Basketball boy, starting to shine from the slam dunk

In the blink of an eye, it is already mid-February.

The 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend is here.

In fact, Zhuang Yu originally did not plan to participate in this All-Star Weekend because An Xin’s due date was approaching.

Since there are no games during the All-Star Weekend, he plans to return to China to be with An Xin and wait for her to give birth.

But this time, not only is he a starter in the Western Conference and the league's top vote-getter, but this time the All-Star Game is also held at the home court of their Lakers team, the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

As the host, the starting player in the Western Conference and the top vote-getter, it is really unacceptable for him to be absent without any injury.

After discussing with his family, An Xin also asked him to wait until the All-Star Weekend was over before returning home. She asked the doctor, and it would take another week for the baby to go into labor.

Although he stayed, Zhuang Yu's heart had already flown back to China.

Some teammates also noticed that Zhuang Yu was acting strangely and asked him about it with concern. Zhuang Yu did not tell them the reason and just responded with a smile.

Because he had something on his mind, he didn't have much interest in the All-Star Weekend. While everyone else was immersed in the happy and relaxed atmosphere, Zhuang Yu chose not to participate if he could.

For example, he did not participate in the Celebrity Tournament or Rookie Tournament on the first day.

In fact, Zhuang Yu didn't go to the stadium at all, but stayed at home and had a video call with An Xin.

There was no way for him to go back and be with his wife at this time, so he could only accompany her online.

Zhuang Yu was not interested in the Masters Tournament at all.

Although he did not attend the rookie game, he paid attention to the results of the game.

This is the Rookie Game, and there are many potential rookies participating, such as Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Kings, Jamal Murray of the Nuggets, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid of the 76ers.

Among them, Joel Embiid is naturally the biggest player.

He was selected by the 2014ers with the third pick in the first round of the 1 NBA Draft and entered the NBA.

Originally he was a favorite for the No. 4 pick, but because he underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot before the draft, the entire recovery process is expected to take 6- months, causing his draft pick to drop to third in the first round.

Also due to injury, he missed the entire rookie season.

I thought missing a season was bad enough.

As a result, in August 15, Embiid underwent another navicular bone transplant surgery on his foot. The recovery time is expected to be as long as 8-5 months, which resulted in his second season being directly reimbursed.

So strictly speaking, the 16-17 season is Embiid's first NBA season.

Although he missed many opportunities and wasted a lot of time due to injuries for two consecutive seasons, it also made him more mature than other players.

In the 16-17 season, he averaged 20+8 per game.

However, the bad days did not end there. Embiid soon suffered a left knee injury and was announced to be out for the season after the 17 All-Star Weekend.

It's really unheard of that he has been out for three consecutive seasons due to injuries.

However, what surprised the fans was that the 76ers chose to renew the contract with such a fragile player who had been out for three consecutive seasons due to injuries, and gave him a five-year, $5 million maximum contract as a designated rookie.

He only played 31 games in three seasons, but got a maximum salary contract, which is also unique.

Fortunately, after experiencing a series of setbacks, Joel Embiid finally had a healthy season this season, averaging 22+11 per game and was selected as a starter in the Eastern Conference All-Star Game, which proves that he is worthy of the contract.

This is Embiid's fourth year in the NBA, and he has been selected to the All-Star team, but strictly speaking, he is only a sophomore rookie, so he can naturally participate in the Rookie Game. He is also the only All-Star player to participate in the Rookie Game.

However, in the Rookie Game, Embiid only played for 9 minutes, made 6 of 2 shots and scored 5 points, and did not compete for the Rookie Game MVP.

However, Bogdan Bogdanovic of the World Team played well, making 16 of 9 shots and 7 three-pointers, scoring 26 points, 6 assists, and won the Rookie Game MVP.

Zhuang Yu's teammate Kuzma also participated in this rookie competition.

As a first-year rookie, Kuzma has performed very well this season, but he did not play much in the Rookie Game.

......

The next day, individual events.

This time, Zhuang Yu did not stay at home, but went to the stadium to watch the three-point contest and dunk contest.

Zhuang Yu had previously participated in the Skills Challenge and the Three-Point Contest, and won both championships.

Before the All-Star Weekend, many fans called for Zhuang Yu to participate in the dunk contest. The NBA also invited Zhuang Yu, but he refused.

One reason is that An Xin’s due date is approaching, and he doesn’t even want to play in the All-Star Game, let alone the Slam Dunk Contest.

The second reason is that there were no top players participating in this dunk contest.

Zach LaVine did not participate, Aaron Gordon withdrew due to injury, but Zhuang Yu's teammate Larry Nance Jr. participated in the dunk contest. The other three were Victor Oladipo of the Pacers, Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz, and...

Oh no, in January of this year, the Mavericks have officially changed their name to the Dallas Mavericks, and young player Daniel Smith signed up for the dunk contest.

After a fierce competition, Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz won the dunk contest.

As for the three-point contest, there are many top players among the participating players.

For example, Klay Thompson, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Eric Gordon, Paul George, etc.

In the end, Devin Booker of the Suns scored 28 points and won the three-point contest championship.

The individual events came to an end.

The highlight, the All-Star Game, will follow shortly afterwards.

......

On February 2, the 19 NBA All-Star Game kicked off.

This is the highlight of the All-Star Weekend every year and the game that fans watch the most.

What’s more, this year is different from previous years. It is no longer divided into the East and West, or the United States Team and the World Team, but Team James vs. Team Zhuang Yu.

The mix of players from the East and the West is quite a gimmick.

The Oklahoma City Thunder's big three are reunited, the Splash Brothers team up with Zhuang Yu, the league's top two players James and Durant become teammates...these are enough to make fans look forward to it.

"Who do you think will win today?"

"It's definitely James' team. Their lineup is too strong. They have Davis and Embiid in the interior, James and Durant in the front, and Harden, Irving, Westbrook and Wall in the back. The lineup is luxurious and very balanced."

"But Zhuang Yu's team also has Zhuang Yu, Curry, and Klay..."

"Oh, who else is there besides them? Lopez, Antetokounmpo, DeRozan, Holiday, or Porzingis and Oladipo? Can these people compare with Harden, Westbrook, Irving, and Davis? They are not on the same level, okay?"

"Yes, although I like Zhuang Yu very much. But I have to say that Zhuang Yu's vision in selecting people is still not as good as James'..."

The game hasn't even started yet, but the fans in the audience are already talking.

Many people are not optimistic about Zhuang Yu's team, because apart from Zhuang Yu and Curry, the other players on the team do not seem to be super stars.

On the other hand, James' team includes James, Durant, Anthony, Davis, Harden, and Westbrook, all of whom are superstars.

In terms of star lineup, Zhuang Yu's team is far behind.

......

on the field.

The players are warming up.

Clay came to Zhuang Yu and whispered, "Did you hear what the fans are saying? They don't think highly of us."

Zhuang Yu smiled calmly: "It doesn't matter. We still have to play to know who is stronger. The fans all think that our lineup is not as good as the other side. Haha, we are all All-Stars, who is worse than who?"

Klay also laughed: "Yeah, we are all All-Star players. Who says we are not as good as those guys on James' team?"

Zhuang Yu glanced at his teammates, and finally his eyes fell on Curry, and asked Klay: "What did Stephen say, does he want to win the MVP?"

Klay was stunned by this and subconsciously answered, "He didn't say anything." But he quickly realized what was happening and asked in surprise, "You don't want to win the MVP?"

Zhuang Yu smiled and said, "All-Star Game MVP is not the Finals MVP. One is enough. Klay, do you want it?"

I?

Can I?

Klay's heart was slightly shaken, and he didn't know what to say for a moment. He really didn't think he could win the MVP. He was just a three-point shooter, and his main attack was off the ball. He didn't know how to do anything fancy. How could he have a chance to win the MVP on a stage like the All-Star Game?

Not likely.

In a game like the All-Star Game, guards and forwards have the best chance of winning the MVP, especially guards.

Because in this kind of game, those who can make it to the All-Stars are naturally not mediocre, and the defensive intensity is not high, so as long as they let go, anyone can get 30+.

But the question is whether you have enough ball possession and whether your teammates will allow you to swing the ball freely?

We are all All-Star players. Why do you get to shoot dozens or twenty times and just go for it when you get the ball, while I can only watch from the side and do boring shuttle runs?

In this situation, the defenders naturally have the advantage because they are responsible for holding the ball, organizing the offense, and have enough ball possession.

Another point is that compared to inside players, guards often have more sophisticated techniques and their play is more entertaining.

Some centers, especially traditional centers, or three-point shooters like Klay, rarely dribble during games, and their movements are simple and practical. Their playing style is not flashy enough, which does not match the style of the All-Star Game. Naturally, they do not get much ball possession and opportunities, and it is difficult for them to win the All-Star Game MVP.

In the past 10 years of the All-Star Game, only one inside player has won the All-Star Game MVP, and that is Shaquille O'Neal.

As for off-ball shooters?

Haha, there are shooters who have participated in the All-Star Game in the past twenty years, such as Ray Allen, but not a single one of them won the All-Star Game MVP.

Now Zhuang Yu suddenly asked Klay if he wanted to win the MVP, which made Klay feel a little dreamy. Are you kidding?

"Don't look at me like that."

Zhuang Yu said seriously, "I'm not kidding. I'm not interested in the MVP. I already won it last year. If Stephen is not interested, I think you can give it a try."

Klay still felt a little dreamy and laughed, "Isn't it too early for us to talk about this now? The game hasn't even started yet. The prerequisite for winning the MVP is that we beat James' team."

Zhuang Yu nodded: "Yes, we have to beat James' team. Although I am not interested in MVP, I don't want to lose."

Clay smiled, "I don't want to either."