Capítulo 1398: Chapter 548: Sorrow of a Small City (6)
Of course, the roles cannot be compared just like that. Yao Ming primarily focuses on stable scoring during crucial phases, drawing double-teams, and making passes, while Yi Jianlian’s role is to score and grab rebounds.
Under Yi Jianlian’s leadership, the Chinese n’s Basketball Team advanced to the top 16. The most regrettable match in the group stage was against the host Turkish Team.
Turkey, known as the Husky Nation, shares certain similarities with Korea.
The Chinese n’s Basketball Team, capable of playing an 80-89 ga against the Russian Team and an 81-89 ga against the championship favorite Greek Team, lost by over 40 points to the Turkish Team. Even European and Arican dia expressed confusion about how Turkey managed to limit Yi Jianlian to just 8 attempts and 11 points.
But considering last year’s European Basketball Championship, where the Turkish Team, also the host, slaughtered the EuroBasket champion seed Serbia Team in the group stage, it’s not entirely surprising.
By the World Championship, the Turkish Team no longer pretended. In the group stage, they consecutively defeated the Greek Team and the Russian Team. In the round of 16, they massacred the French Team; in the quarterfinals, they destroyed the Slovenian Team; and in the semifinals, they again tore apart the third-champion seed Serbia Team, which had just defeated the defending champion Spain Team… In the final, the Turkish Team ran out of steam or perhaps didn’t dare to, and was slaughtered by the Arican Team.
The heavy loss to the Turkish Team in the last group stage match caused the Chinese n’s Basketball Team to face the group leader Lithuania Team in the round of 16, which resulted in a narrow 70-78 defeat, halting their progress at the top 16.
On Zhang Yang’s personal front, in mid-July, after Bosh joined the Knicks Team and before Jas joined the Knicks Team, he finally accumulated the first 100,000 shooting value of the new round of tasks.
In the last round of tasks, in late March, he managed to collect the second 100,000 shooting value, choosing to upgrade his training rewards. Since the playoffs were approaching, enhancing talent wouldn’t have much imdiate effect, while training rewards could provide an instant boost.
Luckily, he randomly gained the Big Bird’s high-post back-play rhythm, leveling up from interdiate to advanced, leaving only ‘perfect’ as the highest level.
By the end of May, he accumulated the third 100,000 shooting value of the previous round, randomly gaining a jumping talent point. Although he didn’t get stamina or strength, which was slightly regrettable, he raised the jumping ceiling to 93, while he is currently at 90. This allowed for a significant potential increase in his jumping ability, which is quite beneficial. After technical skills reach a certain level, jump speed and jump height can greatly enhance the effectiveness of those skills.
In mid-July, when he accumulated his next 100,000 shooting value, he chose talent points. Increasing a few talent points before training is always beneficial. He randomly gained a layup, raising his layup talent to 97, which could sowhat help improve his foundational layup skills, currently rated at 94.
On August 16, he completed another 100,000 shooting value and started training, this ti on the 80 line.
…
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From the training ssage, Zhang Yang learned that after completing a three-peat in ’92, the ‘he’ of this realm renewed a 3-year contract with the Knicks Team, with a 2 1 player option for the last year, averaging $10 million annually, becoming the first player in NBA history to secure a ten-million-dollar annual salary.
However, the off-season for the Knicks Team wasn’t very smooth. At 27, Mark Jackson wanted to beco the franchise star, refused the Knicks Team’s offer, accepted an invitation from a renowned figure, and joined another big city’s team for a better personal future… the Los Angeles Clippers, invited by the Eight-ti runner-up Baylor.
Gerald Wilkins also accepted the Cavaliers’ invitation. At 29, he chose a 5-year, $10 million contract instead of continuing to contend for the championship with the Knicks Team.
Both of their choices are understandable, but with the tactical core point guard and the first backup in the forward-guard line gone, and the veteran Kiki Vandeweghe, who played a crucial role in last season’s playoffs, choosing to retire, the Knicks Team’s off-season beca increasingly challenging.
In desperation, Big Bird made a move on his old team.
He poached Doug Rivers from the Celtics with a 3-year, $4.5 million offer.
During the 91-92 season, Rivers played 80 gas for the Celtics, starting 54 of them, averaging 12.5 points and 5 assists per ga.
In fact, Rivers perford even better during his ti with the Hawks in the ’80s, having seasons where he averaged 12 points and 10 assists, or 14 points and 9 assists. In the sumr of ’91, nearing the end of his contract, he was traded by the Hawks to the Celtics in exchange for draft picks, and he played decently there as well.
This ti, Big Bird’s recruiting thod remained simple yet effective. The Celtics offered only a 2-year, $2 million short-term contract, while he provided Rivers with an irresistible price.
Once the point guard gap was barely filled, Big Bird’s operations began to proceed smoothly. He recruited forr All-Star player Rolando Blackman from the Mavericks.
At 33, Blackman, drafted in ’81, made the All-Star substitute roster four tis in the late ’80s. Last season, he averaged as high as 18 points per ga, though his efficiency plumted from a long-ti 50% field goal percentage in the ’80s to just 44% last season. However, while his core scoring ability is lacking, he more than suffices as a backup shooting guard.
Next, Big Bird made a brilliant trade, using potential newcor Hubert Davis as a bargaining chip to trade with the Timberwolves for the pri 30-year-old small forward Tony Campbell.
Tony Campbell, a first-round pick from the golden ’84 draft class, is a small forward standing at 201 cm and weighing 98 kg. After joining the Timberwolves in ’89, he had a peak season in ’89-’90, averaging 23.2 points per ga. However, he has been declining in recent years, with averages of 21 points per ga in the ’90-’91 season and 16.8 points last season, indicating a downturn in his career.
But for the Knicks Team, which needs imdiate combat power more than potential rookies, trading a late first-round newcor for Tony Campbell was indeed a splendid deal.
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