Paul's mansion in Los Angeles.
James is catching up with Paul.
Of course, he came all the way back from Italy not just to reminisce about the past.
They were talking about one thing, Paul going to play for the Pacers.
James' idea is very simple. The fundamental reason why the combination of Wade, Bosh and him as the Big Three did not succeed before was that their technical characteristics did not match.
A shooting guard, a small forward, and a power forward. It feels like a person with a big belly, a small head and legs, and obviously cannot stand steadily.
But if Paul, him, and Howard are evenly distributed from head to toe, it will definitely be a super plus combination.
Paul was laughing.
James is smart, and Paul is not stupid either.
The Pacers had so many internal conflicts last season that he would be asking for trouble if he went there.
After communicating for a while, James also felt Paul's attitude.
But this was also within his expectations. They were all brothers in the Banana Boat and they knew each other's differences.
He then came up with his own alternative plan.
"But I've thought about it before. Dwight doesn't want to screen for anyone right now, so you go to Indiana with Andrew and then let him go to Los Angeles. I believe this will be a perfect solution."
James' next words successfully aroused Paul's interest.
After playing for the Lakers for two seasons, he has a relatively good understanding of Bynum. Although that guy is not mentally mature, he is very active in pick-and-rolls, has a soft touch, and can shoot mid-range shots. He is definitely a more suitable partner than Howard.
But the key to the problem is him and James.
He certainly can't be blind to what Wade has been going through over the past few years.
Moreover, the four Banana Boat Brothers can pee in the same pot, and they actually have one big thing in common, that is, they are all ball-holding players.
They are not suitable for cooperating with each other, but only for being their own king.
This point was further confirmed by Wade leading the team to win the championship this year.
Seeing that Paul was still hesitating, James looked a little anxious.
He really couldn't wait any longer. Nine years! He had been in the league for nine years!
Even if he can play in the league for twenty years, which is half of his career, his number of championships is still a big zero.
He doesn't want to be the uncrowned king. He is the chosen one and he must win the damn championship.
"And I've thought about it. If we play together, you hold the ball and I score, we can definitely win the championship." He continued.
Paul looked at James in surprise at this time.
James is actually willing to give up the ball?
He even suspected that the sun rose from the west today!
"I'm serious, CP, we are brothers. I won't hide it from you. I really want the championship. You feel the same way, right?" James looked at Paul with sincere eyes.
Paul came back to his senses, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.
What James said just now really sounded like what he really meant. If he doesn't win the championship again, no matter what happens to him, Nike will probably abandon him.
After all, the King's persona was created by Nike. If you can't even win a championship, that is, you can't ascend the throne, then you are not a king. At most, you are the eternal crown prince James.
His current situation is not good either.
After being eliminated in the first round last season, Los Angeles fans' dissatisfaction with him reached its peak.
The mainstream argument in Los Angeles now is that his fight for FMVP in last year's finals directly ruined Kobe's sixth championship.
Especially after Kobe suffered a torn Achilles tendon and everything was irreversible, it became Kobe's last chance to ruin his sixth championship.
It is no exaggeration to say that many Comey fans are eager to get rid of him.
So not only did he exclude the Lakers from renewing his contract, he also ruled out the Clippers, which was originally a good fit for him.
There weren't many options left for him.
Basically, if he has a chance to compete for the championship and has the opportunity to go, the only options are to go to the Knicks and work with Anthony, or to Houston and team up with Noah and Deng.
But those options now seem to be inferior to going to the Pacers if James can really do what he said.
"CP, let's do something big and make those who laugh at us shut up next season. Our combination will be invincible." James struck while the iron was hot.
"Even if I am willing, the deal will be difficult. You know Andrew is a free agent now." Paul said worriedly.
"I can take care of this if you're willing." James smiled when he heard Paul agree.
Hearing this, Paul hesitated for a long time and finally nodded, but he also gave his conditions very realistically: "I will only sign a 3+1 contract, and if you don't do what you said, I will leave early."
The summer of 2016 is a very important time node. For him, money must come first.
And he gave each other three years, which is not long, but it is one year longer than the Heat Big Three.
James frowned slightly. Paul's words just now made him feel uncomfortable, but he quickly shook it off, smiled and stretched out his hand to make a fist.
Paul also smiled and raised his hand to bump fists.
The two brothers (people) and the younger brother (smart), each had their own thoughts in mind at this time.
James: Three years? He has a two-year player option after next season. It's really inappropriate that he is the first to run away!
Paul: It would be best if we can win the championship. If we can't, James will probably run away. Then he will be the boss of the Pacers, take over the market opened up by James and Howard, and then find a new partner.
…
It is July 1st, and the door to the 2013 NBA free agent market is officially opened.
Last year's free market was quiet, but this year it is very lively.
The big fish in this year's free market include Paul, Josh Smith, Harden (restricted free agent), Ginobili, Lawson, Iguodala, Al Jefferson, Ibaka (restricted free agent)...
It was still pretty lively.
Then that day, Xu Yong flew to New Orleans with Foreman.
It was almost the same as Xu Yong's previous guess. Foreman did plan to make a move at the power forward position.
There are a limited number of power forwards who meet the requirements, but there is one that is a perfect fit.
The reason why Foreman called him along was very simple, because the player now had the player option, and it would take some sincerity to convince the other party.
If it were someone else, Xu Yong might not necessarily go, but he was very interested in this person.
That afternoon, they met the person they were there to see at a house in the suburbs of New Orleans.
David West.
West is an older rookie, older than Yao Ming, but his playing style is similar to Nowitzki's, focusing on shooting and not relying on physical fitness. This means that he can also play like Nowitzki and others until he is 40 years old if he wants.
His technical characteristics include mid-range shooting, the kind that can shoot 120+ from mid-range in 2K. 17 feet is his super sweet spot, so he is also called the "17-foot assassin".
His technical characteristics, coupled with his excellent shoulder width, make his pick-and-roll solid and can create ample space for the ball handler to break through. Coupled with his excellent mobility, he can also break the ball down. He is an absolute pick-and-roll master. His pick-and-roll efficiency with Paul was second only to Deron and Boozer.
However, this is not all about him. His ability to hold the ball and play one-on-one in the low post is also very good, and he can completely serve as the starting point for low-post tactics.
Finally, there is his defense, which is also the biggest difference between him and Boozer, who is also famous for his mid-range shots. His defense is very tough, with excellent physical fitness, a wingspan of 2.24 meters, and a strong body, making it difficult for players facing him to challenge him.
Of course, he also has weaknesses. His height of 2.06 meters without shoes is not considered tall among power forwards, and his jumping ability is also average. He is a technical power forward.
"I know it's not appropriate to say this, but I have no intention of leaving New Orleans for the time being, Mr. Foreman, I'm sorry." West looked apologetic.
At this time, Foreman was the one mainly responsible for the communication, and Xu Yong was just sitting next to him. However, when West apologized, he gestured to both of them one after another.
This surprised Xu Yong a little.
Because he rarely saw an American so humble, even Battier couldn't do that.
It may sound a bit strange to say it, but he actually sensed a scholarly air in an athlete.
"David, if I remember correctly you will be 33 years old after August. Are you planning to spend the rest of your career in this small town?"
Foreman was very proactive, and when he saw West hesitated to speak, he continued to increase his strength.
"I've heard your story. You were more into boxing, but when you saw Admiral Robinson playing basketball, you became more determined to become an NBA player and win a championship."
"Yes, you have been an NBA player for ten years, but do you think you can become a champion if you continue to stay here?"
Foreman seized West's weak spot and continued to attack him. He knows how to persuade people.
Speaking of which, it was he who persuaded Yao Ming to come to Chicago.
"Russell and I have great chemistry, I can't just abandon him like this." West was a little embarrassed. He certainly knew that there was little hope in staying with the Hornets.
Foreman fell silent at this time. He was thinking about how to continue to persuade West. After all, this involved the internal relationship of the Hornets.
At this time, Xu Yong heard the hidden meaning of West's words. West meant that he wanted to complete the contract for next season before winning the championship. In theory, that would be the best thing for the Hornets who trained him.
"David, do you think Russell cares more about the record or the data now?"
The first sentence Xu Yong asked stunned West.
The answer to this question is clear without asking, averaging a triple-double is something that anyone can achieve, no matter in ancient or modern times, 100% of the time it is faked.
Yes, that includes Oscar Robertson, of course.
"So are you planning to waste the last peak of your career by accompanying another person to brush stats?" Seeing West's reaction, Xu Yong continued to ask.
Although West is about to turn 33, he still averaged 17.3 points per game for the Hornets last season.
Just as Xu Yong knew, West's technical style of play did not require physical fitness, and except for an injury in his sophomore year, his attendance rate was very high otherwise.
He is still at the end of his prime.
West smiled helplessly and shook his head.
Foreman turned his head to look at Xu Yong, then silently gave him a thumbs up under the table.
These two sentences from Xu Yong were more convincing than all his previous words combined. Convincing Xu Yong to come along was the most correct decision he had ever made.
"I wonder how Rose's injury recovery is going?" However, West did not agree immediately, but asked Foreman about Rose's condition.
Because even if he opts out of the contract, the Bulls are not the best choice right now. After all, it is too difficult for a team to win the championship with a top-paid player on the roster.
This not only means that a core player is missing, but this core also locks up the salary space for the team to strengthen its team.
"David, as long as I am here, we will be a championship team." Before Foreman started to explain, Xu Yong looked at West and said calmly.
West burst into laughter when he heard this.
"Well, let's talk about the details of the contract." And after putting away his smile, he made the decision on the spot.
The league's salary cap for the 2013-2014 season is 58.67 million, and the Bulls' current contracts for next season are: Rose 17.63 million, Xu Yong 16.6 million, Hinrich 5 million, Battier 3 million, Brown 3 million, Butler 1.13 million, Teague 1.07 million, Adams 2.09 million, and Ennis 500,000.
It's a simple math problem. The maximum contract the Bulls can offer now is only one with a starting salary of 11.65 million.
West's current worth is more than this number, especially since the salary cap will see a big increase in 2016.
But West’s answer was enough.
The two sides quickly finalized a verbal agreement of 36 million over three years, with a starting salary of 11.5 million, increasing annually, and the third year being a player option.
This contract reminded Xu Yong of something related to West.
In history, when West was playing for the Pacers, he opted out of the third-year $12 million contract and signed a one-year minimum salary contract with the Spurs. He did not want to take on the $10 million just for a championship.
This shows that West really wants the championship as Foreman said, and it also shows that his ideas should be the same as in history.
If the Bulls don't see any hope of winning the championship in the next two years, he might choose to leave.
After reaching a verbal agreement, West will temporarily separate from them. He needs to communicate with the Hornets management and Westbrook, and the Hornets also have to talk to the Bulls to see if they can get some compensation. That will take some time.
Therefore, Foreman would stay in New Orleans for a few days, while Xu Yong would fly back to Chicago first.
That is, after he got off the plane, he saw a message from Foreman.
Not with West, but with the Pacers.
The Lakers reached a big deal with the Pacers.
Paul signed a four-year, $83.08 million maximum contract with the Lakers, with the fourth year being a player option, while Bynum signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Lakers, with the fourth year being a team option.
Then the Lakers sent Paul and Bynum at the same time and got Howard, George Hill and a future first-round pick from the Pacers.
This is a clearly unequal transaction.
The Pacers not only solved the conflict between James and Howard, but also got Paul, making a huge profit.
Xu Yong could easily infer that the Lakers were forced to do this.
Because of the Pacers' current salary cap space, Hill has trading value, and they can trade him together with Richardson and then sign Paul without a deal.
In other words, Paul must have told the Lakers management about his intention to go to the Pacers. If the Lakers did not agree to the deal, they would lose Paul in vain.
Just like when James was going to the Heat, the Cavaliers were forced to "trade" him.
Then this deal is a stop-loss type. It can upgrade Bynum to Howard, and also get Hill and draft picks, which is already a good return.
In fact, just when Xu Yong finished reading the text message, there was new trading news.
The Grizzlies signed Korver to a four-year, $24 million contract and then sent him to the Pacers for Stephenson and Richardson.
Stephenson started for the Pacers last season and performed well. He is a rookie with great potential.
However, Stephenson is a ball-holding guard, and his performance will definitely be limited after Paul comes.
Send him away when his trading value is at its highest, and get rid of Richardson's contract at the same time.
These two transactions can be said to be of very high level.
At this time, Xu Yong scanned the news related to the Pacers again.
When he saw Larry Bird recover and become the president of the Pacers again on June 27 this year, he understood it instantly.
It's obvious that the Pacers not only lost last season but also lost face, so they had no choice but to invite Bird back.
Bird's disease is somewhat intelligent.
Paul, Korver, James, Jamison, Bynum.
The Pacers' starting lineup has greatly improved in competitiveness compared to last season, and the key is that there is still a lot of room for improvement.
As expected, the King of Forcing is still the King of Forcing. The competitiveness of the Eastern Conference will be at its peak next season.
Xu Yong returned to Chicago to continue training, and of course he continued to pay attention to the situation in the free market.
The Warriors and Digital Man reached a sign-and-trade agreement, with Iguodala signing a four-year, $48 million contract extension, and then signing and trading with the Warriors in exchange for a second-round pick and a trade exception worth $12 million.
Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, David Lee, Bogut.
His flying knee did not disable Green, and the familiar Warriors team in history was still formed.
There was something very subtle about it that felt so right to him.
If this is not reality but a game, the appearance of this Warriors team greatly increases its realism and sense of immersion.
Then soon, another classic thing that Xu Yong was familiar with happened.
The Nets reached a deal with the Celtics. They sent Gerald Wallace, Carlos Boozer, Bogans, Brooks and Joseph, as well as three first-round draft picks and a first-round pick swap, in exchange for Garnett, Pierce, O'Neal Jr. and DJ White.
Even if Humphries was replaced by Boozer, it would not stop Billy King from being put in the NBA manager's shit book.
Honestly speaking, even if he really saw it, Xu Yong couldn't help but wonder what kind of brain circuit would make such a deal.
After all, any normal person can see that Garnett and Pierce are old, and Deron also has injury risks. How stupid does one have to be to bet the team's future on them?
Maybe it was really like the comments he had seen, that it was Danny Ainge who remotely controlled Billy King and made him add one draft pick after another into the trading chips.
Of course, this may be a good thing for Zhou Qi, because with O'Neal Jr. being traded, he can get full training. If he can seize the opportunity, then in the future he may be able to step onto a higher stage with the two top picks.
It was at this time, with the end of the July freeze period, that the signings and subsequent sign-and-trades of various teams began one after another.
The Bulls and West directly reached a three-year, $36 million contract, while at the same time the Hornets, which should be called the Pelicans at this time (changed their name in January 2013), offered Taj Gibson a four-year, $38 million offer, which the Bulls gave up matching.
These are two very interesting signings, because the two sides actually exchanged last season's starting power forward. According to past practice, it is a better choice for both parties to sign each other first and then trade, because there is a possibility that Gibson will get a higher offer from other teams.
However, the new labor agreement has many new rules that have been implemented since the 2013-2014 season, such as the super luxury tax mentioned earlier and the sign-first-then-trade rule.
The new rules stipulate that when signing first and then trading, the party that gets the player cannot exceed the rich line, that is, the luxury tax, in the new season.
Take the Pacers' previous deal as an example. Because they have acquired Paul and Bynum through a sign-and-trade, their salary for the new season will not exceed the luxury tax, which is a big restriction on their subsequent reinforcements.
After acquiring West, the Bulls' core lineup for next season has been basically determined.
Starting lineup: Rose, Jimmy Butler, Xu Yong, David West, Kwame Brown;
Rotation: Hinrich, Battier, Morris Jr., Adams.
At this time, the team's salary cap was filled, and they gradually gave up on renewing contracts with old players from last season.
Tony Allen signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Mavericks. With Stevenson's departure, he will get a chance to start with the Mavericks.
Delonte West also signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Mavericks. Including last season's Yi Jianlian, the Mavericks have a soft spot for former Bulls players.
Artest joined the Knicks with a two-year, $4 million contract.
Anderson was the only one who stayed, and he renewed his contract with the Bulls for two years and $4 million, with the second year being a player option.
…
As the free market is almost settled, Xu Yong and Butler also set off for Tempe in advance.
Within two days after he arrived, others had already arrived.
When Harden saw Xu Yong, he gave him a warm hug.
"Your suggestion was so useful. Kevin kept the lineup for us." Harden whispered.
Xu Yong didn't pay much attention to the Thunder's developments, so Harden sat down and started chatting with him.
It turns out that the Thunder's initial idea was to send Gasol away. Later, because Gasol's contract was too big and they couldn't find a new team, they planned to give up matching Ibaka's offer. Finally, Durant came forward to negotiate with the management.
The result was that the management was forced to pay one year's luxury tax, but as a condition, Gasol also renewed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Thunder.
In other words, Gasol's contract with the Thunder is now 3 years and 34 million. By this calculation, 10 million a year is not expensive.
This means that the Thunder will maintain the core lineup of Durant, Harden, Ibaka and Gasol for the next three years.
Xu Yong was still very surprised to hear this, but it also shows that Durant was telling the truth in history.
And three years later, it was 2016, when Gasol's contract expired and the salary cap increased significantly, things suddenly became very interesting.
After all, James is now being beaten and wandering around, and the spirit of team building cannot be formed. It is basically unlikely that Durant will learn from him.
But the Thunder will have plenty of salary space by then.
If the Thunder still hasn't won the championship by then, Durant: James, come quickly?
"They picked a tall, skinny guy from Greece. Has Greece ever had an NBA player?" DeRozan complained about the team's operations at the draft.
"Do you have a good relationship with ED?" Xu Yong knew that DeRozan was not a person who liked to complain.
"We often train together, he has been working hard, and I know he will become a starter." DeRozan's answer confirmed Xu Yong's judgment.
"Greece has an NBA player, Kosta Koufos, who was the starting center for the Nuggets last season." Harden, who was standing by, responded after hearing this. He said that he played in the Western Conference and knew more about Western teams.
Xu Yong had heard of Koufos, but he didn't know he was Greek. He had the impression that there were indeed not many Greek players. In the NBA, he had only heard of "European Kobe" Spanoulis, but he didn't play well.
"DeMar, I think it won't be long before you change your mind." Xu Yong said with a smile.
"You know him?" DeRozan asked curiously.
When DeRozan asked this question, Xu Yong suddenly didn't know how to answer.
Antetokounmpo, the "inspirational player" who sent all his first salary home so that he had no money to take a taxi back to the stadium, the "Greek monster" who started to gain weight after entering the league and eventually became extremely strong, the "stepping superstar" who won the championship with his right foot in history (a team without James' level cannot clear this name), this player has too many labels.
Xu Yong shook his head, then glanced at Butler beside him, and then said: "You have to trust my judgment."
After hearing this, DeRozan agreed that Butler's growth rate was indeed beyond the expectations of all of them.
"LeBron has sent text messages to all of us, asking us to start training in early September." The "undercover" Ayers started his work for the new season. He also received a two-year, $3.57 million contract extension from the Pacers this summer.
"Are you planning to go early?" Harden asked curiously.
"Go, he said anyone who goes can get a gift of fifty thousand dollars." Ayers nodded. He was a low-level player, and fifty thousand dollars was not a small amount.
"Could it be a 50,000 yuan Rolls-Royce voucher?" Xu Yong asked.
Harden and DeRozan have already started laughing.
"That shouldn't be the case?" Ayers was also stunned.
"Just kidding, this season might be different for you guys," Xu Yong said seriously.
Although James can be a bit stingy sometimes, for example, he is reluctant to turn on his traffic, but he is such a smart person that he is still willing to give gifts to his teammates.
After all, with his playing style, if he doesn't give gifts frequently, his teammates will probably disrespect him.
However, with team training starting so early, James' mentality this season is indeed a little different.
After a brief chat, they began training.
This year, in addition to these four and Butler, Ding Yanyuhang also trained with them.
Now that Zhou Qi has entered the NBA, he should be under some pressure.
However, during training, Xu Yong still advised him to train scientifically.
Although it sounds a bit strange to hear this coming from a man with the label of "training maniac", he knows that in history, Ding Yanyuhang was considered a waste of training.
After all, even if we put aside his immunity to injuries, there are only a few players as durable as Butler.
When the training was over, they were all ready to go back and rest, when Harden suddenly and quietly pulled Xu Yong.
Xu Yong was filled with curiosity. What else did they want to talk about in private?
Could it be that after winning the championship, he invited Harden to taste two big butts, and Harden was going to return two to him?
"KD said he wanted to come and train with us."
However, when Harden said this, Xu Yong seemed very surprised.
Are you sure Durant wants to come and train with him, not to fight with him?
"He is serious." Harden said with certainty after seeing Xu Yong's reaction.
"Let him come."
"do you agree?"
"Why don't you agree?" Xu Yong asked with a smile.
Although Harden was a little confused when he saw this, he took out his cell phone and made a call.
A few days later, Durant arrived in Tempe.
Then as soon as he saw Xu Yong, he wanted to challenge Xu Yong to a duel.
"That's absolutely no problem, but I have a condition. The winner can ask the loser to do something." Xu Yong said with a smile.
"What's up?"
"Anything."
"Anything is possible?" Durant was excited when he heard this. Doesn't that mean...
Xu Yong nodded confidently.
Now not only Durant, but everyone else's curiosity was instantly aroused.
Xu Yong and Durant can be said to be the two players with the strongest scoring ability in active service.
In the previous regular season match, Xu Yong was better due to his endurance, but in a one-on-one match, Durant had the advantage in size.
And they are also very curious about their so-called conditions.
If Durant really wins, what will happen if he wants Xu Yong to help him make a date with Scarlett?
The duel between the two began soon, with Xu Yong taking the lead.
Xu Yong's breakthrough jump shot in the first round went wide of the basket due to Durant's long arms.
There is a big difference between a one-on-one match and a full-court match. Durant's height and wingspan, plus his reaction speed, make it difficult to shoot in front of him.
When Durant joined the Dream Team, he defeated everyone on the Dream Team in a one-on-one duel. It was a classic among all.
Then the offense and defense switched, and Durant made a fadeaway jump shot with a continuous turnaround against Xu Yong's pressure defense.
After scoring the goal, Durant shouted loudly, and it can be seen that he is very excited.
However, when he attacked again, Xu Yong pressed his whole body on him as soon as he received the ball, and successfully cut the ball in the moment he turned around.
Xu Yong's defense is not as watery as others.
It was Xu Yong's turn to hold the ball, and he got close to the opponent.
After giving Durant a strong back-to-the-basket confrontation, he turned and broke through the basket.
Durant reacted quickly and tried to block Xu Yong from behind, but Xu Yong didn't give him a chance at all and just jumped up and dunked with both hands.
The sound of Durant's hand hitting became the best background music for this game.
This really excited DeRozan and the others.
A peak showdown is something you only encounter by chance.
However, after Xu Yong scored three goals in a row, Durant retreated early and successfully blocked one of Xu Yong's goals.
Then after he got the ball, he used his own drag step, a signature sideways drag step and a quick stop jump shot to score for himself.
The duel between the two was very exciting, and the scores kept rising alternately.
In a blink of an eye, Durant had the chance to win the game.
Durant's eyes were already shining at this time.
He used the drag step again, but this time his amplitude was smaller, and he followed it with a behind-the-back dribble, a change of hands and a step-back jump shot.
Xu Yong's long arms interfered, but Durant still pulled the ball in despite the defense.
Now, not to mention Durant, Harden and the others were all shouting.
In this training camp, Xu Yong is always invincible in one-on-one battles, and both Harden and DeRozan can only be rubbed.
Now someone finally defeated Xu Yong.
Of course, more importantly, Durant can make requests!
Xu Yong was still savoring the ball.
I have to say, it is really smooth.
Durant walked up to Xu Yong with excitement, and then spoke in front of everyone's expectant eyes:
“Teach me how to improve my organizational skills.”
When he said this, everyone else fell silent.
Xu Yong laughed. He had long guessed that Durant wanted to improve his own strength more than Scarlett.
The others had already gone back to practice their own stuff, while Xu Yong and Durant walked to the sidelines and sat down to chat.
"I don't think you need that thing." The first sentence Xu Yong said after sitting down made Durant frown. Is Xu Yong cheating?
"You have the chance to be Jordan, why do you want to be James?" Xu Yong asked with a smile.
"James Harden is your Pippen. All you need to do is throw the ball into the basket as simply and efficiently as possible."
Xu Yong's words are very realistic. If he were still on the same team with Harden, or if Butler had already developed an organization, he wouldn't want to play every ball by himself. That would be too tiring, and the key is that he might not necessarily win the game.
"But I was double-teamed and lost the finals last season." Durant said with a depressed look. The one who felt the most uncomfortable after losing the finals was not Harden, but him.
"Then why don't you learn to throw the ball in when being defended by two people?" Xu Yong asked directly.
Durant was stunned by the question, he had never thought about it that way. He is a team player at heart and rarely shoots under double-teaming unless he has to.
"No superstar can always get a one-on-one opportunity at the decisive moment." Xu Yong continued.
Durant is a pure scorer. Asking him to organize the game is simply a waste of his limited physical energy.
In his previous life, he felt that Durant played too much as a team player and rarely saw Durant hit the key ball under double-teaming.
Wouldn't it be better if he could be a bigger Kobe or Jordan?
Durant seemed to have realized something, he felt like the door to a new world had been opened for him.
"Tell me about the last drag step change of direction?" After finishing talking about Durant's issue, Xu Yong immediately spoke.
Why did he agree to let Durant come?
That's not because of Harden's face, but because the technique of dragging steps is what Durant is best at besides Deron.
The buzzer-beater just now was beyond Grover's guidance. It was a dragging step technique that he had never seen before.
"Why are you asking this?" Durant looked confused.
“I’m practicing this.”
"You practice this?" Durant's confusion turned into surprise.
"Any questions?"
Durant was speechless for a moment. The problem was not a problem, but the key point was that Xu Yong was already so strong. If he could do this...
"How about this, I teach you organization and you teach me the shuffling step. That's fair." Xu Yong suggested with a smile.
"Uh, didn't you just say that I don't need to practice organization?" Durant's eyes widened.
"You don't need it, but there's a saying that goes 'It's better to have many skills'. It won't do any harm if you learn them, right?" Xu Yong said seriously.
Durant's eyes widened into bells.
The biggest interaction between him and Xu Yong was that he created a secondary account to help Xu Yong discredit James. He finally realized what kind of person Xu Yong was.
He originally thought Xu Yong was a superior person like Jordan, but now it seems that, huh, he is as shameless as him!
"It's settled then." Durant stretched out his hand and showed his little finger.
Xu Yong made a pinky promise with him.
This scene stunned the others.
Especially Harden, aren't these two sworn enemies? Durant still remembers the look in his eyes when he learned that Scarlett was with Xu Yong.
…
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it’s already been a month and a half.
A number of things have happened in the past month and a half, such as Iverson and McGrady both announcing their retirements.
Of the four great shooting guards, two have retired, one is seriously injured, and only Carter is still a substitute in the Mavericks, which is somewhat sad.
Of course, there is also something heartwarming besides the sighs, that is, the Lakers announced that they had completed an early contract extension with Kobe, a two-year, $48.5 million maximum salary contract, which directly locked in Kobe's "one man, one city" career, especially when Kobe's recovery from a serious injury was unknown.
At this time, Durant is going back to Oklahoma with Harden.
After losing the finals last season, they are also preparing to gather the players for training camp before the team training camp begins.
Before leaving, Durant and Xu Yong had another one-on-one match.
The winner this time was Xu Yong.
After a summer of training, especially with the "guidance" of a practical master like Durant, his shuffle step improved significantly.
After Durant lost, he always felt like he was cheated.
Because what Xu Yong taught him was mostly about passing the ball.
Xu Yong naturally did not cheat him, because something like organization is definitely not something that can be built through teaching, but through practice.
If he could teach, Xu Yong would have taught Butler long ago.
So what he told Durant was to practice passing accuracy more, watch more game videos to improve his game reading ability, and finally practice more on the court.
This is seeking truth from facts, how can it be considered as cheating?
…
After another half a month, the training camps of each team will start.
Xu Yong, DeRozan and Ayers also left Tempe and returned to their respective teams.
Just after returning to Chicago, Xu Yong received good news that Rose had recovered.
In fact, Rose's injury had almost healed before the end of last season.
This past summer, he spent more time recovering with the help of a trainer.
After all, he hasn't played for a whole season, so it's not easy to get back into shape.
On the first day of training camp, Xu Yong saw Rose riding a bicycle on the sidelines.
Ross looks very different from before. He has grown a beard and his hair is no longer a crew cut. Instead, it has been changed to a short curly Mohawk, giving people an inexplicable sense of vicissitudes.
Xu Yong went up to him and gave him a big hug.
We haven't played together for a whole season and I missed it so much.
Ross looked excited, too.
He wanted to force a comeback in the playoffs last season, but was stopped by the team doctor. In the new season, he also wants to have a great fight with Xu Yong.
After chatting with Rose for a while, Xu Yong looked around at his teammates.
In addition to the previous twelve people, the team signed three more people later.
The Bulls' lineup this season is completely different from the past three seasons.