At the post-game press conference after beating the Hornets.
When the media asked Hornets head coach Steve Clifford to evaluate Zhao Chen, he became Zhao Chuan.
"Zhao is the perfect player in my opinion. He plays very determinedly and has tenacity. He can shoot and pass unexpectedly. He is a phenomenal player. He gives the Lakers a completely different temperament. This is what I hope we will achieve." That’s what perimeter players can do.”
"I think he is the MVP of this season, and the change he has made for the Lakers is obvious."
............
As time goes by, Zhao Chen gradually gets rid of the Thunder label, and more and more fans and media are accustomed to calling him the core of the Lakers.
This wave of four-game winning streak has also allowed the Lakers to occupy the top spot in the league in the new season. Although they are not the only team with four-game winning streak, this is the Lakers' first four-game winning streak in a long time. This is a good start.
The Lakers also relied on this wave of winning streak to rank tenth in the latest ESPN "Team Strength Ranking".
You must know that before Zhao Chen joined, the Lakers ranked 28th. Even in the early days when Zhao Chen first joined, the Lakers were only known as the 16th-ranked team.
ESPN believes that the addition of Zhao Chen will at best put the Lakers on the edge of the playoffs, instead of looking like a strong playoff team as they are now.
In addition, Zhao Chen also won the Western Conference Player of the Week in the first week of the NBA season by averaging 43 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds per game. In the latest MVP rankings, Zhao Chen was second only to James, who had just returned to the Cavaliers.
James also led the team to four consecutive victories in the first four games after returning to the Cavaliers. In terms of personal statistics, James is still far behind Zhao Chen, but his aura and qualifications are much stronger than Zhao Chen.
When the teams have the same record, the media is more willing to rank James at the front.
After all, Zhao Chen is only a second-year player and cannot easily reach the top.
On November 4th, the Lakers continued to challenge the Grizzlies away from home.
The Grizzlies are the last opponent of the Lakers' road trip, and of course they are also a relatively easy opponent.
Without much suspense, the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 105-89.
The Grizzlies' style of play is a tough positional battle. They will play very hard in the playoffs, but in the regular season, not all players are so focused.
The Lakers' inside line couldn't stop Randolph and Gasol, but the Lakers' outside line and second unit also overwhelmed the Grizzlies, and the Lakers made three-pointers and transitions.
Compared with the Lakers who like three-pointers and transitions, the Grizzlies play like the last era. They focus on positional offense and will use ball after ball to drill inside.
Although this score is stable, it is too slow.
Zhao Chen's performance in this game was average. He scored a triple-double of 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds with a shooting percentage of 44%. Compared with other games, Zhao Chen's game was not as popular, but he still had a triple-double.
Zhao Chen's performance is generally due to his own state, and also due to his opponents' crazy restrictions on him.
In a double-attack, the Grizzlies used two or even three people to defend Zhao Chen. It was difficult for Zhao Chen to get even one shot.
Fortunately, the Lakers' rookies are making rapid progress. Almost every rookie is improving at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a virtuous competition cycle has been formed internally.
This allows Zhao Chen to effectively attack the Grizzlies with the ball he passes out.
With each victory, the atmosphere in the Lakers locker room is becoming more and more harmonious, and the team's winning culture is being established.
After the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, the entire team flew back to Los Angeles. After returning to Los Angeles, they had a tough battle to fight.
The Lakers' opponent in Game 6 is at home against the powerful rival Golden State Warriors.
.........
"The Lakers have won five consecutive games, and Zhao Chen has triple-doubles in five consecutive games, once again breaking the NBA historical record. 》
"The God of Data, Zhao Chen may be able to complete a triple-double for the season!" 》
"Averaging a triple-double per game, Zhao Chen is catching up with Oscar Robertson! 》
"The Lakers are off to their best start in the past four years. 》
"Zhao Chen averages three doubles per game and is aiming for MVP!" 》
"The Lakers bring in another All-Star to compete for the championship. 》
"It's not a big problem for the Lakers to enter the playoffs, but there are still some problems before they can compete for the championship. 》
.....
After the Lakers' five-game winning streak, the media quickly began to make suggestions for the Lakers to win the championship.
The Lakers' strength has been recognized, but media experts still believe that they are still far away from the championship.
The main reason is the number of superstars.
Now the only superstar the Lakers can use is Zhao Chen. After Kobe's decline in form, he is no longer considered a superstar in terms of ability, as long as it does not harm the team.
The Cavaliers' Big Three lineup, the Spurs' GDP + Leonard, the Warriors' Splash Brothers, and the Thunder's Dewey duo!
Compared with those teams competing for the championship, the Lakers' star quality is slightly worse.
Then the Lakers often have unreliable situations when Zhao Chen is no longer there.
The rookies are rookies after all. They may perform well in the regular season, but they may not perform well in the playoffs with some games where Zhao Chen needs help.
Paul George is considered an All-Star who may leave the team in the near future. Many Los Angeles media are encouraging the Lakers management to inquire about Paul George's price, increase the number of All-Stars in the Lakers, and allow the Lakers to enter the championship ranks as soon as possible.
Zhao Chen ignored the rumors about the Lakers' reinforcements. The day after he returned to Los Angeles, he invited Curry, a guest from afar, to dinner.
Zhao Chen will not regard his opponents on the field as enemies before the game. Zhao Chen knows the difference between what is on the field and what is off the field.
The Warriors achieved a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. Curry averaged 25 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds per game. Curry is also a strong contender for this season's MVP. He ranks fourth on the MVP list.
Curry and Zhao Chen have a good personal relationship. Although the Thunder eliminated the Warriors last season, the two did not become enemies. The two often discuss long-range three-pointers together.
Zhao Chen invited Curry to have Chinese food at a large-scale Chinese restaurant.
There are extremely luxurious private rooms here.
Curry said: "Zhao, I finally understand why you want to join the Lakers. There are no big Chinese restaurants in Golden State."
Zhao Chen smiled and said, "I didn't come to Los Angeles just to eat."
Curry said: "It's not about basketball anyway. It will be difficult for you to win the championship if you choose this place. At least you can't beat us."
Zhao Chen raised his eyebrows and said: "My defeated opponent, I won't talk about this until you defeat me in the playoffs."
After losing the match against Zhao Chen last season, Curry's confidence also weakened.
Curry shrugged and said, "That's right. I'm not qualified to preach to you now. I haven't tasted the taste of a championship yet."
Zhao Chen said: "If you want to win a championship, come to the Lakers and I will take you there."
Curry shook his head and smiled: "Your invitation is not sincere at all. I just feel that you want to defeat me, not be my teammate."
Zhao Chen said: "You can also see this. Yes, I will score more three-pointers than you and then win the game, haha."
Curry said: "Hey, you have to be careful tomorrow anyway, we are different from last season."
Zhao Chen didn't take it seriously: "Let's wait and see."
Steve Kerr has become the head coach of the Warriors. The Warriors are indeed stronger in the new season than last season. They have more passes, instead of relying on the Splash Brothers to instigate offense from the outside. Their offense is more layered. feel.
Zhao Chen smiled and stopped talking about the team with Curry. Instead, he started talking about family and life.
Zhao Chen has been in the NBA for a long time and discovered that apart from being different in basketball, the stars are also just ordinary people.
Curry, James, Kobe, Westbrook, these are all players who have good personal relationships with Zhao Chen.
When facing the media, these people also gave Zhao Chen the most face and boasted more about Zhao Chen, and Zhao Chen mostly reciprocated the favor.
The Golden State Warriors are really a formidable opponent!
