pertwk Chapter 83 Foolish management, don't cause trouble!
Chapter 83 Foolish management, don't cause trouble!
The Trail Blazers' current ranking is something no one expected before the season started.
In their expectations, this rotten prison team will continue the vicious cycle of the past few years, and even if the management wants to clean up and rebuild, it will take at least 3 to 5 years.
Unexpectedly, the team underwent a dramatic transformation after a single draft trade brought Hansen Lee to Portland.
The theme for December on the NBA Inside Stuff show is "Western Showdown".
The discussion focused on the top teams in the Western Conference standings, including the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Timberwolves, while also speculating about their future development.
The Lakers' F4 was truly amazing. After losing the opening game, they quickly adjusted their form and went on a winning streak.
However, judging from the behind-the-scenes footage of the dressing room revealed in the show, it will still be somewhat difficult for F4 to completely integrate.
They can win games, but the chemistry in the locker room is lackluster.
Karl Malone and Gary Payton were able to set aside their status and not compete for a place on the team, but Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were not.
Kobe, who put up the best numbers of his career last season, had long coveted the top spot. Coupled with the "Eagle County incident" incident where he said "Shaq did it too," the two became bitter enemies.
In the locker room footage shown on the show, there were almost no shots of Kobe and Shaq interacting.
On the other hand, let's look at the Trail Blazers.
With the departure of Bonzi Wells and the team's consecutive victories, the atmosphere in the locker room is fantastic.
These problem players would sing loudly and make all sorts of jokes after winning, and they would also smile broadly in front of the camera.
They also often talked about topics that could only appear on the screen if they were pixelated or muted.
The atmosphere in the Lakers' locker room is worlds apart from that of the prison team.
Host Ahmed Rush expressed his opinion:
"Without a doubt, the Trail Blazers have struck gold in this draft. The addition of Hansen Lee has given the team a fresh new look."
"If things continue this way, the Trail Blazers will definitely become this year's dark horse, causing huge trouble for all the teams that encounter them!"
Guest star Grant Hill joked:
"Or rather, they are a bunch of trouble."
NBA players and many fans know that this Trail Blazers team is a hotbed of problem players.
The current achievements are something no one expected.
But if the players were to actually face the prison team, it would be a headache for everyone.
Hansen Lee was a bit flamboyant, but that's exactly why he was so popular in the prison squad.
Even after getting rid of Bonzi Wells, he won an excellent reputation among fans.
The reason is simple: if the Trail Blazers want to improve, they need to get rid of all those problematic players!
The management also realized that this was the best opportunity for the Trail Blazers to "turn over a new leaf".
The restructuring was established with Hansen Lee at its core.
Zach Randolph also has great potential and could be retained.
As for the others, the management was less patient.
Clean up!
then.
Just when the Trail Blazers were in excellent form, the management made a decision.
They put some players on the trading block in hopes of acquiring "cleaner" players.
Damon Stoudemire, nicknamed "Little Flying Squirrel," is averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 assists per game this season. With four years and $46 million remaining on his contract, he faces considerable challenges.
The team management hopes to get rid of Little Mouse and acquire other players.
Their target is Jamal Crawford of the Chicago Bulls.
In the final year of his rookie contract, Crawford averaged 17.3 points and 4.5 assists per game.
But the Bulls weren't stupid; they indicated they were willing to trade Crawford, but at least they wanted to bring in Zach Randolph along with Little Mouse.
Ultimately, nothing came of it.
Forget about the Rockets' Francis; his contract is even bigger.
The Grizzlies' Jason Williams has flashy ball-handling skills but mediocre defense, and his contract is similar to that of the "Little Mouse" (a nickname for a player who plays with a similar skill level).
An awkward scene unfolded.
The Trail Blazers wanted to shake off the little flying squirrel, but they couldn't...
Because there were no suitable deals.
Selling it too cheaply feels like a loss.
The management had a brilliant idea: to put "Kobe's terminator" Ruben Patterson, a violent maniac, and "locker room bomb" Jeff McGinnis on the trading block.
It truly proves the saying:
It's not the clever people who are afraid of scheming and plotting, but the fools who suddenly come up with a brilliant idea.
Various rumors circulated, directly affecting the Trail Blazers' team chemistry.
For a while afterward, the prison team players were somewhat distracted.
This also directly led to the team's performance starting to decline.
By late December, the Trail Blazers' record had slipped to fourth place in the Western Conference.
Li He was impressed by the management's actions.
Actually, given the current roster of the Trail Blazers, it might be a bit difficult to win the championship.
But at least securing a spot in the second round of the playoffs should be enough to push for the Western Conference Finals.
As a result of the management's actions, morale plummeted, everyone felt insecure, and the synergy they had built up in the previous period was lost.
NBA teams' form is unpredictable. When a team is in top form for a period of time, it's not surprising that they can beat strong teams. But if their form disappears, it's very difficult to get it back.
Fortunately, Christmas is finally approaching.
The team also hopes to take advantage of Christmas to sweep away the "bad luck" of the past three weeks.
Fortunately.
The Portland Trail Blazers are scheduled for a Christmas Day game this year.
Their opponent happened to be the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With LeBron James joining the NBA amidst a plethora of accolades and hype, the league will undoubtedly arrange crucial games like the Christmas Day match for him to attract even more attention and buzz.
The Cavaliers are outmatched by a team that's too strong.
Choosing a weak team won't generate enough buzz, and the match might not be interesting; it would be a waste.
And so the prison team was miraculously chosen.
If the Cavaliers win the game, then LeBron James will play the role of a "hero of justice".
The unexpected turn of events led to a second showdown between the two best-performing rookies in this year's draft.
Adding to this, there was the recent exchange between the two, a farewell between them.
The second game between the Trail Blazers and the Cavaliers has undoubtedly become a highly anticipated match.
Fans and media alike are eagerly anticipating how Hansen Lee, known for his vindictive nature, will perform when facing LeBron James.
Even before the Christmas Day game, the media had already launched various news articles with eye-catching headlines to generate hype for the match.
Who will be this year's Rookie of the Year? This game might just reveal the answer!
[LeBron's performance was key to the team's victory against the Trail Blazers!]
Can the Trail Blazers defend their home court victory after a period of slump?
[The City of Rift is poised for action; the Cleveland Cavaliers are likely in serious trouble!]
[Prediction! Will Hansen Lee continue his scoring streak in this match?]
I don't know about other things, but at least Hansen Lee won't pad his stats during garbage time!
For Li He, being able to participate in the Christmas Day game at home in his first year in the league was definitely a stroke of luck.
Even more fortunately, the opponent turned out to be LeBron James's Cavaliers.
Very well, I'll let you get away with mocking me from afar last time.
This time, I'm going to give you a good beating on home soil!