The Whip of the God of Basketball

The Suns won the first two games of the season, but fans and the local media in Phoenix didn't seem particularly satisfied. Some people still thought the Suns had lost their previous style.

"The game wasn't that good to watch."

This is the evaluation of the current Suns by many people. Whether it is against the SuperSonics or the Lakers, the Suns were as fast as a whirlwind in the past, and most of the exquisite cooperation connected by Nash has disappeared.

Instead, there were some single blocks and one-on-one attacks that were so simple that they made the audience feel a little bored. The offensive speed was obviously slowed down. The most important thing is that Nash seemed to be unable to pass those exquisite passes. .

And this is not a problem of Nash's ability, but a problem of the coach's tactical arrangements.

After the game against the Lakers, on the following training day of the Suns, Nash was asked by reporters: "Why did the Suns' previous seven-second offense disappear? Why are there fewer of your butterfly-like series and assists?" ,what is the reason?"

This is a regular open training day in the NBA. Players must be interviewed. Many times players like to speak some stage words and use official accent to deal with those annoying sports journalists who can squeeze a lot of insights from every sentence. After all, they rely on these things to fill the pages and support their families.

But this time Nash thought about it seriously and looked back at the training ground - in fact, Leon did not participate in the training today. The training was handled by D'Antoni and the assistant coaching staff. Leon really seemed to let himself go a little bit. .

"I think the team is going through an important change internally, just like it was when I first arrived in Phoenix in 2005. We have worked hard in the past three years, and we are always one step away from success, so we have to make changes. I don't I know whether this change is good or bad, but at least now we are winning, which is also our purpose. I think you should understand what I mean."

Nash expressed his opinion. There is no doubt that he supports Leon. Of course, it is not only because of the victory, but also a very important point. Nash feels that he plays more easily on the court. He is 33 years old this year and is about to At 34 years old, he feels that his condition is surprisingly good.

Stoudemire also felt the same way. In the two games, especially the second game, he really felt that he was becoming the tactical core of this team. Although he has a good relationship with Nash, various comments from the outside world such as "Amare Stoudemire is nothing without Nash" and "Amare Stoudemire can only dunk" will still bother him.

He could predict that he would be very different this year.

Of course, another big difference is that the Suns players found that it was not easy for them to find their coach. From the end of the game last night to the end of training at noon the next day, Leon did not show up in front of the players.

D'Antoni had to take full charge like last season, so much so that he was muttering to himself, why on earth should I stay as an assistant coach? What is the difference between this and last year?

Of course Leon is not going to play, let alone work for his own financial fund, he is busy for the next card in his hand.

This morning, Leon and Steve Kerr took a flight to Dallas together, and they were going to meet a free agent, Grant Hill.

"If it weren't for you, Hill would have been on the team this July."

"How can you blame me? You recruited me to the team, and you didn't tell me that Grant Hill would not want to come to Phoenix because of me. If you told this, then I could consider resigning as the Suns head coach now. "

"I'm just kidding, why would Fox take you to Dallas if they needed you to resign?"

"I'm just kidding. If I resign now, Nash will kill you with one shot, and then the Phoenix fans will give you another shot."

"Fu-ck-you!"

On the plane, Cole and Leon were bickering. After becoming a commentator and then a team manager, Cole became good at talking, but Fox-Leon was the same. In the end, Cole had to use a curse word to express his dissatisfaction.

Near noon, the two got off the plane and arrived at the Dallas Airport. Then they got in the car and went to Grant Hill's home in Dallas.

This is not the first time that Leon has visited someone's home in order to recruit a player or coach. Whether it is in Boston or Phoenix, no matter how cold and harsh he is on the court, he will always put down his body to find the right fit for the team when needed. candidate.

But the difference this time is that I learned from Steve Kerr that Grant Hill was unwilling to join the Suns as a free agent because he knew he was going to be the head coach of the Suns. Likewise, he also refused Despite invitations from other teams, he has been idle since June last year. He may even consider retiring this year.

This former proud man has gained a lot on the court, but he has also lost a lot, especially his health. The battlefield of basketball has left him scarred.

This summer, he just ended his contract with the Orlando Magic. The Magic, who had fully expected to sign him with a big contract, only received a broken warrior body and a broken heart. Hill tried his best, but was unable to overcome injuries and fate. .

He is already thirty-five years old. Many players have already disappeared from the NBA at this age. Although he has not disappeared in the past few years, it is not much different from disappearing.

When Leon led the Boston Celtics to sweep the Eastern Conference, he almost never encountered Hill on the court when they met the Orlando Magic. Therefore, it was even more difficult for Leon to understand why he would become an obstacle for Hill to sign with the Suns.

"Because of the way you coached in the past, your ultimate defense, your temper, your fists, and many of your things, he was worried about whether he could survive another year in Phoenix."

In the car, Cole explained to Leon again that it was true that Leon was not popular among NBA players and that he was by no means a "player's coach." Because of his background, he is not an NBA player, has not even played a professional game, and is not even a basketball player!

More importantly, he used to work in Boston and was a direct disciple of Auerbach. Throughout the NBA, the coaches of the Boston faction are like the Sicilian Mafia in the civilized world, coming from a remote, closed and backward alley, using their old-fashioned and stubborn methods to Rules, out of place and chewing up a piece of your own territory - no one will go out, and no one will come in.

Therefore, in terms of player appeal, Leon has a destructive aura. He has a negative value. This is also true. After he joined the Suns, in addition to transactions and plunder, there was basically no free agent with some strength who wanted to join.

This time, Leon did not argue with Cole. He knew his shortcomings, that is, he did not belong to this circle. He used to be a prisoner and a gambler. For some inexplicable reasons, he finally broke into this world. In this world, Making a big splash in the world like Sun Wukong has won many things that many people will never get in their lifetime, but they still don't get some due respect.

This is the NBA, an inbred yet glamorous cycle.

Fortunately, Phoenix is ​​an open city and Nash is an absolutely great guy.

"I said Steve, if Grant doesn't respect me enough in front of me, don't blame me for being rude." Before arriving at the destination, Leon warned Cole that he wanted to tell Cole to go see Hill by himself. It was to resolve some misunderstandings between the two parties, not to grovel and beg him to come and play in the Suns.

As the head coach, Leon really hopes that Hill will come to the Suns. On the wing, they need someone with experience and defense from his hometown. Dudley is too young, and Barry can't keep up defensively. If Hill can stay healthy, Definitely a good choice.

Cole understood what Leon meant and nodded: "I know Grant is not a rude person. He just has some doubts. We need to let him put aside these doubts."

"It's best this way. I have a game tomorrow and I don't know how those guys are training."