NBA: I am the card dealer

As soon as these remarks were made, they immediately caused an uproar.

"Coming out of the East" was interpreted in a roundabout way as: reaching the finals.

Mocking voices flooded in.

"Haha! You must have lost so much that you are stupid."

"He's already in such a bad state, and yet he's still talking nonsense."

"Don't talk about making it out of the East, can you just win a game first?"

"I've heard a lot of jokes, and this is the most ridiculous one."

"With the Nets in such a bad state, you think you can break out of the East? Dream on!"

"When you have big names, no one will refute you when you speak loudly. Now there is no big name in the Nets lineup. Are you sure you can do it?"

"It's either the Big Three or a top forward like George. We can still achieve results with other superstars."

"Didn't the team win the championship last season with a single core player? Why is it so hard to win now?"

"When the tide goes out, you'll know who's been swimming naked."

"The playoffs are in question, so stop bragging."

"Brother! You are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference right now, so stop making trouble, okay?"

Almost everyone was laughing at Xue Liancheng's arrogance. He had played four games and didn't win a single one, but he still vowed to break out of the East. Wasn't this ridiculous?

Even some of Xue Liancheng's fans agreed in their hearts, because they now don't even have the right to breathe.

Four consecutive losses!

Let’s win a game first!

But there are also some Xue Liancheng fans who are willing to believe in their idol.

"Xue Liancheng never disappoints people on his way to not disappoint them."

"I'm not sure if we can get out of the Eastern Conference, but Xue Liancheng can definitely lead the Nets into the playoffs, I say that."

"Although it's not easy to get out of the East, as long as the Nets make the playoffs, everything is possible."

"Is there any team in the East that is so strong that it makes people despair? There isn't any, so what's wrong with Xue Liancheng saying that he wants to break out of the East? Is it really a delusion?"

"Every time you laugh at me, it becomes Xue Wei's motivation to move forward."

"Xue Liancheng has proven himself countless times. Is the face-slapping master kidding you?"

"Since Xue Liancheng said so, he must be absolutely sure. I believe Xue."

And Xue Liancheng's past reputation gave them assurance.

At least since Xue Liancheng debuted, he has never disappointed his fans.

It didn't exist before, and it won't exist now. This is the importance of credibility, and it is also the reason why Xue Liancheng has captured countless fans.

And in the general manager's office at the Barclays Center training ground.

Sean Marks stared at Atkinson and said very seriously: "Kening, you don't have much time left."

Atkinson exhaled heavily and said weakly: "I didn't expect the situation to be so bad."

Sean Marks: "In the next game, I need to see the fruits of victory. If I continue to lose, then I need to give an explanation to the fans and the new boss."

Atkinson: "I understand, but... you know the current situation of the team, and there is nothing I can do!"

Sean Marks' face turned cold: "Kening, do you think that having Xue Liancheng will be a bad lineup? If so, then you have a big problem."

Atkinson was choked: "This..."

The basketball team's lineup is very weak, and this is a fact that everyone knows.

But the problem is that you have the trump card of the league's top player, so overall, the Nets' combat effectiveness should still be good, but the result is a four-game losing streak.

This is a totally unacceptable outcome.

Atkinson also knew that he was in the wrong and that saying the lineup was bad was just an excuse.

He responded quickly: "Xue has always emphasized the need to develop Anunoby and Sabonis, so we often make some low-level mistakes, which lead to our loss in the last few minutes. I discussed this issue with him, but he insisted on his opinion."

Sean Marks: "Didn't you adjust the lineup for today's game against the Knicks? What was the result? We lost even more miserably."

Atkinson's face flushed instantly: "There is no way to avoid the pain caused by major adjustments."

Sean Marks: "Is it a labor pain thing? I don't think so."

Atkinson: “Hmm?”

Sean Marks: "I seriously doubt it. It's a question of your ability."

As soon as these words came out.

Atkinson was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his chair.

but.

After all, he had seen many ups and downs, so he quickly calmed down and smiled awkwardly: "It is indeed my fault that I failed to lead the team on the right path."

Sean Marks snorted coldly: "It's good that you recognize your own problems. It's not too late to change now. If I were you, I would definitely win the next game."

Atkinson was very surprised: "So confident?"

Sean Marks scolded: "I'm really disappointed that you don't even know the winning code."

Atkinson's face looked very ugly. This was the most serious criticism.

Such harsh words indicate that the entire team management has lost patience with him.

If we don’t win again, we really have to change the coach.

this moment.

He finally panicked!

But after thinking hard for a long time, he still couldn't think of any secret to winning.

Just when he was about to give up.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up: "You mean... let Xue Wuxian open fire?"

Sean Marks: "You are really slow to react. It took you so long to think about the answer that everyone in the world knows."

this time.

Atkinson's face was really red!

Yes!

The whole world knows the Nets' winning secret, but he, as the head coach, doesn't even know it.

This is simply the biggest joke of the new century!

Atkinson exhaled heavily again, nodded and said, "I understand."

Sean Marks hit him mercilessly: "I think you still don't know what I want to say."

Atkinson looked up suddenly. "Huh? What?"

Sean Marks: "You are here to assist Xue Liancheng, not to guide him. Don't change his experimental lineup without authorization, understand?"

Atkinson was dumbfounded: "Then I..."

The second half of the sentence didn’t say: What have I become?

Sean Marks followed up directly: "Then who do you think you are? You are here to obey Xue Liancheng's will. If you can't do it, then you should resign."

Atkinson was speechless.

Sean Marks continued, "You have to know your position and understand what you should and shouldn't do. As long as you control the situation, you will have completed your mission. As for whether Xue's final lineup and tactics can succeed, that is all Xue's business. For example, now the team has lost four games in a row. If they lose again, he will have to bear tremendous pressure. So we don't need to communicate at this time. Xue will play the game with the offensive attitude of last season's playoffs. As long as he attacks crazily, I don't believe we will be inferior to other teams. He has proved this many times."

Atkinson recovered and said, "I understand!"

Sean Marks finally smiled with relief: "Now you seem to really understand."

Atkinson: “I know what to do.”

And two days later.

Facing the Atlanta Hawks at home, Atkinson changed the lineup back to: Xue Liancheng, Crabbe, Carroll, Anunoby, and Sabonis Jr.

Xue Liancheng did not mention that he had planned to let Atkinson die when he reached the center of the Yellow River, but he suddenly changed his plan.

This surprised him.

And before the game starts.

Atkinson walked up to Xue Liancheng and said, "Xue, we need to win, and you are most familiar with how to win. If necessary, you can signal to start a singles match."

This is unlimited firing rights.

of course.

It's just said relatively obscurely.

But Xue Liancheng still heard it, and he nodded in response: "I understand."

In fact.

He also has a great sense of urgency.

We have lost four games in a row. It is impossible to say that we are not anxious.

This game against the Eagles, who were also winless, was definitely a great opportunity to end their losing streak, so he had already thought about letting go.

Now that Atkinson has said this, he has no psychological burden.

The game begins.

He is undoubtedly a pick-and-roll player.

The Hawks have entered a rebuilding phase, and there is not much pressure on them to achieve good results, so they are naturally not that active on the defensive end. After all, they need to save their energy for offense!

So after Xue Liancheng rushed in, he did not encounter any very strong confrontation.

There is no need to explain how powerful Xue Liancheng is. Just by using his 0.6-second predictive ability, he can make breakthroughs like a fish in water.

Plus, he was in really good shape today.

In the first quarter, he took 6 shots, made 4 of them, and scored 11 points in a single quarter.

By the second quarter, he was getting into the groove. Instead of reducing his offensive firepower, it became even more intense. He shot 10 of 7, 4 of 2 from three-point range, and scored 19 points in the quarter.

In this way, he scored 30 points in the first half and led the team to an 61-point lead over the Hawks at 53:8.

The score difference was not very big, but Xue Liancheng did not use the 100% hit rate skill, which meant that they could firmly control the initiative in this game.

as predicted.

He broke out again in the third quarter, making a three-pointer, then committing a three-point foul, and then a 2+1. After this wave of shots, the score gap widened.

But Xue Liancheng did not hold back when the score difference reached 20+.

He directly used three 100% hit skills and killed the game early.

At the end of the final three quarters, he made 26 of 19 shots, 11 of 7 three-pointers, and 11 of 10 free throws, scoring 55 points, in addition to 10 assists and 5 rebounds.

In just three quarters, he produced such top-notch statistics, once again proving his ability as a top superstar in the league.

The Hawks also lost by a full 77 points at 109:32. Being so far behind after three quarters, they were basically dead in advance.

Xue Liancheng did not play in the fourth quarter.

In the end, the team defeated the Hawks 135:104 and won their first victory of the season.

Atkinson on the sidelines finally breathed a sigh of relief. This victory was like timely relief, which cooled down the anger that had set him off.

As soon as the game ended, Xue Liancheng felt the weight on his shoulders was invisibly lightened a lot.

Although 1 win and 4 losses in the new season is not ideal, it is at least acceptable. After all, it is not as terrible as not winning a single game.

You know, if we lose this game again, it will be five consecutive losses.

After five consecutive losses at the start, not only the fans couldn't accept it, but even he himself couldn't accept it.

And most importantly, losing to the Atlanta Hawks, a super bad team that is at the bottom of the rebuilding list, is equivalent to losing everything. There is nothing left to lose, and that is the saddest thing.

Except for Xue Liancheng who performed well.

Anunoby also performed well, making 11 of 6 shots, 5 of 2 three-pointers, and also got 16 points and 8 rebounds.

This makes him one of the most outstanding rookies since the start of the new season, ranking fifth in the rookie rankings.

And ahead of him, there are some pretty good rookies.

Markkanen of the Bulls, Tatum of the Celtics, last year's No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, and the biggest surprise of the new season, Mitchell of the Jazz.

They all played at a good level and are strong contenders for the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Sabonis finally played well in this game. He made 12 of 7 shots, scored 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, truly showing his potential in high-post coordination.

Crabbe made 12 of 7 shots, 7 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 20 points, finally getting some pride.

The performances of the others were average, not too outstanding, but not too bad either.

The main reason was that Xue Liancheng just let go and they didn't have much chance to attack.

After this game.

Xue Liancheng fans finally had a brief moment to breathe.

"Xue finally let go. He should have done so a long time ago. It is the most foolish idea to rely on those Leshe."

"Keep it up. The next game is against the Magic. As long as we keep this pace, we should be able to win."

"Xue Liancheng has proven his strength once again. If he wants, he can lead the team to victory in this way."

"The number one player in the league is definitely not kidding you."

"In fact, this is also the confidence of the Nets. Xue Liancheng's presence can help them to cover the bottom line indefinitely, but if you want to go further, you must have teammates who can stand up."

"Indeed, the regular season is not important, what is important is the playoffs."

Xue Liancheng scored 55 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in three quarters, which really gave the fans unlimited confidence and made them no longer humble.

But this is far from enough.

What's going on with the Atlanta Hawks?

Predicted to be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and with the weakest strength on paper, the Nets beat such a bad team, so there is nothing to be proud of.

"What the hell! After beating the terrible Eagles, they're standing up again?"

"It's not important to play in the regular season. Why are you bragging? Go in first."

"Xue Liancheng is indeed amazing, but it seems like you have already made it to the playoffs. This makes me quite surprised. What makes you think you can make it?"

"The No. 1 player in the league is no joke. So far, the record is 4 win and losses."

The mocking voices still exist. They think that there is nothing to be proud of about winning against a shabby team, the Hawks.

and so.

The next games are the key, especially the winning rate against playoff-level teams, which can prove that you have the strength to impact the playoffs.

After all, ESPN put the Nets in tenth place in the Eastern Conference without hesitation!

Judging from the strength the Nets have shown so far, ESPN was not wrong in its prediction.