Legend of Tomorrow

In August, the Men's Basketball World Championship was held in Indianapolis.

Since Wang Zhizhi returned to China, the Chinese team has three NBA-level insider stars participating in the competition. They are generally favored by the media and have become the fourth seed in the World Championships.

The Chinese team performed well in the first game, but unfortunately Yao Ming fell into foul trouble and lost to the German team 85-88.

If Wang Zhizhi does not come, the power forward will be the weakest position of the Chinese team. Gong Xiaobin will not be able to fight Nowitzki, and Liu Yudong is injured. Wang Zhizhi and Nowitzki have played together for a full season, and they know each other well, so they don't suffer so much when facing each other. He scored 16 points and 5 rebounds.

In the second game, the Chinese team defeated the Algerian team 96-82.

In the third game, the Chinese team lost to the American team, but the score difference between the two sides was not big. China only lost by 16 points. In the first quarter, they led the American team by 12 points, shocking their opponents in a cold sweat.

Yao Ming once again fell into foul trouble. Battelle and Wang Zhizhi partnered in the paint, and actually took the initiative against the Dream Team 5.

Battle had the best performance, making 6 of 8 shots from the field, 1 of 2 three-pointers, and scoring 19 points and 7 rebounds from free throws, beating Ben Wallace.

Battelle is both thick and thin. He not only has a height advantage, but also has stable shooting. No matter how big Ben can resist, he is one size smaller and it is difficult to jump up and block shots when he is squeezed.

Not only Ben, but also the other two insiders of the US team, O'Neal and Brand, could not hold up Battle, and the game was very uncomfortable.

The Chinese team lost all subsequent games, with poor pick-and-roll defense and obvious weaknesses. The opponent made many three-pointers in every game, and ultimately ranked 12th. However, the performance of the three insiders is remarkable.

Yao Ming averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and was selected to the All-NBA Team. Wang Zhizhi averaged 13 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Battelle played less time, averaging 10 points per game. His movement speed is too slow and he is not active in pick-and-roll situations when defending.

The U.S. team played at home and performed terribly.

Although the team is led by All-Star players such as O'Neal Jr., Brand, Pierce, Baron Davis, and Finley, as well as veterans like Reggie Miller, the training time is too short and the players lack tacit understanding. The tactic is basically to take turns and work alone.

They lost three games, and finally lost to Spain 75-81 and only finished sixth, and their performance was not as good as New Zealand.

The final of this World Championship was between Yugoslavia and Argentina. The two sides played with sparks.

The game lasted until overtime, and Yugoslavia defeated Argentina 84-77.

This is the second consecutive World Championship title for the Yugoslav team. In the bronze medal match, Nowitzki scored 29 points to lead the German team to defeat New Zealand and win the bronze medal.

What's funny is that the best players in the World Championships are those who are called softies by experts in the NBA. They rely on their excellent shooting to defeat the tough guys who attack the penalty area and lose their armor. Duan didn't suffer at all.

Marion was selected for the Dream Team, which he thought was a great honor. However, he did not play much time and was subsequently embarrassed.

The Bulls' second overall pick, Jay Williams, was also selected for the Dream Five team. The league made it clear that it was ready to support him, but as a result, he was a mess when he came on the court.

Wang Zhizhi will continue training in China to prepare for the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea at the end of September.

He called Guo Xu to express his gratitude. Because of his high exposure in the World Championships, he had already received invitations from three teams, namely the Heat, Clippers, and Celtics.

Wang Zhizhi asked: Jason, which team do you think is better for me to join? My agent suggested that I join the Clippers.

Guo Xu thought for a while and replied: I suggest you join the Celtics. It's more suitable for you to use your talents there. Coach O'Brien likes big men who can shoot. Clippers coach Dunleavy values ​​defense and doesn't like three-pointers. You If I go, I can only serve as a substitute for Brand and Odom, and it will be difficult to get a chance to play.

Then I have to discuss it with my agent. I'm tired of not being able to play in Dallas.

Personally, I think it is most important for players to ensure that they have playing opportunities. You'd better not go to the Clippers. The owner of that team, Sterling, is a bad character and is famous for turning his back on others. The Celtics are short of insiders. You can come on the bench for Tony Barty and Antoine Walker, and I think 15 minutes of playing time is guaranteed. You work hard and try to put up good numbers.

Thank you, I will treat you to dinner when we play away games next season. Wang Zhizhi now particularly believes in what Guo Xu said. He understands basketball and cooperation, and is more reliable than his assistants and agents.

Guo Xu pointed out to Wang Zhizhi the most suitable path for him. Mark Blount recently joined the Nuggets, and the Green Army could not exchange drunkard Wen Baker from the SuperSonics because they did not have Kenny Anderson as a bargaining chip. No one is available.

Although Wang Zhizhi has poor defense, he shoots well and is suitable for withdrawing from the inside to play pick-and-roll offense. With him, the Green Army may not trade Blount back again. Even if Blount comes back, Wang Zhizhi has a longer range, can coordinate the passing, and is still competitive.

In the previous life in 2003, the Green Army sent Antoine Walker to the Mavericks, and Wang Zhizhi would have more playing time.

Blount seized the opportunity in the 2003-04 season in his previous life, averaging 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game, thus signing a 6-year, 42 million super-long contract. As long as Wang Zhizhi competes with this person, the big contract may belong to him.

Guo Xu believed that Wang Zhizhi had this ability. He returned to the CBA to join the Bayi team in 2006. In the 2006-2007 season, he led the Bayi team without foreign aid to defeat Guangdong led by Yi Jianlian and win the championship. Wang Zhizhi won the MVP, averaging 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.

Yi Jianlian participated in the NBA draft that year and was selected by the Bucks with the sixth overall pick. However, he was completely unable to guard Wang Zhizhi one-on-one in the CBA finals.

This year's Wang Zhizhi is stronger than in 2007. He just lacks opportunities to prove himself. In the Green Army, which has an extremely slow transition speed between offense and defense, he is the easiest to perform.

Guo Xu would not recommend Wang Zhizhi to join the Suns because his weaknesses are too obvious, including poor confrontation, poor rebounding, and slow speed. In the future, the Suns will mainly play run-and-gun. He is not suitable for the rhythm. Calling him is tantamount to harming him.

In mid-September, Guo Xu left Los Angeles, drove to Phoenix, and moved into a new apartment, choosing the third floor.

This is the apartment that Tom Gugliotta, the team's 33-year-old veteran, helped him find. It's near the American West Arena, a few blocks away. You don't need to drive, you can walk to the arena in half an hour, and Guo Xu doesn't need to drive. If you need to buy furniture and the like, you can carry your bags and move in. You only need to buy daily necessities.

Everything here is suitable for lazy people. Tom lived in this place when he first joined the Suns in 1998.

The name of this long-term rental apartment is Linier Alfred, and it feels like Batman's butler. Each apartment comes with a kitchen, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom with free toiletries, an oven, a microwave and a coffee machine. There is also an outdoor swimming pool in the community, where residents can swim at any time.

At noon, Tom invited Guo Xu to have a meal at his home and met his wife and children. The two talked a lot about the new season.

Tom is a white player with a good temper, a pure 208CM power forward, and the boss of the Timberwolves at that time. He was once technically versatile, capable of post-ups, face-up jumpers, hook shots, and floaters. He had a peak of 20.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

It's a pity that after five consecutive seasons of serious injuries, he can only be a marginal member of the team.