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Chapter 157, Page 155: Another Award Won! (Last two hours, please vote with monthly tickets!)

In the past two days, Yi Shui has been closely monitoring the trading market.

He glanced at his phone after getting up this morning, checked it again when he got to the stadium, and even checked it during training breaks. After finishing his preparations around 11 a.m., he kept refreshing his phone... Just as the trade deadline was approaching, he suddenly saw an official trade announcement, which startled him. He thought his plan was going to fail.

After reviewing the transaction details, Yi Shui breathed a sigh of relief.

Good news, the trade has nothing to do with the Suns.

The Rockets, Magic, and Kings completed a three-way trade.

The Rockets acquired Kyle Lowry from the Grizzlies.

The Magic acquired Alston from the Rockets.

The Grizzlies traded Lowry to the Magic for a 09 first-round pick, a 09 second-round pick from the Rockets, and used the cap space left over from the Marion trade to acquire Brian Cook.

But then I felt a bit of a headache.

The bad news is that the Magic have successfully patched their weaknesses.

The Magic definitely need to acquire a point guard. After Nelson's season-ending injury, they only managed 2 wins and 4 losses in 6 games. Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Redick, and Van Gundy tried all the players who could play point guard, but none of them could carry the team. Trading a first-round pick for a point guard is a normal move.

With Rose as the young core of the Grizzlies, and veterans Tinsley and Greg Buckner as backup point guards, Lowry has gradually become marginalized this season.

Lowry has talent, everyone can see that, but his growth rate is too slow. He's in his third year, and his playing style and performance are no different from his first and second years. The Grizzlies don't have the resources to continue developing him, so it's normal for them to trade him for draft picks.

But the Rockets, instead of trading Alston who is in his prime, might get Lowry, who could end up like Chandler, whose talent won't be realized even after his rookie contract is over...

Yi Shui opened the NBA website and checked the Rockets' salary situation.

Sure enough, after trading away Alston, who had an annual salary of $490 million, and bringing back Lowry, who had an annual salary of $116 million, the Rockets' total salary dropped from $7330 million to $6956 million, which is $30 below the luxury tax threshold.

Including the luxury tax, it saved more than 700 million yuan in expenses.

...

After feeling sorry for the little giant for three seconds, Yi Shui cheered up again.

The Magic have made some improvements, but that only makes their chances of finishing third even harder. Their offseason plans might come to fruition! O'Neal is still with the Suns!

Yesterday, the Knicks completed their pre-trade deadline acquisitions, and Yi Shui and David Lee hosted a farewell dinner for their teammates last night.

The Knicks completed a three-way trade with the Celtics and the Kings.

They traded Nate Robinson and Marquese Daniels for Mickey Moore of the Sacramento Kings and Bill Walker of the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics traded Sheldon Williams, Eddie House, and Bill Walker to Nate Robinson and Marquese Daniels in exchange for them.

The Sacramento Kings traded Mickey Moore for Sheldon Williams and Eddie House.

This trade didn't generate much discussion, unlike the Rockets' recent trade which caused a media storm; it was described as a 'swap of scraps'.

From the perspective of their team, Yi Shui was indeed exchanging scraps for scraps.

Nate Robinson was placed after Chalmers in the starting lineup, and D'Antoni would only bring him on when the game was in disarray.

Daniels was benched from the start of the season, ranking 12th on the active roster. He only got more playing time when Big Q and Wilson Chandler were injured.

Moreover, Walsh had wanted to get rid of Daniels, who was involved in organized crime, for a long time. If it were just Daniels or Harrington on the team, it wouldn't be a problem, but with the two of them together, and New York being rife with gangs, he was always worried that one of them might suddenly decide to develop his own power within the team.

The two players who were brought back haven't reported for duty today because they are currently playing a series of away games with the Celtics.

However, Yi Shui obtained information about his two new teammates from the coaching staff.

Mickey Moore, a 33-year-old veteran center from the 98 draft class, is 211 cm tall and weighs 102 kg.

Despite being older, he is lightweight, maintains excellent competitive form, and has good mobility.

Bill Walker, rookie shooting guard, 198 cm tall, 100 kg.

Yi Shui had met Chalmers during joint training sessions. Chalmers was Chalmers' neighbor at the University of Kansas, a player for the Kansas Wildcats, and Beasley's teammate.

He was ranked 69th in the nation in high school in 07. He entered the draft after his freshman year of college. Although he was a rookie who had only played one year of college, he was already 21 years old.

Scout's assessment: Poor immediate impact and limited potential; his technical progress has been slow despite training for over half a year; however, his athleticism is good and his football intelligence is also on point.

He can run alongside Rondo and Garnett, and has played 29 games so far this season, averaging 8 minutes, 3 points and 1 rebound, with a field goal percentage of 67%, scoring purely from easy baskets.

Following them should be fine.

Walsh's goals in making this trade were clear—to improve the athleticism of the shooting guard position, to add a proper center for more interior rotation options, and most importantly, to slim down the already bloated point guard position.

The Kings' moves in recent years have been perplexing. It's unclear why they made this trade; it's possible they simply made it to show fans in the California capital that they've tried.

The Celtics' trade objective is clear – to strengthen their point guard position.

Eddie House's defense is terrible. He was a liability in last year's Finals and got blown out by Farmar. Last summer, they signed Marbury to strengthen the team, but this season, when they faced the Lakers, House and Marbury were both blown out by Farmar.

Nate Robinson is actually quite well-suited to disrupting the defense in a disorganized lineup.

Daniels still has some gas left in the tank, but due to years of injuries, his athleticism has declined significantly, making him unsuitable for the team. Going to the slower-paced Celtics might allow him to get some playing time.

Yi Shui actually quite likes Eddie House. He was impressed when they played against him and his shooting was very accurate. However, they were trying to slim down their point guard position and couldn't possibly trade for another point guard. Moreover, in terms of overall defense and passing, Eddie House is not as good as Chalmers, who was still a rookie.

...

In the evening, the Knicks hosted the 76ers for the fourth time this season.

In their first three encounters, Curry defended Miller well, but this time Miller completely dominated him with his turnaround jumpers. Duhon and Chalmers couldn't stop him either. Miller went 9-for-17 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, scoring 25 points, along with 6 assists and 2 steals.

在安德烈-米勒带领下，伊戈达拉拿到10分7板5助攻、赛迪斯-杨拿到23分6板、替补上场的布兰德拿到15分14板，76人队飙起来了。

尼克斯队这边，易水出战39分钟，15投9中、其中三分球2中1、加上4中4的罚球，拿到23分8板6助攻；

哈灵顿10投5中拿到14分7板4助攻；杜洪5投2中拿到6分3板6助攻。

Led by the three, Curry scored 17 points and 3 assists, while David Lee added 20 points and 9 rebounds...

The Knicks narrowly defeated the 76ers 108-103 by 5 points!

Yesterday, the media described the Knicks' three-way trade as a "swap of scraps," and they were absolutely right. Even if Nate Robinson hadn't left tonight, he wouldn't have gotten any playing time. If they put him in, he'd be crushed by Andre Miller's big butt.

This game confirmed for Yi Shui and the coaching staff that Dan D'Antoni's judgment was correct. After seeing the Trail Blazers execute the strategy effectively, other teams also followed suit and used the strategy recommended by ESPN expert Hollinger when playing against them.

The strategy is simple, easy to implement, and very effective.

Fortunately, the coaching staff made good adjustments, and Yi Shui executed them well. Although he had fewer shots and fewer points, he did not collapse like he did against the Trail Blazers when facing the 76ers' aggressive offense and defense.

However, not all teams will implement that strategy...

On the 28th, the Knicks will host the Spurs.

Yesterday, Mickey Moore and Bill Walker, who had been delayed for two days, arrived at Madison Square Garden one after the other. After being examined by the team doctor specially hired by the HSS, they officially became members of the Knicks.

The two new teams gave Yi Shui completely different feelings.

In his 11th year in the league, Mickey Moore has already changed teams 7 times and experienced countless setbacks. He has become a seasoned veteran and doesn't even show many of the bad habits of a black man from a poor background anymore. He can chat with anyone.

Bill Walker was experiencing a trade for the first time and was very ambitious, seemingly with the idea of ​​moving people around to make a living.

The rivalry between universities may also have played a role, with Curry pulling off a stunning upset in the first round of the third season against the Kansas Wildcats, and Chalmers' Kansas Pine Hawks consistently dominating the Wildcats.

Bill Walker, attending his first team practice, wanted to compete with Chalmers and Curry.

However, he also had some self-confidence. Although Bill Walker's attitude towards Yi Shui was lukewarm because of his friend Beasley, he did not provoke him and had no intention of challenging him, after all, Beasley, who was much stronger than him, had been defeated.

Today, D'Antoni added all the newly signed players to the active roster.

The team has 15 players. Eddie Curry and Jerome James are not on the team, Jeffries has been released, and the two newcomers are just right to sit on the bench.

The game between the Knicks and the Spurs started at 6 p.m.

The Spurs made no adjustments to their playing style, and their offensive and defensive strategies were almost identical to their last encounter.

D'Antoni anticipated this, but their offense was still stifled at the start of the quarter, trailing the Spurs 20-21 after the first quarter... The Spurs, still focused on Duncan's defensive strategy, were incredibly steady!
If the opponent doesn't change, then they'll change! In the second quarter, Yi Shui proactively adjusted their tactics and fired at them!
The Spurs' perimeter switching, delaying, and double-teaming, along with Duncan's rim protection inside, could indeed cause a lot of interference for Yi Shui. However, Yi Shui's size was a factor, and if he insisted on shooting despite the defense, the Spurs couldn't do anything about it.

Yi Shui's touch was excellent tonight!

第二节打了10分钟，11投6中，其中三分球4中2，加上1中1的罚球，狂轰15分，率领尼克斯队打出了27比19的比分，以47比40领先马刺队7分进入下半场。

However, in the third quarter, Yi Shui's performance declined, and the Knicks also slumped. The score in the quarter was 20-25, and the gap was narrowed to two points by the Spurs, who led 67-65. In the first half of the final quarter, the Spurs scored another 17-10, and the Knicks were overtaken, trailing the Spurs by 5 points at 77-82.

After struggling for half a quarter, Yi Shui rallied in the latter part of the final quarter, shooting hard against seemingly unshakeable defenses, making 3 of 6 shots, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, plus 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 10 points in half a quarter and leading the team to a total of 17 points!
Unfortunately, Ginobili on the opposing team also caught fire, scoring 8 points in half a quarter and leading his team to 15 points, holding onto their slim lead until the end.

易水出战40分钟，30投13中，其中三分球10中4，加上8中7的罚球，拿到37分8板3助攻1抢断2盖帽，不敌22分11板的邓肯、17分5助攻的吉诺比利、26分7助攻的帕克。

The Knicks suffered a narrow 94-97 defeat to the Spurs, bringing their record to 38 wins and 18 losses.

Popovich was so nervous he almost tore his toes off the soles of his shoes! Luckily, they won in the end, dominating the game for almost the entire time, but Yi Shui's speed was terrifying!
Seeing Yi Shui's performance on the court, Popovich seemed to see Duncan from 12 years ago...

...

Being swept by a team in the regular season for the first time was a very uncomfortable feeling for Yi Shui. After the game, when he saw his team copying his homework again, spouting the statement "The Knicks lost, but Embiid didn't," he closed his phone browser, unable to bear watching.

He played well in this game, but he also played poorly.

What impressed him most was Duncan's defense, which was impeccable!

Several times he encountered Duncan helping on defense and tried to force his way in to draw a foul, but the opponent's defensive judgment was too excellent!
When Duncan should stay still, he stays still. Even when Duncan jumped up and dunked on him, making it into the highlight reel, he didn't move. He just wanted to make the right interference and didn't do anything unnecessary.

Compared to Hollinger's strategy, Yi Shui felt that a more conservative approach centered around Duncan was the better strategy.

Under the Spurs' high-intensity defense, Yi Shui also discovered something to be happy about—after a month, he had basically gotten used to his current physical condition!
Even if he has a good shooting night, it's unlikely he'll score 37 points against the Spurs if they face them at the beginning of the new season.

The next morning, Yi Shui woke up and looked at the electronic calendar on her bedside table, suddenly realizing that a new month had begun!

He opened the system and took a look... Great, 211 cm + 106 kg, no longer growing. He was afraid that this unreliable system would malfunction again.

The next two games will still be played at home. Yi Shui got out of bed, called the team nutritionist to arrange breakfast, and went to training early. He would finish training with his non-dominant hand in the morning so that he would have time to practice his technique and basic skills in the afternoon. There are still about 7 weeks left in the regular season, and time is tight.

At 8:30, Yi Shui began formal training, but before the first round of training was over, Walsh was seen rushing into the training field.

"Your Majesty, you've won Player of the Month again!"

"Isn't there a Player of the Month award every month? Why are you so excited, Boss... Wait, Player of the Month? Isn't it Rookie of the Month?"

"That's right!"

Walsh had barely finished speaking when he saw Yi Shui rush towards the lounge like a whirlwind, panting heavily... He decided to catch his breath for a while longer.

Yi Shui, upon arriving at the lounge, took out his phone and opened the NBA website... He had actually won an award!

(End of this chapter)