no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 224 My plus/minus value is +7, I didn’t lose
After the game against the Mavericks, the Bulls played against the Celtics, Raptors and Thunder in the following week.

When playing against the Celtics, Xu Yong also met Zhou Qi on the court for the first time.

Zhou Qi plays the starting four position for the Celtics.

Boozer was pardoned and Brandon Bass is playing as a substitute for him. Judging from these arrangements, the Celtics still attach great importance to him.

There are many factors involved. The Celtics have just begun to rebuild, and Zhou Qi is the only lottery pick;

The Chinese market is now being developed very well, and they definitely want a piece of the pie;

Zhou Qi's talent is indeed good, especially now that he has not changed his age and is worth cultivating.

And the professionalism can also be seen from their arrangements.

Zhou Qi was called "Chinese Durant" in the previous draft, but it is obvious that he does not have Durant's flexibility and coordination, and he cannot keep up with the confrontation at the fifth position, and the fourth position , or a space-type fourth position is the direction the Celtics are training him to.

The probability of becoming a star for the ninth pick in his young year is not very high. Being able to become a starting-level player is success. From this perspective, the Celtics' training direction is still very correct.

Zhou Qi finally played 25 minutes, scoring 7 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, which was his normal performance this season.

Although it is not particularly outstanding, considering the history that Xu Yong knows, this performance is already much better.

And you have to remember that he was three years younger than he was then.

After this week, the Bulls' record was 3 wins and 1 loss, and Xu Yong won the best of the week.

However, half of this Weekly Award is due to Butler. Butler averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 48% from the field, and performed very well.

Because the results of the first round of voting for the All-Star Game have been released at this time, his performance and the addition of Chinese fans have ranked him third among guards after Wade and Irving.

If this trend continues, Butler is likely to be selected for the All-Star Game, and he will still be a starter.

This also plunged Butler into huge controversy.

After all, with his hard power, he is obviously not as good as DeRozan and George behind him.

Of course, Chicago fans are also defending him, because before him, Irving's statistics are not much better.

Amid such controversy, Butler's own attitude is naturally the focus of attention from the outside world.

On this day, the Bulls finished training, and Butler was sitting on the sidelines with Xu Yong, chatting about the game, when a reporter came to see him.

"Do you expect to be selected as an All-Star?"

"No, I don't pay attention to that." Butler's answer was simple.

The reporter seemed very surprised by this answer, because being selected as an All-Star is a great honor for players.

And according to the new labor agreement, if Butler is selected as the All-Star starter for two consecutive years, he can trigger the super maximum salary.

"I mean, you could potentially be a starter in this year's All-Star Game," the reporter reminded.

"It's all the same, I just take pride in the defense and the effort on the court, and that's not there (at the All-Star Game), so let me stay away from it and let me and Kwame (Brown) go on vacation."

Xu Yong couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

Butler has a high dual quotient, but sometimes he just likes to be blunt.

However, Butler's answer can be regarded as an end to the controversy outside.

After all, the rightful owner doesn't care, so there's actually no difference between being chosen or not, so naturally there's nothing to argue about.

But not long after, bad news came from the Bulls.

Just as the team was preparing to go to Los Angeles to start a new road trip, Brown suffered an injury and was not optimistic.

His right leg was injured at the beginning of the season and he has been undergoing conservative treatment, but the effect is not good. It has reached the point where surgery is necessary.

And surgery would mean reimbursement for the season. 【Note 19】

Now Brown has no chance to go on vacation with Butler.

This is also the team's second player since Rose to be reimbursed for the season.

Moreover, both Rose and Brown were the Bulls' starting players at the beginning of the season. The season is not even halfway through, and two of the starting five are already gone.

The Bulls have been somewhat unlucky this season.

But this is the NBA, and no one knows what will happen until the season is over.

Thibodeau's response this time was the same as Rose's before, and he didn't have many options. He put Anderson in the starting lineup, put veteran Muhammad into the rotation, and activated rookie Steven Adams.

Of course, the management also started to operate at this time.

Brown is different from Rose. Brown only has one year left on his contract with the Bulls, and it's not that big.

So after Brown was confirmed to be out for the season, they had already planned to lay off Brown and then seek to replace him in the free market.

Of course, this will take a process. For the next away trip, the team can only count on these three inside players on the books.

The next day, the Bulls arrived in Los Angeles.

Xu Yong went to meet Kobe again, but not at Kobe's home, but at the Staples Center training facility.

Kobe returned in late December and has played five games now.

Although his condition is average, averaging only 13.6 points per game and shooting only 42% from the field, he still seems to be in a good mood.

Seeing Xu Yong, he immediately asked for a duel.

There was not much suspense in the result. Xu Yong knew that Kobe didn't like to give up, so he played his best and beat Kobe.

He could feel that Kobe was not completely healed yet.

This can be seen from the fact that Kobe consciously landed on the ball of his front foot when he landed with his left foot. This was obviously to protect the torn left Achilles tendon.

"Now you are the new sheriff in town." After the duel, Kobe sat there and said with a smile.

There was a bit of bitterness in that smile.

Xu Yong was slightly surprised. This was the first time he heard words of surrender from Kobe.

Although, he can actually understand it.

Just like he was able to persuade Rose before, no one knows his body better than the player himself.

When he was injured, Kobe thought he could come back, but now that he has played so many games, he should know that he can't come back.

If he still insists on competing with Xu Yongyi, then he is not trying to win, but deceiving himself and others.

But after saying that, Kobe said again: "But in tomorrow's game, I will be the winner."

Xu Yong laughed when he heard it. Kobe is still Kobe after all.

……

The game between the Bulls and Lakers has not yet started, but fans on social media are getting into controversy because of Howard's remarks.

In an interview with team reporters on training day, Howard stated that he had fully recovered from his back injury, and also stated that he was still the league's No. [-] center.

He said this for no reason. The league restructured this year's All-Star voting, eliminating the center position and replacing it with two backcourts and three frontcourts.

This adjustment is the general trend. With the retirement of O'Neal and Yao Ming, and the injury of Howard, the league no longer has a dominant center. Instead, there is a prosperous era of forwards, with small forwards and power forwards emerging in large numbers.

Then Howard became a victim. In the first two rounds of All-Star voting, he was left behind by Durant, Griffin and Love, and the difference in votes was huge. There was a high probability that he would not be selected as the starter.

This made him particularly uncomfortable. He was so overwhelmed by Yao Ming in the Eastern Conference that he couldn't hold his head up. He didn't expect that in his first season in the Western Conference, he would not be able to start again because of the restructuring.

How could this baby not feel bitter?
There are basically three opinions on social media now.

The first is that the league has eliminated the center position. Even if you are the first center, you will not be able to make the All-Stars;
Second, don’t imitate Dampier as a person, don’t wait until Yao Ming retires before speaking in front of the media;
The third type is that Howard is no longer a World of Warcraft and has no dominance inside.

Yes, this probably shouldn't be called a debate, it's purely a unilateral complaint from the fans.

Since Howard played one season with the Pacers, his fan base has been dwarfed.

Especially after Kobe Bryant returned from the Lakers this season, he was unwilling to pick-and-roll for Kobe Bryant, which naturally caused Komi's dissatisfaction.

As a player who can be disliked by both Comey and James, Howard is unique.

The next night, the Staples Center was packed and the front row was filled with Hollywood's biggest names.

Of course, no Scarlett.

Scarlett is now Xu Yong's past tense.

After all, physical communication has a sense of freshness. Once the freshness is over, everyone will be fine.

Among the female stars on the sidelines at this time, the most attractive ones are Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie.

Needless to say, Theron is the American version of the national goddess, recognized as effervescently beautiful. She is still charming and charming at the age of 38 this year;

Robbie became famous because of his recent starring role in "The Wolf of Wall Street" alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

Of course, Xu Yong also has some impressions of Robbie, because she will also participate in the movie "Joker" in the future as "Harley Quinn", and her figure is quite invincible.

During the warm-up, there were frequent shots of members of the two teams, especially split shots of Xu Yong and Kobe, which made people feel like what year it was today. Many fans couldn't help but cheer and applaud after seeing it.

After the warm-up, the phenomenon entered the opening ceremony.

The Bulls are in front, Hinrich, Butler, Xu Yong, David West, Anderson.

The Lakers are behind, Howard, George Hill, Diaw, Ariza.

"Eighteen-time All-Star, five-time championship winner, four-time All-Star Game MVP, two-time Finals MVP, one-time MVP, from Lower Merion High School, No. 24, Kobe~~Bryant!"

Kobe finally took the stage and was greeted with overwhelming cheers.

Despite his poor form after this comeback, he remains a fan favorite in Los Angeles.

Kobe waved.

When Xu Yong saw this, he was also touched in his heart.

One person, one city is difficult to achieve in competitive sports, especially in a business league like the NBA, but its charm is that when you overcome many difficulties and achieve something, the city will bear your label. This may be the biggest The meaning.

And listening to these introductions, Kobe's career is actually complete. Six championships are better, but if Kobe is asked to hug O'Neal for the sixth one, it would be superfluous.

The opening ceremony ended and players from both sides appeared one after another.

When Kobe came on the court, he took the initiative to greet Xu Yong with a smile. It can be seen that his mentality has indeed changed now.

Howard jumped high and moved the ball back to the Lakers half, and the game officially began.

As soon as he came up, Kobe held the ball in the high post and hit Butler with his back.

Butler's defense is very active. As he said before the media, hard work and defense are things he is proud of.

Kobe was staggered a little when he was guarded, and it could be seen that he was indeed not recovering well.

Finally, he reluctantly turned around and took a shot while facing Butler's interference.

This ball is very difficult.

"when!"

The basketball hits the front edge and pops up.

But at this moment, Howard jumped up high to grab the offensive rebound, then bent down and exerted his strength, directly arching past Anderson, and launched a two-handed dunk.

A huge muffled sound came through the loudspeaker, instantly causing a burst of cheers from Staples Center.

Howard started the game in pretty good shape.

In the Bulls' round, Butler held the ball in the frontcourt and directly attacked Kobe. Kobe couldn't keep up with the first step and was suppressed to one side. However, when Butler passed the ball, he moved the ball out of the court.

Although his feet were slow, the movements of his hands were still very fast.

However, when the ball came out again, Kobe was still passed by Butler. His left ankle was now unable to exert force, and his puppy footwork was basically useless.

Butler stuck Kobe, saw that there was no help in defending, and then rushed inside and took a quick shot.

However, his shot failed to score, because Howard came out from the side and directly performed a volleyball-style block to send the ball out of the court.

Staples Center is boiling again.

"Pay attention to Dwight's position." Xu Yong walked to Butler's side to remind him.

After two rounds, it can be seen that Howard's previous remarks were not bragging. The back injury really has little impact on him this season, a bit like Warcraft back then.

There was not much attack time, and Butler directly handed the ball to Xu Yong for a single this time.

Xu Yong held the ball and beat Ariza in singles, and then made a sudden stop after a sideways drag step and hit the ball.

The Lakers attacked in the frontcourt, and Kobe held the ball and signaled Howard to start a pick-and-roll.

Howard came out somewhat reluctantly, and after a symbolic block, he moved in.

But what he didn't expect was that Kobe took a few steps and threw the ball directly over the basket.

His reaction was quite quick, leaping high, grabbing Kobe Bryant's pass in the air, and directly blocking Anderson.

"Oh!"

Staged an explosive alley-oop dunk.

After completing the alley-oop, Howard made a superhuman celebration.

At this time, the fans at Staples Center couldn't sit still at all. Many fans stood up and pumped their fists in cheers.

Howard was different tonight!
Seeing this scene, Xu Yong understood somewhat what Kobe said yesterday, "I will be the winner." He thought Kobe was going to score points with him as before, but now it seems that Kobe has changed his mentality.

In fact, he should have thought of it earlier. From Kobe saying that he was the new police chief to greeting him with a smile before the game, these details all illustrate this point.

On the Bulls bench, Thibodeau stood up with a frown.

Howard's desire is indeed strong tonight, but the more important problem is the Bulls' weakness inside.

Anderson has excellent running and jumping abilities, but his confrontation and strength are much worse than Brown, which makes it difficult for him and Howard to face off inside.

On the court, Xu Yong hit Ariza with his back. After observing the defense, he turned around and hit a pull-up layup with a low center of gravity.

Howard's reaction was still quick, but his quick shot only blocked the rebound.

The Lakers started the game lively, but the score was tied.

Xu Yong deserves what Kobe Bryant said yesterday, the new police chief in town.

Howard returned to the frontcourt and asked for the ball directly in the low post.

Hill fed the ball in, and he hit Anderson hard, causing the latter to foul early.

At this moment, a short whistle came from the sidelines, and Muhammad came on to replace Anderson.

Thibodeau's substitutions were decisive enough.

The Lakers sent the ball from the sideline, but Howard did not continue to attack in the low post.

Although Muhammad is older, he has the physical frame of a blue-collar player all year round.

Howard took the initiative to pick and roll for Kobe at this time, and he did so continuously until he forced Butler to go around.

Kobe's reaction was also quick, and he hit the ball in time.

Of course Kobe can wear the ball well, provided he wants to pass it.

The very classic collaboration between him and O'Neal was the key dunk that was passed back to O'Neal when the Trail Blazers rushed in in the Western Conference Finals.

During the Lakers' two consecutive championships, he fed Gasol many similar passes.

He was reluctant to pass the ball to Howard before because he didn't like it, but after changing his mentality, he made a change.

After Howard got the ball, there was an open space in front of him. He took a direct step and once again performed violent abuse of the basket with both hands.

"Oh!"

This time he was obviously fierce, and the entire basket trembled.

The crowd cheered loudly. This was Howard's third dunk tonight!

This is the Warcraft they want to see! !

Butler's throw failed to score due to Kobe's interference. After Howard scored consecutive points on the offensive end, Kobe became more engaged on the defensive end.

And looking back.Kobe directly fed the ball to Howard in the low post. Howard attacked Muhammad with the ball, jumped to the basket and scored after the confrontation.

He scored 8 points in a row in the opening game!

After scoring the goal, Howard smiled and took the initiative to find Kobe Bryant for a high-five, showing off his signature sunny smile. He was making waves in the Bulls' interior tonight, playing a "Happy Beast".

Thibodeau reached out and called a timeout.

Anderson's strength and confrontation are insufficient, and Muhammad's speed cannot keep up with Howard's rhythm.

"Chicago had Yao and I and, you know, we could let Dwight Jr. sit out for 48 quiet minutes, but now, they don't even have Kwame Brown."

Just like O'Neal said with emotion in the commentary box at this time, Thibodeau can't make a meal without straw tonight.

Xu Yong also looked up at the scoreboard at this time.

Although the Bulls are still in a stalemate with the Lakers, if they are still unable to limit Howard's performance in the paint, they will always be in a passive situation.

He glanced at Adams at the end of the bench. He was the only one of the Bulls' three centers left.

After returning from the timeout, Xu Yong singled out Ariza and scored a goal to stabilize the situation.After returning to the defensive end, when Howard wanted to take position inside, he also shrank in advance.

This is an adjustment Thibodeau made during the timeout. The Bulls have two defensive players, Xu Yong and Butler, and this is completely possible.

However, Kobe took advantage of Ariza's cover to take a decisive shot from the outside.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Kobe hit his first goal of the night.

The training he insisted on while recuperating was effective, and there was no problem with his hand feel. The problem was just that the ankle injury made him lack explosive power and was unable to get rid of the defense. However, in these two rounds, he obviously no longer paid attention to his ankle.

In the next few minutes, Xu Yong and Kobe Bryant came to a close match.

After Butler's consecutive highlights, his performance tonight was obviously a bit "hitting the wall", and the Bulls' ball rights were transferred more to Xu Yong.

After Howard was flanked by the Lakers, Kobe took more shots.

Thibodeau was the first to sit still.

His adjustments during the timeout were largely based on Kobe's average state. The current scene of soaring points was obviously not what he wanted.

He turned to the end of the bench again and called Adams to his feet.

The Bulls' three inside men take turns playing. Even if they can't guard Howard, they will have to give Howard the wheel tonight.

Adams was already gearing up. The young man quickly took off his training clothes and trotted to the technical stage.

As Thibodeau said when he communicated with Xu Yong before, the Bulls did not have many opportunities to develop in the championship this season. Although Adams performed well in the preseason, he did not get many opportunities after entering the regular season.

After all, Brown starts, Anderson comes on the bench, and Muhammad makes up the remaining time. This rotation is the safest.

However, all this changed with Brown's season reimbursement. Anderson's characteristics destined him to be more suitable as a substitute. Muhammad was too old, and Adams received his opportunity.

Bryant's offense caused Butler to foul and the game entered a dead ball. Adams came on and replaced Muhammad.

Seeing Adams on the court, Xu Yong took the initiative to reach out and give him a high-five to encourage him. He is the person on the Bulls who best understands Adams' strength.

But Howard's reaction at this time was particularly interesting.

His character is, at best, a sunny boy, but at worst, immature.

He was very happy when he scored consecutively in the opening game, but he was unhappy again after being flanked and unable to catch the ball.

Then now that he saw the Bulls replace him with a guy with fair features and fair skin, he was immediately happy again.

This kind of white insider is simply his favorite.

Especially when Adams came up, Thibodeau signaled on the sidelines to adjust the defensive strategy, and the inside changed to single defense.

He couldn't wait to take position in the low post, like a big man who had been hungry for a long time.

Hill lobbed the ball in.

Howard got the ball and started to exert force with his back to Adams.

Bullying rookies and so on, he can do whatever he wants.

But right away, he found that the situation was very different from what he imagined.

He chiseled hard twice, but Adams didn't move at all!

Why is there something wrong with this guy's power?

For a moment, he wondered if the back injury had struck him again.

Howard didn't believe in evil and used all his strength to finally knock Adams away.

But after breaking away, he discovered a very embarrassing thing. He no longer had the extra strength to take off and complete the attack.

When he readjusted, he found that Adams was on top of him again.

He pushed hard again, but this time he was stunned and couldn't move!
At this moment, the bottom line referee blew the whistle and whistled for Howard's attack for three seconds.

Howard looked helpless when he took the ball, then shook his head. When he finally retreated, he looked at Adams with a very strange look, as if he was looking at a monster.

Xu Yong was immediately entertained.

Adams' strength is his signature. During his peak period, he was nicknamed "The Unshakable". It means that if the opponent hits him when breaking through, there will only be one result. The player will be bounced back and he will not move at all.

Xu Yong had seen two of his classic animations before he was reborn. One was a direct serve from the backcourt to assist Morant in the front corner to complete a buzzer beater, becoming the longest assist in NBA history; the other was a casual shot with one hand. Throw, just like an ordinary person throwing a pebble, directly from the backcourt into a three-pointer.gif.

In fact, there is a description that will make people understand it better, that is, a flexible version of Battle that is more than ten kilograms lighter.

Although Adams has not yet reached his peak, he is still uncomfortable enough for Howard.

Thibodeau was also surprised at this time.

He knew that Adams was strong. After all, the coach had inferred data, but because he didn't play much and didn't have a reference, he didn't have a strong impression. This time just refreshed his impression.

In the Bulls' offense, Xu Yong's shot was interfered with and missed.

After gradually realizing that Butler was out of shape, the Lakers began to press the defense towards Xu Yong.

Howard turned around and was about to collect the rebound.

But at this moment, he felt a strong force coming from behind, and he was forced out of balance.

When he regained control of his body and wanted to collect the rebound again, he looked up and saw a white and tender hand.

Adams successfully grabbed the offensive rebound with a long arm swing.

The fans at the scene were also stunned. This rookie who appeared out of nowhere actually completed [picking melons on top of Howard]!
Moreover, Adams was very self-aware and did not attack hard after getting the rebound. He turned around and looked for Xu Yong, then waited for Xu Yong to come over and handed the ball to him.

Howard reacted at this time. Feeling humiliated, he became angry and wanted to block Xu Yong, but he soon found that he... couldn't get through!

Adams was like a huge boulder standing in front of him, blocking him tightly.

"Oh!"

Xu Yong jumped slightly and dunked easily with his left hand. After landing, he high-fived Adams.

The scene was agitated and there was a lot of discussion.

"Who is this guy? This power, this front panel, and this card position make me wet."

"do not know."

"Rookie? I remember the Bulls didn't have any draft picks this year?"

"It seems that the Raptors' draft rights were traded to the Bulls. It seems that he is still a lottery pick. His name is Adams."

"Yes, I just checked, Steven Adams, New Zealand, No. 12 pick, bastard, why did the Bulls pick such strong players in the draft?!"

……

The game on the field continues.

Howard gave Kobe a pick-and-roll, then passed the ball and attacked the basket, trying to move and play.

But Adams' mobility was not bad, and he kept blocking in front of him. As a result, he finally took a shot against Adams's resistance... but it didn't touch the basket!
The referee blew the whistle, but instead of calling a foul, he signaled that the ball was out of bounds and the Bulls had the ball.

Howard was stunned when he saw the referee's gesture, and he was really a little autistic.

Although he is now stronger than rookie Adams, the problem is that he is not much stronger.

And when his strength fails to suppress him, he will struggle very much due to poor technique.

In particular, Adams' mobility is not as clumsy as that of a wooden pile, but is still very flexible.

This was truly his nemesis.

Yao Ming is gone and Brown is gone, and Brown is gone and Adams is gone. Like James, he is so unlucky every time he meets the Bulls.

When Xu Yong saw this, he was not only happy, but couldn't help laughing.

Really worse than worse, Howard is still much worse than James.

James' shooting has been stable in the past two years, but Howard really hasn't improved at all.

And the key is that there is no self-knowledge.

So don't blame O'Neal, Kobe, or even James for looking down on him. He basically pushed himself to the bottom of the contempt chain step by step.

Once Howard shuts down in the paint, the Lakers are basically finished.

Although Kobe Bryant played hard from behind regardless of injuries, without the inside advantage, there is still a gap between the Lakers and the Bulls in terms of strength.

In the end, the Bulls defeated the Lakers 96-84 on the road.

According to the statistics after the game, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers scored a team-high 21 points. He made 15 of 7 shots and provided as many as 7 assists. He played his best game of the season.

Howard scored 8 points in a row in the opening game, but in the end he only scored 14 points and 11 rebounds.

公牛队这边，徐永31分7板6助攻，韦斯特17分7板，巴特勒9分4板4助攻2抢断。

Adams played a surprise role tonight. He played 28 minutes and scored 2 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block, including 3 in the frontcourt.

Looking at the data, his performance is not impressive, but when you watch the game, you will find that many things cannot be quantified by data.

Because defense, confrontation, and blocking, most of these things that fall under the category of "dirty work" will not be reflected in the data.

But anyone who has watched the game knows that if it weren't for him, the Bulls would have been penetrated tonight.

After the game, Xu Yong and Adams attended the post-game press conference together.

Logically speaking, David West should be brought today, but West chose to give this opportunity to Adams.

"I think Steven changed the situation of the game. He stood up when the team was in the most difficult time. Without him, we might not be able to win this game." Thibodeau praised Adams without hesitation.

"I think after this game, the position of the league's number one center will change hands." Xu Yong ridiculed Howard's remarks before the game.

These words also made Adams feel a little embarrassed.

"I just do what I should do. I want to thank Coach Thibodeau for giving me the opportunity, Xu, and other teammates for their trust." Different from the "hardness" shown on the court, Adams and him in front of reporters His appearance is very appropriate and gentle.

Xu Yong turned his head in surprise at this time.

Because Adams usually has few opportunities to perform and is very low-key, his understanding of Adams focuses more on his strength.

But Adams' state, or sense of contrast, at the press conference successfully attracted his attention and reminded him of an old friend he hadn't seen for a long time, James Johnson.

It seems that really "tough" people generally have better tempers (it may also be that the cost of their actions is higher than ordinary people).

"Jimmy's performance was poor tonight. Is there something wrong?"

Of course there are praises, but there are also doubts, and the one being questioned is Butler who performed abnormally tonight.

Although Butler scored 11 points, he only scored 13 goals in 3 shots tonight.

The first person asked the question was Xu Yong.

"Everyone will experience such a night, but that is not a problem." Xu Yong's answer was affirmative. Just like what he said to Thibodeau at the beginning, it is unrealistic to expect Butler to play well in every game. Growth requires a process.

"He's fine, he just has some bad touch, and he will adjust back soon." Thibodeau's answer was similar to Xu Yong's, accepting Butler's growth as well as Butler's poor performance.

After the Bulls concluded their press conference, the Lakers came to the scene immediately.

Kobe and Howard attended with head coach Brown.

The expressions of the three of them all looked serious. After all, no one would be happy if they lost.

"We are struggling on the offensive end. We need to play tougher. I need to score more points to help the team." Kobe was analyzing carefully when summing up the game, and also talked about his responsibilities.

But at this time, Howard's eyes were evasive and he was a little restless.

He was originally unwilling to come to tonight's press conference because he would inevitably be criticized after such a game.

In fact, even Brown acquiesced to him, but in the end Kobe pulled him over.

"Dwight, we saw that you performed well at the beginning, but when the Bulls replaced Steven Adams, you misfired. Can you tell me what happened in the game?"

Sure enough, what comes is what comes, and the media in Los Angeles don't know what politeness means.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him, including Kobe who was standing aside and turned to look at him.

Howard was the ant on the hot pot now. He took the microphone, was silent for a while and then said: "They adjusted their defensive strategy and started to shrink their defense. I didn't get a good chance. That's what happened. Yes, that’s it.”

Hearing his answer, the reporters in the audience were a little confused, because the reporters were asking about playing against Adams, but Howard was talking about the Bulls' defensive strategy in that period. Give up shrinking.

Howard had no intention of continuing to explain.

After all, he was guarded by a rookie, how else can you explain it?You can’t say you can’t beat a rookie, right?
Kobe exhaled a thick breath from his nostrils at this time, obviously a little disappointed with Howard.

He felt that Howard had never been mature enough, so he wanted to use such an occasion to help him learn to accept failure and stand up from failure.

Because this injury made him realize that he could not go back, he hoped that Howard could grow up quickly to succeed him and continue the Lakers' glory.

But it turned out that he really shouldn't have such illusions.

The reporter did not intend to give up, and then continued to ask: "Do you think there is anything you can improve tonight? After playing such a game."

This question was even more impolite than the previous one, and he was obviously dissatisfied with Howard's way of evading.

Howard was immediately unhappy when he heard this. He had already worked hard enough for the Lakers!
Kobe has been unable to play this season, but he single-handedly allowed the Lakers to keep their playoff hopes!

Why do these people criticize him like this just because he didn't play well in a game?

"At the end of the day, we didn't win the game, but the performance I did in the playing time and the things I did, I think I was effective, my game plus-minus was +7, and There were no mistakes, I don’t know what you mean by a game like that.”

Howard's words silenced everyone.

Kobe's expression on the side instantly became extremely ugly.

Basketball is a team sport, not an individual sport. This kind of statement about the team losing but me not losing is no longer a disappointment, but an insult to basketball.

Before, he thought Bynum was immature enough, but he didn't expect Howard to be a plus version.

He finally picked up the microphone in front of him and said directly: "We will win it back."

After saying that, he didn't seem to be in the mood to stay here with Howard anymore. He stood up with his hands on the table, then got up and left.

It was then that everyone noticed that Kobe was walking with a limp.

Obviously, after ignoring the outbreak of injuries, his injuries that were not well recovered are likely to relapse again.

……

"My plus-minus +7?"

After taking Adams to a local mall in Los Angeles for shopping and buying him a gold necklace as a reward, Xu Yong returned to the hotel to rest, and then he saw this overwhelming comment as soon as he turned on his phone.

He was in a daze for a moment, vaguely thinking...this was what James said.

But upon closer inspection, I realized it was Howard.

Theoretically speaking, Howard should not be able to say this.

But when he thought about it again, he seemed to think it was understandable.

After all, Howard had been teammates with James for one year in Indiana.

They didn't get along very well in the first half of the season, but they got along well in the second half of the season.

James' ability to influence his teammates is quite good. If you don't believe it, just look at Austin Reeves' fadeaway jumper.jpg and you will know.

Then, he saw some news about Kobe.

Kobe will be sidelined for about six weeks, which is a month and a half, due to a fracture of the tibial plateau on the lateral side of his left knee.

Seeing this, he had a deeper understanding of Kobe's state.

Kobe probably came back early after seeing that the team's record was not good and the injury was not fully healed.

This is what his character will do.

Then after several consecutive games of poor performance, he even forced himself to adjust his mentality to play with Howard.

As a result, Howard did something like this.

This is not a recurrence of the injury, but giving up.

Seeing this, he sent Kobe a text message.

"Recuperate well. I look forward to the next fight with you. You said you would win back."

After sending the text message, he continued to read the news on social media.

Adams' outstanding performance, especially in defense and offensive rebounding, has led to comparisons between him and Rodman.

There is nothing that can be done about it, after all, he is with the Bulls now.

Then some people are more subjective and proactive.

When Butler performed well before, Kenny Smith compared Butler to Pippen.

Well now, Xu Yong and Jordan have already been there, and now Pippen and Rodman are also in place.

This new Bulls team is going to revive the dead memories of some old fans.

(End of this chapter)