There were too many sensational deals in the summer of 2004.
Shaquille O'Neal joins the Miami Heat.
Tracy McGrady joins the Houston Rockets.
Nash joins the Suns.
......
However, these trades, whether it's a 1-for-5, 2-for-7, or the addition of free agents, are not the main focus of this summer.
Everyone knows...
Every summer, there's only one player worth paying attention to, and that's Wei Guo!
Wei Guo and the team both signed only one-year contracts, so he was a free agent every summer. Just when everyone thought that teams would compete for Wei Guo, the result was quite the opposite.
From the day the free agency market opened, no team has proactively contacted Wei Guo's agent.
It's as if Wei Guo doesn't exist in the alliance!
This is too strange. It's as if all the teams have conspired together. In fact, quite a few people even hope that Wei Guo will retire on the spot because his level has disrupted the balance of the league.
Even at his peak, Jordan wasn't this unstoppable.
Wei Guo is not worried about not having a team to play for. If all else fails, he can stay with the Nets. After all, he has a deep affection for the guys on the Nets. Changing teams every year would make Wei Guo feel sad. After devoting himself to charity work this summer, Wei Guo has also had some new feelings. He has played for three seasons and changed teams three times.
However, these three teams are all very strong.
Before Wei Guo joined the 76ers, the 76ers had just reached the NBA Finals, but lost to the Lakers. At that time, the 76ers were a strong team.
Before Wei Guo joined the Rockets, the team had the strength to make the playoffs. With Francis, Mobley, and Yao Ming as the number one draft pick, the Rockets were a strong team at that time.
Before Wei Guo joined the Nets, the Nets had just reached the NBA Finals, but lost to Wei Guo's Rockets. The Nets were considered a strong team.
so...
Wei Guo has decided to join a truly strong team for the new season!
Given the current situation in the league, Wei Guo returning to the Rockets to team up with Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Gu Tao would be the best option. Shaquille O'Neal has just moved to the East, so if Wei Guo joins the Lakers to team up with Kobe Bryant, that would also be a good choice.
The Spurs seem like a good option too...
Duncan, Bowen, Ginobili, Parker, and Weiguo – this starting lineup is amazing!
Although Wei Guo had fought Bowen, Bowen would definitely not hold a grudge. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter, as the Spurs would definitely cut Bowen to acquire Wei Guo.
However, all of these options were rejected by the State of Wei.
Wei Guo now has 39 gold cards for star players. There are some players on the gold cards that Wei Guo doesn't recognize, they are probably kids who haven't entered the league yet.
There was a player's gold card that Wei Guo had always been puzzled about. He had drawn this player's gold card not long after he entered the league, but Wei Guo couldn't figure out why this player was able to get a gold card. Wei Guo knew that this player's strength was far more than what he had shown, but he was still very curious.
Are there players who reach their peak in their careers after the age of 30?
......
In August 2004, the whole world was hit by a heat wave.
Stern, however, was sweating...
He ultimately failed to stop what he wanted to do, as a wealthy Chinese man named Wang Jun bought the Phoenix Suns!
This news has just come out!
The league was shaken, and the most excited were undoubtedly the Suns players and Phoenix fans.
They knew...
That man, or rather, those three men, are coming!
......
The Suns finished second to last in the Western Conference last season, ridiculously weak.
This summer has also brought some changes. Star player Stephon Marbury left, and the Suns signed Steve Nash. Nash is not as famous as Marbury. Even though he made a name for himself with the Mavericks, Nash is at best the third option for the Mavericks.
Nash's original intention was to stay with the Mavericks!
but...
Cuban doesn't seem to have a high opinion of Nash; he's even unwilling to pay a few million more to keep him.
Even with the Suns, Nash's salary wasn't the highest on the team; Marbury's salary was higher than Nash's. Could the addition of such a star player increase the Suns' strength?
Most fans are pessimistic!
At the end of last season, D'Antoni came to Phoenix to coach the Suns, which gave the team some surprises. However, the Suns were already out of playoff contention at that time, and they had a tanking mentality. Marbury was also unruly.
By any measure, the Suns are a weak team that has always struggled for a playoff spot!
Until they welcomed the Wei Kingdom...
Wei Guo didn't keep Phoenix fans waiting long. Shortly after the Suns got a new owner, Wei Guo announced that he was joining Phoenix!
Although Stern and the team owner made a private agreement, nothing stays secret forever. From the fans' perspective, they still hope that their team has a powerful and financially capable owner, and they don't care which country the owner comes from.
After all... Wei Guo's salary is very high.
Signing Wei Guo not only means paying his salary, but also a large portion of the luxury tax. Although the league has the 'Wei Guo Rule,' which states that only 30% of Wei Guo's salary is included in the team's total salary, this 30% will still exceed 15 million. If fans do not have enough salary cap space, this part will be included in the luxury tax.
Moreover, two other people came with Wei Guo: Gentry and Cummings!
Gentry, as the best coach, should also receive a salary commensurate with his status. As for Cummings, he is a three-time champion.
D'Antoni is a good coach, but with Gentry's arrival, he can only become the team's assistant coach. D'Antoni has no complaints about this. Scott is more famous than him and led the grassroots Nets to the Finals, yet he is still willing to assist Gentry.
What does he have to complain about...?
With Wei Guo's next team confirmed, Western Conference teams are stepping up their recruitment efforts!
......
This season is different; Wei Guo appeared during the team's training camp.
Following the usual practice from last season...
Not to mention team training camp, Wei Guo won't even appear in the preseason. He'll show up at the arena a day or two before the regular season starts, and then use the regular season to practice.
Why is this year different?
D'Antoni felt that Wei Guo did not recognize the Suns' strength, after all, when he joined the Nets, the Nets had already made it to the NBA Finals.
The Suns finished second to last in the Western Conference last season, a truly dismal record.
D'Antoni has his own tactical system!
This tactical system is called the run-and-gun offense. He believes that Wei Guo is the ultimate form of this system. He is a player who has no fixed position on the court, can pass and use all scoring methods, is extremely fast, and ultimately has super strong abilities. Unfortunately, there is only one Wei Guo in the league. If there were five Wei Guos, they would be invincible!
The core of the run and gun tactic is to keep the team in motion at all times, making it a constant state of open play and blurring the starting positions of each player on the field.
Everyone can act as both a starter and finisher, requiring interior players to have ball-handling skills, be able to drive and shoot, and be able to hit three-pointers from the outside, breaking through the functional boundaries of traditional interior players. Everyone has the function of a swingman, reducing the execution of half-court tactics.
Instead of relying on complex pick-and-roll plays to create shooting opportunities, they seize opportunities through constant movement and a fast-paced offensive rhythm.
They are quick, accurate, and ruthless in their attacks. Each position is like a hungry wolf, seizing the opportunity to launch an attack or counterattack as soon as the opponent shows the slightest weakness.
certainly...
The execution of this tactic requires a player who is fast, has excellent scoring and passing abilities, especially passing vision. Nash can play this position, while Wei Guo can play all positions.
D'Antoni felt that the Suns' original roster was sufficient.
Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Marbury, and Richardson are all scoring players, and their athleticism is not bad. With Nash added to the mix, D'Antoni is confident in leading this team to the playoffs, and even going far in the playoffs.
D'Antoni is not one to underestimate himself; when it comes to winning the championship, he lacks confidence.
If we add the State of Wei, then everything becomes different.
Defend the Nation! 3D Champions!!!
On his first day in Phoenix, Wei Guo didn't go to the arena; instead, he invited a few people to his home for dinner.
That's right...
Wei Guo bought another house in Phoenix.
Stoudemire is developing rapidly, and Marbury is also a good player, but Wei Guo didn't invite them. Wei Guo only invited four people: Nash, D'Antoni, Gentry, and Cummings.
......
Phoenix is known as the Phoenix City, meaning a hot place.
The climate in October is very dry.
Fortunately...
A cool breeze was blowing in the evening.
With such nice weather, it's perfect to have some barbecue and beer in the yard.
The grilled kidneys were sizzling and dripping with oil, leaving Nash dumbfounded... Can you really eat this? He's a very disciplined player, and to maintain his competitive edge, he avoids high-calorie foods.
After eating these two skewers of kidney, won't I gain three pounds?
The chef was brought from China by Wei Guo. He was a very professional chef. Letting him do barbecue was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a waste of his talent. But his skills were definitely ten times better than those of the barbecue stall owners at the night market.
Come on~
Wei Guo warmly invited, "Try our master's cooking!"
Gentry and Cummings had long been unable to resist their cravings, and they had already started sneaking a bite before Wei Guo even called them. So Wei Guo's words were a way of calling out to Nash and D'Antoni.
D'Antoni didn't need to maintain his physique; he just really wasn't a fan of the lamb kidneys, so he picked up a few skewers of grilled meat and put them in his mouth, which made Gentry roll his eyes, "You really don't know what's good for you. Lamb skewers are nowhere near as delicious as lamb kidneys."
"emmmm..."
After a moment's hesitation, D'Antoni picked up a skewer of large kidneys.
He dared not and did not want to chew, so he stuffed a skewer of grilled kidneys directly into his mouth and swallowed it desperately, ignoring the heat.
Nash picked up a skewer of grilled corn...
Wei Guo did not force Nash and D'Antoni to eat any particular dish. The chef had a lot of food to cook, and the reason why the kidneys were cooked first was because Gentry was craving them and asked the chef to cook the kidneys first.
There were many drinks on the table.
Wei Guo and his friends were drinking and chatting, and naturally, the topic was basketball.
Talking about this keeps everyone awake...
D'Antoni and Nash started talking non-stop. D'Antoni talked about various tactics, and Wei Guo spoke up: "Have you heard of the run-and-gun offense?"
"Um?!"
D'Antoni's mouth was half open.
At that moment, his mind raced. Why did Wei Guo mention artillery bombardment tactics?
Could it be that... Wei Guo shares the same tactical philosophy as him? If that's the case, he would be happy to have D'Antoni as an assistant coach. He immediately said, "The run-and-gun offense originated in the 1980s. Coach Westhead used the run-and-gun offense to lead La Marlemont University to great success, defeating many basketball powerhouses in the NCAA and becoming very famous."
"Yes..."
Wei Guo spoke softly, as if he knew it too.
He has the 'Coach D'Antoni Card', and his understanding of the run-and-gun offense is no worse than D'Antoni's. It's just that when D'Antoni talks about the origins of the tactics, it's a matter of knowledge, which Wei Guo doesn't understand.
"The 'run-and-gun' tactic is characterized by high-speed, fluid basketball movement, increasing the speed of offensive and defensive transitions, sacrificing half-court set play, and aiming to launch quick attacks, completing an offensive play within 7 seconds..."
When it comes to artillery bombardment tactics, it's practically a one-man show for D'Antoni. He talks eloquently, and occasionally makes a small mistake that Gentry and Nash don't notice, but Wei Guo can point it out immediately.
D'Antoni spoke for over half an hour...
Wei Guo gave Nash a strong shock. Nash has an extremely high basketball IQ. He may not become an excellent head coach, but he is definitely an excellent commander on the court. Although Wei Guo didn't say much in this conversation, Nash could tell that Wei Guo's understanding of D'Antoni's proud run-and-gun tactics was a step deeper than D'Antoni's.
Taking a sip of beer, D'Antoni continued, "Run-and-gun offense and small-ball are different. Run-and-gun is a basketball tactic, while small-ball is a basketball philosophy. The Warriors led by Don Nelson in the 80s were small-ball, and the Nets in 2002 were also small-ball. The Nets were very successful that year, if it weren't for..."
At this point, D'Antoni looked at the three Wei Guos.
It's easy to guess what happened next: the Nets made it to the NBA Finals that year, and if they hadn't faced Wei Guo, they might have won the championship.
"This assumption is invalid."
Wei Guo shook his head slightly. "That year, the overall strength of the Eastern Conference was relatively weak. Even if they hadn't faced us, the Nets might not have been a match for the Spurs, Lakers, or even the Mavericks."
D'Antoni said, "Speaking of this year's playoffs, when you played the Pistons, after Hill and Kenyon got injured, you used a run-and-gun offense. The Pistons were almost unable to fight back. Those were three of the most exciting games I've ever seen!"
"This can't be taken as a reliable indicator either."
Gentry shook his head. "The key to our victory wasn't tactics, it was Wei! Without Wei, all tactics are just nonsense."
D'Antoni: "..."
Suddenly I don't know what to say. Does Wei Guo not approve of the run-and-gun tactic?
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