Chapter 505 We are at our best
The discussion between Yu Fei and Durant was only between the two of them.
But it means more to the Sonics than just between the two.
When they were talking about this matter, other players were present, and the coaching staff was also present, but everyone pretended to be busy with their own affairs, as if a group of low-level players did not understand the thinking of high-level players. Conversation, while acting like you are busy.
Their body language is: Sorry, I can't hear what you are saying.
But just because you don't care on the surface doesn't mean you can really ignore it.
Yu Fei and Durant are people who can influence the structure of the team. When the former talks to the latter about "which year do you want to be Kobe," he is actually indirectly asking other teammates.
Do you recognize this "Kobe"? If Durant really has the Kobe he wants to be, do you support him?
If someone had stood up and said, "Sorry, Kevin, we don't need Kobe."
That's the end of the problem.
Durant will no longer have Kobe's problem, but it will cause a bigger problem, which is why Durant can't be Kobe next to Yu Fei.
Fortunately, everyone is smart and would not do such stupid things.
So, they listened to the whole discussion between Yu Fei and Durant while pretending that they were busy.
Durant wanted to be Kobe 01, and Yu Fei agreed.
This is a big deal.
Because so far, it's hard to say whether the second player on the Sonics is Durant or Bosh.
They both played well.
Bosh and Yu Fei are better matched, while Durant has a higher ceiling.
So, this question comes to Bosh.
After experiencing a slump at the beginning of the season and a resurgence in the middle of the season, Bosh basically experienced the ups and downs of a star who took the initiative to team up with others to regain his status and be respected again after his sacrifice.
The snobbish world will always let people know in various ways, and the person who ranks higher will naturally receive various preferential treatment and praise.
Bosh once thought that the glory of Toronto had gone away after he made this decision that was destined to be disgraceful after careful consideration. However, Roy's injury changed the status quo. Karl's resignation due to illness made him the biggest beneficiary of the large nuclear system.
If the Sonics win the championship according to this situation, Bosh will be considered by many to be the second player behind Yu Fei.
Now, Durant suddenly burst into flames and locked his second seed seat with just a few words. As for Bosh's current position, he doesn't care.
After training that day, Bosh went to Yu Fei and asked: "If KD is Kobe in 2001, what is my position?"
"Chris, my understanding of NBA history is limited. You can be whatever you want to be." Yu Fei said.
Is this Yu Fei's disclaimer?
"What do you think of David Robinson in 1999?"
"I think you care too much about these things." Yu Fei said, "This is just a word game played by Kevin and I."
Bosh said: "Kobe is famous for being out of the system, and my status today is entirely due to my full integration into the system. How can our system continue to operate with the addition of Kobe?"
"Wake up, Chris." Yu Fei packed up his things, threw his backpack to Lin Kaiwen, and continued, "Don't forget why you came. If you cared so much about your ranking in the team, you wouldn't have done it in the first place. Choose Seattle. Toronto is like Cleveland to LeBron, but you left in the name of a championship. Now that you haven’t won the championship, are you anxious to calculate how much share you have in this championship?”
Bosh thought he held moral authority, but the rules that determine the direction of events have always been determined by those in high positions.
His principles work well in many places, but not here.
The playoffs have begun, and the Spurs are not an opponent that the Sonics can defeat while engaging in infighting.
Durant was restless, so Yu Fei gave him a shot in the arm.
The rest is unimportant.
Bosh said: "I just want a chance to compete fairly."
"Chris, do you think LeBron has a fair chance to compete with Kobe in Los Angeles?"
Yu Fei's words were as cold as a bone.
It was enough to remind Bosh who he was.
Yes, he, like LeBron James, is a softie who abandoned his old club and went to big cities to compete for the title in the name of championship.
Just because some changes occurred within the team and he got a chance to perform, can he forget who he is?
How does he compete with Durant?
Durant is 22 years old this year. He is the No. 1 pick selected by the SuperSonics. He is an American son who has won two consecutive championships with the team. He is a future star that Nike has spent a lot of effort to promote. He is not the kind of person who abandoned his home team to embrace him. Thigh traitor can be compared.
"Be more open-minded, Chris." Yu Fei said, "As long as you win the championship, everything will be fine."
Listening to what the rule makers said, Bosh suddenly wanted to see the collapse of the building, but he couldn't do it.
He still has to contribute to the Sonics' championship.
Because this is the path he chose.
It was also a choice he made early.
It's just that in the past few months, Yu Fei has inadvertently created an illusion for him. The third team and the All-Stars are his rewards. But if he wants to go further, I'm sorry, that position has never belonged to you. Now is the time Back on track
Countless thoughts ran through Bosh's mind, and in the end, he had no way out.
Playing well is his only choice at the moment.
Yu Fei didn't care if Bosh was disappointed with him, because he didn't do anything wrong.
Everything that happens within the Sonics is simply because the inherent balance is disrupted. The result of the balance being broken is that some people are happy and others are worried. He just used his personal authority to restore the internal settings to default settings.
He didn't need to do this.
If Roy hadn't been injured, if Carl hadn't gotten throat cancer, a lot of this wouldn't have happened.
The Sonics have had bad luck this season, and a lot of bad things have happened to them that could trigger a chain reaction.
Bosh profited from this.
When he thought his status had been upgraded, Durant's deliberate rebound caused internal shock. Yu Fei publicly clarified Durant's status, and Bosh automatically demoted.
This is just ordinary internal politics.
Durant is the future of the Sonics, but Bosh is not. He is just a mercenary to assist the team in competing for the championship. The former is the fundamentals, while the latter may be a passerby. When passers-by threaten the basic market, stabilizing the basic market is the most important thing.
This lets Bosh know that he is not and will not be the team's No. 2 player now or in the future.
But then again, if he cares so much, why come to Seattle?
Isn’t it better to stay in Toronto and be the king of the mountain?
Therefore, Yu Fei said that winning the championship will make things better, which is absolutely correct for Bosh. He needs to remember what he gave up to get here. People who make this choice have no other way except success, because no team will believe that you will advance and retreat with the team.
They have to succeed, and if they don't succeed, find another team and try to win the championship until they succeed.
Another person worried about this is team coach Tyronn Lue.
Lu suddenly felt that his life was a bit miserable. Why did so many things happen to the team he took over in just a few months?
In his impression, although the team under Karl's leadership had occasional ups and downs, there had never been such drastic changes.
He had already tried his best just by establishing Yu Fei as the absolute core. Just when he thought the team had regained its strength under his leadership, Durant went crazy again.
Lu hopes that Durant's abnormality is a sudden phenomenon.
He believes in Durant's ability to adjust.
It's going to be okay.
But in the end it was Yu Fei's power that made Durant better.
When Yu Fei pointed to the bottom corner and told Durant to get out, the storm seemed to be transferred to another time and space by a magician. At that time, the game was intense, but the Sonics regained their composure.
Yu Fei's leadership restarted Durant's brain, and it returned to normal.
Lu was relieved all night. He knew why Karl was carefree because of Da Fei.
But today, Da Fei broke the wall of sighs and asked Durant clearly, do you want to be Kobe 00 (be a younger brother), or do you want to be Kobe 03 (rebel)?
Durant's answer was unexpected. He wanted to be Kobe 01.
Yu Fei surprisingly agreed.
The establishment of status, the exchange of power, a new balance suddenly appeared, and Chris Bosh ended without even being qualified to express his personal opinion.
Lue was in almost the same mood as Bosh.
Why did Da Fei want to talk about such an important matter in public but not talk to him? Could it be that his coach was just a decoration in Da Fei's eyes?
The difference between Lu and Bosh is that he comes from the "bottom" of the NBA.
No matter how high a person rises, he will have more or less empathy. At least, he will think from his perspective, why does Da Fei do this?
Lou soon got his answer.
Because if you choose again 10,000 times, between Durant and Bosh, everyone will choose the former.
Stabilizing Durant is the most important thing.
As for not notifying the coaching staff in advance, isn't that because he gave Da Fei the right to make independent decisions?
Does Da Fei need to consider the coaching staff’s ideas on how he plays on the court?
He is a big core, and he is a big core with no restrictions. He can do everything he thinks is reasonable.
But how to fit a Durant who aspires to be Kobe 01 into the existing system?
For a moment, Lu thought of George Karl, who was undergoing chemotherapy.
He wants to turn to his ex again.
But as soon as he took the first step, he changed his mind.
Carl's time is over. No matter how many people think Carr will return to coaching if he's healthy, Lue insists Carr won't be back.
He was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the youngest coach in the league today.
If he succeeds, his coaching career will be smooth. If he fails, no team may be willing to give him a second chance.
This is a critical moment for his personal destiny and future. Can he ask for help one after another from people who may come back to steal his job? Even if the other party is his Bole?
Lue decided not to ask Karl for help. This was not only the team's only choice to get rid of Karl, but also a necessary choice for him to be self-reliant.
That night, Karl organized a meeting with the coaching staff to study and discuss Durant's new positioning.
However, the biggest problem Carr left for his successor was the lack of all-round talent among his assistants.
Because Karl never thought that he would suddenly be struck down by a serious illness during the coaching process.
He has no backup talent to help him take over the team if he has to leave the job.
His coaching staff is full of assistant coaches who are just like role players on the bench.
The most terrible thing is that none of these people are good at offense. The only one who has studied offense, John Welch, is a data controller. He even proposed a data called position plus and minus value-he believes that all positions The plus/minus value cannot correctly judge the importance of a player. Only by comparing the same position can the most valuable player be found.
Therefore, many people feel that he is more suitable as a baseball coach.
Fundamentalist basketball experts believe that basketball is a sport that does not require so much data to assist. You can tell who can play and who cannot.
"If we require KD by Kobe's standards, then the existing positioning is no longer appropriate." Welch raised a key question, "The most important thing is that Kobe's average number of shots per game with the Lakers is higher than Shaq's .”
Defensive assistant Tim Grgulic joked: "It's not us who should worry about this. Let Frye make the decision."
"That's right, the ball is in his hands anyway." Lue liked the suggestion.
The best advice he gets is often not to decide for himself, but to pass the ball to their biggest responsibility.
"Then there's one problem left," Welch said. "We need to increase his possessions, but with his current receiving position, he can't get that many offensive opportunities. We have to adjust his offensive position. ”
Generally speaking, Durant will wander around on the left and right sides, or go out to catch the ball for a three-pointer, or catch the ball for a mid-range shot. When the tactics cannot be opened, he will take on the responsibility of the ace at the third position and call for singles. This kind of positioning requires He frequently moves and gets stuck, which consumes a lot of energy. If you want to increase the number of shots, you must not play like this.
Lu looked at the silent Adrian Dantley, "AD, what do you think?"
"George's successful experience in Milwaukee tells us that to serve as a secondary offense next to a player like Frye, the only suitable position is on the outside." Dantley reminded, "This is also what Kobe Bryant did in the triangle offense under the OK framework. Positioning. He's always on the outside passing the ball, and when Shaq attacks, he goes to the weak side and waits."
Lu said worriedly: "KD's size is not suitable for frequently launching attacks from the outside."
Dantley's answer was as simple as it was profound: "That's not something we should consider."
The coaching staff that strategizes and makes clever calculations generally does not appear in reality.
Especially the coaching staff like Lu, they are tapestry, trying hard to piece the team together as a collective. When they are torn apart again, the coaching staff can only put on a piece of tape that is not flexible.
If the team needs to change, then they have to change.
This change may not necessarily be effective, but there is nothing they can do because they cannot control the changes in the team and cannot foresee what will happen next.
After that night, it was a new day against the Sonics.
This is the second game day of the Western Conference semifinals.
Before the afternoon game, the "Seattle Times" released the latest poll.
70% of Seattleites support using taxpayer money for the Sonics to build the most luxurious arena in the country downtown.
However, when the option changed to "Would you still support if the city government raised funds for the new arena by imposing a 0.1% sales tax?" the support rate dropped to below 50%.
However, when the Sonics win, their approval rating is usually above 90%.
That's why the Sonics chose to submit a financing package in June.
Once they achieve their third consecutive victory, they can use the hot-headed public opinion to pass this proposal.
However, variables still exist.
During the recent All-Star Weekend, Clay Bennett, the owner of the Sonics, attended the labor negotiations on behalf of the big-city bosses and was considered to have a "tough style." Although the Sonics make more than 100 million US dollars in net income every year, he was determined not to take advantage of the big city bosses. Part of the profits are shared with other bosses.
When the news came back to Seattle, civil rights groups like MCCAIT (Concentrating Citizenship on More Important Matters), which had strongly opposed the Sonics building an arena, exploded.
You make 100 million every year, but you still have to spend hundreds of millions from fans' pockets to build a luxury arena? Crazy? Where is the law of heaven?
Bennett didn't expect that such a thing could have a boomerang.
At first, you said you wanted a new arena for more profits. Now, after the fact that you make 100 million US dollars a year is made public, the public will think that you are already making enough. A new arena is not an urgent matter for the Sonics. The money should be spent elsewhere.
The forces supporting the Sonics are strong, and the forces opposing them are also strong.
As the deadline approaches, the confrontation between the two forces in the city becomes fierce.
On the night of the Western Conference semifinals, people from the MCCAIT organized demonstrations at the four gates entering the Key Arena.
They pulled banners, shouted slogans, and wanted to know how greedy the Sonics were and why a profit of $100 million couldn't satisfy the team's appetite.
"Only a great city can make a team so profitable."
That night, Yu Fei was surrounded by reporters when he entered the arena, and he gave his own opinion.
"If you focus too much on the profit part of the team, you will fall into the narrative trap of some people." Yu Fei said, "The sports economy driven by the team has revitalized the stores and commercial streets around the Key Arena. On the surface, this is a sports economic boom. In fact, we indirectly drive four or five times the commodity economy. If there is a new arena, the team will of course make more money, but similarly, the people who make money because of us will also. There will be more.”
When Yu Fei entered the arena, the team's public relations manager smiled and said: "Fry, actually the public doesn't care how much we make."
"Then why did our support rate drop?" Yu Fei asked.
"Because MCCAIT's voice is louder, and our games can't cover up their voices." said the public relations manager. "When the Western Conference Finals start, Seattle. No, from Washington state to the country, the only topic in the sports world is who are we and the Lakers?" Will enter the finals”
Yu Fei asked: "You mean, we just need to play ball?"
"Yes. As long as they defeat the Lakers, the Sonics can establish their sacred status in Seattle." said the public relations manager. "Americans like to see sacred things. Once something sacred comes, the only thing they can do is to worship. At that time, agreeing to the city’s construction of a new arena was out of the question.”
That night, the Spurs maintained their game strategy from the previous game.
But they didn't expect that Durant's offensive position would shift from the high positions on the left and right wings to the outside.
This change was unexpected, because the Spurs coaching staff had no idea that having Durant on the outside would benefit the Sonics.
Then, Yu Fei's harvest of Ginobili continued.
It's just that tonight, Ginobili's offensive state no longer feels like a ghost.
He can even respond offensively.
However, the Argentinian's endurance is insufficient.
Bosh did what he should do. He and Brown protected the basket together. Duncan was affected by injuries this year and did not seem to adapt to his current physical condition. For two consecutive games, he fell into a situation that was neither mediocre nor outstanding. medium status.
What broke the Spurs' heart was that Durant pulled the trigger and entered the authentic Kobe mode, shooting three-pointers from the outside, holding the ball in singles, and standing up with a stick while facing the basket.
Iguodala limited him in Game 1.
But just because one game can limit it doesn’t mean every game can.
Durant is already a star player.
Moreover, he has no upper limit.
Even if a star player with no ceiling has yet to enter his prime, he can still give people a glimpse of his future when he is in excellent form.
The way Iguodala felt tonight is how many people will feel guarding Durant in the future.
One word is high.
When his hands are hot, his strong shots that ignore defense can easily destroy the defensive players' confidence.
Yu Fei's offense has not yet exerted force, and Durant, who really played the 01 Kobe effect, made it difficult for the Spurs to deal with.
At halftime, the Sonics led by 18 points.
Popovich was in a daze, and this was the scariest episode.
They spent a lot of time studying Yu Fei, trying to remove his arm support and let him fight as a trapped beast.
But with their existing player reserves, they simply cannot seal Yu Fei's helpers.
But if they don't do this and let the stars of both sides fight freely, the quality of the SuperSonics' stars will be obviously better.
In the second half, Yu Fei began to worry, playing pick-and-rolls with Bosh continuously, calling out the Spurs' insiders.
If Duncan doesn't come out, he will order Luol Deng. They all have the same surname of Deng, so there is no difference in ordering.
The Spurs' collapse was foreseeable, and the SuperSonics were in great shape tonight.
But the 34-point gap stings.
"Only 34 points? I thought we lost by 100 points."
After the game, Popovich said mockingly.
Tyronn Lue is high-spirited, Yu Fei scored a triple-double tonight, and Durant scored 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The team seems to be on the right path, which shows that the adjustments of the coaching staff are correct.
Therefore, Lu excitedly told an ESPN reporter: "You know, when we are at our best, we can conquer heaven!"
(End of chapter)