Champion, please stay!

Chapter 113, Section 111: Is this New York?

After playing back-to-back away games, Yi Shui returned to New York with the team and hung a Spurs pendant on the wall of his study.

After a night's rest, on the 14th, the Knicks will host their last opponent in three games over four days – the Dallas Mavericks.

New York fans felt resentful seeing the Mavericks and wanted to tear the Knicks' management to pieces.

The salaries are about the same, both around 9000 million, and the total salary expenses are also about the same, both close to 1.2 million.

But the Mavericks' roster—Kidd, Gerald Green, Josh Howard, Nowitzki, Dampier, Terry, Stackhouse, Barea, Antoine Wright, James Singleton, Devin George, Ryan Hollins…

Looking at their side, the tallest player is a small forward, and they can't even find a proper center.

Walsh: o(╥﹏╥)o It wasn't me who did it.

The Mavericks put a lot of pressure on New York fans, especially since they had just lost to another strong Texas team, the Spurs, the day before yesterday, and the kind of loss where they had no chance to fight back.

But once the game started, the Knicks had the upper hand!

首节29比26、第二节35比31，尼克斯队火力全开，半场以64比57领先小牛队7分！
The reason for this situation is that the Mavericks' offensive tactics are chaotic, sometimes they play well and sometimes they play poorly, and their defense is also a mess.

New head coach Rick Carlisle immediately abandoned his predecessor Avery Johnson's endless isolation-style tactics upon taking office. He said that with Jason Kidd, it was a waste to play against him. He also put Terry on the bench and added the nine-fingered dunk king, a versatile player, to the starting lineup.

On the defensive end, Carlisle abandoned the original four-rotation defensive system. That kind of defense was okay for bullying weaker teams, but it couldn't even allow the center to play his proper role against penetrating players like James and Wade. Another reason for abandoning the original defensive system was that the core players were all over 30 years old, and it was too tiring to play like that.

This significant adjustment will have a greater impact on both ends of the Mavericks' offense and defense than when Kidd was traded back midway through last season!
So despite such a favorable start to the season, the Mavericks had only a 4-3 record before tonight, ranking tenth in the Western Conference.

Just when it seemed the Knicks were about to crush the Mavericks, they collapsed in the third quarter. The reason? Tiredness!

Having just returned from a back-to-back away game, they were running like crazy all over the court. After an almost extreme offensive surge in the second quarter, they collectively slumped in the third quarter... except for Yi Shui.

Yi Shui performed exceptionally well tonight against the lean Josh Howard and Gerald Green, and the strong but less mobile Antoine Wright. He also excelled in both one-on-one scoring and tactical scoring.

第三节需要他站出来的时候，他也没含糊，甚至打出了今晚最好的一节——8投5中，其中三分球1中1、外加3中3的罚球拿到14分。

However, his teammates scored one less point than him in this quarter combined.

Led by Kidd, the Mavericks launched a counterattack, scoring 32 points in the quarter and narrowing the gap to 2 points, bringing the score to 89-91!

In the final quarter, the Mavericks went on another run, while the Knicks' team offense faltered and Yi Shui failed to mount a comeback. The Mavericks went on a crazy 35-24 run in the quarter.

Yi Shui played 36 minutes, shooting 13 of 27, including 3 of 7 three-pointers, for a total of 7 of 7, scoring 36 points, his third-highest of the season, but still couldn't withstand the Mavericks' star-studded lineup.

The Knicks suffered a 115-124 defeat to the Mavericks, dropping their record to 6 wins and 3 losses.

...

The Knicks suffered two consecutive losses and dropped to third in the Eastern Conference, but in terms of public opinion, not many media outlets attacked them for this.

After all, the Spurs and Mavericks are both top teams predicted to win 50 or more games, and they play 3 games in 4 days.

They deserve praise for winning these two games, and it's normal for them to lose.

Furthermore, Yi Shui scored 40+ points in one of the three matches in four days and 35+ points in another, and was even praised.

Especially in the third quarter against the Mavericks, he chose to drive aggressively when facing Josh Howard's defense; he made off-ball cuts when facing Nowitzki's defense; and he made a solo run to the high post to receive the ball and use his height to shoot when facing Kidd's defense... He scored 14 points in the quarter and was praised for his smart offensive choices.

Even with the 'rookie aura,' Yi Shui was still upset after losing the game. That night, he worked out intensely, and the next morning he went to Madison Square Garden early for extra training.

Around 9 o'clock, Walsh arrived and, seeing Yi Shui there, stopped Yi Shui's training.

"Brook, training will resume later. We have a new recruit today; go meet him." Yi Shui's eyes lit up at this, and he asked, "A trade? Or a signing? Who left and who came?"

Walsh rolled his eyes at Yi Shui: "It's not that easy to make a trade. I've used up all my good assets. All I have left are your rookie contracts. Everyone else, except for the two Chrises, has overpaid salaries... Of course, I can only tell you this. Don't tell anyone else."

"Okay..." Yi Shui was speechless. It was the tone of someone coaxing a child, but he was used to it. He asked, "Then what other new reinforcements could there be?"

"Didn't you say before that our team didn't have a defensive assistant coach? Well, we do now!"

Yi Shui followed Walsh to the coffee shop inside the stadium and saw that the coaching staff were all there, plus one more person—a scruffy-looking middle-aged man.

Former 76ers head coach Maurice Cheeks!
Yi Shui remembered that more than a month ago, after the first preseason game against the Heat, he asked Walsh if their team had a defensive assistant coach.

A few days earlier, on the day they went to Memphis, the 76ers accepted Maurice Cheeks' resignation and appointed Tony DiLeo, the original lead assistant coach, as interim head coach. However, at that time, he was very popular for his first week as Player of the Week, and there was also the trade that sent Iverson to the Pistons that night, so no one paid much attention to the departure of a head coach.

On the morning of the game against the Grizzlies, Walsh apparently asked Cheeks what he thought of his defensive system.

Yi Shui remembers his answer was something like this: Cheeks' quick switching and double-teaming are good, but he lacks a pivot to connect the defense.

But he didn't connect this to their team's plan to bring in a defensive coach, because Cheeks said he wanted to return to his mentor's side as an assistant coach.

After watching Cheeks sign the contract and exchanging greetings, Yi Shui called Walsh back to the training ground and asked him the question that had been bothering him.

Walsh replied, "Morris's first choice is indeed the Bobcats, but Jordan is unwilling to pay an extra coaching fee. A coach like Morris is not cheap; some teams' head coaches don't even earn as much as him. For example, the Wizards' new head coach, Taptest, earns $120 million, while Morris would cost at least $200 million..."

This isn't a secret; it will be announced this afternoon when the signings are announced. We offered $200 million, and the Mavericks and Heat offered the same contract, but they couldn't beat the New York team behind us.

Yi Shui: "No wonder he's the stingiest owner in the league, refusing even a top-tier defensive coach offered to him... But Mike doesn't have any objections? What if they don't get along?"

Walsh: "Actually, we brought in Morris not just because you're wondering why we don't have a defensive coach."

While you were away, Mike and I discussed with Mark the issue of simplifying your playing style. He was certain you wouldn't give up on defense and suggested we provide you with more help on that end. But I'm not a professional, and no one on our coaching staff is good at that either. After discussing it with Mike, we decided to fill the fifth assistant coach position.

Since Morris didn't want to be the head coach anymore, we naturally had to make a move to poach him.

Mike and Morris have just met and seem to be getting along well. If their ideas clash and affect the team's offense once they start working, then they can just consider it as hiring a defensive trainer!
When Morris first retired over a decade ago, he worked as a trainer. His defense was exceptional, earning him multiple All-Defensive Team selections.

After Walsh left, Yi Shui continued training. Although it took more than half an hour, he was in a very good mood and had put the frustration of losing the game behind him.

A low-post trainer and playing style consultant earning $5 a week, a defensive trainer earning $200 million a year... Is this New York?
If we disregard the boss's amazing mind, having talented and skilled players playing in New York... Yi Shui must feel so great!

After practicing for a while, more people came to watch – the new defensive assistant coach!

After finishing his set, Yi Shui greeted the other person again and chatted for a while.

During the conversation, Yi Shui discovered that the other party not only looked sloppy, but also had a rather undisciplined personality, which explained why he couldn't stay in the head coach position.

Look at D'Antoni. During training camp, he practically taught every player step by step. Now he often personally demonstrates positioning. And let's not forget, as a former European basketball superstar, D'Antoni's shooting is still pretty accurate.

After resting enough, I also gained a basic understanding of the other person's personality.

Yi Shui organized his thoughts and said to Cheeks, "Morris, I don't think it's very likely that we can build a complete defensive system like the 76ers. Speed ​​and offense are our current foundation and the basis for Mike's tactics to work. Besides, our current roster doesn't have the conditions for that."

Cheeks paused for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "I understand, thank you Brook... Just as Donnie said, your court awareness and basketball IQ are exceptionally high."

Watching Cheeks' departing figure, Yi Shui vaguely felt that something was wrong... What did that damn Walsh say about me behind my back again?
In the afternoon, the Knicks officially announced the signing of Cheeks. On the 16th, the training day, Cheeks participated in the team's training, but did not interfere much. He only gave pointers on the rhythm and timing of David Lee, Harrington, Birdman, Swift and others when collapsing the paint, and taught them some positioning skills.

Cheeks took Yi Shui's advice to heart. He would first familiarize himself with D'Antoni's style, and then improve the defense within the limits of what was possible. As for not being able to do his best, he wasn't the head coach anymore; he would just do what he could.
After two rest days, the Knicks welcomed a highly anticipated opponent to their home court – the Heat!

(End of this chapter)