When pride still matters

Chapter 628 Unique
Chapter 629: Unique
After the holiday, the NBA season is still busy.

They still have one-third of the regular season to play and a trade deadline that they must treat with caution.

Everyone is saying that Miami will do something because they want to stop the Clippers dynasty.

However, the Clippers obviously rested a lot after returning from the holiday.

The first game against the Timberwolves after the All-Star Weekend should have been a completely suppressed game, but it fell into chaos due to Westbrook's indiscriminate shooting style.

The Los Angeles Times commented bluntly: "Klay Thompson acted like a lion who had just finished mating with five lionesses. He was lifeless!"

Thompson is an amazing shooter, but no matter how amazing a shooter is, he will have the same flaw as other shooters: "If he can't make the shot, he will be useless."

Antetokounmpo was in good shape, but he was led by Westbrook's rhythm, which put Jokic in trouble.

Yu Fei's performance was at a normal level. Facing the Timberwolves, he only needed to play normally to win, but tonight, his teammates were not in good shape.

Westbrook on the opposite side is far above his "average level".

You know, this guy currently averages 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game, and tonight, he scored 49 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, like a legendary superstar from ancient times.

The Clippers lost to the Timberwolves unexpectedly.

This defeat was naturally of no consequence to the Clippers, but it had a profound impact on the Timberwolves.

They surpassed the Jazz at this moment and ranked eighth in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, Westbrook still doesn't have MVP reputation.

Averaging a triple-double is a mythical achievement, but Yu Fei has done it before him. Yu Fei averaged a triple-double and led his team to the top of the league and eventually won the championship. If Westbrook wants to win the MVP with a triple-double, he must perform as well as Yu Fei did.

Even if he cannot be compared with Yu Fei back then, the minimum standard is to lead the team into the top four in the Western Conference.

There was no way, Yu Fei had blocked the road.

The Clippers weren't happy, though.

"The break was too long? Our core players all participated in the All-Star Weekend? This cannot be an excuse for losing."

Doc Rivers said: "The only thing I can tell you is that someone is going to be unlucky tomorrow!"

Yao Ming arrived early at the training ground the next day. He specifically said to Jokic: "Have fun, Nikola!"

Jokic smiled. Of course, being happy is the most important thing.

Jokic then discovered that Rivers put the main responsibility for the loss on him and Thompson.

This is actually not wrong. Thompson's outside shooting was inaccurate and Jokic couldn't find his rhythm throughout the game. These were indeed the main reasons for the Clippers' loss.

When Rivers said Jokic would abstain from drinking carbonated drinks for a month because of this defeat, the carbonated drink Young OG⑴ from Serbia was unhappy

⑴The creation of the Canadian electric eel.

"The loss is not my fault alone, Giannis is also responsible!"

Jokic then legitimately expressed how the Greek played so chaotically that he lost his rhythm all night.

Antetokounmpo, of course, refused to accept such accusations, and immediately asked Jokic, a third-year rookie, to shut up as a fourth-year veteran. He scored 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, and there was absolutely no reason to be blamed.

"We are a whole." Yu Fei took the initiative to cool down the situation. "Everyone lost, one or two people performed particularly badly, what we need to do is to change this situation."

"GOAT, but he said it's my fault that he didn't play well!" Antetokounmpo yelled. "I didn't make him turn the ball over, and I didn't make him take those bad shots. He can't blame it on me!"

Yu Fei looked at Jokic: "You have to admit that he makes sense."

"However, it is also true that the rhythm of last night's game was not good." Yu Fei said, "Nikola, if you don't like the rhythm of last night, then from today on, you will control our game rhythm."

"As long as you are on the court, you are the first person to control the ball. Is there a problem?"

Antetokounmpo's mind hadn't yet come to its senses, Rivers was still pondering the deeper meaning of Yu Fei's proposal, and Jokic agreed without even thinking.

"no problem!"

After observing for more than half a season, Yu Fei believes that Jokic already has the ability to support the team system.

In his previous life, Jokic was a unique center in history, because he could hold the ball and advance like a guard, quickly directing the frontcourt offense. Some people say he is the best passing center in history, but this is too much of a face-giving to other centers, because Jokic can definitely compete for the title of "the best passer in history" in terms of passing.

Jokic may be a little immature as a third-year player, but the sooner he is allowed to take control of the ball, the sooner he can grow into a complete player.

Antetokounmpo didn’t realize what was happening until things settled.

They were originally planning to hold a meeting with Jokic, but unexpectedly, during the meeting, they actually gave Jokic the most ball possession in the entire team?

According to this arrangement, not only will Yu Fei change his playing style, but Antetokounmpo will also reduce his ball possession. As long as Jokic is on the court, everyone has to follow his rhythm.

It's like establishing the core of the future.

The GOAT did not consult with the coaching staff.

Rivers acquiesced to the arrangement.

In other words, he had no power to object.

The core players of the Clippers were basically selected, traded, and even recruited by Yu Fei himself under the personal command of the management.

Although the management was criticized in the early stages of these operations, now no one dares to laugh at the Clippers' operations.

Rivers also got the most talented team in his coaching career so far.

If an unpopular player GM does things to this extent, his authority will be irresistible.

Rivers doesn't think about whether the GOAT's autocratic behavior, disregard for him, and unauthorized decision-making will undermine the authority of the coaching staff. He only knows that the GOAT will not destroy his team at the end of his career.

If he never does anything wrong, then just follow his lead and charge forward.

Yu Fei saw Antetokounmpo's displeasure.

The Greek was unhappy, and he had every reason to be unhappy.

As the most cornerstone superstar under the age of 30 in the eyes of the general managers of the 24 NBA teams, he has been sought after by many since his debut and is also a super popular player that Reebok focuses on promoting.

Even before Jokic arrived, he believed that he was capable of taking over Yu Fei's job.

After Jokic came, even though he knew that Yu Fei valued him, he didn't think that this undisciplined Serbian fat man could pose a threat to him.

He has been selected to the All-Star Game for three consecutive years and became a starter this year. In terms of popularity, he is among the top ten in the league.

What about Jokic? He slacked off just after becoming an All-Star. He played a bad game but was not criticized. Instead, he was given the ball in the center to accommodate him.

The Clippers' next stop is the Denver Plateau.

Nuggets executives have been eyeing Jokic, whom they considered a draft target a few years ago but was snatched up by the Clippers.

Of course, this feeling of regret comes with a strong sense of hindsight.

If Denver knew Jokic was this good, they would never have selected him in the second round.

However, as Jokic scored 32 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists with the core ball possession in the Denver Plateau, the Nuggets management couldn't help but sigh to reporters: "Nikola should have been a member of the Nuggets."

At this time, Antetokounmpo used his exaggerated athletic talent to show the Denver people two dunks from beyond the three-point line across the entire court.

"Giannis is a human wormhole - infinite limbs and impossible steps that subvert our understanding of space," Jeff Van Gundy praised.

Reebok's publicity machine also promoted Antetokounmpo as a seven-foot Magic Johnson.

Promotion is one thing, but Antetokounmpo believing it is another.

Is Antetokounmpo really a taller version of Magic Johnson? Of course not.

However, in the main timeline, the Bucks, with Antetokounmpo as the absolute core, could spend the entire rookie contract period of the Greek to train him into a seven-foot magician. When they found that this path was not feasible, Jason Kidd, the chief designer of the plan, was fired, and Mike Boozer Holden, who knew better how to bring out the Greek's talent, was invited. Boozer Holden directly put Antetokounmpo, who had been developed by Kidd to a quasi-perfect form, at the four position, paired with Lopez, who had already developed a three-point shot, thus starting the Greek's journey to two consecutive MVPs.

However, the Clippers' Greek Freak has never failed in the strict sense.

His only failure so far was losing to Yu Fei in the divisional finals during his rookie season.

But can reaching the conference finals in a rookie season really be considered a failure?
After that, they won two consecutive championships, and Antetokounmpo never encountered any setbacks. Restricted by the opponent? With the GOAT as the backup and a strong team to cover him, he has never been restricted as the primary problem, so he can still dream of the seven-foot magician.

But Yu Fei wanted to spend his old age in peace, and he didn't have time to give the Greeks trial and error, so he directly established Jokic's position.

The Greeks' mentality and expectation problems can be adjusted slowly, because they can't make a big comeback now.

Antetokounmpo did not confront Yu Fei's decision with a negative attitude.

He just looked unhappy, but he still knew he needed to give it his all.

In order to give the team's rookies more training time, the Clippers also opened "night training classes".

Generally speaking, only rookies and fringe players would participate, but from that day on, Antetokounmpo also began to participate in night training sessions.

He seemed naive, attributing Jokic's possession of the ball to his own lack of goodness and effort.

But he was only half right.

His performance as a seven-foot magician wasn't good enough, but he didn't work hard? Yu Fei could say with certainty that he had never seen a player train harder than the Greek.

Although most African American players come from chaotic streets and have stories like "If I don't play basketball, I might die in a gang shooting or go to jail for trafficking", most of these stories are for the purpose of promoting the American dream. The Greek actually grew up as an illegal immigrant and was not recognized by the Greek government until he was selected by the Clippers.

Such people will never give up and will create opportunities even if there are no opportunities.

Therefore, Yu Fei was not worried at all about any problems with the Greeks.

Then, the NBA season work entered its busiest stage.

Trading Deadline

The Clippers currently have a complete lineup, but first-round pick Pascal Siakam is obviously not as adaptable to the NBA as Brogdon.

Therefore, if there is a chance, they also need to add a power forward with a unique style.

Yu Fei's agent Laettner recommended his client, Michael Beasley, to the Clippers.

In the past two years, Beasley has been traveling between the CBA and NBA in China. He usually finishes the CBA season first and then signs an unsecured contract at the end of the NBA season.

But due to his bad record, no team was willing to sign a long-term contract with him.

Last season, Beasley signed with the Timberwolves after the end of the CBA.

According to Synergy Sports, he remains an excellent one-on-one scorer and has adjusted his previously criticized shooting selection to include more catch-and-shoots and pick-and-roll layups.

Last season with the Timberwolves, Beasley shot 53% from the field in isolation and shouldered the offensive burden for Minnesota at multiple times.

This is exactly the scorer the Clippers need off the bench.

Yu Fei agreed with this.

So Arn Tellem decided to take a small gamble on Beasley.

The Clippers signed Beasley until the end of the season, and the details of the contract are quite complicated: Beasley's first month's salary is guaranteed, and after the first month, the Clippers can cut him at any time; but if he enters the playoffs with the team, the contract will automatically become fully guaranteed.

The Los Angeles Daily News commented: "Has this stupid and funny NBA tramp really changed after his career revival in China?"

Beasley has indeed changed.

On the first day of training, he won the recognition of GOAT with his outstanding one-on-one ability.

In terms of one-on-one play with the ball, almost no one on the Clippers can match him except Yu Fei.

However, the Clippers are not a team that can let him play one-on-one like the Timberwolves, so Beasley needs to adapt to a role that is quite complicated for him.

For example, catching the ball, passing back, setting a screen, and crossing the top of the arc all in one round.

Rivers expressed doubts, unsure whether Beasley could do the job.

But Beasley understands that people who make a living are not qualified to be picky. He knows very well how precious the opportunity the Clippers gave him is. If he can spend the end of the season in the defending champion lineup without making trouble, maybe he can get more opportunities in other teams next season.

Then, the Clippers faced the challenge of the Lakers.

Inside the Staples Center, every seat was filled with spectators.

At this point, the Lakers can no longer say that every game they play against the Clippers at Staples Center is a home game.

Because both sides have almost the same number of fans.

Moreover, when Yu Fei performs well, Lakers fans often turn against him.

Some Lakers fans who have long looked down on the Clippers began to spontaneously make amends for themselves.

The Clippers and Lakers are both Los Angeles teams, so why should we favor one over the other? Can't we support both hometown teams at the same time?
Although this reflects the fans' fence-sitter mentality, it is indeed a bit unreasonable to ask fans to continue to support a team that is constantly moving towards mediocrity with real money.

In this case, the Clippers are obviously the better choice.

Because the Lakers' popularity today still relies heavily on Kobe's influence.

Kobe's reputation has been built up over 21 years in Los Angeles, and the Clippers cannot shake it with just a few championships.

However, Kobe's career was coming to an end, and the Clippers looked like they would be contenders for the next decade.

In the long run, the Clippers' comeback and the Lakers' status in Los Angeles seem to be a high probability event.

However, this is not something fans need to worry about.

Fans who truly support the two Los Angeles teams are undoubtedly happy. Tonight, Yu Fei scored 42 points and Kobe Bryant also contributed 30 points. The two superstars, who are nearly 80 years old in total, can still give wonderful performances. There are also Zach LaVine's dunks, Antetokounmpo's monster moments, and Jokic's repeated wonderful passes.

This was an absolutely wonderful game that was ultimately won by the Clippers, and every fan present felt that the trip was worthwhile.

"Clippers vs. Lakers, this is the greatest drama in the NBA!" Snoopy shouted to the camera, "These two teams should play each other ten times, Nico~~!!! Make it happen, make it happen, Nico!!!!"

At the end of the game, Kobe still remembered what he said to Fei in New Orleans: "See you in the playoffs."

"Can we really see it?" Yu Fei expressed his doubt, "You are the tenth in the West."

Kobe didn't say anything else.

Yu Fei turned and walked towards the reporters on the sidelines.

扬尼斯·阿德托昆博拿到17分6篮板4助攻3抢断3封盖，这样的全能表现让他备受称赞，但他想知道自己还需要做到什么才能获得约基奇的核心地位。

"GOAT!" He finally couldn't help it and went straight to Yu Fei. "What should I do to be like Nikola?"

The GOAT replied seemingly grimly: "You will never be like Nikola."

Listen, that's the sound of a broken heart.

The Greek Freak is about to have his heart broken.

At this time, Jokic passed by with a large cup of Coke in his hand: "Tonight's game is exciting, would you like a Coke?"

Then he realized that the atmosphere was wrong and left in a hurry.

And the GOAT gently patted the Greek Freak on the shoulder: "Nikola can never be like you."

"Giannis, don't listen to the outside world. You have to explore your own potential. The seven-foot magician is just a myth in the hearts of commentators." The GOAT's tone was gentle, comforting him like an older brother. "Don't live in the myths that others have created for you. Just like tonight, from the backcourt to the frontcourt, you scored, rebounded, screened, screened, stole, blocked shots, and I promise you that no one can do these things as easily as you do. This is your unique talent, cherish it."

With that, the GOAT headed into the locker room, leaving the Greek outside to digest the words.

(End of this chapter)