Chapter 541 Basketball Problem
The offseason has always been a battleground between stars and management.
There are often fewer options for starting-level players like Nene and David West.
They are worth a lot of money, but the main targets of each team are stars. Once the stars are signed, there is basically no salary space to satisfy the starting players.
Therefore, unless these starting-level players have a clear destination from the beginning, most of them will choose to sign with their original teams in the end.
Nene chose to re-sign with his old team, while West left for Indiana.
Other starting players, such as former Rockets player Carl Landry, former Bulls player Marcus Thornton, and substitute scoring maniac Jamal Crawford, have made their own choices.
These are the last few important things in the free market, but due to strength issues, they failed to make big waves.
Yu Fei's SuperSonics team has maintained a stable operating posture.
When the lockout ended, it was thought that Clay Bennett might split the team to reduce the payroll. However, Bennett said in an interview that he would not hesitate to pay a high luxury tax to achieve his goal of four consecutive championships.
"The Bulls didn't do this, and the Lakers didn't do this," Bennett said. "If the SuperSonics do it, we will become the greatest team of all time."
At this time, it is inevitable that a Green Army fan like Bill Simmons would remind him that the Green Army completed eight consecutive championships half a century ago.
However, several generations have passed.
Basketball fans living in 2011 will not care how the 1966 Celtics won eight consecutive championships.
What do people care about? People care about the contemporary GOAT's personal life more than basketball.
Since the shutdown, Yu Fei has tried his best to keep a low profile, but his career in Hollywood is booming, and paparazzi in the entertainment industry are pervasive.
As long as he showed his face, there was no privacy.
As a recognized best player, Yu Fei is an active god. When he and Woods encountered major scandals, their reputations were severely hit, and when Jordan came back for the second time, he buried a stain on himself and was eventually " The losers who transcend are different.
He is the supreme god in sports.
Looking at the current athletes in the sports world, only Bolt and Phelps can rival his dominance in their respective fields.
But swimming has always been a competition-type event, and people only pay attention to it when the world competition begins.
And Bolt is not American.
Therefore, even though there are many athletes in the world who can compete with Yu Fei in business capabilities, they cannot compare with Yu Fei in terms of media publicity and promotion.
Yu Fei dominated his own movement, dominated media opinion, and took advantage of social media to infinitely amplify his personal influence.
Now, some people are trying to bring him down.
But after searching around, they found that apart from his shortcomings in sexual relations, Yu Fei's personal ethics could be said to be intact in other aspects.
Even in terms of gender, I have never heard of him "betraying" anyone.
So the tabloids started spreading rumors about a love triangle between Yu Fei and Elizabeth Olsen and Scarlett.
Especially after Scarlett announced her divorce last year, Yu Fei became the person described by the gossip media as someone who ruined other people's marriages.
This made Yu Fei eager to return to basketball.
He was kind of fed up with the big star life in Hollywood.
In late September, Yu flew back to Seattle.
He reported to the SuperSonics training camp a few days before it started.
He misses the Furtado Center. It was more than a year ago since he last came here.
I have been away from the competition for more than a year. Although I have maintained training, there have been basically no official games.
This will have a great impact on the player's condition, so Yu Fei wants to start training as soon as possible.
When the staff at the scene saw him, they said the new movie was very good and they liked it very much.
Yu Fei just smiled and didn't want to talk about the movie. He had already talked about enough.
In addition to Yu Fei, several people also reported in advance. They are basically the ones who are most urgent about the future, namely Anthony Morrow, DeAndre Jordan, Patrick Beverley and Alonzo Key.
They each have their own reasons for their diligence. The reason for Morrow and Jordan is simple. They are rookies in 2008. The new season will be their fourth season and the last year of their rookie contracts. That said, that was their contract year.
As players who have grown up on dynasty teams and proven themselves capable of playing at a championship level, they will almost certainly receive a big contract.
But their future may not be in Seattle.
The reason is also obvious. The league has launched a super luxury tax policy for anti-monopoly purposes, allowing each team to allocate salary space more carefully.
The Sonics will have four maximum salaries in the new season.
Bennett said he can endure the big bill brought by the super luxury tax in order to win four consecutive championships.
But how long can this endurance last?
The good news for the upstart is that the Sonics can decompress a little after next season.
By then, Chris Bosh's three-year contract will expire.
At that point, the Sonics will be back to having three max salaries.
With the defensive ability and rebounding ability that Jordan showed in the Western Conference Finals before the suspension, even if his technical style is out of touch with contemporary times, he will still gain market recognition with his super blue-collar value. In other words, there is a high probability that he will receive a maximum salary. But will Bennett accept it? He may be willing now, but once he actually pays the big luxury tax, his pockets will speak for him.
Jordan's agent will definitely make it clear to him about such a thing. Therefore, they can be said to be fighting for themselves rather than fighting for the future of the team.
Morrow is not as talented as Jordan. Due to his single shooter function and inaccuracy, he was once abandoned by Tyronn Lue in the Western Conference Finals before the suspension, but in a championship team like him, A marksman who has proven himself will be very popular on the market.
The reasons for the other two's diligence are relatively pure.
Beverley has just arrived and he needs to make an impression on the coaching staff.
Alonzo Key is a little bit special. He is a "surprise player" in the Empire Battle. He is not like a rookie in terms of defense or aggressiveness on both ends.
That hard-playing style made Key a favorite in Seattle.
He is not a city totem like Yu Fei, nor is he a naturally noble No. 1 pick like Durant. A small character who comes from a humble background but works hard and finally proves himself on the big stage is down-to-earth.
Key's popularity began to skyrocket after 2010. After that, he basically stayed in Seattle and attended various activities on behalf of the team even during holidays.
Hard work and struggle have become his image, and in order to maintain this image, he must appear.
Yu Fei greeted them and then began high-intensity training.
During this period, Yu Fei could feel the difference between his usual training and NBA standard high-intensity training.
For the first time in a long time, he felt that his physical strength was not enough.
This is the physical deterioration caused by the lack of systematic high-intensity training for a long time.
Not only Yu Fei, but all players who have had no systematic training or games for more than a year due to the lockout will have this problem.
Fortunately, this issue can be improved before the season starts, but it depends on how hard the players work.
As a GOAT, Yu Fei has enough motivation.
He must regain his form before the new season and then strive for four consecutive championships in his best posture.
From this day on, Yu Fei seems to have returned to 12 years ago.
That was when his second life had just begun.
In order to realize his talent, 17-year-old Yu Fei practices three times a day in Kent.
Today, 29-year-old Yu Fei is doing the same thing.
The intensity of his training stunned Alonzo Kidou, who prided himself on hard work.
"So it makes sense that Fry could surpass MJ at the age of 28," Key said. "It also makes sense that he could switch his bed partner back and forth between Elizabeth Olsen and Scarlett Johansson. ”
After training, Yu Fei reminded him: "Most of the gossip about Scarlett and me are rumors."
A few days later, the Sonics officially assembled.
Kevin Durant has a long-lost feeling.
It has been more than a year. To be precise, after the end of last season, 467 days later, he came to the team's training hall again.
One advantage of the lockout is that everything in the circle enters a pause state.
Suddenly, Durant no longer had to think about the future or Nike's arrangements. He just needed to be a carefree 23-year-old.
He can surf the Internet, publicly express to the divorced Scarlett on Twitter that he wants to drink her foot water, and then when the mood strikes, he goes to Rucker Park to play basketball and score 66 points.
The world likes him the way he is.
Pure, dedicated, and with clear eyes, no matter where he goes, he is only accompanied by a basketball and a backpack.
If Alonzo Key is the most down-to-earth Sonics player, then Durant is the most down-to-earth superstar.
While others were arguing about the lockout and other things, Durant was trying his best to play basketball.
Playing field ball can keep you in shape.
So, after last season was confirmed to be canceled, Durant went to participate in the Drew League again.
This is a low-level league that Yu Fei can never participate in.
However, Durant found fun here, maintained his form, and allowed his popularity to continue to rise.
That’s a rare thing during the shutdown.
Looking back now, the downtime feels like a dream. When you dream, you don’t know when it will end, but when you wake up from the dream, everyone knows that it is a dream, and when it ends, it is over.
He wants to return to reality and show his progress to the world.
Tyronn Lue walked out of the coach's office, his belly bigger than before the shutdown. He met George Karl outside his office.
Carl has recovered from throat cancer and treatment has been successful.
However, he did not return to his position as head coach.
The Sonics have decided to let Lue continue to lead everyone forward.
Not long ago, the SuperSonics signed Lue to a five-year, $20 million contract.
This made Lu no longer worry about his future, and also put an end to Karl's comeback wish.
The Sonics were willing to offer Carr a high-paying but low-power front-office position.
The name sounds nice, vice president of basketball operations, but the president is Clay Bennett, and Presti is also the vice president and general manager.
Presti is both an excellent GM and very young. On the other hand, Karl is old and sick. He has never had any experience in administrative management. He was at odds with the general manager when he was with the Bucks, and now he is suffering from injuries in the SuperSonics. Abdicated and came to a position of neither superior nor inferior.
Lu can be considered his protégé.
But if you ask Lu if he is willing to give up his current job to Karl.
Asked a hundred times, Lu would refuse.
Coaching is a high-risk profession in the NBA. Being able to start his career on a strong team is an extra layer of insurance for the coach.
Even if he is fired later due to poor coaching performance, there will still be weak teams looking at his resume and giving him a second chance.
not to mention. Lue is off to a perfect start in Seattle.
He led the team to complete three consecutive championships despite internal and external troubles.
This made him feel like he was walking in the wind, and he really felt that his position was very secure.
"George, how are you?"
Lu asked with a smile.
"Very good." Karl still can't believe that he will lose his job because of Tyronn Lue. "I feel healthier than when I was 20 years old."
Lu smiled harmlessly and said: "That's great. If we want to move forward, we can't do without the wisdom of our elders. George, you are a treasure of Seattle."
Carl wanted to know if Lu was willing to make way for the treasure, but the other party most likely didn't want to.
"I'm very happy to be able to help." Carl said against his will, "I hope I can help more."
"There will be a chance."
Lu is gone, he is going to the court to meet all the players.
Karl just looked at his back.
They had a good relationship before the lockout, and Carr was more than willing to point out Lue, who was struggling at the time.
But when Lu won the championship, things changed.
Lue knew he already had the foundation to replace Carr.
From then on, there was little more than a superficial politeness to them.
Just as Carl was dissatisfied with Lou taking his job, Lou was also worried that Carl would oust him.
Because the relationship between Yu Fei and Karl is too close.
Six of Yu Fei's seven championships are related to Karl.
Lu has no doubt that if Yu Fei declares that he wants Karl to come back, then he will lose everything in front of him.
Why doesn't Yu Fei do this? Because there are rules in everything.
Lu made no mistakes, Lu has completed his work so far, and Lu and Yu Fei have a good relationship.
Even for the sake of his own reputation, Yu Fei would not force Lu to step down.
But just because he doesn't do this doesn't mean he doesn't have the ability.
The relationship between Yu Fei and Karl deeply worried Lu. It wasn't until the team gave him a contract and confirmed that it was a long-term plan that he let go.
Karl is still his potential biggest opponent, but the advantage lies with him. As long as he doesn't make mistakes, Karl has no chance.
Lu came to the court and the players were already standing in two rows according to the queue.
At a glance, there are Yu Fei, Roy, Bosh, Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Brown, Key, Moreau, Beverley, Chandler, Hill, Wallace, Collison, and Livingston. . These fourteen players with contracts include super giants, superstars, all-stars, mesozoic, veterans and new generations.
Could there be a better combination?
Lu couldn't imagine it.
"You know what?" Lu said loudly, "I see a team standing in front of me that can easily complete four consecutive championships."
Can four consecutive championships be linked to the word "easy"?
"However, this is like the winter of 2002. Phil Jackson also thought that the OK Lakers could easily complete four consecutive championships," Lue said. "You all know what happened next. Our obstacle is not New Jersey or Los Angeles. The enemy is ourselves.”
"If we don't want to follow the old path of the Lakers, we must bravely forge a new path." Lu said confidently, "And we can definitely do it, because the person who leads us forward is the greatest basketball player in history!"
Everyone glanced at Yu Fei.
Yu Fei felt that Coach Lu was a bit verbose, so he stabbed him: "I'm starting to miss George's pre-season training."
This made Lu laugh out loud in panic: "Then start training!"
Lu was indeed a little panicked, and he couldn't help but wonder if Yu Fei's words just now were implying something.
A few days later, he found that nothing had changed. It was because he was overthinking it.
However, it's not like there haven't been any changes. Durant's changes are obvious. Although he is not yet 23 years old, Durant has improved significantly compared to before the lockout. He's gained a little weight, but more importantly his core strength. He is no longer the kind of thin bamboo pole that can be restricted by heavy forwards and high-intensity defense.
He still doesn't look strong, but his strength has greatly increased in a way that ordinary people can't understand.
Then there is his offense with the ball. The surge in core strength enhances the integrity of his skills in offense.
One of the most intuitive manifestations is that in the past, he was always beaten by Yu Fei in team training matches.
Now he can respond.
The two people's 91 openings have now become 73 openings or even 64 openings.
Of course, this is also because Yu Fei has not yet returned to his best condition.
But Durant's superstar status has been clearly revealed.
This kind of Durant needs a higher tactical status and more shooting rights, but the long layoff caused by the lockout has allowed glass men like Roy to take good care of their bodies.
Everyone at SuperSonics is healthy.
It's scary and tricky.
Even if all the famous coaches in history were allowed to join Lu's coaching staff, they would not be able to come up with a foolproof strategy that would allow the Sonics to unleash the team's overall strength without delaying Durant's rise to superstardom.
To be a superstar, you need the ball, and if you want the ball, you need other people to sacrifice.
The GOAT cannot be sacrificed.
Roy wasn't sure if he should die.
Bosh has sacrificed enough. The new season is also his contract year. After winning the championship with the team, he has to consider his future.
Suddenly, the Sonics are like politics.
When a regional scandal occurs, everyone says they want to take responsibility.
The result of everyone taking responsibility is that no one takes responsibility.
If everyone needs to sacrifice the ball to achieve Durant's superstar status, the end result may be that no one is willing to make the slightest sacrifice.
There's still a little time until the start of the season, but Tyronn Lue is already starting to have a headache.
This is the price of operating an aircraft carrier.
Although the starting point is high and it is easy to win honors, correspondingly, the problems encountered in the aircraft carrier are basically the most difficult problems that a head coach can encounter.
On the surface this is a ball possession issue, but in reality it's not at all.
This is a basketball issue.
And the most difficult basketball issues in the world always lie off the court.
George Karl suddenly felt the pleasure of watching from the sidelines.
In the season before the lockout, injuries not only affected the Sonics' championship competitiveness, but also greatly reduced the internal conflicts caused by ball rights.
Roy's injury made others successful.
Two years later, Durant is even better today. Bosh has fulfilled his desire to win the championship and is unwilling to continue to sacrifice. Roy is recovering but has no clear idea of how much sacrifice he needs to make. The problem that troubles Karl has become more serious. complex.
This is a difficult problem to solve.
The problem that should have erupted in Karl's hands now falls into Tyronn Lue's hands.
So, in life, if there are gains, there must be losses, and if there are losses, there must be gains.
Carl was suddenly satisfied with his situation.
(End of chapter)