You should cross the mountains like a brave man

Chapter 321 The Best Sixth Man in the World (17)

There is one thing that Wei Xia doesn't understand.

In the review meeting of the two disastrous defeats, Phil Jackson only reviewed the game and pointed out the team's mistakes, but did not point the finger at others like he did.

Well now, Wei Xia is not only the one designated by Jackson, but also the only one.

If Wei Xia had played for a few seconds in those two disastrous defeats, maybe Jackson would have said, "Why can't you reverse the gap of more than [-] points after playing for a few seconds? It's all your fault for losing so badly."

Jackson didn't criticize, but just summed up, and Wei Xia's mood of eating melons and watching the show was blinded in vain.

Since he could not do training with the ball, Wei Xia only practiced his lower and upper body strength in the gym before leaving the Toyota Center.

He had no other place to go, so he checked some information online at home.

He first looked at the Clippers' team history materials and found that this big brother in the same city was old and unlucky.Moreover, the unlucky team history began when they moved to San Diego.The tragic history of the Los Angeles Clippers reduced to a joke is just a continuation of the curse.

In the past 30 years, they have won the lottery countless times and drafted countless times. They either selected the ultimate parallel importer, or they first went to the glass man who fished for three days and posted the net for two days. The league has gone through three great epics, and they are still in place.

Finally reached the semifinals this season, the Clippers, who have an absolute inside advantage, made up their minds to defeat the Lakers head-on, thus re-establishing their position in Los Angeles.

Then, Wei Xia went to check Elton Brand, who smashed the Lakers inside in the first two games.

In 1997, Brand entered Duke University.In his sophomore year, he led Duke University to the NCAA finals. Although he lost to the University of Connecticut in the end, he averaged 17.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, allowing him to win the best college player of the year, the Wooden Award, and the Naismith Award.Low-key, modest, easy-going, stable performance and maturity that does not match his own age, this is the deepest impression people have of Brand.At that time, many people associated his style with Duncan, who had just left the NCAA.

Just talking about his honor, except for not winning the championship, it is not much different from Wei Xia in his sophomore season.

As for labels such as "low-key, modest, easy-going, stable performance, and maturity that does not match one's own age", these are the standard equipment for high-achieving students from Duke.

Except for flat earth scholars, any high-achieving student from Duke can match the above advantages.

With a wingspan of 2.23 meters, combined with vigorous steps, soft shooting touch, high basketball IQ and enthusiasm for basketball, Brand handed over an excellent answer sheet of 20.1 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season.

Since then, there has been a continuous average of 20+10 per game. At that time, the Bulls had just bid farewell to GOAT, and they looked down on ordinary things.

Brand is considered by Jerry Krause, the lifelong enemy of GOAT, to be the MVP for ten consecutive years, but should he be expected to become the cornerstone of the team?There is everything in the dream.

It coincided with the 2001 talented high school students getting together to participate in the draft. The high school student boom brought by Garnett, Kobe and Tracy McGrady made many general managers dizzy.Among them, Klaus is not only dizzy, but also in oil.High school students can have it, and in the lockout season, the Spurs Twin Towers played invincible players in the league in a very dominant way, which brought about the Twin Towers fever.

Klaus, who has lost his vicious eyesight, decides to do something about it.

So he traded Brand, who was not the cornerstone of the team, and used two top five picks to win the Sharks and KG-Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler.

Crouching dragon and phoenix chicks are harvested, so why worry about failure?
结果，新秀赛季这两位一个场均6+4，一个场均6+3，数据加起来还没布兰德一个人多（18+11）。

After that, Brand, who transferred to the Clippers, hibernated for several years and ushered in a big explosion this season.

After reading Brand's information, Wei Xia felt a little emotional.

Through the observation of the two games, Wei Xia believes that Klaus made the wrong choice.

It's not that Brand can't be the cornerstone, he can be the cornerstone insider, but he needs a consistent leader to lead him.

A cornerstone is not the same as a leader.

Just like the Spurs before 2001, the cornerstones were Duncan and Robinson, but the leader of the locker room was Avery Johnson.

One day later, the long-awaited third game of the semi-finals came.

Kobe didn't say much that day.

He listened to Wei Xia's suggestion, as for how to do it, it depends on himself.

Judging from his actions, he doesn't intend to be a loud talker, he wants to use his performance to drive his teammates, just like he did before.

At the beginning of the third game against the Clippers, Kobe found his touch and quickly entered the offensive rhythm of seeing whoever was defeated.

The Clippers still have a huge advantage inside. Sam Cassell still treats Parker as a pig. The Lakers face the enemy bravely, but the confrontation is like scraping. Fortunately, Lamar Odom will help out. His 25 points in a single game covered up the hip pull of others, allowing Kobe's outburst to kill the Clippers.

Judging from the game and statistics alone, the Clippers have no problem playing.

Inside still has an absolute advantage, outside, Kassel rejuvenated, and Brand scored 30 points at the same time.

In addition to the two of them, the Clippers also had three players who scored in double figures.

Five people scored in double figures, and two of them scored 30 points. It stands to reason that the Clippers will win.

However, Kobe did not accept being defeated by his opponent for three games in a row.

The answer to his so-called action is better than words is to fully activate his own offensive firepower and put all his energy into the game.

Then, let people see what he looks like in the regular season in the playoffs.

Against the Clippers, Kobe scored a career-high 49 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in the playoffs. Coupled with Odom's 25 points, the two combined for 74 points.

Brian Cook fought for his breath on the outside, scoring 16 points in a single game.

The Lakers, who scored in double figures with three players, fought the Clippers until the last moment, and then narrowly won by 2 points. They won the next round with difficulty, and failed to let the brothers in the same city win three consecutive cities and hold four match points.

Kobe accepted an interview with reporters and answered his thoughts about the battle.

"It feels good to be back with Victory," he said with a smile.

The reporter also asked them how to adjust after two consecutive fiascos.

"Someone told me that I should stand up and speak loudly. I think no matter how loudly I say it, it can't compare to 49 points in a single game." Kobe said confidently, "The sound of a basketball falling into the basket is more convincing than any words."

In the end, he chose to be himself.

Well, who told him to score 49 points.

Wei Xia has nothing else to say about this.

Sam Cassell, who blasted the Lakers' No. 10 position in two consecutive games, was a little dissatisfied with the referee: "It seems that everything we do in this game will be called a foul. The opponent has two different players with [-] free throws.

Even in the David Stern era, it was fined to express displeasure with the referee.

$3 just flew by.

But at least Cassell has won his freedom of speech, although the price of free speech is not affordable for ordinary people.

The victory in the third game gave the Lakers confidence.

Wei Xia recuperates in peace.

That can at least ensure that the Lakers will not be swept out before the fifth game.

In those two days, the league announced the winners of all major awards in the regular season besides the MVP.

Kobe, who locked the scoring champion, was undisputedly selected to the best team and the best defensive team.

Wei Xia's rookie season was also a bumper season.

He was named to the All-Rookie First Team of the Year.

There are some different voices in the selection of the best rookie of the year. Considering that Wei Xia and Paul both played rare rookie seasons, although Wei Xia is better, the league still decided to give best wishes to the two promising new stars.

Wei Xia and Paul were selected as the Rookie of the Year at the same time.

The NBA has a history of 70 years. From the birth of the best rookie to the present, there have been three times of sharing ROY before.

The earliest came from the 1970-71 season, when the Blazers star Geoff Petrie (Geoff Petrie SG/PG) and the Celtics star Dave Cowens both got ROY.After that, there will be Grant Hill and Jason Kidd 24 years later, and Elton Brand and Steve Francis five years later. After another six years, it will be Wei Xia and Paul.

Lakers fans have some complaints about this matter. Paul's rookie season is indeed outstanding, but Wei Xia is obviously better than him.

It's not a case of "I got this, I didn't get that, it's a pity, it can be given to anyone".

It's a competition where one side clearly outperforms the other.

Wei Xia is personally open to sharing ROY with Paul and doesn't care. What he really cares about is the ownership of the best sixth man of the year.

The result is no suspense.

His number one competitor is Mike Miller, but his statistics have completely overwhelmed the opponent. With an average of 17.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, he overwhelmed all the sixth men and became the sixth man of the year this season.

Wei Xia accepted an exclusive interview with Los Angeles media.

The media found that he didn't feel much about ROY and the Rookie of the Year for a while, but he was very excited about being elected as the Sixth Man of the Year.

As for the reason, he said: "I don't like the positioning of the sixth man, but the team needs me to do so, so I will do it. Since I want to do it, I will do my best. For me, the sixth man of the year is like telling the world that I am the best sixth man this season. I am excited and proud of it."

(End of this chapter)