Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 562 The Old Fox's Only White Moonlight, the Iron Man and the Divine Calculator

Given the Magic's notoriously impatient approach and inability to develop players, they essentially treated Ariza as a "thank you for your patronage" lottery ticket, and in the offseason, they traded him for a second-round pick, as if they had never drafted him at all.

The reason Walsh bought Ariza is quite simple.

Ever since his team adopted the most flamboyant style of play in the league last season, this guy has become obsessed with it, buying players and drafting them based solely on physical attributes!

Able to run, jump, dunk, charge forward, and find opportunities to deliver a few spectacular blocks – that's Walsh's standard for selecting players.

He had figured it out: in a team like this, you have to run and fly to secure your position.

Anyway, with Lin Tian, ​​Stoudemire and Anthony supporting the core of the team, and Walsh buying low and selling low, he wasn't afraid of losing money.

Next, of course, is Nate Robinson, the young dunk champion whom the team selected late in the first round. He has performed quite well in training camp and the Summer League, and has a good chance of making it into the team's regular rotation.

As for the last important player, it was actually offered to us by someone else; it wasn't given to Walsh, but to Lin Tian.

Just in August, when Lin Tian had just finished his vacation and was sweating it out at a mini training camp, Pat Riley called him.

When Lin Tian received the call, he was quite surprised, thinking that this old fox was going to instigate him to do something bad again. But to his surprise, this time the old fox was very sincere and low-key.

"Lin, I need your help." Riley's posture was incredibly humble when he answered the phone.

"You don't want me to help you revive the Heat, do you? You want me to join your team and play for you?" Lin Tian was extremely wary. In Lin Tian's mind, Riley was definitely one of the top five old foxes in the league, and also the worst and most cold-blooded of all the old foxes.

Lin Tian would rather avoid contact with him than have to.

There's no way around it; Lord Lin is a man of great loyalty and integrity, someone who values ​​honesty, principles, and a bottom line. He simply can't get along with a cold-blooded businessman like Riley.

But this time, Lin Tian really misunderstood Riley!

This time, Riley, who is usually cold-blooded, showed a rare display of passion!

No, that's not right. It can't be called hot-blooded. It should be that Riley, who has always been cold-blooded, has finally shown a little bit of humanity.

"I'm serious. I just want you to do me a favor, and it's the kind of favor that will benefit you without causing you any harm."

Hearing Riley's voice, which was completely different from before, Lin Tian even wondered if the guy had been diagnosed with some kind of cancer and was going to die young.

Wait a minute, at his age, he doesn't seem to have died young?

"If you're going to leave this world, I can help you take care of your daughter, but forget about your wife. By the way, do you have a picture of your daughter?" Lin Tian really couldn't hold back anymore; he wouldn't feel comfortable if he didn't act like a jerk and get scolded every day.

"Fuck you! Go to hell, you bastard!" Sure enough, Riley angrily swore and then decisively hung up the phone.

That's more like it! That's the style of the "Godfather of Miami".

Then, less than three minutes later, the Godfather transformed back into a kitten and called Lin Tian again: "I really have some good news for you. Can you shut your mouth and let me finish?"

"..."

"..."

"Are you listening?" Riley waited for several seconds but heard no sound from the other end of the phone, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't you tell me to shut up? That's why I didn't say anything."

Then, Lin Tian heard heavy breathing from the other end of the phone. It was clearly Riley trying to control his anger. Just as Lin Tian wondered if the guy would hang up again, Riley finally spoke again: "Do me a favor. I want to give Alonzo a championship. You guys buy him!"

"I'll trade him to the Knicks, you guys can give me whatever compensation you want as a bonus, and the trade will be done. How about that? It's a good thing for you, right? Alonzo was quite healthy last season, he played 60 games."

"And he's in good form too; he averaged 2 blocks per game last season!"

"For the minimum salary, you can get a former Defensive Player of the Year who's still at that level. I really don't know what you're hesitating for, Lin!"

"You look exactly like a father trying to sell his unmarried daughter. I never knew you had this side to you, Pat!" Lin Tian continued his pathetic antics, not for any other reason than because he liked it.

After another series of deep breaths, Riley managed to barely control his temper: "But he is a good kid, isn't he?"

"Who would call a burly man who's 208 centimeters tall, weighs over 110 kilograms, and is covered in lumps of flesh a child?!"

"I can! I can!"

"But we're a purely offensive team; we don't need defensive players!"

"Shut up! No team doesn't need Alonzo! Especially not Alonzo on a minimum salary! No one!"

"Then why don't you send him to the Lakers? They're just one step away from the championship, and they're really going all out to win it this season! We're just pathetic losers who fell in the Eastern Conference Finals!"

"Are you fucking never going to stop? Do you want me to write another paper explaining how much I believe in you, how much I want you to win the championship, and 28 reasons why I think you can dominate the league again?"

"It's not that it's impossible, I really enjoy hearing people flatter me."

"You fucking go to hell! I'm going to give Alonzo some face now! You have to help!"

"But I'm just an ordinary player, you should call our manager."

"Come on, do you think I don't know what kind of guy Donnie is? Even if I call him, he'll have to call you back to ask if you can bring in Alonzo. He fought with you guys several times in the 90s! You have a grudge."

"Rather than be humiliated by you again then, I'd rather just walk right in and let you, you bastard, humiliate and mock me to your heart's content. At least that way, I won't have to put up with that stupid Donnie anymore, right?"

"No wonder he's called the 'Master Strategist'! No wonder he's Pat Riley!" Lin Tian praised rather insincerely, "His calculations are flawless! His strategies are brilliant! Truly admirable! The Alliance's number one strategist! Or..."

"Can you shut up?" Riley realized he really couldn't stand Lin Tian, ​​that bastard!

He started to regret it. Why did he make that call? Lin Tian was thirty times more of a bastard than he had imagined!

If I had known it would be like this, I would have been better off calling Bass, with whom I had already fallen out! At least then I would have just lost face, but Bass wouldn't have kicked me while I was down and started making sarcastic remarks about me!

Bass is still a person, but this Lin is not a person at all.

"Alright, I'll go ask Patrick, Charlie, and Alan first. By the way, was Alan there when you guys were fighting with us? If not, I won't ask him. My old face is going to be completely humiliated this time because of you, Pat Riley!"

"You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent!" Riley, who had suffered endless humiliation, finally heard Lin Tian's words. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least, he hadn't suffered in vain, right? This also aligned with his understanding of Lin Tian.

Lin Tian will definitely take advantage of the situation, but after he does, he will also definitely do the work that needs to be done.

Based on Riley's understanding of Lin Tian and Ewing's group, as long as Lin Tian intervenes, those old guys like Ewing will definitely not interfere and will agree.

After all, not many people in this league would really hate a real man like Mourning; Ewing and the others only disliked Riley.

Actually, Riley has had grand ambitions since he re-signed Mourning last year! His team now has young talents like Hinrich, Butler, and Odom, plus veterans like Mourning and Walker. At the same time, he has also tried to clear out a maximum salary cap for the team.

This summer, he made quite a few offers for the big fish on the free market.

Unfortunately, without exception, all the best players from the 01 draft class, such as Yao Ming and Pau Gasol, as well as good free agents like Larry Hughes, rejected Riley.

no way.

Riley's reputation for being cold-blooded and ruthless is too well-known in this league. The previous generation of players might have been able to put up with Riley's tactics, but very few players of this generation are willing to do the same!

It is extremely difficult for Riley to assemble a championship-contending roster.

It was only after realizing this summer that he was unable to assemble a roster strong enough to contend for the championship, and after discovering that he could not win a title with Odom, Hinrich, and others, that Riley considered trading Alonzo Mourning.

This is the disciple who is most compatible with Riley and the person who trusts Riley the most.

The two weren't entirely without their share of disagreements and conflicts, such as trading Hardaway, selling Mashburn, and not renewing Mallley's contract...

Mourning was actually dissatisfied with many of Riley's actions, including when Riley sent PJ Brown to take down Charlie Ward and had a group of Knicks players gang up on Brown without letting Mourning help. Mourning was quite unhappy about that.

This kind of underhanded tactic is not Mourning's style. In comparison, Mourning would rather smash Ewing's nose with his own fist and then be suspended along with him.

This is the style of a true tough guy.

Even when Mourning was temporarily retired due to kidney disease, Riley was unwilling to offer him a contract, always hoping that he would retire for the sake of his health. That was the most tense time in their relationship.

But in the end, when Mourning resolutely chose to return, and when he was completely ignored by other teams and drifted further and further away from the championship, it was Riley who made the move.

It was Riley who brought him to the Heat, gave him opportunities, gave him time, and gave Mourning dignity.

These two are definitely each other's ideal love.

Now, this is the last time Riley will do everything he can to help Mourning.

As for the final outcome, Riley could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.

Two days after that call, Lin Tian called Riley to tell him that everything was settled, Ewing and Ward both welcomed Mourning, and Donnie would call him to discuss the details of the deal.

Lin Tian made it sound like he had finally managed to convince them after much effort.

But actually, these two felt very valued because Lin Tian specifically asked them about it, and they were extremely happy. Yu Yin even treated Lin Tian to a special treat!

Riley knew Lin Tian was talking nonsense, but he wasn't interested in arguing with him; he still had to build his own team! So after a few perfunctory exchanges, Riley said, "Actually, there aren't many details to discuss. Just have Donnie prepare something to balance things out."

"What? You want us to prepare anything? You actually expect something in return? Isn't this just giving it away for free?"

"You son of a bitch, have you no shame?!" Riley was truly angry this time and cursed loudly.

"You shameless bastard!" Lin Tian retorted without holding back, "I helped you out, and I didn't even ask for a draft pick in return. You still want something from me?"

Riley felt like he was about to choke on blood. He knew that if he continued talking to Lin Tian, ​​he would definitely die of anger. He said directly, "No need to prepare any balancing add-ons. I'll figure it out. Just give us the lowest-tier add-ons according to the rules. It's free! I'll send Alonzo to New York!"

After saying that, Riley quickly hung up the phone.

I can't say any more, or I'll shorten my lifespan.

Fortunately, Mourning's matter has been resolved.

As for how Mourning stormed into Riley's office in a rage, how she made a scene, how the two locked the door and talked in hushed tones for two hours, and then how Mourning walked out of Riley's office with red eyes and bowed to Riley at the door, I suppose no one is interested in that part of the story.

Let's just pretend it never happened.

Basically, it's something like, "You actually sold me out!"

What do you mean by "I'm doing this for your own good!"?

"Being by your side is the best thing!"

"But I can't give you what you want!"

What good is anything I gain without you! Being with you is the most important thing!

"But that's your dream! I've already wasted half your life! I can't continue being selfish!"

"You are my dream!"

"Helping you achieve your dreams is my dream!"

"You're selfish!"

"The only time in my life I was truly selfless was when I saw you off!"

"So, we can't go back?"

"Keep moving forward."

"One last question."

"I loved."

Ok……

The latter part seems to have gone a bit off-topic?

But it doesn't matter, it's just the same plot, pretty much the same.

No matter what kind of relationship it is, in the end, it all boils down to the same few lines, pretty much the same!

Whether Mourning liked it or not, he became the fourteenth player on the Knicks' roster.

It seems like we've been rambling on about something far off for a long time?

Where were we?

correct!

Knicks intra-squad scrimmage!

In this game, who wins or loses, or who has the upper hand, is not important at all. What is important is that this game can test the strength of all the Knicks players and the results of their hard work in the summer!

The results are quite encouraging!

First, there's Stoudemire. Lin Tian doesn't know what method Stoudemire used to improve his mid-range shooting so much in just one summer. He wonders if Stoudemire has four friends known as the "Amar'e Legion" training with him, and whether Ewing's sister helped him during this training.

In short, Stoudemire's mid-range shooting was quite impressive and of a very high standard!

Moreover, after developing his mid-range shot, Stoudemire's physical attributes will make his backcourt penetration threat increase exponentially!

After receiving the ball, if the player fakes a shot, do you stick to the ball or not?

贴？

Stoudemire can get past 99% of the league's interior players in one step.

Not posting it?

A mid-range shot will teach you a lesson!

Now, Stoudemire has finally reached his prime. How terrifying is a Stoudemire with a shot, the ability to drive, and no knee injuries? Just ask Duncan!

Stoudemire utterly dominated Duncan in a series, and he was the guy who averaged 37+10 in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs!

Then there's Anthony, who actually got Barkley to train with him in the summer! That's quite a unique idea.

A small forward who relies on shooting and skills actually sought special training from a well-known big-butt power forward.

That's really insightful.

However, Lin Tian guessed that Anthony sought Barkley's special training mainly to learn how to finish.

He certainly doesn't want to continue earning his nickname of "King of Being Blocked by the Basket".

This summer, Anthony and Barkley learned a lot of post-up techniques, and because Barkley's post-up moves were so practical, Anthony's other technical moves also became simpler and more efficient!

Anthony has abandoned many of the flashy but ineffective dribbling and spin moves he used in his previous career, and instead prefers to catch the ball and shoot directly, or catch the ball and then take a jab step before shooting or driving to the basket to finish his offense.

If you let him play one-on-one, Anthony, who gained 4 kilograms in one summer, could teach 90% of the league's small forwards a lesson with just his butt.

At the same time, while increasing his post-up game and weight, his mid-range and long-range shooting did not suffer; in fact, it steadily improved.

Stoudemire and Anthony have both undergone significant evolution, which is consistent with their talent and ability that are a level above others.

Aside from those two, the other players certainly haven't been without improvement either.

Okur's three-pointers are more accurate, and he's been using more subtle tactics when positioning himself for rebounds under the basket, which is undoubtedly thanks to Charles Oakley.

Barnes' shooting and cutting awareness have also steadily improved, while Wallace, who was originally just a rough guy, has developed a short floater and some ball-handling offensive skills.

Smith and Nate became best buddies, spending their days studying dunking moves and techniques, and were the team's source of joy.

As for Smith's improvement in basketball skills, well, it's been rather mediocre.

There's nothing we can do about it. This guy is known as "LeBron James below the brain, and an idiot above the brain." If he were to encounter a coach who teaches defense, he could actually practice his defense properly and rack up blocks and steals.

But when he faced Don Nelson, all that was left was his sporadic shooting and top-tier dunking skills in the league.

As for Lin Tian himself?

He doesn't need to improve anymore; there's no room for him to improve further.

He regained his physique from last season, successfully lost weight, and got back into form—that's enough!

Although each player on the Knicks had varying levels of potential for improvement throughout the summer, Lin Tian firmly believed that if they were to play the Pistons and Celtics again, it wouldn't be a question of whether they would advance or not.

That's a question of whether we can crush them and sweep them aside!

Lin Tian is 100% confident he can easily crush both teams! (End of Chapter)