pertwk Chapter 74 The Ultimate 5 Trendsetters!
Chapter 74 The Ultimate 5 Trendsetters!
This means that Jackson's adjustments to the roster have finally come to a temporary end.
In the Bulls' latest starting lineup, besides the unwavering Big Three, the other two names belong to Kukoc and Longley!
Jackson used a starting lineup that was considered "huge" even in the 90s!
This lineup lacks a point guard; only Jordan plays guard.
However, they also have two of the best point forwards in the league today: Pippen and Kukoc!
Therefore, although the Bulls' starting lineup does not have a point guard, their playmaking and ball distribution will not have any problems.
With Longley's height, rebounding and defense, and Rodman's rebounding and toughness, this starting lineup has a unique quality that is hard to replicate!
First and foremost, there's the height!
Apart from Jordan, who is 'only' 198 cm tall, the heights of the other players all exceed 203 cm!
Well, of course, Rodman's height is a mystery, but he claims to be at least 206 centimeters tall.
With the addition of Pippen (203cm), Kukoc (208cm), and Longley (213cm), the Bulls' lineup can be described as a "death lineup"!
More importantly, this lineup isn't just big, it's also very tough!
And it's very thick!
In terms of defense, this lineup has three elite defenders of All-Defensive First Team caliber, enough to shut down 99% of the teams in the league, plus Longley, a tall and strong top-class defensive player.
In terms of offense, although this lineup's inside scoring ability is mediocre, and even Longley and Rodman combined don't score 10 points a game, they have Jordan!
When does a team with Jordan ever need to worry about offense?
Not to mention, there are also Kukoc and Pippen, two musketeers, ready to fire at any time!
The Bulls' starting lineup, aside from having few solutions and limited effectiveness against small, agile guards like Stoudemire and Tim Hardaway, can dominate over 90% of the teams in the league!
After Kukoc was promoted to the starting lineup, Lin Tian officially became the team's sixth man and number one substitute!
Furthermore, in the games after this lineup was finalized, Lin Tian was always on the court whenever Jordan rested! In other words, although Lin Tian did not get the so-called unlimited shooting rights because Jordan did not rest for a single game.
But during the 10 minutes Jordan rested, he was the team's primary offensive weapon!
His speed, explosiveness, fast breaks, and pick-and-roll shooting, combined with the Bulls' presence of Pippen and Kukoc, two excellent rebounders with superb court vision and passing ability, all contribute to making Lin Tian's offensive firepower increasingly consistent!
在对阵湖人之前的3场比赛之中，林天虽然仍旧是替补出场，但每场能拿下16.6分2.3篮板3.6助攻和1.3次抢断，命中率更是高达夸张的64%！
The reason for such a high shooting percentage is that Lin Tian averaged an astonishing 7.3 fast break points per game in these three games! Unbeknownst to many, Lin Tian has become the league's top fast break specialist!
His points and efficiency in fast breaks every game are absolutely top-tier in the league!
He is fast, has strong finishing ability, good awareness, and doesn't try to score after receiving the ball. He can also pass it to a teammate in a better position as soon as possible!
With these attributes combined, Lin Tian's fast breaks have begun to become a key area for other teams to defend against when facing the Bulls.
In these games, the Bulls have unsurprisingly secured four consecutive wins!
Their winning streak has now reached 14 games!
Then, on February 8th, the Bulls finally met the Lakers!
Magic Johnson, the former NBA icon, is once again facing off against Michael Jordan, the current NBA superstar!
This is the first time the two have competed against each other since Barcelona in 1992!
Therefore, the United Center was once again packed to capacity for this game, and when Magic Johnson entered the arena, the entire crowd stood up and cheered!
Everyone shouted "magic!"
The large screen at the scene even played a tribute video thanking the magician!
The Bulls' official website and fans have absolutely elevated Magic Johnson to the highest level of respect!
Besides the fact that they genuinely respect this cheerful and popular chubby guy, it's also because Malone has been criticizing Lin Tian, Magic Johnson, and the league in recent days. So, from the Bulls' perspective, Magic Johnson is on their side!
After the pre-game respect reached its peak, Jordan and others went to greet and chat with Magic Johnson.
As the team's hottest rookie, Lin Tian now has the right to go up and chat with Magic Johnson.
Otherwise, most rookies wouldn't be qualified to try and befriend Magic Johnson before a game!
"Hey Irwin, I've always been your fan." Lin Tian smiled, gave Magic Johnson a high-five, and hugged him. "I've always dreamed of being on your team, of playing with you!"
"Hmm?" Jordan, who was standing next to him, immediately perked up his ears, wanting to hear what Lin Tian would say.
"That Michael guy just can't pass the ball! He has no idea what sharing the ball means! If I were on your team, my speed and fast break skills would be maximized! I could score at least 25 points every game! You are the best in my eyes, it's a pity I was born too late, I didn't have the chance to compete with you at your peak."
"Hahaha, aren't you afraid Michael will hear you saying all this?" Magic Johnson also noticed Jordan, who was listening intently nearby, and wondered what the relationship was between the kid and Jordan.
"I did it on purpose. This guy has been rough with me a lot during training." Lin Tian shrugged, then deliberately raised his voice, saying, "If I trained with you, this problem definitely wouldn't have happened!"
"Train with me?" the magician continued with a smile. "Do you dare?"
"Besides not being able to afford a house in Los Angeles, there's nothing I'm afraid of," Lin Tian patted the Magician on the shoulder and said, "I fully support you, and I really want to train with you!"
"Are you serious?" The magician's face showed a hint of surprise. "Actually, I know that although I have made a successful comeback, and although many people have expressed their welcome and support for me on the surface, most people actually think the same way as Karl."
"You can tell that from the fact that I can easily grab 7 or 8 rebounds every game. They don't dare to compete with me; they're afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you, Alvin." Jordan, who had been listening for a while, suddenly walked over, shoved Lin Tian aside, and said, "I guarantee you won't get a single rebound tonight! I'll be marking you closely! And you too, kid!"
Jordan glanced at Lin Tiandao and said, "You think I can't pass the ball well?"