Bishop of the Abyss

Chapter 220 220. Heavy deal!Offseason grabs!Luke's Madness Leads the Times (7.4K Subscribe)
On July 7, local time in the United States, when the league gradually lost patience with the Grizzlies trade for Mike Conley, the Grizzlies official suddenly broke out a big news.

Announced that the team has officially reached a deal with the Houston Rockets.

As the news spread, the entire league focused their attention.

Especially seeing the specific content of the transaction, there is only one thought left in the minds of each team, "The Grizzlies are crazy! Luke is crazy!".

In this transaction, the Grizzlies will send Rudy Gay + No. 4 pick Mike Conley + potential rookie Warrick + a $600 million transaction exception in exchange for Rockets star McGrady + the 2008 first-round pick.

The birth of this deal can be said to have seen all the teams in the league dumbfounded, until the Grizzlies officially issued a document confirming that there are still people in a state of disbelief.

What the outside world can't believe is not that the Rockets will take out McGrady as a bargaining chip, but that the Grizzlies are willing to pay such a high price in order to get McGrady.

The three players sent by the Grizzlies in this deal all have great potential.

Among them, the first-year rookie Rudy Gay averaged 11 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Gay's offensive ability can be regarded as the best among the last rookies.

No one doubts that Gay will become even better in the future, and may even become an All-Star player.

And this year's No. [-] pick in the first round, Mike Conley, needless to say, Conley was the darling of the draft before entering the league.

After entering the league, Conley's performance in the summer league is even more convincing. Compared with Rudy Gay, who already has potential, Mike Conley's future is currently more optimistic about the outside world.

As for another player, Hakim Warik, who also emerged last season, showing his potential to the outside world.

Warrick is 99 meters tall and weighs [-] kilograms. He is a standard striker.

When he first entered the league, Warrick averaged only about 10 minutes of playing time per game in the Grizzlies, and his personal performance was also mediocre.

However, until last season, Warrick's average data has risen to 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1 assist, and his shooting percentage is as high as 52.4%, second only to Pau Gasol and Alexander Johnson in the Grizzlies.

As a dunker, Warrick has almost no shooting ability on the outside, but his explosive physical fitness and outstanding personal performance last season still attracted the attention of many people.

It’s just that the outside world can’t believe it. In order to get Tracy McGrady, the Grizzlies took out three of the favorites at one time, and even used a special transaction of 600 million US dollars to balance the salary. It can only be said that the Grizzlies are really determined to attack this time. A wider stage.

There is not much doubt about the fact that the Rockets are willing to trade McGrady to the outside world. McGrady has been with the Rockets for four full seasons, but his ability to lead the team has been hesitant.

McGrady's performance in the playoffs last season was even accused by fans of seriously dragging Yao Ming back.

While his 25.3 points per game in the playoffs looked good, McGrady averaged just 0.2 points more than Yao Ming on a field that took five more shots per game than Yao Ming.

The combination of Yao and McGrady has proved that this is a failed cooperation, so it is only a matter of time before McGrady leaves the Rockets, but people did not expect the Grizzlies to be so eager to get McGrady.

Even though McGrady's scoring ability can indeed be ranked among the top in the league, as a leader, McGrady's ability to lead the team has been questioned.

He led the team to the playoffs six times in his career, but was swept out in the first round five times. Only last season, he teamed up with Yao Ming to reach the Western Conference semifinals, but was eliminated by the Warriors led by Nelson in a tiebreaker.

The inability to break through in the playoffs has caused McGrady to be questioned a lot by the outside world. Many people questioned that McGrady is a typical case of popularity over strength.

If it weren't for his elegant playing style, McGrady wouldn't be as star-studded as he is today.

Regarding this deal, the outside world generally believes that the Rockets have taken a very big advantage, and although the Grizzlies can launch an impact on the playoffs with the combination of McGrady and Pau Gasol, the Grizzlies will definitely suffer in the future.

But at the moment, Luke doesn't take the many rumors from the outside world to heart.

Only Luke himself knows how big the Grizzlies' ambitions for the new season are, and such a big ambition must have a scoring leader like McGrady, otherwise the Grizzlies will not go too far in the new season.

Although McGrady is not the most perfect team building core, he is the most suitable star for the Grizzlies right now.

Luke's goal next season is to lead the Grizzlies to the championship. Now the team already has the Pau Gasol brothers, and there are also powerful players such as Kyle Lowry and Mike Miller on the outside.

After the opening of the free market, the Grizzlies can also use a lot of salary space for reinforcements, so what the Grizzlies lack most is a star with explosive scoring ability.

Otherwise, when the game reaches a critical moment, the young Grizzlies will definitely struggle. If a team wants to go further, the star's attacking ability in an anxious game is definitely a part that cannot be ignored.

McGrady has won the scoring champion twice in his career, was selected to the best team six times, and was selected to the All-Star seven times. These are enough for McGrady to stand among the league's top stars.

In his peak season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. His picturesque pull-up jump shot made McGrady attract countless fans and became a memory of a generation of fans.

The draft template of Kevin Durant, the famous star of later generations, was Tracy McGrady. Both of them like to stand still in front of defenders and kill the game with almost unsolvable jump shots.

However, Durant relies on his height and wingspan, which seems to be misplaced against everyone, while McGrady relies on his excellent ability to stay in the air and the waist and abdomen strength to maintain balance in the air.

And the Grizzlies, the top ten players in the league's scoring list last season, can only be traded for McGrady.

As for the remaining Kobe, "General" Arenas, Anthony, LeBron James and Allen Iverson, there is basically no hope.

In addition, as a free agent, the Grizzlies can try their best to fight for Vince Carter, but Carter has never been a player with explosive scoring ability.

On the court, Vince Carter's playing style is more selfless, which also makes Carter average more than 20 points per game in only three seasons in more than 25 seasons.

And the Grizzlies already have support experts like the Gasol Brothers, and Kyle Lowry on the back line needs to be developed. No matter from which point of view, Carter is not suitable for the Grizzlies' tactical system in the new season.

So McGrady may not be the most perfect team building core, but he must be the most suitable star for the Grizzlies at the moment.

McGrady averaged 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game last season. Among them, the average points per game ranked eighth in the league scoring list, and he is one of the players with the strongest scoring ability in the active league.

Coming to a young and energetic team like the Grizzlies, there is no need to question McGrady's scoring ability. The only worry is whether McGrady can stay healthy.

After all, so far in his career, McGrady has never had a full season. He played 79 games in the most season, and only played 47 games for the team in the least season.

As a representative figure who is gifted and rewarded by God, McGrady's biggest enemy in his career has never been his opponent, but the injuries that have always plagued him.

In the new season, while Luke builds an offensive system around McGrady, he must also be cautious in using McGrady. Otherwise, once McGrady is injured in the middle of the season, the Grizzlies will definitely be dumb and suffer unspeakably.

Fortunately, Luke, who had watched Leonard's games many times in his previous life, knew the rest of the game well. Playing under Luke, McGrady must be much more relaxed than he was in the Rockets.

Luke has never been a coach who uses the main force, because Luke can maintain an excellent lineup depth at all times, which makes Luke not have to worry about the competitive state of the players on the court.

The Grizzlies have a lot of salary space this summer, which allows Luke to spend a lot in Liberty City, even if he signs another star, it is more than enough.

McGrady's presence will become very important to the Grizzlies, and Luke will also find more powerful helpers for McGrady and Pau Gasol during the offseason, so that the Grizzlies' lineup for the new season will complete a magical transformation.

…………

Throughout July, the league's trading market has continued to see big and small transactions. Although it has been many days since the Grizzlies and Rockets reached a deal, the enthusiasm for this deal has not declined.

Naturally, the Rockets have not received much attention. After all, the Rockets have basically been able to make the playoffs every year in recent years, but they have been doing nothing in the playoffs.

Even if McGrady is used in the offseason to exchange for the three favorites of heaven, it will be difficult for the team to complete the transformation in a short period of time.

The Grizzlies have always received high attention from the outside world because their head coach is the Triple Crown coach Luke.

In particular, Luke said at a press conference held this summer that he left the Timberwolves to coach the Grizzlies just to find challenges on the road of life.

Just a few words not only attracted the support and love of many young fans, but also offended many veteran coaches who pursued stability.

So many people want to see what level of team Luke can build the Grizzlies into during the offseason, and what kind of record the Grizzlies can achieve in the new season to complete the counterattack.

The recent period is probably the summer that the Grizzlies have received the most attention since their establishment.

The continuous pursuit of the Grizzlies even Memphis fans are in a good mood, although it is still unknown whether the Grizzlies can get rid of the hat of the big team in the new season.

But Luke's first operation after taking office was the trade of the league's balloon star Tracy McGrady. This deal made the Grizzlies fans excited. It's hard to hold one head down.

In addition, Luke also told the media in mid-July that the team is actively looking for free market targets.

Whether it is a popular star at the peak, or a veteran of the league in his twilight years, as long as it fits Luke's team building ideas, the Grizzlies will always come.

The Grizzlies, as a bottom team that has not existed in the league for many years, it is difficult to get rid of the colored glasses that people see this team in a short time.

Therefore, if Luke wants to gain the upper hand in the free market that is about to open in August, he can only use his personal influence to win over players.

Even though there are very few players who are really optimistic about the Grizzlies' ability to compete for the championship in the new season, Luke's golden sign still attracts the attention of many players.

As we all know, Luke is not only excellent in the league in building teams, but also quite capable in cultivating young rookies and reusing veterans in the league.

Many of these faded players have found a second life under Luke.

"Alien" Cassel, "Madman" Sprewell, Magloire, "Glove" Payton, "Penny" Hardaway and others are all very good examples.

Originally, the former All-Star center Magloire had reached the point where he could only get a mere 400 million salary, but after leaving the Timberwolves, Magloire immediately signed a fat contract with other teams.

Magloire, who chose to jump out of the contract again this summer, even signed a two-year $1500 million contract with the Nets.

You know, Magloire didn't play very well last season, but the Nets are still willing to give out a huge contract because Magloire has the experience of winning the championship after reaching the finals.

These are enough to prove how successful Magloire's gilding was during his time in the Timberwolves.

In addition, players like Nehbar, Gerald Wallace, and Spanoulis needless to say, all of them ushered in the peak of their careers under Luke.

The outside world once agreed whether there is some kind of magic in Luke, otherwise why these players will always become better after meeting Luke, which is completely different from their previous performance on the field.

In this regard, Luke who heard these rumors just smiled lightly, because only Luke knew that it was not that there was some kind of magic power in him, but that the players who could be selected by him were not ordinary.

Whether it is a rookie player or a veteran in the league, Luke knows how to use them.

In particular, the depth of Luke's team is usually very strong, and having the help of many outstanding teammates around him always makes it easier for players to play.

If people who are richer in real life are richer because money can really make money, then in the league of the NBA, the stronger the team will also become stronger, because all the veterans of the league and after being bought out Players usually join this kind of team.

The Grizzlies in the new season have never had a suffocating appeal, but Luke's appeal is fascinating.

At least since Luke expressed his position in front of the media, many players have contacted Luke in private.

This summer Luke has laid off many bench players in the team, even if a small part of them still take up the team's salary, Luke still has the heart to lay them off.

The team's 15-man roster, Luke, has not yet planned too elaborately, but in Luke's plan, it is enough to occupy eighty-eighty-ninety-nine of the roster.

Coupled with some free agents whose personal strength is not outstanding, but in line with the Grizzlies' new season tactics, the Grizzlies' lineup for the new season can be called a real big change.

There are two main free agents that Luke is actively contacting right now, and one of them is Gerald Wallace, who is Luke's protégé.

During his time with Luke, Gerald Wallace won the championship ring twice. He has grown from an unknown player in the Bobcats to one of the best strikers in the league today.

Gerald Wallace's contract expired this summer and he officially became a free agent. However, due to the contracts of Iverson and Garnett, the Timberwolves' reinforcement space was basically locked.

So McHale has been worrying about whether to renew Wallace's contract.

Renewing Wallace's contract also means that the Timberwolves will pay a large amount of luxury tax next year, and the amount of this luxury tax can be described as staggering.

Even if the boss Glenn Taylor has always been generous, he is probably unwilling to bear this kind of loss.

But if Gerald Wallace is not renewed, the Timberwolves will be greatly weakened in terms of lineup.

This summer, the contracts of many Timberwolves players expired, and veteran "Glove" Payton even announced his retirement.

It is foreseeable that the Timberwolves' lineup in the new season will not only be difficult to upgrade, but may even face the possibility of regression.

Last season, the Timberwolves were able to defeat the Heat and successfully win the championship trophy. Gerald Wallace can be said to have made great efforts, especially those open three-pointers in key games, which was simply the last straw that crushed the Heat.

杰拉德华莱士去年不仅入选了最佳防守一阵，整轮季后赛更是可以贡献15.1分7.2篮板3助攻2.1抢断以及1.7次封盖。

Among them, the shooting percentage is as high as 54.1%, and the three-point shooting percentage is also 32.7%.

Wallace's outstanding personal performance has also made him sought after by many teams this summer, and Luke, who is considered a half-mentor, also participated in this competition.

Although Gerrard is not the top star in the league, he is one of the best defensive strikers in the active league.

The offensive end does not occupy the ball, the defensive end is top in the league, the explosive physical fitness can keep up with any defensive counterattack, and the agile lateral movement speed can be as smooth as walking on the ground in positional warfare.

For any team that wants to hit the championship, Gerald Wallace is the most perfect piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

In the new season, the Grizzlies have the Gasol brothers on the inside, Lowry and the former league scoring champion McGrady on the outside. What the Grizzlies lack most is a forward defensive player like Gerald Wallace.

Once Gerald Wallace can be obtained in the free market, the Grizzlies' starting lineup for the new season will present an ultimate system that can both attack and defend and finally pass.

Lowry, McGrady, Gerald Wallace, Gasol, and Gasol Jr.

The biggest advantage for the Grizzlies right now is the delicate relationship between Luke and Gerald Wallace.

As long as the contract offered by the Grizzlies is not much different from that offered by other teams, the Grizzlies will definitely be Gerrard's first choice.

As the saying goes, women are afraid of marrying the wrong man, and men are afraid of entering the wrong profession. For NBA players, the most fearful thing is to have a coach who doesn't know how to use themselves.

If possible, Gerrard also hopes that he can continue to play under Luke, but all of this is still waiting for the free market to start in August.

It is believed that there will be more than two teams in the league willing to provide Gerrard with a contract offer. This is the first time Luke has participated in this kind of competition that is more cruel than an auction.

But no matter what, Luke wants to get Gerrard in his pocket. Even if he plays the emotional card with his old face, Luke really doesn't want to miss this opportunity.

As for another free agent that Luke is actively contacting is former league star Grant Hill.

Under normal circumstances, it is difficult for the Grizzlies, a famous star like Grant Hill, to accept this contract, but from time to time, Hill is no longer the high-profile successor of Jordan back then, but A glass man who hates dogs in Orlando.

In 2000, Hill and the Magic signed a seven-year $7 million contract.

However, Hill spent most of the time lying in a hospital bed, including four seasons in which he played fewer than 30 games.

Although Hill's body has gradually recovered in recent seasons, the future of the Magic belongs to Howard.

For this day, the Magic waited for seven full years, and finally got rid of Grant Hill's sky-high contract. They can flex their muscles in the free market and re-build the team around Howard.

Although Grant Hill averaged 14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game last season, it doesn't look as bad as people think.

But Grant Hill's poor physical condition has become a psychological burden for any team before signing him.

Even after the end of this season, some people speculate that Hill may retire to officially bid farewell to the league, but now it seems that Hill has no plans to retire, and wants to continue to fight in the league and use the little energy left in his body.

Grant Hill has been selected to the All-Star team seven times and the best team five times in his career, and was once called "Jordan's successor" by fans, but these are all in the past after all.

Under normal circumstances, Hill, who played excellent data last season, was strangely neglected this offseason.

It was not until the end that he had to sign a basic salary contract with the Phoenix Suns with an annual salary of about 180 million US dollars.

要知道希尔上个赛季场均可是能交出14+3+2+1的球员，巅峰赛季更是交出过场均26分6篮板5助攻的全面球星，不到200万的年薪实在是太过寒酸，甚至在人们看来有些侮辱人的意思。

But this is exactly the embarrassing situation Hill is currently encountering. After all, Hill's poor physical condition makes it hard to believe that this guy can not be injured.

And Hill also has a hard requirement before signing the contract, that is, the contract must be fully guaranteed.

To put it simply, even Hill himself doesn't trust his body, and wants to buy a guarantee for himself in advance before signing the contract.

Even if the season is really reimbursed after signing, the team cannot refuse to pay salary through layoffs.

It is precisely because of this that teams are hesitant to sign Hill. After all, when even one person does not believe in himself, it is so difficult for others to choose to believe.

Knowing this, Luke had contacted Grant Hill in private in advance. Although Hill's physical condition was indeed a bit bad, Luke knew some prospects that others did not know.

In the previous life, there were always some fans who followed the trend and attributed Grant Hill's physical recovery to the sun doctor, but in fact, Grant Hill has played as many as 65 games this season.

It is the second-most season played for the Magic in so many years.

All this is also thanks to the help of Grant Hill's personal physician Hoy Smith.

In the summer of [-], Smith defied public opinion and no longer planned to perform conservative treatment on Hill's ankle, but chose another more extreme and risky treatment plan.

This proposal was undoubtedly rejected by several other members of Hill's medical team at the time, but in the end Hill chose Smith's plan.

High risk means high reward. Smith's treatment plan has indeed worked. In the new season, Grant Hill played 65 games for the Magic. Compared with the previous season's 21 games, Hill's ankle has improved significantly.

However, although Hill said in an interview with the media that his physical condition has gradually begun to recover and is no longer as fragile as before, the outside world still does not trust Hill.

All this can only be blamed on Hill's pitting the Magic so badly in the past few years, making other teams feel scared just by taking a look, let alone signing him to his own team for gambling.

But Luke from God's perspective is very clear that Hill is definitely a "high cost-effective player" that should not be missed this summer.

For a very small salary, you can sign such a best sixth man player, and any team that signs Hill will benefit greatly.

Fortunately, Grand Hill has not received much attention in the free market. Except for a few teams such as the Suns and Bobcats who are willing to provide Hill with a basic salary contract, most teams regard Hill as air.

Compared to Gerald Wallace's robbing battle that was bound to be extremely tragic, the contact between Luke and Hill went smoothly.

If nothing else, there is a high probability that Hill will restart his career wearing a Grizzlies jersey in the new season.

Unless the Suns management has a vicious vision and is willing to pay a high price in Hill's player battle, Grant Hill no longer needs Luke to do ideological work.

As long as Chris Wallace is sent to keep an eye on Hill's signing news, when the free market starts in August, the Grizzlies are bound to expose multiple signing information in a row, causing the entire league to fall into an uproar.

After all, in addition to Gerald Wallace and Grant Hill, Luke is still in private contact with no less than double-digit players at the same time.

Most of these players are free agents that Luke is optimistic about during the offseason. Although not all of them are well-known, they are very suitable for the tactical system that the Grizzlies will play in the new season.

In the new season, the Grizzlies have the Gasol brothers with excellent coping ability on the inside, and Tracy McGrady on the outside, who can score and create opportunities for his teammates. If this offensive system does not hoard some three-point shooters It's a pity.

Although Mike Miller of the Grizzlies is one of the best outside shooters in the active league, last season he averaged 40 points, 18.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists with a 4.3% three-point shooting percentage.

But a shooter will definitely not be able to support Luke's offensive system next season. The effect Luke wants is not to hide the "Viper" behind the three-point line and give a fatal blow, but to be able to rain three-pointers throughout the game. The "dark cloud".

The living environment of shooters in today's league is still very simple, and their worth is obviously worse than that of inside players.

But now that it has come to the [-] season, it is necessary for Luke to let the outside world see what is called the "three-point era".

During the Timberwolves period, Luke's coaching mode has always been defense first, whether it is signing players or creating tactics, it is mainly defensive.

However, the background left by the Grizzlies is not suitable for the Timberwolves' style of play. The lineup configuration of the entire Grizzlies gives Luke more room for manipulation.

The two inner and outer cores, Tracy McGrady and Gasol, are like a panacea, and it is difficult for any team to conflict.

In addition, Luke is still reviewing the signing applications of some league veterans.

Regardless of whether these veterans are really optimistic about the Grizzlies' ability to hit the championship in the new season, or they want to use Luke's hand to extend their remaining career, the Grizzlies really need some veterans with playoff experience to join the team .

Although the 35-year-old Grant Hill is already a veteran of the league, Luke, a player who has both experience and can make contributions on the court, really doesn't mind recruiting a few more players.

It has nothing to do with the level of social status, the main reason is that these people are cheap...

No!

It is these people who can make up for the remaining vacancies of the Grizzlies while the Grizzlies try to sign as many high-quality players as possible, and contribute to the salary space.

　Ask for a monthly ticket, ask for a recommendation ticket, ask for support, brothers!

　　…………

　　Low EQ: Veteran base salary is cheap
　　High emotional intelligence: make up for the position vacancy, make a huge contribution to the team's salary space, and deserve the respect of fans!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)