Chapter 592 He doesn’t need a statue

Chapter 592 He doesn’t need a statue

As the match progressed, the talented monsters began to shine, but because they were too young, they were not yet their best selves.

Antetokounmpo has begun to expose some problems that are destined to plague him throughout his life - due to a lack of basic skills, he will struggle once he loses the open space. Fortunately, he still retains the shooting feeling he had as a rookie.

If he can maintain his existing shooting touch while steadily gaining weight, that will be the key to breaking through his shackles.

As for Jokic, this is the most important point for the Clippers coaching staff.

Yu Fei deliberately gave up the stage and let Jokic perform as much as possible. Therefore, his various performances can be said to be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Rivers wondered, how should they define Jokic?

Traditionally, the basketball game is divided into different roles: the tallest players compete for control near the basket, waiting to receive passes and score from close range; guards and small forwards run on the outside, responsible for dribbling, passing and Long range shots.

And Jokic can do it all.

Not only can he catch the ball outside the three-point line and quickly break through the basket, he can also deceive defenders with his eyes and accurately pass the ball to teammates ambushing in the bottom corner. He can even grab a defensive rebound with one hand and quickly pass the ball to a teammate heading for the basket in the same motion. He can always foresee where his teammates will appear in advance and pass the ball to where they should go.

Over the past two decades, the NBA has implemented rules that restrict defensive tactics; at the same time, coaches have become increasingly savvy about how to create efficient scoring opportunities. The pace of the game has become faster and players are spread wider. "Rhythm" and "space" have become buzzwords in the basketball world

Basketball commentators also often talk about "reading the floor," which describes a player's ability to react quickly and correctly to changing situations. In this game mode, Jokic is a genius.

"He can foresee everything that happens on the field."

Moments later, Rivers' assistants gave this comment. Usually, this description is reserved for guards like Kidd, Nash, and even Magic Johnson who are good at overall control. And what does it mean to describe a stocky center?

In the fourth quarter of the game, a picture showing Jokic's peak state finally appeared.

I saw Jokic dribbling the ball across half the court, and Antetokounmpo on the opposite side looked confused. He suspected that the Serbian was deliberately showing off his diversity. Is he planning to be the number one position?

If this is the case, the competition between the two will no longer be just a battle of spirits, but a complete head-on confrontation.

However, just as Jokic dribbled to the frontcourt, he glanced at Yu Fei and passed the ball to Thompson who cut into the basket.

Seeing this scene, everyone invariably thought of Sabonis in his heyday, but the action of bringing the ball across the half court did not belong to Sabonis.

So who does Jokic look like?

Rivers gave a surprising answer: "He's like Magic Johnson when it comes to organizing the offense."

Is this Jokic's court positioning? Rivers isn't sure yet. But he understands that how to allocate Jokic's role in the team is the biggest challenge facing the coaching staff.

From that day on, no one within the Clippers ever questioned the wisdom of selecting Jokic in the draft. Everyone who saw him play knew they were onto something.

In the next few days, the Clippers continued to combine different lineups for competitions, and the coaching staff hoped to find the best five-man combination.

However, the problem can be summed up in one sentence - "Where is our power forward?"

When Griffin was still there last season, the Clippers played him in almost every game, with Pachulia and Hawes filling the power forward position. After trading Griffin, the team selected Jokic, signed Yao Ming, and retained Pachulia.

Suddenly, their center reserves became exaggerated, and they couldn't find a suitable candidate at the power forward position.

One day, Rivers had a sudden idea and tried to use a starting lineup of Antetokounmpo, Thompson, Yu Fei, Jokic and Yao Ming.

The shortest player in this lineup is Thompson at 201 centimeters, followed by Yu Fei at 206 centimeters... This may be the starting lineup with the highest average height in the history of basketball. But the problem is also obvious. Yao Ming and Jokic are both pure centers with weaknesses in pick-and-roll defense. The ideal configuration for the fourth position should be a player who can roam and defend.

But Yu Fei and Antetokounmpo, two wing players with excellent height and wingspan, gave Rivers the confidence to experiment.

Soon after, media day arrived.

The Clippers have become the focus of the media. Due to the presence of Yao Ming, in addition to major American media, Chinese media also flocked to the training camp, and the atmosphere in the training camp was lively. Even if Yu Fei just stood on the sidelines to take a breath, there were several reporters surrounding him to interview him.

Veteran reporters who were familiar with Yu Fei also took the opportunity to fight for the opportunity to interview GOAT.

ESPN reporter David Aldridge asked: "You stopped in the Western Conference Finals last season. After summer adjustments, do you think you are closer to the championship?"

Yu Fei is not interested in Aldridge. When he was traded by Jordan, Aldridge was one of the many reporters who defended Jordan. In the debate about GOAT (best player in history) a few years ago, Aldridge's position was also on Jordan's side.

However, although he is a staunch supporter of Jordan, he is not as objectionable as those reporters who were blocked by Yu Fei. Aldridge is essentially reasonable. After Yu Fei won his seventh championship, he also admitted that the GOAT battle has been settled.

As a rational and objective reporter with great influence in the industry, he is best suited to be a sounding board.

Hearing Aldridge's question, Yu Fei smiled lightly: "I don't think so."

Aldridge felt nervous. Could it be that GOAT was finally venting his dissatisfaction with the management? Although signing Yao Ming was a beautiful move, many people in the industry know that it has nothing to do with the Clippers' management. Yao Ming chose the Clippers entirely because of his personal relationship with Yu Fei.

If it weren't for the management's mess, the Clippers would now have the inside combination of Griffin and Yao Ming, with endless advantages.

Just when Aldridge thought Yu Fei was going to start criticizing the management, Yu Fei said: "I think through this summer's operation, we already have the strength to win the championship. So, this is not a matter of getting closer to the championship - but We are fully capable of winning the championship in the new season!”

No one will be surprised to hear this. After all, this man has won eight championships in his 13-year career, and no one doubts that he will add more championships to his tally before retiring.

But will that moment be next season?

Do the Clippers really have that strength?

Although Yao Ming was a key signing, they lost Griffin. Moreover, Yao Ming is already 34 years old, and he is getting closer and closer to the 35-year-old window that has declined significantly.

In terms of growth curve, the outside world generally believes that Yao Ming is not as good as Griffin at this stage. So, where does Yu Fei's confidence come from?

Aldridge can only understand that Antetokounmpo has made tremendous progress.

However, with just a few hours of media day, Aldridge couldn't tell whether Antetokounmpo was truly complete.

But Jokic made a joke. He accused Kwame Brown of stealing his "burek," a Serbian pastry.

Brown smiled and said: "I'm just helping you lose weight."

Jokic fired back angrily: "If you continue to steal food, I will steal all your food allowance!"

This is the Clippers' main takeaway from the draft.

They selected a total of two players, both from Serbia.

Another Serbian rookie has signed a two-year contract with his home team, which means he will not land in the NBA before 2016.

According to the plan, Jokic was originally going to return to Serbia to play for a year, but the Clippers wanted him to enter the league as soon as possible, so they bought out his contract and allowed him to come to the NBA smoothly.

When the Clippers did this in the draft, Arn Tellem was almost deported, and now, those in the media who have a negative view of the decision still don't know what's so attractive about Jokic.

He looks a little chubby, has no athletic talent to the naked eye, and can't control his mouth. How can such a person succeed in the NBA?

"Do you still think you can win the championship?"

Aldridge asked Yu Fei.

Yu Fei said: "Those negative impressions about the Clippers in your minds are all unreliable phantoms. When the season starts, you will know that what I say is true."

That day, when the Clippers took a group photo, Yu Fei was sitting on the left, boss Ballmer was sitting on the right, and then in order from left to right were Rivers, Yao Huang, Thompson, Antetokounmpo, and Yorkey. strange.

Judging from the seats, we can also see the Clippers' expectations for Jokic.

Is he really that good?

It was a mystery to reporters at the scene. For the rest of training camp, the Clippers' main job will be to find a developable power forward among those fringe players who don't have contracts.

After many days of training, the Clippers signed a power forward named Tony Mitchell before the training camp closed.

He was a second-round pick in 2013 and was selected by the Pistons.

However, the Pistons gave up on him in just one season.

The Clippers claimed his contract, but since two of Mitchell's three-year rookie contract were non-guaranteed, they could waive him at any time.

Mitchell is a long-arm power forward with excellent running and jumping. His shortcomings are lack of skills, poor confrontation, and insufficient height. Although he is registered to be 6 feet 9 (206cm), he may not be able to reach two meters with his bare feet.

Such a player who has no NBA-level advantages except running, jumping and wingspan will not survive in the NBA for more than two years unless he is carefully trained by the team.

That is to say, the Clippers are too short of the fourth position, so they will claim him.

It just so happens that the Clippers are overflowing with talent, not only in offense, but also in ball-handlers, and even in playmakers. They lack a pie like Mitchell who likes to be fed into his mouth.

Mitchell's integration into the Clippers was surprisingly good. When teamed up with Yu Fei, he was able to make full use of GOAT's defensive appeal and cut into the basket to create opportunities.

When paired with Jokic, Mitchell felt like he was back in college. The Serbian has an uncanny way of getting the ball into his hands, allowing him to score with ease.

With his excellent chemical reaction with GOAT and Jokic, Mitchell finally stayed on the team.

For the Clippers, this addition is better than nothing. The team does not expect Mitchell to bring any surprises. As long as he can last a few minutes at the power forward position, it will be worth the cost of signing him.

During the preseason, the Clippers' "Big Mac lineup" triggered heated discussions from the outside world. The inside combination of Yao Ming and Jokic is undoubtedly going against the trend.

In today's "space basketball" era, the game requires more accuracy and faster speed. To achieve efficient operation on the court, it is almost inevitable to reduce the number of big centers.

Although Yao Ming has adjusted his style of play to look less out of touch with the times, he is still a bulky center. In order to cover up his defensive holes, the team must be equipped with strong defensive wing players or power forwards.

Rivers' tactical adjustment this time worried many Clippers fans, and even Yu Fei felt it was a bit too radical.

Although Jokic's style of play is mature, he still needs to accumulate more confidence. The intensity of the preseason and training matches is far from enough to compare with the regular season. To rashly let him start and form a "twin tower" combination with Yao Ming seems a bit like a risky behavior like an animal showing off its skills during the mating season - opponents will often call names. Attack the pair of insiders.

"I have to apologize to Doug!"

Bill Simmons has been badmouthing the Clippers since the summer. When Yu Fei chose to join the Clippers, Simmons believed that this would be the beginning of GOAT's disrepute. Even though the Clippers reached the Western Conference Finals last season, his voice was much quieter, but the Clippers' subsequent operations caused an uproar in public opinion.

In response to the Clippers' "big five lineup", Simmons solemnly apologized and explained: "I always thought that Doug was a conservative coach who did not dare to take risks and lacked innovative thinking. It turned out that I was wrong. Doug Use his actions to prove to me that in the small ball era, he dared to hit the "super big ball", just like returning to the original basketball of unrestricted offense under the 24-second offensive rule. No matter what, the Clippers have made history! ”

The rise of social media has changed the way media rhythm is created. In the past, TV news, blogs and newspapers were the main means, but now short videos, tweets and newsletters are the powerful tools to attract traffic.

The Clippers' first game of the new season is scheduled to be held on November 1, against the Seattle SuperSonics. On that day, countless media gathered at the Seattle Airport, wanting to interview Rivers and ask Yu Fei what he thought of the "Big Mac lineup." A large number of Chinese media were also present, and they were particularly concerned about the impact of the five major lineups on Yao Ming.

Yao Ming smiled and said: "What impact does it have? It has no impact!"

Rivers was dissatisfied with the pace driven by Bill Simmons. "Before laughing at our experiment, maybe Bill should reflect on his situation," Rivers said. "Not long ago, he was a star commentator on ESPN, and now he is just a suspended Internet celebrity. He is an educated person. Humanity still has a long way to go.”

Rivers's reply made the media excited, and they had a premonition that more dramatic scenes were about to take place. Later, the reporters also asked Yu Fei for his views.

"I think some people have overestimated the defensive problems of the Twin Towers, but underestimated the creativity of this lineup," Yu Fei said. "I don't like empty talk. I am a practical person. I will only know the result after trying it."

In fact, on the media day not long ago, Yu Fei announced that the Clippers will win the championship in the new season, which has caused quite a stir. Most people in the media regarded this as the GOAT's conceit, but no one expected Rivers to launch such a jaw-dropping lineup.

All this undoubtedly adds a lot of talk for the new season.

The Clippers then came to the SuperSonics' home court for adaptation training. This brand-new arena can accommodate more than 24,000 people. It is the leader in the league in terms of facility scale and technological level.

At the same time, it is also the legacy of the Sonics empire. Yu Fei and his teammates in Seattle exchanged three consecutive championships for the new Sonics arena. It has been officially put into use this season and has been named by Boeing Airlines, the eldest son of the United States. , called Boeing Aerospace Arena.

"Fry, have you been here?"

"I've never been here."

"It's so ironic," Brown said, "that this arena exists because of you, but you're not the first person to use it."

Yu Fei looked around, and this unfamiliar arena seemed to have nothing to do with him.

"What you say is unfair to others." Yu Fei said, "This is what Brandon, KD, Chris... and you all won together."

"That's what it says, but without you, none of this would be possible." Brown continued, "You brought all this to Seattle. They should name the arena after you, and there should be signs outside the arena. There is a statue of you!”

There was indeed a flash of imagination in Yu Fei's mind - if he had chosen to stay in Seattle, how excited he would be standing here today.

However, such fantasies were quickly forgotten by him.

He thought of Clay Bennett, those unpleasant past events, and the fall of the former empire.

At that moment, he knew he was not destined to stay.

He's done everything he can.

So, he said calmly: "No, Kwame, I don't need a name or a statue."

That night, Boeing Airlines Arena held a grand unveiling ceremony, but the most exciting moment was the moment when the five championship flags from Key Arena were slowly hoisted into the new arena.

The director's camera cleverly captured Yu Fei wearing a Clippers jersey.

The crowd immediately started shouting: "Fry!"

"!#@!#￥"

"!#￥Forever!"

"!#￥@#!￥"

At that moment, countless Clippers players felt the most deafening noise of their lives, but nonetheless heard the deep emotion contained in the crowd.

Frye Yu - his name, along with those five championship banners, is destined to be immortal, and this city will never forget him.

Brown was a little lost in thought and couldn't help but look back at Yu Fei.

The other party seemed calm on the surface, but the slightly twinkling eyes just proved the agitation in his heart.

He is right.

He doesn't need a statue.

(End of chapter)