NBA: I am a master dealer

Chapter 546 No hope!

Xue Liancheng pondered for a moment, then said after some consideration: "We don't even have a proper power forward. This lineup is absolutely deformed. Of course, this is not the point. The point is that Sabonis's high-post coordination and ball-passing ability are what I need, just like Gasol in the Heat period and Randle in the Lakers period. It is their presence that makes it easier for me to attack with the ball, especially when I encounter double-teaming. They are often the key point for the team to break through difficulties. As for LeVert, his potential is indeed not small, but I am more optimistic about Anunoby. He may be more suitable for me and has more room for growth."

Hear the words.

Sean Marks was silent.

The team's "new boss" met with him in person and decided to build a championship team around Xue Liancheng, and that the results would be seen this season. The implication of his words was very clear, which was to listen to Xue Liancheng.

Whatever Xue Liancheng wants, he will try his best to bring it.

The rest is none of his business.

But he is the team manager after all, and with this salary, he naturally doesn't want the team to go further down the wrong path.

The potential shown by Sabonis Jr. is obviously not as good as LeVert, so why trade Sabonis Jr.?
To be honest, he couldn't understand such a deal.

If the trade was for a veteran power forward or a potential inside player, he would not question it, but he really didn't understand this Sabonis. A 40% shooting percentage, is this the level that an inside player should have?

Thinking about it, he said: "But this little Sabonis is really bad at offense, and his confrontation ability is simply terrible. Xue, I'm not reluctant to part with LeVert, I mean... do you want to take a look at other people?"

Xue Liancheng frowned. “How many players in the league are capable of assisting from high positions? This is why I like him, Max. Please trust my judgment.”

Sean Marks was helpless: “Okay!”

I agreed with my mouth, but my heart was filled with bitterness.

Is this something that you believe or not?

Once the deal is done, he will be dragged out and whipped again. As the general manager, he is the first person responsible for the transaction!

He will be scolded and criticized by fans for trading a potential forward-guard swingman for a disabled center. It will feel like he is being scapegoated. It would be a miracle if he can be happy.

But now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to do as he was told.

The next day.

The media once again revealed that the deal between the Nets and the Heat was reached.

The Nets traded LeVert to the Heat for Sabonis.

this time.

The fans' verbal abuse became even louder.

"Damn it! The Nets got a new owner, and it seems like they are just going to stab themselves in the back!"

"It's incredible to trade a forward-guard swingman who has shown potential for a scumbag center who can't adapt to the league's competition."

"Last year's third pick and this year's first pick, isn't that enough? We have to give away a first pick next year, right?"

"Send away the team's top scorer, and then send away a potential forward and guard. Ha! This operation is simply amazing!"

"I declare that the Nets are the best warmth-giving team in the league."

"Sacrificing themselves to help others, the Nets are so damn generous."

"I don't understand why Jeremy Lin was sent away, but I can barely forgive him. After all, his defense is a bit poor, but the bargaining chips he got in exchange are really hard to describe. I can't understand why LeVert was also sent away. Is it really because the Heat's inside line is too crowded and there is a shortage of forwards and guards, so the Nets want to quickly make the Heat successful?"

"Max is a piece of trash, he's on par with Billy King."

"Prokhorov is a fool with a lot of money. Now the new owner of the Nets is both a fool and has little money. He is stingy and searching, probably to save money."

"You took over Crabbe to save money? Are you stupid?"

Almost all Nets fans were cursing the Nets' series of magical operations.

Sean Marks, who was sitting in the office, was also ashamed of this.

Atkinson on the side was even more worried: "Alas! I once thought that Xue's arrival gave us a glimpse of the future, but now it seems to be a disaster. I don't know how to arrange the lineup for the new season."

Sean Marks: "He has a difficult relationship with the new owner and that's all we can do. I'm sorry."

Atkinson: "My only hope now is that new players Crabbe and Carroll can play well, so that we can build a fig leaf."

Sean Marks: "Well... I'm not that pessimistic. Xue's vision may be problematic, but his personal strength is unquestionable. With him, it shouldn't be a problem to get a playoff ticket."

Atkinson was shocked: "Sean, are you serious?"

Max: “What’s wrong?”

Atkinson: "We can't even put together a decent starting lineup. You think this team can make the playoffs? Are you kidding me?"

This time.

Sean Marks was silent.

The current Nets lineup is full of rookies, quasi-rookies, or role players who have been abandoned by others. Apart from Xue Liancheng, there is no one else who can be considered outstanding.

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly realized that Xue Liancheng's single-core leadership last season had given him too many illusions.

In fact, no matter how strong the players are, it is probably difficult for them to achieve anything in the new season with such a lineup.

It's not that easy to make it to the playoffs.

After all, no matter how the Lakers performed last season, they still had a group of strong players such as Randle, Clarkson, Vonleh, James Johnson, Marvin Williams, Courtney Lee and so on.

And what do the Nets have now?
Blue-collar player Lopez Jr., Raptors abandoned Carroll, Trail Blazers abandoned Crabbe, second-round pick Dinwiddie, last year's rookie Lonjoe Jefferson, second-round pick Joe Harris, and the newly traded Powell, the leader of the chaos, a useless inside player like Sabonis Jr., and this year's No. 23 rookie Anunoby.

The only players who can average 10+ points per game are the top three.

wrong!

There are only two. Carroll only scored 8.9 points for the Raptors last season. His offensive role is not as good as before and his efficiency is still very low.

And Lopez Jr. has no independent scoring ability, and Crabbe is just a pure shooter. No one knows how much help they can provide to Xue Liancheng...

In summary, this lineup is simply despairing.

Make it to the playoffs?
Is it really possible?

At this time, Sean Marks also lost confidence in Xue Liancheng, mainly because the lineup was too bad.

You can't see any hope at all. Either they are rookies or quasi-rookies. There is no player who can make a name for himself or stand out on his own.

Atkins suddenly remembered something and broke the silence: "By the way, didn't Xue ask you to contact David West? How is the situation?"

Amir Johnson has already gone to Team Digital, and now their only target is David West.

Sean Marks shook his head slowly: "He is not short of money now. He wants to continue chasing the championship. As for coming to the Nets, he has no interest at all."

With a lineup like this, there's no way I'd be interested in it!
In addition, Xue Liancheng has not yet announced his joining, so he cannot attract a strong veteran like David West.

Atkinson also smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The new season will be very difficult, otherwise... let Xue contact them and give it a try. After all, they are teammates, maybe they can attract people over."

Sean Marks thought for a while and finally nodded.

When Xue Liancheng learned about this, he finally thought about it and only let Sean Marks announce his joining the Nets. As for calling to recruit David West, forget it. After all, with this lineup, he really had no confidence in leading the team to win the championship, so how could he have the nerve to recruit?

When he went to the Knicks that year, he already had a first-class inside player like Lopez by his side, and he also brought in Will Barton and Jeff Green, and intercepted Crowder. The team also had P.J. Tucker, Tyler Johnson, Galloway and other strong players. Their overall strength was actually remarkable, and he was quite confident of making it to the playoffs.

Therefore, recruiting David West to strengthen the inside line is a real attempt to make a difference in the Eastern Conference.

What's the situation now?
How could he have the nerve to make a promise to such a large group of rookies?

He doesn't even have the confidence to make the playoffs, let alone the championship.

That night.

FOX Sports revealed super explosive news: "Official announcement: Xue Liancheng reached a 4-year, 1.46 million super-max contract with the Nets"

"Breaking news! Xue Liancheng joined the Nets, who were at the bottom of the list last season?"

"The dust has settled, and the Nets, who had the worst offseason operations, have become the biggest winners"

When the news came out, the entire basketball world was shocked.

You know, no matter which playoff-level team Xue Liancheng went to, he would be able to elevate the team to the championship level in one fell swoop. But he ended up going to the worst team in the league. Is this poverty alleviation?

Many people said they didn't understand.

"Fuck you! I never thought that the team he joined would be the Nets."

"It would be fine if he went to the Bucks! Antetokounmpo + Xue Liancheng, this is the championship team, but in the end... he went to the terrible Nets..."

"With the Nets' current roster, I seriously doubt they can make the playoffs."

"That's ridiculous. Why would they choose the Nets?"

“I still can’t let go of this big city, New York!”

"It would be funny if the No. 1 player in the league couldn't lead his team to the playoffs."

While the fans were shocked, they were also analyzing the Nets' lineup structure and strength.

The answer they came to was very unanimous, that is, it is uncertain whether they can even make it to the playoffs!
First, let’s take a look at the Nets’ current roster.

Point guard: Xue Liancheng, Dinwiddie, Whitehead.

There is almost no doubt about the strength of this position. The presence of Xue Liancheng is enough to ensure that they will not suffer any loss when facing any team.

Dinwiddie is 198cm tall, has a broad vision, solid passing skills, and is very active on defense. He can have no problem playing as a substitute or even rotating to the shooting guard position.

As for Whitehead?
Sitting comfortably next to the water dispenser is its greatest function.

Shooting guards: Carroll, Crabbe, Joe Harris, Powell, Stauskas.

They have sufficient personnel reserves in this position, and it can even be said that they are overflowing.

Carroll is already a famous 3D player in the league. Although his efficiency is a bit low, as long as Carroll does not hold the ball to attack and only shoots after receiving the ball, his efficiency should be improved. After all, playing next to Xue Liancheng, there is definitely enough space. In addition, Carroll is very good at defense, so it should not be a problem for him to start.

And there are two high-quality shooters on the bench.

Crabbe and Joe Harris, no matter who comes on the court, can serve as substitutes to create effective space for the team.

Besides.

They also have Powell, a master of ball-handling chaos. He has strong impact, can tear up space with the ball, and can also shoot all kinds of unreasonable balls. He is considered the third backup candidate for the ball-handling point.

As for Stauskas?
Perfect for waving towels.

Small forward: Lonjoe Jefferson, Anunoby, Trevor Booker.

The talent pool on the front line is relatively average.

Lonjoe Jefferson is barely qualified for the starting position in terms of size and offense, but his problems are actually very obvious. His three-point ability is almost negligible, which is very harmful to the problem of space compression. However, he has some impact to make up for it.

Anunoby is a rookie who needs to hone his skills by playing as a substitute. No one can predict what he will become.

And Trevor Booker?

Another strong man waving the towel.

Therefore, this position is still in short supply, especially a small forward with outstanding athletic ability who can shoot three-pointers, lead defense, assist defense, and attack the basket.

Power forward: Sabonis Jr., David West.

Sabonis Jr.'s performance in the Heat period really made it difficult for him to be qualified as a starter. His efficiency was simply too bad to watch.

David West finally agreed to join. He has the ability and is very experienced, but as a 35-year-old veteran, he no longer has enough gas in the tank to support him as a starter.

But at least the vacancy at the power forward position has been filled.

At the same time, the improvement to the team's locker room is obvious. They need someone who can control the situation, and the arrival of David West solves this problem.

Center: Lopez Jr., Jarrett Allen.

As a starter, Lopez Jr. can catch rebounds, set screens, and carry people to get rebounds, but he is ultimately a blue-collar player.

It would be a disaster if he were on the court with any of the power forwards and Lonjo Jefferson.

because……

None of these people have any sense.

So, their flaws in the interior are really obvious.

wrong!

It should be said that the entire front line has huge problems. No one can take on the heavy responsibility. There is no rim protection god, and there is no monster who can wreak havoc in the penalty area.

Or to be more precise, you are destined to be abused.

With such a lineup, there really is no hope at all!

What’s even worse is that the Nets’ roster is already full, with fifteen players!

Even if you want to debug, there is no space.

It's hard to believe that such a lineup can make it to the playoffs. Even if the league's best player leads the team, there is no sense of confidence.

"Oh my god! A bunch of rookies and quasi-rookies, how are we going to play in the new season?"

"Last season, the only players who averaged 10+ points per game were Crabbe with 10.7 points and Lopez with 10.4 points. The rest were a bunch of 8-point players."

"It's really over! Why is Xue Liancheng so depressed?"

"I really can't bear to watch such a lineup."

"Xue Liancheng is so confused! His fame may be ruined in an instant."

(End of this chapter)