novelhk Chapter 573 The Christmas Battle is Coming! Lin Tian Teaches You How to Talk About Trash
Chapter 573 The Christmas Battle is Coming! Lin Tian Teaches You How to Talk About Trash
Chapter 573 The Christmas Battle is Coming! Lin Tian Teaches You How to Trash Talk!
Throughout November, the Knicks were undoubtedly the hottest team in the entire league, and Lin Tian naturally became the most anticipated superstar in the league. Everyone was looking forward to whether he could become another player like Robertson to achieve a triple-double average for the season.
As time went on, the Knicks' winning streak was not going to last forever. After a crazy winning streak in November, they started losing in December.
In the first five games of December, the Knicks only had a 2-3 record. Their shooting started to fluctuate, and they weren't as aggressive when they were running.
However, this is just a normal fluctuation in performance. Every team has a few days when they are not in good form and experience fluctuations. So neither Lin Tian nor the Knicks coaching staff took it seriously.
If there are no fluctuations and the player maintains a high power output level throughout the entire season, wouldn't that make them a monster?
Do you really think everyone has cheat codes?
After experiencing fluctuations at the beginning of the month, the Knicks' record has gradually improved as the season progresses.
As of December 24, 2005, the Knicks' record was temporarily set at 24 wins and 5 losses. Although they only achieved a record of 7 wins and 5 losses in the entire month of December, ranking only in the upper-middle of the league, the foundation they laid in November was really solid, so they were still ranked first in the league.
By this time, everyone knew what was about to happen.
The annual Christmas battle!
It's also the day when the most anticipated final showdowns of the regular season kick off!
This year, the league continues to tailor games for fans from all walks of life, and has prepared three of their favorite showdowns for this night!
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Detroit Pistons will travel to Phoenix to face the Suns in an ultimate offensive and defensive showdown.
As for the Knicks, they played as the final team in the series, hosting the San Antonio Spurs at home!
The Spurs have made tremendous progress in their record this season. After the adjustment period last season, they are back on track this season. The combination of McGrady and James is becoming more and more powerful, and the team also has Bosh, a high-quality center from the 03 draft class, anchoring the team.
After a disappointing first-round exit last season, the Spurs are clearly determined to go even further this season. They have been going all out to win from the start of the season and have now surpassed traditional Western Conference powerhouses such as the Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Suns to take the top spot in the West!
A record of 20 wins and 10 losses is enough to put them at the top of the standings for the time being.
Of course, in the incredibly competitive Western Conference, the Spurs' position is far from secure. The second-place Suns are only 0.5 games behind them, and the Timberwolves are only 1 game behind.
In other words, if the Suns and Timberwolves win tonight and the Spurs lose, they will drop directly to third place!
Meanwhile, teams like the Lakers, Grizzlies, and SuperSonics are also eyeing the Spurs closely. If given the chance, they could easily take a step forward, surpass the Spurs, and secure a better ranking for themselves!
To put it more bluntly, there is only a 2.5-game difference between the first and sixth seed in the West. If you're not careful, three days is enough time for a team to drop from the top seed to the sixth seed in the West!
This gives a glimpse into the wildness of the West!
Therefore, the pressure on every team in the Western Conference is enormous! 50 wins may not even guarantee a playoff spot, and at least 55 wins are needed to secure home-court advantage in the first round!
That's why the Spurs are determined to win every game from now on!
If the other strong teams in the West have already proven themselves in the regular season and even the playoffs and have already gained recognition, then the Spurs, a team that has only just achieved some success this year, are in a stage where they crave results and recognition!
The Spurs are now a formidable team! They are qualified to fight for a better position in the regular season and seek greater long-term development and better results in the playoffs!
Although point guard Mike Bibby, whom the team acquired from the Kings this summer, is still struggling to adapt, he has very few touches with the ball and almost no opportunity or power to organize play, especially with two stars on the team, McGrady and James.
Fortunately, the "White Devil" was a seasoned veteran, and he knew exactly where he was and what he was supposed to do.
This season, Bibby has focused on being a spot-up shooter and defensive specialist. He uses his experience and physical advantages to often become the primary barrier against the opposing team's high-scoring backcourt players.
Although his average stats this season have dropped to 12.3 points and 3.8 assists, at least Popovich and Spurs fans are still very satisfied with him!
In addition, there is the team's third-in-command, Chris Bosh, who also belongs to the 03 draft class! This talented and technically skilled big man, although his average stats are not impressive, with only 16 points and 7 rebounds, is often criticized by fans for being soft and always playing too lightly.
Anyone who understands basketball knows how important he is to this team. He is the core of the team's interior defense and the most important help defense point. Without him filling in the gaps and helping to defend everywhere in the paint, the Spurs' defense would not be ranked in the top five in the league!
The team's starting center, Rasu Nesterovic, is arguably the team's best player and the one who specializes in doing the dirty work.
Nesterovic is only outstanding in height, weight, wingspan, and size; otherwise, he is unremarkable. Popovich started him because he valued his ability to protect the rim.
After all, whether it's James, Bosh, or McGrady on the team, they are all guys who are better at help defense than one-on-one.
The team needs a blue-collar defensive anchor in the paint so that James and Bosh can confidently roam around and help on defense.
The team's bench is mainly supported by Michael Finley, who was bought out by the Mavericks, and second-year rookie JR Smith.
Although Finley is past his prime and is no longer the leader who dominated the Western Conference Finals, his experience and skills remain. This season, he averaged 10.1 points per game and is still an important part of the team.
As for JR, he now has the nickname "Artificial Intelligence," and some people also call him "God and Demon in One" or "Unpredictable Blade."
You can tell what kind of playing style this guy has just from his nickname.
After all, a person's name might be wrong, but their nickname certainly won't be. He can hit 6 three-pointers and score 30 points in one night, and then the next day he can go 0 for 10, score no points, and give his opponent 5 turnovers.
How he behaves depends entirely on God's mood today!
Then, of course, are the team's two absolute core players: McGrady and James!
This season, McGrady averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He mainly received the ball on the wing for isolation plays and drove to the basket to dish. However, although his drives were still sharp and his shooting was still accurate, he was only the second option for the Spurs.
The team's top spot undoubtedly belongs to LeBron James, who has undergone a transformation this season and whose body has fully matured.
本赛季的詹姆斯场均能够贡献27分7篮板7助攻的超全面数据，他和林天也是联盟仅有的两名20+7+7以上的球员，他的全能、强壮、早熟以及冷静的球风，已经让无数的人们看好他。
I'm optimistic that he will become another ruler of the league after Lin Tian and Jordan!
Of course, whether he can do it or not depends on whether he and the team have the ability!
But this match is definitely exciting enough!
The showdown between veteran stars Tracy McGrady and Lin Tian, the encounter of three members of the 03 draft class – Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh – the head-to-head clash between the top teams in the East and West, and the first-ever showdown between the league's top teams.
Of course, there's also the rematch between former mentor and protégé Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich. Who will come out on top this time?
"I've prepared a turkey. Want to come to my house for a drink after the match?" Before the match started, Old Nelson was quite polite to his apprentice, greeting him with a smile.
"No, I have to go see my granddaughter! They're waiting for me in San Antonio. I hope you'll go easy on me, teacher, or I'll have to go home with a long face to spend Christmas with my family."
"Okay, I'll win by a maximum of 15 points tonight, I promise it won't exceed 20 points, is that fair? Also, I won't be using the few new tactics I've been working on against you guys today! If you still lose, don't blame me."
Popovich was just being polite and modest, but he clearly forgot that you can't be modest to Nelson!
This old man is the type who'll beam with joy if given a little sunshine, and climb the ladder if given a stick.
If you're polite to him, he'll shut you up in no time.
But now that he's said he'll be lenient with the score and even mentioned having a mysterious new tactic he's prepared to keep secret...
Popovich stroked his beard and decided that Old Nelson hadn't said a word!
Only an idiot would take this guy's words to heart.
The best way to deal with Don Nelson is to treat everything he says as nonsense. This way, you won't get angry during the game, and you'll be able to easily devise tactics and be in complete control!
If we take every word he says to heart?
Popovich did the same thing when he first became Nelson's apprentice in his youth, and then didn't get a full night's sleep for a month. He was almost driven to a nervous breakdown by this strange and eccentric old man!
Old Nelson's head was filled with far too many wildly imaginative ideas.
A small portion of these things might become tactical or useful, but most of them are useless waste.
So Popovich is quite adept at dealing with Don Nelson. He walked to the bench, gathered all his players together, and said, "I'll repeat myself one last time: the most important thing against the Knicks isn't stopping them, it's scoring more points than them!"
"Everyone remember this: tonight, I allow you to have some minor defensive lapses or lapses in concentration. I allow you to focus more on your offense."
"Tonight we have only one goal: to outscorate the Knicks! Let's go, and earn ourselves the perfect Christmas present!"
"yes!"
The Spurs' starting five slowly walked onto the court.
"Don't be afraid of them, they're not that great." Old Nelson remained relaxed: "We've already studied and discussed their tactics and the types of games they're used to playing."
"They play a very advanced form of basketball: two point forwards organize, initiate, and finish, while the other three players on the team are all pure finishers. In that respect, they are somewhat similar to perfection."
"But the biggest difference between them and us is that we are simpler, more direct, and crazier! While they, especially that Popovich, after studying with me for a few years, actually went to Larry Brown, that old idiot, to learn tactics."
"ridiculous."
"What can you learn from that old geezer? Rigor? Machine-like operation? Soulless tactics and rigid, formulaic maneuvering like a puppet on strings?"
"Now that we've discussed this, I think everyone knows our goals and strategy for tonight."
"Smash their basketball philosophy to pieces! Prove to me that their whole thing is utter bullshit!"
"Let them know that basketball is a beautiful thing full of romance and randomness! Not something made up of mathematical formulas through calculations and research!"
"clear!"
The entire Knicks team shouted together, displaying considerable momentum. However, Lin Tian knew that apart from himself, probably none of the dozen or so players on the team could understand what Old Nelson was saying.
Whether you understand it or not is not important.
Everyone just needs to understand one more thing.
Tonight, Don Nelson hopes his players will crush the Spurs!
Then smash them to pieces!
With utmost confidence, Lin Tian led his team onto the court.
"Melo, long time no see." James reached out and hugged Anthony, saying, "I'll prove I was the best of the 03 draft class!"
"You'll never prove something that doesn't even exist in your life," Anthony said with a laugh. "Why don't you learn how to shoot first? I can teach you, or if that doesn't work, you can get Tracy to teach you. Your shooting form is awful!"
"Oh! LeBron, I forgot." Anthony suddenly grinned mischievously, "It's not just your shooting that's ugly; aside from your dunks, there aren't many things about you that aren't ugly!"
Murder and kill!
Especially when Carmelo Anthony, who is skilled and good-looking, said those words to James, James felt as if his heart was bleeding.
So what if my shooting form is ugly? Can't I make the shot?
Yeah, it's not very accurate, but so what?
So what if my breakthrough was ugly? Did I manage to break through?
So what if my passing form isn't pretty? Does it turn into an assist? Does it mean I've broken through the opponent's defense?
James' eyes widened, and he launched into a fierce counterattack.
The main point is that I don't want those vague and unrealistic things. In my life, all I want is efficiency and practicality!
Faced with James's almost shameless retort, Anthony was stunned.
Although he had attended school a year longer than James, he hadn't taken more classes than James, and he was immediately stumped by James's counter-question.
"LeBron, isn't your headband higher up than it was in your rookie year?" Just as Anthony was a little bewildered, Lin Tian made a dazzling entrance!
A friendly off-field help has arrived, buddy!
Not only did they arrive, but they also delivered a decisive blow right from the start.
It hits you in the direction that hurts the most and that you can't refute at all.
Consider this a lesson for the little brother!
The important thing about trash talk is never how to respond, but how to find the other person's sore spot. As long as you attack that sore spot relentlessly, no matter how eloquent the other person is, they will definitely break down.
Simply put: the essence of humanity is that of a repeating machine.
On the court, repeatedly saying the same thing to your opponent can sometimes be more effective than spouting random, varied phrases!
The best examples are Bird yelling at Dr. J for the entire game when the score was 42-6, and Ewing yelling at Jordan for the entire game when the score was 1800-300.
One is an individual's points in this game, and the other is their annual salary.
Jordan and Dr. J were also brought to their knees by this constant barrage of trash talk.
As for the outcome?
Dr. J and Barkley teamed up to smash Bird's nose.
Lin Tian and Jordan teamed up and left the entire Knicks in despair.
"How did you notice..." Anthony initially looked puzzled, then suddenly realized, slapped his thigh, and pointed at James' headband, saying, "LeBron, you're a genius! Using this trick to cover your hairline, you can delay the discovery of your receding hairline by at least five years!"
"My hairline hasn't changed!" James pouted, angrily saying, "You're not without a headband!"
After saying that, James regretted it a little.
Just look at Anthony's signature cornrows to see how thick his hair is! How can someone with thin hair get cornrows?
Not logical!
Then James glanced at Lin Tian again, opened his mouth, and then promptly shut it.
Anthony could still manage a weak counter-question, after all, the users of cornrow hairstyles might also be trying to cover up alopecia areata, right?
Ke Lintian...
His hair was so thick that James thought even Ben Wallace's afro might not be as dense as Lin Tian's.
It would be a waste not to take a picture of the shampoo.
"LeBron, I suggest you use our AJ headband. It's 2 millimeters thicker than the regular Nike one, which is better for covering your hairline." Anthony was laughing so hard his stomach hurt, as if he had discovered a new continent: "Anyway, we're all from the same company, so it's unlikely you'll be considered to have breached your contract by wearing a competitor's product."
"Can you shut the hell up?!" James cursed, then ripped the headband off his head and threw it angrily to the floor. "Look closely, my hair is thick, and my hairline hasn't receded at all!"
"Pick it up!" Just then, the Dragonfly team captain, the referee, arrived and pointed to the hairband on the floor, saying, "Otherwise, even if the game hasn't started, I'll give you a technical foul!"
"FUXX!" What can James do?
Even though he desperately needed to project power, firstly, the referee had pointed his finger at him, and secondly, there were only four players left on the team. Nesterovic was a dim-witted European, and JR's brain was no match for him; expecting him to get him out of trouble was wishful thinking.
As for McGrady and Bibby, regardless of their status on the team or whether they are the cornerstones of the team, asking them to pick up James' headband and help him out is like hoping that JR Smith will suddenly have a breakthrough!
James was filled with resentment, but he could only bend down to pick up the headband himself. He was too embarrassed to put it on, so he walked to the sideline grumbling and threw the headband onto the bench.
(End of this chapter)