The longest river

Chapter 196 Alliance First
After defeating the Wizards, the Trail Blazers have had the best start to this shortened season, with a 6-0 record that puts them at the top of the league and making them the only undefeated team in the league.

Even ESPN, which was a strong favorite against the Trail Blazers at the start of the season, has been proven to have underestimated the team.

They expected the Trail Blazers to play well, but they didn't expect them to play this well.

6场比赛下来，杨帅场均27分仅次于乔丹排在联盟第二，并且场均还有6.1板4.8助攻2.1抢断1.5盖帽，三项命中率分别为47.5%/41.5%/89.6%。

"In his fourth year in the professional league, Hansen Young began to emerge as a top MVP candidate."

Just like Magic Johnson back then, the title of youngest Finals MVP shows a player's great potential, but only the MVP can prove a player's true strength.

There was simply no time to celebrate. The feeling of the suspended season was like riding a Chinese high-speed train traveling at 350 km/h. You could see everything around you, but you didn't have time to pay attention to what you saw.

In a game at the end of February, the Trail Blazers faced the Timberwolves on the road in a back-to-back game.

This is their fourth back-to-back game in just half a month.

Every time Yang Shuai goes to Minnesota, he visits Garnett's house for a chat and to catch up.

This time is no exception.

However, the atmosphere at this gathering was somewhat different from the previous ones.

They were watching a show called "Building a Band," a reality show created by Puff Daddy.

The show's content wasn't anything new; it was just a group of newcomers to the music scene challenging a dominant traditional band.

Yang Shuai wasn't very interested in this kind of show. If possible, he would prefer to watch HBO's American dramas, such as "Spartacus" and "Kill and Sex Song".

Garnett, however, was completely engrossed in watching, shouting and yelling.

“They can’t hear you, ‘Ticket Bro’,” Yang Shuai reminded him.

Oh, by the way, one important factor in the Timberwolves' contract extension with Garnett was that the team's attendance more than doubled after Garnett joined the Timberwolves.

Because he can greatly boost the team's box office, he has also earned a new nickname: Big Box Office.

"Go for it! Defeat them! Drive them out!"

Garnett, however, was even more excited, as if he had already immersed himself in the roles of those newcomers.

While from a certain perspective, the experiences of high school students like Yang Shuai and Garnett in the NBA are indeed somewhat similar to those depicted in this program.

"Relax, 'Piao Ge,' it's just a silly reality show." Yang Shuai hadn't fully noticed Garnett's strange behavior yet.

“This is not stupid at all. These guys are not united at all. They need to unite!” Garnett became even more engrossed.

However, the show did not go as Garnett had anticipated; the band members argued with each other and did not behave like a team.

Just as the argument on the show reached its climax, Garnett completely lost his temper. He stood up from the sofa, rushed to the TV, and punched the wall next to him.

The wall was made of wood, and he smashed a large hole in it.

Yang Shuai was stunned, because even Rasheed Wallace was not as irritable as Garnett at this moment.

And thankfully it was a wall and not a TV set that Garnett hit, otherwise Garnett would have missed the game due to injury, which would have been just as ridiculous as those players who slipped in the shower or were bedridden and missed the game.

Yang Shuai turned off the TV, and Garnett, having vented his frustration, sat back down on the sofa in a dejected state.

"What happened, Kevin?"

Yang Shuai knew that although Garnett was very passionate on the court, he was not a volatile person off the court.

Especially considering they trained together in the summer, Garnett's change is quite significant.

It was during a subsequent conversation that Yang Shuai learned about what had happened with the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves made the playoffs last season, but they failed to retain Tom Gugliotta this summer, who has been the Timberwolves' leading scorer for the past two seasons.

There are economic factors involved, but there is also the issue of ball possession.

Both Marbury and Garnett, these two young players, need more touches on the ball.

Even so, Marbury was still dissatisfied with his ball possession in the new season. Garnett averaged nearly 20 shots per game, while he only had 16.

He wants to get as many shot attempts as Garnett.

However, his request was not approved by Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders.

The Timberwolves paid Garnett so much money so that he could prove his contract value with his stats, and fans also paid for tickets to the arena to see Garnett perform.

Marbury did not compromise when his demands were not met. He chose to directly take possession of the ball, which allowed him to put up impressive numbers such as 40 points and 12 assists, but the team still could not win.

Management is preparing to put Marbury on the trading block because of his insubordination.

Last year, the "Minnesota Trident" made it to the playoffs, giving Minnesota fans endless hope, but they fell apart in less than a season.

This is also why Garnett suddenly became so involved in a reality TV show; it resonated with his own reality.

"Hansen, sometimes I really envy you."

Garnett spoke his mind.

They entered the league together, and his draft position was higher than Yang Shuai's.

But now, Yang Shuai has won a championship, won the Finals MVP, and now has a strong roster on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Looking at him now, the thing people fear most is comparison.

Yang Shuai smiled. What could he say?

Every family has its own troubles. Not to mention that he was seriously injured for more than half a year last season, from Kenny Anderson to Billups, and then to Pippen, he has experienced just as many bad things since he arrived in Portland.

It can only be said that Yang Shuai had thought things through very clearly from the moment he chose to skip college and run for office in high school.

You choose your own path, so you have to accept both the good and the bad along the way.

For example, Garnett's failure to retain Gugliotta was directly related to Garnett's demand for a huge contract.

Even Marbury's issues, which were fine before, suddenly surfaced in his contract year, and are likely related to contract renewal.

After Garnett signed that $100 million contract, the Timberwolves have to pay double for every new contract they sign.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor doesn't have the same influence as Paul Allen to treat the luxury tax like it doesn't exist.

So either you ask for less money, or you switch to a team that can afford to pay more.

You can't take the most money and then criticize your teammates for not being united.

Of course, Yang Shuai couldn't say those things.

Just as the Timberwolves were struggling with internal problems, another Western Conference team facing similar issues, the Lakers, made their choice.

Jerry West fired head coach Del Harris and appointed assistant coach Kurt Rambis as the team's interim head coach.

And just the day after firing Harris, the Lakers made a big trade with the Hornets, sending Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to the Hornets in exchange for Glen Rice and JR Reed.

These two personnel changes are undoubtedly related to Kobe.

Perhaps influenced by Yang Shuai's earlier statement that "you are the Lakers' leader," Kobe's scoring desire was rapidly expanding.

Jerry West ultimately chose to fully satisfy Kobe's desires because he firmly believed that Kobe's talent was the key to raising the Lakers' ceiling and achieving success.

In the blink of an eye, it's already March.

After a perfect start to the season, the Trail Blazers' record has fluctuated significantly in the last two weeks, with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses.

This is partly due to the tight schedule. Carlisle has been intentionally controlling the playing time of the starters to avoid injuries, but the Trail Blazers' bench strength this season is indeed not very good.

On the other hand, although Pippen overcame his psychological barrier, he still failed to improve his offensive performance.

Moreover, Sabonis's form clearly declined last season. Although he is only in his fourth year of professional career, just like Yang Shuai, he is already 34 years old this year.

Furthermore, with Billups still developing, opponents can focus their defense on Yang Shuai and Wallace.

That caused the Trail Blazers' efficiency in half-court offense to decline.

Just like the Pacers back then, this kind of spacing tactical system requires the strong and weak sides to restrain each other in order to unleash its full potential.

On this day, Whitsett found Yang Shuai, as the trade deadline for this year's shortened season was fast approaching.

The Trail Blazers now have the opportunity to further upgrade their roster.

The Trail Blazers now have two upgrade options, both at the guard position.

One is Stephon Marbury of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Yang Shuai ruled out this option without even thinking.

It's not that he thinks Marbury is incompetent; in fact, Marbury is a very strong scorer.

Once Marbury arrives, Pippen can focus on being the playmaker, simply providing the team with scoring opportunities.

The reason he excluded Marbury was because of his previous conversation with Garnett.

Players who only try to grab statistics on the field without being given the right to play football are not players Yang Shuai wants.

The second option is Terrell Brandon.

When Yang Shuai saw this option, he thought it was pretty good. He knew Brandon's abilities after training together for so long during the lockout season.

Whitsett's reason for favoring Brandon is simple: Billups may be a better future, but the age of veterans like Sabonis and Pippen means the Trail Blazers have a limited window of opportunity to win a championship.

Instead of focusing on the future, we should make the most of the present.

"We can change the status quo by adjusting our state."

After thinking for a while, Yang Shuai still felt that there was no need to make a big deal.

The Trail Blazers' situation is quite different from that of the Pacers back then.

Paul Allen invests heavily in the team every year, but even with a star-studded roster, they couldn't achieve good results because of team instability. Everyone was insecure and couldn't perform to their full potential.

Pippen was a prime example; if he hadn't overcome his mental block at the last minute, the Trail Blazers would have faced another major roster overhaul.

Brandon is good, but nobody knows if he'll end up like Pippen.

Moreover, this season is a shortened season, so they don't have much time to make adjustments.

The Trail Blazers ultimately made no major moves at the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves, Nets, and Bucks finally completed a deal, which was also the only major trade at this year's trade deadline.

Marbury was traded to the Nets, the Timberwolves got Brandon, and the Bucks got Cassell.

Of course, the Trail Blazers weren't inactive either.

If we can't do the big ones, we can still do the small ones.

They traded away Trent, who didn't quite fit the team's roster, and acquired veteran "Hot Stick" John Williams from the Mavericks.

In the previous Pippen trade, the Trail Blazers requested Booth in order to find a backup for Wallace.

However, Booth only got 6 appearances in his rookie season with the Bulls, and the player who had already earned a "thank you" was ultimately proven to be unreliable.

In addition, to fill the gap in wing depth, they also signed veteran Brian Shaw to a ten-day contract from the free market.

Both of these people are old acquaintances of Yang Shuai.

One was the Cavaliers' test of his mismatch isolation scoring ability when he tried out for the team; the other was his former Magic rival.

Compared to Pippen, these two seasoned veterans who have been in the league for many years are much more adept at handling things.

After they arrived at the team and reported for duty, they all came over to greet Yang Shuai.

Who says Americans don't understand social etiquette?

Moreover, Shaw's arrival filled a void in the Trail Blazers' locker room: a locker room leader.

Although Yang Shuai is the team leader, his personality is not suitable for being a locker room leader.

Lu is very good at socializing, but he is just a rookie and lacks experience.
Pippen was originally the most suitable for this role, but unfortunately he caused trouble as soon as he arrived.

Now Shaw's arrival perfectly fills this role.

Compared to Byron Scott during Yang Shuai's time with the Pacers, Shaw's resume wasn't as successful, but it was still legendary enough.

He was the 24th pick in the 1988 draft and debuted with the Celtics, starting alongside Bird, McHale, Parish, and Reggie Louis.

During that time, he also went to court over a contract dispute with the Celtics and ended up playing a season in Italy.

He then returned to Boston, averaging 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, witnessing the twilight of that Celtics team.

He was then traded to Miami, where he had a relationship with Madonna.

Then he went to Orlando to serve as the Magic's sixth man, helping the team defeat Jordan and reach the NBA Finals.

His playing style is versatile; he can play PG, SG, and SF positions, making him a high-quality championship fit-up player. Although his performance was subpar last season due to age, resulting in him not yet signing with any NBA team, his resume makes him perfectly suited to be a locker room leader.

Moreover, when they arrived at the training ground, Xiao still seemed to have some fuel left in his tank, but due to the lockout and the lack of a contract, he needed some time to find his form.

Of course, whether it's "Hot Stick" or Shaw, these are just minor adjustments for the Trail Blazers. Their real problem now is how to improve their efficiency in half-court sets.

On this very day of training, Carlisle began to incorporate a new tactical element into the Trail Blazers' game: fast break offense.

Since we can't expect Pippen to suddenly regain his form, we should adjust our strategy, reduce the proportion of positional play, and increase counter-attacking tactics.

With Pippen joining the Trail Blazers, along with Yang Shuai and Wallace, the team actually has plenty of defensive resources this season.

With Sabonis's long passing ability and Young's presence as Cleveland's fast break king, the Trail Blazers are fully capable of playing this tactic.

The only problem is the pace of the game.

They need to play a defensive counter-attacking style, but they can't let the pace of the game speed up, because neither Sabonis nor Billups is suited to fast-paced offensive and defensive battles.

Therefore, this is very important for controlling the pace of the game.

This is Pippen's comfort zone.

Regarding Carlisle's addition of these tactical changes, Yang Shuai's assessment can be summed up in one sentence: He deserves a Best Coach award.

The NBA has many natural head coaches who win Coach of the Year awards right from the start, and Rick Carlisle is one of them.

In this situation, a shortened season is actually beneficial for the Trail Blazers, because they can use the games as practice.

Moreover, the game proved that this tactic was very suitable for the Trail Blazers.

Pippen, in particular, became more efficient in more defensive counter-attacks.

Both are two points, but fast breaks are definitely more efficient than positional attacks.

Moreover, after his tactical role was elevated, Pippen's desire to play also increased significantly.

With the addition of Shaw and Williams increasing the team's bench depth, the Trail Blazers embarked on a winning streak after entering March, regaining the top spot in the Western Conference.

It was at this time that a very subtle thing happened.

The league canceled the preseason games and All-Star Game this season in order not to affect the next season.

Therefore, they even decided to start the MVP selection process ahead of schedule on April 16.

This move is unprecedented in history and will inevitably put pressure on the top-ranked teams.

Since the selection process starts before the regular season is over, the goal is definitely to reach the top of the league as soon as possible.

In the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers, Spurs, Jazz, and Lakers have begun a fierce battle.

Whichever of these teams makes it to the finals, a new MVP will be chosen.

The most intense competition is between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz, who are currently ranked first and second.

Since Jordan's three-peat, Malone has yet to win an MVP award.

Moreover, as Stockton and Malone get older, they have begun to decline.

They've been able to remain competitive this season thanks to their self-discipline, but it's hard to say what will happen next.

Or rather, this is Malone's last chance to win the MVP award.

For the Trail Blazers, if they can win first place, Yang Shuai will not only be the youngest Finals MVP, but also the youngest MVP.

Before this, the league's youngest MVP was Wes Unseld, a star player from the 60s, who won the honor at the age of 23 years and 9 days.

Yang Shuai now has the potential to break this record at the age of 21.

Of course, it's not just these Western Conference teams that are competing; the Wizards are also putting up a strong fight in the East.

Michael Jordan is not the only player in NBA history to have won three consecutive MVP awards; Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird have all achieved this feat.

However, there has never been a player who has won four consecutive MVP awards.

If Jordan can accomplish this feat and ultimately win the championship that season, then even though he lost a title to the Pacers, his status as the "GOAT" will be unshakeable.

Therefore, this MVP has too many impacts.

As April approached, the competition reached its climax.

The regular season isn't over yet, but fans have noticed that these teams are already playing at the same intensity as in the playoffs.

After more than half a month of sprint, both the Lakers and the Spurs have started to fall behind, and the MVP race is gradually showing a three-way standoff between the Wizards (Jordan), the Trail Blazers (Yang Shuai), and the Jazz (Malone).

On April 15, before the MVP voting began, the Trail Blazers faced off against the Jazz.

Because the Trail Blazers were one game ahead of the Jazz and had the same record as the Wizards, the result of this game would directly affect the rankings of the three teams in the league. Fans also called this game the "MVP Battle".

The game was held in Salt Lake City.

Thanks to the "various misdeeds" Yang Shuai committed in the city, he was met with a deafening chorus of boos from Salt Lake City fans during the opening ceremony.

From the very beginning of the game, the physical confrontation between the two sides was brought up to the intensity of the playoffs.

As the competition progressed, the intensity even rivaled that of the finals.

The intense competition caused all sorts of players to fall over on the field.

Both sides were also constantly making small moves.

Surprisingly, this time, no matter what happened on the field, neither side showed any intention of starting a fight.

It wasn't that they suddenly calmed down; it's just that this match was too crucial.

For both sides, the value of this MVP award is no less than that of a championship trophy.

Under such intense competition, the Trail Blazers gradually gained the upper hand.

If it wasn't so obvious in the previous games, the Trail Blazers' defensive intensity in this game, which was in no way inferior to that of the Jazz, showed fans that they had the makings of a champion.

Defense wins championships; that’s a golden rule in this era.

Incidentally, Yang Shuai also proved something in this game: even with Russell's return, the Jazz still couldn't stop him from scoring.

In the decisive moments of the final quarter, thanks to Pippen relieving some of the playmaking pressure, Yang Shuai, with ample energy, began his scoring spree.

He frequently broke through Russell's defense to score, his performance seemingly saying: "If I don't destroy Russell, you really think he can stop me."

This final stretch was devastating for Salt Lake City fans.

They could have argued that Russell's season-ending injury left them lacking perimeter defense, which is why they were eliminated by Young and the Trail Blazers.

But the facts have already provided the answer: it was nothing but wishful thinking on their part.

Yang Shuai ultimately scored 34 points, leading the Trail Blazers to an 86-78 victory over the Jazz, winning this "MVP battle".

"We are witnessing the career of the greatest player ever!"

When the game ended, Ernie Johnson, the number one fan of Yang, couldn't help but raise his arms and shout.

Yang Shuai's youth once represented limitless possibilities, and now he is turning those possibilities into reality little by little.

"If there's one player who can surpass Michael Jordan, he'll be a high school student," Vaccaro's words from back then are gradually becoming a reality.

The MVP award is determined by media votes, which inevitably involve subjectivity. This game has a huge impact on their judgment.

After the Trail Blazers won this game, fans have more reason to believe that Yang Shuai will become the youngest MVP.

However, the MVP votes will start now, but the results will not be announced until the regional finals, which will probably be at the end of May or June.

After two months of accumulation, Yang Shuai once again accumulated 10 points.

He redeemed a batch of A-level shooting talents, raising his three-point shooting attribute cap to 99 and his mid-range shooting attribute to 90.

Once he improves his three-point and mid-range shooting to their maximum potential through training, with a three-point rating of 99, a driving ability of 97, and a mid-range rating of 90, becoming the league's strongest scorer will be just around the corner.

With only half a month left until the end of the season, those last two weeks are sure to be exciting.

The Western Conference was originally a battle between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz for the first and second spots, but the Spurs suddenly joined the fray.

Duncan was like a bull or horse that had enjoyed most of the season and was then asked by its boss to work overtime; he suddenly unleashed his power and led the team to an eight-game winning streak.

In the final game of the season, he led his team to victory in the crucial matchup against the Jazz, ultimately putting the Jazz behind the Spurs.

As early May arrived, the shortened NBA 1998-1999 season, which lasted less than three months, officially came to an end.

ESPN made a series of predictions before the season started, and it turns out that even though they were quite objective, the final rankings still differed significantly from their predictions.

As it turns out, there is too much uncertainty in such a shortened season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Wizards are at the top of the standings with a record of 38 wins and 12 losses.

乔丹在自己36岁的赛季里，场均贡献28.3分5.8个篮板4.5次助攻，投篮命中率48.5%/30.5%/83%。

Jordan's stats are basically unchanged from last season, which is enough to show the effort he put in during the lockout.

In fact, because the Wizards have so many scoring options, his scoring environment is better, and his efficiency has improved compared to last season.

Moreover, Jordan demonstrated his indomitable spirit, playing all 50 games in the shortened season without suffering any injuries.

The second seed in the East is quite surprising; it's neither the Heat nor the Knicks, but the Magic.

The Magic are second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 34.

Hardaway suffered a major injury last season, and this season he is averaging only 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, which is not a particularly outstanding performance.

The Magic's success is due to two main factors: the significant decline of other Eastern Conference teams and their league-leading defense, allowing only 86.9 points per game on average.

Lewis' rookie season with the Magic was also quite impressive.

At the beginning of the season, he was a substitute, but by the end of the season, he had replaced "Arizona State's Karl Malone" Isaac Austin and started alongside "Cobra" Grant.

He averaged 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his rookie season, giving HARK a pretty good start.

The Pacers and Heat both have 33 wins, ranking third and fourth respectively.

The 76ers were a bit of a surprise, finishing with a 28-22 record and ranking seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Keep in mind that they had just traded away their core center, Coleman, at the beginning of the season.

The root cause of all this is Iverson.

After the team traded away Stackhouse and Coleman, the 76ers began to concentrate ball possession on Iverson.

Allen Iverson averaged 22 field goal attempts per game this season, scoring 26.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, ranking third in the league in scoring.

Although the efficiency is average (41.2%/29.1%/75.1% shooting percentages), considering the 76ers' defensive style this season, this high-volume play can directly improve their record.

Larry Brown, a defender obsessed with defense, eventually succumbed to the pressure of reality and was forced to create a new tactical system.

However, Brown was definitely not happy. On one hand, he was furious about Iverson's defensive problems, and on the other hand, he had to bow to reality. That kind of conflicted life had made his hair turn gray quickly.

Another surprise was the Knicks, who ultimately finished with only 27 wins, ranking eighth in the Eastern Conference.

In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers finished first in the final standings!

Like the Wizards, the Trail Blazers also finished with a record of 38 wins and 12 losses.

However, because they defeated the Wizards in the regular season, even though they had the same record, the Trail Blazers were ranked first in the league!

杨帅在自己生涯的第四年出场了全部50场比赛，场均上场38.8分钟，得到27.6分6.4板5.2助3抢断1.8盖帽，三项命中率分别是50.8%/40.5%/86.6%。

He not only set a new career high in scoring, ranking second in the league only behind Jordan, but also improved his efficiency compared to last season, with his field goal percentage exceeding 50% for the first time in his career.

This is directly related to his improved personal abilities, and also to Carlisle's tactical adjustments.

Playing fast breaks a lot will inevitably improve your accuracy.

It's a bit of a shame that due to the change in his playing style, he had a lot more free throws, and ultimately failed to achieve the 180 Club.

However, that kind of thing is essentially the same as 20+5+5, it's a customized data and doesn't have much meaning.

Jordan never entered the 180 Club in a single season throughout his entire career, but that doesn't stop him from being the best player in the league.

Statistically speaking, Yang Shuai not only ranked second in scoring this season, but also won the season's steals title.

He is the only player in the league to average 3 steals per game.

Two years ago, Yang Shuai lost the DPOY selection to Mutombo due to seniority issues, but he is expected to win this honor this year.

Even considering the potential MVP award, this could very well be a year of explosive honors for Yang Shuai.

(End of this chapter)