This striker is not serious

When Lin Ying wanted to form a personal team before, he had thought about masseurs.

Moreover, this matter is very serious.

To give a well-known example, Judy Seto, now Kobe Bryant's masseur, is officially called a muscle therapist.

He was a member of the Lakers team doctors in 2000, and then joined Kobe Bryant's personal team and served until Kobe retired in 2016.

This person is of Chinese origin and has a certain understanding of both Chinese and Western medicine, so he understands it better than the average masseur.

"Ying, do you know that there is a saying that you only know which one is best if you watch more?"

Durant said with a smile.

"Um."

Lin Ying nodded.

It's just a matter of comparison.

In other words, only after you have seen the forest do you know whether the tree in front of you is considered lush or not.

On the contrary, he would ask a few to try them out first to see which technique was better, and then spend money to recruit them as personal masseuses.

Perfect.

…

The next day, Lin Ying decisively returned to Denver.

Two days later, the All-Star Game came to an end.

In the skills challenge, Deron defeated Paul in the final to win the championship.

In the Three-Point Shootout Contest, the new Three-Point Shootout Contest record holder (24 points), Heat player Jason Kapono successfully defended his title with his outstanding performance.

In the dunk contest, Howard stunned the audience with his "Superman" dunk, and finally won the dunk contest championship.

In the final All-Star game, Ray Allen went berserk in the decisive moment and scored three three-pointers in a row to help the Eastern team defeat the Western team.

This was also one of the few All-Star games the East won.

However, the final MVP was not awarded to Ray Allen (28 points), the highest scorer as usual, but to the more versatile James (27 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists).

This is also the second time in James' five-year career that he has been elected AMVP.

There are four days of rest after the All-Star Game, and after the rest is the trade deadline.

Rumors were also flying around during this period.

Because of the sluggish performance in January and February, there are more rumors about the Nuggets.

Some say Iverson will leave Denver soon, some say the Nuggets want to package Lin Ying and JR Smith to trade for Baron Davis of the Warriors...

Can't tell the difference between true and false.

But just after the All-Star Game, veteran Anthony Carter organized a player meeting with the team.

Players meeting, as the name suggests, is a meeting attended only by players.

This kind of meeting is also common, basically when there are problems within the team.

For example, in history, when the Heat's Big Three performed poorly in the early days of their formation, you can see news of them holding player meetings on airplanes.

Originally, this kind of meeting should have been organized by Anthony or Iverson.

But now one doesn't care, the other is mired in rumors, and only the veteran has come forward.

At the meeting, the team members also expressed their opinions one by one.

The scene is also very interesting.

For example, when it was Anthony's turn, Anthony simply skipped it and had nothing to say.

When it was Iverson's turn, Iverson talked about sacrifice, and looked at Anthony with his past self in his eyes.

The most interesting moment was when it was Smith's turn. JR directly said that he should get more shots.

Everyone has their own ideas, and they are basically not the same.

In short, it's the same as the current situation of the Nuggets, it's a mess.

When it was Lin Ying's turn, Lin Ying didn't say anything, but asked a question.

"What do we want to do this season?"

After asking this question, the conference room fell silent instantly.

This seems to be a very simple question, but no one in the Nuggets seems to have seriously thought about it.

Yes, what do they want to do?

For the contract? For the data? Or for the championship?

Everyone's situation is different and their thoughts are naturally different.

"Of course I will win the championship."

Anthony finally spoke at this time.

James has already reached the finals. The only way for him to surpass James is to win the championship.

And as early as when he was suspended last time, he gave his teammates red wine and said he would drink it when he won the championship.

"We have no retreat."

Iverson also said.

"The playoffs are a big stage. The further we go, the higher the exposure will be. It's not just for the championship, but also for ourselves."

Old Carter, who organized the meeting, continued.

This time, there seemed to be a consensus in the conference room.

This season, regardless of whether they can win in the end, their common goal is to win the championship!

The goal was clarified, and then it was time to discuss how to achieve it.

Anthony said he would return to the way he played in December, saying that was the right way to win.

Martin said he would motivate his teammates more on the court, saying the Nuggets need to return to their gangster nature.

Smith also said that he no longer wants to take shots and will invest more in the defensive end.

Lin Ying, there is no need to say anything at this time.

This players' meeting didn't last long, but it was very successful.

It also reflects one thing, the importance of communication.

No matter what people do, even if they are just playing a game, the result of poor communication will be constant conflicts.

Coming out of the conference room, Iverson took Lin Ying and chatted for a while.

He first talked about LinK-1.

"I think it is similar to my 9th generation shoes, which is great."

Iverson not only praised LinK-1, but also recommended it to his friends.

What Lin Ying had thought about at the beginning came true.

"And thank you for what you said in the conference room. I didn't know what to do before today, but now I know I have another chance."

Then Iverson said something from his heart.

With the ups and downs of the record, the turbulent atmosphere within the team, and Anthony still not listening to him, he really didn't know what to do.

He even thought he would leave Denver after this season.

But Lin Ying made this meeting work, and he was able to fight for a championship again.

"I didn't say anything, Alan."

Lin Ying replied.

He just asked a question.

Iverson was stunned for a moment, then smiled and patted Lin Ying on the shoulder.

It’s not about talking too much, it’s about being precise.

One sentence is enough.

…

The rest time after the All-Star Game is about to pass, and at this moment, domestic fans are greeted with bad news:

Yao Ming is out for the season!

Adelman raised Yao Ming's playing time to 38+, but in the end it caused a big problem.

When Lin Ying heard the news, she called Yao Ming. After the call, she was in a daze all night.

Although he had opened his eyes, he knew this was what would happen.

But when it actually happened, he wondered if he had done nothing.

Should he persuade Yao Ming to lose weight?

In the end, he took a long breath and felt relieved.

Yao Ming, it is impossible to listen to him.

Players have their own era, and in this era it is impossible for a big center to be dominant without gaining weight.

Yao Ming is so smart, it is impossible that he does not know the disadvantages of gaining weight.

Like Yi Jianlian, he must have made his choice after careful consideration, rather than simply being forced upon him by Van Gundy as the outside world said.

Especially now that it has just gained dominance.

This is just like if you asked Rose to change his playing style in order to reduce knee injuries during the MVP season, people still wouldn't listen.

It can only be said that Adelman's ability in rotation is really ridiculously poor.

However, Lin Ying did not give up the idea completely.

After all, the days are still long, and he will play in the Olympics with Yao Ming at home this summer.

Or one day some specific opportunities may arise, and Yao Ming may listen to what he has to say.

The trade deadline is approaching, and some deals have been concluded.

The Rockets sent Bunch Wells to the Hornets and traded for Bobby Jackson and Adam Hanuska;

The Spurs sent Francisco Elson, Brent Barry, and the 2009 first-round draft pick to acquire Kurt Thomas from the SuperSonics;

The Kings sent Mike Bibby in exchange for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and Sheldon Williams;

The Cavaliers reached a three-team deal that sent Hughes to the Bulls and acquired Szczerbiak and Delonte West from the SuperSonics;

The Mavericks sent Devin Harris, Desaguena Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Agger, Keith Van Horn, two future draft picks and some cash to the Nets in exchange

Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright!

This year's trade deadline saw a lot of small news and a lot of big news.

But the Nuggets didn't do anything here.

It can be seen that the management chose to stand still after struggling.

Or, this should be what Iverson said, this is the last chance the management gives this team.

However, the management is not completely immobile. During this break, they laid off Steven Hunter, who rarely had a chance to play.

Hunter's wardrobe originally hit Lin Ying's right side, but now his right side was free, which was a bit weird.

But soon, just before they started playing after the All-Star break, someone else came into the locker room.

Moreover, this person is familiar to Lin Ying!

He has a mohawk on his head and a pair of patterned arms.

This look, this temperament, standard for gangsters!

"Birdman" is here!

Speaking of the role players of the Nuggets during this period, apart from the few who are already in the team, the only one who has not been seen is Chris Birdman Anderson!

Anderson has outstanding physical talents, especially his outstanding wingspan and shot-blocking ability. He is fully capable of playing in the NBA.

It's just that he was banned from the NBA for two years for taking illegal drugs two years ago, and the ban was lifted not long ago.

Seeing the cordiality on Lin Ying's face, Anderson greeted Lin Ying warmly and then gave her a big hug.

Don't blame him for his enthusiasm, Anderson is one of the first batch of CBA graduates to further their studies and re-employment, and he started his professional basketball career from CBA!

After so many years, I saw Chinese people in the NBA as teammates, so it’s strange that I’m not enthusiastic.

After a few brief exchanges, Lin Ying felt that Anderson looked rough and arrogant, but he had a gentle personality and even a little humility.

This contrast is very strong, and it is a bit similar to that NBA Vice President Mark Tatum.

Sure enough, the influence of Greater China is everywhere?

Anthony quickly started chatting with Anderson, all smiles on his face.

Unlike Smith and Weaver, Anderson is not Anthony's younger brother, he should even be considered the "big brother".

When Anthony first arrived with the Nuggets, Anderson was already there.

The relationship between the two was quite good at that time.

The management obviously gave Weaver away and signed Anderson.

…

One day later, the Nuggets faced the Jazz at home.

The last time the two teams played against each other was in November, when Anthony was absent due to suspension, and the Jazz defeated them at home with seven players scoring in double figures.

This game will be important for the Nuggets.

Not only because of the current situation of the Nuggets, but also because the two teams are in the Northwest Division.

According to the current ranking rules, the first place in the division will directly advance to the top four in the division.

When the rules were still in the top three, the Nuggets achieved the "feat" of winning 44 games, beating the Mavericks with 60 wins, and ranking third in the Western Conference.

There are currently five teams in the Northwest Division, the Jazz, Nuggets, Timberwolves, SuperSonics, and Trail Blazers.

The Timberwolves and SuperSonics are both in trouble, and the remaining three teams, the Trail Blazers, are not competitive enough. The only ones that can compete for the top spot are the Nuggets and Jazz.

There is now a 3-game win gap between the two teams, and the Nuggets still have a good chance of catching up.

But if they want to catch up, they must win this kind of direct dialogue game.

On the match day, the attendance rate at the venue was relatively average, only about 70%.

This is obviously related to the Nuggets' performance over the past month or so.

However, a large number of Chinese fans still came to the scene.

And a very interesting scene is that before the game, the home photographer was looking for Lin Ying's shoes for the first time.

After Lin Ying's LinK-1 commemorative edition in the rookie game became popular, the price of that pair of shoes in the second-hand market soared.

But it's a pity that Lin Ying wore the actual combat version.

It's a bit regretful, but it's also expected.

If you really wear it every day to play games, fans will wonder if it is really limited to the world.

After the warm-up, the scene entered into the opening ceremony.

The Jazz took the field first as the visiting team, and the lineup was also announced.

Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer, Kirilenko, Boozer, Okur.

The Jazz fell behind 0-2 in last year's playoffs and came back 4-3 against the Rockets. Domestic fans are not satisfied with this, so they shouldn't be too familiar with this team.

It is worth mentioning that the Jazz felt that they did not have enough players, so they used their first-round pick in December last year to trade for Kyle Korver from the 76ers!

Now there is a big bench: Korver, Halprin, Millsap, CJ Miles...

Good guy, with 9 NBA-level players, Sloan is really not an ordinary rich man.

The Jazz are finished, then the Nuggets.

As soon as the lights dimmed and the spotlight came on, the venue was filled with cheers from the fans.

Although the attendance rate is not high, Denver fans are very enthusiastic.

After all, the Nuggets are gangsters and play with passion.

Iverson was the first to appear, followed by Lin Ying.

It's still the familiar appearance ceremony, clapping with Abrams, then "aah", and finally holding fists.

The cheers of the fans at the scene were higher than when Iverson came on the court.

This unique entrance ceremony is very popular on social media.

Nuggets lineup: Iverson, JR Smith, Anthony, Lin Ying, Martin.

Different from the last match, this time Lin Ying is playing power forward and will face off against Boozer.

Some fans once said that Yao Ming was so bad that he couldn't even beat Boozer.

In fact, during the two years when Boozer was at the peak of the Jazz, he was a serious All-Star power forward, averaging 20+10+3 per game, with comprehensive skills, and was known as the "Second Generation Malone".

The two years in history when the Rockets and Jazz met were exactly the two years at the peak of Boozer and the Jazz.

If the last time we met was an offensive pressure, this time it will be a defensive one.

The game started quickly, and Martin gave the Nuggets the first opportunity to attack.

Lin Ying was holding the ball at the top of the key, and Boozer stretched out his long arms and hands in front of him to interfere.

Boozer is 2.06 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.20 meters.

Just like Lin Ying before, the Jazz didn't even need to make substitutions to defend.

However, Lin Ying did not continue to provide support at the top of the key, but gave the ball to Iverson, and then moved to the high post to play the pick-and-roll!

Deron is a heavy point guard and has a strong sense of rhythm when playing pick-and-rolls on the offensive end, but he is also easily targeted by pick-and-rolls on the defensive end.

Once this position is broken down, the Jazz can only choose to change.

Then Lin Ying quickly bounced out to the three-point line to open up space, and Iverson got a mismatch opportunity.

A breakthrough from the right side, Iverson broke through Boozer and reached the penalty area to dodge and layup...

"Bang!"

He was directly bleeding out of the boundary!

A block from Kirilenko, who may be the best help defenseman in NBA history.

Blocking shots is not just about jumping ability, nor even just about assisting defense awareness. The judgment of the offensive player's fake moves and the grasp of the timing of the jump must be top-notch.

Especially when faced with an offensive level opponent like Iverson, an ordinary jumping man can be fooled into flying.

However, as the only outside player in the NBA who can win the shot blocking title, Kirilenko and Guan Yu have all the ability to block shots.

The last time the Nuggets lost, in addition to failing to prevent the Jazz's offense, Kirilenko also put a lot of defensive pressure on them.

On the Nuggets sideline ball, Martin sent the ball, and Lin Ying returned the pick-and-roll to Iverson.

Only this time he went inside after the pick-and-roll.

Iverson once again broke through Boozer to the basket. This time he jumped in the air to attract Kirilenko's defense and passed the ball to Lin Ying.

Kirilenko defied the odds and helped defend, then turned to cover Lin Ying.

Lin Ying hit Anthony directly without looking, and Anthony took action.

"Whoa!"

Basketball silk slips into the net.

The Nuggets played a smooth offense.

The emotions of Denver fans were also ignited at the beginning.

From the two attacks in this round, we can actually see the changes in Lin Ying's playing style.

Compared with standing still and waiting for teammates to move, he added more pick-and-rolls and series.

In this way, the opponent cannot accurately judge what he will do, and the difficulty of defense will naturally increase exponentially.

In effect, it is very close to a breakthrough attack with the ball.

Or to put it another way: Breaking through with the ball can break the press, and you can break the press without the ball, and you can be more flexible.