NBA: This Center Is So Stable - Chapter 57
The first time, the second time.
Chapter 57 03 Pandora’s Box of Rookies
The preseason is over!
The official statistics of the rookies of each team are released.
The No. 1 pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers is in the lead, just like the order.
He averaged 28 minutes of playing time throughout the preseason and contributed comprehensive data of 26 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
However, the No. 2 pick of the Detroit Pistons, Milicic, was somewhat unsatisfactory.
He averaged 30 minutes per game and only scored 11 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block.
From the perspective of rebounding, he is not even as good as the No. 1 pick.
The Knicks reaped a lot.
In terms of playing time, he is not as good as the previous two, but he is more efficient.
With an average of 23 minutes of playing time, he can contribute a luxurious double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, and also has a surprising performance of 3 blocks and 4.5 assists.
What surprised the Knicks executives the most was Wang Song’s assist ability.
His ability to pass the ball in the backcourt after receiving the defensive rebound is no less than that of the guard.
He is quick and accurate in launching fast breaks, and has become the second brain of the Knicks on the court.
It is against this background.
The opening game of the regular season officially started!
The Knicks are the team that deserves to be the opening game… They did not become the opening game team.
There is no way because the team is not famous enough.
The schedule of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who just selected the No. 1 pick, was moved to the first day, and their opponent is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As the Western Conference Finals team last season, the Timberwolves have strengthened this season.
Introduced “alien” Sam Cassell and Knicks former player, “madman” Latrell Sprewell who came to the Timberwolves after several trades!
“Wolf King” Kevin Garnett is in the interior.
The Timberwolves can be said to be complete now, much stronger than the lineup that broke into the Western Conference Finals last year.
It is enough to see their ambitions this season!
So in the opening game, all the players including the coaching staff and Timberwolves coach Philip Saunders were fully prepared.
Winning the victory and getting off to a good start became their goal.
The result was as expected. The Timberwolves lived up to expectations and united to win the opening game.
LeBron James suffered his first defeat in his career!
Although he scored 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, it was still difficult to hide the Cavaliers’ decline.
The Cleveland Cavaliers in the reconstruction period were really too bad. Just filling in James’s long board could not stop the water from leaking out.
In this regard, the Cavaliers management issued a statement after the game saying that they still have a long way to go in their reconstruction work.
After the Cavaliers lost, it was like opening Pandora’s curse.
One after another, rookies suffered defeats.
The Detroit Pistons were even more upset and defeated by the Denver Nuggets!
Milicic scored 2 points, 3 rebounds and 4 turnovers in the whole game, which made Joe Dumars, who was watching the game in the VIP box, angry.
The Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets were not much better, and all lost with hatred.
All the teams of the 03 rookies seemed to be possessed and could not break through the blockade and win the first game.
In this regard, major sports media have started reporting on this aspect.
Domestic.
New Fox Sports!
“Pandora’s box has been opened? The 03 rookies are unlucky! ”
“All lost! The beginning of the nightmare of the platinum generation! ”
“A big year for the draft? The strength of the rookies is worrying, and the regular season will reveal the truth! 》
Outside fans also expressed their opinions.
——[Pandora’s box? Don’t talk nonsense, the rookies are the rookies! How can there be such a coincidence! ]
——[What is the strongest rookie of the 21st century? If you come to the NBA, you will be a dragon lying down and a tiger lying down! ]
——[The Cavaliers, Heat, and Raptors were all the last teams in the last season. It is normal to lose. It would be strange if they broke out and won. ]
——[According to you, the Knicks are also very dangerous! How many seasons have they been at the bottom? Can they take off by picking a show and trading a guard? ]
——[I choose to trust Song Shen! I have unconditionally believed in this man since the Crazy Three Miracle! 】
——【To be honest, these rookies are all very good, and their personal abilities are all very good. It’s just that they have not had enough time to adapt to the team and they are not used to the high-level league. But what I want to say is… Wang Song is a rookie who has successfully integrated into the team. This Knicks team is really different. 】
——【Identification completed. The person above really understands basketball, but the Knicks’ foundation is indeed a bit weak. It will cost a lot to win the Wizards!
】
···
Madison Garden.
Today, New York fans will welcome their home team’s opening game here.
The Knicks’ outstanding performance in the preseason has also consolidated the Knicks’ fan base.
Many fans who had been playing badly for years because of the Knicks returned to Madison Garden and chose to continue to support them.
That young Asian man made them see the future of the Knicks!
They chose to pay for the future of the Knicks.
Herb Sendek’s eyes lit up when he first entered the stadium.
He had never seen such a high attendance rate in Madison Garden. As the coach of the North Carolina Wolf Pack for so many years, he trained in that small broken gymnasium.
Only when you go to a larger regional league can you see the magnificent stands in other people’s stadiums.
But now looking back, it’s nothing compared to Madison Garden.
“Is this a big ball market…”
Looking at the full stands, Herb Sendek deeply felt the consumption power of the New York people.
Pre-match preparation.
Players from both sides went up to warm up, and the pre-match press conference and interview were carried out simultaneously.
“General” Arenas was traded to the Wizards by the Warriors this season and became the main guard of the Wizards.
His joining can be regarded as making up for the problem of insufficient firepower on the outside of the Wizards.
This second-round pick signed a two-year minimum salary contract with the Warriors for less than 1 million, but he played the performance of a top-paid guard in two seasons.
But when it came to renewal, the Warriors executives were only willing to spend less than 5 million annual salary to renew the guard who had a two-year child labor contract.
In a fit of anger, Arenas left the Warriors and signed a 6-year 65 million contract with the Wizards. In the season when he left the Warriors, he averaged 18 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
And this second-round pick also transformed himself and became a model of counterattack in the draft.
“Arenas, what are your expectations for today’s game? This is your first game since joining the Wizards. What kind of performance do you think will announce your joining at the end of the game?”
The general wearing the No. 0 jersey faced the camera with confidence.
“There is no doubt that we will win this game! Washington was a strong team before I came, but it just lacked a little luck.”
When asked about the focus player of the Knicks.
Arenas looked relaxed: “Steve Nash did play well, but I can limit him. As for the second pick in China…”
“We have Kwame Brown!”
(End of this chapter)
