NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 313 The transaction is completed!

Tyronn Lue said again at this time, "What do you think of Paul George? He is somewhat similar to what you described, but... he has been seriously injured after all. I don't know if he can stabilize."

Xue Liancheng shook his head: "George is indeed good, but the cost of replacing him is not small. I do have a more suitable candidate. Please tell the management."

Paul George is really good.

But in his opinion, George is more like the ultimate 3D. His ability to hold the ball and attack has always been mediocre. He has a buttery hand feeling and makes a lot of mistakes.

of course.

This is actually not a problem.

The problem is that George is too expensive.

Since the start of the new season, George has performed very well and has a faint tendency to reach another peak.

In this case, how could the Pacers be willing to trade?

Even if the Knicks persuade him, it will definitely be a sky-high price and it is really not cost-effective.

If the Big Three are forced together and the entire lineup is dismantled, it would be better not to have them.

And the most important thing is that he has a very suitable candidate, which is not expensive, practical, and fits his requirements very well.

Tyronn Lue: "Do you have a candidate?"

Xue Liancheng nodded, "Yes."

Tyronn Lu was slightly excited and looked at Xue Liancheng expectantly, "Tell me about it."

Xue Liancheng, "Victor Oladipo."

That's right.

The candidate he was talking about was his alumnus, or his senior, Ku Mamba Odi.

Although 13 is called a lost draft year and the quality is indeed not very good, as the second pick in 13, Oladipo's physical talent is no problem at all.

Many people jokingly call Oladipo a bitter Mamba, but in fact, he just trains hard and his physical talent is not bad.

Whether it is dynamic talent or static talent, height, wingspan, jumping, and speed, they are all top players in the league.

Without visible talent, Oladipo wouldn't be the No. 2 pick.

only……

After entering the league, Oladipo did not immediately show the strength of a top star, which made everyone feel that Oladipo did not fulfill his talent.

In fact, Oladipo played very well in his first season, averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, barely worthy of the second place position.

There was only one player who performed better than him, and that was the best rookie of that year, McAway.

In his second season, last season, Oladipo improved rapidly and was already averaging 17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. His overall field goal percentage was 43.6% and his three-point shooting percentage was 33.9%. Hit 1.2 three-pointers.

This is definitely the performance of a rising star. As long as Oladipo continues to improve, he can definitely be expected to be an All-Star.

result.

During the offseason, the Magic replaced new head coach Scott Skiles and directly demoted Oladipo to the bench.

I don’t know what kind of mentality it is out of, whether it’s to establish prestige or something, but it’s just that I don’t play according to the routine.

This time.

Oladipo's mentality was unbalanced and he felt that he was not in the team's long-term plan, and his state fluctuated greatly.

In addition, the tactics arranged by the new coach are very particular about the team, that is, balance.

To put it bluntly, everyone wants to train to become a star. Vucevic, Fournier, Harris, Payton and others have as many opportunities as Oladipo.

This means that except for Vucevic, who occupies the center position, there is no one who is top-notch.

In the end, after much back and forth, no one played well. Tobias Harris suffered the most obvious regression, from a quasi-first-class scorer averaging 17+ points per game to 13+ points per game. The Magic couldn't bear it anymore and directly pressed the button. Nuclear button, Harris was traded mid-season.

of course.

Oladipo didn't fare well either, and was sent to the Thunder in the offseason.

As for the reason for the transaction?

Maybe you think Oladipo has also regressed?

Ok……

As the saying goes, it's like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. The management may not be able to accept it, or it may not meet expectations.

In addition, it was already his third year of playing and he was about to sign a contract in advance. After evaluation, the Magic felt that Oladipo would not become a top star, so they finally chose to trade for some chips.

After a year of confusion with the Thunder, Oladipo's rookie contract officially expired.

That offseason, Oladipo practiced hard and finally returned to Indiana, where he proved himself.

During the season, he averaged 23.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 47.7% from the field, 37.1% from three-point range, and 2.4 steals, becoming the steal leader of the season.

In addition, he also successfully entered the All-Star Team and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team and the All-Defensive First Team. He led the team to the playoffs and ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

That season, Oladipo truly reached the level of a first-class star.

of course.

What made him famous was that he led the team to a tiebreaker with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Many people felt that if the referee had not missed James' final interference ball, Cleveland would have been eliminated. knight.

There is no such thing as Thanos James.

In fact...

Everyone understands the referee’s decisions.

Just when everyone was praising Audi for its incomparable ferocity and looking forward to Audi reaching new heights,

However, Oladipo quickly fell again due to an injury.

But no matter what, before the serious injury, Oladipo's speed, three-pointers, defense, breakthroughs, air cuts, coordination, and even passing awareness were all very good, especially his singles ability, which should not be underestimated at his peak. watch for.

Xue Liancheng feels that if the Magic hadn't messed up on their own, Oladipo would have performed close to 20+ this season.

and so……

He just showed up for the first time with Oladipo's figure.

Not to mention requiring Oladipo to reach his peak level at this time, as long as he reaches % of his peak level, the Knicks will have a lot to do this season.

Because in his opinion, Oladipo is definitely two levels better than Will Barton in terms of both offensive and defensive ends, physical talent, singles ability, fast break counterattack, and overall strength in all aspects.

Although the two currently score about the same, Oladipo is better than Will Barton in all aspects.

If he can feed Will Barton, who is struggling on the bench, into a star of hope with 16+ points, then he can feed Oladipo to a 20+ quasi-All-Star level.

in this way.

The Knicks' lineup becomes him + Lopez + Oladipo. Three players with an average of 20+ per game are definitely a real Big Three model. In addition, there are a bunch of high-quality role players. The Knicks are in the league. Their strength is % among the best, and they are not afraid of anyone.

even……

Everything is going well and he is confident that he can lead the Knicks further.

If Oladipo has Wade's seven successes last season, then... they can even rush to the championship.

That's right.

It's the championship.

However, it is still unknown how powerful Oladipo is and how well he will work as a partner.

But one thing he is relatively sure of is that Oladipo is definitely suitable for him.

He is very fast, much faster than Will Barton anyway, and is very suitable for defensive counterattacks. There is no doubt about this. Oladipo was a leader in fast breaks when he was with the Pacers.

Being able to defend is no problem at all. After all, the steals leader is not blocked, and the best defensive team is not a joke. Will Barton is simply incomparable.

The three-point ability is also quite good. His shooting percentage has remained above the league average all year round. He averages nearly 2 three-pointers per game. The three-point threat is still great.

His singles ability is extremely strong, which is much better than Will Barton's. Breakthrough, mid-range, and finishing at the basket are all top-notch in the league.

In addition, Oladipo has excellent jumping and wingspan, which makes him very suitable for cutting in and cooperating. Alley-oops are absolutely easy to come by.

However, Oladipo and Will Barton have the same problem, that is, poor offensive choices.

If you play next to him, this problem shouldn't be a problem.

Because he is the ball handler, Oladipo will be positioned as the finisher.

That is Wade's position last season.

He believes that with Oladipo's physical talent, he is still capable of catching the ball, dunking and shooting.

There's just one more thing. After the confrontation, Oladipo always felt that his shooting was missing and not so stable.

In other words, the hard solution ability in single combat is still almost meaningless.

But compared to Will Barton, the effect is much better. After all, Oladipo does not have the two deterrents of him and Lopez around him, and it is already very good to be able to maintain this efficiency.

If you come to him and eat each other for life, it shouldn't be a big problem.

The most important thing is passing. Oladipo proved himself when he was with the Pacers. As long as he wants to pass, this guy can become a point guard.

and so……

Pass-awareness is nothing to worry about either.

This means that if he partners with Oladipo, the problem of no interaction can be completely solved.

He can even play without the ball and connect the ball like he did last season.

Isn't this just one more tactic?

The question before them now is how to convince the Orlando Magic to cut their flesh?

after all……

The Magic are still in the lottery stage this season. They only see the word "Thank you". The Magic have not given up completely yet...

With this thought in mind, Xue Liancheng raised his head and looked at Tyronn Lu.

turn out.

Tyronn Lue was stunned.

He couldn't help but be a little confused, "What's wrong?"

<divclass="contentadv"> Tyronn Lu stammered: "This... this... is it necessary to change this?"

Xue Liancheng was stunned for a moment, and instantly understood what Director Lu meant, and couldn't help but laugh.

本赛季威尔-巴顿场均可以贡献16.4分4.1篮板3.2助攻，投篮命中率44.2%，三分命中率也有33.8%。

As of now, Oladipo is averaging 16.2 points, 4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 42.7% from the field and 34.2% from the three-point range.

Isn't it just half-assed?

Apart from having more steals than Will Barton, Oladipo really doesn't have any advantage in other statistics.

This is the reason why Tyronn Lue feels that there is no need to change. It feels like the left hand is replaced by the right hand.

But this is not the case.

Xue Liancheng had to explain, “He is faster than Will, jumps higher than Will, defends better than Will, is better in singles than Will, and has better quality and quantity of three-pointers than Will. Most importantly, he has the ability to pass the ball. He has good ball awareness and can cooperate with me."

Tyronn Lue: "This..."

Although there is some truth, the problem is that data does not lie.

Oladipo has not played very well this season, with great ups and downs. He is really not very optimistic about it.

Xue Liancheng: "This is the backcourt I hope to partner with. Last summer, we had no choice. Now that we have decided to initiate the transaction, I think he is very suitable."

Hearing that Xue Liancheng had made up his mind, Tyronn Lue was a little helpless, "Then I will discuss it with the management..."

They agreed to form the Big Three, but ended up getting a lottery ticket with the word "Thank You" on it, which was seriously inconsistent with their original intention.

The boss said he wanted to get an All-Star player to compete for the championship.

result……

Get Oladipo, what else is there to win?

Xue Liancheng: "I hope you and Phil will take the trouble, and please believe in my vision."

As soon as these words came out, it was almost a roll call.

After Tyronn Lue realized this, he nodded heavily, "I understand."

after all……

He was also the one Xue Liancheng asked for at the beginning.

So, it didn't feel very abrupt.

The two exchanged the details of the deal and future team expectations for a while before ending the conversation.

Xue Liancheng returned to the locker room to pack his things.

Soon, the staff came and told them that their departure would be delayed by one hour.

The others were confused. Only Xue Liancheng knew that Tyronn Lu was urgently communicating with the people above.

of course.

In fact, he can also call Dolan or Jackson Jackson and ask Oladipo by name immediately.

But he still feels that he should respect Tyronn Lue.

After all, Tyronn Lue respects him first.

and……

Intervening in the management operations would be akin to overstepping one's grasp, or in other words, the team didn't give him any management work, so why should he worry about managing it.

To do your job well and play basketball well, you need what kind of people you need, as long as you convey the meaning clearly enough.

others……

Just leave it to Jackson.

It was not until two hours later that Tyronn Lue came back. Xue Liancheng could tell from his expression that he must have convinced Jackson.

The deal is likely to be imminent.

The group headed to the airport to head to Milwaukee.

On the plane, Will Patton was no different from usual. He was wearing headphones and humming haha, so excited.

Xue Liancheng saw it and felt inexplicably.

Although Will Patton is quite arrogant and usually makes some small comments, he is still quite a nice person and I respect him quite a bit.

of course……

The only time I disrespected him was when I pretended not to hear and didn't give him a high-five.

But in fact, he never cared about it.

But in the end, after working together for more than ten or twenty games, they were about to separate, which was inexplicably sentimental.

But it was just a moment, and it quickly dissipated.

Because if it's not suitable, it's not suitable. It's not good for anyone to put it together.

Especially it is very serious damage to the team.

Personally, he still wants to lead the team further.

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about these problems.

……

……

The next day.

noon.

The game between the Knicks and Bucks went on as scheduled, with Will Barton starting as usual.

There were not many surprises in the result of the game. The Knicks defeated the Bucks 113:98 and once again won three consecutive victories.

薛连城18中9拿到了27分8助攻5篮板，这一场比赛，他顺利三节打卡。

Get plenty of rest time to avoid systemic injuries caused by back-to-back battles.

Will Barton performed brilliantly, scoring 12 points on 7-of-17 shooting, with excellent efficiency.

I don’t know if it’s because of my own induction, so I performed brilliantly to let the opponent check the goods.

Because today is December 12th.

Players newly signed this summer can be freely traded after today. What is this if not a disguised inspection?

After playing the Bucks, the Knicks all went to the hotel to pack their things and prepare to go to the next stop.

At this time, Tyronn Lue informed Will Barton and Chalmers that they did not need to go to the next stop.

Everyone was stunned and looked at the two people for a moment. The next second, everyone's expressions became exciting.

Because they understand that this is a done deal.

Will Barton was immediately confused and asked with disbelief, "Why?"

In fact, he already had the answer in his mind, but he just couldn't believe it.

After all, he played well and his personal performance was very good. He is the star of hope this season and has made extraordinary progress.

The Knicks' record is not bad either, with 15 wins and 6 losses. Due to the Cleveland Cavaliers' two-game losing streak, their record has dropped directly. Currently, the top spot in the Eastern Conference is the New York Knicks.

With such a record, it is really unbelievable that he, the second ball-handling point, should be traded away.

Tyronn Lue: "Will, actually I also want you to stay, but the expectations placed on the team are too high. They can't wait for you to grow. I'm really sorry. I hope everything goes well for you."

This is just a scene. There is no need for a reason to trade you.

Even if there is a reason, I usually won’t tell you the truth.

For example, the top management believed that Will Barton was ruining the team atmosphere. After all, everything was going well for the team and they were rushing towards first place in the Eastern Conference.

Will Barton actually ignored the star player, which is simply inexcusable.

This is the most fundamental reason why the top management and even Tyronn Lue want to move Will Barton.

Very simple...

Not that complicated.

As for fighting the Big Three, that's incidental.

If you want to trade, then of course you have to trade All-Star players.

And Xue Liancheng didn't know all this.

He simply thought that Dolan was desperate and wanted to compete for the championship this season, so he couldn't wait to take the knife.

Will Patton's face turned slightly pale. He took a deep look at Xue Liancheng, then quickly recovered and said sternly with a cold face, "Yes, I will definitely get better."

This sentence is more like a declaration.

The general meaning is: If you abandon me today, I will make you regret it tomorrow.

You really should be angry.

After all, the feeling of being abandoned is definitely not a good one. It is not normal to feel unhappy.

but……

This oath is a bit too much.

Xue Liancheng knows the future heights of Will Barton best. Without him, Will Barton will definitely not be the star of hope, and will only waste his years in a bad team.

However, he knows that he still hopes that Will Barton will gain some insights and make changes after spending this time together.

On the other hand, Chalmers was much calmer.

Maybe he was sold off once and was mentally prepared for it, or he didn't have much affection for the Knicks, so he couldn't feel sad.

Anyway, the deal is completed and no one can change it. Tyronn Lue just came to inform.