"Do you care about winning the shot-blocking title?"
"Of course I care. If I have the ability to fight for it, I will definitely try my best to fight for it.
It's just that I didn't expect that I could be caught up after leading by so much. Ratliff is the best interior defender in the league. I was under a lot of pressure to compete with him for the shot-blocking title. "
"Then will you choose to block shots?"
"Yes, veterans and those who can only catch and dunk, I'm keeping an eye on you. I'm going to block more shots. You guys know that I'm good at this."
After the game against the Kings, the Clippers took a day off. On the 28th, another game day arrived.
Before the morning training started, Li Ao accepted an exclusive interview with .T Sports and answered the question about the shot-blocking king, which once again aroused heated discussion.
Most of them are watching it for fun, teasing veterans to be careful.
But many veterans are really worried. After looking at the schedule, the veterans who have not played against the Clippers this season are relieved, while the veterans who have to play against the Clippers are worried.
In the evening, after the battle report between the Clippers and the Spurs was released, the veterans who will play against the Clippers this season are really a little bit better.
In the game against the Spurs, Li Ao made 3 of 15 shots, plus 6 of 8 free throws, scoring 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 5 blocks, 3 turnovers and 4 fouls. David Robinson was also blocked!
Former All-Star small forward Sean Elliott also received a big hit when he cut into the frame!
The worst thing was the young general Johnson. He had no three-pointers, no mid-range shots, only breakthrough points, and he received three blocks by himself!
Is this Spider-Man joking, or does he really want to use them to block shots?
No one wants to be blocked, especially the aging stars.
But things like being blocked are really not something you can just hide away from, unless you play like the veterans of the Lakers. Horace Grant took the initiative to stand up and admit his mistake, saying that he took full responsibility for the loss to the Clippers. It won't be like that next time.
You can only be a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against a thief for a thousand days?
…
96 to 77, the Clippers defeated the Spurs, currently the twelfth in the Western Conference, and won their 23rd victory of the season.
Li Ao played poorly offensively in this game. Since the rules do not allow early flanking of players without the ball, and most of the opponents are veterans, he can often run out of position, but the opponent is targeting him. No matter where he goes, nearby opponents will move in advance. He was flanked as soon as he received the ball. He had no time to flank and the opponent directly fouled him.
With this treatment, he almost thought he had really become a shark.
And it's difficult to provide assists. If Odom hadn't been tall and strong in handling, he would have made more than three mistakes.
He was sure Popovich was targeting him!
It wasn't his malicious speculation, he had evidence. The 50-year-old old man with all white hair looked at him with malicious eyes from time to time.
He was once worried that someone across from him would put his feet under his feet. If it was this little old man, he believed that the other person could make such an arrangement.
But no player on the opposite side seems to dare to do this.
But why?
Why did this little old man focus on his handsome spider?
In fact, in tonight's game, the Clippers did not expect to win the game so easily.
The Spurs did not fail as Li Ao initially suspected. It was not that Popovich had the guts to prove that he could win the championship without Duncan, but that they signed many capable veterans in the summer of 1999.
Last summer, before Duncan renewed his contract, he went around looking for veterans and role players, saying that Duncan would definitely renew his contract, and signed a few more capable veterans.
As a result, CPU Duncan failed!
Popovich doesn't dare to mess up now, otherwise his reputation among veterans will be completely destroyed, and he will have to grit his teeth to get through this season.
To put it another way, if you play well this season, these veterans who perform well and whose contracts have not expired can also be sold as bargaining chips.
The Spurs had a record of 20 wins and 24 losses before this game.
The 35-year-old David Robinson has performed well this season, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2.5 blocks per game. Although his shooting rate has dropped to a career low of 46%, he is old and cannot be too demanding.
Another core member of the Spurs, Derrick Anderson, the 13th pick in the 1997 class, is a famous inspirational man in the NBA. He was reimbursed for the last two months of his rookie year. He played in the second year and was reimbursed for the season. Every time he got injured, it was still critical. Knees and ankles.
He was traded to the Clippers last season and missed nearly two months in the early part of the season. After returning from injury, he can no longer fly like he did in college and during his rookie season, and can no longer dunk Sabonis like he did in his rookie year, but his skills Practiced it!
In the third year of his career, Derek Anderson showed very comprehensive skills. He could freely swing from the 1st to the 3rd position. He had whatever he wanted. After playing 6 games, he took away Troy Hudson's starting position. , averaging 16.9 points, 4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game...and was then given to the Spurs by Baylor for almost free because he was about to enter the last year of his contract.
After he arrived with the Spurs, he successfully received a six-year, $48.7 million early contract extension.
Popovich also used his contract to persuade Duncan to take less money, saying that the money would be used to recruit helpers.
So far this season, Derek Anderson is averaging 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
The Spurs' internal and external cores are not bad. Some playoff teams in the Eastern Conference have a core that is not as strong as these two, and the lineup of role players is very good, including Avery Johnson, Terry Burt, Antonio -Daniels, Sean Elliott, Malik Rose, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Samaki Walker...
The Spurs are purely defensive this season, and are known as the "Western Twins" with the Clippers. Both teams are considered to be in the playoffs if they are in the East.
Li Ao and his teammates were prepared for a defensive battle. As a result, he was targeted by the opponent from the beginning of the game, and the opponent had no regard for the overall defense.
Li Ao thought at first that the relationship was good and his teammates scored easily.
But things got a bit messy later on. The defensive end took the initiative to find opponents who were 34 years old and above, and started the 'Punch Nursing Home Level 3'. The back-up defense also specifically selected players who were 34 years old and above. Sometimes the back-up defense would be judged as a defensive switch. , 'Punch Nursing Home' will be ineffective, but it will not be broken if you switch to an opponent of sufficient age.
34-year-old Danny Ferry, 35-year-old Steve Kerr, 37-year-old Terry Burt, 35-year-old David Robinson, 35-year-old Avery Johnson...steals and blocks crazy!
The Clippers' best offensive performance tonight was Brevin Knight who came off the bench with 7 points and 12 assists. Li Ao attracted the defensive attention, and Brevin Knight's assists surged.
…
After defeating the Spurs at home, the Clippers came to San Antonio to start Texas' back-to-back series.
On the 30th, the Clippers played against the Spurs again.
This time Gentry was prepared, putting Brevin Knight in the starting lineup and Odom cutting.
In this game, the Clippers confirmed that Popovich was targeting their Spider-Man. Although they don’t know why, it is a good thing at this time. The schedule is so tight and they can easily win without thinking. Of course they willing.
Li Ao tried his best to defend the opposing veterans. He didn't care about anything else before the point difference widened. After the point difference widened, he took the initiative to catch the ball, turned over and faced the flanking attack, and blocked shots in every game. He was determined not to let his streak of scoring in double figures be interrupted, at least not in a game like this.
With 4 of 13 shots and 4 of 4 free throws, Li Ao scored 12 points, plus 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 5 blocks!
Relying on Brevin Knight's 10 points and 11 assists, Odom 23 points, O'Neal Jr. 15 points and 16 rebounds, Big Q and Matt Halprin both scored 10 points, Maggette 11 points... the Clippers... 7 members of the team scored in double figures, slaughtering the Spurs 114-88, improving the record to 24 wins and 22 losses!
The Clippers have caught up with the Nuggets, who also have 24 wins and 22 losses, and are tied for tenth in the Western Conference!
With five blocks in two consecutive games, Li Ao felt that he had gone too far after the game.
He said he would block shots on the veterans, but he didn't expect so many blocks.
However, when he returned to the hotel after playing the Spurs, he saw the news about the 76ers and found that his requirements for him were too strict.
What does he call brushing? He means that he has no attachment to the data as much as possible.
The 76ers were upset by the Wizards and lost 93-100.
Ratliff played 42 minutes and scored 4 points, 6 rebounds and 10 blocks...
Juwan Howard, a power forward with such a soft style of play, scored 32 points on 13 of 26 shots in this game. He averaged 3.8 points per game under the basket this season, and scored 12 points under the basket in this game.
Wizards point guard Chris Whitney only needs to rush to close range and then pass the ball to the center. If the ball comes into close range, Ratliff immediately pounces on it.
In addition, in the 76ers' 93-89 victory over the Cavaliers on the 28th, Ratliff blocked 7 shots in a single game, averaging 3.76 blocks per game, surpassing Li Ao, who averaged 3.74 blocks per game, and topped the blocking list!
Li Ao called him careless!
He just said he wanted to brush it, but he really did it!
…
On January 31, the Clippers came to another Texas city to challenge the Houston Rockets back-to-back.
This is Gentry's favorite opponent. Although the opponent ranks ninth in the Western Conference with 26 wins and 21 losses, there are three players on their side who can restrain the three strongest opponents.
He sent out a combination of Greg Anthony, Li Ao, Maggette, Odom, and O'Neal Jr.
Mobley became desperate when he saw Li Ao.
At this age, Olajuwon may have already won all the honors. In the past two or three years, he has not been as active as Ewing in playing basketball. When he met the young and strong O'Neal, he seemed to raise his hands in surrender and did not forget to shout. "I am a hero of the team and I want a pension contract."
Francis was put on the bench tonight... by Tomjanovich!
The starter was Shanton Anderson, who played 9 minutes...
Gentry had no idea that the other party would do this.
But this did not affect the Clippers' victory.
The score was 22-14 in the first quarter, 28-22 in the second quarter, and 29-21 in the third quarter. The Clippers led by 22 points in the third quarter.
Li Ao made 8 of 15 shots in the third quarter, including 3 of 6 three-pointers. He was left open outside the three-point line.
It's a pity that he was stuck outside the three-point line. He played 25 minutes without getting a free throw. He scored 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks, and clocked out.
In the last quarter, Gentry sent out all substitutes, led by Brevin Knight, and was beaten by the Rockets with a score of 27 to 22.
In the end, the Clippers defeated the Rockets 101-84 and won their third consecutive victory!
The Clippers' record improved to 25 wins and 22 losses, and they are only half a game away from the Rockets, who are ninth in the Western Conference!
…
The next day, February 1st, a new month arrived. The Clippers returned to Los Angeles and got two days of rest.
At noon, the league announced the best of the month awards for January.
Li Ao won the Rookie of the Month for three consecutive months without any suspense.
In January, he averaged 22.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
Scores, assists, and field goal percentage have declined significantly compared to the previous two months.
The decline in assists and shooting percentage is because Odom has been absent for a long time.
The decline in scoring was purely caused by the Spurs.
However, rebounds and steals have improved a lot.
Li Ao personally feels that the decline in blocks is normal. As he poses a greater threat to veterans and role players with weak frame attack abilities, his blocks will naturally decrease.
Kobe became the best player for the third month this season after Malone and Iverson.
The Coach of the Month was won by Rick Adelman of the Kings.
Li Ao didn't pay much attention to this matter. When he played 41 games in the regular season, some experts said that even if he played poorly in all the remaining games, no one could steal the best rookie award this season.
In the afternoon, he came to Los Angeles International Airport again to see his parents off the plane.
It has been half a month since he went abroad, and his parents have to go back to take care of things in the factory. In a few days, after the Chinese New Year, the factory will start working.
Li Ao was very reluctant to leave. He had not had much time to accompany the two elders since they had been here for less than half a month.
But such is life.
He rested for a day and adjusted his emotions. After getting up the next morning, he came to Memorial Stadium with renewed enthusiasm to prepare for the next game with the team.
During the preparations for the game, Li Ao heard a rumor from Big Q - their team used Brevin Knight, Kenyon Dulin, and the Trail Blazers' first-round pick to offer the Mavericks in exchange for Nash, but Nelson rejected it. Telephone.
Li Ao thinks this rumor is true.
Their general manager was not good-looking, but he always wanted to be beautiful.
But having such a general manager who dares to think and act is not a bad thing. Sometimes there will be some outrageous transactions, and one party must have made a bold offer.
Even the confidentiality measures are a bit poor. Looking at the neighbors next door, all the news is false, and real transactions are almost completed in a hurry.
At noon, Li Ao was sitting on the sofa in the lounge, surrounded by his teammates.
As of 12 noon on January 31, All-Star starting voting ends, and today it’s time to announce the starting lineup.
He was a little nervous.
If there was no chance, as he initially thought, he wouldn't care too much about it.
But in the first stage of the vote, he ranked second, second only to Carter, the voting king. It’s hard not to look forward to it!
NBA President David Stern first announced the starting list, Eastern: Iverson, McGrady, Duncan, Carter, Mourning; Western: Kidd, Kobe, Li Ao, Webber, O'Neal.
Then, from low to high, the number of votes for each starter was announced.
Duncan, who has a teammate on the team who is the third most voted forward in the Eastern Conference, received the lowest number of votes among the 10 people: 1.43 million votes.
There are many Eastern Conference defenders and stars, and McGrady received the second lowest number of votes: 1.45 million votes.
Webber, who won the competition with Garnett, received 1.55 million votes.
Center Mourning, who did not play a game, received 1.63 million votes.
Kidd got 1.7 million votes, Kobe got 1.94 million votes, Iverson got 1.98 million votes, and O'Neal got 1.99 million votes.
The remaining two people both received more than 2 million votes.
David Stern read Carter's name first and received 2.45 million votes.
Li Ao was ready to cheer, but he was a little worried. What if the Jew showed his cleverness and teased him?
"Spider-Man Leo received 2.51 million votes, setting a new All-Star starter voting record! Congratulations to Leo, who won the highest number of votes for this year's All-Star starter!"
Upon hearing the number 2.51 million, Li Ao jumped up from the sofa and hugged his teammates to celebrate.
The teammates are also very excited, their teammate is the All-Star vote winner!
Putting aside the 'collective sense of honor', if Spider-Man wins the vote, they will also get the chance to be on camera!
The Raptors are in a place where nothing matters. In the first three years after entering the NBA, there was only one national live broadcast every year. After Carter was selected, by Carter's second year, the Raptors were already one of the teams with the most live broadcasts in the United States. one.
After celebrating with his teammates, Li Ao came outside the lounge, took out his mobile phone and dialed a number.
I dialed the number, rang a few times, and was connected, but "哐叽" hung up immediately.
He continued to fight and was hung up again.
He didn't believe it and continued to fight...
In the end I couldn’t get through!
I don’t know if the phone cord was pulled or cut.
Then make a phone call!
As a result, both of their phones were turned off!
Li Ao: ()
No, go block his door after get off work!
(End of chapter)
