On November 1, 1994, the Suns held their own media conference for the new season.
"Old K, espn's prediction last season was completely correct. The Bulls did win the championship as we expected. So now what do you think about espn's prediction of the probability of winning this time?" an espn reporter asked proudly.
Lao Wang glared at the reporter angrily and said, "What about the year before last? I just got lucky once."
"..."
The reporter opened his mouth and had nothing to say. He really missed the mark the year before last.
After answering several reporters' questions, a Chicago Sports reporter got the opportunity and asked: "I would like to ask about the Bulls' sixth man..."
"Poof!"
Everyone in the press hall burst into laughter, including many Suns players.
"Security, take him out."
Pointing at the reporter, Lao Wang said angrily: "Let him give Jordan a message. Jordan won the championship last season because of us, otherwise they couldn't do Mosaic. If the Bulls want to defend the title this season, it depends on our faces.
"
"Old K, what are you going to do?" a reporter asked loudly.
"Close the door and enlarge your dream." Lao Wang said.
The reporters looked at each other in confusion. Although they didn't understand what closing the door meant, they knew that Lao Wang's words meant to release the water.
If Big Dream hadn't suffered too much against Old K in the Western Conference Finals, his performance in the finals wouldn't have been so bad. If he meets the Suns in the playoffs again this time, if Old K lets loose, the situation will still be better.
It is really beneficial to the Mosaic team. After all, the Bulls are missing a Grant and their strength is weakened.
Old K, you are so shameless, can this method be used? If you dare to let Mosaic go in the Western Conference Finals, aren't you afraid of being sold by the Suns owner and spurned by the Suns fans?
They thought too much. Lao Wang was just making fun of him. Last season, he wanted to kill Mosaic, reach the finals and make Jordan look good again, but he didn't succeed. How could he be so crazy?
His real idea, of course, is the same as last season: to reach the finals, end Jordan's consecutive title defense, and turn the opponent's honor into his own.
If Jordan wants to win consecutive championships, don’t even think about it! If he wants to win a dynasty, don’t even think about it!
"Shet!"
An hour later, Jordan, who was training, heard these words from a reporter accompanying the team and cursed angrily: "This idiot, even if he dreams of reaching the finals, we can still kill Mosaic."
Not long after, Dameng also heard what Lao Wang said to reporters, and said to Barkley angrily: "What does that idiot Lao K mean? Do you want him to let us go if we enter the finals? We are already better than them."
…
On the 2nd, TNT conducted a hierarchical analysis of NBA teams and divided all teams in the league into five levels.
The Bulls are the only team listed as a super strong team.
The reason is that they defeated the Mosaic team 4-1 in the finals. The team's strength and influence are unparalleled, and currently no team can compare with it.
No one objects to this statement. This crazy bull is indeed at its peak.
Below the Bulls, there are first-rate teams, that is, championship-level teams, including the Mosaics, Spurs, Suns, and Knicks.
The reason is that these four teams have all experienced the test of the playoffs and are extremely competitive in the playoffs. They each have strong inside pillars and good outside lineups. If there is not a Bull above them, they will not be able to win.
In previous years, these teams will have strong ability to compete for the championship.
There are several other teams that are good, but these teams have not proven themselves in the playoffs, so they cannot be included here.
Below this are the quasi-first-class teams, namely the Magic, Jazz, Pacers, and SuperSonics.
These four teams, both in terms of lineup and strength, as well as their performance in the playoffs in recent seasons, are weaker than the previous four teams. They have the ability to hit the championship, but there is not much hope, but
They should perform well in the regular season.
Below this are the second-tier teams, and the remaining half of the teams are in this category, such as the Lakers, Celtics, Hawks, Trail Blazers and other teams.
The last level is the third-rate bad teams, including the Clippers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Mavericks, Heat, etc., as well as the Philadelphia Digital team, which failed to rebuild, is also included.
TNT's five-tier team-level analysis has been recognized by other media and fans, and is more recognized than ESPN's championship probability ranking.
On November 4th, the NBA 94/95 season kicked off.
The day before, the Suns came to Sacramento, and the opening game of the new season was an away game against the Kings.
The Kings are a bad team that has not made it to the playoffs in eight years. The lineup this season is also bad. With the strength of the Suns, it is easy to get a good start to the new season.
In the Suns' tactics in the new season, Wang Tiejun's tactical position is more important than last season.
This is because during the full-team training during this period, Kevin Johnson's condition was obviously not as good as last season, and his breakthrough ability was weakened. As a speed point guard, his speed dropped, and his tactical effect declined a lot. The breakthrough tactics
The effect is not very significant, and it can only give more tactical status to the low position.
Of course, this refers to the tactical position, not the shot. Because of the addition of Danny Manning, Lao Wang's scoring tasks have not increased this season.
However, with the decline of Kevin Johnson, the status of the outside core has been reduced. As the inside core, his status in the team is gradually increasing. The Suns are transforming from a dual-core team to a single-core team.
Therefore, the team does not have strict restrictions on the number of shots he can take. If he wants to take more shots, the coaching staff also supports him.
In fact, he joined the Suns in the same year as head coach Zesterfall. The latter's prestige and status in the team are not necessarily higher than his. Even if he really wants to restrict him, there is no way.
For this game, Westphal's starting lineup is Wang Tiejun, Danny Manning, Robert Horry, Dan Marley, Kevin Johnson and other five players.
After the roster was announced, AC Green and Thorpe seemed very silent and did not speak. The atmosphere in the locker room was not very harmonious.
Westphal is also helpless. Green and Thorpe are the main players in the Lakers and Mosaic. They have the qualifications and strength to play main players in other teams, but there is no way. He must let Danny Manning, a stronger person, play.
Main force.
To say that the Suns are very strong inside this season, K., Danny Manning, AC Green, Thorpe, from the main lineup to the bench, they are all top-notch in the league.
In particular, Old K. Manning's main inside combination is definitely the top combination in the league on the offensive end. That is, the combination of Barkley and Big Dream can compete, and no other team is a match.
Of course, on the defensive end, old K Manning is far inferior to Dameng and Barkley. Therefore, comparing the overall strength of these two interior combinations, they may still be weaker.
However, the Mosaic team's interior substitutes are not as good as the Suns. Thorpe Green can completely defeat the Mosaic team's interior substitutes, so overall, the Suns' interior players this year are definitely not weaker than the Mosaic team.
They just want to be the main force. This issue is related to personal interests and there is no room for coordination, which makes him very helpless.
He believes that his inside players will undergo some adjustments this season, and the management has been working on this aspect.
At half past eight, the game starts.
In this game, Wang Tiejun played 42 minutes.
He made a total of 18 of 25 shots, with a shooting percentage of 72%, and 10 of 18 free throws. He scored 46 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 1 turnover and 3 fouls. His performance was astonishing.
With his current tonnage of 129 kilograms, coupled with 98 levels of strength, a height of 216 centimeters, and a wingspan of 231 centimeters, he is an absolute beast in the penalty area. The King is simply unstoppable, and he can do whatever he wants in the penalty area.
In the first regular season game of this season, he broke his career single-game scoring high. The original record was 41 points.
His inside partner Danny Manning made 5 of 16 shots and 4 of 8 free throws. He scored 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 turnovers and 6 fouls. His form was obviously not good, and he was still on vacation during the offseason.
in state.
This data fully exposed his weakness in rebounding.
Others were also in average shape. Kevin Johnson made 2 of 7 shots and only had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Dan Marley only made 4 of 10 shots, 2 of 6 three-pointers, and only had 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.
Green and Thorpe, who came off the bench, scored 7 points and 5 points respectively, and their performances were average.
However, substitute inside man Waiman Tisdale made 5 of 12 shots and 6 of 8 free throws, scoring 16 points and 8 rebounds. His performance was not bad.
Robert Horry, who claimed to have practiced shooting during the offseason, made 3 of 9 shots, a shooting percentage of 33.3%, and 1 of 4 three-pointers, scoring only 7 points.
This hit rate was really unsatisfactory for an open shooter, so after the game, he didn't even dare to look at Lao Wang and ran back to the locker room.
It is precisely because of the general lack of condition of his teammates that Lao Wang had to play 42 minutes against a bad team like the Kings.
He also scored his 3,000th career point, but there was no point reward and he still only has 200 points in hand.
Returning to the locker room after the game, head coach Westphal severely criticized the players' state and asked everyone to strengthen training and get out of shape as soon as possible.
In the bathroom, Lao Wang was soaking in his medicine bucket. After the head coach finished his summary, he shouted: "Coach Lewis, have you got O'Neal's data?"
The Magic also had a game tonight, and he was very concerned about O'Neal's performance. This was his real competitor in his career, so he asked Lewis to pay attention to it for him.
Lewis came over with several data sheets and said: "In 37 minutes, 9 of 18 shots, 10 of 14 free throws, 29 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. Old K, your performance was even better this time.
"
"Three steals? He just got lucky." He laughed.
Lewis added: "But the Magic lost to that bad Bullets team and lost by two points."
Lao Wang laughed, then asked with a smile: "Where are the other teams?"
Lewis added: "The Jazz defeated the Heat, the Spurs lost to the Warriors..."
"What?"
Lao Wang said in surprise: "Do the Spurs even dare to lose to the Warriors?"
Lewis laughed and said: "The Warriors exploded tonight, three people scored 20 points, and the Spurs lost their temper."
"This is the NBA. Even bad teams can win, even if Jordan comes," Lao Wang said with a smile.
Lewis smiled and added: "Mosaic beat the Nets, but Barkley has not recovered from his injury and is out."
Lao Wang's eyes narrowed and he nodded: "It seems like the chances this season are really good."
At this time, other players poured into the bathroom. When they heard his words, they all had their own reactions.
For example, Thorpe and Green showed no expressions, and their mentality of wanting to leave the Suns has not changed.
For the championship, ordinary players like them don't have as strong a desire to chase the championship as Big Dream and Barkley. Their thoughts are more practical, to get the main position and strive for a bigger contract.
Colangelo has talked with them separately and will try to trade them, but the bottom line is that the team cannot suffer a loss. Before the transaction is completed, they must play hard and cannot slack off.
Danny Manning was a little excited when he heard what Lao Wang said. Although he was the No. 1 pick, he was sold by the Clippers. This meant that his value was negated. He needed a championship to stabilize and enhance his value.
As for Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley, they have already won a championship. They fought for one last season but had no good results. They are getting older and older. In fact, their pursuit of the championship is no longer what it used to be.
It's heated.
However, they have a very strong relationship with Wang Tiejun and are very loyal to the Suns, so their attitude has always been very supportive. However, now their strength has begun to decline and they are unable to give the most powerful support. They are kind of weak-willed.
Everyone has their own ideas, which is why Colangelo wanted a few draft picks when he traded Barkley. Because reconstruction must focus on young players. Only these new forces can have impact and talent.
Only players who are motivated and trained by themselves will have a sense of belonging to the team and will not ask for trades at every turn.
On the 5th, the Suns returned to Phoenix.
There are two home games next, the Heat and Hawks will come to visit.
The Suns successfully won these two games. At the end of the first week, they won three consecutive games.
When playing against the Heat, Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley had an explosive performance, scoring 31 points and 20 points respectively. Danny Manning suffered a slight injury during the game and only got 20 minutes and scored 10 points.
When playing against the Hawks, Kevin Johnson and Dan Marley were not as good as in the previous game, scoring only 10 points. However, Danny Manning was in good form against his last team, scoring 30 points, 8 rebounds, and a shooting percentage of 10.
Also 68%.
Horry scored 11 points and 13 points in the two games, with shooting percentages of 41% and 44% respectively. His condition is improving, but overall it is not better than last season.
To be honest, Wang Tiejun thinks that Horry's scoring ability is not as good as Ceballos's. He just has a little ability to shoot open shots, but he is not accurate. It's just that Ceballos is good at breakthroughs and his shooting ability is not very good, which is not consistent with his style.
Matching leads to being traded.
After three games and five starts, except for himself, who averaged 34 points, 16 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.6 blocks in three games, the performance of the other four players was not stable.
This is the normal state at the beginning of the new season. After a few months of rest, no one will maintain such a stable state, unless they maintain the state through additional training during the offseason, but that is not something ordinary players can persist.
On the 8th, one-third of the training time has been completed for the three ongoing trainings. Blocking and individual defense have been upgraded by one level, to levels 90 and 92, and assist defense has been upgraded by two levels, to level 83.
On Monday, the 10th, the Suns flew to Seattle.
This time there are three away games, followed by the SuperSonics and the Clippers, a back-to-back game.
After arriving at the Seattle hotel at three o'clock in the afternoon, Lao Wang asked the team staff to get a few newspapers for today.
He is preparing to strive for hard honors this season, such as scoring champion and other individual honors, and even MVP. Now he thinks he has the strength.
The official ranking list of mvp is updated every week, and the ranking of the scoring champion is the same. The first ranking list will be released today.
Open the sports section of the New York Times, and the headlines are the latest mvp rankings officially released by the NBA today, as well as the rankings of individual data leaders such as scoring leader and assist leader.
"Tie Jun, how are you?" Liu Changfeng, who was still sharing a room with him, came over and asked.
Lao Wang laughed and said: "I am ranked first in scoring, and Jordan is second, averaging 30.5 points per game. This guy doesn't have the spirit of last season.
But it’s hard to say, he’s one year older and his physical peak should have passed, so he might be holding back and saving his physical fitness for the playoffs.”
"Where's the mvp?" Liu Changfeng asked quickly.
Lao Wang looked at it again, and this time his smile was not so big, and said: "Jordan is first, and I am second. What the heck, the Bulls also won three consecutive games in the beginning, and his personal data is also good."
"Didn't he win four MVPs? Will they be returned to him this season?" Liu Changfeng now knows a lot about the NBA.
"In order to promote the influence of the NBA around the world, the league must create gods. The Bulls will definitely defend their title this season and create opportunities for three consecutive championships. It's hard to say! For the league and Americans, I am an outsider after all."
Wang shook his head and said.
He looked again and saw that O'Neal ranked third in scoring, averaging 30.1 points in three games. This fat guy was also pretty good, averaging 29.3 points per game last season.
But he looked at O'Neal's other statistics and saw that his rebounds were two points lower than last season. Is this fat man lazy?
As for the shot-blocking leader, he has 11 blocks in three games, and Mutombo has 12 blocks in three games. He is the second most shot-blocking leader.
In terms of rebounds, he had 48 in three games, while Rodman had 50, a total of two more than him, and he was second.
The second in MVP, the second in rebounding, the second in blocks, I'm so annoyed, why are they all the second?
