The rest is just noise

Also competing for the team's scoring title, Wilson seems to be burdened more than Ewing.

In addition to scoring points, he also has to take care of the emotions of Reggie Miller and others.

Not so with Ewing.

In any era, the interior line is the terminal on the offensive end, and they are responsible for finishing.

Only a few centers can be responsible for both starting and finishing like Walton, Sabonis, and Jokic.

Although Ewing had a lot of assists (for a center), Louis did not give him a rigid support task.

If he wants to pass the ball, he can pass the ball, and if he finds it inconvenient to pass the ball, he can't pass the ball.

Wilson is well aware of his own weight, and he also knows how bad it will be for Miller if he pursues individual scoring as much as Ewing did.

As time entered December, in order to stabilize Miller, Louis informed Baylor to contact Miller's agent to start early contract renewal negotiations.

Three seasons into the Knicks, Miller's scoring average has increased from 10 points in his rookie season to the current 18 points, second only to Ewing and Wilson in the team, and he hits at least 3.4 three-pointers in each game. In terms of output and production

Judging from the above, he is already on par with Dale Ellis, the Hornets' leading scorer and the league's top scorer.

Initially, Miller and his agent insisted on a 10-year, $36 million contract.

Belle became angry when she heard this.

"What the hell would Patrick think if he signed this?"

After all, Wilson was the best player in the league last season. Miller's status in the Knicks team is not comparable to that of Rodman. Is a "replaceable" shooter worth so much?

When Louis heard about Miller's asking price, what he thought about was not Ewing's reaction, but how Miller would regret this contract in the future.

What does a 10-year long-term contract mean?

an era;

Three TV broadcast contracts, everyone knows that a new broadcast contract equals a skyrocketing salary cap.

After signing this contract, Miller can only be happy for two or three years. Within three years, he will find that there are many people who are not as good as him but make more money than him, and he will have to hold on to that contract until 2001.

By then, won't he have a similar mentality to Ewing?

Ewing's contract has a player option in the seventh year, but Miller does not. Instead of waiting for him to make trouble, it is better to shorten the term.

Louis specifically sought out Miller's guidance and rationalized it, convincing him to give up the idea of ​​signing a 10-year contract.

Miller finally signed a six-year, $20 million early contract extension with the Knicks before Christmas.

Although the Knicks' salary cap can no longer fill this contract, Miller has been in the league for three years and he can activate the Bird clause, so the Knicks can successfully sign him.

Miller's contract marked the end of the Knicks' child labor contract benefits in the Louis era.

In the past few seasons, although Ewing's big contract took up a large part of the salary cap, the Knicks had many rookies and the contracts were not big.

Now that the team has officially taken shape, the future stars selected by Louis have all reached the age where they need to sign their second contracts.

No matter how much the salary cap increases, the Knicks will not have any extra room.

They have officially entered a new era where they can only sign people in the free market through the draft, trade, and minimum salary.

At the same time, although Miller's new contract triples his rookie contract, his salary can only rank third on the team, not higher than Ewing.

This also preserved Ewing's self-esteem.

Although his annual salary is only a few hundred thousand more than Miller's, it is still a lot after all. You must remember that the contract he signed was in 1985.

Once Miller's contract was finalized, he didn't think much about the numbers.

Before the contract extension, Miller would get angry when he couldn't catch the ball and blame Wilson. Now even if he can't get the ball, he will just talk trash at his opponents.

After all, once you have money, you don't have to worry about anything.

christmas eve

The league scheduled the Portland Trail Blazers as the Knicks' opponent.

Drexler's negative effects are spreading from on the court to off the court.

He frequently revealed whispers in the Trail Blazers' locker room, exposing Jordan's violent side on the training field to the world.

For a time, trading gliders became the most urgent thing for the Blazers.

However, Barkley in the East was temporarily calmed down by the team's big contract. Isiah Thomas was in a team that could win. Although he wanted to leave, he still couldn't bear to leave the place where he became famous and hoped to take advantage of the opportunity.

The Green Army is in excellent condition and making a last-ditch effort.

As a result, the glider has nowhere to go.

Teams that can provide equal exchange chips have temporarily closed their trading channels.

The Blazers' approach was very professional. On the one hand, they appeased Drexler and promised to trade him as soon as there was an opportunity. On the other hand, they limited his playing time. In each game, the glider only played 25 minutes, and he would not do anything more than one point.

, one second less is not enough.

Although he could rack up statistics in those 25 minutes, Jordan still led the team. He stayed at the top of the scoring list with astonishing efficiency, and at the same time, developed three-point threats on the left and right wings.

He is getting better and better, but Drexler is not willing to help him anymore.

He is neither Scottie Pippen nor Isiah Thomas.

No, if it were these two, would they be willing to take action when the team couldn't win the championship?

Rick Pitino, whose position was in jeopardy, saw Louis with a sad face: "Lu, if it were you, what would you do?"

"I'll get out as soon as possible." Louis said truthfully.

Louis and Pitino's personal relationship has always been good.

Considering Pitino's situation, he said this completely sincerely.

Even he would not want to stay in the Trail Blazers. This team is already rotten internally. Jordan and Drexler must be cut apart, and the existing lineup must be reshuffled. When Pitino takes over

, without long-term planning, it is not enough to stabilize the locker room.

Since it’s already rotten inside and out, if we don’t get out as soon as possible to prevent the reputation from being tarnished, then how long will it take?

"How can it be that easy?" Pitino knew Jordan's strength very well.

He doesn't think Jordan is worse than Tragedy, Bird, Sampson, and Wilson.

Which team can he go to and coach a player as good as Jordan again?

This is a matter of personal choice.

In the Christmas Day game between the Knicks and Trail Blazers, Jordan only scored 19 points.

He took 31 shots in the game. Under the Knicks' relentless defense, he fell down every time he made a layup, and someone blocked every shot.

Jordan, who had poor touch and was unable to hit the paint, blocked 21 shots in the game with Ewing, Wilson, Rodman, Reggie Williams and Shawn Kemp, who smashed the Blazers' second team.

"The Knicks remember who cost them the first game of the season."

"Yes, it's a pioneer!"

"They also remember who was the key to the Blazers' victory was MJ's 61 points."

"That's why they were so crazy tonight, they wouldn't accept the same player beating them the same way twice."

What's not good is that Drexler efficiently scored 24 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 25 minutes.

So, he had something to say after the game.

"If I take 31 shots and only score 19 points, guess what will happen?"

Drexler's words not only angered the Blazers' top brass, but also betrayed Jordan.

He was able to score 24 points in 25 minutes, and his hot touch was an important reason, but without Jordan's ball feed, he would have nothing to gain if he had the touch.

Seeing the collapse of the Pioneers, Louis became more and more emotional.

Jordan and Drexler should have reached the peak of their careers in 1991. If they could work together, even if the Lakers had David Robinson and Pippen, they would not be able to resist the Trail Blazers' wing group.

Because of Louis, Jordan joined a better team than the Bulls, but his career didn't get better because of it.

He was firmly suppressed by the tragic Lakers, and then when he was nearing his peak, he was betrayed by his second boss. As a result, the team was torn apart and the prospects for the season were bleak. Any Western Conference team could become the Knicks' president.

The only opponent in the finals is the Trail Blazers.

If this team is allowed to reach the finals, Louis can only suggest that the core members of the top four teams in the Western Conference retire collectively and stop playing.

From the end of November to the end of December, the Knicks remained undefeated and had a 17-game winning streak.

"Whether oil prices fell first or the Knicks lost first, the New York Times will follow the whole process."

The first year of the last decade of the 20th century was anything but peaceful.

The Cold War ended, Germany was reunified, the Gulf was filled with smoke, and Iraq made big news. The Knicks, who were aiming for four consecutive championships, broke out with a stronger fighting force than last season under fierce competition within the team.

In two months, they only lost one game. If it weren't for Jordan's astonishing 61 points in a single game, they might have maintained a complete victory.

26 wins and 1 loss

Regarding the Knicks' current record, Louis has only one thing to say.

"Twenty-six wins doesn't even guarantee a spot in the playoffs. You can cheer again when we reach 81 wins and 1 loss."

It seems that he has tricked me again.