warrior godfather

Zhang Yu was kind and did not hand over the ball to Butler, but he also did not let Curry attack with the ball.

After the start of the second half, Zhang Yu changed his style of play in the first half. Butler handed over the ball and actively cut. Splash ran without the ball. Curry was ready to turn without the ball at any time. Played Chuanqie.

In front of the Warriors' smooth running and timely and accurate distribution of the ball, the Magic's defense immediately fell into a disadvantage.

As a poor team, the Magic can still achieve good results when guarding man-to-man, but when it requires a lot of communication and switching defenses, their defense becomes disorganized.

Moreover, the Magic is a two-tower team. Glenn Davis and Vucevic are both less mobile insiders with slow pace.In the face of a large number of screens and anti-run air cuts by the Warriors, they can only be exhausted.

In the third quarter, the Warriors beat the Magic 38:22, winning by 16 points in a single quarter, overtaking the score in one fell swoop.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors continued to expand their lead. After Curry came on the court, he made two consecutive three-pointers, opening the point difference to more than 10 points and completely killing the game.

In the end, the Warriors beat the Magic 104:90, achieving six consecutive victories and consolidating their No. [-] ranking in the league.

After the game, Jacqui Vaughan said in front of reporters:
"I am very satisfied with the result of today's game. We led the defending champion by as many as 10 points in the first half. Poor team..."

Naturally, no one believed his words, but the reporters also felt a little puzzled. Why did the Warriors' offense in the first half have such a big problem?
In this regard, Zhang Yu's answer is:
"Our offense did have a little problem in the first half, but it was resolved quickly. It will not bother us in the future. In the end, we still won the game, which is enough..."

After the interview, Zhang Yu approached Butler:
"Jimmy, what do you think of this game?"

Butler was silent for a while before speaking:
"I brought the team's offense to a standstill in the first half. I failed your expectations, boss. I will train hard and improve my ability to handle the ball..."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly:

"Very well, we are a team that pays great attention to sharing the ball. You should know this most clearly. I will give you unlimited firepower. I will not let you keep attacking. You can't win the ball like that. Think about Stephen. How he plays, he's always had unlimited firepower, but he rarely uses it because he knows he needs to get everyone involved in order to win."

Butler nodded silently, and Zhang Yu continued:

"I know, you want to be selected as the All-Star starter or the best team this season, and sign a super-maximum contract extension next summer, but it's not just a few high-scoring games, as long as the team keeps winning Those reporters will naturally not ignore you, if you are obsessed with the ball and statistics and cause the team to lose, will they vote for you?"

Butler was shocked and explained:
"Boss, I never thought of stealing the ball from Steph, everything I did was to win the ball..."

"I understand what you mean, you want to prove yourself." Zhang Yu waved his hand and interrupted Butler, "Since you entered the Bulldogs, I have always seen your hard work and hard work, you I have always been a team-oriented player, and I have always believed in you, Jimmy."

Butler breathed a sigh of relief:

"Boss, I really haven't thought about those things..."

"But others don't think so! I know very well that after you have put in several times or even ten times more effort than others, you have improved your skills bit by bit, so that you have sufficient confidence in your own strength. I can do all of this, so I will do it... But, can you really do it now? If you can't, will others understand you? Your hard work and dedication are behind the scenes, and no one but me Know?"

"Uh..." Butler was completely stunned.

Zhang Yu looked at the sluggish Butler, and shook his head slightly:
"Jimmy, do your part first, keep training, and try to take on more responsibilities later, believe me, this is the path that suits you best."

Butler seemed to have come to his senses, and nodded slightly.

"You don't have to worry that Stephen and Clay will cover up your brilliance, so you won't be selected for the All-Star and the best team. Next is the Eastern Conference. The schedule is very tight. Stephen needs to rest. You will not lack performance opportunities .”

When Butler heard this, a flame rose in his eyes:
"Okay, boss, I know what to do!"

Zhang Yu looked at Butler who had rekindled his fighting spirit, and shook his head slightly.

In his previous life, no matter which team Butler went to, there would be conflicts in the locker room. Even if he was the boss of the Heat, he would inevitably have disputes with his teammates and the head coach. He was like a locker room bomb. Where did it explode.

In the past, Zhang Yu also thought it was Butler's problem. He must be a very difficult person to get along with, so he often had conflicts with his teammates.

But after coaching Butler for several years, Zhang Yu didn't have this idea.

Butler is definitely not a selfish person, he is a very pure player who only thinks about winning.

After he went to the Heat, there was a situation where he paddled in the regular season and only got the best third team, but broke out in the playoffs and led the team to the finals.

However, the difficult childhood and let Butler develop a withdrawn character, he is not good at interacting with people.

Fortunately, after being nurtured by Curry, this has been greatly improved, and Butler has become a lot more cheerful and less withdrawn.

However, the environment shapes character, character determines destiny, the experience of being neglected and denied in childhood, and even the tragic past of being abandoned by his biological mother made Butler always eager to prove himself, and it was this desire that made him work harder than others Times, ten times.

Because Butler knows very well that he has no talent, and the only thing he has is an extremely tough heart and hard work that is almost masochistic.

After putting in so much sweat, Butler's strength is improving rapidly bit by bit.

This is not contradictory at all. Compared with others, his progress is so great, but only he knows what he has paid for these progress. Compared with Butler's efforts, his progress is not fast .

Many people use "the sun at four o'clock in the morning" to describe Kobe's diligence, but in Zhang Yu's view, Butler is even more diligent than Kobe in terms of effort.

Kobe is a super genius who was selected in the first round after graduating from high school, but Butler was not interested after graduating from high school, and he almost went to college.

His talent is mediocre, and he was able to enter the NBA to play in the end because of training.

And it was this kind of hard training that gave Butler paranoid self-confidence.

Butler believes from the bottom of his heart that if he works so hard, he must be better than others. He can do what others can do, but he has no room to develop.

That's why he was so obsessed with being the leader. For this reason, he did not hesitate to go from the Bulls to the Timberwolves, then from the Timberwolves to the 76ers, and finally from the 76ers to the Heat. Finally, he became the leader of the team as he wished. Come play.

Butler's idea is very simple, I work ten times harder than you guys, I have come back to everything for basketball, why can't I be the boss?

Now, his thoughts are beginning to appear vaguely, but Zhang Yu believes that what Butler thinks is not the position of the team leader, but wants to use honor and contract to prove that he is no worse than anyone else.

This is because Butler and Curry have been teammates for the past few years, and they know very well how powerful Curry is, and Curry is also a very hardworking player, and he is Butler's best friend. Generate dissatisfaction.

However, human desire is like a rolling stone on a mountain, once it starts, it can never stop.

With personal honor, you want a championship; with a championship, you want a big contract; with a big contract, you want team status...

What Butler wants now is the super maximum salary. What will he want after the super maximum salary is obtained?

The most important thing is, does Butler really have such strength?
……

After defeating the Magic, the Warriors had a day off, but the next day, they flew to Detroit by special plane to prepare for the game against the Pistons on December 12.

In the next 10 days, the Warriors will usher in a seven-game streak in the Eastern Conference. The teammates are the Pistons, the Nets, the Wizards, the Bobcats, the Heat, the Magic, and the Eagles. Among them, the Nets and the Wizards, the Magic and the Eagles Still back to back, the schedule is very tight, you need to prepare in advance.

The Pistons have not entered the playoffs for three consecutive years, and this season seems to be no exception. Their previous record was 6 wins and 13 losses, ranking last in the Eastern Conference, without any competitiveness.

Facing such a big belly, the Warriors won a big victory with 124:103 without any effort.

In this game, the Warriors' main lineup all clocked in three quarters. Curry had a small test, scoring 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block. The Pistons' offense was too casual and gave Curry a chance to block. It also succeeded, and this is also Curry's first block this season.

Zhang Yu gave Butler more ball rights. He made 15 of 7 shots, 4 of 2 three-pointers, 8 of 7 free throws, scored 23 points, 6 rebounds, assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The number of shots seemed small, but he He attacked the frame with the ball many times and made fouls, stood on the free throw line, and his usage rate has increased a lot compared to before.

Butler has more possessions, and Clay's shots will inevitably decrease. He made 12 of 7 shots, 8 of 5 three-pointers, and no free throws. He scored 19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. He made up for it with efficiency. Decrease in possession.

On December 12, the Warriors challenged the Nets away.

This will be the last match between the two teams in the regular season this season. The Nets now have a record of 11 wins and 6 losses, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference. The combination of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson is very effective. Outstanding, the Nets completely got rid of the previous years of poor performance and launched an impact on the playoffs.

At the Barclays Center, the Nets showed the defense of a strong team. Facing the defending champion, they stubbornly resisted until the fourth quarter. Even though they were still behind by about 10 points, they did not give up hope of chasing points.

Until Curry broke through Joe Johnson's defense at 1 minute and 18 seconds into the fourth quarter, and hit a throw with a very high arc, expanding the point difference from 11 points to 13 points, Nets coach Avery -Johnson finally gave up, Ming Jin withdrew his troops, and surrendered.

Curry's drop shot also raised his score to 39 points. Under the strict defense of the Nets, he made 25 of 13 shots, 12 of 7 three-pointers, 6 of 6 free throws, and scored 39 points. With assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steal, he surpassed Deron Williams' 1 points and Joe Johnson's 23 points on his own, leading the Warriors to a precious away victory.

But this game is not all good news for the Warriors.

When the game progressed to 8 minutes and 35 seconds of the fourth quarter, Jeremy Lin suddenly fell to the ground without confrontation during a breakthrough, and the game was immediately suspended. After being checked by Warriors team doctor Schwartz, Jeremy Lin withdrew from the game .

Afterwards, Curry could only go into battle ahead of time, grab the ball, and start the offensive mode. In the fourth quarter, he scored 21 points in a single quarter, defending the Warriors' lead.

But after the game, the Warriors smiled from top to bottom. Jeremy Lin's accidental injury cast a heavy shadow on this victory.

He is the Warriors' backup point guard, plays the role of the sixth man, controls the Warriors' transitional possession of the ball, is an important member of the Warriors' rotation, and everyone is waiting for his inspection results.

Even Thomas Jr., who was most likely to benefit from Lin's injury, didn't have a smile on his face.

Although Jeremy Lin is of yellow race, he has always accepted the influence of American values. He is a typical American in character. He has no cultural barriers with his teammates. He gets along very well with his teammates and has a good relationship.

His injury is something that no one wants to see. Curry, Butler and Clay, who were interviewed after the game, all expressed their blessings to Jeremy Lin in front of the media, hoping that he will recover soon.

Zhang Yu's expression was also very ugly. He just expressed his concern about Jeremy Lin's injury and left the post-match press conference.

The next day, the results of Jeremy Lin's injury came out. He suffered a slight torn meniscus in his left knee. According to Schwartz's estimation, Jeremy Lin would be absent for about six weeks if he was treated conservatively. If treated, Jeremy Lin will be reimbursed for the season.

Zhang Yu asked Schwartz about the reason for Jeremy Lin's injury, and Schwartz explained:
"In Jeremy's way of scoring, breakthroughs account for a large proportion. He often uses his speed advantage to force breakthroughs on the court, which makes him have a strong impact in the game, but it will also cause a burden on his knees. , After more than two years of competition, his knees are getting more and more strained, and finally the meniscus is finally overwhelmed... But fortunately, he does not play much time in each game, so it is only a slight tear, which will not affect his future. Career impact is too great."

As an expert in sports medicine, Schwartz has a good understanding of the technical movements of players and their impact on players' bodies.

"That is to say, if we had noticed Jeremy's physical condition earlier and controlled his playing time, he would not have been injured?" Zhang Yu asked.

Schwartz shook his head and said:

"How is it possible, if we can accurately monitor all the physical conditions of the players, then no one will be injured. In fact, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook also play this way, but their physical fitness is far greater. Far stronger than Jeremy, so can he afford the impact of high-speed breakthroughs on the meniscus? However, Derrick Rose’s injury last season was also a bit dangerous. Fortunately, the Bulls controlled his playing time later, so he remained healthy. This is also thanks to your reminder."

"Jeremy's physical talent is much worse than theirs, but he relies heavily on high-speed breakthroughs. In the long run, his knees will not be able to hold up, and there is a high probability of injury, unless he gives up this style of play, but this is impossible... "

Zhang Yu was silent, how could Jeremy Lin change his style of play?Speed ​​is the foundation of his standing in the league. His confrontation, shooting, technique and passing are relatively average. If the first step is not fast enough, he can break through the opponent's defense line in the pick-and-roll, threaten the opponent's inside line, and then finish. To score or distribute the ball, let alone the sixth man, he even struggled to look at the water dispenser.

In Zhang Yu's previous life, Jeremy Lin continued to stick to his original style of play after suffering a knee injury. As a result, his tendons and ligaments were injured continuously, so he had no choice but to quit the NBA and came to the CBA to seek gold.

But Jeremy Lin, who has lost his speed, can't perform too well in the CBA. He can only rely on experience and technology to barely support the scene, attract fans as a Chinese, and use commercial value to make up for the decline in competitive strength.

"So... Jeremy's injury is inevitable?" Zhang Yu looked at Schwartz.

Schwartz hesitated for a moment and said:

"It can be said that there have been too many guards of Jeremy's type in the history of the NBA... There is no way to do this. The intensity of the NBA game is too high. It is normal for players to suffer injuries. They have never been injured. There may be some people, but it is definitely one in a hundred. Most players will be injured more or less, but Jeremy's style of play determines that he will be more likely to be injured than others, and in order to be able to play in the league, he cannot change. Playing style, unless he can be put into strict load management like Derrick Rose, but I don’t think he will agree with that.”

Zhang Yu nodded lightly:

"You are right, a big contract is in front of you, no one will give up easy dollars for the illusory not to get hurt, only a superstar like Derek will be willing to be included in strict load management... Then Jeremy What kind of treatment is suitable for you?"

"If you want to return to the game soon, you will naturally recover faster with conservative treatment; if you want a complete cure, you have to undergo surgery."

"Well, you and I will go talk to Jeremy and his agent and let him make his own decision."

Later, Zhang Yu and Schwartz approached Jeremy Lin and his agent. After Schwartz carefully explained the different effects of conservative treatment and surgical treatment, Jeremy Lin did not hesitate for too long. After a brief discussion with his agent, he chose Surgical treatment was performed.

This result was also expected by Zhang Yu. Jeremy Lin, as the backup point guard of the Warriors last season, won the championship with the team. He averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, and his playing time was only 19.7 minutes. very high.

This season, his playing time has further increased to 21.4 minutes, averaging 12.2 points, 4.5 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Although the sample is relatively small, he has shown a continuous improvement trend and is a strong contender for the best sixth man. one of them.

Although this year is Jeremy Lin's contract year, he has already played out, and the sample of more than one season is enough. He does not need to take the risk of aggravating the injury and come back quickly. Surgery is more in his interest.

And Jeremy Lin chose surgery, which means that Thomas Jr. has ushered in the opportunity he dreamed of.

……

On the afternoon when Jeremy Lin made the decision to undergo surgery, the Warriors came to Washington to challenge the Wizards away.

The Wizards have been a bad team for the past four seasons. Even if they selected the No. [-] pick John Wall two seasons ago, it did not change the team's destiny.

This season, the Wizards selected shooting guard Bradley Beal with the No. [-] pick, and Wall formed a double shot in the backcourt, carrying the hopes of DC fans.

But after the start of the season, the double shots in the backcourt, which the fans had high hopes for, did not have the effect they expected, and the Wizards were even worse than last season.

Before the game against the Warriors, the Wizards only achieved a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, ranking first in the Eastern Conference, and once again dived towards the No. [-] pick.

In this game, the Wizards not surprisingly gained a defeat, losing to the Warriors 104:125.

In this game, the Warriors attracted the most attention, not Curry, who easily scored 33 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, but Thomas Jr., who played as a backup point guard.

As the Wizards disarmed and surrendered early under the strong firepower of the Warriors, the Warriors' main force clocked in three quarters, and Thomas Jr. got a full 25 minutes of playing time.

He gave full play to his flexibility and speed advantages, frequently hitting the Wizards' weak defensive penalty area.

The Wizards' preparation for Thomas Jr. was obviously insufficient. They didn't know that his shooting ability was also very strong. They mainly defended his breakthroughs, allowing him to hit 3 semi-open three-pointers.

Not only that, Thomas Jr. also showed his organizational skills, and repeatedly used the way of breaking through the ball to drive the team's overall offense and achieved remarkable results.

After the game, Thomas Jr. made 13 of 7 shots, 5 of 3 three-pointers, 5 of 4 free throws, scored 21 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. He was highly productive and efficient, and performed extremely well. He created a new career scoring high in one fell swoop. .

Thomas Jr. was able to score 20+, not only because of his outstanding scoring ability, but also because Zhang Yu tilted the ball towards him. Only then did he score a high score.

Thomas Jr.’s stunning performance also surprised the outside world. In the post-match interview, he became the focus. Reporters rushed to interview him. Thomas Jr. said:
"I am very grateful to the boss for his trust in me. If he hadn't selected me, I would have lost the draft. I don't know if I can play...Today is just the beginning. I will play a better performance and repay the boss for me. trust!"