The rest is just noise

Chapter 298: Happy birthday, a bolt from the blue

Louis put down the phone.

In his office, Rudy Tomjanovich opened a bottle of Coke for him, "How was the conversation?"

"Hey, I just finished a bottle, can you let me take a break?" Louis took the Coke.

Tomjanovich didn't care whether he was tired of it or not, he just wanted to know if it was done.

"how's it going?"

"Coach Motta was generous enough. He added a second-round draft pick to the original bargaining chip for us." Louis didn't expect that he was just trying to whet Motta's appetite, but he actually increased the price.

Tomjanovich said excitedly: "Great! Now, we can get rid of Darnell and accumulate more future capital!"

"No, the second-round pick is not important, what is important is Dale Ellis." Louis said with certainty, "Coach Motta will regret this deal in the future."

Tomjanovich asked unexpectedly: "Is he that good?"

"Probably no worse than Darnell."

Louis can't say for sure. Judging from the statistics, Ellis struggled in Dallas.

But Motta's system is not suitable for a three-point shooter like him.

Motta prefers players who can control the ball and hit the ball hard, but he doesn't like shooters who can attack from a distance.

Ellis is a rookie. He shot 41% from three-point range when he first entered the league last season. This is as shocking to Louis as Emilia Clarke accepting the heroine of "Fifty Shades of Grey". But.

What happened was counterproductive. She felt that she had taken off enough clothes in Game of Thrones. After becoming famous, she would like Shu Qi to put on the clothes she took off one by one.

This is really regrettable. Why don't American actresses follow the example of Europe? People take off their clothes regardless of the lows and peaks. They take off their clothes whenever they want.

Coming back to Ellis, Louis didn't know this person's specific achievements.

He just looked at Ellis's data and found that in his rookie season, he averaged 0.4 three-pointers per game and scored 0.2 goals. In addition, the name sounded slightly familiar.

Therefore, he was determined to trade this person over.

When Motta put him in the deal, Louis' plan had already been successful. Asking for an extra second round later was entirely due to the other party's overthinking.

After the deal was negotiated, Louis called DeBusschere to inform him of what had just happened.

Before Louis joined the Knicks, Werbling promised on behalf of the senior management to give Louis enough room to operate, so he negotiated a deal himself and then told DeBusschere.

DeBusschere was responsible for contacting the Mavericks in an official capacity to complete the transaction.

In less than a day, the results of the Knicks-Mavericks trade were spread.

The Knicks traded Darnell Walker to the Dallas Mavericks for Dale Ellis and a 1985 second-round draft pick.

"Boston Globe" reporter Bob Ryan, who considers himself an NBA prosecutor, commented: "I don't know why Dallas sent an extra second round. This was supposed to be a business of equal exchange. They gave each other what they didn't need.

Players, now, the Knicks are making a little bit more money."

Walker went crazy when he heard he was traded.

He happily informed his relatives and friends and told the media that the past few months had been like being tortured in a water prison.

There was nothing happening to Dale Ellis. For him, it was just a change of environment.

The day after the Walker trade, the Knicks played against the Washington Bullets.

This is a game that reflects Louis' super high field control skills.

In the first quarter, the Knicks took the lead.

In the second quarter, Louis put a three-inside lineup on the court, and Truk Robinson played for the first time this season.

Bill Cartwright's nightmare seems to be lingering in his head, and he's acting average.

It was also the strange lineup of the three inside players that allowed the Bullets to catch up.

In the third quarter, thanks to the performance of Bernard King, the Knicks could barely withstand the combined performance of Jeff Malone and Gus Williams.

In the fourth quarter, Louis benched King for half the quarter, and by the time he came on the court, the Knicks were already trailing by double digits.

The King of New York gritted his teeth and led his team in a fierce pursuit. What was the result? He was knocked over by a strong man on the Bullets bench and was carried off the court on a stretcher.

"Next time, we must protect ourselves and strive for zero mistakes." Louis expressed concern about Jin's injury.

Jin Hanhen said: "You just don't want to win!"

"In that case, Lao Jin, can I not want to win?"

"Have a good rest. If these guys gain some energy, they might be able to win this game for you."

As a result, Louis Orr and Trent Tucker really did their best. They scored three points in a row, allowing the Knicks to take the lead.

The "scared" Louis changed their existing positions, one controlled the ball, and the other played the third position. As a result, the storm of fighting for Bernard King subsided, and the Knicks lost to the Bullets by 1 point.

Louie happily shook Bullets coach Gene Shue's hand.

Here's another old coach who doesn't like Louie.

"You should be ashamed, Little Lu!" Shu said coldly.

Louis didn't even listen: "Salute to you who may make it to the playoffs!"

If the Knicks work hard every game like the Bullets, they have a chance to make the playoffs. But Louis doesn't want to command a team that "makes the playoffs a success."

This team has too many traces of the past, and he wants to change them one by one.

Stockton and Ellis are just the beginning.

After the game, some media asked Louis why he let Kim rest for so long.

Louis just used his injury to explain: "As you can see, the Washingtonians fought savagely. I was just trying to protect Bernard."

The reporter asked again: "Trent and Lewis feel very good on the outside, why don't they arrange tactics for them in the chasing stage."

Louis said he was wronged: "The Bullets' defense was so good that they couldn't take any chances."

The next day, they sent away Darnell Walker and Dale Ellis passed the Knicks' physical examination.

Ellis is 2.01 meters tall and has a very thick torso. He is not as familiar as common black players and has a more reserved personality.

On his first day with the team, Pat Cummings took time off due to physical discomfort.

Louis reiterated what he said before the season: "In this team, there are only two people whose positions are unshakable. One is Bernard and the other is Pat. The others are not fixed. Who plays depends on performance."

It depends on the status.”

Then, he pointed out the newly joined Ellis.

"Dale, I knew when you were in Dallas that you were a one-of-a-kind shooting master. Coach Motta failed to make good use of your talent, but here with me, you will have the opportunity to prove yourself."

Ellis wants to know, does this mean he will no longer play only ten minutes per game?

The Knicks' next game is the New Jersey Nets.

Although New Jersey is not part of New York, it is part of the Greater New York Area like New York City.

Fans in the two places are hostile to each other, and games between the teams are seen as angry matches similar to derby games.

Now the Nets are a playoff team, and the Knicks are competing for the No. 1 pick. Just like the Clippers will never be soft on the Lakers when they compete with each other, the same goes for the Nets.

That night, Louis unexpectedly put the new player Dale Ellis into the lineup, and asked Luis Orti to play power forward. The lineup set up a sensational two forwards + three guards.

The tallest player on the court is Benken Bannister, followed by Orr who plays power forward in a misplaced position, and then there are the three guards: Stockton, Tucker, and Ellis.

"I'm not sure if this lineup can break the New Jersey net." Marv Albert has no confidence in the Knicks' fancy.

Louis gave Phil Jackson a wink before the game started: "Are you all ready?"

"Be prepared. If you win, give them a surprise. If you lose, it will be a valuable consolation prize," Jackson said.

"I know I can trust you." Louis smiled.

Jackson said firmly: "You can definitely do it."

"I think so too, 'Old Nick' is very reliable." Louis praised him.

Next, the game begins.

As the only rookie on the field, Stockton has the style of a general. He seems to deliberately create opportunities for Tucker. He ran many tactics and it was Tucker who had the opportunity. His flat passes, hitting the ground, and master lobs

There is no pass that is not comfortable and correct.

Tucker is the star tonight.

New Knicks player Dale Ellis played explosive output from the outside.

He knows that Louis is a coach who can accept players shooting three-pointers, and he also knows that the opponent may value his three-pointers, so he will stick to the three-point line tonight.

The Nets had not studied him before and did not know how good he was, so Ellis made 5 of 7 three-pointers in a single game and scored 21 points in the game.

In more than a season in Dallas, Ellis only scored more than 20 points in three games. He scored 20+ points in his first game for the Knicks.

The Knicks' inside line was blown to pieces, and the Nets grabbed 19 offensive boards. However, they relied on the terrible firepower of the three guards and Stockton's 16 assists in a single game to defeat the Nets 120-116.

Madison Garden fans showed a rare feeling of pride for the Knicks.

In the Knicks locker room, Jackson prepared a birthday cake as a surprise for the players at the instruction of Louis.

Today is Trent Tucker's birthday, and he is also the Knicks' leading scorer tonight.

The best performance of the season was a birthday present for him. The cake was a sublime theme.

The Knicks are coming off a broken season, but there are still many things worth remembering.

The next day, Trent Tucker arrived at the Blue Palace to prepare for training with great enthusiasm, but was told by Tomjanovich that Louis was looking for him.

He happily came to Louis' office. He admired and was grateful to this young coach and wanted to play for him forever.

"Trent, did you have a good rest last night?"

"Couldn't be better, Coach."

"That's good, I called you here because I have something to inform you." Louis said to Tucker, who was not prepared at all, "You have been traded."

Tucker almost thought there was something wrong with his hearing.

There was a smile on Louis' serious face, but his words were too cold to accept.

"Why?"

"We really want to keep you, but Trent, Los Angeles made us an offer we couldn't refuse." The Louis last night, and the Louis now, are both friendly, and his smile conveys the same emotion.

"Maybe I should congratulate you on the opportunity to get out of New York and chase a championship with a group of great players."