NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 286: Ranking of teams and players in the new season

The vigorous free market gradually calmed down, and time soon came to October. The arrival of media day heralded the beginning of the new season.

Xue Liancheng chose the No. 8 jersey this time.

Because most of the Knicks players are new this season, the makeup day is extremely lively, like a model appearing on the stage.

Precisely because we have no seniority with each other, everyone gets along relatively well.

After taking the makeup photos, everyone began to be interviewed by the media.

New York is indeed a metropolis, and the entire interview hall was packed with large and small media.

As the head coach, Tyronn Lue was the first to be interviewed by reporters.

Reporter: "Lou, can you tell us about your experience when you learned you were the head coach of the Knicks?"

Tyronn Lue: "I just woke up that morning when I received a strange phone call. The person on the phone told me that he recognized my help to the team when I was the chief assistant coach in Cleveland and appreciated my coaching talents. He was very grateful." I sincerely invited me to go to New York to take charge of the Knicks. When I heard this, my first reaction was: Wang Defa... Where did this liar come from?"

Coupled with Tyronn Lue's serious expression, the reporters in the audience burst into laughter.

In fact it does.

Anyone who encounters this situation would find it incredible.

Tyronn Lue continued, "When I confirmed that the other party was really the vice president of the Knicks, I was shocked. This is New York! A existence like a dragon and a tiger's den asked me to take charge of the coaching staff. I thought I should challenge I checked my weakness, and then flew to New York non-stop. I originally thought it was an interview, but after a few words, they told me that I was hired. I felt like everything was in a dream... "

After a pause, he added, "That's it, I became the coach of the Knicks. Do you think God is amazing?"

All the reporters in the audience were stunned.

This……

Is it too childish?

Reporter: "There are rumors that you are the coach appointed by Xue Liancheng. Is this true?"

Tyronn Lue: "I think you should ask the person involved, Xue, about this question. He should have more say..."

Reporter: "How did you feel when you learned that you were hired by the Knicks?"

Tyronn Lue: "I'm just as shocked as you guys..."

The audience burst into laughter again.

Tyronn Lue added, "Then I secretly vowed in my heart that I will lead the Knicks team to glory and never let down the team's trust in me."

Reporter: "So, what is the goal for the new season?"

Tyronn Lue: "Definitely the playoffs."

Reporter: "So confident?"

Tyronn Lue: "Of course. We have the best players in the league. We have one of the best centers in the league. We have a large number of outstanding players in the league. They gave me such confidence."

Reporter: "Do you think Xue Liancheng is the best player in the league?"

Tyronn Lue: "There is no doubt that regular season MVP, Finals MVP, he is not the best player in the league, then who is?"

The reporter's angle was very tricky: "What about James?"

Tyronn Lue also reacted quickly: "He is one of the best players in the league."

Reporter: "Then who do you think is better, Xue Liancheng or James?"

This question is more straightforward.

Obviously, it is to embarrass Tyronn Lue.

Everyone knows that after Tyronn Lue came to Cleveland as an assistant coach, he had a close relationship with James and formed a deep friendship.

And now that Tyronn Lue has taken a step further and taken charge of the New York Knicks, it is obvious that Tyronn Lue must have a good relationship with the star star Xue Liancheng.

What's more...

According to outside rumors, it was Xue Liancheng who appointed Tyronn Lue.

If this is true, then to put it bluntly, Xue Liancheng is the noble person in Tyronn Lu's life.

You know, becoming the head coach of an NBA team is the dream of many coaches who are engaged in the basketball career. The NBA is not only a palace for basketball players, but also a palace for coaches.

Once you become the head coach of an NBA team, you can not only gain fame and fortune, but also expand your influence infinitely.

An NBA head coach is definitely an amazing resume.

You said you have been a head coach in the NBA, then if you go to other leagues, or change careers to be a commentator or guest, you have a lot of potential.

The gold content can be imagined.

There are only 30 teams in the league in total.

In other words, there are only 30 coaching positions.

As you can imagine, the competition is fierce.

Many assistant coaches have been working in this job for a lifetime, but still cannot be promoted to head coach.

Now Tyronn Lue has become the head coach of a team at the age of 38. It is no exaggeration to say that he has soared into the sky.

And isn't Xue Liancheng, who promoted him as a reward, a noble person?

and so.

At this time, no matter who is said to be stronger, it will fall into the trap.

But this is the great thing about Tyronn Lue. After just a slight pause, he quickly weakened the problem, "They are two completely different types of players. Just comparing them like this is unfair to both of them."

The reporter then let Tyron Lu Yima go, "What do you think of Xue Liancheng?"

Tyronn Lue: "As I said just now, he is the strongest player in the league."

Reporter: "What tactics will be implemented in the new season?"

Tyronn Lue: "This requires a large training camp to decide, because I need to understand the technical characteristics of each player."

……

……

After interviewing Tyronn Lue, next is Xue Liancheng.

As the star of the Knicks, an upstart in the league, and a newly promoted traffic code, his arrival immediately made the backwater-like New York boil.

What everyone is most looking forward to is naturally Xue Liancheng's performance in the new season.

Reporter: "Xue, there are rumors that Tyronn Lue is your appointed head coach. Are the rumors true?"

The reporters didn't get an answer and seemed determined to refuse to give up.

Xue Liancheng said: "I have a recommendation, but Tyronn Lue becoming the head coach of the Knicks is a decision made by the team management, and I am not the main reason."

But this answer is absolutely shocking to the public.

In his first year in New York, he was able to influence the selection of the team's head coach. Such influence is amazing.

Reporter: "What is your goal for the new season?"

Xue Liancheng: "Lead the team to the playoffs."

Reporter: "Is it just the playoffs?"

Xue Liancheng smiled: "Do you believe me when I say I won the championship?"

This time.

Again there was a burst of joyful laughter.

Win the championship with the Knicks' lineup?

Just dreaming about spring and autumn.

It's simply impossible.

Everyone just thought Xue Liancheng was joking.

In fact, everyone, including fans and many media, did not put the Knicks in the championship ranks.

Because looking horizontally, vertically, and down, the Knicks have no hope of winning the championship in the new season.

Although Xue Liancheng was the double MVP last season and was the absolute best of the season, even a recognized superstar like Xue Liancheng could not save the Knicks at once.

at the same time.

Major media have also updated their team strength rankings, among which ESPN is the most watched.

Because ESPN's influence is here, everyone basically uses ESPN as a reference.

The first place on the list is undoubtedly the Miami Heat.

As last season's champion, the Heat's core lineup is still there, and they deserve to be listed as the most competitive team.

Although there is no last season's MVP Xue Liancheng, the Heat have added top scorer Anthony and No. 4 pick Porgitins in the new season, and the point guard line has added veteran Hinrich.

They are still in the Big Three mode, and their strength in the new season cannot be underestimated. They are the biggest favorites to compete for the championship.

In second place is the Golden State Warriors.

The defeat in last season's finals made countless fans regret it. When they lost, they lost by a few points and only lost at the last moment.

And when they win, it's often a big victory, and many people still think the Warriors lost unjustly.

Among them, big-mouthed A-Smith is one of them.

And this kind of voice also illustrates a problem from the side. The strength of the Golden State Warriors is extremely strong, and they are also another favorite to compete for the championship.

Ranked third is not the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the San Antonio Spurs.

In the free market, they successfully signed Aldridge, the biggest top insider this summer, for 4 years and 8410 million.

Ok……

You read that right, 4 million in four years.

Not even a maximum salary.

Old man Popovich is also very good at deceiving people.

This is also the secret why the Spurs have been able to maintain competitiveness in a small market for nearly two decades.

<divclass="contentadv">Whether it is Duncan, Ginobili, or Parker, they have all experienced salary cuts.

This seems to have formed a team culture.

When turbidity became the norm and innocence would be a huge sin, Leonard was scolded extremely miserably when he was unwilling to accept a salary cut.

But looking back, is it wrong for Leonard to want a salary that matches his abilities?

My value is here, I am worth so much money, why should I be scolded if I don’t reduce my salary?

of course.

This is what happens later.

The current Spurs have an equally strong lineup, GDP has cut their salary, and they are willing to play for another year. Danny Green also chose to stay.

In this way, their lineup formed a starting lineup of Parker, Danny Green, Leonard, Aldridge, and Duncan.

Coupled with the fact that there are Ginobili, Mills, Diaw, Bonner and other strong players on the bench, the competitiveness cannot be underestimated.

Fourth is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

They lost in the Eastern Conference finals last season, but basically retained their core lineup in the new season, which shows that their basic base is here.

The Big Three of James + Irving + Love cannot be too bad no matter where they are placed.

Coupled with the retention of Mozgov, J.R. Smith, Shumpert, Dellavedova and others, their overall strength remains unchanged. After another year of running-in period, their performance should be better.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Eastern Conference is still dominated by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, and it will be difficult for other teams to shake them.

Fifth, Houston Rockets.

Basically, all the players who wanted to stay have stayed. The only regret is the loss of Josh Smith.

But the big framework is still there, and the modern combination of Harden + Howard is still very competitive, and no one dares to ignore it.

Sixth, Oklahoma City Thunder.

With Durant returning from injury, the Thunder will regain their impact.

Westbrook won the scoring title last season, and Whiteside, who was traded, also averaged 12+10+3 contributions per game. His ability to protect the frame has been verified. Coupled with the indiscriminate killer Durant, their new season's The vision is undoubtedly extremely beautiful.

Seventh, Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul + Griffin + DeAndre Jordan, the team in the alley-oop city is still there, plus Redick, Crawford, Mbah a Moute and others are staying, as well as Johnson-Wesley, Pierce, Josh Smith and others The joining of the team makes their new season look like the most promising one.

If you still can't make a breakthrough...

Ah!

In other words, just touching the floor of the Western Conference, the city of alley-oops may be disbanded.

after all……

The Clippers spent a lot of money this season.

Eighth, Memphis Grizzlies.

Bosh has overcome the blood clot problem and will return to play in the new season, Conley + Randolph + Bosh, plus the offensive firepower of the newly joined Afflalo.

Their strength is also eye-catching and they are a very competitive team.

of course.

Only Xue Liancheng knows that Bosh will completely give up his struggle in the new season and retire where he is.

Grizzly bear?

Totally hopeless.

Among the top eight, six are Western Conference teams, and the remaining two are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. You can imagine how bleak the Eastern teams are.

Even the media doesn't pay much attention to the Eastern Conference teams, or to be precise, except for the Heat and Cavaliers, the others can't compete for the championship.

And ninth place is finally the Eastern Conference team, the Atlanta Hawks.

Except for Carroll's departure, the Eagles' starters from last season are all there, and the lineup has not changed much.

On the bench, there are also strong players such as Schroeder, Bazemore, Sofolosa, and Scott.

It stands to reason that their overall strength is not weak.

However, due to being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, their strength ranking this season was affected.

Everyone thinks that the Eagles are quite weak. If they meet a superstar team, they may be beaten again.

Tenth place, Toronto Raptors.

DeRozan + Lowry, the double backcourt is still a deterrent in the regular season.

In addition, Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, Patterson, James Johnson and other strong players remain behind, and the strength is still there.

In addition, they also grabbed three powerful players in Carroll, Scola and Joseph in the free market.

There is no doubt that their strength will be improved to a higher level in the new season.

No. 11, Dallas Mavericks.

Nowitzki + Deron Williams + Parsons + Matthews + Pachulia, this lineup is quite competitive.

After all, Nowitzki's glory is still there, and no one dares to underestimate him.

Twelfth place finally comes to the Knicks.

The internal and external dual core of Xue Liancheng + Lopez is still worth watching.

The media is not biased in putting them in this position.

The role players are actually pretty good too. David West, P.J. Tucker, Jeff Green, Chalmers, Will Barton, Ilyasova, and Crowder look pretty reliable.

But it always felt like something was missing.

In the words of ESPN, in the current era of forwards and defenders, the Knicks' forwards and defenders have no sense of expectation.

As for the entire Knicks lineup, except for Xue Liancheng and Lopez, who are absolutely strong, other positions can really only be considered average.

It's not outstanding, but it's not too crotch-stretching either.

According to ESPN's predictions, the Knicks' record for the new season is fifth in the Eastern Conference. If they want to be in the top half, they seem to be a little short.

It seems unlikely that it will fall.

From this point of view, ESPN is relatively fair. When they evaluate the Knicks, there is a probability: Xue Liancheng's arrival will win a playoff spot for the Knicks.

This fully affirms Xue Liancheng's strength. The influence of the double MVP last season is still relatively large.

At the same time, I am also very disappointed with the Knicks' summer operations.

If the Knicks can get a forward All-Star, Xue Liancheng + All-Star forward + Lopez, this combination looks very good, enough to join the championship.

pity.

The Knicks were in a daze and signed a bunch of role players, especially the signing of Crowder with a salary of tens of millions per year, which was completely confusing.

If you have this kind of money, don't ask for Jeff Green and Crowder. Just get All-Star players. Isn't it better than asking for two role players?

In fact, not to mention the major media, New York fans are also very dissatisfied with Jackson Jackson's operation.

What they are worried about is that they will not be able to produce results in the new season. If they fail to retain Xue Liancheng, they will really lose their wives and lose their troops.

But everything has settled.

They can't change either.

It depends on the opening of the free market in the winter and whether there is a chance to give it a try.

How did they know that in this summer's trading market, Jackson was just a tool man and did not participate too much.

Everything was planned by Xue Liancheng himself.

of course.

In fact, who doesn't know that it's better to get an All-Star forward, but the problem is, the Knicks spent all their money in order to trade for him, so where are the bargaining chips?

In addition, there are no big fish to catch in the free market.

What should I do?

We can only settle for the next best thing and get these high-quality role players who seem to be reliable.

He himself feels that with his style, this lineup is reasonable and much better than forcing Ellis.

If the chemical reaction is good, maybe something can be done.

And amid the commotion.

ESPN then updated its player strength list.

The first place is James.

Although he lost last season and was overturned after leading three games, and was nailed to the pillar of shame by the Heat, James's four regular season MVPs are still very important. No one can surpass James yet.

Second place, Durant.

Durant was injured last season, played in and out, and was eventually reimbursed for the season. However, he was the MVP in the 13-14 season and a four-time scoring champion. His strength is beyond doubt.

When he returns in the new season, he will definitely show his unparalleled scoring ability again.

The third place is Xue Liancheng.

Last season, he was a double MVP, a member of the first team, led the team to a championship, and a series of miracles such as a stunning comeback, which allowed him to successfully rank among the top three.

Although he did not overshadow the two seniors, Xue Liancheng's popularity was clearly visible to the naked eye.

The reason why he is ranked third is because he did not lead the team alone, because it was his first season and there was no reference data.

and so.

He ranked third, which is reasonable.

The fourth is Harden, the fifth is Curry, the sixth is Westbrook, the seventh is Davis, the eighth is Wade, the ninth is Gasol, and the tenth is Paul.

This is the top ten player strength list.

Basically, those who can enter this list are the ones certified as the strongest in the alliance.

The MVP of the new season will be chosen by one of them.