My name is DeAndre Jordan, and I'm speaking for myself again.
I once said, no serious person keeps a diary.
It turns out that I am not a serious person.
After being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, I was depressed for a while.
However, after several seasons of concentrated development, the team has united together and kept moving forward.
We finally reached the Western Conference Finals in the 2012-2013 season.
This is a landmark promotion in the history of the Memphis Grizzlies. We are no longer a bad team in the millennium.
The night we beat the Warriors in Game 7 was the craziest night I've ever experienced.
FedExArena went into a frenzy and we became the heroes of the city.
Of course, the journey is far from over.
Interestingly, our opponent in the Western Conference Finals was the Los Angeles Clippers.
I have mixed feelings about the team that suddenly traded me away.
Similar to me is Blake Griffin, and I know the 2009 draft took a toll on him.
After defeating the Warriors in Game 7, he cried. I know why he cried. He has experienced a lot.
Now, he's going to Los Angeles to get back everything he's lost.
I also want to go to Los Angeles to seek justice and get back the respect that belongs to me.
Of course, we all know that the Clippers are no longer what they used to be. They are really strong.
Coach Hollins told us after the tiebreaker that in the Western Conference finals, the most important thing is to show ourselves, not to be afraid of our opponents, and to play our style.
I know that Coach Hollins is a little afraid of the Clippers. He always thinks of the team he played in when he was young, the very strong Portland Trail Blazers.
But that was all in the year of the monkey. In 1977, I wasn’t even born yet.
I think we have the ability to cause problems for the Clippers.
Our style of play is very suitable for the playoffs, and the Clippers will not get through easily!
I will use a diary to record this wonderful round of conference finals as a beautiful memory in the future.
…………
Thursday, May 17, Weather: Sunny, Notes: The first day after the Western Conference Semifinals
On a good day, after defeating the Warriors and entering the Western Conference Finals, the team became the focus of Memphis.
The whole team is on holiday, so I can take a good rest at home and relax my body.
I made a call to Curry at noon. Although I was traded to the Grizzlies, we have kept in touch and have a good relationship.
Curry said he was training and they were ready for the Western Conference Finals.
I admit that they were really strong in defeating the Lakers, but there is essentially no difference between 4:3 and 4:0.
The Lakers are too old. If it were us, we could still do 4:0... okay, 4:1, or at most 4:2.
He was as jovial as ever and liked to joke, but he was very tight-lipped and did not reveal anything related to the team's training.
He is too cautious. Even if he says it, what can I do? Will I understand it?
I thought, after taking a nap at noon, should I also go to the training center to strengthen my free throw practice?
I feel that I need to keep practicing my free throws to prevent my opponent from fouling me during the game.
The Warriors often used this trick in the semifinals. Fortunately, I withstood the pressure in Game 7 and was able to score free throws at the critical moment.
But unfortunately, after I woke up after eating at noon, I didn’t want to go because I was too tired.
What if you practice one more day and one less day? Nothing will change.
Why don't you take a good rest at home? You have to get up early to fly to Los Angeles tomorrow morning.
But after thinking about it, forget it and go to the bar to have some fun. I heard that a new girl is here again~
…………
Friday, May 18th, weather: cloudy Notes: The whole team flew to Los Angeles
I am here again in Los Angeles, and I am writing this diary in the hotel at night.
To be honest, I still love the weather in Los Angeles, who doesn’t?
Warm, dry, and sunny, except today, which was a bit gloomy.
But this does not prevent the whole team from being in a good mood. We are the focus in Los Angeles.
After getting off the plane, reporters have been following me for interviews.
There is no doubt that we get enough attention and we deserve it.
It has been too long since there has been a new force like us in the playoffs.
It has always been the Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks, and Suns, going back and forth.
Now, I think the West will be a battleground between the Grizzlies and Clippers over the next few years.
If we make it to the Finals again this year, man, wouldn't that feel great.
After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we went to the arena for adaptive training in the afternoon.
When interviewed by reporters, Griffin said: "We will definitely take away a victory in Los Angeles and then return to Memphis."
Oh my god, does he really dare to say, is he Rasheed Wallace?
To be honest, I don't dare to say such things. Although I am very confident in my heart, there are some things that are better left unsaid.
There is never any benefit in talking loudly.
But I understand Griffin, he has been waiting for this day for too long.
He wants to complete his revenge against the Clippers, Los Angeles, and Smart!
Speaking of Mr. Smart, he was a strange man, and I heard many strange things about him in Memphis.
I really have never met a weirder, more interesting, and more terrifying person.
To be honest, I kind of hated him when he sent me to Memphis.
Now that I don't, I think it's a win-win deal.
I am more suitable for Memphis than Gasol, and I am more suitable for Griffin.
Of course, I still miss my short youth in Los Angeles occasionally.
I was happy there, I made it to the NBA and established myself there.
Tomorrow night, Mr. Smart, I'll show you what I learned in Memphis!
…………
May 19, Saturday, weather: sunny, remarks: Western Conference Finals G1.
It was a regrettable night.
All I can say is that it is very regrettable that the Grizzlies lost the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Clippers.
To be honest, I was already prepared for such a result.
But when the buzzer sounded, I still felt bad.
I'm willing to let the clock go to seven o'clock Pacific time that night, when the game starts.
At that time, the morale of the team was very high. Although we were playing away from home, we were united.
We went through two rounds of tie-breaks, and the whole team was united.
We know that everyone looks down on us, so we just want to fight for it!
At the beginning of the game, we played really well.
I made a successful jump ball at the beginning and gave Griffin the first offensive ball.
Griffin's eyes seemed to be filled with fire. He held the ball and attacked hard, causing Randolph to foul.
Seeing him like that, I knew Griffin was probably going to explode tonight.
He wants to score 30 points at Staples Center and win to prove himself.
He made both free throws and scored the first point, which was a good start.
We are very serious on the defensive end, which is our strength.
The coach told us before the game to lock down the opponent's offense at all costs.
To drag the opponent into a quagmire battle, this is the only way to defeat the Clippers.
The Clippers' offensive style is somewhat similar to that of the Warriors. When we played the Warriors in the semifinals, we dragged them into a quagmire.
But the Clippers move the ball faster, Curry's three-pointers are more accurate, and their forwards are really annoying.
George and Leonard are very good at holding the ball in the paint.
In less than four minutes, I got two defensive fouls and had to go off the court.
It's really bad, they were targeting me, I should have controlled my fouling.
But there's no way, it's not that I don't care, it's that the Clippers are too cunning.
I think from about the time I got off the court with my two fouls, the balance was a little bit off.
Having said that, my role is a bit too highlighted, and it’s only 4 minutes into the game and it’s unbalanced. It seems a bit too early, right?
It was indeed a bit early, because in four minutes, the Clippers extended their lead to 10 points...
Their offense is really sharp and fast.
Sitting off the court, I can feel that everyone is trying their best to slow down the pace of the game and hold off their opponents.
But I feel like the Clippers' rotation is like ice hockey. Substitutions start in about five minutes.
They are very physical, they can run fast, they can move the ball quickly, and everyone has the ability to attack with the ball.
We didn't have time to slow down and form a good formation. After a few moves, gaps appeared in the defense.
Speed is really important.
When I came back in the second quarter, the score had become 37:25, and we were both 12 points behind.
The opponent scored 37 points in a single quarter. This was the first quarter in which we lost the most points in this playoffs.
The guy who faced me in the second quarter was Milicic, and I was always wary of this guy.
He plays really ferociously, and because of his fighting skills, he often conflicts with others.
Serbs are really scary.
I try my best to protect the restricted area.
But when trailing by more than ten points, the most important thing is to score.
This is not my strong point. I have almost no chance to get the ball in the paint.
After the first half, I didn’t score a single point in sports games, and I was just like Paul.
We were already 17 points behind in this game, and during halftime, Hollins pointed out many holes in our defense.
In fact, if you play against other teams, these are not loopholes, but against the Clippers, they are.
He also criticized me and said I didn't protect the basket well enough.
Please, if I try harder, I'll be sitting on the bench.
Curry, this guy, likes to cheat on me and get fouls.
Fortunately I didn't fall for it - although he did score.
Hey, let’s not talk about it. In short, we couldn’t save it in the following games.
The third quarter was originally a strong outburst for the Clippers, and they couldn't beat it even more.
But it doesn't matter, losing the first game is expected.
Everyone thought it was normal and they were getting used to the intensity of the Western Conference Finals.
If you can steal a game in the second game and get the home field advantage, you will make a lot of money.
…………
May 21, Monday, weather: sunny, remarks: Western Conference Finals G2.
I wrote this diary again after the game. I had a day off yesterday and really had nothing to write about.
On the day of the G2 match, I still felt a little heavy because we lost again.
But the good news is that we lost less this time, only losing by 11 points.
We made some adjustments tonight. Instead of starting with Griffin, we started with pick-and-roll.
To be honest, the pick-and-roll effect is really good. Conley drives the team's offense and suppresses the rhythm.
Our first quarter tonight was much better than the last game, and I also paid attention to controlling fouls.
So, we only trailed by 7 points in the first quarter.
Alas, they are still lagging behind. The Clippers' firepower is still too fierce.
I'll be guarding Randolph tonight. This fat black guy is really annoying.
Always getting the ball outside, then mid-range shot, mid-range shot, then mid-range shot.
I wanted to protect the basket, so I couldn't follow him too far outside, and he took several shots.
Hollins also criticized me, saying I wasn't aggressive enough on defense.
Am I not being proactive? I can't help it, how about you defend me?
Besides, if Griffin's arms weren't so short and he wasn't good at protecting the basket, would I have to keep paying attention to the three-second zone?
Look at Anthony Davis opposite, that is the real No. 1 pick.
Those long arms, that wingspan, his defense is really good.
Not beneath me.
Overall, we did our best this time.
But there is still no chance, and they can't beat the Clippers in Los Angeles.
But I don’t think this is a problem, it’s just 0:2 behind.
There are many examples of losing the first two away games in a series and then coming back.
Like the Lakers in 2004 and the Heat in 2006.
As long as we make adjustments and return to home court to win, the trend of the series will reverse.
I believe in Memphis we will turn this around!
…………
May 24, Thursday, Weather: Rain, Notes: Western Conference Finals G3
I have thought for a long time whether to write down today’s diary.
To be honest, I don’t feel like writing anymore.
Because TM lost again!
It’s simply unbelievable. We returned to Memphis in G3 and we actually lost?
The outside world thinks that we will come back, and we have confidence in ourselves.
No matter what, you have to win one game, right?
Griffin's face was swollen and he said he wanted to take away a victory in Los Angeles.
As a result, not to mention taking away the victory, it didn't even take away any suspense.
The FedEx Arena was packed, and I could feel my blood boiling as I stood on the court.
We must win this game tonight and give the Clippers some color.
Usually when we return to home court, the referee will help us. We played pretty well in the first half.
At halftime, we only trailed by 5 points, which was even less than the previous game.
But the situation changed in the third quarter and we couldn't score!
They can't even make any outside shots. Conley, Prince, and Tony Allen are not very good at shooting.
The Clippers' defense is still strong, but we don't know how to attack.
It's useless to count on me at this time, I can't attack.
I'd better guard the basket, get a few more rebounds, and make the data look better.
In the third quarter, the Clippers defended us and only scored 14 points, which was too low.
There was no suspense anymore in the fourth quarter of the game. It was really tragic.
No team can win the series if they are behind 0:3.
Time flies so fast, and we were still full of confidence when we went to Los Angeles.
Now whether I can go to Los Angeles again is a question.
Even if the G5 is brought down, what will happen?
But no matter what, we still have to fight for honor!
…………
May 26, Saturday, weather: cloudy, remarks: Western Conference Finals G4
What to write about?
It's over, it's finally over, this damn Western Conference Finals.
In one week, we experienced the feeling of heaven to hell.
Hell, I couldn’t even see a single expression on Mr. Smart’s face while I was watching the game from the sidelines.
Really, he never smiled from the beginning to the end. He just kept a dull face and occasionally talked to the people next to him.
It felt as if the Clippers were already 15 points behind and about to lose the game.
But in fact, they were leading by almost 20 points!
But I'm okay, I don't hate Smart in my heart, it doesn't matter to me.
At the end of the game, I went over and shook hands with him.
What if my contract ends in the future, can I still return to the Clippers?
Let's establish a good relationship with Mr. Smart as soon as possible.
But Griffin is miserable, he really wants to prove himself.
After G4, he sat on the bench for a while before leaving.
Back in the locker room he cried again.
Hey, I comforted him, but he didn't seem to have any reaction.
It's normal to think about it. He has devoted a lot to this series and he hopes to prove himself.
Unfortunately, the Clippers are really too strong, and the gap between us and them is too big.
Hey, it’s so annoying, I still want to keep my diary until the finals.
Forget it, I can’t write anymore, let’s go to the bar. The new girl from last time was pretty good.
(End of chapter)
