radicalducati Chapter 149 Pranking Jordan! The Great Three-Point Shooting of the 90s
Chapter 149 Pranking Jordan! The Great Three-Point Shooting of the 90s
Chapter 149 Pranking Jordan! The Three-Point Shooting Team of the 3s!
Strickland's market value plummeted, while Lin Tian's market value increased in contrast.
Well, of course, there was no skyrocketing price, because he was originally the biggest fish on the free agent market during the offseason!
Many teams are willing to free up a lot of salary space for Lin Tian in order to bring him into the team. This round's overwhelming performance will only make more teams want to participate in the battle for Lin Tian and are willing to go all out for him!
But those things are not what Lin Tian needs to consider right now. All their goals are now on their opponents in the next round!
This year's first round of the playoffs is quite different from previous years in that there are a lot of sweeping victories!
Besides the Bulls easily crushing the Clippers, the Western Conference-leading Jazz also easily swept the Clippers, with a net point differential of 18 points! Their net point differential is second only to the Bulls in all first-round series.
The second-ranked Rockets swept the seventh-ranked Timberwolves, giving the Timberwolves' young trio a vivid lesson.
The SuperSonics, whose performance declined significantly this season due to internal strife, have shown their considerable strength in the playoffs. They also defeated the newly rebuilt Phoenix Suns 3-0 and will face the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals!
The final Western Conference matchup, the Lakers vs. Trail Blazers series, was not a sweep, but it was also not very suspenseful. After winning the first two games at home, the Lakers lost the third game to the Trail Blazers. Then, in the fourth game, O'Neal was in great form, scoring a double-double of 38 points and 21 rebounds.
It's worth mentioning that Kobe Bryant, who scored a playoff high of 22 points in the previous game, sat on the bench in this game, playing only 6 minutes. Apart from going 0-for-2 and scoring no points, all his other stats were 0!
However, not many people pay attention to this high school student's performance; at most, he is only the fifth or even sixth number one player on the Lakers!
In the Eastern Conference, besides the Bulls, the second-ranked Heat easily swept the Magic. Mourning displayed the ferocity of a top center in the league, averaging 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game in the series, leaving the Magic players utterly defeated and unable to fight back.
It's worth mentioning that in Game 3 of this series, Hardaway suffered another knee injury and had to be carried off the court. This marks the third time he has injured his knee this season.
The repeated injuries to the same area within a short period of time have cast a shadow over Hardaway's career, which has only seen him play 51 games this season.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, who finished third in the East, also gave the Detroit Pistons, led by Hill, little chance. Patrick Ewing averaged 31 points and 10 rebounds per game with a 66% field goal percentage! This guy, who is generally considered the worst of the four centers, obviously knew that he would face the challenge of his junior Alonzo Mourning in the next round. Therefore, he went all out in the first round and was fully prepared for the battle!
Mourning, is it? Come on!
The only series in the Eastern Conference that didn't end in a sweep came between the fourth-ranked Hawks and the fifth-ranked Hornets. These two teams were evenly matched and had similar playing styles. They went back and forth on the court, neither giving an inch, and the series went all the way to a decisive Game 5.
In the decisive Game 5, Hornets' Glen Rice once again demonstrated his formidable strength, scoring a dominant 43 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 17-of-28 shooting from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, leading his team into the Eastern Conference semifinals!
Here, they will face off against the league's dominant force, the Chicago Bulls!
It was after this life-or-death duel that Rice, brimming with confidence, displayed an unprecedented domineering aura in a media interview!
"I will handle everything! I will lead the team forward! I know I can do it, and I know I have endless potential! I will continue to prove to everyone that I am no less capable than anyone else!"
"Glenn, were you referring to your next opponent, the Bulls, when you said that?" A reporter sensed the implication in Rice's words and immediately began to dig a hole for him.
The reporter thought he would have to dig the hole deeper before Rice could jump in, but to his surprise, as soon as he swung the shovel, Rice looked annoyed that he was digging too slowly, snatched the shovel from his hand, dug the hole for himself, and jumped in!
"I'm not afraid of anyone when I say this! Of course I know how strong the Bulls are, and I know how many amazing things they've done in the past few years, but what I'm saying is that history keeps moving forward, and the NBA keeps progressing as well."
"The era of the previous generation is almost over. This league belongs to us! I will prove in the Eastern Conference semifinals that I am no worse than anyone else!"
"Anyone, you mean Michael Jordan?" The reporter picked up a lid, and without Rice even needing to say yes, as long as Rice said something ambiguous or something that he could take out of context, the reporter would immediately put the lid on! Fill the hole, and then properly start a pre-match war of words!
To the reporter's surprise, Rice took the initiative again this time, snatched the lid, and covered himself in the pit.
"Yes, I'm talking about Jordan! I watched his first-round game, and he was just so-so! I have to say, Jordan is obviously getting old, and he's not even the player we're most afraid of on the Bulls! Our biggest worry is actually Lin! We're worried about not being able to match Lin's speed!"
"So, Glenn, will you go up against Jordan in the Eastern Conference semifinals and shut him down? Are you confident you can continue to play like you did tonight against Jordan's defense and prove you're the best shooting guard in the East?"
Just as Rice, brimming with confidence, was about to say "Yes, that's right," Anthony Mason Jr., who had been sitting next to Rice the whole time, finally couldn't hold back anymore.
He grabbed Rice's shoulder, snatched the microphone, and said to the reporters, "Let's see what happens during the game! Nobody knows what will happen before the game starts, right?"
After speaking, Mason gave Rice no chance to resist, half-pulling and half-hugging her as he forcibly dragged her out of the press conference.
But to be honest, it was too late.
The reporters got enough to fill an entire page of news!
Rice's provocations against Jordan and the Bulls will certainly reach the Bulls' ears completely and accurately.
"What are you doing, Anthony! Are you afraid of the Bulls? Why are you afraid of them? Let me tell you, I'm not afraid at all! I'll take them down!" Rice struggled all the way, finally managing to break free from Mason's clutches in the aisle, looking at the team's veteran, a tough guy who had just transferred from the Knicks at the beginning of the season, with dissatisfaction.
"I'm trying to save your career, you idiot! Do you know what you just said to the media? Do you think your words will reach Jordan's ears within three hours?" Mason looked at Rice with the same gaze he would give his own crazy, self-destructive husky.
You're just asking for it!
"I was talking to Anthony for him! I'm not afraid of him at all! I'm going to beat them down to win the championship!" Rice snorted, completely unconcerned about what he had done wrong, and continued confidently, "I know what you guys are saying."
"What? The one person you absolutely can't mess with in this league is Jordan? What? You can do anything in the league, but don't anger Michael! What else was there? It doesn't matter. What matters is that you've all been terrified of Jordan! You're spineless! You've already chickened out!"
"But I won't! I'm not afraid of him! What I did tonight, I will do again and again in the second round! Until I eliminate the Bulls!"
After Rice finished speaking, he turned around and left the passageway with a triumphant air, completely unaware that Mason looked at him with the same disdain he had for a dead man.
The morning after the press conference, a large group of reporters flocked to the Bulls' training facility, hoping to corner some Bulls players and continue the war of words.
The person who was caught this time, or rather, who voluntarily stepped forward to be interviewed, was Lin Tian.
Lin Tian, driving his incredibly stylish Corvette, spotted a large group of reporters squatting outside the stadium early on. With his keen sense of smell, he immediately guessed that there must be another verbal battle going on! So Lin Tian happily handed the car keys to a stadium staff member he knew fairly well, and then swaggered over to the reporters.
"Lin is here!"
"Charge! Don't let him get away!"
"Hurry up! Get a good spot! This guy's the number one trash talker!"
"God of Wealth! God of Wealth! The God of Wealth is here!"
"What God of Wealth? This is Protoss! This is our God of Fortune!"
Dozens of reporters surrounded Lin Tian in an instant, and a bunch of microphones were handed directly in front of him.
"Lin, do you know that Glen Rice made some harsh remarks to you?"
"Do you know he said you were the kings of the last era, and not worth worrying about at all?"
"Did you know he said he'd crush you and advance?"
"Rice said you're the hardest player to guard on the Bulls, what do you think?"
"Do you know Rice said he'd play 40+ points every game to beat you guys?"
Who will you assign to defend Rice?
"Will you teach Rice a lesson and make him realize he's done wrong?"
Faced with a cacophony of questions from the reporters, Lin Tian raised his hand and said, "Stop! Everyone, stop for a moment, one at a time! You, yes, you, repeat your question."
The reporter Lin Tian called on paused for a moment, then quickly asked, "Rice said you're the hardest player to guard on the Bulls, what do you think?"
That's it!
Lin Tian nodded, confirming that he hadn't chosen the wrong person. Then he said to the reporters, "I think Rice is right! I am indeed the most difficult person to deal with on the team."
"What about the rest? What about the other things Rice said?"
The reporters immediately launched into another barrage of questions, and Lin Tian quickly gestured for them to be quiet. Then, he smiled and said, "I don't care what he says, because I'm already thinking about my next opponent!"
"Tim Hardaway or Charlie Ward? I'm thinking about who would be easier to beat in the Eastern Conference Finals."
Lin Tian's words startled the reporters for a moment, but they immediately realized what he meant and quickly jotted down notes in their notebooks!
He truly deserves the title of the new generation's king of trash talk!
What response could be more hurtful than these words?
Am I already thinking about my next opponent?
The taunting was absolutely on full display!
After seeing the reporters frantically taking notes, Lin Tian took out his phone and said, "Well, as for the other questions, I bet you'd much rather hear Michael answer them personally than have me do it!"
"certainly!"
"But we can't find him!"
"Michael never gives interviews at this time."
"Could you help us relay the question to Yao Lin?"
"Could you take us into the training facility?"
……
Faced with the reporters' curiosity, Lin Tian once again pressed his palm down, signaling everyone to be quiet, and then he said, "Keep quiet, and I'll give you everything you want!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Michael? Where are you? Are you already at the locker room? Come to the parking lot entrance, the main gate! What's wrong? I told you to come, why would I let you come if there wasn't something wrong? Hurry up! It's definitely good news! When have I ever lied to you? Hurry up! Quickly! Otherwise, it'll be too late!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he hung up the phone and looked at the group of reporters in front of him who were completely dumbfounded. He waved his hand and said, "Aren't you going to hide? When Michael comes over and sees so many people, even if he's stupid, he'll know he's been tricked. He'll turn around and run away!"
"You all get hidden right now, and when Michael gets here, rush out and surround him. At that point, he'll tell you whatever you want to ask, won't he?"
The reporters looked at each other in disbelief.
Many of these journalists are veterans with over 20 years of experience, and a few are true industry experts who have covered the Olympics.
But Lin Tian pulled a stunt on them that they had never seen before!
Nobody has ever seen this thing before!
But even if they hadn't seen it before, which reporter is slow to react? After Lin Tian said one sentence, the group scattered like birds and beasts in an instant, disappearing in the blink of an eye!
Even Lin Tian couldn't help but admire them, saying that these people were wasting their talents as reporters. If they were spies, their ability to hide would make them top-notch talents!
Less than 10 minutes later, Jordan, still wearing his jersey, swaggered out of the parking lot exit, muttering, "You better really have something to say, or if I find out you're messing with me, I'll make you pay!"
As soon as he saw Jordan approaching, Lin Tian immediately gave him a warm hug and said, "Why would I mess with you? I invited you here because there's good news to share!"
As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, the reporters who had been hiding behind flower beds, under trees, behind cars, and in front of chairs all rushed out in a swarm!
Seeing dozens of people rushing towards him, Jordan was so frightened that he almost jumped up on the spot!
But Lin Tian's grip on his shoulder was really tight. Even though Jordan's jumping ability was among the best in the NBA, he couldn't break free from Lin Tian's hold.
Fortunately, Jordan realized that the group was holding microphones and cameras, not machetes and bricks. He also realized that these people weren't there for revenge; they were there to do an interview!
"Lin! You bastard! You still say you're not playing me? I'll definitely... Where are you going? Come back!" Jordan's harsh words were only halfway through when he saw Lin Tian turn around and run away.
Without looking back, he walked out of the reporters' encirclement and headed towards the stadium.
Then, Jordan had no chance to care about what Lin Tian was going to do, because dozens of microphones were already shoved to his mouth, as if they wanted to shove them directly into his face!
"Michael, what's your take on Glenn Rice's comments from last night?"
"Will you guard Rice one-on-one the entire time, showing him who the king of the league really is?"
Do you think you're old?
"Rice says the new generation is going to seize power. When do you think they'll be able to do it?"
"If you had to choose a shooting guard to succeed you, who would you pick?"
The reporters' barrage of questions completely overwhelmed Jordan. He had no time to see what Lin Tian was doing, nor did he have time to care. He had to deal with the reporters in front of him first...
Thirty minutes later, Lin Tian, who was changing clothes in the locker room, suddenly said to his teammates, "Michael's coming back. You guys better watch out, I bet he's in a terrible mood right now!"
"He was joking around with us happily when he showed up in the locker room half an hour ago," said the honest Winington, curiously. "How could things have gotten so bad?"
"So guess where he went for the past half hour?" Lin Tian stood up after changing his clothes and said, "Don't blame me for not reminding you, the first thing you need to do in training today is to stay away from Michael!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he was the first to turn around and walk out of the locker room.
Why did Lin Tian know that Jordan was in a very bad mood and was about to return to the locker room? Because the system had just given Lin Tian a hint.
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 300 experience points!"
With so many experience points suddenly appearing, you can imagine how intense Jordan's emotions must have been!
Even Lin Tian decided to stay far away, at least until Jordan had vented his first wave of anger before appearing in front of him.
Hmm... how about we go find Phil Jackson?
Make up any excuse and ask for two days off.
Thinking of this, Lin Tian stopped heading towards the training field and instead walked towards Jackson's office. He wanted to stay away from the enraged Jordan, not out of fear, but purely for the sake of world peace!
To safeguard world peace, something always has to be sacrificed!
For example, Lin Tian's appendix suddenly started hurting.
"Where's Lin?" Less than three minutes after Lin Tian left the locker room, Jordan appeared at the locker room door with a gloomy expression. His tone was cold and his face was full of murderous intent, clearly on the verge of exploding in rage.
Jordan's imposing presence silenced the entire locker room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, but no one dared to answer him.
"FUXX! I'm asking you a question! Is there not a single person who can talk in our locker room? Is our whole team mute?" When Jordan saw that no one was speaking, he kicked the locker closest to the door in anger, completely deforming the locker door.
"He went out to train." In the end, Wennington took the blame, pointing to the door and saying, "He just left, less than 3 minutes ago."
As for Lin Tian, he had already asked Jackson for leave, and without even changing his clothes, he walked straight out of the arena, found the staff member who had helped him park, got into his car, and sped away.
A wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall!
Then, less than 10 minutes later, before Lin Tian had even arrived home, the system gave him another notification.
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 200 experience points!"
Needless to say, this was Jordan's experience that surfaced again in his fury after failing to find Lin Tian.
This renowned basketball god probably never showed such anger and rage throughout his entire career!
Did I really get tricked by Lin? Not only did he trick me, but that bastard just ran away after he finished?
FUXX!
Lin Tian took two days off!
When he reappeared with the team, it was already the afternoon of Game 1 of the Bulls' series against the Hornets!
As Lin Tian entered the locker room, he could sense that Jordan's condition had improved significantly, and his temper seemed to have subsided considerably.
Although he hadn't been with the team these past two days, Lin Tian had been reading the newspapers quite a bit. He clearly saw that Jordan and Rice had been exchanging barrages of words one after another!
After Rice's outrageous remarks, only one person supported him? Lin Tian bluntly stated that he was right!
Lin Tian's words reveal the Bulls' internal problems; were they already on the verge of collapse?
Lin Tian openly admits he's harder to beat than Jordan! Is his mind already elsewhere in Chicago?
Arrogant and domineering! Lin Tian's boastful words could be included in the encyclopedia of trash talk: I'm already considering my next opponent!
After dominating Strickland, can the Hornets' backcourt stop Lin Tian's onslaught?
Shocking! Industry insiders say at least three teams have prepared offers exceeding $100 million for Lin Tian, including the Knicks!
The Knicks are pulling out all the stops! The contract they're offering Lin Tian is far beyond what he imagined!
Ok……
It seems like we've gone off-topic.
Actually, no, because these were all reports that Pelinka showed to Lin Tian, and Lin Tian could tell just by looking at Pelinka's smug expression.
These reports and news are most likely just rumors spread by Pelinka!
This was all to create hype about how much money Lin Tian would get in his contract this summer!
"Lin, now that it's come to this, tell me the truth. What are your plans for this summer? I don't want to work hard for months only to end up doing something completely contrary to your ideas and accomplishing nothing."
Before the Bulls' series against the Hornets began, Pelinka took the opportunity of delivering a newspaper to Lin Tian to visit Lin Tian's home, hoping to have a good talk with him.
"First, I will absolutely not compromise on money. I want the best contract I can get. Second, I will not continue playing for the Bulls. I want to go to a place where I am the leader and the core player."
"Given these two points, everything else can be discussed further."
"Understood." Pelinka nodded, indicating he fully understood. "Then, I'll continue to build momentum for you. I don't guarantee you'll get a contract like Shaq's last year, but at the very least, I won't let you be worse than that Juwan Howard guy!"
After seeing Pelinka off, Lin Tian didn't forget to continue flipping through the newspapers he had been given. What he had just read were all things that Pelinka had gotten published in the newspapers through his connections, all of which were meant to make his popularity even more hyped!
Now, what Lin Tian is looking at is all the real deal!
It's the kind of verbal sparring where, aside from not directly insulting someone, almost everything is used to the extreme.
Absolutely top-tier quality!
Rice bluntly states that Jordan is past his prime, and the current league belongs to the players born in the 70s!
Jordan says he'll retire eventually, but his successor will definitely not be Rice!
Rice claims to be the best swingman in the Eastern Conference, saying he can dominate all opponents!
Jordan claims he dominated the Hawks' frontcourt back in the 80s, calling them insignificant!
Rice stated that the Bulls would not have won the championship last season without Lin Tian!
Jordan claims Rice's mother couldn't have given birth to her without him!
……
Lin Tian felt that the rest of the article was no longer suitable for publication in the newspaper. He could only say that the American media was really wild and dared to publish anything in the newspaper!
That was truly amazing!
In short, Jordan and Rice were locked in a fierce verbal battle for two whole days, providing a thoroughly entertaining spectacle for onlookers! Lin Tian even remarked that he never imagined Rice possessed such formidable fighting power; when it came to trash talk, he was in no way inferior to Jordan!
Regardless of how many people believe Rice is courting disaster and doesn't know when to back down, the media stirring things up and fanning the flames has made this series a hot topic.
At the same time, Jordan's anger shifted from Lin Tian to Rice.
These past two days, besides training and ranting to the media, Jordan has been watching Rice's game tapes! He wants to thoroughly analyze this guy and see where he gets the confidence to provoke him like this!
If Jordan doesn't shut down Glen Rice like a piece of dog shit, he won't be able to stay in the NBA anymore!
The relationship between this Hornets team, the Hornets team that came later, and the Charlotte Bobcats, another team, is so complicated that many people can't tell them apart.
Ahem... It's time for Master Lin's mini-lesson again!
The current Charlotte Hornets team is the beginning of everything. They were a new team that joined the NBA in the 88-89 season, and have only been established for 8 years.
A few years later, after the 01-02 season, they will move to New Orleans and become the New Orleans Hornets.
Then came the 04-05 season, when the NBA expanded again, introducing the league's 30th team, the Charlotte Bobcats, founded by Michael Jordan!
Then in August 2005, New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and the entire city was almost completely destroyed. However, by this time, the Hornets could no longer move back to Charlotte because the Bobcats had already taken over there.
They had no choice but to relocate to Oklahoma, where they played temporarily for two years before returning to New Orleans to become the New Orleans Hornets once again.
Then, in 2011, the Hornets' owner ran out of money and couldn't find a new buyer, so the Hornets were temporarily handed over to the league for trusteeship. During this period, the very famous "Basketball Reason" incident occurred.
Then in 2012, the Hornets finally found a new buyer. After taking over the team, the new owner focused on creating a brand new team culture. The first thing he did was to rename the Hornets to the Pelicans. From then on, the New Orleans Hornets disappeared into the annals of history.
Finally, Jordan and Charlotte fans, far away in Charlotte, were saddened by the Bobcats' consistently poor performance. The team failed to make any progress in either the draft or trades, never winning a single round of the playoffs, and in fact, they only made the playoffs twice in total!
So, the superstitious Jordan believed that it was all because the team's feng shui was bad, the team name was incompatible with his birth chart, and the local Charlotte fans had a special affection for the Hornets. In order to get the fans to buy tickets again, Jordan made a big move and changed the Bobcats to Hornets!
Charlotte Hornets return to the league!
But it's important to remember that although they are both Charlotte Hornets, the previous Charlotte Hornets team was actually the current New Orleans Pelicans, while the current Charlotte Hornets were formerly the Charlotte Bobcats!
They are two completely different teams with no shared history and no connection whatsoever!
The Bulls are about to face a Hornets team that will become the future New Orleans Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans!
Yeah, that's about it!
As the start time of the game drew closer, Jackson finally arrived late, entering the locker room three hours before the game began.
Upon entering the locker room, Jackson casually adjusted his glasses and said with a smile, "I don't think I need to give you any pep talks or encouragement for this round of games, right? At least Michael, you definitely don't need to, right?"
"I'm just waiting for the game to start so I can tear that bastard Rice to shreds!" Jordan's eyes were filled with malice. Glen Rice had really angered him!
"Very well, so, how do you want to tear him apart? Do you need your teammates' help? Do you need defensive support?" Jackson squinted and continued to ask.
"Of course not!" Jordan scoffed, as if Jackson's question was an insult. He looked at Jackson and said, "I'll show him, in a one-on-one situation, that the gap between him and me is farther than the distance from Earth to Mars!"
"Very good! Well then, Glenn is yours, Michael!" Jackson said with a smile. "As for the rest of the Hornets..."
"Their starting power forward is an old acquaintance of ours, a former Knicks player, known as the New York flagrant foul king, well, of course, now the Charlotte flagrant foul king, Anthony Mason Jr.! He's strong, powerful, has great offensive ability, can grab rebounds, and is also a strong finisher."
"I'll take care of his Phil." Rodman raised an eyelid and said lazily, "Just like every time we've met before, I can easily take him down! A notorious foul king? A paper tiger. I'll see if he dares to commit a malicious foul against me!"
"Great! Dennis's great!" Jackson continued, "And then there's Divac, a standard European center, with all-around skills, a shooting range that even extends beyond the three-point line, and excellent playmaking and passing abilities! The most important thing in defending him isn't stopping him from scoring, but preventing him from setting up his teammates to score!"
"Luke, don't stick too close to him. If he wants to shoot, let him shoot, but make sure to block his passing vision and prevent him from easily passing the ball to his teammates, understand?"
"I will do my best, Coach!" Longley nodded. In the 90s, an era dominated by centers and with a plethora of top centers, Longley, widely regarded as the weakest link in the Bulls' starting lineup, was always tasked with dealing with those renowned super centers.
Fortunately, although Longley's abilities were indeed not comparable to those of the superstar centers, he always managed to complete his tasks well and never allowed any top center to achieve any exaggerated super statistics over the Bulls.
"Then, Ricky Pierce," Jackson continued. "He's a two-time Sixth Man of the Year and an All-Star, but ultimately, he's taken countless injuries, and he's 38 years old! Right now, he's a mediocre player in every way."
"The only thing to watch out for is his three-point shooting. Although his career three-point percentage is only 33%, this season with the Hornets, he's averaging 1.4 three-pointers per game at a 52% success rate. In the playoffs, he's still averaging 1.3 three-pointers per game at a 42% success rate. That's definitely the output of a top-tier shooter!"
"Scott, watch out for his three-pointers." Jackson looked at Pippen, then opened his mouth again, clearly wanting Pippen to double-team Rice, but after hesitating for a moment, Jackson still didn't say anything.
Since Jordan has already declared that he will handle Rice himself, then let's leave it entirely to Jordan!
"Then, there's their starting point guard, and also the shortest player in NBA history, the 'Little Bug' Muggsy, who's only 160 centimeters tall. Lin, are you confident you can handle him?"
"I know he dribbles beautifully, is very fast, and has a strong passing ability. Also, given his height, the fact that he's played in the NBA for so long shows that his stamina, mentality, and mental attributes are definitely not to be underestimated!" Lin Tian said, then suddenly smiled and added, "But no matter what he does on the offensive end, I will always say one thing to him."
"Little kid, uncle's about to start hitting you from behind!"
Jackson smiled and nodded at Lin Tian's words, then continued, "Besides their starting five, their sixth man shouldn't be underestimated either. Dell Curry, although a substitute, is the Hornets' third-leading scorer and their number one three-point specialist!"
"He's also a Sixth Man of the Year winner. The moment the ball hits his hands, he can shoot! He also has a decent drive to the basket. Ron, you need to be careful when facing him. Watch out for his three-pointers, and also watch out for his step-back drive after he fakes you out!"
After introducing the Hornets' key players, Jackson looked at the players below, paused slightly, and continued, "The Hornets are a completely different team from the Bullets. Compared to the Bullets' style of play, which focuses on attacking the paint and utilizing the paint and mid-range, this Hornets team is a shooting powerhouse!"
「他们的多名球员，都在本赛季投出了高于自己生涯平均的3分命中率和3分命中数！比如莱斯，他每场能用47%的命中率投进2个以上的3分，库里也有着43%的三分命中率！」
"Including Divac, although he doesn't shoot many three-pointers and his accuracy is so-so, if we really relax, he will really punish us with three-pointers! And you, Lin, Muggsy Bogues is indeed short, and he has never been known for his shooting ability in the league."
「但博格斯本赛季也有41%的3分命中率！首轮比赛他的3分命中率甚至高达85%！每场比赛能进3个，几乎是百发百中！他的3分球，绝对不能忽视！」
"Also, their bench players, Tony Delk and Anthony Goldwyl, both have a three-point shooting percentage of over 40%. And there's Tony Smith, Rafael Edison, and Scott Burrell, these three guys are all role players on the team, playing no more than 15 minutes per game."
"But each of them has a decent three-point shot! The Hornets' three-point shooting ability is definitely among the top three in the league! This time, we're facing a team with a completely different style from most teams these days, focusing on outside offense and shooting, and then supported by an all-around center as the axis!"
"If you don't do a good job on defense and only focus on outscoring them on offense, you'll definitely suffer. You'll definitely get a good kick in the ass! Understand?"
"Understood!" The entire Bulls team answered Jackson's question simultaneously.
"Of course, if you guys really don't want to play good defense," Jackson suddenly changed the subject, shrugging his shoulders, "if you want to go all out offensively, I'm confident we won't lose to any team in the league! But that's not the way I want to win!"
"To win, you have to stifle your opponent's strengths, prevent them from playing what they want, and that's how you completely defeat them, making them and the entire league truly submit! Understand?"
"clear!"
"Since you understand, then go for it! Let's teach the Hornets a lesson!"
As Jackson finished his speech, the entire Bulls team stood up from their locker room chairs and marched aggressively toward the United Center arena.
Tonight, the United Center was, unsurprisingly, completely packed! Over 18000 spectators flooded into the arena, eager to witness yet another victory for their team!
(End of this chapter)