I’m Really Playing Basketball

"Isn't Kobe retiring after this season? Was he traded to the Warriors like this? Is he going to the Warriors to win the championship? Does Kobe lack a championship? No, is it a private trade by the Lakers?!"

"Private trade? It must have nothing to do with this. Kobe is the owner of the Lakers. If he doesn't agree, who can trade him away?"

"In other words, this is Kobe's own intention, so does Kobe really want to join the Warriors and win the championship?"

"It can't be that the Warriors send Jokic to the Lakers for free, right?!"

The fact that Kobe and Jokic swapped clubs was shocking, so shocking that everyone couldn't believe it would happen, because it didn't seem right for any reason.

Under this circumstance, most people still can't believe the deal between the Warriors and the Lakers. Jokic's sign-and-trade deal for Kobe Bryant and John Collins, the No. 19 pick selected by the Lakers this year, is a deal that the Warriors don't want. , completely free transactions.

After all, in the NBA, most of it is business, and there is warmth. For example, when the Bobcats sent Chen Xiao to the Warriors, it was almost a free gift.

But even if there is such a precedent, everyone still thinks that such a thing is not common. In other words, everyone still thinks that it is impossible to happen again.

until……

Just when the entire NBA was abuzz about the deal between Kobe and Jokic, Kobe held a press conference to announce his retirement.

At a press conference, Kobe Bryant, the NBA's regular season scoring champion, confirmed that he will retire as an NBA player.

But at the same time, he was announced as the general manager and head coach of the Lakers.

Yes, Kobe, like Joe, also became the owner, general manager and head coach of the Lakers.

This news is quite shocking.

At the same time, Kobe also thanked Chen Xiao emphatically at this press conference.

At this point, everyone finally understood that it turned out that the Warriors really sent Jokic to leave the team as a gift. They really sent Jokic to leave as a gift without asking for anything!

In order to thank Jokic for his contribution to the team's dynasty, the Warriors found an almost perfect home for Jokic.

Los Angeles, Lakers, rebuild the core of the team.

All I can say is that if the Warriors are able to do this, it is really the most benevolent thing.

After all, although Jokic's contract has expired, if the Warriors really want to change, the Celtics are willing to trade Noah.

Jokic's signing rights are at least a lottery, but the Lakers only exchanged them for a mere 19th overall pick. This is no different from giving it away for free.

John Collins is not as good as Noah in any way, and he is not worth a lottery pick no matter how you look at it.

After Kobe held a press conference, Jokic, who was traded to the Lakers, also held a press conference.

At the press conference, Jokic expressed his deep gratitude to the Warriors, especially Chen Xiao, for his guidance and training in the past four years. In short, Jokic himself felt His eyes were red.

To be honest, for Jokic, he is really reluctant to let go of the Warriors. Although he also knows that for him, the Lakers are a suitable next home, or a perfect next home, but he still can't let go of the Warriors. .

He really liked the feeling of playing next to Chen Xiao.

In short, after Kobe and Jokic came out to hold press conferences one after another, the entire NBA knew that this big deal between the Warriors and the Lakers was really a deal full of humanistic care.

Compared with the deal between the Lakers, Spurs and Bobcats, this deal really contrasts the two values ​​of the NBA too clearly.

Bobcats, Spurs and Lakers trade.

Isn't the reason why the Bobcats traded Butler because Butler was dissatisfied with Cousins ​​and the rest of the team in last season's playoffs, making it impossible for him to continue with the Bobcats?

Isn't the reason why the Spurs traded Leonard because Leonard and the Spurs had a falling out? Both sides are motivated by interests.

The Lakers' trade of Gasol is a normal business, because with Jokic, Gasol is no longer needed.

In short, the transactions between these three teams are indeed not so friendly and warm.

Therefore, this makes the relationship between the Warriors and Jokic even more touching.

So now the entire NBA is caught up in the warm relationship between the Warriors and Jokic.

Of course, this will definitely not include the Spurs.

To be honest, the Spurs are very uncomfortable right now!

I originally thought that Leonard for Butler + the Lakers' next four first-round picks would be a profitable deal.

After all, the Spurs don't believe that Leonard can rise so quickly with the ruined Lakers. Leonard is very strong, but his characteristics are also very obvious, and he is not suitable to be the core of tactics. He breaks teams and passes the ball. His abilities are average and he is suitable for being a killer.

It is difficult for Leonard, who is single-core, to lead a team.

Therefore, the Lakers' four first-round picks will have at least two to three lottery picks in the future.

Leonard wouldn't lose much by exchanging Butler, and he could get two more, three lottery picks, maybe even a high lottery pick.

Why not?

As for the three first-rounders sent out by the Spurs, these three first-rounders are worthless at all. With the Spurs' current strength and record, the value of the first-rounders is simply not worth mentioning.

Therefore, the Spurs are very satisfied with the deal that sent Leonard to the Lakers.

But, I didn’t expect that the Lakers and Kobe would be so dark-hearted!

"No wonder they said that the team's players can be chosen at will and the team's draft picks can be taken at will. It turns out that they have already negotiated with Jokic!"

It turns out that Kobe and the Lakers have long known that future draft picks for the Lakers with Jokic and Leonard are also worthless.

Leonard and Jokic are still so young, the Lakers' draft picks in the next ten years will not be very valuable.

In short, the Spurs now feel as uncomfortable as eating flies.

I thought I had found a treasure, but it turned out to be a beautiful piece of wood.

I have to say that Boss Ke’s skills are really powerful.

Let's not talk about how the boss of Ke will be coached in the future. Chen Cang's secret tactics are indeed new and clever. He really has the Spurs under control in terms of psychological warfare.

In fact, Kobe's move and the Spurs' secret deal with Chen Cang have indeed been praised by many experts and celebrities.

Even O'Neal praised: "Kobe has the talent to become a great manager. No one thought that the Lakers would complete the reconstruction so quickly. Kobe's operation is incredible."

Yes, Jokic + Leonard + Lakers, this combination is indeed powerful.

The whole world knows that the combination of Jokic and Leonard is not bad. Coupled with the Lakers' big city and the fact that the Lakers still have enough salary space, this attraction to the stars is huge.

Originally, the Lakers were not attractive to ambitious stars because they were rebuilding the team, but now, the Lakers have become one of the most attractive teams in the free market.

For example, Heat star Paul George is widely rumored to want to join the Lakers.

Paul George was the younger brother who followed Wade and Yao Ming. After Yao Ming and Wade left the team one after another, Paul George became the core of the Heat's reconstruction.

Over the years, Paul George's personal performance with the Heat has been very good.

Last season with the Heat, he averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game. This data can be regarded as an All-Star level star.

But what is more embarrassing is that in the Heat, because his performance in leading the team was not very good, he failed to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Now he and Irving are considered to be the two biggest losers in the Eastern Conference.

This is very embarrassing. Others think you have All-Star level ability, but you can't make it to the All-Stars.

This is very uncomfortable.

Moreover, the Heat's record is not very good. It is not only Paul George who is uncomfortable, but Pat Riley is also uncomfortable.

What makes Pat Riley even more uncomfortable is that Paul George also jumped out of the last year of his contract this year.

And after announcing that he would be opting out of the contract, I never saw him again, just like Leonard of the Spurs.

Of course, Leonard is definitely worse. After all, he still has three years of contract with the Spurs. Paul George jumped out of the last year of his contract and became a free agent. He can't meet anyone he wants. Since Pat Riley is not better, he won't meet you. , there is no problem.

The fact is, after Yao Ming retired, everyone saw how Pat Riley treated Wade.

Paul George was the younger brother brought out by Yao Ming and Wade.

Wade is his eldest brother. Although you said that you helped Paul George get rid of Wade, Paul George never thought about being the boss.

Paul George thinks it's good for Wade to be the boss, and he is willing to be Wade's little brother.

In short, Pat Riley's initial move with Wade really hurt the morale of the Heat.

The Heat's performance has been poor since Wade left, and there are reasons for this.

After all, Wade is one of the two greatest players in franchise history.

He is also one of the ten greatest players in NBA history. If you treat such a player like this, what do you make other players think?

No matter how good I am in the team, no matter how high my achievements are, as long as I get old and lose my luster, won't I still be kicked out by you?

Then what sense of belonging can I have?

So what else do I need to feel a sense of belonging?

When the Heat used such shorthand to get rid of Wade, those Heat players were actually no longer with the Heat.

Therefore, after the two transactions of Jokic and Leonard were completed, the Lakers soon announced that they had reached an agreement with the Heat's former core player Paul George. Paul George announced that he had signed a four-year, 140 million max contract with the Lakers. salary contract.

At this point, the Lakers' Big Three consisted of Paul George, Leonard, and Jokic. For a time, the entire league was paying attention.

This lineup is indeed quite eye-catching.

Especially in the Western Conference, this lineup can almost directly drop into the second gear to compete with the Spurs and Clippers.

With the completion of the Lakers' reconstruction, the Western Conference seems to have become stronger.

In short, the summer after Bryant retired and took over the Lakers, he did an amazing job.

And what about the Warriors, the defending champions?

The Warriors have not accomplished much in free agency this year.

Mainly because the Warriors' current lineup is already very good.

Even if Jokic leaves the team and Carter wins the championship and is sent to the Raptors by the Warriors, the Warriors' lineup will not be short of players.

After the playoffs last season, the Warriors can clearly feel that the team's young players have grown very well.

Jaylen Brown, Norman Powell, Devin Booker, they all grew up.

They can fill the void left by Carter and Jokic.

Therefore, the Warriors' focus on replenishing the team this year is actually the draft.

In this year's draft, the Lakers helped Jerry West select John Collins, whom he was more optimistic about.

John Collins is a 2.08 meter all-around forward who can run, jump, attack and shoot. He is very suitable for the current Warriors' play style.

Of course, Collins's playing habits may not be very good. His style is more brush-like, his defensive habits are not good, and his offensive pursuit of statistics is somewhat unique.

But he is still young and his athletic ability is excellent and can be modified.

This is what Jerry West said to Chen Xiao: "If the team didn't have you, I wouldn't have picked him."

Yes, reform this young man and he will be very good.

In addition to John Collins, this year's Warriors draft also includes center Jarrett Allen, whom the Raptors selected with the 23rd overall pick in the first round this year.

Carter wanted to return to the Raptors to hang up his boots, and the Warriors were happy to send Carter back to the Raptors. By the way, the Warriors' No. 30 pick and the Raptors' No. 23 pick were exchanged.

Jerry West wanted a center, but there was no one available with the 30th pick, and the Raptors didn't care. Anyway, the 23rd and 30th picks were about the same for the Raptors.

In addition to the two first-round picks selected by the team this year, the Warriors sold this year's second-round pick to the Lakers.

Therefore, this year the Warriors left two players this summer and brought in two more players, so the team's current lineup is still 13 people.

Center: Chen Xiao, Allen

Power forward: thick eyebrows, Collins

Small forward: Jaylen Brown, Matt Barnes, Wade.

Shooting Guard: Ron Howard, Klay Thompson, Norman Powell

Point guard: Devin Booker, Curry Jr., VanVleet

Basically, the combat effectiveness of each position is pretty good, but the inside position lacks some thickness.

After Jokic left, the only truly effective inside players for the Warriors were Chen Xiao and Nong Mei.

If one of the two is injured, the team will have some problems inside.

Of course, if it wasn't Chen Xiao who was injured, even if the thick eyebrow was injured, the problem shouldn't be that big.

But no matter what, although the Warriors are not in a hurry for the free market this summer, they still hope to find an experienced and capable inside free agent.

But obviously, strong and experienced inside players are in hot demand, and it is difficult for the Warriors to sign them in their current space.

On the other hand, if Chen Xiao is really injured, one more insider will definitely not be able to beat the Bucks.

If Chen Xiao is not injured, even if he can't play with thick eyebrows, Chen Xiao and the current group of forwards of the Warriors can still compete with the Bucks.

Therefore, the Warriors are actually letting it happen.

After all, the Warriors currently have enough forwards. Although they say they are short of interior linemen, they are actually not that short.