Chapter 791
Frenzied "Comparison and Degradation"
Chapter 791 Frenzied "Comparison and Degradation" (Chapter without Main Character)
On Thursday, May 12, 2011, the NBA officially announced the All-NBA Teams for the season:
The five players on the All-NBA First Team are:
Li You, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard;
The five players on the All-NBA Second Team are:
Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Amar'e Stoudemire;
The five players on the best third team are:
Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Zach Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Horford.
After the list was announced, naturally some people raised questions, and some sports commentators quickly updated their status on Twitter, making the comment section very lively.
Well-known columnist Bill Simmons has been quite active lately. Although the Celtics were eliminated, he has become a fan of the win and seized the opportunity to be the first to question the team on Twitter:
Why wasn't Tim Duncan selected for the All-NBA Team?
This person, seemingly speaking up for Duncan, was actually making sarcastic remarks about Li You being selected for the All-NBA First Team, noting that neither of them made the playoffs, and that Duncan hadn't won any honors this season.
Bill Simmons subtly implied that there are "sycophants" among his peers. If he weren't worried about being "cyberbullied," Simmons might have already declared that no team can be selected if they don't make the playoffs!
Duncan was indeed not selected for the All-Defensive Team announced a couple of days ago, which has sparked considerable controversy.
The five players on the All-Defensive First Team are:
Rajon Rondo, Li You, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard;
The five players on the All-Defensive Second Team are:
Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Andre Iguodala, Joakim Noah, Tyson Chandler.
Not only was Tim Duncan absent from the All-Defensive Team, but Kobe Bryant was also missing. There was no media questioning this beforehand, mainly because the award is selected by 30 coaches.
On social media, many fans spoke out for their idols, with Kobe's die-hard fans and Philadelphia fans being the loudest. In response to this situation, an unnamed source from the coaches' union revealed:
"Coaches won't vote for a player who ranks outside the top 30 in defensive efficiency and defensive win shares; that would be disrespectful to the awards."
"."
Many fans still don't believe this reasoning, but the cold Excel sheet tells everyone that Kobe and Duncan are indeed not up to par, and their stats are quite different from those of the players on the list.
Interestingly, Wade posted a tweet yesterday that seemed to be a reference to the "Yin Yang Mamba":
"Finally, someone has seen my stats. Years ago, I surpassed some players in every aspect. I thank the coaches who respected the facts."
Wade's DWS is 4.7, ranking 10th in the league, while Kobe's DWS is 3.5, ranking 32nd in the league;
In the relatively "crude" statistic of defensive efficiency, Wade ranks 26th, while Kobe is well outside the top 50, making them practically undisputed.
This is also why Mamba has fallen out of the All-Defensive First Team in recent years – his stats have been poor!
Add to that the tireless "education" and "editing" by New York fans, and Kobe's image points are gone. At present, he is just "directing traffic" on the defensive end. Only die-hard fans still believe that the Mamba is better than Wade.
With only one semifinal matchup remaining, the afternoon TNT program focused more on hyping up the Bulls vs. Cavaliers game.
In the crucial Game 5, Dwight Howard was forced to leave the game due to injury in the second half of the fourth quarter, which led to the Bulls' comeback victory, with Derrick Roth once again demonstrating his clutch gene.
With the Cavaliers back at home, it remains uncertain whether Dwight Howard will be able to play. No one expected that the "bullish" Dwight Howard would suffer a back injury, which has led to pre-game analyses focusing entirely on his injury.
The broadcast recapdulating the double-teaming by Noah and Boozer, showing Howard falling to the lower left of the basket, clutching his back in pain.
The fouls were indeed quite egregious. In this series, Noah struggled to withstand the opponent's strong attacks one-on-one, and Coach Thibodeau didn't take any chances, boldly double-teaming and intentionally leaving some open three-point shots.
The effect was excellent. Although Howard was leading before his injury, the two-point difference was negligible. Afflalo's poor shooting was the trigger for the loss.
"I don't mean to be sarcastic, but back and waist injuries are really hard to deal with!"
Charles Barkley, unusually, refrained from making fun of the players, offering a somewhat empathetic explanation. Kenny Smith, standing nearby, also expressed his regret for Howard, adding a couple of comments:
“Playing with an injury is not a good option. We don’t know the specifics of the injury, but Howard has been experiencing problems since he was injured.”
"They might win this series, but in the Eastern Conference Finals, an unhealthy Cavaliers team will have a hard time withstanding the Heat's talent onslaught."
Head coach Mike Brown has consistently failed to provide a definitive answer when asked about injuries, and Ernie Johnson has yet to receive any news.
The game was scheduled for 20 PM, and with some time to spare, the trio, still without the latest injury updates, quickly started gossiping again, using the All-Star lineup as a starting point for their usual "comparison and bashing":
"It seems we still underestimated Li. Even now, throughout his career, his physical condition remains outstanding!"
"From a professional player's perspective, Chuck, do you think Lee, who has been selected to both the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA Second Team again, will decline like Kobe in the next few years?"
Ernie Johnson turned to his partner for a question, and Charles Barkley, known for his outspokenness, stopped simply expressing his emotions and instead offered a rare, reasoned analysis:
"To understand Lee's current form, I think Michael Jordan is the best reference! I'm not kidding, Michael Jordan was a superman when he was young."
"Of course Lee will decline. He played so many playoff games and scored a total of 7677 points in the playoffs. That incredible record means huge exertion. He will decline to the level of Michael Jordan."
"However, Lee's shooting ability is historically rare, so scoring is not a problem. He may face difficulties like Payton, being deliberately targeted on the defensive end, after all, he is only the size of a point guard."
The broadcast didn't show Michael Jordan's stats from his last two seasons, but instead used the opportunity to showcase Jason Kidd's poor performance in the semifinals:
With a field goal percentage of 28.1% and a three-point percentage of 29.2%, Kidd had a poor performance in this round of games, and the decline of this veteran star was clearly visible.
“Lee will not face the same predicament as Kidd, but I have a different opinion. Lee will not face too many challenges on the defensive end, since he relies more on anticipation and positioning.”
"Physical fitness is the key! Just like Kobe, his shooting percentage got lower and lower as the game progressed, and the same goes for Lee. Young people will keep challenging him."
Kenny Smith, who also has reason to analyze this, emphasized physical fitness. As a professional player, he is very clear about the importance of physical fitness at the end of his career, as James Harden often suffers from physical exhaustion.
The trio analyzed the situation thoroughly but didn't mention any improvement. The reason was simple: they couldn't think of any other areas where Li You could improve. At 33, maintaining a high level was already a victory!
At 20 p.m. that night, many Cleveland fans held up whiteboards to show their support for Howard at Quicken Loans Arena.
Howard chose to play through injury, and considering his upcoming contract year, this move touched many fans. Compared to the chosen one, Howard is truly "loyal".
As in the previous games, Jamario Moon started at the small forward position, and Luol Deng frequently found that spot after the start of the game, repeatedly breaking through to initiate the offense.
Head coach Mike Brown hoped to alleviate Howard's rim protection pressure with zone defense, but Rose and Boozer's continuous pick-and-roll offense made him frown.
After making consecutive jump shots near the free-throw line, Boozer suddenly broke through on the offensive possession, driving past Channing Frye into the paint. He then spun around and faked a shot.
Howard, who was helping on defense, was tricked into losing his balance. The referee blew the whistle, and as Boozer exaggeratedly rushed out of bounds, "Happy Beast" angrily complained loudly:
"Damn it! He came closer and I didn't do anything!"
Pretending to be injured, Boozer rubbed his bald head, nodded repeatedly in front of his teammates, high-fived them, and then immediately stood at the free-throw line to start gesturing.
"Shhh!!"
Boos echoed throughout the arena. Beyond the three-point line, both Rose and Deron Williams stood with their hands on their hips. In this matchup, both players had their strengths, with highlights and low points.
"The referee wants you to win the game! I know, but I don't care about that."
Turning his head to mock Rose, Deron Williams feigned an air of knowing the "script" and attempted to influence Rose's mentality in this way.
Cleveland's sports media have been mocking the new MVP every day, claiming that he stole Howard's trophy. Rose has not responded to this and has maintained a stoic expression throughout the game.
Seeing his teammate make both free throws, Rose turned away on defense, showing an attitude of "not interested in dealing with you," which made Deron Williams curse under his breath, "What's with the 'thief' acting so arrogant!"
Because of back discomfort, Howard became more proactive in setting screens, actively setting screens at the top of the key.
Unlike the Jazz, who favored the UCLA style of play, the Cavaliers relied entirely on individual star performances. Deron Williams, with the ball in his right hand, would immediately accelerate after shaking off Rose.
He suddenly stopped near the free-throw line, allowing Howard to take Noah away. Deron, who had slowed down, leaned against Rose behind him. After a physical confrontation, he suddenly stepped back and took a step to the side, then drifted back and made a fadeaway jump shot in the right elbow area!
Cheers erupted instantly throughout the arena, and Deron Williams responded by clapping repeatedly.
Rose dribbled across half-court and initiated a pick-and-roll. Channing Frye tried his best to retreat on defense, and Deron Williams chased him relentlessly from behind. However, the newly crowned MVP was incredibly fast, reaching the paint in the blink of an eye. He took a step and jumped, engaging in aerial combat. Rose drew a foul amidst the double-team, and the referee pointed to the free-throw line.
Channing Frye raised his hand with a helpless expression. His opponents had been targeting him throughout the series, and his poor pick-and-roll defense had led to him being constantly criticized.
"It seems that Howard's back injury is more serious than we thought. In the past, the Cavaliers would use more help defense, but tonight we didn't see that happen many times."
In the commentary booth, Reggie Miller felt that the Bulls were about to close out the game. "Happy Beast" Rose's movement had decreased significantly, and Rose's frequent attacks on the rim were a test.
Kevin Harlan agreed with this view, but he was more interested in the MVP's individual abilities, and then chimed in with a gossip:
"Statistically speaking, Rose is still some distance from Lee, but his playing style is outstanding, which is very rare among young players."
"."
The two were chatting happily in the commentary booth. On the offensive possession, Deron Williams, holding the ball with his left hand, slowed down outside the three-point line, faked a drive, and pulled the ball while suddenly changing direction in advance.
Taking advantage of Rose's step back, Deron Williams, who had just stopped abruptly, immediately gathered the ball and pulled it up against the defender's attack!
At 11:13, the Cavaliers took the lead again, and the cheers never stopped.
The two sides traded baskets, with the score fluctuating. Raja Bell hit a three-pointer, and soon after, Luol Deng received a pass and made a three-pointer from the corner.
Howard missed both free throws, and on the turn, Noah easily scored under the basket, roaring passionately as he retreated on defense, continuing to taunt his opponent.
The game was exciting, with neither side making substitutions early. The Cavaliers fans in the arena finally breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the first quarter, with the score at 27-29, as the Cavaliers successfully maintained their lead.
When the rotation period began, both sides quickly started to play a "chicken fight" again, with many missing shots, which drew gasps from the fans in the stadium.
With 1 minute and 58 seconds left in the first half, Howard completed an alley-oop dunk, breaking the dull atmosphere in the arena!
"Oh!!"
Many fans stood up and cheered passionately for "Happy Beast" Howard. Howard, who had just been showing off under the basket, suddenly fell to the ground while protecting the rebound, and the big man once again showed a pained expression.
Coach Mike Brown on the sidelines was disheartened. Slow-motion replays showed Noah elbowing Howard from behind while he was positioning himself, and Boozer also elbowed Howard while making a run for the ball.
"Shet!"
Noticing the team doctor gesturing for Howard to return to the locker room, Mike Brown muttered a curse and helplessly turned to wave at JJ Hickson.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
As Howard was helped up, cheers erupted from the Quicken Loans Arena. The "Happy Beast" covered his face in the player tunnel as he left the court, not understanding why his back injury kept recurring.
At halftime, the score was 47-47, and Deron Williams, who was unleashing his full potential, withstood the pressure.
Cavaliers fans still held out hope at halftime, but the Bulls dominated the rebounding after the start of the second half.
Noah's aggressive play repeatedly helped the team complete second-chance opportunities, and Boozer and Rose's pick-and-roll remained highly efficient.
Deron Williams, who was frequently caught in help defense, was able to find his teammates, but his passes failed to turn into points, and he could only watch helplessly as the opponent gradually widened the gap.
In the final quarter, Taj Gibson, coming off the bench, helped the Bulls secure the victory. He successfully switched defenses several times, forcing Deron Williams to miss shots, and on offense, he aggressively scored on easy baskets, continuing to dominate the offensive rebounding.
Without many three-pointers or fast breaks, the Bulls managed to suffocate the Cavaliers with their 24-second half-court offense.
As the buzzer sounded, the score was 98-90. Quicken Loans Arena was quiet, and the Cavaliers fans in the arena were extremely disappointed.
出场41分钟，23中10，三分线外8中2，罚球7中4，26分4篮板6助攻抢断3失误，拿到全场最高分的德隆-威廉姆斯露出沮丧的神色。
Deron Williams' 4-for-16 shooting performance from three-point range left him questioning his life choices. The Cavaliers were known for their three-point shooting during the regular season, but they couldn't seem to find a way to make it in this series.
The Bulls' outside shooting was equally poor, going 3-for-13 from three-point range (23.1%). Rose, however, seemed unfazed, finally speaking as the newly crowned MVP shook hands with his opponents:
"Welcome to the Eastern Conference playoffs, man!"
"."
In front of the camera, Rose whispered something, patted Deron Williams on the shoulder, and quickly walked away. On the other side, Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell exchanged pleasantries with smiles in their voices.
Seeing the two exchanging championship experiences, Reggie Miller in the commentary booth was unhappy again, and reluctantly commented:
"4-2 advance to the Eastern Conference Finals! This is the season for Coach Thibodeau and Derrick Rose."
"The Bulls' locker room deserves praise; they are incredibly united, and Kurt Thomas brings a tough attitude to the team!"
"The lads don't have much time to rest. They'll face the Heat on Sunday, which will be a direct confrontation between the new generation of players."
Kevin Harlan, still without specific details about Howard's injury, couldn't help but sigh upon seeing the Cavaliers fans refusing to leave the arena.
“I’ve never believed in the ‘champion’s curse,’ but Cleveland did need some luck; injuries changed the course of this series.”
"Fortunately, their key players are still young, everything will be alright."
-
5月14号星期六，下午1点30分的时候，兰开郡布莱克本的埃伍德公园球场涌入了3万名球迷。
The Premier League top-of-the-table clashes are particularly exciting towards the end of the season, with last Sunday's match between Manchester United and Chelsea being especially fiery.
British tabloids also demonstrated their influence, gossiping wildly about Li You's recent "happy life" in Britain.
Upon arriving in the UK, McLaren gifted Li You a red MP4-12C. This newly delivered supercar not only boasted a beautiful design but also featured a technologically advanced interior equipped with a stylish large screen.
However, Natalie Dormer has mostly driven this Manchester United-themed sports car, leading many British onlookers to believe the rumors they've heard.
The most explosive news recently was that during the match at Old Trafford last Sunday, the girl next to Li You, Shirley Cole, who recently divorced Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, was sitting in the VIP box.
Gemma Atkinson, who dated Cristiano Ronaldo for a few months, was also there, as was Pixie Lott, a singer who has gained some fame in recent years. As for the other unknown girls, they were ignored.
In this crucial match, Neymar once again delivered a brilliant performance. The 19-year-old prodigy provided a precise through ball to Hernandez to open the scoring in the first half, and then cut inside from the left wing in front of midfield before curling a shot into the top corner!
Neymar, after scoring, blew a kiss to the stands, only to be fouled by Ashley Cole in the second half.
The scene was chaotic at times, but in the end, Manchester United won the crucial match 2-1.
Today, facing Blackburn Rovers, a draw would secure their 19th Premier League title. At this historic moment, Li You was also with the team to watch the game, which prompted a bunch of unscrupulous reporters to start gossiping wildly.
The Sun recently claimed that at a party organized by Lee Woo after the match against Chelsea, the Brazilian prodigy and Shirley Cole had a passionate interaction.
Other tabloids claimed that Neymar followed in Ronaldo's footsteps and played a few friendly matches with Gemma Atkinson!
As for the 20-year-old blonde, some newspapers claim she has moved into Li You's mansion in Manchester.
In short, it was all a silver party; Li You was having fun with the girls every day.
The match officially started at 1:45 PM. Today, Manchester United finally switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1 against a weaker opponent.
The game started off somewhat dull, until Neymar was brought down by the goalkeeper during a counter-attack in the 21st minute, prompting Ferguson on the sidelines to angrily pressure the referee.
After being awarded a penalty, Rooney calmly converted it, instantly changing the pace of the game to 1-0.
The score remained unchanged until the final whistle. At the end of the match, the Manchester United players celebrated wildly, with Neymar even taking off his jersey and excitedly showing off his inner T-shirt to the camera.
"I am better than Messi!"
(End of this chapter)