Champion, please stay!

Chapter 189, Section 187: The Budding Era of Small Balls

Barnes was on the list that Yi Shui provided to Walsh.

Anthony Parker and Brandon Bass are also on it.

All three were players who left a deep impression on him when he played against them last season; they were useful and their salaries were not high.

There was also Rasheed Wallace, but unfortunately, all three were snatched up by direct rivals in the East.

Rasheed Wallace joined the Celtics immediately after free agency opened, giving the Knicks no chance to compete.

The other two, Yi Shui learned from Walsh, also wanted to join the championship contender team.

The Knicks have declared that they are building the team with the goal of winning a championship, but the Cavaliers, with their third-team center Shaquille O'Neal, and the Magic, who are riding high after acquiring Vince Carter, who is averaging 20+5+5, are more attractive to those two teams when their salaries are the same.

Yi Shui had heard from Walsh's secretary that as soon as they made an offer to Anthony Parker, the Cavaliers followed suit with the same offer. They raised their price, and the Cavaliers followed suit, essentially using up their entire mid-level exception.

When they made an offer for Brandon Bass, the Magic were more direct, offering him a two-year mid-level exception.

But when they made an offer for Barnes, neither of the two teams with the biennial exception made a move... clearly they had ulterior motives.

Barnes actually played quite well last season, averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 42% and 34%, which is acceptable for a blue-collar small forward.

Moreover, he is excellent at one-on-one defense and can switch to defend multiple positions. Hill was relegated to the bench by the Suns because they acquired Barnes on a minimum contract.

He played so well, but after a month in free agency, he still hasn't found a job. The Suns won't even offer him a minimum salary contract extension... because of his personality; he's too much of a troublemaker.

He entered the NBA in 03 and played for 6 different teams in 6 years. Each time he changed teams, he had unpleasant experiences with his former teams and teammates.

It's said that he has a very straightforward and impulsive personality, and he doesn't give face to anyone. Even shrewd people like Nash, Hill, and O'Neal couldn't stand him.

However, he's just a troublemaker... Yi Shui plans to have Harrington and Birdman have a good talk with Barnes.

Who said that professional matters should be left to professionals?

If you do everything yourself, then you're just a boss for nothing.

Suddenly, Yi Shui realized that it seemed that all the free agents the teams had been chasing in the past month since the free agency market opened were the ones he wanted?
Not only that, but the draft was the same. They got the second-round pick by accident. They didn't expect the Cavaliers to come knocking on their door so quickly. They were originally planning to trade it in the free market.

The team's target pick, the 26th overall pick in the first round, was only a few names he mentioned.

Gibson, Cunningham, and Blair were all players he had faced in his junior year, remembered, felt were a good fit for him, were expected to be drafted in the late first round or early second round, and whom he remembered performing well.

The team doesn't seem to have considered anyone else.

To be precise, after the Eastern Conference Finals, apart from the two trades involving O'Neal and Larry Hughes that concerned future salary cap space, Walsh simply informed him, and for all other moves, Walsh followed his wishes!

Although Yi Shui immediately guessed Walsh's purpose.

Besides, their conditions are what they are this year, so no matter what he does, it won't affect the overall situation.

But he still felt very satisfied...

Especially when compared to the Little Giant.

They traded away the team's second-best player without even consulting their star player beforehand!
Yi Shui thought that if David Lee wanted to go to the Magic, the team that had just defeated them, Dolan and Walsh would most likely choose to hold back and not trade him, letting David Lee sign a contract without Bird rights and take a lower salary.

Even if a transaction is made, it will be discussed with him first, and at least he should be notified in advance.

He put himself in the shoes of the little giant and wanted to curse in his hometown dialect!

...

When Yi Shui got home that evening, he opened the NBA website, the Knicks' homepage, the salary table... Wow, impressive.

Including Old Cat Mobley's final year salary of $9.5 million, his total salary reached $107.33 million!
It's $900 million more than the second-place Cavaliers, $1000 million more than the third-place Mavericks, and $1400 million more than the fourth-place Lakers.

Based on their current salaries, they will pay $4600 million in luxury tax next season, ranking second on the list of highest luxury tax payments in a single season. They also hold the top spot: in the 05-06 season, their total salary was $1.26 million, the salary cap was $4950 million, and the luxury tax threshold was $6010 million. That year, the Knicks paid $6500 million in luxury tax…

The trade involving O'Neal and the acquisition of Larry Hughes essentially consolidated multiple large contracts onto two players, freeing up slots for signing rookies and free agents.

Birdman's salary increased by $500 million, Swift's by more than $300 million, and Mickey Moore left, so it's a draw.

The increase in several rookie contracts and the two newly signed low-draft picks are just a drop in the bucket.

This season's salary has increased by more than 1000 million compared to last season, with the biggest increase being 830 million for David Lee.

The roster is now full.

Point guards: Curry, Duhon, Chalmers.

Shooting guards: Larry Hughes, Pavlovic, Danny Green.

Small forwards: Wilson Chandler, Matt Barnes.

Power forwards: David Lee, Harrington, Gibson.

Centers: Ben Wallace, Anderson, Swift.

With Yi Shui added, the 15-man roster is complete.

He took out his notebook and wrote down the names Curry, Larry Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Ben Wallace. Looking at it this way, the lineup is amazing!
As for those who are too inexperienced, too injured, or too old to perform well in matches... well, that doesn't matter.

Anyway, he now considers himself to have a groundbreaking pitcher, a defensive legend, an All-Star offensive power forward, and the best defensive center in history as his teammates.

...

The 09 offseason was a slow year for free agents, and the Knicks finished their signings early, as did other teams.

After entering August, the free agency market cooled down, entering a long off-season.

The rumors surrounding the Bulls and Pistons, which are still being used to sell players, are getting more attention.

However, when Yi Shui saw the related news, it felt like another soap opera.

Before the All-Star Weekend, the Pistons were reluctant to sell Tianzun at a low price. After his contract expired, Tianzun, just as he remembered, went straight to Wolf King. The two, who both loved to yell and entered the NBA in 95, had always had a good relationship.

In 03, the Wolf King's most desired acquisition was the Celtics, but the Trail Blazers were unwilling to trade him to the Timberwolves and preferred to give him away to the Hawks for free.

During the All-Star break, the Bulls rejected the Thunder's offer to trade Jeff Green for Ben Gordon. After free agency opened, the Pistons offered backup Joe a 5-year, $6000 million contract, far exceeding the Bulls' expectations, leaving them with no choice but to let him go.

Hoarding properties and withholding them from the market will only result in losing everything.

For Yi Shui personally, the training intensity began to increase in August.

Previously, the focus was on shooting, passing, ball handling, footwork, and technique. Starting in August, the emphasis was increased on strength training and agility training.

Moreover, basic skills and techniques are practiced after physical training, after the muscles have become fatigued.

In Clark's words, "Your fundamentals are already very solid; you've reached the stage of strengthening muscle memory."

On August 10th, the Knicks' second Summer League season came to an end.

Chalmers, Wilson Chandler, Gibson, Danny Green, and others returned to New York.

In the Rocky Mountain Summer League that followed, Gibson was the best performer.

Chalmers and Wilson Chandler were there to lead the team, and they really were there to lead the team; they weren't as showy as Curry.

However, compared to last summer, Curry's performance in the Summer League this time is completely different. Last year he averaged 17 points per game, but this time he easily averaged 25+ points per game.

Wilson Chandler and Gibson reported to the arena but never came back. The former went to enjoy life, while the latter withdrew part of his salary and went back to his hometown.

Around the same time as when he signed with Yi Shui and Curry, he was thinking about sending the money he earned home so that his family would know that he had made something of himself.

Chalmers and Danny Green went straight into training mode. Actually, they didn't train much. They just came to the gym in the afternoon to practice a few sets of shooting, chatted with Yi Shui, and left after two hours. They were just there to show their faces.

Curry was sent back after the Orlando Summer League ended. He then took his family on a trip. When Chalmers and others returned, he also returned to New York to begin offseason training.

It's worth mentioning that when his teammates saw Yi Shui training alone with a team of nearly 20 people, their first reaction was to swear...

...

On August 15th, the coaching staff returned from their break and began preparing for the new season.

At the first meeting, Yi Shui was called in to discuss the direction of tactical system adjustments for the new season.

Curry, Duhon, and David Lee were also called in.

To Yi Shui's surprise, D'Antoni first asked his advisor Mark Jackson and defensive assistant coach Cheeks whether there were any conditions available to improve the defense.

In his memory, he believes that the future D'Antoni will try to accept defense after seeing the Warriors emphasize defense while also playing run-and-gun offense and winning the championship.

D'Antoni, while accepting the inclusion of defense in games last season, didn't take it too seriously; he simply didn't resist it.

Is this proactive move because they tasted success in the series against the Cavaliers?
Yi Shui recalled the series a few months ago, where Cheeks emphasized formation and rebounding on the defensive end, which indeed made a significant improvement in fast breaks.

However, both Cheeks and Mark Jackson looked troubled when they heard the question.

Compared to Mark Jackson, who always strives for perfection, Cheeks is much more easygoing, replying, "If Ben Wallace were three years younger, I would have a way, but it's difficult now. I can only promise a basic defensive system."

This answer was clearly not what D'Antoni wanted. If investing time and effort didn't yield significant improvement, it would be better to maintain a defensive attitude and focus entirely on offense, like last season. However, D'Antoni also understood his two colleagues; they didn't have a center!
Birdman, Swift, and Ben Wallace, although they play the center position, are actually blue-collar power forwards who are not good at standing still and protecting the rim.

Seeing the awkward silence, Yi Shui raised his hand.

D'Antoni called the players over with little expectation; he simply wanted to bring the players who were supposed to be there to listen.

Even if veteran Du Hong had any ideas, he wouldn't care too much. After working together for a year, he knew the players' tactical level.

But Yi Jianlian is different. It's hard to say about other things, but he's definitely a genius when it comes to basketball.

He tapped on the table, indicating that Yi Shui could offer his opinions.

Yi Shui said, "We may not have the conditions to play traditional defense. We can't play the college zone defense either. The three-second rule prevents David and me from staying under the basket for long periods of time."

However, we can change our approach. Instead of pursuing overall defense, we can maximize zonal double-teaming and switching. We can decide on the defensive priorities for each game, and of course, we should also consider the actual situation and adjust accordingly. We can double-team whoever is in the best form on the opposing team, forcing them to make quick decisions.

Regarding rim protection, whichever forward is closest should go and block them.

Mark Jackson asked, "That's one way, but what if the opposing center sits in the paint and plays? Even you would have a hard time guarding a big center, right?"

Chris Anderson and Stromiler, while both are very active defensively, are less effective at guarding opposing interior players one-on-one than you are. And Ben Wallace isn't the Ben Wallace he used to be.

Yi Shui: "That's even better. If the opponent uses a big center to attack under the basket, even if they score, I can immediately inbound the ball and rush out to attack 5 against 4. The opponent's center will definitely not be able to keep up with my speed. Even if Howard comes, he can only smell my farts."

Moreover, times have changed. Yao Ming is the only dinosaur left in the NBA; Shaquille O'Neal can only hold out for about 10 minutes in a one-on-one situation; we don't need to be afraid of Dwight Howard's one-on-one play, as long as we hold our ground, we can limit him significantly. Against the Magic, we should focus more on rebounding and positioning.

D'Antoni was shocked to hear Yi Shui's radical idea. When discussing defense, the priority was how to turn defense into offense.

This is great!

For Mark Jackson, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind, shattering the fog of confusion!
My mind suddenly clicked!
Yi Shui continued, "It's not just me. Big Chris, Stromiler, David, and Ty, when they receive the ball under the basket for defense, they all have the ability to directly inbound the ball and start a fast break. Big Chris should be able to do it when he's in good physical condition."

And we got Larry (Hughes). I remember when Larry played with Arenas and James, he was the one who pushed the fast break and passed the ball out. With him, plus Chris (Duhon), we had players on the court who could push the fast break most of the time.

The defensive tactics of rim protectors and double-teamers also need adjustment. Our players are generally shorter, so we need to improve our positioning and raise the bar for our defensive formation…

That's about all my thoughts. As for specific tactics, defensive strategies, and individual defensive training methods, I don't know.

After hearing this, everyone else turned their attention to Larry Brown's protégé, who is known as the 'greatest defensive coach in history'.

Cheeks: "Don't look at me, it's beyond my understanding of defense. I can execute the specific moves, but I'm not sure if I can make it work."

D'Antoni's face flushed red again, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. That damned mudskipper.

Mark Jackson, more willing to take responsibility, volunteered: "I think it's a good idea, worth trying."

Someone spoke up, and D'Antoni said, "I also think we can give it a try. It's okay if we fail. Our core player is only in his second year, we have plenty of resources... If it succeeds, Big, what do you think we should call this defensive system?"

No way, they'll be opening champagne at halftime, and you're already thinking about this before the battle has even started? Are you some kind of tycoon?

Yi Shui muttered to himself for a moment, then replied, "Let's call it Little Ball."

The entire coaching staff was speechless. How careless! It's true that you shouldn't ask Yi Jianlian anything other than basketball-related matters.

Curry chimed in, "This defense is very similar to how your Husky team played against the Amazing Team. How about we call it 'Running Little Dog'? An advanced version?"

Yi: No, kid, the reason the defender was called the "running dog" is because the UConn team is called the Husky team!
D'Antoni nodded: "Sure, it sounds much better than 'small ball'."

Yi: ? ? ? Are you sure? Oh, it seems many Americans think using 'dog' to describe someone is a compliment...

...

The decision to build a "running dog" defensive system was made.

Chix nonstick cookware was no longer available, so D'Antoni handed the business over to Mark Jackson.

As an advisor, one gets the chance to 'practice' with a team, so Mark Jackson was naturally happy to do so.

For the next period of time, Yi Shui and others had nothing to do. The improvement of the offensive system would have to wait until the defensive system had a basic framework before proceeding. The coaching staff's current work revolved around Mark Jackson.

D'Antoni will only agree to use a defensive system if he is certain that it will not negatively impact offensive efficiency.

On the Yishui side, I would occasionally drop by the coaching staff who had daily meetings, and if I thought of any defensive strategies, I would mention them. Whether the coaching staff adopted them or not was not important.

The current competition environment is very different from when Xiaohua took the stage, and it is completely different from the 20s. Yi Shui is not sure how well they can achieve by playing like this, but if they have ideas, they should definitely put them forward.

With D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, and Cheeks, this star-studded coaching lineup is something only Dolan is willing to spend the money on.

August flew by, and as Yi Shui had predicted, the Bulls actively shopped out quality role players like Hinrich, Brad Miller, and John Samuels, while the Pistons were looking to trade away key players like Hamilton and Prince, but no team was interested.

They clearly wanted to clear out the enemy's lineup, but demanded equal compensation, and even wanted to make a profit...

The only trade this month that has attracted fan discussion is the Grizzlies acquiring Jermaine O'Neal from the Raptors.

Trading away Milicic early in the season and Kwame Brown during the All-Star break left the Grizzlies with very little depth at the center position.

By offering a lottery-protected first-round pick to acquire Jermaine O'Neal's expiring contract, the Grizzlies received an A rating from the media for this trade, describing it as 'pragmatic'.

It has improved the team's inside scoring ability and shooting ability to some extent, and the contract is about to expire.

With Rose and Gasol entering their second year, and with a frontcourt duo like Gay and Marion, the Grizzlies, who won 40 games last season, will definitely aim for the playoffs this season. Paying a certain price and accepting potential risks are necessary.

When the trade was announced, Yi Shui saw some media mentioning him, saying that he was lucky to be in the Eastern Conference and could easily make the playoffs.

It's unclear which rival's voice it was, but Bartelstein promptly bought articles to promote the idea that James only made the playoffs in his third year and hyped up the claim that Yi Shui "casually" made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

On September 9th, Yi Shui's 10-week off-season training ended.

In just 10 weeks, the training plan discussed by the team was certainly not fully completed, but there was no time left, so the plan had to be postponed.

Yi Shui doesn't need to worry about how to train during training camp, preseason, or the season; he just needs to suggest ideas, and the team will take care of it.

In fact, the progress has far exceeded the expectations of the training team.

Their initial plan was to train for two days and rest for one day, taking into account Yi Shui's physical strength and health.

However, Yi Shui was exhausted from training on June 30th, but was full of energy again on the second day. It is said that he even went on a date with a Jewish female celebrity that night...

The training schedule of two days on and one day off was turned into six days on and one day off in July. The day off wasn't for Yi Shui, but for the rest of the training team.

August was even worse; the team members only got 3 days off in a month, but they didn't complain because the boss was giving them too much.

Upon learning this news, Walsh took Yi Shui to the hospital for a checkup. Yi Shui was in excellent health and applied to his boss for a bonus…

Yi Shui rested for a day on the 10th, and on the 11th, he left New York with Curry and Chalmers and came to Miami.

Yao Ming came here in August for training, treatment, and vacation.

Tomorrow is his birthday, and he's planning a party. He hasn't invited too many people, but of course, he'll definitely invite Yi Shui.

This time, he was even more enthusiastic than when he met Yi Shui before.

Since entering the NBA in 02, he has spent his summers either training with the national team, playing games, or recovering from injuries.

This was the first time he had an off-season of his own! He discovered that life could be so wonderful!
The reason he can feel this off-season is because he has Yi Shui as a teammate on the national team!

Moreover, Yi Shui was very good at handling things. Not only did he bring him a birthday present, but he also brought a gift for Li Sao's unborn child. Yao Ming couldn't be more satisfied with this little brother.

Yi Shui's first reaction upon seeing Yao Ming was—he was even more flustered!

He had seen news reports that Yao Ming was continuing to lose weight, basically returning to his rookie weight, dropping below 300 pounds, less than 135 kilograms, which is 12 or 13 kilograms less than during the Olympics.

My neck is noticeably thinner than it was at the same time last year, but my cheeks are still so big, making my face look square...

After celebrating Yao Ming's 29th birthday in Miami and taking a few days off to recharge, Yi Shui bid farewell to his national team teammates Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Liu Wei on the 15th, and returned to New York with two other teammates from the same cohort.

As soon as he returned, the coaching staff called him to a meeting to discuss preparations for the training camp.

This time, Yi Shui was entirely in the role of a 'listener'.

Even though I can't be of much help, it feels good...

Watching the coaches working so hard, his nerves, which had been relaxed after months of not playing a match, started to tighten up again.

The new season is about to begin!

He made the most of his time to practice the basic skills and techniques he wanted to learn.

Over the next few days, teammates arrived at Madison Square Garden one after another to report for duty.

Yi Shui met the team's two highest-paid new teammates - Ben Wallace and Hughes.

During their pleasantries, Yi Shui gained an understanding of the two men's personalities.

As I imagined, Ben Affleck was aloof and serious.

Hughes... why does he seem to have a detached and open-minded attitude towards the vicissitudes of life?
(End of this chapter)