I’m Really Playing Basketball

The moon waxes and wanes, and people have joys and sorrows.

Zach Randolph left, and the Bobcats traded with the Grizzlies in a trade that sent team leader Battier and the team's backup point guard Kyle Lowry as well as the team's future top-five draft picks. Traded Zach Randolph from the Bobcats.

Judging from this transaction, we cannot say whether we lost money or made money. All we can say is that both parties tried their best to be sincere.

The Bobcats' sincerity is to find a team suitable for Randolph, the team's meritorious figure. The Grizzlies are not weak, the team is not weak, and the team does not have other big players inside, so he has room to play. It's going to be big, and this is a team that fits Randolph perfectly.

The Bobcats can trade Randolph to other teams in order to maximize their profits. Although Randolph is not an All-Star, his performance against Duncan in the playoffs last season made him still very popular.

At least, those teams that have the Magic as their imaginary enemy are very interested in Randolph.

However, in these teams, Randolph may not be able to get the opportunity to play.

Randolph now wants money and championships. In the end, his career pursuit only left one All-Star. Maybe Jordan will not care about Randolph's pursuit, but Chen Xiao does.

Therefore, sending Randolph to the Grizzlies was Chen Xiao's decision after choosing from several teams.

In order to create enough performance time for Randolph to enter the All-Stars, Chen Xiao did not delay. The goal was determined and he immediately sent Randolph away.

Of course, this is also thanks to the cooperation of Grizzlies general manager Jerry West.

Without Kidd, the Grizzlies actually have limited chips.

Battier and Lowry are one of the best chips the Grizzlies can offer.

Although Battier is not a star player, he has a high status in the American basketball circle, and his style of play is suitable for a championship team. Lowry, Kidd's younger brother and student, has performed well as a substitute this season. He is very impactful and energetic. Anyone who has watched his game can feel that his future is good.

In addition to these two people, another draft pick guaranteed to be in the top five in the future further demonstrates West's sincerity.

There are very few guaranteed draft picks in NBA trades.

Basically, the draft pick depends on luck and character. Whether you make a profit or a loss in the first round of a certain year depends entirely on God.

West is limited to the top five picks this time.

If the Grizzlies are not in the top five next year, then the year after that. If not, then the year after that. In short, until the Grizzlies get the top five picks.

It has to be said that Chen Xiao is actually ready to let the Grizzlies take advantage.

But West had no intention of taking advantage of Chen Xiao and the Bobcats.

I have to say that he is the most willing to do business with NBA general managers. His reputation is well-deserved.

December 15, 2007, was Randolph's first day of training.

As the team's fourth boss, Randolph's departure did not cause too many negative emotions for the Bobcats.

Logically speaking, as such an important star player of the team, this should not be the case.

However, Randolph is indeed something special this time.

Normally on the team, Randolph has never concealed his ambition to become an All-Star.

Therefore, when Randolph was so impetuous and selfish in this season's games, everyone already had a premonition that he wanted to leave.

Just because Chen Xiao, the boss, was so kind to them, they really couldn't say this.

Therefore, Randolph's departure this time did not give them the idea of ​​​​"The rabbit died and the dog was cooked".

On the contrary, Chen Xiao and the Bobcats sent Randolph to the Grizzlies, which made other Bobcats players feel that this move was too warm.

Because Randolph was officially traded yesterday, the two new players Battier and Lowry haven't arrived yet.

Now the Bobcats' training hall is full of old Bobcats players.

When Randolph's departure has no negative impact, the rest are all positive impacts.

Let's put it this way, although it is a bit unkind, but Randolph's departure gave up a starting position.

As for the team's starting power forward position, Aldridge has already been coveting it.

As the bench leader of the Bobcats, the Bobcats rotation with Aldridge and Roy as the core is extremely strong.

However, Aldridge and Roy are different.

He has no potential injuries, so he doesn't need to stay on the bench to be protected. He just wants to spend more time and play more games now.

In fact, before the start of the season, the team's coaching staff had the intention of correcting his partnership with Bynum.

Just to consider the team's defense and stability, he ended up sitting on the bench.

The stability of the team is a problem that he cannot solve.

As for his defense, Aldridge has been working hard this season.

In Chen Xiao's defensive class, the hardest-working student is Aldridge.

Moreover, Aldridge would take the initiative to ask Chen Xiao for private lessons after finishing the class.

It has to be said that Aldridge really wants to complete the class leap.

For him, starting and being a substitute are really completely different.

Now, he feels like his chance has finally come.

With Randolph gone, there will be no factors for the team to maintain stability.

As for his efforts in the past two months, not to mention leapfrogging progress in defense, it has also allowed people to see progress. This is very important. As long as there is progress, there is hope, and it is worth cultivating.

It can be said that no one can stop him from becoming the team's starting power forward now.

Randolph's departure must be more than Aldridge's joy.

As the team's third overall substitute power forward, Ilyasova is also very excited now.

The players that Randolph traded were Battier and Lowry, small forwards and point guards.

Not a power forward, which means that after Aldridge starts, the Bobcats' power forward position needs to be tapped internally.

As for the entire Bobcats, he is the only one who can play power forward off the bench.

Gortat and Fischenko still mainly play center.

Even if the Bobcats' rotation doesn't need power forwards so much in the future, there will always be times when they are needed, right?

Therefore, after Randolph leaves, Ilyasova will definitely have a lot more opportunities.

At the same time, the positive impact of Randolph's departure on the Bobcats is far more than that.

Because the players traded by the Bobcats are Battier and Lowry.

Especially Lowry, this backup point guard is quite imaginative.

Was Paul leaving right after?

Given that Roy is temporarily unsuitable for the starting lineup, will the starting point guard position also be vacated?

Therefore, after Randolph was traded, the team's backup point guard Jack is now full of fighting spirit.

Seeing that after Randolph was traded, the team seemed to have a new look, and Chen Xiao didn't know what to say.

The whole Randolph seems to be a cancer of the team. After he left, the team's dawn.

In fact, this is not the case at all!

Fortunately, Battier and Lowry are not here now, otherwise these two new teammates must have misunderstood something.

On the night of December 15, 2007, in the Bobcats' first game after Randolph was traded away, the Bobcats will face the Eagles at home.

Although the team was missing a starting star power forward, the Bobcats did not give the Eagles any chance in this game.

After acquiring Michael Redd from the Bucks, the Hawks have struggled this season.

Michael Reed is a very good player, and his strength cannot be questioned. Although Reed's number of shots dropped because he was teammates with Francis, averaging less than 17 shots per game, he only used 17 times. He averaged 21 points per game on just one shot, and his shooting percentage was over 45%, which was the best among guards. It can be said that Reid is definitely an All-Star player.

For a team like the Hawks, being able to exchange a lottery pick for an All-Star player at the peak of his strength is actually not a loss.

However, whether you lose or not depends not only on yourself, but also on comparison.

Looking at the performance of Durant, who was selected by the Bucks with the Hawks' draft pick, this season, the Hawks simply feel like they have lost 100 million.

In his rookie season, Durant's shooting percentage is currently not as good as Reid's. His average points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game have all surrounded Reid.

And even in terms of hit rate, it's actually not much worse than Reed.

Durant's shooting percentage has been improving, and it can be seen that he has been adapting to the NBA.

It is precisely because of Durant that the Hawks' team atmosphere this season is quite subtle.

After all, if the team boss is in a bad mood, it is difficult for the team to be in a good mood.

Therefore, in this game against the Hawks, the Bobcats defeated their opponent 124-93 at home without a fight.

Chen Xiao still only played three quarters in this game, and the protagonist of this game was still Chris Pao.

In this game, Xiao Pao led the running Chen Xiao, Bynum, Aldridge and Granger to play the most athletic game in the history of the Bobcats.

Although Chen Xiao did not lose more than 10 dunks in this game.

But the Bobcats' dunk count reached 30 times, once again setting a new record in team history.

It has to be said that from the perspective of the small cannon as the protagonist, Aldridge replacing Randolph in the starting lineup is indeed more suitable for him.

After all, Aldridge not only has athletic ability, but he is also an excellent shot. He and Xiaopao are still very suitable.

Because the Hawks' inside line does not have such strong offensive capabilities, the Eagles' outside line is either alone or floating, and the test for Aldridge is limited.

When Aldridge's defensive weaknesses are not attacked, all this young man has in this game is his strengths.

In this game, Aldridge, who started for the first time this season, made 8 of 12 shots and scored 20 points and 9 rebounds in the game. His performance was quite outstanding.

In addition, Chen Xiao made 12 of 18, 5 of 9 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 31 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the three quarters.

Once again, the role of the role player is brought into full play, every stat is available, and it is still at an excellent level.

Therefore, at the post-match press conference, Chen Xiao once again became the focus of discussion.

Of course, this time, in addition to the outstanding performance of Chen Xiao and Xiaopao, the focus of reporters' discussion was also another topic, and that was Randolph.

"Chen, Zach's departure does not seem to affect the Bobcats in this game. You even look stronger?"

When hearing this question, Chen Xiao raised his eyebrows.

Of course he wouldn't be fooled like this.

"That's not true."

Chen Xiao shook his head without any hesitation and then continued: "We are an excellent team, we are the defending champion, and we have many excellent players who can make up for some space, but there is no doubt that Zach is our indispensable missing players.

For us, Zach can save the team in many cases. Maybe it doesn't matter if we don't have Zach in this game, but obviously, losing Zach, we will lose some ways and methods of dealing with problems.

Therefore, your statement is very wrong. "

Regarding Randolph's role in the team, Chen Xiao has always known it very clearly.

Let's put it this way, without Randolph, the Bobcats couldn't beat the Magic last season.

Randolph's departure is an immeasurable loss to the Bobcats.

If possible, Chen Xiao doesn't want to lose Randolph.

It’s weird, the East is so damn strong!

If Randolph is not traded away, Randolph's mentality will collapse, and the Bobcats will collapse with Randolph.

After defeating the Hawks at home, the Bobcats then defeated the Jazz and Knicks at home.

After losing to the Cavaliers on the road, the Bobcats recently achieved six consecutive victories, and this is also the Bobcats' longest winning streak this season.

After this wave of six consecutive victories, the Bobcats' record has also reached 15 wins and 9 losses. The Bobcats' record has also returned from ninth in the Eastern Conference to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

The Bobcats' record is now second only to the Raptors, Nets, Heat, Magic, Cavaliers, and Bucks, surpassing the Chicago Bulls.

In the last two games against the Jazz and the Knicks, the Bobcats' two newcomers Battier and Lowry did not appear.

There is actually no problem with the status of the two of them.

However, Jordan is still quite cautious and hopes that the two of them can get along with the team more.

Although the two are substitutes, don't forget that the Bobcats have the strongest substitutes in the league.

Jordan cherishes his bench lineup very much.

Let's put it this way, compared with other super teams in the East and West, the Bobcats' starting lineup is actually not that outstanding. When the Bobcats compete with these super teams, the starting lineup is used to maintain stalemate, and the bench lineup is used to kill people.

And this is why Jordan loves Roy so much. It's definitely not because Roy is his biggest fan and plays like him, so he has selfish motives or anything.

Within the Bobcats, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Pao's second-in-command position is fake. In Jordan's mind, Roy is the real second-in-command of the team.

"The second boss is not the second boss, and the first boss is not the first boss. This team is really interesting."

Shane Battier, who had been with the Bobcats for a few days, couldn't help but be surprised, and Lowry next to him was nodding crazily at this time.

"Sean, in tonight's game against the Bucks, you will get the chance to start, so work hard."

"..."

This time, instead of playing as a substitute, he will start as a starter. What kind of operation is this?

Are you afraid that I will spoil Roy's rhythm?

but……

"Durant!"

The next game will be against the hottest young small forward in the NBA. Battier admitted that he was excited.