NBA: I am a master dealer

After defeating the Rockets back-to-back, the Nets once again won four consecutive games with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses.

With a quarter of the season already underway, the team is still ranked third in the Eastern Conference, which is definitely a testament to its strength.

The competition in the Eastern Conference is very fierce right now. There are dark horses as well as disappointing teams, each with its own joys and sorrows.

Ranked first is the Boston Celtics with a record of 18 wins and 4 losses.

Having a record of competing with the Houston Rockets is definitely not easy, and it also shows that their combination is successful. The introduction of Hayward and the selection of Tatum have made their front line very strong. With three stars and two third picks, they have taken into account the present and have an infinitely bright future.

The second place is the New York Knicks, with a record of 15 wins and 5 losses.

It is not surprising that they can stay in this position. After all, ESPN's predictions before the start of the season gave enough respect to this Eastern Conference powerhouse. After all, they were the runner-up last season. Although Oladipo is gone, their overall strength in the Eastern Conference should not be underestimated.

The third place is the Brooklyn Nets, with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses.

Xue Liancheng proved himself once again. Even with a group of pure role players and newcomers, he was still able to lead the team to a historic performance and stand proudly in third place in the Eastern Conference, which definitely slapped the faces of many people.

They are also the biggest dark horse in the league. Before the start of the season, they were ranked tenth in the Eastern Conference by ESPN, who believed they did not have the strength to make the playoffs.

What now?
Third in the East!
Such a huge contrast just shows how dark the Nets are as a dark horse, and it seems that they will remain dark to the end.

Fourth, Toronto Raptors, with a record of 13 wins and 6 losses.

Although the record is not bad, it did not meet expectations. Jeremy Lin's joining did not seem to bring any visible improvement, and their front line is still a huge problem.

Seeing the amazing performance of Anunoby of the Nets at this time, the Raptors' management is probably just vomiting blood at this moment. They actually traded such a talented small forward for a guard with poor defense. It hurts to think about it!

Especially when you see Anunoby's stats, the heartache will be doubled.

Fifth place Detroit Pistons, record 13 wins and 6 losses.

No one expected the Pistons to get to this point. Reggie Jackson + Drummond are still creating different sparks and repeatedly putting up surprising performances, which is truly incredible.

of course.

The outstanding performances of Bradley, the new player transferred from the Celtics, Ballock who broke out this year, the little elf Ishmael Smith, the homeless Tolliver, and the emerging Stanley Johnson also played a crucial role.

It is precisely because of their brilliance that new energy was injected into the Pistons, allowing them to achieve such an eye-catching record.

This is definitely the biggest dark horse of this season, and it can even be removed as one of them at the moment.

Sixth place: Cleveland Cavaliers, with a record of 12 wins and 8 losses.

This is Xue Liancheng's fourth year fighting in the NBA. Everything has changed dramatically. With the departure of James two years ago, the trajectory of history has changed dramatically. The double star combination of Irving and Love stayed in Cleveland. They are still playing a huge role, but their ceiling has reached its peak. If no changes are made, they will be an ordinary playoff-level team.

Irving did not clamor to leave, at most he hoped that the team would be strengthened. Obviously, Irving was still very confident in himself at this stage.

Seventh place Philadelphia Digital Man, record 11 wins and 8 losses.

The combination of Embiid and Simmons officially started, and they put on a surprising performance in their first season together.

Embiid has the potential to dominate the restricted area, while Simmons is the king of mismatch. They both excel in their respective positions. In addition, with the addition of JJ Redick, Saric and Covington trained in the team can play a very positive role, and the team's record is booming.

However, with Covington being traded, their record has also become turbulent. Carroll does not seem to have fully integrated into Philadelphia. How they will adjust next will be a difficult problem, and Philadelphia fans are even calling themselves being cheated.

Eighth place Indiana Pacers, record 12 wins and 9 losses.

From the once popular dark horse prince to the disappointing team gradually falling on the edge of the playoffs, the Pacers have obviously been very disappointing so far this season.

Logically speaking, their strength on paper shouldn't be so low as to be ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference, but the result is so obvious.

Although Oladipo's performance remains strong, it has been questioned.

no way.

If you can't achieve results, it's useless even if you talk big. Everything must be proven by actual actions.

Ninth place: Miami Heat, with a record of 10 wins and 9 losses.

Wade is completely old, his scoring ability and explosiveness have been severely reduced, and his influence on the court has also dropped drastically. Fortunately, the team still has the triangle combination of Dragic, Porzingis and Whiteside, which makes them still competitive.

But it is not easy for them to break into the top eight.

After all, the Pacers, led by Oladipo and assisted by Russell, Bogdanovic, Turner, Ingram, Thaddeus Young and other good players, can only rank ninth. You can imagine how fierce the competition in the Eastern Conference is now.

Tenth place: Washington Wizards, with a record of 10 wins and 9 losses.

The double-gun combination that was so powerful last season suffered a setback this season. Up to now, they are only ranked tenth, which is really shocking.

Wall is a top point guard with 20+10+5. His breakthrough lethality is definitely the best among guards. He is also mature enough. It stands to reason that with him as a backup, the team's record will not be too bad.

Bill, a rising star that has emerged in recent years, averaged 23+3+3 last season and 22+4+4 this season. He is very skilled in various offensive methods and will definitely have a place at the shooting guard position in the future.

The two of them joined forces, with the assistance of Otto Porter, Oubre, Markieff Morris, Hammer Gortat, Scott and other strong players. How did they get to the tenth place? It is puzzling.

The level of disappointment is almost reaching its limit.

You know, before the start of the season, ESPN predicted that the Wizards were a rising star competing for the upper half, but in the end, they were ranked tenth in the Eastern Conference, which was really disappointing.

The most surprising and disappointing team is the Milwaukee Bucks, who have only achieved a record of 9 wins and 9 losses so far this season.

Based on the strength shown by the Bucks last season, they should have only been able to compete for the playoffs.

As a result, they got Bledsoe, a first-class guard who averaged 21+6+4 last season, shortly after the start of the season. In addition, they brought in the wildly growing Antetokounmpo, the up-and-coming Middleton, the talented Jabari Parker, and last year's best rookie Brogdon. Such a lineup, even if it doesn't compete for the championship, is at least a very competitive team in the Eastern Conference.

In fact, they brought in Bledsoe to compete for the championship, or more accurately, to break out of the East.

result.

But it looks like this.

There is no doubt that the Bucks are the most disappointing team so far, without a doubt.

They actually regressed instead of improving and couldn't even make it to the playoffs.

7th place Orlando Magic, record 13 wins and losses.

Their position is both surprising and reasonable.

The surprise is that they have a lot of talented players, such as Lonzo Ball, Vucevic, Fournier, Tobias Harris, Elfrid Payton, etc., but they have never achieved the expected results, which is really incomprehensible.

It's understandable that everyone knows that it's difficult for the Magic to achieve good results. After all, we look forward to them every year, but they disappoint us every year.

The 6th-placed Charlotte Hornets have a record of 13 wins and losses.

The Hornets have completely collapsed this season. The combination of Batum and Kemba Walker is no longer effective. Their biggest gain is that Aaron Gordon has gradually come into his own, which is a small consolation.

Fourteenth place Chicago Bulls, record 3 wins and 15 losses.

Butler's departure has put the Bulls on the road of rebuilding.

But it was so tragic that it still surprised many people.

After all, Zach LaVine + Rose should be somewhat competitive, right?
result.

Really not.

They were on a losing streak.

Fifteenth place Atlanta Hawks, record 3 wins and 17 losses.

It is no surprise that the Eagles are ranked in this position. With the Eagles' strength on paper, they can only be at the bottom.

This is the current ranking in the Eastern Conference. The top eleven teams are all competing for the playoffs, and all have a winning rate of over 50%. The intensity of the competition is extremely rare.

And none of them are easy to deal with.

The only dark horse Pistons may be the weakest among them on paper. After the trade, the overall level of the Nets' lineup has immediately improved, and they are not a soft persimmon that anyone can squeeze.

and so.

Three teams among them are destined to fall behind, and this is currently being debated in major media outlets.

The Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and Milwaukee Bucks are the teams most likely to lose their playoff spots, and the reasons are relatively consistent.

First is the Detroit Pistons. Their core players Reggie Jackson + Drummond are not enough to support them to survive in the playoffs. As for those role players, none of them are particularly outstanding.

Next is the Miami Heat. Whiteside, Porzingis, and Dragic are indeed strong, but none of them are All-Star level players. In terms of offensive ability, none of them can show off.

As Wade gets older, it is difficult for them to carry the team. After all, their strength is limited. Coupled with Porzingis' frequent injuries, their strength is not as strong as it seems.

Finally, it’s the Milwaukee Bucks. There’s just one problem: Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo are simply not compatible.

What Antetokounmpo needs is a guard team that can create space for him, so that his impact can be maximized. However, Bledsoe's three-point ability is limited, and his breakthrough and killing power is magnified.

That’s why the Bucks are in their current shaky situation.

But they still have hope.

After all, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. In addition to Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe, they also have Middleton and Jabari Parker. Their strength should not be underestimated.

Although the Nets are currently ranked third, there are only 20 games in the season and there are still many changes. If you continue to lose in a row, your playoff spot will be in jeopardy.

At present, they have no capital to be negligent.

After playing against the Rockets, they headed to Dallas, another city in Texas, to challenge the Mavericks.

The Mavericks have completely fallen this season, with 6 wins and 15 losses so far, and have long lost the demeanor of the Texas bully.

Nowitzki is 39 years old, almost years old, and the gas in his tank has long been used up, while Harrison Barnes, who was highly expected, has not lived up to his expectations and still has not become the team's signature star.

This is the end.

They have fallen!
The Nets did not miss, easily defeating their opponents 119:104, extending their winning streak to five games and bringing their record to 15 wins and 6 losses, challenging the Knicks.

The Nets' next two games will be much easier.

That's right!

The Atlanta Hawks, who are at the bottom of the table, have one home game and one away game. This is a real relief for the Nets, who are in urgent need of improving their record.

The Nets lived up to expectations and did not suffer any setbacks.

In the first game of December, the Nets defeated the Hawks 132:114 at home and continued their winning streak.

薛连城只上了三节的时间，13中8，三分9中5，轻松拿到了26分16助攻。

Anunoby lived up to expectations, scoring 14 points and 8 rebounds on 21 of 7 shots.

Feng Lai also had an explosion, making 10 of 7 shots and scoring 20 points.

小萨博尼斯也难得顺风顺水，10中8拿到了20分9篮板7助攻。

With four players scoring 20+ points, the Hawks didn't even have a chance to fight back.

after one day.

They went to challenge the Hawks on the road and beat them 120:90.

At this time, their winning streak had reached seven games, with a record of 17 wins and 6 losses, only half a win away from the second-placed Knicks' 18 wins and 6 losses.

As long as the Knicks make the slightest mistake, the Nets will overtake them and become the most amazing dark horse in the East, and possibly the biggest dark horse in the entire league.

How many people looked down on them at the beginning?
That can only be described as countless.

And now, they can finally hold their heads high.

There were doubts before, thinking that the Nets could not take on tough challenges, but since defeating the Rockets, such voices have become much less frequent.

But Xue Liancheng's fans were not surprised at all.

Because next, the Nets will face a real test.

First, on December 12, they will face the challenge of the Oklahoma Thunder, a strong rival in the Western Conference, at home.

Since they strengthened their team with Gasol Jr. and Will Barton during the offseason, they have undergone tremendous changes.

Whether on offense or defense, they are extremely smooth, and Westbrook is like a fish in water. While he is getting triple-doubles all the time, the team's record is also improving by leaps and bounds. They are currently in the first tier of the Western Conference, competing with the Rockets, Warriors, and Spurs. Their strength should not be underestimated.

Next is the Miami Heat, who are making their push for the playoffs and fighting for a playoff spot. They will give their all to any opponent they meet.

There is no doubt that the current Heat is still a tough nut to crack.

Then there are the Washington Wizards, who are also fighting for the playoffs. They can't afford to lose. Many media outlets discussed them in the upper half before the start of the season, but they couldn't even make the playoffs. That's really embarrassing.

Especially for the Double Guns, it would be a real humiliation, and their strength would also be greatly questioned.

The best way to dispel doubts is to make it to the playoffs, so that others will have nothing to say.

Next they will face their most direct rival, the New York Knicks. Both sides will definitely fight to the death. This fierce battle has been watched by people early on, so there is no need to say how intense it is.

Then after playing the Knicks, they will play the Toronto Raptors back-to-back, which will be the biggest test.

Test your physical strength and will.

Although the Raptors' record this season has not met expectations, they are still in the upper half of the Eastern Conference and there is absolutely no doubt about their strength. It is not easy to defeat the Raptors back to back!
After beating the Raptors, they had no time to catch their breath as they had to fight the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers are now at the end of the playoffs. In order to keep their playoff spot, they will fight you to the death. Naturally, they will be a tough opponent.

If you count down this series of opponents, there is really no one who is easy to deal with. It is definitely not an easy task to escape unscathed.

The Nets official forum is already buzzing with discussion about the upcoming schedule.

"It's difficult! If I can win three of these six opponents, it will be considered a success."

"It shouldn't be that scary, right? After all, we've won seven games in a row. We're no pushovers."

"Thunder, Heat, Wizards, Knicks, Raptors, Pacers, who do you think can beat?"

"I f*cking think we can win them all. In terms of team strength alone, the Nets are not afraid of any team in the East. The Heat and Wizards are still struggling for the playoffs. What's there to be afraid of? The Knicks are indeed very strong, but what about Oladipo last season? Xue Liancheng still beat them. The Raptors are a pseudo-strong team. They kneel down and surrender when they meet a tough opponent. Apart from the physical test of back-to-back games, I am not worried at all. The Pacers? They did play well at the beginning of the season, but their defense is hard to describe now. As for offense? How many teams can beat the Nets?"

"Six wins in a row? That's a bit too much. Let's keep our feet on the ground!"

"So what if we lose three games? The Nets are still third in the Eastern Conference."

Overall, most people are still very confident in the Nets.

The most important thing is that he has full confidence in Xue Liancheng.

As this season's leading scorer and assists leader, his overall statistics are undoubtedly dominant.

As long as the team's performance continues to improve, Xue Liancheng will be the strongest contender for this season's MVP, and there are very few superstars who can compete with him.

Westbrook is one of them. His triple-double data and third place in the Western Conference allow him to firmly occupy the top spot on the MVP list.

So the next game against the Thunder is very important.

A head-to-head showdown between two MVP candidates!

If the performance is very bad, or the team loses badly, it will greatly affect the positive image of the MVP. (End of this chapter)