stonecrandall Chapter 349 Dolan, the simp, appears at Madison Square Garden! The playoffs begin again.
Chapter 349 Dolan, the simp, appears at Madison Square Garden! The playoffs begin again.
The birth of Lin Tian's largest shoe contract in NBA history, and even in the entire history of North American sports, immediately swept through the entire media and sports world! Countless people began to discuss how big the contract was, how much money Lin Tian could earn each year, and how much revenue AND1 could gain.
Because there weren't many publicly available financial statements in this era, and Lin Tian's contract didn't contain any particularly precise figures, there were all sorts of speculations about the value of Lin Tian's contract, ranging from top to bottom.
Some conservatives say that Lin Tian's contract only looks impressive, and in reality, he can only earn around 1000 million yuan a year. Others say that the minimum is 3000 million yuan.
The most outrageous statement came from a TNT reporter who, after analyzing a long list of factors, claimed that Lin Tian could earn over $1 million annually from this contract!
In short, all sorts of speculation and analysis have fueled a heated discussion among fans about this sneaker contract!
The fans' enthusiasm for discussing the game even lasted for at least a week after the All-Star Game ended!
During this time, no one discussed whether the All-Star MVP should go to Marbury for hitting two game-winning three-pointers or Iverson for scoring 15 points in the final quarter, nor did anyone say whether Kidd's pass would have been better given to Kobe, who was on a hot streak.
No one is discussing where this All-Star Game ranks in history, nor is anyone saying how exciting or exaggerated its intensity, comparable to the NBA Finals, is.
The focus of everyone's discussion was on Lin Tian's sneaker contract with AND1.
After all, these numbers are outrageous, and the idea of greenbacks everywhere is incredibly exciting to discuss! It's as if just by talking about it more, you can get a huge share of the money!
Yes, it can definitely be divided!
Because Lin Tian accepted Pelinka's advice, almost simultaneously with the exposure of this shoe contract, he announced the establishment of a foundation, into which he would deposit money every year. This money would be used to support talented but poor children to play basketball.
We provide them with professional training, basketball equipment, and opportunities to try out for prestigious universities!
Pelinka, who is always meticulous in his work, also contacted his partners in China, where there is also a similar foundation!
After the two foundations were established, and with Pelinka investing heavily in publicity, the matter became known to everyone almost instantly!
Lin Tian's popularity in both China and the United States has soared even higher!
In the future, more and more people will inevitably idolize and learn from Lin Tian as their life goal! Lin Tian is also destined to gradually transform from a simple basketball star into a label, a symbol!
In Washington, Jordan looked at Lin Tian's new contract and all the related analyses, and the guy got angry again!
He folded the newspaper in his hand and threw it directly into the trash can.
Looking towards the trash can, one could barely make out what the headline of the newspaper said.
A multi-dimensional analysis of why Lin's shoe contract is the best in history: at least 11 details surpass Jordan's and Nike's contracts!
FUXX!
If you're going to analyze sneaker contracts, just analyze the contracts. Why are you dragging me into this? Don't you have anything better to do?
Jordan's anger is actually quite understandable, because this is the 23rd time he has seen similar reports in the last 3 days!
These reporters seem to think they can't report or write articles without comparing themselves to Lin Tian! They're a bunch of idiots!
Jordan threw the newspaper, but he was still unhappy, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became!
This time, he was angry at his former agent, David Falk!
If Falk hadn't messed around and treated Lin Tian like an idiot back then, Lin Tian would be AJ now!
Lin Tian should now be an employee under my command!
If that's the case, why should I put up with this kind of humiliation?
FUXX! Damn Falk! He made me get mocked!
At the same time, Lin Tian, far away in Indiana, gave a thumbs-up towards Washington to express his gratitude to Jordan!
Received the experience points from my buddy!
It's worth mentioning that the day after the All-Star Game ended, the NBA officially announced a groundbreaking trade!
The 76ers traded Ratliff, Kukoc, and others to Atlanta in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, one-time rebounding champion, three-time block champion, four-time All-Defensive Team selection, and a top-tier role player in the league, nicknamed "Mountain of Africa"!
The 76ers have acquired the more practical, defensively stronger, and more aggressive Dikembe Mutombo, and they are now aiming for the championship this year, launching another assault!
It's also worth mentioning that after Lin Tian's new contract was announced, when Webber, Miller, Carter, and others returned to Indiana from Washington, the way they looked at Lin Tian completely changed!
How to put it... Lin Tian has seen that look before!
Those were the eyes of someone looking to fleece a wealthy man! These guys were clearly impatient, wanting to squeeze some money out of Lin Tian's wallet and have some fun!
Faced with the anticipation and excitement of his men, Lin Tian didn't put on airs: If you want to come, then come!
So, on our first day back in Indiana: Music! Dance!
The second day back in Indiana: Keep the music playing and keep dancing!
Day three back in Indiana: Keep the music playing, keep the dancing going!
Day 4: Bird arrives!
Stop dancing like a madman! Including the wave before the All-Star Game, the team has now lost five straight games!
Lin Tian: I've fought battles for most of my life, can't I enjoy myself a little?
Bird: You can enjoy it, but go ahead and enjoy it! Give me back my players, they need to play!
In short, the Pacers' celebration is over.
After all, the team's record was really bad!
Lin Tian started resting before the All-Star Game and played two more games after the All-Star Game, losing both!
The team has only won 1 and lost 6 in 7 games without Lin Tian!
Their record has dropped to 37 wins and 16 losses!
Not only have they been overtaken again by the Magic, but even the 76ers, who are currently third in the East and just made a big trade, have started to exert their strength and quickly narrow the gap between themselves and the Pacers!
Fortunately, Lin Tian finally made a comeback at this time!
On the day Lin Tian returned to the scene, he even forgot why he had taken such a long break, but that obviously didn't matter. It was just a ridiculous reason that no one believed.
The most important thing is that with Lin Tian's return, the Pacers' full roster is back together! Injuries, that damn thing, seem to have finally left them behind!
The Pacers are about to launch their attack!
Lin Tian's first game back with the team was a home game against the New Jersey Nets. Facing Stephon Marbury, who always felt superior and considered himself his arch-rival, and his team from the New York suburbs, Lin Tian certainly wouldn't hold back!
From the start of the game, Lin Tian displayed formidable strength and a strong offensive desire. He broke through Marbury twice in a row and then went straight to the basket to score!
Then, when the Nets started to focus on help defense, especially when Pacers legend Smits began to collapse the paint, Lin Tian showed off his passing skills again!
He passed the ball behind his back to Ben Wallace, who was left open under the basket, and assisted him to dunk. After attracting a double team, he passed the ball without looking to Christie, who was left open on the other side, and made a three-pointer. Then, in a fast break, he slammed the ball onto the backboard and assisted Carter to complete an alley-oop dunk!
After a string of scores, Lin Tian made his comeback debut with a stellar performance in the first quarter, racking up 8 points and 7 assists! The Pacers also shook off their previous slump, scoring 34 points in the quarter and taking a commanding 14-point lead over the Nets!
With such a large lead in the first quarter, the Pacers will naturally continue to control the pace of the game and keep the situation firmly in their hands!
No matter how hard Marbury, who considered Lin Tian his lifelong rival, attacked, the Pacers firmly controlled the game and kept the point difference above 20 points!
This point difference remained until the end of the game!
81: 103!
The Pacers secured a resounding victory in their first game back after Lin Tian's return! This victory swept away their previous dismal 1-6 record, and the team is quickly back on track!
In this game, Lin Tian was just getting started, scoring 21 points and 18 assists in just 28 minutes!
The Pacers will then play their next home game, a back-to-back against the New York Knicks.
This season's Knicks are in a similar situation to last season; simply put, they're in a terrible state!
Ewing nearly missed the entire last season due to a wrist injury, and although he has recovered this season, his skill and form are clearly gone forever! So far this season, Ewing has played 44 games, averaging only 14 points and 8 rebounds! These statistics are all at career lows!
Ewing seems quite accepting of his current decline in form and inability to help the team.
After the game, while chatting with Lin Tian, Ewing bluntly stated, "This is probably the last time we'll face off against Lin on the court! I'll retire after this season!"
"What nonsense are you talking about, Patrick! This is definitely not our last matchup on the court!" Seeing Ewing's sentimental tone, Lin Tian couldn't help but pat him on the butt to tell him not to be so pessimistic.
"Stop talking, Lin. I understand what you mean, but I know my own situation. I can no longer be dominant. Rather than being humiliated by young players on the court, I'd rather retire sooner!"
"No, Patrick, you didn't get me right, not at all. What I meant was, 'We can play another game in Madison next Monday, which is the day after! You're not going to retire then, are you?'"
Ewing paused for a moment. This guy obviously hadn't looked at the schedule and had forgotten that these two teams, which were so close together, would definitely play a full four games in the regular season. In other words, he had said goodbye too early!
The slight sadness vanished instantly, replaced by Ewing's middle finger and the back of his head.
Ewing decided to talk to Lin Tian less, hoping that this might extend his career a little longer.
A few days later, the Pacers, who had arrived in Madison, easily defeated the Knicks, led by Houston and James. This year, the Knicks will most likely miss the playoffs, just like last year.
After the competition, Ewing didn't come to catch up with Lin Tian again; he couldn't be bothered with Lin Tian anymore.
This time, it was Dolan who approached Lin Tian.
This spoiled brat, who had enjoyed a very pleasant collaboration with Lin Tian and reaped both fame and fortune, pulled Lin Tian aside and asked, "Lin, we're good friends, right?"
"Of course! We're friends, of course! But I won't lend you money, James. Not lending money to friends is my bottom line!" Lin Tianyi said righteously, directly rejecting what Dolan might say next.
"F*** you! You bastard! I have 10 times more money than you! Why would I need to borrow money from you?" The cold eye roll was practically rolling to the ceiling. A boss asking an employee for money? What kind of alliance would have such a ridiculous thing happen?
Seeing Dolan roll his eyes, Lin Tian shrugged and didn't say anything, but in his heart he thought: Now, who between the two of us is really hard to say! My investments are spread across all industries!
Even if Lin Tian's investment choices were to be revealed in the future, he could start auctioning off the chance to have lunch with him and make a fortune! Lin Tian was confident that he could definitely squeeze that old man Buffett out so he could only eat alone in secret!
Who can blame me for being handsome?
Dolan ignored Lin Tian's eye roll and said enthusiastically, "Lin, I heard you recommended a rookie to Michael? Recommend one for me too, we're going to be rolling in it!"
"Choose Yao Ming!" Lin Tian answered without hesitation: "With the top draft pick, you can't go wrong with him!"
"Our record isn't that bad; we'll most likely get a draft pick around 10th." Surprisingly, Dolan wasn't angry. He continued, "What I mean is, you can name someone you like, someone you'd want to play with in the future!"
"What do you mean, James? Are you planning to submit a trade request to Larry and bring me to the Knicks?" Lin Tian immediately sensed a conspiracy! This Dolan wasn't here to ask him for advice as a rookie!
"I don't want to see Larry's ugly face contorted in embarrassment. I'm not stupid enough to humiliate myself like that! What I'm saying is, your contract expires in three years. Don't you want a change of scenery then?"
"Tired of Indiana's nightlife? Don't you want to experience the vibrancy of New York City, the world's largest metropolis?"
"Patrick's contract expires this year, Larry's performance is declining, and his contract only has two years left. The only big contract expiring this year is Alan's, and I plan to give him a three-year maximum contract, cleverly expiring in the same year as yours!"
At this point, Dolan grinned slyly: "I'll start planning ahead this year, preparing some great rookies for you, freeing up salary cap space, and waiting for your contract to expire so we can continue working together!"
"You can resist spending money?" Lin Tian looked at Dolan with disbelief. "With so much money in your hands, can you really resist spending it?"
"I can't help it," Dolan said honestly, shaking his head. "So I'm prepared to give Charlie a decent three-year contract as well. Besides, I'm open to anyone with a dream! The only requirement is that the contract is at least three years long!"
"My sincerity is more than enough. Come on, Lin, tell me who you think is promising, who you like, and who you want to play with in this year's or the next few years' rookies. I'll find a way to bring them all over to you, nurture them properly, and then, when you come, lead them to great heights!"
It has to be said that Dolan's sincerity is absolutely off the charts! After all, for him, the hardest thing has never been spending money, paying taxes, or waiting.
The hardest thing for him has always been saving money, or rather, not spending money recklessly!
Keeping money in your hands and not spending it could absolutely cost Dolan his life!
"Oh, right." Just as Lin Tian was thinking about whether to recommend a few new players to Dolan as a gift between good friends, Dolan suddenly said, "You and Isaiah have a good relationship, right? I'm planning to sign him and make him the team's general manager and head coach! What do you think? They're all your people!"
"Don't hesitate, just come!"
"Isn't he the general manager of the Raptors?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
"He's fired. Just yesterday," Dolan chuckled. "The team's record was terrible. He led the team for several years but couldn't pull them out of their predicament. Of course, more importantly, the players he traded, Rose, and the one he let go of who didn't re-sign, McGrady, are both playing exceptionally well!"
"His vision and team-building ability made the team owner lose patience with him, and he was kicked out!"
Lin Tian looked at Dolan with a complicated expression; he was truly caught in a dilemma.
What should we do?
To tell or not to tell?
Should he tell Dolan that although Thomas is a good guy and a good buddy, the team would be doomed if he were put in charge of management? Or should he remain silent and maintain his long-standing friendship with Thomas?
Lin Tian didn't say a word, but Dolan noticed his troubled expression!
"Understood, I won't hire Isaiah! I absolutely won't let him into my team! How about that? Satisfied now?" Dolan gave Lin Tian a knowing look and winked, saying, "By the way, when did you two start your feud? Back in the Bad Boys era?"
"I hadn't even entered the league yet back then, and I had no grudge against Isaiah. We were on good terms!" Lin Tian rolled his eyes, too lazy to talk to this fat guy who really didn't understand basketball. This guy didn't even know what era the Bad Boys were from, yet he was just making empty promises to himself!
But no matter what, no matter how generous the offer from Dolan is, Lin Tian will not and cannot give Dolan a definite answer at this time. There is still so much time. His contract will not expire until the summer of 2004, and he still has a full three and a half seasons before he needs to consider his next contract.
Now? What's the rush!
Dolan clearly understood that Lin Tian wouldn't give him an answer right now. The reason he started planning three years in advance was to avoid repeating the same mistake, and not to watch Lin Tian sign with Indiana when he had the opportunity to sign him!
Dolan won't make that mistake again! He's going to start attracting Lin Tian's attention like crazy right now, until Lin Tian's contract ends!
What he was going to do today was to let Lin Tian know how much he had sacrificed to get him!
I'm not wasting money trying to get you! This price is really too high! If you're not moved and don't come to me with full sincerity, then you're really not giving me face!
In response to Dolan's sincerity, Lin Tian said, "You are indeed a good person, but I am currently under contract. Let's discuss it again!"
Then, Lin Tian did indeed tell Dolan a few names, saying that if you have the chance, you can try to take these guys down.
As for whether Dolan can do it, and whether he can bring all those cute little boys to New York?
Lin Tian doesn't care anyway, we'll see what happens later!
He's quite happy in Indiana, and for the time being, he has no intention of changing teams.
Let's talk about the future later!
The Pacers' schedule this time around has been quite comfortable. They played the New York Bears at home and on the road, winning four straight games with ease, leaving the two bears battered and bruised!
In their final four games in February, the Pacers easily secured a winning streak!
The chain reaction brought about by Lin Tian's comeback is obviously not just that simple!
With Lin Tian's return and this four-game winning streak, it's now March.
On March 1, the Pacers lost to the Clippers, who were at the bottom of the league, at home, which was a warm welcome to the weak teams in the league. But they immediately followed up with a 14-game winning streak!
They went on a winning streak all the way into April!
55 wins and 17 losses!
After the games in March, the Pacers not only overtook the Magic to become the top team in the East again, but also climbed to the top of the league power rankings once again with this 14-game winning streak!
They have once again become the team with the best odds of winning the championship!
Lin Tian, on the other hand, has almost never fallen from the top spot on the MVP rankings since January! He has once again dominated the rankings!
Even during the team's losing streak in early February, Lin Tian's MVP ranking was actually more secure because he was not on the court!
By the end of March, Lin Tian had led his team to a record of 14 wins and 1 loss, and once again won the Player of the Month award for March!
Even with Lin Tian's outstanding performance at this stage of the season, even though the Pacers feel like two completely different teams with or without him, and even though he has consistently topped the MVP rankings, he still hasn't managed to secure the MVP award early.
Unlike the previous two years, the competition for the MVP award this year is extremely fierce!
Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and even Peja Stojakovic are all contenders for the MVP award!
In April, with each team having only 8-10 games left, the Pacers went all out and won 3 and lost 1 at the beginning of the month.
Then, in their last 6 games, Carlisle and Bird conspired and agreed to take turns resting!
As for the reason?
They trail the league-leading Lakers by a full six games, and with only a few games left, the Pacers have virtually no chance of overtaking them.
Behind them, the Magic, ranked third in the league, are two games behind the Pacers. Similarly, with only a few games left, the Magic really don't have much of a chance!
In this situation, Carlisle, who is always cautious and happy to let players rest, began a large-scale, phased rotation of rest!
Lin Tian, Ben Wallace, Carter, Christie and others took turns resting. Among them, Christie and Miller, who played in all 76 games of the team, did not play in the last 6 games and completely let loose!
Due to the team's extensive rest policy, the Pacers only managed a record of 3 wins and 3 losses in their last 6 games!
Their final season record was 61 wins and 21 losses.
They became the top team in the East once again, but this time they were only second in the league!
As for the top spot in the league, it was taken by the Lakers, led by the OK duo who trained hard during the offseason and constantly called themselves "brothers of hard training" throughout the season!
This season's Lakers are much stronger than last season. Their roster has been upgraded, their core players have made significant progress, and they ultimately achieved 69 wins, tying the Lakers' best record in franchise history!
The only pity is that Jackson doesn't care much about things like 70 or 72 wins. After all, the old man has already won 70 wins twice. So, in the April game, he ignored the protests of Los Angeles fans and had the team rest players.
This also led to the Lakers ultimately failing to surpass that legendary team in history and failing to achieve their first 70 wins in franchise history!
But as long as the team wins the championship in the end, then this so-called regret is not worth mentioning!
With that, all the regular season games have come to an end!
The final rankings for the East and West are now completely set!
east:
1. Indiana Pacers 61 wins, 21 losses
2. Orlando Magic: 60 wins, 22 losses
3. Philadelphia 76ers: 58 wins, 24 losses
4. Milwaukee Bucks: 55 wins, 27 losses
5. Charlotte Hornets 48 wins, 34 losses
6. Miami Heat 46 wins, 36 losses
7. Boston Celtics: 38 wins, 44 losses
8. New York Knicks: 36 wins, 46 losses
The rankings in the East show that the gap in strength is still very large. The top four teams all have more than 55 wins, but starting from the fifth-ranked Hornets, the strength of each team begins to drop precipitously. By the time the seventh-ranked Celtics reach 40 wins, they don't even have 40 wins!
As for the Knicks, who finished eighth, it was a surprise to team owner Dolan.
We're so bad, how can we possibly make the playoffs?
That's outrageous!
Simply put, the top four teams in the East are compared in terms of strength, while the bottom four teams are compared in terms of how badly they fared!
Who gets to the playoffs is purely a matter of who is worse. Anyone who is even slightly better or has even a tiny bit of ability will be squeezed out of the playoffs by their competitors!
For teams aiming for the lottery, making it into the playoffs in this way, only to be thrashed and eliminated, would be absolutely devastating news!
Yes, I'm talking about the Knicks!
The situation in the west is much better than in the east!
1. Los Angeles Lakers: 69 wins, 13 losses
2. Dallas Mavericks: 55 wins, 27 losses
3. Sacramento Kings: 53 wins, 29 losses
4. San Antonio Spurs: 51 wins, 31 losses
5. Phoenix Suns: 50 wins, 32 losses
6. Portland Trail Blazers 50 wins, 32 losses
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 49 wins, 33 losses
8. Houston Rockets: 45 wins, 37 losses
Compared to the stark disparity in wealth between teams in the East, the situation in the West is much better. Apart from the Lakers, who are far ahead in first place, the gap between the other teams is not that large! The difference between the third-placed Kings and the seventh-placed Timberwolves is only 4 games, which is negligible!
The Rockets, who are eighth in the West, still have 45 wins, while there are two teams in the East with fewer than 40 wins making the playoffs.
In comparison, the top teams and championship contenders on both sides are not far apart, but the second and third tier teams on both sides have a huge gap in level!
As for whether the East or the West is stronger now, we'll only know after the fight!
Besides the 16 playoff teams, the remaining 13 lottery teams were also ranked early on. The Bulls, with 15 wins, finished last. Since Jordan left, the Bulls have not won 20 games in three consecutive seasons, making their rebuilding process long and difficult.
In addition, the Golden State Warriors have 17 wins and the Wizards have 19 wins! These two teams are ranked second to last and third to last respectively. These three teams are also the only three teams in the league that have not won 20 games. As for who will win the reverse championship, that is, the number one pick, we will have to wait until the lottery ceremony at the end of May to find out.
In addition to the rankings of each team being finalized, the players' individual statistics have also been settled!
On the scoring leaderboard, Allen Iverson continued his strong performance, finally winning his first scoring title and no longer being second on the leaderboard. Moreover, his scoring title was extremely prestigious, as the gap between him and second place was huge!
This season he averaged 32.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals, ranking third in the final MVP rankings at the end of the season! Many believe he has a real chance to win this year's MVP!
In addition, the person ranked second on the scoring list is Lin Tian! Lin Tian once relied on his surge in January to bring his average score almost as close as Iverson's, but starting in February, with the return of injured players, Lin Tian also stopped his unnecessary offensive output, and his scoring data naturally began to decline.
Ultimately, his average score per game settled at 31.5 points!
Meanwhile, Lin Tian also averaged 10.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game!
An absolutely all-around player, with MVP-level stats!
Although Lin Tian lost the scoring title, he successfully defended his assist title once again! Since he left the Bulls, the assist title has never been relinquished; he has won the assist title for four consecutive years!
Meanwhile, Lin Tian's 2.9 steals also put him a full 0.6 steals ahead of Allen Iverson, who is second in the steals list, allowing him to continue defending his title as the steals king without any suspense!
In addition, Lin Tian's average of 30+10 is also unprecedented!
Throughout NBA history, only three players have ever achieved this stat line of 30 points and 10 assists!
These are Oscar Robertson, who achieved this feat five times, and Knight Archibald, the "Genius" who won both the scoring and assist titles in the 1972-73 season!
After these two, it's Lin Tian!
Throughout history, no one else has ever done this!
This data is clearly a crucial factor for Lin Tian in his quest for his third consecutive MVP award!
Aside from Lin Tian and Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal ranks third on the scoring list!
Because of last season's failure, O'Neal has been unusually active in training during the offseason. He has not only improved his free throw percentage to a career-high 66%, but also increased his average points per game to a career-high 30.1!
This season, Shaquille O'Neal is definitely at the peak of his career!
This year, he is absolutely the strongest he has ever been!
30.1 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game—that's Shaquille O'Neal's performance this season, and the biggest reason he's ranked second in the MVP race!
If the biggest obstacle to Shaquille O'Neal becoming MVP was the still incredibly strong Lin Tian, then the second factor that prevented O'Neal from becoming MVP was Kobe Bryant!
Kobe Bryant has been playing exceptionally well this year. After hard training during the offseason, he is averaging 28.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the scoring list. He also has 5.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game!
Kobe is also an All-NBA First Team guard this year. After a period of hard training throughout the offseason, many people believe that he has reached the level of a top-five player in the league! If he hadn't been on the same team as Shaq, he would most likely have been a strong candidate for MVP!
As for Stackhouse, who ranks fourth on the scoring list, he averages 29.8 points per game but has led his team to the lottery, and his efficiency and performance are not worth mentioning.
When the regular season came to an end, everyone was basically certain that O'Neal, Iverson, and Lin Tian would form a three-way battle for supremacy!
All three of them have a chance to win MVP, and it wouldn't be surprising if any of them ultimately succeeds!
After all, each of the three has their own advantages and disadvantages!
O'Neal's strength was that he delivered the best performance of his career, leading his team to the best record in the league and tying the Lakers' franchise record! But his weakness was that Kobe was just too good!
Iverson's advantage is undoubtedly that he won his first scoring title, and with the team's roster only having one more player, Mutombo, compared to last year, the team's record improved significantly, reaching third place in the Eastern Conference!
This record is also the 76ers' best record since Barkley left!
However, Iverson's disadvantage is that even though this record is the 76ers' best in more than 10 years, it is still not enough!
As for Lin Tian, his advantages are his unprecedented stats of 31 points and 10 assists, his terrifying performance of averaging over 47 points per game in January, the team's 61 wins, and the team's poor performance of only 1 win and 6 losses without him.
As for Lin Tian's disadvantage, it's that he has already won MVP twice in a row!
Just like Jordan back then, the judges may experience aesthetic fatigue with Lin Tian!
Just like the 1997 MVP award, from any perspective, it should have gone to Jordan, but in the end it was awarded to Malone!
What about this year?
Will Lin Tian follow in Jordan's footsteps?
But regardless of who ultimately wins the MVP award, the three-way battle for supremacy this year has already begun!
Now, it's up to the judges to decide!
But regardless of who ultimately wins the MVP award, all the teams aiming for the championship have entered playoff mode. They must fight with all their might to win and strive for the championship!
Apart from Lin Tian, the Pacers have suffered from a lot of injuries this season, but fortunately, with the playoffs approaching, the entire Pacers team has now recovered to full health!
全队除了林天场均能够拿到31分10助攻之外，韦伯本赛季因伤状态下滑明显，场均只有18分9篮板外加3助攻，他的场均得分甚至被场均拿下20分3篮板3助攻的卡特反超，落到了球队的第三名！
Considering the huge contract he just signed this year, his performance this year can at best be considered barely acceptable!
Besides the continued strong performance of the team's Big Three, Ben Wallace is averaging 3 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game this year! He's getting closer and closer to becoming one of the league's top role players! And there are fewer and fewer players he can't guard!
Christie continued his solid performance, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in the regular season, making him the team's best all-around player.
In addition, the team's sixth man, Miller, is averaging 14 points per game this year and can make 2.7 three-pointers per game with a 47% shooting percentage. He is the most accurate player off the bench!
Besides Miller, the two most reliable players on the Pacers' bench are Brad Miller and Al Harrington!
These two guys are quite different. One is young but already looks like a 10-year NBA veteran, while the other is full of energy and never seems to have a moment in the sun! Miller is averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds per game this season, and Harrington is averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds per game. Although their stats are average, the changes they bring to the team when they're on the court are obvious!
If these two players were on another team, their statistics and status would definitely see a significant improvement!
But with the Pacers, there's just no way around it; there are just too many people here who can play basketball!
This year, as Carlisle's first playoff run since taking over, the Pacers encountered an old friend in the first round of the playoffs.
New York Knicks!
Since his debut in 95, Lin Tian has faced the Knicks in the playoffs many times, and he has won every time!
Or rather, aside from losing to the Heat due to injury, Lin Tian has never lost a second series!
His relationship with the Knicks is also quite interesting. From disliking each other to fighting on the court, to developing mutual respect and realizing that the other was a decent person, they gradually became friends.
However, the first Knicks team Lin Tian faced back then was the New York mob led by Ewing, Starks, Oakley, and Mason!
But this year, the Knicks team has become somewhat unfamiliar. Starks, Oakley, Mason, and others have either retired or been traded away. Now, apart from Ewing and point guard Charlie Ward, no one on the Knicks team has faced off against Lin Tian in the 96 playoffs.
As Ewing ages and his performance declines, the team has transformed from a traditional inside-dominant style of play into a new type of team that focuses on shooting and outside offense.
The leader of this team has now become the "Mid-Range King" Allan Houston!
Lin Tian wasn't afraid of Houston at all; he was just a pure pitcher, and Christie was best at dealing with this kind of guy!
A sweep is basically the only possible outcome in this series.
In Lin Tian's view, this series was just a formality, a way for the players to find their form and feel in order to prepare for the second round of the series!
It's that simple! (End of Chapter)