it's time to test whether his system will work throughout the season.

At least the first round was quite successful.

"Jason, take it easy, there's no need to rush!" Brown on the sidelines also saw his chance and pressed his hand down as Williams advanced, signaling him to steady his pace and not to be too hasty.

"Oh, you can't even get the ball?" Ye Feng continued to mock him. That's just his style: if you don't provoke him, he'll still tease you a bit; if you do provoke him, he's even less likely to let you off easy!

"Not the team's youngest star? Not an All-Star reserve? Not a member of the NBA's All-NBA Fifth Team?"

"How come I can't get the ball?"

"Do you believe I'll kill you?" Rashid's eyes widened as he stared intently at Ye Feng. "You think you're so great just because you dunked once?"

"I don't believe you." Ye Feng shook his head and said, "Besides, even without that dunk, I'm still much better than you."

In this round, Ye Feng was exchanging words and boxing out Rasheed, constantly making physical contact, but the ball never came into his hands. Finally, when Gasol missed his shot, Ye Feng was unable to get the rebound despite being surrounded by three big men from the Trail Blazers.

This round also revealed Ye Feng's weakness.

He lacks independent offensive capabilities, especially when facing a group of tall interior players, he cannot score whenever he gets the ball.

Especially in positional warfare, he didn't have many options; he had to fight on the move.

The current number of cheats is still not enough!

"That's it?" Rashid looked at Ye Feng with a mocking expression, his face full of disdain: "Go try to get to the backboard."

"Get the rebound yourself first," Ye Feng retorted. "You're getting cocky just because your teammate got the rebound?"

I get it now, that's why you're a 210cm tall idiot who can't grab a rebound.

"You gave all the rebounds to your teammates."

"You're so damn great, Rashid, really, I'd like to be your teammate."

"What did you say?"

"I'm telling you, having a coward like you as a teammate makes me look tough and ruthless!"

"FUXX!" Rashid cursed again, elbowing Ye Feng in the chest while reaching for the ball.

Unfortunately, Stoudemire ignored him again and passed the ball to Wells. Wells wanted to bully James in the low post, so he slammed his big butt into the paint and then suddenly turned around, trying to force a shot.

However, he wasted too much time this time. By the time he took the shot, Ye Feng and Gasol had already formed a defensive line, and Gasol slapped his layup away.

"run!"

After Williams got the ball, he finally got his chance and dribbled towards the frontcourt!

He dribbled the ball down the middle, with Ye Feng and James following up from the left and right sides respectively. The sight of the three of them charging at full speed was quite terrifying.

Williams sprinted while observing the surroundings, drawing a lot of defensive attention. Ye Feng and James were in almost the same position as each other as they sprinted down the court, and both of them could unleash a spectacular and explosive dunk after receiving the ball.

In this situation, Williams certainly wouldn't hesitate to pass the ball to whoever he wanted.

He made a decision instantly: pass the ball to the player he was on good terms with.

He looked at James, cupped the ball in his hands as if to pass it.

Upon seeing this, Ye Feng knew he had it in the bag. He began adjusting his footwork and even considered the moves he would use later.

Sure enough, the basketball flew through the Trail Blazers' entire defense in the next second. Ye Feng immediately took off, caught the basketball in mid-air, did a reverse 180-degree turn, and after gliding, slammed the ball into the basket with his hands behind his back!

"That pass was awesome, Jason!" After completing his dunk, Ye Feng didn't even look back at James, who had made a wasted trip. A somewhat disappointed James strode towards Williams, jumped up, and gave him a chest bump in mid-air: "How the hell did you pass that ball?"

"This is the most imaginative thing I've ever seen in my life... no, I didn't even see how the ball was passed!"

Williams laughed so hard his eyes were practically slits.

How long has it been since anyone praised his wildly imaginative passes like that since he came to Memphis from the Kings?

On this play, Brown on the sidelines hesitated, wanting to tell Williams not to pass the ball that way, but looking at the crazy cheering fans and the excited bench, he swallowed his thoughts.

You should remind him, but at least not now, as it will affect his enthusiasm.

Because of Williams and Ye Feng's passionate celebrations, Brown overlooked the fact that James was in a bad mood when he retreated on defense.

He didn't understand why Williams wouldn't pass the ball to him, even though he was running very fast, and he had even started running before Ye Feng and the others defended the opponent's pass.

He wanted to dunk too.

This frustration was also quite evident on the court. The next time Wells went one-on-one against him, he was much more relaxed than before. He simply turned around and created space for himself, then made a jump shot.

The Trail Blazers have finally made their debut.

What followed was an endless battle of positional warfare, with neither side producing any particularly exciting moments. One side tried to control the pace as much as possible, while the other side fought in a chaotic and ineffective manner.

In particular, Williams's brilliant passing only happened once, and that was also the Grizzlies' only fast break score in the entire first quarter.

For the rest of the game, Williams and the rest of the Grizzlies followed Brown's strategy and instructions to play steadily and slowly.

However, facing the Trail Blazers' massive roster with three big men on the court, the Grizzlies really couldn't produce any particularly efficient offense.

Meanwhile, because the Trail Blazers' interior players were too tall, James' drives and Ye Feng's cuts to the basket didn't produce any particularly ideal results tonight.

Although Ye Feng slammed down two spectacular dunks, he only managed to score 4 points in the entire first quarter. James' performance was even worse than Ye Feng's; he went 0-for-2 and failed to score any points in the first quarter.

Of course, the Trail Blazers didn't perform much better either. Their weaknesses of playing individually, lacking coordination, and having no system were thoroughly exposed against the Grizzlies.

Neither side managed to score much on offense, but thanks to a more complete system and tactical awareness, the Grizzlies still managed to gain a 5-point advantage in the first quarter.

18: 23!

Then in the second quarter, Brown began to rotate players as he had previously planned.

With seven minutes left in the first quarter, James went to the bench for a rest, and then came back on with one minute remaining in the first quarter to team up with the team's shooters.

Create space for him, provide him with passing opportunities, and maximize James's talent and strengths.

Sure enough, when the space on the court increased and his teammates could catch and shoot, James' talent immediately came to the fore.

第二节前3分钟，他就自己2次上篮得手，一次助攻珀森3分命中，4分1助攻的表现成功帮助球队将分差拉开到了9分。

But then the Trail Blazers brought back their starting lineup, with all three big men on the court at the same time. James's driving power was completely suppressed again. Without getting to the basket, he couldn't break through the opponent's defense. James, whose playing style is still quite immature, quickly fell into a trap.

Missed shots and holding onto the ball too long allowed the opponent to exploit their weaknesses, and the Trail Blazers quickly narrowed the gap again.

Brown then made some changes, bringing back players like Ye Feng and Gasol, and began to compete with the Trail Blazers in positional warfare.

The first half of the game continued until there were 1 minute and 22 seconds left.

36: 40!

At this point, the Grizzlies still led by 4 points and had possession of the ball.

James received a pass from Williams at the top of the arc. He immediately accelerated and drove to the basket, pulling up to slam the ball into the rim.

But the Trail Blazers had too many players in the paint. Davis and Rasheed jumped simultaneously from the left and right, directly denying James' dunk and swatting the ball away.

"Stop dreaming, nigger!" Rashid said, adding a swear word as he wore his blood hat.

Meanwhile, Rasheed's left hand wasn't clean either. After blocking the shot, he shoved James, causing the rookie to fall to the ground and roll around on the floor in a sorry state.

But their joy didn't last long. The basketball they had swatted away was caught by Ye Feng. After getting the ball, Ye Feng slammed it heavily on the floor to build up his power, and then, in the instant before the two of them had even landed and had no time to jump up, he executed a perfect timing play.

He slammed the ball into the basket with both hands, creating another loud bang.

"Go ahead and hit me! You fucking hit me! If you have the guts, come at me, Rashid! What kind of person bullies a kid?"

"Play clean, stop with the dirty tricks!"

After the powerful dunk, Ye Feng glared fiercely at Rashid, saying without backing down, "Don't fucking try to pull your garbage act on us. Memphis doesn't buy your bullshit!"

"Fuck you!" When did Rashid get yelled at by such a rookie? His defenses were broken by the insults, and he immediately started cursing, while quickly stepping forward, ready to fight Ye Feng.

Fortunately, the two players had a long enough lead time, and the referee and teammates rushed over immediately to separate them and let them calm down.

Even after being pulled away, Ye Feng continued to berate Rasheed for his underhanded tactics, saying that James had been wronged, while Rasheed was also furious and spewing profanities.

But as everyone knows, a fight won't break out this time.

"Yebler seems more like a leader than LeBron!" Haisley said. "It's great to have a teammate who can protect them and bravely stand up for them when they're at a disadvantage!"

"Yeah, that's great." West echoed his boss, but there was no smile on his face. He looked at James, who was standing silently in the corner of the court, and sighed softly.

It's certainly a good thing that someone is willing to step forward.

But some people may not be able to accept others standing up for them.

Then West frowned again.

This kid... he couldn't have done it on purpose, could he?

Based on my interactions and contact with Ye Feng, he is fully capable of doing such a thing!

At least in West's mind, although Ye Feng may seem like a brute and a villain, he is actually a very shrewd and cunning little devil.

How could Ye Feng not know who James was, or that James didn't like being treated like a subordinate?

Thinking of this, West looked at Ye Feng again, trying to find some clues in Ye Feng's expression, but he failed completely.

Maybe... I'll ask Brown after the game.

On the court, the referee gave Ye Feng and Rasheed a technical foul each, which was considered equal punishment for both of them. After the conflict was quelled, the Trail Blazers launched another attack.

"Give the ball to Rashid! Let that woman do it!" Ye Feng yelled at Stoudemire, who had the ball. "Let's see if I can tear that woman to shreds!"

"Damon! Damn it, Damon!" Rashid also took his position, reaching out for the ball with an intense desire.

When did he receive this treatment?

Stoudemire didn't completely fall out with Rasheed, nor did he truly stop passing the ball to the other two like the Los Angeles duo.

In this situation, he still chose to pass the ball over.

Here I am~~ Just went to eat.