I’m Really Playing Basketball

On September 20, 2004, after Chen Xiao rested for a while in the village, he said goodbye to his son Xiao Zhongqiu and returned to the United States.

Little Mid-Autumn Festival is almost one year old. She was born on August 15th in the lunar calendar last year. It will be August 15th in one week.

Compared with a year ago, Xiao Zhongqiu, who is now almost 1 year old, is already a very cute and lively baby.

When you see him next time, he will definitely become more lively and cute.

What makes Chen Xiao feel guilty is that because he has to play in the NBA, his time with his baby is limited.

Chen Xiao plans to take care of and accompany the baby when he is three years old.

He is still so young, and Chen Xiao is worried about taking him to the United States.

"I always feel that after having Little Mid-Autumn Festival, I seem to be becoming more and more mature."

When saying goodbye to Little Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Xiao secretly thought in his heart.

By the way, Chen Xiao always thought that his middle school moves in college and in his rookie season were very cool, but now, when he thinks about those moves that he once thought were cool, he seems to feel a little bit ashamed now?

Well, Chen Xiao didn't think about it any further.

If you think about it again, you are punishing yourself.

Anyway, time will forget everything.

But does time really forget everything?

At this time, Little Pants, who was working hard on the Eye of God, Xiao Duozi, who was working hard on the True Eye of the Snake King, and Turtle Turtle, who was working hard on the True Eye of the Wolf King, said: Haha.

Chen Xiao left China on September 20th, and when he returned to Cleveland, the United States, it was also September 20th. Every time he returned to the United States from China, Chen Xiao felt that his life had extended by one more day.

However, in the busy NBA schedule, such an extra day seems to be meaningless.

When Chen Xiao left China and returned to Cleveland, he felt that the NBA next season seemed to be about to start again.

Why do you say that?

Because after returning to the United States, Chen Xiao saw that ESPN had started ranking NBA stars for next season.

The opening game of the NBA next season is on November 2nd, and now it is September 20th. It is almost 1 month and 11 days away from November 2nd.

This time ESPN is ranking the top 50 NBA stars for next season, one a day, and now it has ranked the 40th NBA star.

Well, this person is none other than Raheem, the new power forward the Cavaliers traded from the Trail Blazers.

With ESPN rankings like this, the Cavaliers really feel like they are full of talent next season.

After all, Chen Xiao and Xiao Zhan are definitely in the top 40. Chen Xiao was tenth last year, and he will definitely be able to go further this year. Xiao Zhan may also be in the top 20. By then, the Cavaliers will have three top five players in the NBA. There are ten stars, and it can barely be regarded as a team of the Big Three.

However, although ESPN seems to be very optimistic about the Cavaliers, other American media are not so optimistic about the Cavaliers' record next season, mainly because the teams in the Eastern Conference are too strong.

It is almost October now, and the free market of the NBA in the summer is basically over.

The strength of each team is basically determined.

Judging from USA Today's predictions for the NBA next season, USA Today divided the 30 teams in the NBA into five grades from 1 star to 5 stars.

Last season, the Cavaliers were rated two stars, and next season they were promoted to four stars by USA TODAY.

This number of stars seems to be quite good.

The strongest Suns in the West are only five-star, and Garnett's Timberwolves and Kee Boss and the Lakers and Kings led by Kobe Boozer are only four-star.

However, unlike the west, the east side is a little different.

The Nets, led by Carter, Martin, Richard Jefferson, Marion, Joe Johnson and others, are a five-star team. Although O'Neal has left and last season's F7 has disappeared, the Nets in the new season are still Being favored by many people seems to be very competitive.

For example, the Heat led by Wade and Yao Ming are five-star teams. They were eliminated in the first round last season, but they are so promising in the new season. Yao Ming dominated the Olympics, and Wang Zhizhi was also selected for the best team in the Olympics. After that, the NBA is very optimistic about the Heat team led by Yao Ming Wade, Odom, Bosh, Payton, Mourning, Wang Zhizhi, etc., and feels that they are the team that poses the biggest threat to the Magic in the Eastern Conference next season.

If it's just not as good as the Heat and ranked below the Nets and Heat, this is still good.

But here in the East, there are too many four-star teams!

The Pacers led by Ou and Artest, Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller.

The Raptors led by Nash, Milicic, Marshall, Laga Bell, Josh Smith and others.

Big Ben, Billups, Hamilton, and the Pistons led by Prince.

Iverson, the 76ers led by Mutombo.

Even the Bucks led by Ray Allen, Michael Reid, Iguodala and others were rated four stars by USA Today.

Including the Cavaliers, not to mention the two five-star teams in the entire Eastern Conference, there are only 6 four-star teams.

This does not include the defending champion Magic, which is a six-star team in USA Today's ratings.

It was promised that five stars would be the best, but you turned the Magic into six stars. How much do you look down on other NBA teams?

However, other teams really don't have many complaints about such ratings as USA Today.

There is no way, the Magic team is really strong.

In last season's finals, we gave up McGrady and won the championship.

Ginobili's sudden explosion in last season's finals, coupled with his performance in the Olympics, many people say that this Argentine star is definitely a player with superstar-level offensive capabilities.

Next season, his mentor Doc Reeves also said that next season, Ginobili will be supported as the starting shooting guard.

Because of Mike Miller's departure, it just happened that McGrady could move to small forward and Ginobili to start.

Whether it's Duncan, Gooden, McGrady, Ginobili, Parker, or Zaza Pachulia, Duncan, McGrady, Ginobili, and Parker, the Magic's starting lineup next season will be quite scary.

You know, the Magic also have Turkoglu, Robert Horry and Nelson, one of the best rookie point guards this year, sitting on the bench.

It can be said that this Magic team is indeed strong and has the makings of a dynasty.

Many people say that the next dynasty in the NBA is the Magic Dynasty.

At the same time, many American media have already built momentum for O'Neal VS Duncan in the new season.

In the West, the Suns led by O'Neal are very stable in the West.

The Magic here in the East also seem to be very stable.

Therefore, although young stars such as Chen Xiao, James, Wade, and Yao Ming have already emerged, there is no doubt that the current NBA protagonists are still "adult" stars such as Duncan, O'Neal, Kobe, and Garnett.

The competition in the NBA still revolves around people like them.

Regardless of whether Chen Xiao admits it or not, maybe five years from now, the competition in the NBA will revolve around Chen Xiao, James and others. But now, this is what media experts here in the United States think. The NBA belongs to Duncan and the others, not It belongs to Chen Xiao and the others.

USA Today's evaluation of the strength of NBA teams next season is still very representative.

However, although the NBA is still the stage for O'Neal and Duncan, there is no doubt that the Heat led by Wade and Yao Ming have rushed to the edge of the stage.

After all, the Magic are their biggest rivals in the Eastern Conference. Although the protagonists next season will be Duncan and O'Neal, Dayao and Wade can be regarded as the first supporting roles and the biggest challengers.

This still made Chen Xiao quite envious.

When Marquette University's "Three Eagles and Two Claws" came to the NBA together.

Let’s not talk about the two claws. Travis Diener has been playing as a substitute for Bibby and Bobby Jackson in the Kings. He has played a lot of playing time. It can only be said that he has established a firm foothold in the NBA. It is difficult to say that he has achieved anything. After playing two seasons with the Kings, he was traded by the Bucks for a second-round pick and center Jamal Sampson.

Braxon, on the other hand, was traded away by the Bucks for next season's lottery-protected first-round pick after the Lakers experienced two seasons that were neither successful nor failed.

The former all-around big man at Marquette University, who could do everything, returned to Milwaukee after spending time on the outside with Diener.

So, do you think these two people are successful or unsuccessful in the NBA?

For Diener and Braxon, it certainly felt like a failure.

But for Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao feels that the two of them are successful.

After playing in the NBA for two years, there are still teams that are willing to take them and train them, which is a success in itself.

After all, not everyone is the protagonist of a novel.

Therefore, the two of them were very disappointed when they were traded. This is how Chen Xiao comforted him.

A month after the two were traded, Chen Xiao found that the two had accepted the reality of returning to Milwaukee.

Moreover, the two seem to have accepted the roles given to them by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Listening to the two, the Bucks seem to value the two of them very much.

The two were members of the Three Eagles and Two Claws at Marquette University. They were already very popular and well-established in Milwaukee. Travis Diener is a native of Milwaukee. Their status and popularity are as high as those of the Kings and Lakers. completely different.

I heard from two people that when they were in the Lakers, they carried bags for Kobe and Webber.

But back in Milwaukee, the Bucks' two rookies Iguodala and Ariza carried bags for them.

You know, Iguodala is a lottery pick.

Not to mention these two rookies, even Michael Reid, one of the Bucks' Splash Brothers, the second in charge of the team, respects both of them quite a lot.

and……

"Chen, Terry Porter appreciates my versatility. He plans to let me play the starting power forward next season, and hopes that I can play center at critical moments and lead the Bucks' defense."

Chen Xiao didn’t know if Braxson was reporting good news to him but not bad news. To be honest, Braxson was only 2.01 meters tall in shoes. Although he was strong, he could run and jump, he could pass the ball, he could defend, and he could shoot well. Everything can be done, but in this era, it is already the ultimate for a player who is 2.01 meters to play the starting power forward. Chen Xiao has 2.03 meters in shoes.

Let a person with a height of 2.01 meters be the core of the team's defense and lead the defense?

Isn't this a little too unbelievable?

If this is true, it can only be said that only a rookie coach like Terry Porter can do something.

In fact, Braxson really did not lie to Chen Xiao, and Terry Porter is indeed preparing to reuse Braxson next season.

In order to free up the shooting speed of Ray Allen and Reed, Terry Porter thought hard and felt that he needed to increase the threat and offensive speed of other players on his team.

Braxon, Iguodala and Ariza were all brought in for this purpose.

If these people are useful, use them; if they are not, throw them away.

He's looking for ways to unlock Ray Allen's offensive impact.

Therefore, this idea of ​​making the lineup smaller and faster is really something only a rookie head coach would do.

As for Travis Diener, his ball control is very stable and his three-pointers are very accurate. In addition, he is from the Kings and has excellent offensive skills and tactics. In addition, he is a native of Milwaukee and graduated from Marquette University. A member of the Three Eagles and Two Claws, he is the perfect bench leader for the team and even the leader of the locker room.

Ray Allen is somewhat unsuitable to be a leader.

Therefore, Diener and Braxson really did not lie to Chen Xiao. After they returned to Milwaukee, the Bucks' management and coaching staff really valued them, and the Bucks players really respected them.

The two have finally found their new roles in the NBA.

And he might be the kind of character who always has something to eat.

As long as they still have some strength, or even no strength at all, the Bucks may not be willing to let them go.

This has indeed been considered a success.

After talking about two claws, let's talk about Mitaka.

I won’t talk about Wade, who is currently in the best condition among the Three Eagles.

The Heat signed Payton in the free market and after signing back Mourning, the entire team can be described as strong.

Moreover, the team is very young and the lineup is very reasonable. The entire team has completed reconstruction and will only get better and better in the future.

Therefore, Wade can be regarded as the earliest player among the Three Eagles to go on the right path.

In addition to Wade, Luo Ge seems to be good in the Spurs now.

It was originally bad.

Before the Olympics, Howard, the Spurs' top pick, was very arrogant. As soon as he came to the team, he directly challenged Luo Ge's boss status.

After all, it's normal for a high school No. 1 pick to have a temper.

However, after the Olympic trip, Howard became honest after being punished by Yao.

In fact, it was not only because of being punished by Dayao, but mainly because the Dream Six team played so badly in the Olympics, the players' mentality was almost destroyed.

Even those famous veterans are in bad shape, let alone Howard.

Perhaps the only player in the entire US team whose mentality has not collapsed is Luo Ge.

And Luo Ge and Duncan are indeed the most stable players for the US team in the Olympics.

The two people's calm and calm mentality is, to be honest, very contagious and safe.

In addition, Brother Luo is a very charismatic person. When a person is at a low point, it is really reassuring to have such a charismatic person to guide him.

When he originally reported to the US team, Howard clamored to be the boss of Arenas and Luo Ge.

When he returned from the US team, Howard and Arenas followed Luo as his little brother.

Luo Ge has conquered the Spurs, but Howard is a thorn in his side.

However, after the thorny head is subdued, it is still a thorny head. Coupled with the thorny head of Arenas, to be honest, Luo Ge is really lucky to be in the Spurs.

I heard from Luo Ge that if Howard and Arenas were not suppressed by him now, the two of them might attack the team's head coach Popovich on a dark and windy night.

Hearing what Brother Luo said, Chen Xiao was dumbfounded.

However, although it is a bit of a blessing, the Spurs will still be good next season. Not to mention the dual defenders of Luo Ge and Arenas. Although Howard was abused by Yao in the Olympics, his strength is still good, especially It is talent, can run, jump and defend.

In addition, Argentina's power forward, Luis Scola, who used his footwork to beat Chen Xiaoxiu in the Olympics, was also signed by the Spurs to the NBA.

In the relatively weak Western Conference, the Spurs should be quite competitive next season.

Generally speaking, although none of the three Eagles and Two Claws who entered the NBA together from Marquette University are doing as well as Wade, they all seem to be doing okay.

The same goes for Chen Xiao.

Although not a contender in the first tier in the Eastern Conference, they are still in the second tier.

If they hadn't been cheated by O'Neal, maybe the Cavaliers could have competed for the Heat's first supporting role this season.

However, it doesn't make any sense to say so much now.

After being arranged by O'Neal, during the offseason, Cavaliers general manager Paxson finally signed Brent Barry with a full mid-level contract, a five-year, $25 million contract.

This 33-year-old veteran shot 45% from three-point range with the SuperSonics last season. Although he is not young, his strength is still good.

25 million for five years is not too much of a premium, because the Spurs offered 20 million for four years, and the Cavaliers gave him one more year of contract than the Spurs.

This contract is basically Barry's pension contract, the last contract. For Barry, by finally signing this contract with the Cavaliers, he is basically ready to give up the opportunity to win a championship in his career.

If it's for the championship, he can accept the Magic's basic salary and the Heat's mid-level salary.

After signing Brent Barry with the full mid-level fee, the Cavaliers' lineup is completely complete.

The Cavaliers will not exhaust their 15-man roster this season.

Because there are many players in the team who can swing, 13 people are actually enough.

Chen Xiao, James, Tyson Chandler, Matt Barnes, Diaw, Mo Williams, Kyle Korver, Penny Hardaway, Raheem, Desaguena Diop, Al Jefferson, Spanoulis, Brent Barry.

This is the Cavaliers' 13-man lineup for next season, and it actually looks pretty good.

After practicing for half a month, Chen Xiao felt even better.

"Xiao Chen, I think the Cavaliers this season are stronger than last season!"

"I think so too."

Chen Xiao said with a smile that this season the Cavaliers not only have a more reasonable lineup, more reasonable offense and defense, and more reasonable ages, but more importantly, the team's two core players have become stronger.

Now Xiao Zhan is already an A+ player. Just yesterday, Chen Xiao watched Xiao Zhan promoted from A to A+.

This growth rate is terrifying!

In the history of the NBA, there are only a handful of such players who went from rookie to superstar in the second season.

Except for Larry Bird and others who were at their peak as soon as they entered the league, people like Chen Xiao and James are the strongest. They were rookies in one year and became super giants in the second year.

You know, Chen Xiao is a systematic man!

“The chosen one is the chosen one.”

Of course, although Cavaliers head coach Carlisle has no system, as a head coach at this level, he can certainly see the changes in James compared to the end of last season.

"LeBron's shooting has improved a lot. His strength has also become stronger, his breakthrough power is greater, and his finishing at the basket, layups, and dunks are even stronger. All-round improvement!"

Facing James' comprehensive improvement after the offseason, Carlisle is of course happy.

However, despite being happy, Carlisle also had a slight headache.

Because, he needs to rearrange James' position in the team.

Last season, Xiao Zhan's strength was not yet up to the mark, so he only provided support to Chen Xiao.

This season, Xiao Zhan definitely needs to improve the team's position.

We can't let Xiao Zhan continue to sacrifice, right?

Xiao Zhan is willing, but Carlisle himself is not willing.

For the Cavaliers, any waste is a shame.

The Cavaliers are not a team that can be wasted at will like the Magic.

Maximizing the strengths of Chen Xiao and James is the best choice for the Cavaliers.

James' strength has improved dramatically in the new season. Chen Xiao and Carlisle must have noticed it. As James' agent Goodwin, of course he also knows it.

After all, he handles all the trainers.

And he knows, you think, can Xiao Zhan's mother not know?

For Carlisle, the improvement of James' strength requires him to redistribute the role of the Cavaliers.

But for Xiao Zhan's mother Gloria, there is no need to be so troublesome.

"LeBron doesn't need him anymore!"

Although Goodwin has always felt that Gloria was extreme, he believed that he agreed with Gloria's views on this matter.

Not only him, but even Nike thinks so.

Nike also feels that LeBron and Chen are already wasting Nike's resources together.

Now that you have reached the level of a superstar, there is no need to rely on anyone’s protection and just spread your wings and fly!

For Nike and the others, James hasn’t taken off yet, and that’s because they haven’t taken off yet.

But for James, he is flying now!

He and Chen Xiao are flying far away with the Cleveland Cavaliers, towards the sun!

In the Cavaliers' training hall, Chen Xiao and James were very satisfied after having a tank-collision battle.

"We are on the right path too!"

"The right path to the end!"

At this time, the two people who were looking at each other and smiling did not notice the shock of the other Cavaliers players next to them.

The three new Cavaliers, Spanoulis, Al Jefferson, and Brent Barry, are more shocking than the rest of the Cavaliers.

"This is really a tank battle in the basketball world!"

Well, the sparring between Chen Xiao and Xiao Zhan, who have rough skills and are good at hedging, is so unpretentious and shocking...