The morning after the game against the Lakers, the Trail Blazers set out from Portland. Tomorrow, they will start a four-game road trip in six days.
Today's destination is the Bay Area, San Francisco, and tomorrow we will go to Oakland, next door to San Francisco, to play against the Warriors.
The Trail Blazers players suffered a devastating blow yesterday when they lost to the Lakers.
But there will always be losses. After a good night’s sleep, it’s a new day.
If there is anything, we’ll talk about it next time we meet the Lakers.
On the flight to San Francisco, the Trail Blazers players sat together to discuss several major events announced by the league this morning.
What everyone cares about most is the new division system that the league voted through a few days ago.
Starting from next season, the Hornets will be incorporated into the Western Conference, and the Bobcats will join the NBA. The league's four major divisions will become six major divisions, with five teams in each division.
west.
Northwest Division: Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Jazz, SuperSonics.
Pacific Division: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Warriors, Suns.
Southwest Division: Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets, Hornets, Grizzlies.
east.
Southeast Division: Heat, Magic, Hawks, Bobcats, Wizards.
Central Division: Pistons, Cavaliers, Pacers, Bucks, Bulls.
Atlantic Division: Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Raptors, 76ers.
The rules for advancing to the playoffs have also changed accordingly - the 8 playoff teams in the division are composed of the top team in each division + the 5 teams with the best records among the remaining teams, and the top team in the division must be ranked in the top three in the division.
To take it to an extreme, it is possible that a team could rank 11th in the Eastern or Western Conference and yet make the playoffs.
Everyone had their own opinions on whether the results of these changes were good or bad, and the discussion was lively.
What everyone is certain of is that changes to the division rules will have an impact on every team.
Another hotly debated topic is the logic behind the division of the competition areas.
For example, the Trail Blazers have four consecutive away games. After playing against the Warriors, the remaining three opponents are the three teams that will soon be divided into the Southwest Division, the Grizzlies, Rockets, and Spurs. However, Memphis is quite far away from Texas, unlike New Orleans which is almost next to Texas.
Those who are good at geography think that Phoenix, which has a similarly hot weather, should be placed in the Southwest Division; Portland or Seattle should be placed in the Pacific Division...
While everyone was chatting happily, Liu Xiu, who usually talked a lot, leaned against the window and looked out.
Seeing Liu Xiu's look, Randolph stood up and went to Liu Xiu...but then he stopped and pulled Tianzun along with him.
Tianzun sat down next to Liu Xiu and said, "Warden, are you still thinking about last night's game?"
"Hmm..." Liu Xiu responded lazily.
“Match Rating:
Game type: Regular season.
Basic Reward: 500 Healing Points.
Minutes: 29.
Statistics: 2 of 9 shots, plus 1 of 1 free throws, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers...
…
Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: 250 healing points."
I took another look at the scores of last night's game and it was a bit annoying.
But that's not the most annoying thing, he said: "Last night's game, they gave me the feeling that they knew they would win, and we had no way to stop them."
Randolph nodded and responded, "I know how you feel. I feel the same way."
Liu Xiu rolled his eyes: "How can you possibly understand my feelings? This is the first time in my life that I have lost a regular season game."
“…”
“…”
Randolph and Tianzun didn't react at once.
After a moment of silence, Randolph asked, "Is this what you care about?"
"right."
"Healing value +88, from Zach Randolph."
"Healing value +91, from Rasheed Wallace."
Is there anything more infuriating than this? And what they said was the truth!
They played against the Pistons in the opening game, against the Kings after their comeback... until they defeated the Bucks. They won the first 7 games of their prison warden career!
Randolph and Tianzun were speechless for another two seconds, then looked at each other and reached out to Liu Xiu...
"What are you doing... don't come over here... let's fight!"
Randolph responded: "I have a son. I don't need to prove my worth in this matter."
Tianzun then responded: "I have a son and a daughter."
"How do you know your child is your child?"
“I’ve had a DNA test.”
"My son and daughter have both had their DNA tested."
"Shit!"
These two people can even answer this!
Chick...
…
On November 26, the first game day of the Trail Blazers' four-game road trip arrived, and they came to the Oakland Arena in Oakland to prepare for the game.
Kevin Pritchard didn't have any training scheduled today. Tonight's opponent is the Warriors. Either he looks down on the Warriors... or he looks down on the Warriors.
The Warriors have everything they want: a good coach, good players, a good lineup structure, a good market environment...but they don't have a smart management team.
Such a team is not an opponent in Kevin Prittach's eyes. There is no need for excessive preparation. He only needs to make targeted tactical adjustments based on the opponent's skills and tactics, and then go on the court and play.
and……
He was very satisfied wandering around the visiting team's training ground and gym! The players were practicing more!
Except for that bastard... huh?
Kevin Pritchard shook his head vigorously, then looked carefully and found that he was not dazzled! What the hell!
After a team training session in the morning, Liu Xiu didn't leave? But after a closer look, this guy didn't train, but was... teaching his teammates how to train!
"Crazy, did you remember the technique of accelerating and stepping to attack the basket that I just taught you?... I finally remembered it. I taught you a few simple moves so many times. This is the direction that the trainer and I have discussed and is very suitable for you to strengthen. If you can't remember it, I will beat you... Practice this more, it can improve your efficiency when attacking the basket! But you need to improve your basic skills more. Your shooting at this point, this point, gives me a good feeling. Don't practice other things for now, don't think about being comprehensive, just practice shooting in these two areas, catch the ball, and jump up and shoot."
"Huh?" Travis Outlaw kept nodding his head, startled by his teammate's words: "Just jump up and shoot?"
"Yeah! You're so tall, your wingspan is so long, and your jumping ability is so good. You can just shoot in the area where you feel good. Who can block you?"
"Is that so?"
"Right, that is it."
"oh……"
"You should practice hard. Don't worry about playing time and starting position. You can't master basic skills all at once, so don't be impatient. What you need to do now is to maintain regular training and strengthen your strengths... Really, didn't I teach you before? In the end, I have to help you find a solution... I'm leaving now."
"Warden, you don't train?"
"I want to train! I'm going to the gym."
"Practice fighting? You don't need to practice fighting anymore, do you want to become a professional?"
“…”
Liu Xiu rolled his eyes, ignored the outlaw, turned around and left... He saw the head assistant coach Kevin Pritcha, greeted him politely, and walked towards the gym.
Kevin Pritchard's good mood was now filled with endless annoyance - this kid used to argue that he was doing physical training, but now he doesn't even try to hide it and just admits that he is practicing fighting!
…
…
"The Warriors are really miserable! Warden, tell me, if the Warriors had used the No. 5 pick to select Arenas in 2001, what would the situation be like now?"
"Their general manager will probably be fired on draft night."
"That makes sense, but it's a pity. Arenas is much better at leading a team than Richardson..."
At 7:30 in the evening, at the Oakland Arena, the Trail Blazers' away game against the Warriors started.
The Trail Blazers' two main substitutes on the back line, Liu Xiu and Xiao Feishu, were chatting about the rights and wrongs of the opposing team.
The Flying Squirrel likes Arenas very much because they are both point guards.
Liu Xiu felt that what Xiao Feishu said was correct. Last season, Arenas was a sophomore and averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 43.1%, which was considered average. And his sister Shen Richardson, also a sophomore last season, averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 41%.
Same team, same tactical system, Arenas is obviously stronger than Jason Richardson.
However, Arenas' contract expired after last season, he had two years on the team and did not have Bird Rights. The Warriors had no salary space and could only watch the Wizards snatch Arenas away with a naked sign.
Moreover, the Warriors wanted to trade Jason Richardson for Arenas, but the Wizards would never agree.
Jason Richardson is at best a 20+ scorer per game, which has nothing to do with the All-Stars, while Arenas already has the potential to become a superstar.
And this is actually not the first time.
In 2002, the Wizards signed Larry Hughes, whose rookie contract had expired.
Larry Hughes does have bird rights, but the problem is that Larry Hughes' rookie contract was signed before the 1998 lockout, and his parent team does not have the right to match.
Also, the Warriors lost Jamison this summer...
Looking at the Warriors' lineup on the court, Van Exel, Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy, Clifford Robinson, and Eric Dampier.
If the point guard is replaced by Arenas, the small forward is replaced by Larry Hughes, and the power forward is replaced by Jamison... the salary will probably be higher than that of the Trail Blazers.
The Warriors have shown decent strength and may be able to compete for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
But in the West, the Warriors, currently 6-7, are only ranked tenth.
On the court, as Roaring God never turned back to the direction of protecting the rim + catching the ball and shooting from mid-range and long-range + high-post assists and passing the ball + counterattack fast break..., Randolph's ball possession became more and more concentrated in the starting stage.
But Randolph's talent and strength can withstand such a heavy burden.
In the original time and space, when the team was in chaos and there might be no teammates to help, Randolph could still become a top power forward averaging 20+10 per game. Here, the rebounds were a little less, and were snatched away by a No. 9 player who did not want to reveal his name, but the improvement in singles stability and the improvement of his awareness with the help of tactics... are all better than the original time and space.
Clifford Robinson of the Warriors is a defensive expert who has given Garnett, Nowitzki, Jamison, Anthony Walker, Webber... and other technical inside players a headache. Two years ago, he was selected as the second defensive team at the age of 36, and his defensive level is still online.
But Randolph pinned Clifford Robinson down and punched him!
Clifford Robinson's defensive skills were completely useless when he met Randolph.
As if he was venting his frustration at being beaten by Malone and O'Neal the night before, Randolph played for 31 minutes, made 11 of 17 shots, plus 6 of 7 free throws, and scored 28 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.
Under Randolph's leadership, his teammates played smoothly, and Liu Xiu also played smoothly when he came on the court.
At 2 minutes and 31 seconds into the fourth quarter, the score was 86 to 65, and the difference widened to 21 points.
The gap in strength is obvious.
If the backcourt duo of Van Exel and Jason Richardson can perform tonight, the Warriors will still have a chance, but both of them are not very .
In the end, thanks to Randolph's 28+10, Tianzun's 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks, and Flying Squirrel's 16 points... the Trail Blazers defeated the Warriors 103-85, improving their record to 9 wins and 5 losses!
Liu Xiu played for 18 minutes, made 3 of 6 shots, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
Liu Xiu had no regrets about not having the chance to fight hard in garbage time. What made him sad was that there were quite a few Chinese and American fans at the scene tonight, but they did not have more time to perform... Yes, he said this himself in an interview after the game.
His performance tonight was quite satisfactory. He seized the scoring opportunities that should have been seized and made one of the three-pointers. In terms of statistics, rebounding was a highlight. In terms of personal performance, his two quick dribbles and changes of direction in front of his body made his teammates speechless and in tears...
I was just imitating it when I was playing against the Hornets, and I said I wanted to learn it. Now, how long has it been? I can actually use it in the game!
…
…
The big win over the Warriors alleviated a lot of the frustration among the Trail Blazers players over the end of their winning streak.
After playing the Warriors, the Trail Blazers flew to Memphis early the next morning.
The Trail Blazers' action plan is a little different from what they usually do when playing consecutive away games.
In the previous two-game road trip, one game was played every other day. After the first game, the Trail Blazers chose to go to the second away game in the afternoon of the rest day.
Today, we set out from our hotel in Auckland to the airport early in the morning.
Because, they have an interview team accompanying them this time!
He is not a team reporter. There has always been a team reporter named Liu Xiu. No matter how unpopular he is, he is only compared with Yao Ming. Although the domestic media does not praise him much, there are news reports on big and small things.
This time is different, this time it is a real team from production to lighting to camera to... commentator + reporter!
Everyone on the Trail Blazers is excited!
The team's press officer has discussed with the interview team and has informed the players what to say and what not to say.
There are great restrictions on answering questions, but everyone is used to it. Freedom of speech in the United States is also within a framework. Ordinary people are definitely free and no one will pay attention to you. Public figures are naturally different.
After arriving in Memphis, they took a bus directly to the FedEx Center, still carrying their luggage...
On the bus, teammates who had a good relationship with Liu Xiu surrounded him and asked questions.
"Warden, I heard there are many, many people in your country?"
"Yes, a lot..."
“I heard this TV station is the largest one?”
"Yes."
"I, I, I...Warden, how high do you think our ratings will be this time? 10%? 15%?"
"What are you thinking? It's impossible for it to be that high. 2% or 3% is good. If our recordings are played together with Yao's, the ratings may be higher."
"Ah...how many people can watch this with such low ratings!"
Randolph was feeling disappointed. His teammates, who had heard that there were a lot of Chinese people in the game, felt as if their excitement was extinguished when they heard the ratings.
Liu Xiu thought for a moment and replied, "Probably 20 to 30 million people will see it. I'm not sure. If it's Friday's basketball show, there might be more people. 50 to 60 million is also possible."
The teammates' enthusiasm had just cooled down, and they were stunned...
Randolph shouted, "Didn't you say 2%, 3%?"
"Yeah! There are about 1.3 billion people in our country... at least that's more than South America and North America combined."
The teammates gasped when they heard this!
Although these people don’t know how many people there are in North America and South America, most people still know that there are many countries in South America and North America.
As for those who didn't even know what North America and South America were, they also gasped and tried not to let anyone notice.
…
At the FedEx Center, the filming team of Chaoting TV is ready.
After receiving the notice from the producer, the reporter began to introduce the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies who will face off tomorrow.
The timing was perfect, and when the introductions were almost finished, the Trail Blazers bus arrived.
Every player getting off the bus was filmed and shown in close-up.
When Liu Xiu got off the car, he saw the young female reporter with her back to them, talking to the camera.
He doesn't ask reporters to praise him, even if they say bad things about him, but don't force it...
Liu Xiu suddenly thought back to his student days in his previous life. He didn't know if his brain was blocked by the door or he didn't eat enough walnuts when he was a child. He actually believed what the media said about the Rockets being the favorite to win the championship...
Under the guidance of the staff, Liu Xiu and his teammates entered the training ground.
Yesterday's game was not that tiring, as Randolph almost single-handedly cut through the opponent. Then we arrived at the FedEx Center, stretched out our arms, and began training to provide materials for the filming team.
A few days ago, when he was leaving Portland for Oakland, he had already received news from Bill Duffy that the game on November 30th when their Trail Blazers challenged would be dubbed the "China Derby".
The promotion has been arranged for the next two days.
He was quite excited about this.
He has never concealed his desire to become a big star in the sports world, but things did not go as he wished because he got into a fight in the opening game. Now his reputation in the country... Fortunately, there are still some people who support him. Even if his games are not broadcast live, they will still mention him when commenting on other games.
For example, the one in front of you.
After Liu Xiu posed for several sets of actions under the direction of the staff of the Imperial Court TV Station, he began to be interviewed. The person who interviewed him was Su Qun, a reporter whom he had known since college.
"Jace, long time no see."
"Teacher Su, it's been a long time since I last had an interview with you. What have you been busy with recently?"
"My work schedule has been very busy lately. I've been wanting to interview you more and have been looking for opportunities. Now here it is..."
First there was a wave of greetings like old friends.
Liu Xiu cooperated very well with this kind of filming, and it had indeed been a while since we last saw each other.
He already knew that this shoot was similar to a documentary, and that a lot of material was needed. Only a part of it would be used for the pre-match promotion in the next two days. More importantly, he needed to collect the material. If the response to the next game was big enough, he would continue production and conduct subsequent shooting. If not, he would just cut it off.
"Jace, congratulations on maintaining the highest score of your rookie class and getting the only triple-double of your rookie class. This is also the highest score of a Chinese player in the NBA and the only triple-double of a Chinese player."
"Teacher Su, can this interview be broadcast?"
"Hahaha, I think it should be OK."
Su Qun's smile was a helpless smile.
It sounds ridiculous, but this is the truth - the world you think you understand is the world that others have chosen to make you understand.
In the domestic sports world, negative news mostly reported about Liu Xiu. His 34 points were the highest score by a Chinese player in the NBA, and his triple-double was the first triple-double... Not all basketball fans in the country know this, and even most fans don't know it.
Liu Xiu smiled and said, "Regardless of whether it can be broadcast or not, I am very happy that I can get such data, and I am also proud that I am the first, but I don't want this to be the peak. I hope I am just a new starting point for Chinese guards in the field of basketball. I hope that no matter how high or low my achievements are in the future, someone will be able to surpass me."
Su Qun could tell that Liu Xiu was sincere in what he said.
But I also know that this is difficult...
Having spent seven years in the United States, he knows how difficult it is to produce a Liu Xiu. Even if it is only the current Liu Xiu who is still in the rookie stage and still playing as a substitute, there are only a few such players in China during the peak period of outside shooting ten years ago, and they are only compared with the current Liu Xiu.
Now……
Su Qun came to his senses and continued the interview.
Today's interview schedule does not have anything to do with the Rockets. That will happen after tomorrow's game and the day after tomorrow when the Trail Blazers go to Houston.
Su Qun asked: "Jace, you were originally selected by the Grizzlies, but were traded to the Trail Blazers the next day. Do you care about this?"
"Of course," Liu Xiu replied, "I will make the Grizzlies regret not even wanting me to play a single game. I will definitely make them regret this."
Suddenly, Liu Xiu became very different.
Full of vigor and energy...
Eh?
Su Qun saw the very strong negative emotions on Liu Xiu's face! It came more suddenly than the sharp expression before!
It seems that Liu Xiu has a deep resentment towards the Grizzlies, a team that only had him for less than 24 hours!
Liu Xiu spoke again, this time with gritted teeth...
"The logo guy once selected a player with the 13th pick in the first round, and this time he gave up on me with the 13th pick. Maybe this is reincarnation. I think his retribution is me!"