Chapter 593 You are just a grass now, and you still think of yourself as a treasure?
At one o'clock in the afternoon, the Timberwolves arrived in Phoenix. In response to the media's request for the ball, they held a press conference in the hotel at three o'clock in the afternoon.
"Kevin, how confident are you that the Timberwolves will advance to the second round?" a reporter asked.
Garnett hesitated and thought: "We played four regular season games with the Suns and won one, which shows that we also have a chance in the playoffs.
I hope we can perform well and reaching the second round is the best result, so we will spare no effort to do so."
"Will you play against Lao K?" the reporter asked again.
"He is the center and I am the power forward."
Hearing the name Old K, Garnett felt unhappy. He suffered a loss from his boss in the regular season. Even in the game he won, he didn't perform well. If the Suns hadn't played well in that game, he wouldn't have done so well.
A teammate stood up next to him, but he still lost.
"In other words, you won't take the initiative to seek a match against Lao K? Do you think you are no match for Lao K, or is it just that your position is wrong?" the reporter asked.
Garnett snorted and said: "We are playing between teams, individual duels are not that important."
Although he tried his best to avoid talking about Lao Wang, the reporters did not let him go. The questions he asked next were basically related to Lao Wang, which made him very unhappy.
At 8 o'clock that night, TNT's New York branch broadcast an NBA program hosted by Barkley. The guests were Dream and Magic Johnson, as well as Payton and Vince Carter.
Buckley, as the host, said after the show started: "Gentlemen, tonight we actually have no core theme. We can talk about any issue. We are just for ratings. So who will start now? Does anyone have any hot topics?
It’s okay if the topic has nothing to do with the NBA.”
"Haha..." Several of them laughed.
After making a joke, Barkley didn't give anyone else a chance to speak. He looked at Carter with a smile and said, "Vince, I have a question..."
"Um?"
Seeing Buckley's evil smile, Carter suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Barkley said with a smile: "The four major shooting guards, Allen Iverson's Philadelphia team, Kobe's Lakers, and McGrady's Bulls, have all made it to the playoffs. Only your Raptors have not, and you are also the worst in terms of personal data.
One of them, the other three have all entered the top ten of the MVP rankings, do you think you are the weakest among the four shooting guards?"
Hearing Feizhu's question be so straightforward, several other people immediately looked at Carter to see how he would answer.
"Sure enough, this fat man is not a good person!"
Carter smiled bitterly in his heart and said hesitantly: "Actually, what I love is basketball. I really like this sport. What I care about is whether I can play and contribute to the team. I... don't really care about it.
A strong desire to compete with them."
"Okay, let's talk about the playoffs."
Barkley stopped as soon as he was satisfied, immediately changed the subject, looked at Payton, and asked: "Gary, why do you think the Sonics want to trade you?"
When Gary Payton heard this, he felt very uncomfortable. This season was his 13th season with the SuperSonics. He was still averaging 2,048 All-Star statistics per game. However, he was traded to the Bucks by his parent team during the season.
.
Of course, he has always been brooding about being traded, saying: "The Arklay family took over the SuperSonics in 2001. To be honest, they are good. Although they made a lot of promises that were not fulfilled, I like how they handle team affairs.
I also like their style and the way they communicate with our players. They treat the Sonics as a big family.
However, everything changed after Schultz took over the Sonics. He treated the Sonics as a business and the Sonics were no longer a big family.
Of course, it was a business, and someone had been working on moving the team to Oklahoma City, which we knew all along, and then he traded me, which was a mistake, and then he sold the team, and he sold it,
The Sonics have had three owners in a few years, which is even worse than the Suns back then..."
Barkley reminded: "Gary, you haven't said why the SuperSonics traded you. Is it because you want a big contract? We all know that your contract is about to end, and it will be over after this season."
Payton shook his head and said angrily: "No, I never asked the management for a big contract. I just said that I hope to get a contract extension in the offseason. I didn't even ask for an early extension. But
, but, do you know how Schulz answered me?"
When he said this, everyone could see the anger on his face, very strong anger.
"You said it." Buckley nodded.
Payton was very angry and said: "He said to me, I don't care about you anymore, you are nothing. Did you hear that, this is what my home team where I played for 13 seasons said to me, I am nothing, and then he traded
For me, they brought Ray Allen, a younger guy, from the Bucks, who became the future of the Sonics, and I was thrown to the Bucks."
"Will you re-sign with the Bucks?" Barkley asked with concern.
"..."
Payton glanced at Barkley. He knew that this fat guy had no good intentions and he would not be fooled. He said: "The season is not over yet. We will start the first round with the Nets tomorrow. This issue is still in the offseason.
Let’s discuss it further.”
"Okay, Gary, let's talk about the first round between the Bucks and Nets. Do you think the Bucks have hope of reaching the second round?" Barkley said with a smile.
"Of course there is a chance."
Payton snorted coldly. If the Bucks had any hope of defeating the Nets, he would have agreed to renew his contract with the Bucks long ago.
In fact, he has decided to leave the Bucks in the offseason to find a strong team that can help him realize his dream. Anyway, his home team has traded him, and now his career has reached an advanced stage. This will be his only pursuit in the future.
Target.
Seeing that Payton stopped talking, Barkley changed his target and looked at Magic Johnson with a smile.
"What do you want to know?"
Magic Johnson was so familiar with Barkley that he immediately became vigilant.
Barkley smiled and said: "Ervin, the Lakers are playing against the Kings in the first round, and there is no home court advantage. Do you think the Lakers have a chance to advance to the second round?"
Magic Johnson breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Barkley would ask some random questions.
After thinking about it, he said: "The Lakers and Kings have a total of four regular season games, with two wins and two losses. Of course we have a chance to advance to the second round.
Now that O'Neal is healthy and he and Kobe have teamed up, I think we have a great chance of beating the Kings, and we have enough confidence to advance to the second round."
Barkley led to the next question and asked: "Ervin, has Shark lost weight successfully?"
Magic Johnson sighed and said: "The current tonnage is 155 kilograms, a weight loss of 7 kilograms. If he wants to beat Old K, he needs to work harder."
"So do you think O'Neal still has the strength to compete with Old K?" Barkley asked.
Magic Johnson frowned and said: "As long as he can catch the ball under the basket, there is nothing Old K can do to him. He is still super dominant under the basket.
But he is one year older than Lao K and has more injuries than Lao K. I am afraid that his condition will decline faster than Lao K in the future. If he cannot control his weight, his condition will decline faster."
Barkley said: "In other words, O'Neal has actually come down from his peak?"
"Probably, it should still be at the end of the peak." Magic Johnson said vaguely and stopped answering the question.
But basically, everyone can tell that O'Neal is declining from his peak.
"Hakeem, do you think that guy K is still at his peak?" Barkley changed his target again.
Dameng shook his head and said: "From a personal data point of view, the points per game have dropped, and the desire to attack on the court has weakened. This is indeed a downward trend. But in terms of efficiency, he is still at his peak.
Old K's situation is a bit complicated. After his comeback, there has been a clear transformation. Low-post attacks have decreased, mobility has become stronger, and some mid-range shots have been added. The Suns now emphasize both positional warfare and small-ball tactics, and his tactical status has weakened somewhat.
From this analysis, he is indeed declining from his peak."
"You have such a good relationship, don't you know his specific situation?" Payton asked thoughtfully.
Dameng and Buckley looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.
They often contacted Lao K, and of course they talked about these issues. They knew Lao K's current situation and thoughts very well, but they couldn't talk about it here.
Old K told them clearly that his condition is still at its peak, and he is very hopeful that he can maintain his peak period for two or three years. He hopes to create a dynasty with the Suns, and will retire as soon as he builds a dynasty.
This idea is currently unknown to the outside world and Lao K has not revealed it to the media. The reason is, of course, because the league and the US media are currently targeting him and do not want to cause trouble.
If Old K reveals this idea to the outside world, he will definitely become a loser immediately. I am afraid it will be very difficult for the Suns to complete a small transaction.
Payton was very disappointed. He also hoped to contact the Suns during the offseason to see if he could join the Suns and compete for a championship. Now he has to reconsider.
The Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Suns are the teams he is considering joining, but the Kings are not among them.
It's not that the king is not strong, it's that the king's style doesn't suit him.
In fact, the Suns are not very suitable for him, because the Suns emphasize defensive counterattacks and have to participate in quick kicks from the outside. He is old and can no longer run.
In contrast, the Lakers' style is actually more suitable for him, and they currently lack a point guard like him.
In addition, the Trail Blazers do not have a true point guard and lack people like him.
Both teams focus on positional battles, and he prefers the styles of these two teams.
He has not considered the Eastern Conference. From the Nets to the Pistons, they are not as strong as the Western Conference. They are obviously weaker. In the finals, neither the Nets nor the Pistons should be able to defeat the Western Conference.
After the show was over and Dameng and the others left, Barkley and Dameng grabbed Payton and said they wanted to treat him to a drink. The three of them found a nightclub and sat down.
"Gary, can we tell you now, where are you going to go next season?" Barkley asked.
Payton shook his head and said: "Don't consider this issue now."
"Come on, if you don't consider it now, there will be no chance for you to consider it in the future. The lineups of several strong teams have stabilized. If you don't fix it early, even if you join them in the future, you will only be able to play as a substitute." Barkley said.
Payton said hesitantly: "I want to see if the Lakers and Trail Blazers have a chance. They are both short of players at the No. 1 position."
"Wouldn't it be over if I didn't tell you earlier?"
Barkley analyzed: "If you are willing to join with a minimum salary, then there will definitely be no problem. They will definitely want you. But why don't you consider the Suns?"
Dameng nodded and said: "The Suns are the best consideration. Gary, Old K has won six championships in nine years. If you choose to go to the Lakers and Trail Blazers, you might end up with nothing!"
Payton frowned and asked, "What is Lao K's current state?"
Dameng and Barkley looked at each other, and the latter said: "She should still be at her peak."
"How long will it last?" Payton asked.
"Then who can say for sure? Where you want to go, you decide for yourself. You are old, and now you are nothing but a piece of grass, and you still think of yourself as a treasure?" the bad-tempered Dameng said angrily.
Payton was so angry that he also said angrily: "Who doesn't know that you and old K have a good relationship, so I just don't go to the Suns. Who among the Trail Blazers and Lakers, plus me, can't kill the Suns?"
"Let's go, Hakeem, let's go. Let this old bastard cry from now on." Buckley stood up and left, and Dameng followed suit.
The troubled and depressed Payton drank a few glasses of wine alone. When he was about to leave the nightclub, he was blocked by someone. It turned out that Barkley did not pay the bill when he left. This made him angry. Didn't he agree to treat him? Co-authored
Is it your treat and I pay the bill?
"Old K, I just helped you pull the gloves, but the old guy didn't agree. Dameng had such a bad temper that he messed up the matter. I think he did it on purpose."
Buckley and Dameng returned to the hotel and quietly called Lao Wang, and also hacked Dameng.
"Gary Payton? Where is he going to go next season?" Lao Wang didn't know this and asked casually.
"It's either the Trail Blazers or the Lakers," Barkley said.
"Damn, this is going to be very troublesome!"
Lao Wang is beginning to have a headache. If these two teams get gloves, their strength should be greatly improved and they will pose a great threat to the Suns.
Especially for the Trail Blazers, Pippen is old and injured, and he can't actually play anymore. If the Suns want to beat the Trail Blazers this time, one is his own performance, and the second is Pippen. As long as Marion is on guard against the Blazers,
Peng, if he locks down Duncan again, he will have a chance to win the next round of the series.
But if the Trail Blazers get Payton, the current state of the gloves can completely make up for Pippen's half-disabled organizational function.
On the other hand, joining the Lakers is not as big of a threat as joining the Trail Blazers.
Kobe's personality is too strong and he wants the ball too much. If Payton joins the Lakers, whether Kobe is willing to give up control of the ball is still a question. If Payton doesn't have the ball in his hands, then he is worse than an ordinary person.
shooter.
On the 19th, the first round of the playoffs begins.
The current rules have been changed. The first round used to be a best-of-five game system, but now it is a best-of-seven game system. The home and away schedule is 22111.
Western Conference, Trail Blazers vs. Mosaic, Suns vs. Timberwolves.
In the Eastern Conference, the Nets vs. Bucks, the Pacers vs. the Digital Team.
At 8 o'clock, the Suns and Timberwolves will start the battle first.
Lao Wang still focuses on restricting Garnett. With the strength of the Suns, there is no problem in beating the Timberwolves. He does not need to attack hard.
Sure enough, two hours later, the Suns successfully defeated the Timberwolves and won their first victory in the G1 game.
Lao Wang scored 21 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks in the three quarters. The lead was too big and the three quarters were clocked out.
In the other three games, the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Mosaic, the Nets also easily defeated the Bucks, but the Pacers lost to the Digital Team at home.
The explosive Iverson scored 42 points and defeated Reggie Miller.
Lao Wang called Dayao and asked about the situation.
The Nets are obviously stronger than the Bucks. The Bucks' main center Earvin Johnson is just a third-rate center. Dayao has a great advantage in the interior. He only played 34 minutes and scored 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.
The next day, four more first-round games began.
The Western Conference Mavericks were upset and lost to the aging Jazz. They were beaten inside by the still powerful Postman. Nowitzki suffered a nosebleed from an elbow from Karl Malone. He only played 24 minutes and scored 13 points.
In addition, the Lakers and Kings battled into overtime, and the Lakers defeated the Kings in the end.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons defeated the young Bulls, and the Pelicans also defeated the Green Team.
On the 21st, the Suns defeated the Timberwolves again and won their second consecutive home victory. Next, they will go to the away game.
The Trail Blazers and Nets also won the G2 game, but the Philadelphia team that won the first game was defeated by the Pacers, and the two teams tied at one.
On the 22nd, in the West, the Mavericks and Kings each pulled back a game and tied with the Jazz and Lakers. In the East, the Pelicans defeated the Green Team for the second time, but the Bulls played a youthful storm and defeated the Pistons and also tied.
On the 23rd, the Suns started a G3 game with the Timberwolves away from home.
The Timberwolves intended to take advantage of the home court to get back a win, but Lao Wang did not give them this chance. He strengthened his personal offense in this game, whether it was center Rasu or Garnett guarding him, or double-teaming him in advance.
He failed to defend himself and scored 37 points with a shooting percentage of 61.5%. He also grabbed 18 rebounds and provided 7 assists, leading the team to three defeats against the Timberwolves.
In the other three games, the Trail Blazers lost on the road and were held back by Mosaic. The same was true for the Eastern Nets. They lost on the road, but the Philadelphia Digital Team returned home and defeated the Pacers again, gaining a big advantage.