Bishop of the Devil

The only good thing is that the Trail Blazers' record is still among the top eight in the Western Conference, even if they only have a 50% winning rate.

Richard remembers clearly that the current situation is that the east is strong and the west is weak.

In the Eastern Conference, if you want to enter the playoffs, you don't have a 50% winning rate, so don't even think about it...

But here in the Western Conference, even a winning rate of more than 40% can make the playoffs.

Of course, the West is not that much weaker. The top four in the Eastern Conference all have more than 55 wins, and the same goes for the top four in the Western Conference. Without more than 55 wins, there is no way to squeeze into the top half of the Western Conference playoffs.

With 55 wins, that can be a winning rate of close to 70%.

There are actually eight teams in the league with a winning rate of close to 70% in one season. This data is enough to show how exciting basketball in this era is...

There are many strong teams and the competition is extremely fierce.

There were eight teams with more than 55 wins in the 1996-97 season, and the same will be true next season, with eight teams again.

These two seasons are definitely highlights in the entire NBA history!

Later, the NBA never saw such a grand occasion, and there was even a situation where it topped the Eastern Conference record list with only 50 wins...

…

Now that Richard is in the Western Conference, the pressure is not too great. As long as he can guarantee a 50% winning rate, he can safely enter the playoffs!

…

After three consecutive defeats, the system, which had never had any sense of existence, issued another mission.

"Mission name: Rise of the New Army ①!"

"Mission goal: In the 1996-1997 season, lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a winning rate of over 50% and enter the playoffs!"

"Mission reward: primary injury bandage!"

"Primary injury bandage: A player who suffers a primary injury within two weeks of off-season can recover within 24 hours after using the primary injury bandage!"

"Note: Bandage props cannot cure a player's glass body constitution and can only be used to treat a single injury. If a player suffers multiple injuries, the bandage will not be effective."

Richard has not yet obtained the lucky dice awarded in the last mission, and will have to wait until the end of this season to obtain them.

The new mission released by the system this time rewards the item of primary injury bandage.

The properties of this prop are not heaven-defying...

That is to say, when players suffer primary injuries in situations like the playoffs, this bandage prop can be effective...

As for the regular season, primary injuries within two weeks will have minimal impact on the team.

At most, it will only cost the team two or three fewer wins.

The value was definitely there, but it wasn't so high that it made Richard jealous.

If this bandage didn't have that note, it would be more effective.

But now it can only be regarded as a prop that is better than nothing...

Fortunately, Richard had no intention of messing up, so he could do this task casually.

…

Although the ghost system that he is bound to is called the devil system, in Richard's opinion, it is just a ghost system...

Other people's systems always come out every few days to look for presence, but this ghost system has only appeared a few times so far?

It has been two and a half years since Richard traveled here, but this ghost system has appeared four times in total including this time.

Not even once every six months!

If it hadn't come out this time, Richard would have almost forgotten that he was the system host.

…

The Trail Blazers lost three consecutive games after three consecutive victories. This actually did not cause much discussion in the league...

In the eyes of most fans, this is completely normal. Although it is a team coached by Richard, it is a new army after all. How can it maintain a record comparable to the Bulls?

Even the Trail Blazers' current winning rate of 50%, in the eyes of fans, still has a lot of "room" for decline.

…

Quicken Loans Arena.

Today's game is the last of the Trail Blazers' four consecutive away games. Richard and the assistant coaches are arranging tactics in the locker room.

Carlisle answered the phone and happily told Richard that Bruce Bowen was found!

This shocked Richard!

After having Bowen, my lineup is almost truly perfect!

They have the talent to do the dirty work in the frontcourt, and Bowen in the backcourt. In this case, it will be difficult for opponents to restrain the Blazers in terms of lineup.

"Contact him immediately, give him a three-year guaranteed contract, the specific amount, and ask Olshey and the others to talk to Bowen!"

"Hurry up and get this done. When I get back to Portland, I want to see Bowen's contract on my desk!"

Carlisle didn't ask why he valued a 25-year-old undrafted player so much and still had to sign a three-year guaranteed contract!

It seemed like a weird thing, but Carlisle understood Richard's intentions very well.

That is to continue to strengthen the backcourt...

Carlisle was not familiar with the player Bowen, but he was familiar with Richard and knew how ruthless Richard was in selecting players!

Speaking of which, Carlisle actually predicted that the Blazers' start would be quite miserable.

But the current results, in Carlisle's opinion, are already quite good, at least much better than what he expected!

…

"Okay, guys, our opponent is a knight!"

"Last season, their winning rate was close to 60%. They are an extremely strong opponent!"

"But I want to win this game!"

"Three consecutive losses is the limit of what I can endure!"

Richard said loudly to the players under his hands.

At present, the team's morale has been greatly affected by three consecutive losses. Richard must find a way to improve the team's morale!

What Richard is saying now is a way for him to improve his morale!

The Cavaliers last season were undoubtedly very strong, but this season's Cavaliers may not be as strong as before. Their six games since the start of the season are not as good as the Trail Blazers, with only an embarrassing record of 2 wins and 4 losses!

Throughout last night, Richard and Stevens had been studying the Cavaliers game video in the hotel.

They were shocked to find that although the lineup of this Cavaliers did not change significantly compared with last season's Cavaliers, their strength has dropped a lot.

There is absolutely a chance to win!

Now Richard deliberately mentioned the Cavaliers' record last season, just to win this game and make these young people realize that their strength is not bad. If it is bad, how can they win last season's ranking? The fourth Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

If you win, your morale will definitely rise!

Even if they lose, it won't have any impact. What's the difference between three consecutive losses and four consecutive losses?

"Okay, it's time to enter, cheer up!"

"Let the world see the strength of our Portland Trail Blazers!"

…

"Ben, wait until you come in again, follow me!" Richard called to Ben before he came out.

Other players have already begun to enter the stadium one after another, and Ben is standing at the back of the team with Richard.

"Ben, your recent state is not right. In the last game, you only got seven rebounds!" Richard asked in a low voice.

Ben's face turned red: "I'm sorry, coach..."

"Don't say sorry to me. Do you still remember the first game you played for me?"

"I told you at that time that you didn't play well and the one you're really sorry for is yourself! Do you think a blue-collar insider who averages seven or eight rebounds per game can get a big contract?!"

"You are the only one of all our players in West Lafayette who is still playing under me!"

"Maybe in the next few years, you will still be the only one!"

"I am the coach of the Boilermakers, and you are the captain and big brother of the Boilermakers. If the two of us work together and achieve a shitty record, what do you think your little brothers will think of you?!"

Richard stared closely into Ben's eyes.

Da Ben was shocked, clenched his fists, and said to Richard.

"Coach, this game is up to me!"