On January 2, 1997, the Knicks ushered in their first victory of the new year.
At 96:84, despite the Washington Bullets' shooting, the Knicks finally maintained their lead and successfully won the game.
Larry Johnson made 1 of 8 shots and Charles Oakley made 3 of 12 shots. These two seemed to have hit the rookie wall and couldn't make any shots...
Playing 31 minutes, Li You was closely defended by the opponent throughout the game, but still produced good statistics:
4 of 8, 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, 3 of 4 free throws, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers.
After the game, Jeff Van Gundy seemed very happy in an interview and took the initiative to praise the team's performance:
"The first game of the new year was an away game. We overcame the difficulties and performed very well. Everyone played with energy!"
"I don't care about our shooting percentage because we held the Bullets to about 30 percent."
"This is how we play. Even if we don't feel good shooting, we can still win the game with defense."
Xiangwei Chocolate is still chocolate, winning is the most important thing!
On January 3, everyone on the Knicks team couldn't wait to fly to Atlanta. As soon as they arrived at the hotel, several veterans of Ewing warned the newbies:
"Let's go check out the situation tonight. Don't tell the coach where we are!"
Alan Houston and Li You stayed at the hotel and watched NBC's Saturday Night Live to pass the time.
"It's better to take the coaching staff with us. We are all adults. It's not illegal. It's no big deal to enjoy life!"
Newcomer John Wallace felt itchy and wanted to go with Big Brother to "meet them."
Li You laughed out loud when he heard this sentence, collectively XX, thank you for coming up with this idea:
"Believe me, if Coach Van Gundy hears your idea, you won't have any playing time in the next few months."
The doormat Walter McCarty also wanted to experience the latest service. He looked at the TV absentmindedly and said in a sour tone:
"Even Buck went with him. He's tired of logging, so he should take us with him!"
Alan Houston was speechless. Is "logging tired" used for this kind of thing?
"There is still a game to be played tomorrow. Rookie players should train hard and let the coaching staff see your performance. This is the most important thing."
When the two newbies heard Alan Houston's words, they were a little ashamed for a moment.
Li You was also a little curious. He had never been to such a club. He was not interested in messing around. He mainly wanted to witness history.
During the training session on the morning of the 4th, several veterans had their feet fluttering and their eyes widened. After a night of intense competition, their physical fitness was almost at its limit.
Jeff Van Gundy was a little helpless, thinking with his feet he could figure out where these veterans were...
In the game that night, the Knicks were in no shape. What was even more unfortunate was that before the official timeout in the first quarter, Chris Childs sprained his ankle.
The Hawks also followed suit on the offensive end, but on the defensive end, Mutombo was not affected too much and still protected the basket steadily.
Mookie Blaylock and Steve Smith continued to tear into the Knicks' perimeter. Under the fierce defense of the two, Li You did not make any mistakes, but the offense was indeed affected.
The nubuck-style defense made it difficult for Li You to get a good shooting space. Coupled with the decline in screen quality tonight, the team's mistakes increased, and the Eagles soon outscored them 10:2.
Jeff Van Gundy would call a timeout at first to give instructions to the players, but in the second half, he found that everyone's legs were getting weaker and simply sat back on the bench.
In the end, at 82:89, the Hawks completed their revenge at home and successfully defeated the Knicks.
Although he lost the game, Ewing was in a very good mood. After the game, he pulled his friend Mutombo to whisper. The two big men from Georgetown had something in common.
After the game, everyone flew straight to New York. The veterans who had played two games in a row got on the plane and fell asleep...
After leaving the airport, Alan Houston looked particularly depressed. Everyone was in average condition tonight, and he didn't get many shots. He made 4 of 11 shots and only scored 10 points.
"Sometimes I really don't like the team's tactics. We obviously have more offensive options!"
Li You heard Alan Houston's low complaint, shrugged his shoulders and simply responded:
"The Knicks are Pat's team, a top 50 player in the NBA and the starting center of this year's Eastern Conference All-Stars. Keeping the data at 20+10 is a privilege that a superstar should have."
"However, the future definitely belongs to young people. No one can resist the invasion of time. Not the Knicks, nor the Bulls, who currently lead the league!"
"It's just a matter of staying healthy and being patient, there will always be opportunities."
...
On the night of January 5th, at Madison Square Garden Arena, Li You returned home and finally received his Rookie of the Month trophy.
Before the game started, on the visiting team's bench, hearing the cheers of the New York fans, Ray Allen also felt a little envious of Li You's treatment.
Tonight the Bucks challenged the Knicks away from home. Ray Allen wanted to perform well, but he didn't get many shooting opportunities throughout the game.
Although the Bucks are a young team, the current core is Vin Baker and Glenn Robinson. The two of them, one inside and one outside, take most of the Bucks' shots.
In the first half of the game, the two sides were still at a stalemate. In the third quarter of the game, the Knicks suddenly showed an "iron-blooded" defense and secured the victory at 15:26 in a single quarter.
In the end, 88:97, the Knicks, who played back-to-back games at home, easily defeated their opponents!
In 33 minutes of playing time, Ray Allen made 3 of 7 shots and only scored 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnover.
Compared to Li You's situation, Ray Allen has really hit the rookie wall...
After losing the game, the Bucks' record reached 15 wins and 16 losses, falling to ninth in the Eastern Conference.
On the morning of the 6th, Li You entertained friends in his apartment in Manhattan. Ray Allen had difficulty scoring in recent games, and he was naturally very depressed:
"Vin Baker drinks a lot, and the Bucks don't have many players who train seriously. I wouldn't be surprised even if they miss the playoffs this year!"
"I'm a little envious of Antoine Walker. Although the Celtics keep losing, he has the right to take shots."
"It is very difficult for me to ask a scorer to only take 10 shots in a game and to score efficiently!"
Li You handed his friend a glass of water. During daily text message exchanges, Ray Allen rarely complained;
The mood swings are so big this time, mainly because of relationship problems. Long-distance relationships are very harmful...
"The Celtics have only won 7 games in total so far. The league will definitely not let them get what they want with such crazy behavior!"
"In a few days, the Spurs and Celtics will have a bad battle. This is quite interesting. Fans on both sides may be more looking forward to the home team losing!"
Li You began to change the topic and put the unpleasant things behind him. After all, it is difficult for new players to change their situation...
Ray Allen also quickly adjusted his emotions and responded with a smile:
"The league may be trying to save the cardinal's face. We all know that there must be something going on in the lottery ceremony!"
"..."
In the second week of the new year, the Knicks have three games and only two opponents, the Mavericks and the Celtics.
The pressure of the game was not high, but Li You continued to be defended under high pressure. Even if the Celtics defeated the big team, Li You's personal defense did not relax.
On the night of January 11th, at 96:112, the Knicks returned home and defeated the Celtics!
After all, Li You is not an ordinary new player. Faced with the targeted defense of each team, he reduces the number of forced shots, rationally distributes physical fitness, and runs more tactics.
Although the data has dropped a bit, Li You has gained more:
[Allen Iverson’s excellent ball sense] has turned into a copper color, and this talent is integrated very quickly!
The shouts of the fans at the scene brought Li You, who was wandering in the world, back to his senses. The old guy was in a good mood, and he continued to abuse his food, and his statistics also increased:
"John! I'll have to trouble everyone in the Western Conference away game next week!"
Hearing Li You's words, Starks patted his chest and made a promise:
"Don't worry, Li! When we get to Phoenix, everyone will help. It's dangerous and we're tired of logging!"
"..."
