NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 285: Fifteen-person roster!

7 month 5 number.

The transactions and signings in the free market have basically been settled, but the Knicks still have not found a breakthrough in the transaction.

Xue Liancheng is a little anxious. According to the Knicks' current lineup, compared with the Eastern Conference's double hegemons, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, the gap is still visible to the naked eye.

In addition to Wade, Anthony, Porgitins, Gasol, Ibaka, and Hardaway Jr., the Heat also introduced tall point guard Hinrich, and the lineup looks extremely strong.

The Cavaliers basically retained the lineup from last season, with Shumpert renewed for 4 million for four years, Dellavedova for 4000 million for one year, James, and Love all stayed.

At the same time, they also introduced Mo Williams, James' old partner Mo Buchuan, for 2 million in two years.

Only JR Smith is still hanging in the balance.

But no one dares to take over this nerve knife easily.

Xue Liancheng thought that if he couldn't find a suitable candidate, he would get JR, who had been nagging him.

But when he thought about JR's neurological attributes, he was a little frightened. After all, this guy was very nervous when he stabbed himself.

In addition, JR Smith is a player that the Knicks abandoned last season and brought him back this season, which is obviously a slap in the face.

He had to save some face for Dolan and Jackson.

After thinking about it, he scanned the players who have not yet been signed in the free market.

Finally, he set his sights on Claude.

Crowder is a 12-year rookie, and his contract expires this year, but he is a restricted player. The Heat, Rockets, Spurs, Clippers, Kings and other teams have all made offers for him, and the highest contract is the five-year 5 million offered by the Kings.

This price is obviously a premium for Claude.

After all, Crowder was traded from the Mavericks to the Celtics last season. During his time with the Mavericks, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. His overall shooting percentage was only 43.4%, and his three-point shooting percentage was 34.2%. He only had ten minutes of playing time and came on as a substitute in all 25 games. He was a proper little transparent role player.

With the Celtics, Crowder's 3D attributes have been exploited, and his playing time has increased to 24 minutes. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. All statistics have been significantly improved.

However, his efficiency has dropped, with his overall shooting rate only 41.8% and his three-point shooting rate dropping to 28.2%. His state is extremely unstable.

Taken together, Crowder's average data last season was 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists, with an overall shooting rate of 42% and a three-point shooting rate of 29.3%.

Based on this performance, it is absolutely expensive to be paid 5 million by the king for 3500 years.

Logically speaking, the Celtics should let go.

But in the end, they chose to match the offer.

You have to admire Marshal Stevens' vision.

In the new season, Crowder lived up to expectations and had a huge explosion. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. His overall shooting percentage increased to an average of 44.3%, and his three-point shooting percentage was also 33.6. %, absolutely worthy of this value.

Coupled with his role on the defensive end, his annual salary is 700 million, which is quite valuable.

and so……

Claude just came into Xue Liancheng's sight.

but.

Although Crowder is focused on defense and very active in defense, because he is only 198cm tall and weighs 107kg, his lateral speed is obviously a huge disadvantage. In addition, his defensive awareness is far less than that of PJ Tucker. The top defense skills are also seriously lacking, which makes it not very effective in defending superstars such as James or Irving who are fast or have strong impact.

The most important thing is that this requires raising prices to compete with the Celtics.

This was why Claude didn't come into his sight at first.

After all, whatever price the Knicks offer, the Celtics have the right to match it.

But now I have no choice but to bite the bullet.

Xue Liancheng dialed Dolan's number again.

Dolan was the first to speak: "The free market is almost over. Xue, I'm sorry that I couldn't sign the player you wanted."

Xue Liancheng: "It's not too late. I have another person here. Please think about it."

Dolan: "Who?"

Xue Liancheng: "Claude of the Celtics."

Dolan: "Claude? This guy seems to be a restricted player, and his performance last season was relatively average. Are you sure he is suitable?"

Xue Liancheng: "Yes, after he came to the Celtics, his condition has improved significantly. He can defend and have three-pointers. He is the player we need."

Dolan: "Let me take a look, uh... the king's current offer is... Wang Defa, 5 million in 3500 years?"

For a role player who averages just over 7 points per game, the offer has soared to 3500 million, which is really surprising.

Obviously.

Dolan was also shocked by the price.

You know, Will Barton is not that expensive, and Will Barton performed better than Crowder last season.

Xue Liancheng advised: "Considering the huge salary cap increase next season, I think he should be relatively worth it."

Dolan frowned, "But the problem is, if you want to sign him, it will cost far more than this price! Can't you... look at something else?"

Xue Liancheng: "There are not many high-quality players to choose from in the free market."

Dolan: "I still think it's a bit expensive. If we sign him, we will have no salary space at all."

If you want to sign Crowder, you must increase your investment, maybe 5 million in 5000 years to scare away the Celtics.

As a result, the Knicks' salary space will be completely blocked.

Because they have signed Lopez with a maximum salary of 4 million in four years.

Will Barton, 3 million in three years.

Jeff Green, 3 in 3000 years.

In other words, the salary of these few of them alone will reach 4500 million in the new season. Including the original players, the salary has exceeded 8000 million, which has exceeded the upper limit of the salary cap and reached the luxury tax threshold.

How could he be willing to spend such a huge amount of money if he didn't want to win the championship?

And it’s still a five-year contract. What if it’s a junk contract?

That's just a fool's errand, and you're cheating yourself.

Xue Liancheng pondered for a moment, "His height and weight are very suitable for guarding James and Anthony. If you want to make a breakthrough in the playoffs, he will be a very key candidate."

no solution anymore.

He could only move out James and Anthony to put pressure on Dolan.

Because Dolan is eager to make a difference in the playoffs. If he wants to break out of the Eastern Conference, he must cross the two mountains of the Heat and Cavaliers.

The main figures of these two mountains are James and Anthony.

So bringing James and Anthony out is to let Dolan understand the importance of Crowder.

really.

Upon hearing this, Dolan's attitude immediately changed, "Can you defend James?"

Xue Liancheng: "Yes, he weighs 107 kilograms and has a very stable base. He can defend against heavy tank players and the effect is very obvious."

In fact, he knew exactly what the effect would be.

But in order to trick Dolan into paying... No, it should be to persuade Dolan to build the team, he must do this.

Dolan thought for a moment and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, but the most I can offer is 5 million over five years. If the Celtics match, there's nothing I can do."

Xue Liancheng: "He is probably worth this much money."

This price is a huge premium.

Judging from Crowder's performance last season, the possibility of the Celtics matching is close to zero.

Claude should be stable.

in this way……

Their forward and defensive lines finally became thicker.

PJ Tucker, Jeff Green, Crowder, Will Barton, Tyler Johnson.

If Ennis is not traded, he can barely get a head start.

As for Earley, there is no need to look at this useless guy. He is in bad hands and can only guard the water dispenser.

It looks like that.

As for the inside line, it is relatively weak, although there are Lopez, Rooney, David West, Amundsen, and Lance Thomas.

But the latter two simply aren't of much use.

wrong!

It should be said that in his offensive system, they are of little use. The two of them can still be used in traditional play and have certain trading value.

There is also McRoberts, who is earning 500 million+ million, and is destined to guard the water fountain. No one wants him, and his condition is extremely poor.

Xue Liancheng clearly felt it when he was with the Heat last season, and his condition declined drastically.

If you can't make a three-pointer, you're basically useless.

In other words, the only people who can be used inside are Lopez, Rooney and David West.

Looks very weak and in urgent need of reinforcement.

Xue Liancheng had to think deeply again, racking his brains to recall which inside player was abandoned in 15-16, but was quite capable.

I thought about it for a while.

Sudden.

His eyes suddenly lit up.

A white power forward, Eisen Ilyasova.

With a height of 206cm, he has a standard power forward figure, but this guy likes to walk outside. He has a good three-point sight and is a pure high-position turret.

The shortcomings are also obvious: slow movement, fear of confrontation, and huge loopholes on the defensive end.

But it is definitely an effective addition to the Knicks' existing lineup.

Earlier this year, in June, the Bucks completed a deal with the Pistons and sent Ilyasova to the Pistons.

Ilyasova still has a certain value during this period.

Last season with the Bucks, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1 assist per game. In 23 minutes of playing time, such a contribution is already quite good.

<divclass="contentadv">The overall shooting rate was 47.2%, and the three-point shooting rate was as high as 38.9%, but the production was not very high. He only took 3.3 shots and hit 1.3 of them. The outside threat was not bad, but not as expected. huge.

In the next 20 months, Ilyasova was traded five times. Injuries and defensive weaknesses caused Ilyasova to wander.

If you step in now, there should be a chance to get it from the Pistons.

After all, the reason why Ilyasova was abandoned by the Bucks was that he had huge problems on the defensive end.

He was traded after just 50 games with the Pistons, which is obviously the same problem.

of course.

With Ilyasova's data, it will not be easy to trade him now. It just depends on Jackson's ability to fool him.

Thinking of this, he immediately called Phil Jackson and explained all of Ilyasova's situation, especially the shortcomings, which were magnified countless times.

These things are all needed to trick the piston.

Done all this.

Xue Liancheng devoted himself to training again.

The next day, the Knicks offered Crowder $5 million over five years, causing a huge sensation.

Many people are laughing at the fact that the Knicks are stupid and have too much money.

"Ha! A role player who averages 7.7 points per game actually gives such an outrageous offer. Are the Knicks crazy?"

"The Knicks cleared the salary space for two max salaries, but what did they sign?"

"David West actually didn't want 1200 million dollars and ran away to join him. He must have a serious problem in his mind."

"That's right, a bunch of premium contracts, Lopez, Jeff Green, and this Crowder, I'm really convinced..."

Amid the jeers, the Celtics really didn't match.

in this way.

Claude finally settled in New York.

The Knicks' lineup is basically complete, and Xue Liancheng has completely isolated himself from the outside world and officially started training.

No one bothered me this time.

Until August, the in-depth training between Xue Liancheng and Kobe finally came to an end.

A full month of low-post technical practice gave him basically a certain level of post-up ability.

Next, you have to rely on yourself.

Whether you can refine low-post skills into nirvana depends entirely on your ability to comprehend, especially your footwork.

Xue Liancheng plans to focus on this aspect next.

Because there is no Wade to attack next season, all the hard problems will have to be solved on him.

He must have a sure-kill skill close to him so that he can cause maximum damage to his opponent.

At this time, good news finally came from Jackson.

The Knicks and Pistons reached a trade agreement.

The Knicks successfully acquired Ilyasova from the Pistons by sending Lance Thomas + Amundsen + next season's second-round pick + some cash.

Xue Liancheng had to give Jackson a thumbs up after successfully acquiring Ilyasova at such a small price.

I still have some deception skills, but I just don't know why the Knicks were made like that in the historical trajectory.

in this way.

The Knicks' fifteen-man roster is officially completed.

Point guard: Xue Liancheng, Chalmers, Galloway.

Three of them are enough.

It can even be said that the point guard position is the Knicks' absolute strength.

Xue Liancheng starts, and Chalmers and Galloway can come on as substitutes. They have the ability to start the game, so there is no need to worry about holes in the point guard position.

Shooting Guards: Will Barton, Tyler Johnson, Ennis.

Will Barton should be the starter because the Knicks need another ball-handling spot.

Otherwise, once Xue Liancheng encounters a double-team, no one will step forward to respond.

and so……

Will Barton's ball-holding ability played a positive role here.

Tyler Johnson's backup time is definitely more than enough. This junk contract in Riley's eyes should be able to explode in the new season.

Forward: Crowder, PJ Tucker, Jeff Green.

All three can play small forward or power forward if you want to be quick.

Crowder and P.J. Tucker should both start.

This is also the starting striker Xue Liancheng expected. They have three-point defense, are aggressive in fighting, and have speed and flexibility.

Advance to attack, retreat to defend.

And Jeff Green is very suitable as a substitute. He just puts his head down and is completely OK as long as he scores.

Power forward: David West, Ilyasova.

They will occupy the power forward's backup time, which will depend on the opponent and the situation.

If the team cannot open up the situation and falls into a positional battle, then David West can play a role.

And if everyone else's three-pointers fail, then send Ilyasova to play to open up space and raise the turret to blast the opponent.

Center: Lopez, Rooney.

There is no doubt that Lopez is the Knicks' second point.

How to get Lopez to perform is the key.

In this way, the Knicks have a second absolute advantage point.

Rooney may be a bit immature, but if he really can't do it, then David West and Ilyasova can also serve as a center.

After all, playing small and fast and unlimited defense changes are their main theme. Their appearance will not affect the team's offensive rhythm.

However, based on Rooney's subsequent performance, he should be able to serve as a substitute, especially his pick-and-roll quality, which is quite good...

Although it is a bit dirty, it does not affect the overall situation.

Water fountain keeper: Earley, McRoberts.

If these two fail to perform in training games, they will basically be guarding the water cooler all season.

Because the current Knicks lineup is considered very capable, even if someone is out due to injury, others will quickly fill in.

Overall, Xue Liancheng is quite satisfied with the Knicks' current lineup, and the forwards and guards are very strong.

Will Barton, Tyler Johnson, PJ Tucker, Crowder, and Jeff Green are all in their prime and can switch infinitely. The latter three can even serve as power forwards, making them very suitable for unlimited defense changes.

in this way……

The starting lineup is basically Xue Liancheng, Will Barton, Crowder, PJ Tucker, and Lopez.

Xue Liancheng and PJ Tucker are both 196cm tall, while Will Barton and Crowder are both 198cm tall. They look slightly shorter, but this is the advantage of a small lineup.

of course.

They have backup candidates. If they encounter a fierce power forward or suffer from rebounding problems, 206cm Jeff Green and Ilyasova can step in. There is no need to worry about height issues.

Most importantly, they also have Lopez, who is a pillar of strength.

The major media also rated the Knicks' operations this summer.

Basically, it stayed D. Only "ESPN" was so outrageous that it was given a C directly.

In other words, ESPN believes that the Knicks' operation this summer was quite a failure.

reason?

Give Lopez, who averages 17+ points per game, a maximum salary for four years, four years!

Is it worth it?

One hundred percent not worth it.

The Nets didn't make the playoffs last season, and Lopez didn't prove himself at all. How is he worth the maximum salary?

Then he gave Jeff Green another 3 million in three years.

For a player that the Grizzlies are about to abandon, a player who dares not to break out of his contract to participate in the free market, you can imagine how bad his market situation is.

Annual salary of tens of millions?

This is digging a hole to bury yourself.

The most outrageous thing is the offer of 5 for five years to rob Claude.

How can a player who averages only 7.7 points per game be worth tens of millions of dollars in annual salary?

Isn't this crazy?

This operation is just playing the piano randomly and looks very outrageous.

There is a feeling of being rushed to the doctor due to illness.

Looking at the entire Knicks lineup, there are only two strong points, Xue Liancheng and Lopez.

others?

They are all role player configurations.

It is especially incredible and incomprehensible.

ESPN's evaluation was recognized by many fans.

I think the Knicks will have another bad tour in the new season.

And Xue Liancheng's wisdom will be destroyed in one day.