Before the season ended and the playoffs officially started, ESPN conducted a poll.
The survey was very broad and the results were very interesting.
In the [most watched first-round matchup], the game between the Cavaliers and the Bulls topped the list. Because of the grievances between the regular season and the dunk contest, the encounter between the two teams earned a lot of attention.
In the "least suspenseful first-round matchup", the game between the Cavaliers and Bulls ranked second on this list after the Magic and Bobcats.
Therefore, it is easy to draw a conclusion from this investigation report. This is a standard "Jimmy happy game".
The playoffs are about to begin, and before that, the league announced the first batch of awards for the season, namely the Most Improved Award, the Best Sixth Man Award, and the Best Rookie Award.
The Most Improved Award belongs to Brooks of the Rockets. Although the arrival of Hamilton has reduced his shooting rights and his scoring average has dropped below 20, he still averages 19.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Rockets. The point shooting percentage reached 39.8%, which was a significant improvement compared to last season.
The Sixth Man of the Year belongs to the Hawks' Crawford, who averaged 18 points per game. This is the first time in his career that he has been selected for this honor.
Among the first batch of awards, the first two awards are expected, but there is some suspense for the Best Rookie.
The trio of Xu Yong, Evans and Curry lasted until the end of the season.
The Warriors ended the season with 26 wins and the third-worst record in the Western Conference. Curry averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game;
The Kings finished with 25 wins and the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
It is worth mentioning that with his hard work in the last few games, he ended up like the original James, reaching 20+5+5 at the last moment, joining Oscar Robertson (averaging 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game). Ranked with Jordan (averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game);
The Bulls finished with 44 wins, eighth in the Eastern Conference. Xu Yong averaged 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range.
Scenes that seemed familiar six years ago began to appear.
That year, James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, and also got 20+5+5. The Cavaliers did not make the playoffs, while Anthony averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The Nuggets were eighth in the Western Conference, and finally won the final. The best rookie was given to James.
Now Xu Yong and Evans will recreate the historical heights.
The final results came out, and Xu Yong was elected the Rookie of the Season with a 38% advantage, beating Evans (31%) and Curry (26%).
However, this result did not cause as much controversy on the Internet as James Anthony did.
The reason is also very simple. First of all, James was ninth in the Eastern Conference, and Evans was second to last in the Western Conference. There was a huge difference in record;
Secondly, with your average of over 20 points per game, coupled with your record, who wouldn’t know that you added it at the last moment, with a customized version of 20+5+5?
Thirdly, Xu Yong does not have the same gangster background as Anthony, and he is even behind the big market of China. Where Anthony loses points, Xu Yong gains points.
Of course, there are four more, and the most important point is, who are you Evans? If you don’t call me a guard version of James, you are really qualified to be compared with James. James’ popularity in the league and his influence in the media , it is simply not something you, Evans, can touch.
However, although the controversy is gone, there is still a lot of ridicule on social media at this time.
Who are you kidding?
Of course it’s the Grizzlies!
For comparison, their fifth pick Thabeet played 68 games during his rookie season, including 13 starts, averaging 3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
Well, I can’t say there is any difference between him and Xu Yong, it’s simply a world of difference!
If you are a Grizzlies fan, especially one who went through last year's draft, or even a fan who reveled in the original trade, you are afraid to open social media at this time.
"This is truly one of the greatest trades in NBA history, but for the Bulls, it was laugh-out-loud."
"Is your 'divine fortune teller' okay?"
"Don't give up. Believe in yourself. Last year you selected a parallel import with the fifth overall pick. This year you can definitely select a core player with the 17th overall pick!"
"Actually, I think it's not all bad for the Grizzlies, because they successfully avoided drafting [the second most popular pick] and were only the fifth pick."
"I told you to save some champagne a long time ago. You have to watch it on the bus to the game. Look, are you dying of thirst now?"
"Obviously they could have won easily, but they chose to take the most difficult path. I cried to death."
"As a Chicagoan, I just want to say to the Grizzlies, thank you, because you warmed up the season."
…
Xu Yong learned the news on the plane to Cleveland.
His teammates celebrated him on the plane.
Naturally, he was in a good mood.
He didn't consciously compete for this award, but it would be a good thing to start his career as the best rookie.
After the first batch of awards were announced, the playoffs officially kicked off.
In the East, there are two sets of series starting on the first day, namely the Celtics VS Heat and the Cavaliers VS Bulls.
The game between the Celtics and the Heat started first. This game made fans feel the intensity of the game that is still at the beginning of the century.
The referee's whistle was really loose, and the confrontation on the field was really fierce.
The two teams scored 44 to 41 at halftime, and even scored a low score of 15 to 13 in the second quarter.
Sophomores like Beasley can't score points at all in this kind of game, and even veterans like Pierce, Ray Allen and O'Neal Jr. are hitting the iron frequently.
Only superstars with killer skills like Wade and Garnett can still produce stable output.
This wave has made everyone, including the young people of the Bulls, feel what the intensity of the playoffs is and why the playoffs are called the stage of superstars.
It's not surprising at all to score in double figures in the regular season and make no contribution in the playoffs.
At the end of halftime between the Celtics and Heat, the game between the Cavaliers and Bulls is about to begin.
The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland was full.
To say which one has more James at this time, it is naturally the Cleveland base camp.
Everyone in this small town has a James jersey, and that’s no exaggeration.
Moreover, the unified yellow color scheme throughout the game also made Quicken Loans Arena look oppressive tonight.
In the opening ceremony before the game, James' powder throwing directly pushed the atmosphere to the highest point at the beginning.
The residents of [Knight Kingdom] can’t wait to enjoy their happy game!
The game started immediately, and the starters of both teams came on stage one after another.
Cavaliers: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, James, Jamison, O'Neal;
Bulls: Rose, Xu Yong, Deng, Gibson, Noah.
In the first game, both sides used regular lineups.
Amid the cheers of the fans, O'Neal returned the ball to the Cavaliers' half, officially kicking off the series.
The Cavaliers played the same way as in the regular season, starting with O'Neal attacking in the low post.
The difference is that after Jamison joins, the space in the second half becomes larger, giving O'Neal more room for singles.
After receiving the ball, O'Neal lowered his weight and observed the Bulls' defense. Seeing that there was no intention of flanking, he immediately started to play with the ball behind his back.
Although Noah has gained weight, he is still not in the same weight class as O'Neal, and he will definitely not be able to withstand it.
But the moment O'Neal turned around, the difference came out.
Noah was not knocked out of focus by O'Neal like before, but he could get up and continue to interfere with O'Neal's defense.
This difference had little impact during O'Neal's peak period. After all, the Sharks' confrontation was never a one-time deal, it was a continuous impact.
But for O'Neal now, he relies more on his own weight. The second confrontation was obviously not as good as the first, and he was not able to directly knock Noah away.
In order to keep the ball alive, he gave Noah another confrontation and turned to the free throw line for a hook shot.
But Noah still maintained his defensive position, and his excellent defensive judgment and long arms successfully interfered with O'Neal.
"Dang!"
O'Neal's shot hit the frame, and Noah turned around and collected the rebound.
The Bulls bench was abuzz.
The big shark is so prestigious that it resounds throughout an era.
Including this season, although he was troubled by some injuries in the regular season, he is still a huge threat to the opponent's inside as long as he plays.
But the young Noah was on guard right from the start!
Noah's face was also flushed. The sweat and effort he had put in in the past two months were all worth it at this moment.
In the transition between offense and defense, the Bulls' style of play has changed from that of the regular season, with Rose taking the lead in the opening game.
De Nagro's intention is more obvious, to play away from home and get a start.
However, the Bulls' attack did not work. As a top defensive coach, Mike Brown successfully predicted DeNagro's thoughts and shrank the defense at the beginning.
Because of O'Neal, the Cavaliers don't need to set up a zone defense. They just shrink and put in shots to prevent breakthroughs. At the same time, they also cut off Rose's passing route.
Rose's mid-range attempt missed the basket.
If the game between the Celtics and the Heat was just for watching, then in the opening round, Brown made the young Bulls players feel what the playoffs are like, focusing on one target.
Moreover, Brown's defense is systematic. He is the man behind Steve Kerr in the future and the architect of the Warriors' defensive system.
He targeted not only Ross, but also Xu Yong.
He didn't pay much attention to Xu Yong in the opening game, but tonight another detail showed how careful he was.
During the regular season, Brown used Parker to defend Rose, but tonight, it was Mo Williams who defended Rose, and Parker was assigned to defend Xu Yong.
Although Williams was passed by Rose in one step, the shrinking defense did not allow Rose to get what he asked for.
On the contrary, Parker, an elite defender, is about the same size as Xu Yong and his defensive effect is quite good.
He sticks to Xu Yong like brown sugar, making it impossible for the Bulls to use their best pindown tactics.
This was the Nth time that Denagro was tactically beaten by the opponent.
However, the Cavaliers didn't play well in the opening period.
Because as good as Brown's defensive system is, his offensive system is just as bad.
To put it simply, he only has two sets of offensive tactics, one is to give the ball to O'Neal, and the other is to give the ball to James.
And when O'Neal is on the court, there is no space, so he can only play O'Neal's way.
This tactic, which had been tried and tested against the Bulls in the regular season, no longer worked with Noah's changes.
Therefore, although Denagro was not as targeted as Brown, he also accidentally blocked the weakness of the Cavaliers' offense.
After O'Neal failed to score consecutively in the low post, James also tried to force a breakthrough, but Noah released O'Neal's help defense and James returned without success.
Noah pumped his fist in excitement and roared after forcing James' offense to take a walk.
Gaining weight and muscle not only allows him to carry the twilight O'Neal, but also the tank charge of James.
Of course, the most important point here is that the referee's whistle tonight was very loose and not biased.
This is the operating art of Mr. Stern. Even in the 2006 Finals, which was criticized by fans for a long time, the whistles in the first two games were not biased towards the Heat.
Therefore, the opening two teams were the same as the ongoing Celtics VS Heat, focusing on one... "Listen, they are playing basketball."
The game lasted six minutes, and the score on the court was 4 to 8.
No one expected the game to turn out like this.
Denagro couldn't sit still anymore, so he stood up and called a timeout.
When the timeout comes back, the Bulls lineup will be adjusted.
Rose, who was targeted at the beginning and made only 1 of 5 shots from the field, was replaced, and the replacement was not Nate Robinson, but Hinrich.
Hinrich was in poor form before and was already relatively low in the rotation order. Now he suddenly rotated up so early. His intention was very obvious. He was preparing to let Xu Yong play with the ball.
Brown's offensive system is rough, but Denagro is not much better. After Rose was targeted and unable to play, he could only play Xu Yong's ball.
The offensive performance of the two coaches tonight is exactly what the saying goes: Where there is a crouching dragon, there must be a phoenix chick.
Hinrich held the ball through half the court, handed it directly to Xu Yong, and then signaled the weak side to open up.
After Xu Yong held the ball, he signaled Noala to come out and play a pick-and-roll.
They are also playing pick-and-rolls. The biggest difference between Xu Yong and James in the opener is that one is active and the other is passive.
As for O'Neal at the end of his career, it would be inappropriate if you don't catch him and fight him.
Parker obviously knew this, so he tried hard to squeeze through Noah's pick-and-roll.
But Noah's pick-and-roll is not that easy to squeeze, and the position where he sets up the pick-and-roll is very close to Xu Yong.
And Xu Yong didn't just stand there stupidly. He was already moving before Noah set up a pick-and-roll, forcing Parker to go back.
As a result of the tacit cooperation between the two, Parker was directly blocked by Noah's wall.
O'Neal could only save after seeing it, but it was already too late.
The moment Xu Yong got the shooting space, he had already jumped up.
"Uh-huh!"
With a picturesque gesture, the basketball passed over O'Neal's head and fell directly into the bag.
It feels good in hand.
Xu Yong stopped following the action, with a smile on his face.
It seems that the extra practice a few nights ago was not in vain.
In the Cavaliers' offense, O'Neal continued to play in the low post, and the Bulls also resolutely shrank.
O'Neal saw the opportunity and passed the ball to James on the outside, and James made a three-pointer from the top of the arc.
"Dang!"
The basketball hit the hoop.
During this period, James's shooting stability refers to the short range of 10 to 16 inches. His mid-range and three-point shots from 16 feet away are still Duan Yu's Six-Mein Divine Sword, which sometimes works well and sometimes fails.
Gibson protected the defensive rebound and the Bulls pushed the fast break.
But James retreated quickly and blocked Hinrich's fast break.
The purpose of playing Hinrich is to open up space, but in terms of counterattack speed, he definitely can't compare with Ross.
Hinrich noticed Xu Yong following up and passed the ball.
Xu Yong caught the ball in one step inside the three-point line and directly chose to stop and pull up.
This ball is a "bad choice" in the eyes of the coach, because if it is not made, it will be a waste of a fast break opportunity.
And James also rushed forward with all his strength at this time.
However, Xu Yong's choice was too straightforward, and it was obviously too late for James to defend and attack twice.
Xu Yong's shot flew over James' head and toward the basket.
James turned his head in the air and saw the basketball entering the basket.
"Uh-huh!"
Xu Yong's body-chasing attack also hit!
After practicing dry pull for nearly two and a half years, he has truly mastered this technique.
The Bulls bench was buzzing with excitement, and Rose couldn't help but stand up excitedly.
Although the pull-up is not as violent as a dunk, Xu Yong's pull-up is accurate!
This is like sniping is not as good as artillery, but it can still kill people.
O'Neal failed to attack under the basket. Looking back, Xu Yong hit Parker with another scissor kick.
This is possessed by the Iron-Blooded Wolf King, kill him without distinction!
10 to 8.
The Bulls took the lead in one go.
There was a commotion at the scene. We were promised a happy game, but why did it seem a little unhappy at the beginning?
The defender of the Chinese team...
(End of chapter)
