The era of point forwards in the NBA

Chapter 243 James' Pre-Game Declaration (Seeking Subscription, Monthly Pass)
On December 2009, 12, the Thunder ushered in the challenge of the Memphis Grizzlies at home. The last game was on December 11. This was the last comfortable break for the Thunder this month.

Next, waiting for them are four back-to-back games, and it is time to usher in a difficult schedule.

Last month's back-to-backs made the Thunder miserable. This is not arranged by humans. Such a tight schedule can easily cause players to be overworked and injured, but Stern can't help it. The time of this season is relatively daring. Since it started late, the players need to work harder.

Fortunately, this game against the Grizzlies was not too difficult. This season, the Grizzlies have a record of 9 wins and 12 losses, ranking 9th in the Western Conference. They also have a chance to make the playoffs this season.

Paul Gasol's younger brother Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph's "Black and White Shuangsha" inside organization has emerged in the league. The configuration of these two people has just formed a good chemical reaction.

Paired with Mike Conley's organization, this team works very well.

Fortunately, tonight, the Thunder did a good job defensively. The efficiency of OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay is touching. One made 23 of 8 shots and the other made 16 of 4 shots. They became the main contributors to the Thunder's easy win tonight.

As a high pick in 08, Mayo did not have the effect fans wanted. In the 2008-09 season, Mayo attended the entire season as a starter and averaged 38 points, 18.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 3.2 minutes of playing time.

All three of his statistics this season have seen a slight decline, not because of the reduction in shooting rights, but because his personal efficiency has simply become lower. Especially this season, other teams have begun to notice this person and strengthened their defense against him.

In this game, Mayo made 23 of 8 shots, 8 of 1 three-pointers, 1 of 1 free throw, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers and 5 fouls. Under Lin Yue's strict defense, he did not play well today.

Of course, this is also related to your own hand feeling. In the case of single defense, 8 of 1 three-pointers can only show that the state is not good.

On the other hand, Lin Yue made 17 of 9 shots, 3 of 1 three-pointers, and 5 of 3 free throws. He scored a double-double of 22 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds. His assists were in double figures again, and his average assists per game in the season exceeded 10. He came to No.2 in the assist list, second only to Paul with 10.3 assists. The difference in average assists between the two is only 0.2.

With fewer shots and more points, the first-year Lin Yue completed the second-year Mayo in this matchup.

Durant also successfully restricted Rudy Gay, allowing the latter to hit an embarrassing 16 of 4 shots. In this game, Gay has been looking for the feeling of shooting, not just three-pointers, mid-range, or layups. He failed to hit the basket well.

Randolph of the Grizzlies dominated the basket and put a lot of pressure on the Thunder. Although his shooting percentage of 21 of 8 was not impressive for a player who mainly plays inside, he scored double twenty, 21 points and 20 rebounds.

20 offensive rebounds for 11 rebounds. More offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds.

It's a pity no.

When the referee's whistle sounded, the Thunder's three juniors applauded from the bench. The game was finally won by them, leading the Grizzlies 102 to 92 by 10 points and taking the victory.

At this time, the Thunder's record became 15 wins and 5 losses, changing the number of winning streaks to 6. A wave of 6 consecutive victories allowed them to faintly catch up with the Denver Nuggets, the number one in the West.

However, whether the Thunder can continue to expand their winning streak is not optimistic in the eyes of many fans, because their next opponent is the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.

Today, the media has already started warming up before the game.

There is no doubt that James' popularity in the league has gradually caught up with Kobe. If Kobe hadn't successfully won the championship this year, the No.1 in the NBA might have changed hands.

Of course, in order to challenge Kobe, James must win the NBA championship. Now he has been with the Cavaliers for 6 years, and it will be 7 years after this season. If he does not win the championship, James is likely to leave.

In order to keep James and help him win his first professional championship, the Cavaliers also made reinforcements in exchange for the old O'Neal.

It's a pity that once O'Neal is not at his peak at this time, no one knows how they can perform this season.

The Cavaliers are a small ball market, and most of the stars are unwilling to play there.

In the past few years, they have also reached the finals, but unfortunately they lost to the Spurs in the end, and there is still a big gap in strength.

As the technology becomes more comprehensive, James is also thinking in his heart, whether loyalty is important or honor is important, and whether players should be more selfish.

Obviously, next year's offseason James will become the biggest fish in the league. As for whether he will stay in the Cavaliers, it depends on his performance in this year's playoffs.

A reporter also interviewed James the day before the game, "This season, the first-year rookie Lin Yue played very well, averaging 21 points, 10.1 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game. Such statistics are even better than yours back then. What kind of player do you think he is?"

The reporter's words were deliberately comparing Lin Yue and James. He just wanted to stir up topics before the game and warm up for the game.

This made Lin Yue dare not say it himself. Although he is crazy, these are the seniors of the league. Regardless of the statistics, as a rookie, he should have a rookie attitude and must respect his seniors.

"I went to watch his NCAA game last year. His performance on the court is very mature. I said that players who play smart will have a good development. At that time, I guessed that he would play brilliantly in the league."

"It's just that it seems to have exceeded my expectations. This is a phenomenal performance. He is a magician of the new generation. But no matter how much the outside world praises him, I will prove that the victory in this game belongs to me."

This is James' declaration of war. For a while, people at home and abroad began to look forward to the start of this game.

The proud son of the alliance, the little emperor James, faced the new generation of magician Lin Yue.

More than that, the contest between James and Durant, the top three scoring players, is also very interesting.

As well as Curry and O'Neal, which side can become a crucial factor for the team to win, these are unknowns.

"Lin, you should have heard what James said. I didn't expect that you would be compared with him a year later." Curry said excitedly. He is James' little fan.

"More importantly, we must beat him tomorrow." Durant said, he also wants to prove that he is the best small forward in the league, and this requires defeating James.

(End of this chapter)