Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 425 Nowitzki's Lone Ranger

The rankings for the East and West have been released.

Last summer, the league did not change the handcheck rules, but made some changes in other areas.

One of the major changes was the reorganization of all teams into different zones.

Previously there were four divisions, but now with the addition of the Bobcats, there are exactly 30 teams, divided into six divisions.

The Hornets moved to New Orleans, leaving everything to the Bobcats.

Under the new divisional rules, they were forcibly moved from the Central Division in the East to the Southwest Division in the West.

To compete with the Texas Big Three.

Another change in the new divisional rules is that the divisional champion will automatically be seeded in the top three of the playoffs.

Despite these rules, some teams still benefited.

For example, the Wolves.

There are no strong teams in the Northwest Division. The Timberwolves have a worse record than the Suns and Mavericks, yet they still rank third in the West.

In the Western Conference, the Spurs ultimately secured the top spot.

The second Lakers.

Fourth is the sun.

They were taught a lesson by the Knicks, but that doesn't mean they're weak.

In the second half of the season, they had an extremely high winning percentage.

If they maintain this level of performance throughout the season, they might even have a chance to beat the Lakers and win the Pacific Division championship.

The King is fifth, and the Mavericks are sixth.

The top six teams in the West are all very strong.

The last two spots belong to the Trail Blazers and the Warriors.

Meanwhile, in the east...

The Cavaliers also benefited from the rule changes.

In the Central Division, the teams are all roughly equal in strength, and their records are very close.

However, this season has been a season of explosive growth for James' statistics.

In his rookie season, he averaged just over 20 points per game.

This season, he has soared to an average of 28 points per game, ranking eighth on the scoring list.

He also averaged 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

In terms of data, it's incredibly impressive.

With this performance, he managed to drag the Cavaliers down to overtake the Bulls in the final moments and rise to third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks are still the undisputed number one team in the East.

With a record of 69 wins and 13 losses, they lead the entire league.

Even so, in the final period of the season, Carlisle intentionally reduced Yao Ming's playing time to avoid overexerting him.

The second magic trick.

Fourth, the Bulls have accumulated a group of excellent players over the years, and it's time for them to achieve results.

Last summer, they sent two players.

Tangsen got his wish and gave them two excellent stars.

This season, Eddie Curry is averaging 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Jamal Crawford also averaged 19 points per game, becoming a consistent scorer for the Bulls' backcourt.

Fifth Heat.

The Heat have risen to prominence without anyone noticing.

Milicic is quite talented; he has height and exceptional athleticism.

And the excellent touch that a tall white player should have.

Townsend is training him in the same way he trained Garnett and Nowitzki.

This season, he averaged 17.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, making him a qualified and excellent power forward.

The key is that he's only 20 years old, and his future is promising.

In addition to Caron Butler, Eddie Jones, and last year's rookie Devin Harris.

Harris is extremely fast, and after training with Townsend, he contributed an excellent 18 points and 6 assists in his rookie season.

In other words, the Heat's starting lineup is not bad.

The Wizards moved up to sixth.

Similar to the West, in the East, excluding the Knicks and Magic, there are four teams remaining in the top six, and the difference in their records is not significant.

The Raptors are ranked seventh. Carter finally got a helper in the paint. Bosh quickly developed into a qualified center with 20 points and 10 rebounds in one season.

The 76ers fought their way through the Pacers, Pistons, Hawks, and Celtics in the final moments, narrowly making it into the playoffs.

But that was the end of their luck.

No one believed they could beat the Knicks, even though Iverson won the scoring title this season with an average of 34.6 points per game. The competition for the scoring title is incredibly fierce.

A quick glance reveals a total of 5 players, each averaging over 30 points per game.

They are Kobe, McGrady, Nowitzki, and Yao Ming.

It was hailed by the media as the NBA's strongest offensive season in decades.

Because of the 20+, it just barely made it into the top 30.

For Tang Sen, almost all of the teams he selected during last year's training camp made it to the playoffs.

Moreover, the rankings are appropriate, and there are always some gimmicks to be found.

For example, in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Magic vs. the Raptors could be used to create a buzz about a clash between McGrady and Carter, the cousins ​​of the Magic and Raptors.

Cavaliers vs. Wizards.

In James' first playoff appearance, their record wasn't much better than the Wizards', and their strengths were evenly matched.

The Wizards' strength lies in their defensive presence on the wing.

Brandt Haywood, Stoudemire, and Hill.

This forward lineup will definitely give LeBron James a run for his money.

Several title contenders were also fortunate enough to avoid meeting each other in the second round.

It is foreseeable that this year's playoffs will be very exciting.

The first round of the playoffs officially began on April 23.

There are four matches on the first day of competition.

Cavaliers vs. Wizards, Magic vs. Raptors, Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, Suns vs. Kings.

Of the four games, Tang Sen only focused on the two Western Conference games.

Needless to say, the Suns are showing real strength right now, and Tang Sen is really looking forward to seeing how far they can go in the end.

For this reason, Tang Sen even flew to Phoenix.

Arriving at the American West Arena, he supported his beloved student, Dwight Howard, at home.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the game between the Wolves and the Mavericks is about to begin.

Before the game, Flip Sanders did not see Garnett when he returned to the locker room from the pre-game press conference.

After asking around, they learned that Garnett was in the bathroom and had been there for quite some time.

"Kevin."

Sanders ran to the bathroom and pounded on the door.

Then the sound of flushing the toilet could be heard.

Garnett pushed open the door and stepped out, his expression serious.

Sanders frowned slightly, clearly noticing that something was wrong with his protégé. He grabbed Sanders as he was walking out and asked him what was wrong.

"nothing."

Garnett shook his head, unwilling to say more, and left the bathroom.

Sanders frowned even more deeply.

He vaguely guessed some of the reasons, which he could sense from the questions asked by reporters before the match.

Although the Timberwolves are ranked third in the Western Conference, no one is optimistic about their prospects.

The Mavericks have a better record than the Timberwolves.

So the old question remains: what are Garnett's leadership abilities?

Garnett's unprecedentedly large contract ended last season, but he is still the highest-paid player on the Wolves.

The Wolves will forever be on the path of pursuing the championship.

Therefore, these issues are brought up by reporters every year during the playoffs.

Sanders sighed and walked out of the bathroom.

He couldn't solve this problem either.

With such a roster, neither here nor there, they are far from being a championship contender.

But at least we should try our best in this series.

Meanwhile, in the away team's locker room, the team is preparing to take the field.

All the players stood up, except for Nowitzki.

He sat in his seat, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes closed, and muttering something softly.

Nowitzki didn't believe in anything, but at that moment, he felt he needed some courage to calm himself down.

Because from now on, I will truly be walking alone.

"Dirk!" Old Nelson called out.

Nowitzki then opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them, and got up to follow.

(End of this chapter)