Healthy basketball, starting from eating the old Lakers F4

Chapter 336

A 6-1 start to the new season has allowed the Bulls to quickly reach first place in the Eastern Conference.

For a time, both the media and other teams turned their attention to the Bulls.

As the Bulls once again started their winning streak, opening up a two-game gap with the second-place Heat in the Eastern Conference, everyone finally realized that the Bulls already have the strength to compete for the championship this season.

Perhaps the Bulls are not the most comprehensive team in the league, but they are definitely the team that has made the most preparations at the beginning of the season.

Other teams have been more or less affected by the league's suspension, and some players have seen a significant decline in strength and status.

And because the Bulls have been playing and training together all summer, except for a few players like Milicic, the strength of most players has not declined, but has improved a lot.

In addition, the entire lineup is relatively young and healthy, and is relatively competitive in back-to-back games.

The original schedule of the shortened season was relatively tight, which was not very beneficial to a championship team like the Bulls.

If one of the core players is injured, it can easily affect the team's record.

After the first round of All-Star voting was announced, Duan was still the All-Star vote leader and the No. 1 forward in the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately, because there are many back-to-back schedules, the Bulls have reasonably arranged the rotation plan.

Relatively speaking, Ibaka is the least likely to become an All-Star this year. After all, the competition for forwards in the Eastern Conference is too fierce.

However, Howard is very popular throughout the league, but he is disliked by Magic fans.

With the help of Duan's continuous votes, Evans overtook Rondo in the fourth round of voting and successfully ranked second among Eastern Conference defenders, becoming this year's Eastern Conference All-Star starting defender.

The one who got more votes than Evans was naturally Wade, the current No. 1 shooting guard in the Eastern Conference and the No. 2 shooting guard in the league.

It is precisely because of this that the Bulls can let young players take on more work.

O'Neal dominated the center, and he also dominated the center. Although the environment was different, the result was the same.

This season, Duan mainly plays small forward, so this time he is included among the forwards in the Eastern Conference.

Harden: "It's obviously a movie about three people, but I can't be named."

With the Bulls increasing the role of rookies and constantly rotating the three lineups, the Bulls did not suffer injuries like ankle sprains or groin strains from time to time like other teams.

Speaking of guards, the Bulls' Evans and Curry rank third and fifth respectively among Eastern Conference guards.

The least competitive one is the center. Although Milicic has declined this season, he still has three championship rings.

Because all members are healthy and the team's record is extremely good, as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, Bulls players are easily favored by the media and fans.

Let’s talk about the All-Star forwards in the Eastern Conference. There is no doubt that Duan won the first place in the votes.

When comparing Howard with O'Neal, there is no need to discuss the body, just comparing the skills is useless.

Of course, you can’t compare with technology, but you can compare with data.

Considering the Bulls' first-place record in the Eastern Conference, in addition to Duane, the Bulls will have at least one player selected for the All-Star Game as a substitute.

If the offensive ability is insufficient and he cannot hit key goals, it is also the playoffs and the finals. Just playing in the regular season, averaging 20+10 per game, is not difficult at all.

In comparison, Curry, who accepted the magic ball concept after entering the NBA, has not practiced ball handling, only has 3 and no D, and his statistics are not as good as Evans. It will be more difficult to be selected for the All-Star Game as a substitute.

But the Bulls are different from a strong team formed by a group of experienced veterans in the playoffs. In the past three years, the Bulls have accumulated a large number of talented first-round picks.

Following Duan is James, no problem, they are just here to compete for the second spot.

Ibaka's votes were second only to Duane, James, Anthony, and Garnett, and higher than Pierce, Bosh, and Stoudemire, ranking fifth among the Eastern Conference forwards.

Before the start of the regular season, the summer league was used to train the rookies in the team. Even if it was only a semi-finished product, it would be enough for a while.

On the one hand, it is to use games as training to cultivate rookies, on the other hand, it also reduces the risk of injuries to the main players.

Except for Howard, who has secured his position as the All-Star starting center, most of the others in the Eastern Conference cannot compare to Milicic in terms of strength or honor.

Harden's performance this season is okay, but Evans' performance is better than Harden's in both offense and defense.

Milicic is the fourth center in the Eastern Conference.

The remaining starting center in the Eastern Conference is undoubtedly the league's No. 1 center, Howard.

As for Harden, who was also a rookie in the 09 class and was the third overall pick, he could only cry and faint in the toilet.

After all, he can bully more than 90% of NBA players with his body alone.

This season, Evans averaged 19+5+5 per game. Considering the Bulls' record, there is no problem in being an All-Star substitute guard.

In early January, after the All-Star voting officially opened, the Bulls' starting five were all on the list, ranking among the top five guards, forwards, and centers in the Eastern Conference.

It is precisely because of this that Howard thinks very highly of himself and feels that he is no worse than O'Neal in his youth.

Of course, in the past, there was no team that had three or four All-Stars for the season.

Magic fans have always disliked big centers, let alone Howard's predecessor, O'Neal.

Harden has played fewer games and played less time, but his average data per game is still okay.

Time flies to early February, the All-Star voting channel is closed, and the All-Star starting list will be released soon.

In addition, the Bulls' tactical focus is on the forward line. George has grown rapidly this season. Kawhi Kawhi and Butler also need some playing time to fight monsters and upgrade. This will naturally take up some shooting guard playing time and ball rights.

The third-year and second-year rookies, after hard training in the summer, can also stand on their own.

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away. O'Neal is not only full of body but also full of low-post skills.

Howard feels that he cannot dominate the league like O'Neal because he lacks helpers around him.

Over the years, Magic management has been doing a disservice.

When Howard realized that others were all part of the Big Three's championship lineup, he was surrounded by Lewis and Nelson who were lagging behind...

How does such a configuration compare with the Heat, Celtics, Knicks, Hawks, and the resurgent Bulls?

He also realized that he could not win the championship in the Eastern Conference. At the beginning of this season, Howard, who couldn't bear it anymore, took the initiative to apply for a trade to leave the Magic.

Magic management tried to persuade Howard and offered a two-year maximum salary extension...

This made Howard and the management team behind him feel the arrogance and humiliation from the Magic management, and became even more unbearable.

As the league's number one center in his playing years, even if he can't earn an annual salary of 4 million like Duan, he should have at least 5 million in four years and million in five years. After all, the NBA is a business league. If stars make enough money, they can cut their salary for the championship, earn a minimum salary and join a championship team to realize their dreams.

But all the stars in their playing years chose money.

"If I can't win a championship with another team, can't I still get money?"

Howard's thoughts were as unpretentious as anyone else's.

And everyone in the league, except Magic management and Magic fans, knows what Howard will do next.

Therefore, when this year's All-Star Weekend came, Howard suddenly became a favorite and a heartthrob.

It is worth mentioning that this year’s All-Star Weekend will be held at the Amway Center, the home of the Magic.

During the warm-up session before the All-Star Game, Howard blatantly flirted with other All-Stars.

However, compared to the Eastern All-Stars, the Western All-Stars are more enthusiastic.

After all, the L.A. duo in the West are quite capable inside.

If you want to break out of the Western Conference and return to the Western Conference playoff sequence, the defending champion Lakers, currently ranked sixth in the Western Conference, and the upstart Clippers, currently second in the Western Conference, are imaginary enemies that everyone must pay attention to.

Although the trade has ended and there is no chance of acquiring Howard this season, it is definitely necessary to consider the offseason in advance.

However, what surprised everyone was that Kobe was openly chatting with Howard.

This also makes everyone feel a bit of a threat. After all, the Lakers are located in a big city like Los Angeles and have achieved glorious historical honors. They are one of the top clubs in the league, and they are very attractive to stars.

Considering the ages of Kobe and Howard, as well as the Magic's last No. 1 pick, the results they achieved after traveling west to Los Angeles...

It is not difficult for everyone to guess that when Kobe Bryant extends an olive branch to Howard, the Lakers will most likely become Howard's next home.

The media at the scene noticed that after Kobe and Howard chatted for a few words, they also began to think divergently.

"Kobe is getting older and his strength is slowly declining. In order to continue competing for the championship, Kobe is trying to find helpers!"

"Howard is in his prime. With the training of the Los Angeles Lakers, he may become the next O'Neal!"

"The Lakers are only one step away from surpassing the Celtics. Old Buss wants to catch the tail of Kobe Bryant's peak and realize his dream of being the number one club in the NBA!"

"After the Lakers get Howard, they may start a new dynasty! After the dynasty ends, maybe Kobe Bryant will also end, but the next championship is crucial to the Lakers."

The All-Star Game is still in progress, and the topic of Kobe and Howard teaming up to create a giant rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics is being discussed all over the United States.

However, inside the Amway Center, some Magic fans who felt betrayed had already begun to boo Howard, who was constantly being fed and scored.

Obviously, in their view, since Howard is still receiving the salary offered by the Magic, he should remain loyal to the Magic.

This is indeed the truth, but it is also human nature to be dissatisfied with others, dislike the poor and love the rich, and like the new and dislike the old.

"Coach, can I rest in the fourth quarter?"

"Duen, aren't you ready to fight?"

After the third quarter, Duan reflected on the situation with Frank Vogel, the head coach of this year's Eastern Conference All-Stars and the current head coach of the third-place Pacers in the Eastern Conference.

Originally, the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars should be Scott Scales. After all, the Bulls have the best record in the Eastern Conference.

However, this year's Bulls have a very clear goal, which is to win the championship, so they don't care about the All-Star Game.

Duane didn't care about the All-Star MVP, and Scott Skiles also declined as the Eastern Conference All-Star head coach.

The current second-place team in the Eastern Conference is the Heat. Heat head coach Spoelstra already coached the Eastern Conference All-Star team last year, so the ranking is postponed.

Vogel has been the head coach of the Pacers for less than a year, so he will naturally not refuse the position of All-Star head coach.

"Believe in Dwight and LeBron!" Duane replied with a smile.

Originally, he didn't have much plans for this All-Star Game, but this time he encountered a group of people from the Eastern Conference who were courting Howard, while James went his own way and wanted to be the All-Star MVP.

So Du En decided not to participate blindly and let them play by themselves.

Anyway, there are only two Bulls coming to this All-Star Game.

Of course, a lot of people came to the Bulls for this All-Star Weekend.

George and Leonard both participated in the Rookie Challenge and were on the same team.

This year's Rookie Challenge has been restructured. It used to be a competition between first and second graders, but now it is divided into two famous players.

In the end, Barkley's team with George and Leonard defeated O'Neal's team.

However, there is also Irving on Barkley's team, who plays better than Irving. Although his play is very gorgeous and he can score very well, the others do not have much ball rights. George and Leonard are here to play soy sauce.

In addition to the Rookie Challenge, Harden once again participated in the skills competition. Although he made it to the finals, he missed the skill king.

Curry failed to be selected for the All-Star game as an All-Star substitute, so he could only compete in the three-point contest and win the three-point champion.

Ibaka and Bai Bian participated in the dunk contest, but they were just running along.

In general, this All-Star weekend, the Bulls are here to have fun.

After the All-Star Weekend is over, the Bulls players will immediately get serious.

There are a total of 66 regular season games this season. After the All-Star Weekend, the Bulls still have 31 regular season games to play, and there are only 2 months left in the regular season.

In other words, there will be an average of one game in the next two days.

Taking into account the home and away games, the Bulls players will undoubtedly be very busy next.

Fortunately, compared with the beginning of the regular season, the Bulls have two more mid-level players - Mike Bibby and Brandon Haywood, and the bench has become a bit thicker.

The Bulls' rotation this season has also been good, and there have been no injuries.

Next, as long as the Bulls ensure that the main players are not injured, they will still be very capable in the playoffs.

However, for playoff considerations, Bradley was put into the starting lineup and the Bulls strengthened their defense.

In the next 31 games, George and Kawhi will also get more playing time, allowing them to accumulate more defensive experience and hone their defensive skills so that they can come in handy in the playoffs.

Time turned to April 4, and the Bulls ended the regular season with 26 wins and 52 losses, once again qualifying for the playoffs as first in the Eastern Conference.

(End of this chapter)