NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

Chapter 181 [181] Refuse to sign before trading, discussion about the 60 biggest superstars!

The Pistons' defensive strategy for Lin Fei in the first half tonight is actually very clear, that is, when Lin Fei is not holding the ball, they will actively pursue and cut off his receiving line.
When Lin Fei was holding the ball and attacking in pick-and-rolls and singles, the Pistons asked Hamilton and Prince to take turns defending, while trying to cut off Lin Fei's passes in several directions.

After all, it is a team with one of the best defensive efficiency in the current league. In the first half when the Pistons were full of energy and physical strength, the Pistons' defense was almost comprehensive and extreme.

Lin Fei's personal outside singles shot was only 7-for-3 from the field, and he also made several mistakes in assists.
It stands to reason that a three-point shooting rate of over 42% is considered very strong under the high-intensity defensive level of the playoffs.

But compared with Lin Fei's personal daily shooting efficiency, it would require a lot of hip stretch.

Then there are the generals, Battier and Jason Williams, and even O'Neal in the inside. The scoring efficiency and touch were relatively poor throughout the first half, which also directly affected Lin Fei's assists.

Only Wade continued to hit the basket with the ball and without the ball in the first half, causing damage many times and scoring 21 points in the half, which helped the Heat maintain a slight lead.

However, no matter how tenacious and fierce the defense is, it will never last the entire game efficiently. In the third quarter, the Pistons' defense was slightly slack, and Lin Fei, who was attacking with the ball, quickly showed his fangs.

Facing Hamilton's main defense and Prince's double-teaming, Lin Fei continuously dribbled the ball outside the three-point line at the top of the arc and forced a shot directly against Hamilton's defense.

This ball was an obvious shooting foul, but Lin Fei's terrifying shooting threat made Hamilton dare not not guard it.

"Bang!"

Although the basketball missed the frame, the referee's whistle also sounded.

"Beep!"

Stephen Jiawei signaled Hamilton to foul Lin Fei's outside shooting, and Lin Fei got three free throw opportunities.

For Lin Fei, free throws are free points. He has not missed a free throw during this year's playoffs.

Prince and Hamilton whispered on the sidelines to exchange details of defensive cooperation. The Pistons' five tigers really did their best on the defensive end.

"Shh!"

"Shh!"

"Shh!"

Lin Fei walked to the free throw line and was greeted by cheers from the sky. He made all three free throws accurately, and the MVP's voice continued to resound over the American Airlines Arena.

On the second floor of the auditorium, there is a very obvious sign that reads: "The league owes Lin an MVP!" in eye-catching English.

Many Heat fans have always been complaining about Lin Fei, believing that he is the star who most deserves to win the regular season MVP. Dirk Nowitzki has no advantage in terms of record and statistics.

Back on the defensive end, Lin Fei decisively helped to double-team Rasheed Wallace in the high post, but let Hamilton go.

Wallace successfully avoided the steal and quickly passed the ball to Hamilton who was running on the right outside line. Lin Fei was too late to make up for it at this time and could only watch the masked man take off.

Although he already has top strength and experience in defense, when he is eager to make achievements, his mentality will still affect the quality of Lin Fei's defense.

"Shh!"

Hamilton's three-pointer went hollow into the net, and he finally let out a long breath after landing.

However, after Lin Fei came to the offensive end, he quickly responded to Hamilton, using a pick-and-roll from the outside to attract double teams.
This time, the goal was not to withdraw outside the three-point line to prepare for the ball, but to go directly into the penalty area and catch the Pistons defense off guard.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Fei's pass was accurately passed to the ball down the line. Taking advantage of his height and wingspan, Lin Fei sent a high-curved ball towards Ben Wallace who was assisting in defense.

"Shh!"

The basketball hits the net accurately after hitting the board. This layup also reflects a generally soft feel under the basket.

Lin Fei assists +1,

Rough score +2.

Lin Fei usually uses the tactic of withdrawing outside to attract the defense to catch the ball after picking and rolling. Therefore, the Pistons' defense is obviously arranged to block Lin Fei's cross pass from the outside.

But this time, a sudden air cut to the basket, coupled with O'Neal's restraint on the other side of the basket, caused the Pistons' defense to leak.

The Pistons attacked, and Billups missed a three-pointer from the outside after taking advantage of the pick-and-roll. Ben Wallace's tip-in still failed, and the defensive rebound was protected by O'Neal.

The Heat counterattacked, Lin Fei and Wade made eye contact, and the task of holding the ball was given to the Flash this time. Lin Fei's active off-ball movement on the right involved the defense.

"Whoosh!"

Wade's confusing breakthrough on the left successfully attracted two defenders, and he quickly distributed the ball to Lin Fei who was cutting through the basket from the right.

After Lin Fei got the ball, he threw away Hamilton, faked a real pass, and then passed it to Battier who cut through the middle.

Battier jumped up and took the ball and dunked it toward the basket, but the dunk seemed a little off. The basketball hit the inside of the basket and bounced directly out.

Wade has quick eyesight and quick hands. With his better rebounding awareness and rebound speed, he quickly grabbed the offensive rebound. After landing, he passed the ball behind his back and passed it to Lin Fei again.

Lin Fei was inside the three-point line at this time, and his only option was to pass the ball. Therefore, the moment he caught the ball, he already knew the situation in the frontcourt well, and he passed the ball to the outside.
The ball seemed to bounce off Lin Fei, refracting back to the outside line on the right at a roughly 45-degree angle.

After receiving the ball, Rasheed Wallace's defense quickly pounced on him, so he faked a pass and hit the ground with a small foot, accurately passing the ball to his teammates behind him.

"Whoosh!"

Sooner or later, it was Lin Fei who quickly cut outside from the inside and moved to roughly behind him.

At this time, Lin Fei received a rough return pass, two steps away from the three-point line on the right, and with the help of a rough screen, he ignored Hamilton who was catching up with him from the diagonal.

Bend your bow, nock an arrow, and shoot another one.

"Shh!"

On the top of the immortal world, proud of the world, there will be heaven with me, Lin Fei.

Hamilton, who rushed forward, failed to control his body and crashed directly into Lin Fei.

Lin Fei landed on the ground and lay on the floor. The referee's whistle was clear and sweet.

"Beep!"

3+1.

A somewhat annoyed Hamilton also squatted on the ground, pounding the floor with his fists, venting his anger at the defensive disadvantage.

Hamilton, who has always been good-tempered and low-key, was almost driven crazy by Lin Fei.

The referee quickly gave Hamilton a warning and gave him a direct technical foul if he made any extraordinary moves.

Lin Fei walked to the free throw line and spread his arms to Hamilton to show his helplessness. It was impossible to catch the ball and shoot without it.

"Shh!"

The Heat's offense can be described as one wave after another. Wade and Lin Fei's four consecutive passes completely disrupted the Pistons' defensive formation.

In the end, the general pass to the ground and Lin Fei's super long three-pointer on the cover were even more exciting.

The American Airlines Arena was filled with cheers. Led by Lin Fei, the Heat went on a 9-3 run and once again stopped the Pistons.

Heat (58): (50) Pistons.

Taking advantage of this timeout, Stan Van Gundy's coaching team also anticipated the possible changes in Flip Saunders' defensive tactics.
In addition, Wade has been in good condition tonight, so he decisively chose to switch the offensive mode and return Wade to the main offensive position, while Lin Fei was more involved in defense on the outside.

Sure enough, after the timeout, the Pistons continued to take more care of Lin Fei, and still let Billups deal with Wade alone.

Tonight, Wade truly returned to MVP-level strength. He successfully broke through Billups in consecutive one-on-ones. After getting to the basket, he either scored or drew fouls. He was simply unstoppable.

Seeing Wade break out and the Heat's lead reach double digits, the Pistons were inevitably hesitant on the defensive end.

Lin Fei once again stepped up to attack at the end of the third quarter, scoring 9 points with sudden shots, and two wonderful assists once again ignited the game.

With both Wade and Lin Fei breaking out and frequently switching offenses, the shooting percentage of the role players also improved compared to the first half. The Pistons' defense completely collapsed at the end of the third quarter.

整个第三节，林飞独揽17分5助攻1抢断1封盖，韦德单节同样有14分4助攻3篮板的表现。

The Heat scored 39 points in the third quarter, while the suppressed Pistons only scored 18 points in the third quarter, winning by 21 points in a single quarter.

O'Neal only played 6 minutes in the third quarter. As the Heat's offensive and defensive rhythm gradually accelerated, O'Neal's importance was gradually weakened.

After three quarters, the Heat have led the Pistons by 23 points, and the game has basically entered garbage time.However, the tenacious Pistons launched a crazy counterattack in the final quarter. Billups and substitutes Hunter Lynch and Antonio McDyess became surprise players, helping the team to a 15:4 victory.

With the return of Lin Fei and Wade, the Heat also re-established a 20+ lead.

In the end, the Pistons lost to the Heat by another 19 points on the road, and were already trailing 0:2 in the Eastern Conference Finals series.

林飞今晚在上半场三分球7投3中的情况下，下半场迎来全面爆发，全场最终三分球14投9中，罚球9中9，高效轰下36分10助攻3抢断1封盖，再次成为球队的MVP。

Wade also experienced a resurgence tonight, making 19 of 12 shots. His efficiency was also incredible, with 31 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He worked hard on both ends of the offense and defense, and he did his best whether on offense or off the ball.

In this game, Lin Fei and Wade truly demonstrated the Heat's top two guards and the "peerless two prides" of the 03 class.

然而作为另一巨头的奥尼尔，却在这场比赛中只出战了29分钟，13次出手命中6球，罚球8中3，拿到15分8篮板1封盖。

Compared with the Heat's three-legged confrontation last season, the 33-year-old O'Neal has obviously felt like relegating to the second line this season. Lin Fei and Wade have truly become the Heat's absolute dual-core.

Relevant media and newspapers also began to criticize O'Neal's attitude towards the game, believing that his strength no longer matches the honor of the league's number one center.

Mainstream media believe that most NBA stars are no longer at their peak at the age of 33, which is understandable for most NBA stars, but after all, O'Neal is a top 10 or even top 5 superstar in history.
And Michael Jordan, who at the age of 35 can still lead his team to win a championship, regular season MVP and finals MVP,

Compared with Karl Malone, who can still win the regular season MVP at the age of 36, O'Neal, who is 33 years old and no longer at his peak, is indeed not competitive enough.

In the media interview at the press conference after the game, the cheerful O'Neal responded positively regardless of the media's doubts:
"Lin and Dwayne are representatives of the younger generation of stars in the league. More opportunities should be given to young players. The future of the league is destined to belong to them!"

"As for those who say that I am no longer at my peak, I just want to say that when the team really needs me, I will still show my dominance!"

After winning four championships and four FMVPs in his career, O'Neal's career is indeed perfect now.
With Lin Fei and Wade, there is nothing wrong with wanting to win for a year. After all, this is O'Neal, and he and Kobe's paranoid personalities have never been compatible.

热火队在东部决赛大比分2：0领先活塞，杀入总决赛的形式一片大好，而林飞连续两场分别拿到35+14和36+10的大号两双，
This also allowed him to gradually become the Miami Heat's well-deserved first scoring point and offensive core throughout the playoffs this year.

Although Lin Fei is likely to choose to become a free agent in the offseason, Stan Van Gundy's coaching team still focuses on defending the championship.

Next, I plan to continue to attach great importance to Lin Fei, let him and Wade alternate the main attack, and create a new situation for the Heat.

Looking back at the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks and Timberwolves played the first two games, but the score was tied at 1:1. The suspense of the series was obviously greater than that of the Eastern Conference Finals.

While the Eastern and Western Conference finals are in full swing, the NBA league, in order to attract the attention of more fans around the world,
The media and public opinion are also beginning to continuously hype the selection of the 60 greatest historical superstars for the 60th anniversary of the league.

As we all know, the NBA was founded in 1946. As early as the end of 1996, the league selected the top 50 superstars in history, expanding the NBA's global influence and popularity.

At that time, the top 50 players in history were led by Michael Jordan. At the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland, a special honorary ceremony was held.

Among the top 50 stars selected in this batch, there are players from the 60s and [-]s who are not familiar to fans, as well as Jordan in his prime, the four major centers, Malone, Stockton and others.

Among them, Shaquille O'Neal, as the No. 1992 pick in 50, only played in the league for more than four seasons before he was successfully selected into the top [-] stars in history.

Although O'Neal was the No. 1 pick at the time, he had yet to win hard personal honors such as the regular season MVP and championship. He only reached the finals once and was selected to the All-NBA Team (non-First Team) three times.

Therefore, O'Neal was selected into the top 50 players in history as the youngest player, which also attracted many comments and questions from fans and media at the time.

Now ten years later, the 60 greatest superstars in history are being selected again. The latest group of players in the league are facing similar problems to O'Neal at that time.

Especially Wade and Lin Fei. Both of them only played in the league for three seasons, but their honors surpassed O'Neal, who played in the league for four seasons at that time.

Therefore, whether the two can finally be selected as the top 60 stars in the NBA has also attracted the attention and interest of many fans.

"If the Heat win the championship again this year, Lin will have won three championships in a row in the first three years of his career. Even if he does not have individual MVP and FMVP, two consecutive years with a double team and two steals leaders will be enough to be selected as one of the 60 greatest stars in history. ?”

"As long as Lin performs normally this year and the Heat can defend the title, the Finals MVP will definitely be Lin's. Three championships + 1 FMVP plus two double teams, two All-Star voting champions, and one All-Star MVP. This Isn’t it too unfair not to be included in the 60 greatest players in history?”

"Wade also has a great chance. After all, if he wins another championship, it will be two consecutive championships. At the same time, Wade also has a very valuable regular season MVP!"

“我听说60大巨星是在50大巨星的基础上重新选出最近10年表现优秀的10名球星加上去，从96-06这十年，林绝对算得上前十吧？”

"The stars who emerged in the decade from 96 to 06 are not among the top 50 in history, that is, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe, Iverson, etc., right?"

"Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki, these three power forwards all have regular season MVPs and have performed well in the playoffs in consecutive years. They should all be eligible!"

"Then Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant, who won three consecutive championships as the second child, should all be selected!"

"There are also Heat veteran Alonzo Mourning and SuperSonics Gary Payton. They should also have some opportunities, right?"

"That's eight quotas, and there are two left. Lin Fei and Wade don't feel any pressure. Basically, there are no new stars who can surpass them two in terms of honors, right?"

"After O'Neal at center, there really hasn't been a rising star in the past ten years. Yao still feels a bit inferior!"

"The competitiveness of Tracy McGrady and Carter is obviously not as good as that of Lin Fei and Wade, and James and Anthony have no chance!"

There are fans who actively support Lin Fei and Wade, and naturally there are also anti-fans who fight back on the Internet, emphasizing the past but not the present:

"You want to be selected as one of the 60 greatest stars in history after playing three seasons. Isn't this too confident?"

"The championship won by the team was also assisted by the league's No. 1 O'Neal. Is this worth bragging about?"

"If the Heat fail to win the championship this year, Wade and Lin Fei will definitely have no chance to be selected into the top 60 stars. If they win the championship, they can consider it!"

"In the end, Tim Duncan has to be the most awesome. He had not yet entered the league in 96, but now he has led the team to two championships, and personally has two MVPs and two FMVPs!"

"Although the Spurs did not reach the conference finals this year, there is no doubt that Tim Duncan's historical status has surpassed Hajim Olajuwon, who also won two championships and two FMVPs, and is no longer in the top ten in history!"

NBA officials also prefer to maintain the top 96 stars in history selected in 50, but select the top ten stars with outstanding performance in the past ten years to form the 60 top stars for the 60th anniversary.

After the 05-06 playoffs, this selection will also be jointly selected by the league's retired stars, media reporters, team coaches and current star representatives...

More rational fans believe that if Lin Fei and Wade can lead the Heat to defend the championship this season,
Then it is absolutely certain that the two of them will be selected into the 60 greatest players in history.

In ESPN's latest Finals MVP list, Lin Fei is firmly ranked No. 1 on the list thanks to his comprehensive and efficient performance in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, especially his ability in assist organization.

Pushing Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Garnett to the back.

This also made Lin Fei's call for winning the first FMVP of his career even higher. In the face of huge fan pressure,

Stan Van Gundy's coaching staff is also more inclined to let Lin Fei replace Wade as the Heat's first offensive core in the Eastern Conference Finals and Finals. His average number of shots per game is expected to exceed 20+.

After all, Lin Fei's efficient performance is completely positively related to the Heat's consecutive championship. Even if Lin Fei is likely to leave the Heat during the offseason, more members of the coaching staff and management still prefer that everyone can get together and relax, which is perfect. The cooperation has been good these two seasons.

But just when Lin Fei and the entire Heat team flew to Detroit on a special plane to prepare for away games in G3 and G4,
However, there was bad news within the team. O'Neal was accidentally injured during training. The team doctor recommended a truce of at least 1 week, which will cause O'Neal to miss 3-4 games.

O'Neal's accidental injury made Stan Van Gundy's coaching staff very dissatisfied. After all, O'Neal's inactivity this season and his slackness in training really made Van Gundy and Pat Riley unsatisfied.

However, out of the overall interests of the team and preparations for the next Finals, the Heat agreed to let O'Neal take a break to recuperate.
Without O'Neal, coupled with the injury of substitute power forward Murphy, the Heat are now left with only two people available inside, Rough and Old Mourning.

The Heat simply led the Pistons 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, so the Heat coaching staff decided to try tactics, focusing on small ball fast breaks.

In a hotel in Detroit, the night before Game [-] of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and Pistons.

After Lin Fei finished an hour of strength and jumping training in the gym, he took a shower and put on a smart Anta suit.
Then he went to a conference room in the hotel and interviewed Pat Riley's assistant in person.

"Lin, what Mr. Riley means is that since you have decided to become a free agent in the offseason, the Heat will sincerely give you blessings and respect!"

"But I still hope you can consider it and see if it is possible to reach a sign-and-trade deal with the team. Mr. Riley will definitely try to meet your requirements and send you to the city and team of your choice!"

Riley's assistant is a humble white man in his 30s, who has the gentlemanly demeanor of Bob Myers in his manners.

Lin Fei was smiling. He had known for a long time that Pat Riley would definitely negotiate with him before the end of the finals and try his best to facilitate a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat.

In this way, you can squeeze out the last value from yourself, exchange for strong enough role players for Wade and O'Neal, and maintain the strength of the Heat.

But Lin Fei also knows very well that if he signs with the Heat first and then trades, he will inevitably be constrained in his offseason choices.
At the same time, the new owner traded away the absolute main players to the Heat in order to get themselves. This also left benefits for the Heat, but hurt the competitiveness of the new team.

Lin Fei is an unrestricted free agent, and there is absolutely no need to make such a big sacrifice to help the Heat. After all, his comeback for the team in the past two years in the Heat is definitely worth the reward.

The best outcome for him and the Heat is that they get together easily and part ways easily, and no one owes anyone anything.

"Mr. Rice, I still say the same thing, I will work hard to help the Heat win the championship again, but in the offseason, I hope that I can become an absolute free agent!"

Faced with Lin Fei's decisive decision, Pat Riley's assistant could only shake his head and sigh, get up and leave.

The next morning, the Heat officially issued a temporary statement.
The team's main players Shaquille O'Neal and Lin were accidentally injured in a collision during practice at the same time, and will miss the Eastern Conference Finals G3 game together. Dwayne Wade will lead the team alone to win the winning streak...

As soon as the news came out, the Heat fan circle instantly exploded...

(End of this chapter)