radicalducati Chapter 756 It is well known that the Chinese nation is not good at singing and dancing performances
Chapter 756 It is well known that the Chinese nation is not good at singing and dancing performances
The Knicks only lost one game throughout November, and this form carried over into December.
In the first half of December, the Knicks went on a 9-2 run, and before Christmas, they held the top spot in the league with a 22-3 record!
This month's Knicks are almost identical to last month's. Lin Tian's playing time is still very short, and Don Nelson is still giving Stoudemire and Anthony as many opportunities as possible. The playing time of the three players is now staggered as much as possible, allowing them to perform individually.
This is also the most frightening aspect of the Knicks right now.
Everyone could see that they weren't going all out; they were experimenting with their lineups, training as they went, and learning from each battle.
If a team that isn't playing at full strength can still achieve a record of 22 wins and 3 losses, then if they go all out and suddenly evolve to play at full strength at some point, wouldn't their record be off the charts?
From any perspective, the Knicks are the top favorite to win the championship and the strongest team this year!
For the first time since the team's inception, they displayed a sense of invincibility!
After all, in the previous two seasons, although they won two championships, their regular season results were just so-so. Whether in the playoffs or the regular season, there were always some teams that could cause them trouble.
The Pistons, Celtics, Lakers, and Suns can all pose a challenge to the Knicks.
But this year's situation seems to be completely different.
At least until this point in the season, everyone thought: no one can stop the Knicks this year!
December 25th, Christmas Day.
This day is the NBA's annual Christmas Day game. The NBA usually schedules 3-4 games on this day. These 3-4 games are definitely the most talked-about, most anticipated and most hyped games of the entire season!
It's either a clash between arch-rivals, a dialogue between top teams, or a fierce battle between powerful clubs from major cities.
This year is no exception.
First up is Lakers vs. Suns!
Although Tracy McGrady of the Lakers was sidelined for the season without playing a single game due to surgery, the team still performed quite well this year, thanks to the draft picks Kevin Durant, Andrew Bynum's significant improvement, and most importantly, Kobe Bryant's continued hot streak.
So far, they have a record of 17 wins and 7 losses, ranking first in the Western Conference!
Of course, this first place in the West is not secure at all. Their opponent, the Suns, also has a record of 17 wins and 7 losses, but they can only rank third in the West.
The second-best team in the West is the Spurs, also with a record of 17 wins and 7 losses!
Three teams have the same record and are tied for first place!
We can only barely rank them 1, 2, and 3 based on their regional records and head-to-head records.
Furthermore, the Warriors, currently ranked 7th in the Western Conference, also have a record of 15 wins and 9 losses, only 2 games behind the first-place Lakers! And the Mavericks, a powerhouse in the league for the past few years, although they have fallen to 10th in the West, still have a record of 13 wins and 11 losses.
They are also only two games behind the Warriors and four games behind the top seed in the West.
Not only do they have a very good chance of making the playoffs, they even have a chance to make a comeback and become the top team in the Western Conference!
All I can say is that the West this year is truly terrifying!
Their competitiveness is so great, and the gap between the teams is so small, that it is even greater than in the past few years!
Another matchup is between the second-ranked Celtics in the East and the second-ranked Spurs in the West. It's another clash of titans and also a key game where Duncan faces his former team again.
Then comes tonight's third match, which is also the most anticipated one.
The Knicks will play the New Orleans Hornets on the road.
On the surface, this game was simply the league-leading Knicks facing off against the sixth-ranked Hornets in the Western Conference.
But for Chinese football fans, this is yet another Chinese derby!
This was also the first time Lin Tian and Yi Jianlian faced off on the NBA stage.
Although the two are completely incomparable in terms of team status, league status, individual ability, and achievements, Chinese people love to watch them!
Two weeks ago, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian had already staged an inside derby in the NBA.
The ratings were absolutely phenomenal!
It was that match that completely put the officials, who had been anxious when the schedule was finalized, at ease.
Even if Americans don't buy it, Chinese people across the ocean still love watching this game!
We definitely have a core base!
Of course, besides the fact that this game was Lin Tian and Yi Jianlian's first NBA encounter, there were other reasons why it was placed on the Christmas Day stage.
For example, Delong.
Deron Williams, who had already been selected as an All-Star, has always been considered a strong contender for the title of the league's No. 1 point guard in the future.
At the same time, because of his tank-like physique and dazzling and varied playing style, including his signature continuous and large-scale changes of direction, people feel that he is more like Lin Tian's successor than Paul.
After all, Paul is only 183 cm tall, and he is ultimately a point guard who relies on agility and speed.
Deron Williams, on the other hand, is a point guard who possesses physical attributes, speed, skill, and shooting ability.
At least in terms of physique and playing style, he is more like Lin Tian.
It's a version that's been significantly weakened.
Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that although Deron Williams and the Hornets don't receive as much attention as the Warriors and Chris Paul, his personal statistics and public image are also inferior to Paul's. In fact, he was selected for the All-Star team earlier than Paul, and some people say that he was "lucky to be selected because New Orleans hosted the All-Star game."
But at least every time this guy meets Paul, he manages to pin Paul to the ground and beat him up!
Even this season, while everyone's attention is focused on the Warriors and Paul, Deron Williams has been quietly making progress, leading his team to a very good record, and so far, he is still ahead of the Warriors!
In their first meeting this season, Deron Williams completely dominated Paul.
In that game, Deron Williams made 11 of 13 shots, scoring 29 points and 11 assists.
而保罗却只有11投3中，只拿到6分6助攻，还有多达5次失误！
A complete crushing defeat, utterly annihilated.
This match can be seen as a comparison of the two players' careers so far.
Paul can dominate most point guards in the league; he is strong and has a steady playing style.
But every time he encountered Delong, he ended up getting the short end of the stick.
Paul's biggest fear is Deron Williams!
As for Lin Tian?
I wouldn't say I'm afraid.
Paul has completely resigned himself to his fate and has given up entirely.
It's like a 9-year-old child might be afraid of the chubby bully in their class, but would most likely not be afraid of Tyson.
Tyson most likely won't beat him up, and even if he does, it's not shameful to get beaten up by Tyson.
But the chubby boy in my class really does hit people every day.
However, tonight's game has nothing to do with Paul.
The main matchup is Delong vs. Lin Tian.
He's currently the best point guard in the NBA, and has the potential to become the best point guard in the future.
And tonight is also Lin Tian's last visit to New Orleans as a player.
It's also worth mentioning that with this game, the Knicks will embark on a seven-game road trip in the Western Conference.
This extended away trip will also mean that Lin Tian will have to say goodbye to the home stadiums of seven different teams.
Of course, some mischievous people have given this Knicks road trip a different name.
"A humiliating trip to Chicago."
"The Battle of Seven Cities that Chicagoans are ashamed to watch."
"Seven cities took turns slapping Chicago in the face."
"Look what respect really is! If you don't learn it the first time, you'll learn it seven times!"
"The Will of Seven!"
"I bet by the end of this western trip, Lin Tian will have collected seven tributes and then directly summon a statue."
"So the question is, which away team would give him such a statue?"
The idea of giving Lin Tian a statue is, of course, utter nonsense and impossible to realize.
Jordan wouldn't have statues flying all over the place in any world, would he?
Even so, the tribute ceremony that the Western Conference teams gave to Lin Tian was absolutely top-notch.
On Christmas afternoon, before the Hornets and Knicks game began, the lights in the arena dimmed again, and then the big screen lit up.
Yi Jianlian appeared on the screen, with more than a dozen Asian faces behind him. They started singing together a Chinese song.
Lin Tian had heard this song before.
True Hero!
I won't post the lyrics; this is just filler.
But the fact that more than ten of Lin Tian's compatriots sang Chinese songs together to pay tribute to Lin Tian, led by his younger brother A-Lian, shows their sincerity.
As a music capital, the things they brought out were quite fitting for their city's image.
The only problem is that the singing is really awful.
Yi Jianlian, who sang the loudest, clearly had no musical talent whatsoever; what he was singing was utterly incomprehensible.
As for the dozen or so compatriots behind them...
Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore.
In any case, this proves one thing: apart from some ethnic minorities, the vast majority of the Chinese population is really not good at singing and dancing.
Its racial talents don't go in that direction.
After this song, which was completely off-key, off-key throughout, and barely distinguishable from a noise bombardment, the fans in the stadium let out a good-natured laugh, making Yi Jianlian, who was already shy, even more embarrassed and scratching his head.
God knows how the Hornets convinced Yi Jianlian to be the lead singer.
Then the lights came on, and the Hornets' owner stepped forward with a Hornets jersey that had no number but only Lin Tian's name on it, and handed it to Lin Tian.
"Lin, we hope you can become an honorary player for our Hornets. Although you have never played a single day here, I want you to know that you are one of the most beloved players in all of New Orleans and one of the greatest players in the entire league."
"We have boundless respect and admiration for you. Perhaps it is because there is only music and no strong wind here that the music will leave behind our respect, while the strong wind will blow away all the beauty of the past."
Check it out!
As Lin Tian accepted the jersey with a smile, he remarked, "These capitalists are truly wicked! They're full of evil schemes."
Even when organizing a tribute event, they couldn't resist taking a jab at neighboring Chicago.
This year's Bulls team will truly be etched in the pillar of shame.
And the methods are varied.
For example, two months after the start of the season, their record collapsed, with only 8 wins and 17 losses, ranking 12th in the Eastern Conference. At the same time, in almost every home game and all away games, fans would chant "Lin" in front of the players.
It was a continuous, indiscriminate attack that struck both the soul and the body.
Even more serious than the collapse in their record was the complete collapse of the Bulls' mentality.
The young people basically couldn't play anymore; they were all completely bewildered.
Ben is experienced, older, and has enough prestige.
The problem is that, firstly, his offensive ability is almost zero, so he can't lead his teammates; secondly, he is Lin Tian's number one ironclad younger brother, and he almost treats Lin Tian like a second parent.
Given how the Bulls treated Lin Tian, the fact that Ben Wallace didn't stir up trouble internally or form cliques to completely disrupt the Bulls' locker room is already a testament to his professionalism.
It also required him to put in a lot of effort to reunite the Bulls team.
Next time, let's talk about it next time when there's a chance!
In short, on this joyous day when everyone is mocking Chicago, the Christmas Day game between the Knicks and the Hornets has begun!
The Knicks started with their usual five-man lineup, while the Hornets fielded their strongest starting lineup.
The center is "Boxing King" Tyson Chandler, the power forward is Yi Jianlian, the "Space Yi" from China, who they acquired in a hefty trade this year, and the small forward and shooting guard are Bonzi Wells and Dysonmay Mason, respectively.
As for the point guard, it is of course their absolute core player, Deron Williams.
What can I say about this lineup?
His athletic talent is exceptional. Chandler was able to enter the top three as a high school player because of his size and strong athleticism. One of Yi Jianlian's biggest selling points is also his physical attributes.
In addition, there's Mason, a former dunk contest champion, and Deron Williams, who, despite being overweight, possesses top-tier speed and jumping ability and is single-mindedly focused on dunking.
Of these five, only Wells, who was known as one of the New Orleans "twin fatties" along with Deron Williams, was slightly less fit due to his age.
Although Wells can't jump high or run fast, his size is enough to make him the most dominant shooting guard in most of the league. Coupled with his aggressive playing style, big butt, and good touch, this guy is, in a sense, a nightmare for all his opponents.
Defending against him is really tiring and painful.
Of course, the Hornets' roster also has its share of problems.
For example, shooting ability and spacing.
Chandler is a pure blue-collar player who can only dunk and lay up off the backboard. Mason's signature move is a back-to-the-basket drive to the perimeter of the paint and a floater. Wells' signature move is a back-to-the-basket drive to the basket and a strong attack. Deron's signature move is also a drive and pass, and his three-point shooting percentage is not consistent.
As for Yi Jianlian, although his other major selling point is his shooting ability, he is good at mid-range shots. He has not yet adapted to the NBA's three-point line, and his three-point shooting percentage is only 27%!
Even so, his three-point shooting percentage is already the second highest among the starting five!
A team where three out of five starters have absolutely no shooting ability, and the remaining two are about the same, reveals the team's style.
Their performance this season has not improved, and they have never been able to break into the top half of the bracket because this weakness of theirs is always exploited by their opponents.
At crucial moments, the opponent's move to tighten their defense immediately puts the Hornets' offense in trouble.
Of course, the Hornets also have several good shooters off the bench, such as Bobby Jackson, Maurice Peterson, and Janello Pargo.
The problem is that among these players, only Jackson has seen big games, has a strong fist and a big heart. The rest are not the type that Coach Scott can feel comfortable putting on the court in the final moments.
But Jackson is a short point guard, so if he's on the court in crucial moments, Deron Williams will have to play shooting guard.
The team's perimeter and forward defense will immediately collapse.
So, Scott is in a tough spot.
It's extremely difficult.
Whenever the Hornets are unable to break through due to the opponent's collapsed defense and miss their three-point shots, Scott and many others on the team miss Peja.
How did they end up trading Peja?
Fortunately, the Yi Jianlian they received in exchange for Peja was not bad.
Although not very efficient, he was hardworking and easy to use, and his pick-and-roll coordination with Deron Williams was also quite good.
Whether it's a powerful dunk or a mid-range shot from a cut outside, he can always impress people.
The only problem is that it's not stable enough.
For example, earlier this month, Yi Jianlian faced the Bobcats and made 13 of 17 shots, including a 12-shot streak, scoring a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds.
但他在这场比赛之前和之后的2场比赛中，总计13投4中，只拿到9分7篮板。
Simply put, you still need to practice.
At least Scott had a very clear understanding: if this team really wanted to achieve results, it would have to make one or two more trades to add some players and let the existing players develop further.
It will take at least 2-3 years for them to truly become contenders for the championship.
As for now?
Make it to the playoffs, gain experience, and every win is a bonus; winning a round is an even bigger bonus!
Of course, Scott wouldn't say these things to his own players.
It will affect the vitality of young people.
At least Deron Williams and a few others believe that the team can reach the top of the Western Conference this year and win the championship!
Although everyone knows the probability is extremely small, young people, who doesn't have some beautiful daydreams and imagine themselves reaching the pinnacle of life?
That's only human nature! (End of Chapter)