After ending two consecutive back-to-back games, the Trail Blazers got three days of buffer time, and for the next period of time, they will play consecutive home games, which is very beneficial to the players' rest.
However, Wang Zelin will be very busy in the next two days.
Since the Portland Trail Blazers signed a new 10-year, 1 billion broadcast contract with FOX, it has also successfully made Wang Zelin the center of attention.
To put it bluntly, the signing of this contract has allowed the outside world to once again see Wang Zelin's terrifying commercial value, which can even surpass Jordan.
Recently, large companies from all walks of life have approached Wang Zelin's agent Zhou Yang, hoping that Wang Zelin can become their new spokesperson.
Not only in the United States, but also in Asia and Europe, a large number of luxury brands also hope that Wang Zelin can become their regional and even global spokesperson.
The three words Wang Zelin, after signing this billion-dollar broadcast contract, not only represent an individual, but also symbolize a brand.
Zhou Yang has been busy during this period, negotiating contracts with representatives of various brands and then summarizing them.
On the rare off-season day of November 3rd, Zhou Yang went to Wang Zelin's manor with the preliminary intention contract in hand.
Wang Zelin had just finished his morning exercise with sisters Kendou and Kelly. As soon as he came downstairs, Zhou Yang came, and they went to have breakfast.
"Let's look at domestic ones first. If there is an opportunity, we must support domestic enterprises."
"..."
"How far ahead? 10 million? What about the fruit? 12 million...then we'd better choose to be far ahead."
"..."
"Volvo wants me to be its global spokesperson? It's not impossible, but the price must be higher."
"..."
"Tesla? Forget it, although I personally admire their boss very much, I don't want to block their braking system with my face."
"..."
"What the hell, the plastic surgeon from Han State is here too? I'm a natural beauty, I can't accept this, otherwise others will think I'm real."
"..."
"Why are there still offers from Little Japan? From now on, I will reject all offers from Little Japan, except for female celebrities."
…
Zhou Yang brought more than 70 high-quality contracts, and after Wang Zelin screened them, only about 15 were left.
"Zelin, I think you should listen more to the opinions of the management team when it comes to endorsements. Your choice is a bit... too willful."
Today is different from the past. As Wang Zelin's world reputation becomes wider and wider, Zhou Yang can only put forward his suggestions in a relatively implicit way.
Of course, whether to accept it or not depends entirely on Wang Zelin's questioning.
After all, no matter how Wang Zelin chooses to endorse a brand, with his current popularity and status, he will still make money, it's just that he makes more or less.
"It's okay, that's it. I don't need that little money anyway."
Wang Zelin waved his hand and decided.
Hearing this, Zhou Yang's mouth twitched and he had no choice but to agree.
In fact, as Wang Zelin said, as a broker, he had heard more or less about Wang Zelin's investments in recent years. He knew very well that the value of the young man in front of him was far beyond what the outside world imagined.
Forget it, the boss has spoken, what else can he do?
…
…
For the Lakers, Kobe is getting closer and closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's throne as the all-time scoring leader in the regular season. Every game of the Lakers this season has been hotly discussed by the media and fans.
Before the start of the 2017-18 season, Kobe Bryant's career regular season total score was 37,338 points, which was only 1,049 points away from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the former all-time leading scorer in history, who scored 38,387 points.
Considering that Kobe was able to average 22 points per game last season, many experts agree in the new season that Kobe's scoring ability should still be able to maintain an average of around 20 points per game.
In other words, he only needs about 53 regular season games to close the 1,049-point gap with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Breaking this record is a great deed for both Kobe himself and the Lakers giants. Therefore, the Lakers' first task in the new season is to let Kobe surpass Jabba to become the all-time scoring leader. .
Under this premise, everyone, including the Lakers fans, is prepared for a decline in the team's record in the new season.
However, after the regular season started, people were surprised to find that they once again underestimated the hot man.
Because the Lakers' momentum after the start of the new season is not weaker than last season.
After the start of the season, Kobe Bryant scored 41 points in a single game in the opener, defeating the Clippers' Big Four and helping the Lakers win the city derby.
Facing the challenge of the Pelicans in the second game, Kobe made 11 of 25 shots and scored 25 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
In the third game, they defeated the Suns 132:130 and Kobe scored 30 points.
In the fourth game against the Wizards, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Wizards again at 102:99, with Kobe scoring 21 points.
In the fifth game against the Raptors, the Lakers ended their first four-game winning streak at 92:101. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points efficiently by suppressing the Raptors' blood.
In the sixth game against the Jazz, the Lakers suffered two consecutive defeats 81:96. Perhaps due to excessive energy in the previous game, Kobe only scored 17 points tonight.
Facing the Pistons in Game 7, the Lakers defeated their opponent Kobe Bryant 113:93 and scored 22 points.
In the eighth game against the Nets, facing Chris Paul, his partner for the past two years, Kobe scored a double-double of 21 points and 10 assists, helping the Lakers win the final with 124:112.
So after 8 games, fans were surprised to find that the Lakers actually had an astonishing record of 6 wins and 2 losses, second only to the Trail Blazers, who had won all 9 games, and the Warriors, who had 8 wins and 1 loss. They were tied with the Spurs for the first place in the Western Conference. three.
But what is unexpected is that Kobe Bryant, the former number one player in the league who is about to turn 30, actually averaged 25.9 points per game in 8 games, with the lowest game scoring 17 points!
The Black Mamba's performance is truly amazing and admirable.
However, some people believe that as time goes by, the Lakers' current record and Kobe's data will definitely decline.
Recently, some media and industry figures have made evaluations.
In an interview with the media, Spurs coach Smarovich was asked about the Lakers' performance this season and said: "The current record of 6 wins and 2 losses does not reflect the true strength of the Lakers. The next game against the Trail Blazers will be It will test its true strength, and we can see whether this Lakers team has the ability to be in the top four in the Western Conference or even the championship. But judging from the first 8 games, we can still see a lot of things."
"What about?" The reporter asked the question.
Simawicz said with a serious face: "Let's take a look at their weaknesses first. The first is the Lakers. Now they don't have a point guard with real will. Although their starting point guard Jamal Murray has an improved offensive efficiency than last season. Improvement, but he is essentially a scorer-oriented style of play, while Kobe is a pure super scorer. When the two are on the court at the same time, the Lakers lack a substantial ball-holding core in the backcourt, and the organization is worrying.
Second, the starters at positions three and four are either rookie Kevin Kuzma or veteran Pau Gasol. What does this mean? It shows that the Lakers do not have a capable main striker.
Finally, although the Lakers successfully signed DeMarcus Cousins this year, he is a center with strong offense and weak hands. He and Kobe, the inside and outside core, now only have offense and no defense.
Now the Lakers can only rely on offense to maintain their record. Once they encounter a real challenge, but their offense cannot be opened and their defense is basically zero, the Lakers' record will be difficult to maintain. "
"If there are weaknesses, there are also strengths, right?" the reporter continued to ask.
Simavic nodded and said with a smile: "Their advantage still lies in their offense. Murray was selected last year and could only contribute single-digit points per game, but he has grown rapidly this year. For a scorer who averages 18 points per game, this It greatly makes up for the Lakers' outside firepower after Chris Paul left the team.
Then there are the old partners of Kobe and Gasol. The two work together well. If they can stay healthy, the Lakers' offense will be very scary.
Finally, don’t forget that they also have Cousins inside, who is known as the league’s second center after Wang Zelin. The offensive ceiling of this Lakers is very high, but similarly, once injuries occur, the lower limit is likely to exceed people’s expectations. . "
"So do you think the Lakers still have hope of winning the championship this year?" Another reporter stood up and asked.
"Haha, let's wait until they finish playing the Trail Blazers in two days before we discuss this question." Simaweiji did not respond directly to this question.
…
On the 4th, taking advantage of the game day, Wang Zelin hosted a banquet for the entire Trail Blazers team at the manor.
Not only the players and their relatives, but also members of the coaching staff came.
This made Jokic very depressed. Because he was losing weight, he could only watch his teammates enjoy various delicacies at the dining table.
Harrell held a barbecue in his mouth and asked curiously: "Boss, why did you think of inviting the whole team to have dinner together today?"
Wang Zelin smiled mysteriously when he heard this. Of course he couldn't say it was because he just finalized an endorsement contract worth hundreds of millions yesterday, so he wanted to share his happiness with everyone.
Of course, it was definitely not just a simple party dinner, Wang Zelin also specially selected gifts for each team member.
Ahem, they are all sponsored by manufacturers.
Seeing that everyone had almost eaten, Wang Zelin asked the staff to take out the gifts. The amount was jaw-dropping.
Up to now, Wang Zelin has not only had 100 brand endorsements, but also 70 or 80. Whenever there is a new year or holiday, the brand will send him a lot of gifts. After finalizing the new endorsement this time, the brand immediately released the latest models of the season. The product was delivered.
They range from watches, mobile phones and bags to refrigerators, color TVs and even sports cars.
Then again, the reason why Wang Zelin arranged this banquet and gave each player and coaching staff a gift worth a million dollars guaranteed, naturally had his own little thoughts in it.
So far in the new season, in the first 9 games, Wang Zelin has averaged 28 minutes per game, averaging 31 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 4.8 blocks and 2 steals.
If Wang Zelin's playing time is ignored, fans who don't watch football may think that Wang Zelin has suffered a cliff-like decline this season...
Let's put it this way, Wang Zelin's average playing time has never been lower than 34 minutes since his rookie season, but this season his playing time dropped to less than 30 minutes for the first time.
When he averaged 40+20 per game last season, Wang Zelin's playing time was 38 minutes, which was a full 10 points less than now.
The reason why this is so is simple.
Just because...the Trail Blazers are so strong this season!
Yes, that's such a simple and unpretentious reason.
In the past, the most open games were three quarters, but now...
The Trail Blazers only need half a half to make their opponents surrender, so how can Wang Zelin play?
Obviously, if the game continues at the current pace, Wang Zelin's dream of continuing to win the MVP title is undoubtedly a fantasy.
After all, player data is also an important assessment criterion for regular season MVP.
Especially with all the problems involved in completing five consecutive MVP awards, five consecutive peerless games are not that easy to accomplish.
Although... Wang Zelin's current statistics are very explosive when compared to previous regular season MVPs, and they are already top-notch when compared to current players.
This is mainly due to the Trail Blazers' current extremely smooth team offense. Wang Zelin has shot 66% from the field so far, 58% from three-pointers, and 96% from free throws.
Of course, the data of these 9 games certainly cannot represent the reference value of an entire season, but Wang Zelin is very clear that with the current depth of the Trail Blazers' lineup, he will have an easier time than any previous year.
The defensive level encountered in the regular season is definitely not comparable to that in the playoffs. Now that the Trail Blazers have four peak All-Star players, they have too many points to hit. Other teams want to target the Trail Blazers. It's too much.
In addition, there are two major reasons for Wang Zelin's reduced playing time.
First, the further strengthening of Jokic's strength has further increased the proportion of his ball-holding and support on the court. In the past, Wang Zelin was needed to share the team's organizational pressure in the first three quarters, but now... Coach Terry can't wait to let Jokic shoulder the team's organizational responsibility alone.
The second is the positive impact Wang Zelin had on the defensive end after switching to small forward. This is simple and can be seen from the basic data.
You know, last season Wang Zelin had to play nearly 40 minutes to average 4.3 blocks and 1.7 steals per game, but now he only needs to play less than 30 minutes to get 4.8 blocks and 2 steals per game.
This is mainly due to the fact that Wang Zelin has been playing the team's outside leader since he switched to small forward, which has unprecedentedly maximized his help defense threat. Just a simple outside sweep can destroy many active players. The outside star collapsed.
God!
Wang Zelin never thought that one day his playing time would be reduced because his defense was too strong.
What a happy trouble!
Now that Wang Zelin already holds four MVP trophies and four FMVP trophies, he can't just go up and hit hard in garbage time like he did in his first two years as a rookie, right?
That would cause public outrage. If a player encounters some bad-tempered opponents, the basketball game might really turn into an all-out showdown.
According to his own optimistic estimate, it would be good if he could average 30 minutes per game this season. It's not that the coach doesn't want him to play more, but the reality is that he can't be allowed to play more.
In the original world, the season when a certain elementary school student won the MVP title was the most typical example.
If the overall strength of the 16 Warriors were not too strong, with his superb form as a primary school student, it would not be a problem for Harden to break the record of 35 points per game in a single season held by Dragon Tu Ke in 2006 three years ahead of schedule.
For the sake of being the fifth consecutive MVP, Wang Zelin chose to bribe the players and coaches at the party.
Ah, what is bribery? This is obviously a win-win cooperation, right?
What’s wrong with teammates and coaches taking advantage, but getting a little more data?
So, after Wang Zelin "cryptically" revealed to his teammates that he wanted to continue to win the MVP this season, head coach Terry Stowes touched it and saw that there was still residual heat in his hand after he had just put it on. Brand watch, lost in thought.
After a while, he looked at Wang Zelin: "Wang, what data are you planning to get this season?"
Wang Zelin: "Damn! You guys are too real!"
There is a saying that goes well: Everything has a price, and as long as the price is right, nothing is impossible!
Obviously, under Wang Zelin's financial offensive, the moral integrity of his teammates and coaches were all bought by him.
"Not to mention the same 40+20 as last season, I should at least get 35+16. At least it cannot drop too much."
After hearing this, Jokic, who originally planned to wait for the season to refresh his personal triple-double record in a single season, immediately decided:
"Boss, my backcourt will be yours from now on, so don't be polite!"
"And me, I will be responsible for helping with card positions from now on."
Aldridge and Harrell also expressed their commitment to the league.
"King, I wonder if you need an assist?" Lillard pondered for a moment and asked.
After Wang Zelin thought for a while, he nodded: "You can consider it."
Gerald Green, James Johnson, and the two rookies Malik Monley and Dillon Brooks, who had just joined the team and stood like ants on the sidelines, looked at each other in confusion.
Damn it!
Are we hearing things we shouldn’t be hearing?
Will he be silenced after eating?
There was a brainstorm in the four people's minds, and all kinds of weird ideas kept popping up.
A night of silence.
The next morning, the news that Wang Zelin gave gifts worth over one million to each member of the Trail Blazers team quickly swept the entire league.
Will Barton, who was traded to the Heat, immediately said on Twitter: "Guys, I regret it. Is it too late to go back to Portland?"
Batum, who was preparing to play away from home, said in an interview: "Oh, my God, I really want to change my ticket immediately and fly to Portland."
Heat star General Joe was also upset, "If I had known I would be so generous, I would have joined the Trail Blazers this summer no matter what."
"Wang, I can do anything but sell my ass!" former Mavericks teammate Aquaman Adams tweeted at Wang Zelin.
"Me too!" Antetokounmpo, the head of the Bucks, also came out to join in the fun.
Of course, Antetokounmpo's original words are not like this, but the translated meaning is almost the same.
The majority of role players who came to see this news early in the morning felt that they had missed 100 million. They had known that they would have joined Wang Zelin back then.
…
Hong Kong, Wang Zelin really didn’t expect that one day he would make headlines even if he gave a gift.
To this, he just wanted to say...the situation is too small!
After the preparations during the day, Wang Zelin and his teammates entered the court at 7:10 p.m.
During the warm-up, Wang Zelin also noticed that when the Lakers, who were playing away games, appeared in the arena, Kobe received cheers from many fans.
Although Wang Zelin admires Snail very much for having been in the league for 22 years and admires the opponent's achievements, when he hears the fans cheering for the visiting team players at home... I really don't know how the Knicks players have gotten through these years?
He, Wang, definitely didn’t mean anything sour.
Wang Zelin: "I didn't! I'm not! Stop talking nonsense!"
Are you kidding me? Based on Wang's achievements and honors over the years, he believes that he can enjoy the same treatment, or even better, in the away game.
Of course, it is undeniable that there is still a little bit of dissatisfaction in my heart.
Since it is the first contest between the two sides in the new season, it is natural to prepare a generous meeting gift.
"Guys, come here."
Wang Zelin yelled at the people around him, and his teammates immediately rushed to his side.
"What's wrong, boss? Do you have any new gifts for us?" Harrell asked, licking his face.
Wang Zelin: "..."
"Ahem, next we will be like this...and so..."
After some exchanges, the Trail Blazers established a common goal tonight, which is: win first! Make trouble second!
As for what happened? Who?
Needless to say?
Of course he is a hot man with 60E fans!
After entering the stadium, the players from both sides exchanged pleasantries, and then there was a scene of the bosses of both sides standing together bragging and spanking.
The live TV footage also featured a close-up. Someone named Zhang Kemi, who did not want to be named, said with emotion: "The battle between the two is really one less game to watch, the new generation is better than the old one!"
These words triggered the emotion of countless people in front of the TV.
Wang Zelin is undoubtedly the most dazzling protagonist in the NBA in the past five or six years, and this season, as Kobe Bryant is about to reach the top, the all-time scoring champion has also become one of the league's protagonists since the start of the season.
The contest between the two old and new legends is exactly what Zhang Liyi said: "One game is less than one game, and the fans are also watching one game less."
"Old guy, I heard this is your last season?"
During the chat, Wang Zelin secretly came to Kobe's ear and asked in a low voice.
"Hey, how did you know?"
Kobe looked up at Wang Zelin in surprise.
Who found the news?
As in history, although Kobe has communicated with the Lakers management, there has been no news that Kobe will retire until the start of the game.
In the original time and space, after a period of time in the 2015-16 regular season, Kobe suddenly announced on the "Players Forum" that he would retire after this season on December 1, 2015.
In this time and space, Kobe had the same idea in his heart, and he even planned to announce it later, until Cousins and the Lakers were fully adjusted.
"That's what I guessed. After all, you're not Duncan. That guy just leaves when he wants. That's not your style!"
Wang Zelin shrugged and said with a smile.
"Duncan..." A familiar figure suddenly appeared in Kobe's mind, and he couldn't help but smile when he thought of the past battles with Duncan.
"Seriously, if you really want to retire, tell the fans quickly. Especially like Duncan, he was happy, but he left an eternal regret in the hearts of the fans."
After carefully looking at Kobe Bryant, Wang Zelin was now basically sure that the opponent really planned to retire this season, so he quickly mentioned it.
"Don't worry, I will definitely tell you when the time comes." Kobe replied with a smile. Then he noticed that Wang Zelin looked a little nervous, and suddenly joked, "Wait a minute, are you really Komi?" Bar?"
"That's necessary! Otherwise?"
Wang Zelin spread his hands and admitted his identity as a secret agent.
"Haha!" Kobe still looked unbelieving.
"..."
After a few brief exchanges, the two continued to warm up.
At 7:28, the two sides were about to take the stage. After Wang Zelin finished spreading the powder as usual, he focused on the game.
"Player: Kobe Bryant
Body hidden attributes: slightly
Offensive ability: 81 layups, 93 mid-range shots, 82 three-pointers, 90 ball control...
Defensive ability: 76 in outside defense, 74 in steals...
Overall rating: 82”
…
With the decline of physical functions, Kobe's various abilities and attributes have inevitably declined. The defensive value he can provide on the court is basically negative, but his one-hand shot is still very impressive, with a score of 93. In addition, his three-point ability is 82. It proves that Kobe's partner Paul has transformed into playing without the ball in recent years, and his hard work is not in vain.
Throughout his career so far, Kobe's free throw shooting rate is 84%, and free throws often best reflect whether a player has shooting talent.
Obviously, Kobe's shooting talent is unquestionable.
In this era where offense is increasingly encouraged, Kobe also adapted to the development of the times at the end of his career and developed a very good three-pointer.
When partnering with Paul in the past two years, Kobe averaged 40% of his three-point shooting percentage per game. Although it has declined this season, it can still be maintained at 38%. Combined with his three-point shooting volume, which accounts for nearly 40% of the total shots, , still considered a high-quality marksman.
As he approaches his thirties, Kobe is still averaging 25 points per game, and his three-pointer is indispensable.
Of course, God's weapons will never go out of style. What truly guarantees Kobe's scoring base is the hand shot!
In addition to Kobe, another Lakers player with an ability rating of over 80 is DeMarcus Cousins, who just joined this summer.
"Player: DeMarcus Cousins
Hidden body attributes: lower limb strength 92, upper limb strength 88, agility 74...
Offensive ability: 95 layups, 83 mid-range shots, 75 three-pointers, 77 ball control...
Defensive ability: 70 internal defense, 90 rebounds...
Overall rating: 88”
Cousins is still at the peak of his career. Choosing to leave the Kings and join the Cavaliers became a turning point in Cousins' career.
As a deputy next to James, Cousins does not have to play as crazy as he did in the original time and space. Instead, he has honestly improved his skills. Although his ability is still not in the realm of 90+ active superstars, he has also avoided the problem. A lot of unnecessary injuries, but the body is still very healthy.
Unexpectedly, the Lakers' third-best player now is not Pau Gasol, but the "Mamba" Jamal Murray who the Lakers selected last year.
Murray: "Just tell me if it's Mamba?"
Ahem...
In the past, Wang Zelin really had no impression of Murray, but since the system was updated, he no longer underestimates Murray.
Because to a certain extent, this guy really has some Mamba attributes, such as: he especially likes to shoot difficult shots!
This is very similar to an unnamed No. 24. As we all know, this guy is recognized as the player in NBA history who likes to take difficult shots the most.
And judging from the large sample of internal data in the system, Murray is that standard playoff player.
This can be seen only from the comparison between the regular season and the regular season.
As of the end of the 2022-23 season, Murray has averaged 16.9 points and 4.2 assists per game in the regular season of his career, with a Bpm of 0.5 and a true shooting percentage of 56%; in the playoffs, he has averaged 25 points and 6 assists per game, with a Bpm of 5 and a true shooting percentage of 56%. Only 59%.
Murray has a great characteristic, that is, compared to the regular level in the playoffs every year, he is more productive, and he can increase a lot of production every year, and at the same time, his efficiency increases dramatically.
In the 22-23 season when Murray and Jokic helped the Nuggets win their first championship in team history, Murray, who averaged 20 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1 steal per game in the regular season, evolved again in the playoffs, with his personal data soaring to 26.1 points and 5.7 points. 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and shooting percentage increased slightly from 47% to 47.3%.
This kind of performance, no matter if you look at the championship teams in any year, they are the second in charge of the championship.
Therefore, Wang Zelin calls Murray a magical player. This guy seems to be born for big scenes, and his performance in the playoffs is always better than in the regular season.
He really wants to know whether Mouth Mamba, under the training of Black Mamba, can burst out with a stronger brilliance than in the original time and space.
"Player: Jamal Murray
Hidden attributes of the body: Slightly (Murray’s physical talent is so easy)
Offensive ability: 74 layups, 85 mid-range shots, 80 three-pointers, 90 ball control, 75 passing...
Defensive ability: 77 outside defense, 82 steals...
Overall rating: 79”
The technical characteristics are basically in line with Wang Zelin's understanding of Murray.
Murray is first of all a jump-shooting guard who rarely attacks the frame. As a player with a wingspan and athletic ability, his upper limit for finishing at the basket must be very limited.
In the playoffs, when the rim protection is more targeted, it is more difficult to maintain efficiency in attacking rim open spaces. The most typical one is Westbrook. In the regular season, the rim shooting rate was still 60%, but in the playoffs, it dropped directly to 60%. 54%.
Murray, who mainly relies on jump shots, hardly relies on getting within three feet. This first avoids the area where production and efficiency are most likely to be suppressed in the playoffs.
Secondly, Murray's shooting hand shape is very stable. No matter which angle he shoots from, no matter what posture he shoots from, his hand shape can remain very stable. This also allows Murray, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, to shoot from three feet away. His jump shot shooting percentage is very stable, above 40% in all areas, and evenly distributed, which makes Murray even more difficult to target.
Finally, Murray's offense relies heavily on free throws. He even set the only 50-point pure score in NBA history, that is, a single-game scoring record without even a single free throw.
Perhaps this is why a player with average physical talent can shine in the playoffs with his superb shooting skills.
Ranked fourth best is my sister-in-law.
"Player: Pau Gasol
Offensive ability: 82 layups, 80 mid-range shots...
Defensive ability: 75 internal defense, 80 rebounds
Overall rating: 77”
In fact, my sister-in-law's ability has declined since last season. Her personal data has reached a career low of 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. This season, her main points have declined, to 12 points, and her rebounds and assists are almost the same.
Finally, there is Kyle Kuzma, the rookie selected by the Lakers this year, with an ability evaluation of 74.
The starting lineup of the Lakers can only be said to be passable. Although there are players such as Pope, Clarkson, and Nance Jr. on the bench, they are definitely not close to competing for the championship. It can only be said that there is hope for the playoffs.
However, looking at the three-handicap team of Kobe + Cousins on the opposite side, Wang Zelin still couldn't help but fight with high spirits!
This season will most likely be the last time I dance with a snake. If I don't seize the opportunity to skin myself, I won't have another chance in the future.
At 7:30 in the evening, the game started. Wang Zelin easily defeated Cousins to win the jump ball, and the Trail Blazers attacked first.
But it doesn't matter. Cousins has long been accustomed to this. He stepped his feet slightly to show respect, and then quickly retreated.
Lillard controls the overall situation, while Wang Zelin faces Kuzma.
Kuzma, who was used to using his height to hit mismatches in the past, suddenly looked at Wang Zelin who was crushing him in all aspects, and couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and really wanted to curse.
In this way, Wang Zelin got the opportunity to make an air cut.
By the time Kuzma came to his senses, Wang Zelin had already reached the basket. Cousins tried his best to return to defense, but still couldn't keep up.
When the ball arrived, Lillard dropped an alley-oop...
"boom!"
Wang Zelin caught the ball and completed a dunk.
2:0, the Trail Blazers opened the scoring.
Lakers offense.
Now Murray is the core ball-handling core of the Lakers' backcourt.
Needless to say, it is undoubtedly extremely lucky for a young guard to encounter perimeter giants like Paul and Kobe as soon as he debuts, because he can learn a lot from these two legendary seniors.
For example, Murray's passing control is much better than that of his first two years as a rookie in history.
In the original time and space, Murray had neither assist rate nor turnover rate in the first two years, which was quite bad. But now in the first few games of the Lakers' new season, Murray's assist rate has reached 25% and his turnover rate is only 9%. Although he averages less than 7 assists per game, for a young combo guard who prefers to score, Said, it's already very good.
If Murray learned excellent error control abilities and improved his organizational skills from Paul, then he learned to improve pressure resistance and defense from Kobe.
Facing an active point guard like Lillard for the first time in the new season, Murray showed no fear on his face. Instead, he was full of fighting spirit and ready to fight.
As soon as he made a gesture, Cousins raised the high position to help with the pick-and-roll, and used the screen to face Jokic. Cousins cut in and got the opportunity to hit Lillard out of position.
In the past few years, Cousins has often played pick-and-rolls with Owen James in the Cavaliers. Whether it is cutting inside to attack the frame or shooting three-pointers outside, he has already become very good at it.
Lillard was left behind, and when Cousins cut into the penalty area, Murray's pass was sent immediately.
Cousins was secretly happy, raising the ball high above his head with both hands, about to wreak havoc on the basket!
The first goal against the Trail Blazers in the new season should be created by DeMarcus Cousins!
But when Cousins raised his head and looked at the basket, he suddenly felt Kobe's exclamation coming from behind him.
"Demarcus, watch your back..."
What?
Cousins didn't hear clearly, but he couldn't wait to finish, and slammed the ball toward the basket with both hands...
"Snapped!"
The imagined violent scene of beating the basket did not appear. Instead, what appeared in front of everyone was a bloody nail-board hat.
It turned out that Wang Zelin appeared behind Cousins' head at some point, and the two took off almost at the same time. As you can imagine, the active second center hit the basket for the first time in the opening game and became Wang Zelin's first top-five goal of the day. background.
"Wang's defense is still so perfect, and his defense is as dominant as his offense! This block is a perfect combination of strength and speed!"
Barkley, who was in charge of commentary tonight, was full of praise.
Kenny Smith, who was next to him, also marveled: "It's so cruel! The dunk that was so close was destroyed. This is a huge damage to the psychological defense of any offensive player."
After grabbing the rebound, Wang Zelin ran hard. Behind him were the 39-year-old Kobe Bryant and the 37-year-old Gasol, but these two veterans were already exhausted.
As for Kuzma, when he was running with all his strength, he suddenly realized that as time passed, he was gradually getting further and further away from No. 36 in front of him.
Can't catch up, can't catch up at all!
Wang Zelin rushed into the penalty area, and as soon as his front foot stepped onto the free throw line, he suddenly exploded!
Then, witnessed by the home fans at the Rose Garden Arena, a real gliding dunk from the free throw line... was born!
At this moment, the entire rose garden was boiling.
"A beautiful dunk, a free-throw line dunk in actual combat! Perhaps Wang's offense has been too restrained this season. People seem to have forgotten that he just contributed a great dunk contest performance last season that will go down in history!"
Barkley cheered, and beside him, Smith smiled and shook his head.
After suddenly landing, Wang Zelin yelled at the audience in the stands:
"Cheer for me! Scream! Portland must win! The Trail Blazers must win!"
Wang Zelin's dunk from the free throw line shocked all fans who followed the game.
He seemed to be showing off his skills, no, he was just showing off his skills!
When the live broadcast camera showed a close-up, people noticed the unruly smile on Wang Zelin's face.
At this time, people suddenly remembered that this player who had dominated the league for four years was only 24 years old. He was so young! So full of energy!
After Wang Zelin walked away, Cousins returned to the Lakers basket, picked up the basketball, and gritted his teeth.
Wang Zelin is still the same Wang Zelin. The opponent he dreams of surpassing is still so powerful, standing in front of him like a big mountain, making it difficult for him to overcome.
But after looking at his new teammates and remembering the jerseys of legendary centers retired by the Lakers, Cousins quickly relaxed.
One of the reasons why he chose to join the Lakers this summer is that he firmly believes that he will be able to write a new legend for the Purple and Gold Army like those legendary centers who came to Angel City in the past.
He believes that the Lakers' counterattack will also be quite strong.
In the next round, Kobe chose to play Connett Lee in singles.
Wang Zelin's dunk is certainly exciting, but the real confrontation has just begun.
Now that the Blazers boss has taken action, as the Lakers boss, Kobe naturally has to return the favor.
After Kobe caught the ball in the high post, the change of direction of the fake action was very confusing. Although the lateral speed was not as good as before, Connet Lee easily caught up with him.
But it doesn't matter, the 39-year-old veteran no longer has the agility, explosiveness and agility of the past, but his signature fadeaway jumper is still as beautiful as ever.
There's no wine in your back, but I'm as drunk as a dog!
Faced with Connett Lee's attack, Kobe turned his back to face the frame and jumped directly into the face of the block. He moved back a certain distance in the air, scored with his iconic fallback, and the basketball slid into the basket very smoothly. Hit the first goal of the night for the Lakers.
Connett Lee shook his head helplessly. This was the helplessness the defender felt when facing Kobe Bryant's fadeaway. When the Black Mamba succeeded in taking a fadeaway shot, whether he scored or not depended entirely on his touch tonight.
Obviously, Kobe felt very good at the start, and he went crazy at the beginning.
"MVP! MVP..."
"Kobe! Kobe..."
As expected, there was a loud cheer in the Rose Garden Arena.
After all, the Black Mamba has a two -year -on -all league. Now there are his fanatic fans all over the air. Portland is okay. If you arrive in New York, maybe the away ball will become home after the goal.
After scoring, Kobe stared sharply at Wang Zelin, as if he was saying: I entered, it's you!
"That's what makes it interesting!"
Wang Zelin's mouth was crooked, showing a smile. (End of chapter)
