Amid Lin Fei's emotional words, the Target Center Arena once again burst into applause and cheers from Timberwolves fans. Many nostalgic fans still had tears in their eyes.
The Timberwolves have currently played 9 games in the new season, with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses. Overall, they are not bad, but they have also exposed many problems.
Although Cassel's back injury has recovered well in the offseason, the root cause of the problem is still there. As he grows older, his overall condition has declined significantly compared with last season.
The same is true for the 34-year-old "Madman", whose average points per game have dropped to about 13 points. The three-headed monsters and two "old monsters" of the Timberwolves last season can no longer match the status of giants.
But the glory of winning the championship still has a great effect on motivating young players. Although Cassel and "Madman" have declined,
But "Wolf King" Garnett's overall performance at the beginning was completely maintained at last season's MVP level, and even improved even more.
Szebiak often alternates between starting and benching the sixth man, averaging a stable 17 points per game and shooting 50.6% from the field.
He has overwhelmed Madman and Cassel and became the new second-in-command of the Timberwolves.
Because he was reminded and influenced by Lin Fei, a good friend in this parallel world, Sizebiak was more cautious in protecting his ankles, which also greatly reduced the impact of later injuries.
Olowokandi experienced heavy use in the Western Conference Finals and the Finals last season, coupled with the influence of Lin Fei's hard training, he has also secured his position as the team's starting center in the new season and is in good shape.
But the habits of laziness and alcoholism still cannot be changed. It can only be said that the overall state is better than the original world at the same time.
The honest and honest Trenton Hassell signed a six-year, $29 million contract with the Timberwolves this offseason, with an average annual salary of nearly 5 million.
For Hassell, whose annual salary during the rookie contract period is only more than 600,000, this contract has made him quite satisfied.
Hassell has been working hard on three-pointers throughout the offseason, which has also made his accuracy in open three-pointers in the new season significantly improved compared to before.
In Lin Fei's impression, the Timberwolves of the original world failed in the Western Conference Finals in the 2003-04 season, and then quickly fell into decline in the following 04-05 season, not even making it to the playoffs.
The Timberwolves never made the playoffs in the next three seasons, and Garnett finally chose to bid farewell to Minneapolis and join the Celtics to form the Green Army's Big Three.
He led the team at the peak of his career, but failed to make the playoffs for three consecutive years. This was criticized by countless fans in the future, who believed that Garnett did not deserve the title of super giant and his ability to lead the team was very average.
But in today's world, the Timberwolves' championship has created a series of butterfly effects. Although the Timberwolves started this season with a lot of problems, their record of 6 wins and 3 losses is not very good.
But as long as the main players stay healthy, reaching the playoffs is not a big problem.
At the same time, Glen Taylor, as the owner, and general manager Kevin McHale are also actively seeking to strengthen the team, and they will not hesitate to teach the luxury tax.
We have to admit that the championship has a huge impact on the future development of a team.
The Timberwolves are likely to use this to completely get rid of their decline and become a perennial powerhouse in the Western Conference. The Wolf King also hopes to have one man and one city and stay in Minnesota forever.
But what makes Timberwolves fans feel pity is still Lin Fei's departure.
Because judging from the current situation, the Timberwolves are unlikely to defend the championship with their current lineup.
But if Lin Fei is still there, the Timberwolves will still be in the first echelon of the championship.
"Lin, the Timberwolves and I are very much looking forward to working with you again. Before you retire, the team's No. 22 jersey will be reserved for you!"
As soon as Timberwolves boss Glen Taylor said these words, the audience burst into applause again, and Lin Fei was even more moved.
Although this does not mean that the Timberwolves will retire Lin Fei's No. 22 jersey, it shows that the team fully recognizes Lin Fei's contribution to the Timberwolves' championship and looks forward to his return.
"I hope one day I can put on that familiar jersey again, return to the place where my dream began, and end my career here!"
Lin Fei's words did not promise anything, but they made the Timberwolves fans in the Target Center Arena burst with joy and excitement.
It is always good to have hope, although this hope may not necessarily come true.
If Lin Fei wins a Grand Slam in the NBA in the future and creates a legendary career, then eventually returning to the Timberwolves to end his entire career will be considered a perfect beginning and end.
Life is often like a circle, going round and round and often returning to the starting point.
Feeling the warm welcome given to Lin Fei by the Timberwolves fans, Wade and O'Neal standing on the sidelines were truly envious.
The NBA will always be a business league, and Wade is not sure whether he will stay with the Heat forever.
If he joins another team in the future and returns to the American Airlines Arena, will the former Heat fans welcome him like the Timberwolves fans did to Lin Fei?
Or boos and jeers?
O'Neal felt the same way. After joining the Lakers, he returned to the Magic's home court. Magic fans had never welcomed him so much.
Now that he has joined the Heat and returned to the Lakers Staples Arena, the situation should be slightly better, right? After all, he brought three championship trophies here.
The time soon came to 7 o'clock in the evening. At the whistle of referee Joey Crawford, the starting players of the two teams walked onto the court and the game officially began.
The starting five for the Miami Heat are:
Point Guard (PG): Dwayne Wade,
Shooting guard (SG): Lin Fei,
Small forward (SF): Eddie Jones,
Power forward (PF): Udonis Haslem,
Center (C): Shaquille O'Neal.
Because Lin Fei returned to the home court of his old club tonight, Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy was also very humane and directly mentioned Lin Fei as the starting shooting guard and let Wade play point guard.
The starting five for the Minnesota Timberwolves are:
Point Guard (PG): Sam Cassel,
Shooting Guard (SG): Trenton Hassell,
Small forward (SF): Latrell Sprewell,
Power forward (PF): Kevin Garnett,
Center (C): Michael Olowokandi.
O'Neal took the lead in the middle circle and succeeded in jumping the ball. Wade took the ball and advanced, and the Heat started the first attack.
Facing Sam Cassell, who is 191cm tall, 35 years old, and even suffering from a back injury, Wade has the absolute upper hand in almost every aspect except experience.
"Whoosh!"
Even though Cassel deliberately put Wade two meters away, Wade's explosive power and first step were too fast. He pressed up against Cassel with his body and walked to the right to quickly enter the penalty area.
The Wolf King at the power forward position quickly stepped up to defend and let go of Haslem in the high position.
If Wade passes the ball to Haslem at this time, the opponent will be completely open in the mid-range.
But Haslem's mid-range touch is not good. The reason why he can serve as the starting power forward in the Heat is mainly because he has a greater role on the defensive end, which can make up for O'Neal's lack of defense and flexibility.
This is also the reason why Stan Van Gundy can be reused. He and Haslem focus on offense and defense, each with their own characteristics.
Van Gundy often thinks that if he and Haslem can be combined into one player with both offense and defense, he will definitely be an All-Star substitute power forward.
Facing the Wolf King's high-quality defense this time, Wade's natural aggressiveness and desperate character really made him want to jump up on the Wolf King, challenge DPOY, and have a wonderful Wade throw.
But with Lin Fei's presence, Wade focused more on assists and deliberately restrained his offensive edge.
In terms of physical fitness and talent, Wade has a lot in common with future top NBA point guards Westbrook and Rose. Even though his passing vision and organizational skills are not first-class,
But by breaking through threats to attract defensive points and assist teammates, you can also become a qualified point guard.
After all, in the shooting guard position, Wade's height does suffer a bit. He is the combo guard that best fits the definition.
The Heat have played 9 games in the new season and are temporarily ranked first in the Eastern Conference with 8 wins and 1 loss. Wade averaged 10.2 assists per game in these 9 games, ranking second in the assist list in the new season, second only to Steve Smith. husband Nash.
Wade's organizational skills and sense of rhythm naturally cannot be compared with Nash, but based on the Heat's unique tactics and the presence of Lin Fei, Wade's assists in double figures per game seems logical.
"Whoosh!"
The Heat's first offensive tactics had already been arranged by Stan Van Gundy. Just as Wade broke through the penalty area in the middle,
O'Neal in the low post also took advantage of the situation and raised the right three-point line, providing Lin Fei with a precise screen.
Even though Trenton Hassell has been teammates with Lin Fei for a season and is very familiar with his off-ball movement characteristics, he was still successfully delayed by O'Neal's huge body.
Lin Fei also took the opportunity to rush straight from the top of the arc to the 0-degree angle on the right side, a super sweet spot that he never missed with every shot.
Seeing Lin Fei throw away Hassell and run into the open space, Olowokandi, who was facing O'Neal, had no choice but to switch defense.
But Olowokandi is different from Stoudemire and Marion of the Suns, and even more different from the double Wallace of the Pistons. He is tall and slow in lateral movement, and is not good at such rapid defense changes.
"Whoosh!"
Wade faced the defensive Garnett in the penalty area and stopped to protect the ball with his back, already ready to deliver cannonballs to Lin Fei.
After receiving the ball, Lin Fei faced Olowokandi, who was half a beat behind on defense. He jumped decisively and took the shot calmly.
"Uh-huh!"
In the first 22 seconds, Lin Fei steadily hit a three-pointer from the right corner.
Heat (3): (0) Timberwolves.
Lin Fei's three-pointer not only made the home fans at the Target Center Arena filled with emotion, but even burst into applause.
What’s more, the main Timberwolves players on the court, Wolf King, Madman, Alien, Hassell and Olowokandi, as well as Szebiak sitting on the bench,
I felt the familiar smell of Yan’s return.
The scenes of the Western Conference Finals and Finals last season are still vivid in my mind. Lin Fei made too many key three-pointers in this position, helping the Timberwolves reach the top step by step.
But things have changed after all, and the NBA is like this, with a solid camp and smooth soldiers.
There are no permanent teammates and enemies, only eternal interests and glory.
The ball is transferred and the Timberwolves attack.
Garnett caught the ball in the high post and trained Haslem alone. He faced three threats and feinted, then made a big jump shot, and the basketball went into the net steadily.
"Uh-huh!"
When the Heat attacked, Wade and O'Neal played a pick-and-roll in the high post. After breaking through the basket, he changed direction 180 degrees, tilted his body and took a difficult shot.
"Snapped!"
Garnett's defense was very active and his judgment was accurate. He leaped high and covered the sky with his long arms, sending a hot and spicy hot pot to the Flash.
He contributed 2 points and 1 block in less than 1 minute. The Wolf King was in a very exciting start tonight, showing his superstar qualities on both offense and defense.
As the Timberwolves won the NBA championship in the 2003-04 season, Garnett was also crowned a double MVP, and his historical status naturally increased.
Among active players in the NBA, it can be said that he is second only to O'Neal and Duncan.
As the saying goes, people with dignity know how to work hard.
In the face of overwhelming praise and adulation, Garnett did not lose himself. Instead, he actively trained during the offseason, gained appropriate weight, practiced shooting hard, and further improved his personal strength.
And because of Lin Fei's relationship, Garnett's ideological structure has also been opened up. He no longer overly advocates individual heroism, values the unity of the players in the team, and strives to be a more qualified leader.
In Lin Fei's view, because of last season's championship and FMVP, Garnett is likely to embark on a completely different path from the original world, and his historical status is also expected to be further improved.
On the court, the basketball that was shot away by the Wolf King was immediately controlled by Cassel. The Timberwolves counterattacked. The Madman threw away Eddie Jones and went straight to the frontcourt, receiving the ball and completing a flying dunk.
"Boom!"
Although he is 34 years old, but tonight he played the Heat against his old teammate Lin Fei, "Madman" was very excited at the beginning, as if he had returned to the high-spiritedness of ten years ago.
While returning to defense, "Madman" also deliberately bumped into Lin Fei's chest, widening his eyes in friendly provocation:
"Lin, welcome back to the Target Center. You and your team are doomed tonight!"
Lin Fei responded with a smile: "Latrell, I will hit more three-pointers than the entire Timberwolves team! No one is more familiar with the basket in the Target Center than me!"
Come to the offensive end.
Wade held the ball near the three-point line at the top of the arc and pretended to attack, while Lin Fei quickly rushed up and provided a cross-cover with Wade.
This was a very exquisite cooperation. The moment Lin Fei rushed past Wade, Wade quickly handed the ball to Lin Fei behind him.
After receiving the ball, Lin Fei took a step laterally, took advantage of Wade's cover without making any adjustments, crooked his body and took off. Under the graceful inertia, he shook off Hassell who was following up to defend, and quickly shot a difficult three-pointer.
This flying three-pointer while catching the ball was not only too fast, but also very difficult. Neither Hassel, who was chasing the defender, nor Cassel, who was switching defenses, could complete the interference.
This cross-screen handover coordination is actually very simple. The difficulty lies in Lin Fei's shot selection.
Flip Saunders, standing in front of the Timberwolves' courtside bench, was equally shocked.
If Lin Fei can hit a three-pointer after such simple cooperation, it means that his already terrifying shooting ability has improved significantly compared to last season.
How terrible would this be?
"Uh-huh!"
The sound of the basketball hitting the net was clear and clear, the second one.
Thousands of praises from the home fans came from the Target Center Arena. It was still a familiar feeling and a familiar smell.
It's a pity that Lin Fei's sharp sword is inserted into the heart of his own team.
Flip Saunders' eyes flashed with emotion, and he was filled with wonder in his heart. The two most proud disciples he has trained throughout his coaching career are undoubtedly Garnett and Lin Fei.
Different from Garnett's traditional style of play, Lin Fei is using his unsolvable three-pointers to change the development trend of the entire league.
Back on the defensive end, "Madman" asked for the ball in the high post on the right, called a screen from Hassell, and faced Lin Fei out of position, signaling for his teammates to open up space.
Obviously, "Madman" is taking the initiative to challenge his old friend Lin Fei in a duel.
"Lin, I heard that your defensive level has improved a lot in the new season. Now let me, the big brother, come and test it myself!"
Lin Fei signaled Eddie Jones not to double-team, and assumed the most standard defensive posture in front of the "Madman". He concentrated on observing his opponent's every move:
"Latrell, come on now, I know you will never choose to pass the ball out!"
"Madman"'s physical fitness was quite explosive when he was young. His first step was very sharp, and he often performed explosive dunks.
But now as the age increases, the proportion of single breakthroughs has decreased, and more mid-to-long-range shots are taken after getting rid of.
However, facing Lin Fei tonight, "Madman" seemed to have returned to his youthful and passionate years, determined to beat Lin Fei, get to the basket and deliver dunks.
But time is not forgiving, and "Madman" continued to cross steps and change directions and turn his back to mislead, but he failed to get past Lin Fei's line of defense.
With a comprehensive defense value of 87 points, coupled with gradually increasing confrontation strength, speed and agility, Lin Fei's single defense ability is quite outstanding, with quick sliding steps and continuous interference with his long arms.
Not only did he not let the "Madman" get by easily, he even almost made a steal.
The "Madman" who almost made a dribbling error could only hurriedly combine the ball with his back. After a feint, he turned in the opposite direction on his off-pivot foot, jumped away decisively laterally, and shot a difficult jump shot.
Lin Fei's prediction of the choice of "Madman" was accurate, and he reacted immediately. Then he jumped up high and his long arms suddenly fell down.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, the basketball flew out from Latrell's fingertips, and was slapped down by Lin Fei's big hand.
Block +1.
The Timberwolves fans at home were shocked and couldn't believe their eyes.
Lin Fei actually blocked Sprewell's shot head-on during single defense?
Is this still the defensive slot they know that always required the Wolf King, "Madman" and Szczerbiak to switch defenses and make up defense in the Western Conference Finals and Finals last season?
In the impression, this should be Lin Fei's first shot blocking in his career, right?
Lin Fei's block was so beautiful that the basketball almost hit the ground against the side of Sprewell's face while spinning at high speed.
"boom!"
After blocking the shot, Lin Fei kept his feet on the ground and immediately rushed out. He threw away the shocked "madman", stepped on the accelerator, and ran at full speed towards the basketball that bounced into the frontcourt.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Fei's block on "Madman" came very suddenly. His counterattack path near the high position in the middle was smooth, and his speed after landing was another step ahead.
This left the "Madman", the Wolf King and the aliens behind, and they were all in the dust.
After Lin Fei stepped over the LOGO in the center circle, he quickly stretched out his hand to pick up the basketball. He did not slow down at all while walking, looked at the frontcourt basket ten meters away, and shot another one while riding a horse.
"Uh-huh!"
In this familiar arena, Lin Fei felt that his hand was getting hotter and hotter, and all he could see was the basket.
(End of chapter)
