128 New Teammates

"It's a pity that the Grizzlies don't want Zach Randolph. They are now determined to rebuild and train new players. They only want draft picks and potential rookies."

Steve Patterson couldn't help but sigh and said.

"That guy Jerry West actually asked me if I wanted to trade Zhang Jun. He was even willing to trade Rudy Gayon and two first-round picks."

"How did that old guy have the nerve to say this?"

"Even if the Grizzlies add all the available draft picks, I will never trade them!"

"Zhang Jun is so cool."

After it was determined that Gasol could not be obtained and the latter had entered the trade market, Steve Patterson cut the knot and immediately conducted a trade for Zach Randolph.

.........

The second day.

Steve Patterson and Knicks general manager Isaiah Thomas each held press conferences to announce the team's trade.

The Trail Blazers traded Randolph, Dan Dickau and Sergio Rodriguez to the New York Knicks for Channing Fletcher and Steve Francis.

"This is a deal that doesn't involve draft picks."

Buckley explained on his show.

Kenny Smith was slightly puzzled: "The Trail Blazers paid for a quasi-All-Star Zach Randolph, and this deal also allowed them to accept Steve Francis' bad contract."

"No matter how I look at it, I think the Trail Blazers lost a lot of money on this deal."

Barkley shook his head and said: "If you only look at the content of the transaction, it is true that the Knicks took a big advantage, but if you think about it carefully, you will find that the two teams are completely getting what they need."

Kenny Smith asked curiously: "How do you say this? What did both teams get?"

Barkley continued: "Randolph has four years left on his max contract, and Steve Francis' max contract expires next year."

"After the end of next year, the Trail Blazers' Braydon Roy and Aldridge have the possibility to renew their contracts in advance."

"So the Trail Blazers' intention to reach this deal is obvious. They are working hard to renew the contract in advance after the end of next season and free up salary space."

"After all, the Trail Blazers have three talented young people, Zhang Jun, Luo Yin and Aldridge. As long as they can stabilize these three, the Trail Blazers will become a team that cannot be underestimated in the Western Conference in the next five years. ”

Kenny Smith suddenly understood after hearing this.

This deal was a three-for-two deal for the Trail Blazers, with the total salary reaching 22 million, while the Knicks' total salary was 19 million, and they also received a 3 million trade exception through this deal.

Although only a salary reduction of 3 million did not reduce the Trail Blazers' salary level below the luxury tax penalty, it was better than nothing. After all, the luxury tax penalty was reduced by almost 5 million.

Barkley continued: "Francis has two years left on his contract worth $34 million. Although his performance with the New York Knicks was unsatisfactory, he was a former All-Star after all."

"Francis' experience will definitely help young players like Zhang Jun, Luo Yin and Aldridge, which will allow them to grow faster."

"The most important thing is that the Knicks also paid for another player, Channing Fletcher, the No. 8 pick in 2005."

"Channing Fletcher is a space-based big man who averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game as a rookie. His three-point shooting percentage as a rookie reached 34%, and many scouts are optimistic about the future. It has the potential to become an anti-aircraft battery.”

"The Knicks experienced turmoil from the team to the front office last season. Channing Fletcher's poor performance led to a significant reduction in the value of the trade, but I can guarantee that he was definitely a key factor in the Trail Blazers' decision to trade."

...........

Trail Blazers training facility.

The team's recent record of 1 win and 3 losses has dealt a big blow to the players, because the Randolph trade has been causing panic.

Steve Patterson came to the training ground to tell every player.

"Our deal is over."

"Yes, this will be the last trade of the Trail Blazers this season, so everyone is safe from now on."

"The team's continuous injuries and vacancies in the interior have led to ups and downs in our record, but now we have got a new big man, so all the problems have been solved."

"I hope the team can show the same state and fighting spirit as at the beginning of the game and continue to face the next game."

Steve Patterson's words gave everyone reassurance, and then he looked at the coaching staff Nate McMillan and Monty Williams and said.

"In order to get Channing Fletcher, I didn't even ask for the Bobcats' first-round pick. I hope you can use him better."

Nate McMillan assured: "Channing Fletcher will fit in seamlessly with the Trail Blazers. His partnership with Zhang Jun will definitely cause a lot of trouble for our opponents."

Monty Williams nodded repeatedly and said: "The Trail Blazers will become the new team in the Western Conference and make any opponent who meets us feel scared."

Steve Patterson hummed with satisfaction, and then looked at Zhang Jun who was taking a mid-range shot on the court.

"Hey, Zhang Jun, how are you doing with the Trail Blazers? If necessary, you can enter my office at any time. If you have any help or needs, you can ask me directly."

Zhang Jun was very uncomfortable looking at Steve Patterson with a kind face.

He was still used to the opponent's attitude and way of speaking when he first joined the Trail Blazers. After all, that was more real.

After Steve Patterson left, Nate McMillan looked at everyone seriously and said: "Channing Fletcher has arrived in Portland and is undergoing a physical examination."

"If nothing else happens, he will join the team the day after tomorrow and become our new member."

"So it's up to you to bring this next paragraph to him. We will play against the SuperSonics the day after tomorrow, and we must win!"

...........

December 9th.

The Trail Blazers host the Seattle SuperSonics.

locker room.

Channing Fletcher walked into this unfamiliar arena with his backpack, the unfamiliar player tunnel, and the unfamiliar management of the Trail Blazers beside him.

This was his first time trading.

Channing Fletcher doesn't know how other players feel when they experience the trade for the first time, but at least he feels uncomfortable and is even worried about whether his new teammates will get along well.

"Hoo~"

Channing Fletcher took a deep breath and immediately opened the door to the locker room.

"Hey everyone, great to join you."

With a smile on his face and Channing Fletcher, he opened his arms and hugged the lonely man because there was no one in the locker room.

Qian Ning Fulai couldn't help but frown, and could only spread his hands helplessly.

There is nothing worse than not having a teammate to greet you.

"Hey man, I brought you your training clothes."

"I also asked for your jersey from the equipment manager."

"Knowing that you don't know the door and don't know where the equipment department is, we also brought some knee pads, elbow pads and bandages."

Zhang Jun, Luo Yin, and Aldridge appeared at the door.

This is what the three of them jointly agreed to do. The three of them do not want another Zach Randolph to appear on the Trail Blazers in the future, so they have a special way of treating new players and teammates.

Zhang Jun proposed that the three of them should establish a new team culture for the Trail Blazers, a team culture of fraternity, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

Channing Fletcher couldn't help but smile. He knew that the three core players were the core of the Trail Blazers' reconstruction. There should be no better honor than the three core players coming to greet him in person.

"that........"

Channing Fletcher was still a little embarrassed. Zhang Jun tilted his head and said, "If you have anything to say, go to the court and talk about it. There will be a game tonight."

"Nate McMillan asked me to remind you that if you lose the game tonight you have to treat the whole team to dinner, but if you win, he will host a welcome dinner for you."

Luo Yin looked at Zhang Jun in confusion, "Has he said this?"

Zhang Jun pointed at Aldridge and said: "If you don't believe it, ask Ade, he heard it too."

Aldridge looked confused, when the hell did I hear that!

Regular warm-up before the start of the game.

Durant walked directly towards the Trail Blazers shooting area with an unhappy look on his face.

Zhang Jun saw the other party, smiled and was about to speak, but Durant didn't expect that Durant wouldn't give him a chance to speak at all.

"Shut up now!"

"Put away that fake smile of yours."

Zhang Jun frowned and said in confusion: "It's almost Christmas, how can you get so angry? At least you can let me know why you scolded me."

Durant looked at his surrounding Trail Blazers teammates who were all looking at him curiously, so he could only get closer to Zhang Jun and whisper.

"What a shame! The commercial you filmed with Scarlett Johansson has been aired on every channel recently. Even a blind man should have seen it."

"The key is that it's on every channel, and I can't even hide from it."

"Every time I see you holding Scarlett Johansson on the beach, moving your hands up and down and moving your mouth, I get angry from the waist down!"

"You are greedy for her body, you! You! You bitch!"

Zhang Jun thought it was something, but it turned out to be this. When Durant mentioned Zhang Jun, he couldn't help but recall the scene of filming a commercial with Scarlett Johansson.

"Hey, don't tell me, Scarlett Johansson has a really good figure, her skin is tight, tender and smooth, and the key is that she's really big."

Durant heard smoke coming out of both nostrils. Zhang Jun was talking and gesticulating, which made Durant quickly put his hand into his crotch, then tilted his head and whistled to divert his attention.

"I heard from my agent that the commercial I shot with Scarlett Johansson received a good response from the market, and CAMEL is interested in letting us shoot another commercial for their new product that will be launched next year."

"They also plan to find a second NBA player to work with Scarlett Johansson and me to shoot a two-man and one-woman commercial. They also asked me if I have any good recommendations."

"Let me think about it, Wade? That guy is pretty handsome and has a great body. Kobe? Well, he should be a better fit."

Durant quickly pointed to his nostrils and said.

"Hey, Brother Jun, I, I, I can, I have plenty of time, I can definitely do this."

"It doesn't matter about money or anything, even if it's just a supporting role."

Zhang Jun suppressed a smile and said, "Okay, then I'll put your name up and see how they decide?"

Durant nudged Zhang Jun gently with his elbow. The complaints and unhappiness just now completely disappeared without a trace. He said with an evil smile on his face.

"Brother Jun, I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

The starting lineups of the two teams were shown on the big screen.

Trail Blazers: Point guard Jarrett Jack, shooting guard Brandon Luo Yin, small forward Zhang Jun, power forward Aldridge and center Joel Przybilla.

SuperSonics: Point guard Earl Watson, shooting guard Damian Wilkins, small forward Kevin Durant, power forward Jeff Green and center Chris Wilcox .

Game start.

Joel Przbilla jumped for the first possession.

Trail Blazers offense.

Luo Yin holds the ball at a 45° angle on the right, and his defender is Damien Wilkins.

"Damien Wilkins was undrafted in 2004 and has been playing for the SuperSonics so far. I think there must be many fans who don't know him very well, but when it comes to his father, everyone should It must be very familiar."

Kenny Smith said quite proudly there.

Barkley deliberately cooperated with his old partner and said with a smile: "Oh, I'm curious, let's hear it."

Kenny Smith continued: "His father is Gerald Wilkins, a player who has played in the NBA for thirteen years and has played for the Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, and Magic in total. Played in 900 games, nearly 700 of which were starts.”

"Damien Wilkins, like his father, is a player who thrives in the league on defense."

Barkley waited for a long time to see that Kenny Smith had no idea to continue talking before speaking out.

"Compared to his father Gerald Wilkins, Damien Wilkins' uncle is a famous NBA player."

"The essence of human cinema - Dominic Wilkins!"

In the audience, Dominic Wilkins also came to watch his nephew's game tonight.

Because Oden selected by the Hawks is out for the season, Dominic Wilkins, a famous player of the Hawks, can only appreciate the performance of other rookies.

Tonight's game happens to be a matchup between No. 1 overall pick Zhang Jun and No. 2 overall pick Durant, so Dominic Wilkins naturally comes to visit.

On the court.

Luo Yin's breakthrough was blocked. Damien Wilkins is a player who is very good at confrontation and defense. Luo Yin's offensive style happens to be very confrontational.

Damien Wilkins has limited him defensively.

"Give me the ball!"

Luo Yin's attack was blocked, so Zhang Jun naturally stepped forward and asked for the ball from the top of the key.

Durant looked back and rushed over.

Zhang Jun held the ball and lowered his center of gravity. Durant immediately took two steps back, then raised his hand and called to his teammates: "Help me cover the penalty area."

Snapped!

Zhang Jun suddenly accelerated his breakthrough.

Durant's height and wingspan are extremely good. If you play against him, you will easily encounter a close block. Therefore, after a breakthrough and physical contact with Durant, Zhang Jun immediately took a step outside.

It happened that the players inside the Sonics saw Zhang Jun speed up and pass Durant, and quickly rushed inside to help defend.

At this time, the Sonics' inside line has become like a mahjong, and if you try to kill them inside, the gain outweighs the gain.

Zhang Jun retreated and leaned back.

Uh-huh!

Basketball hits steadily.

"Not to mention, Zhang Jun has a lot of mid-range shots, and there are many difficult shots such as step-backs, fades, and turns, but his shooting rate is not too high."

"The latest statistics provided by ESPN show that Zhang Jun's shooting percentage in singles with the ball in the mid-range has just reached 40%. It is an offensive point and offensive style that is possible but not terrible."

"If he can maintain a shooting percentage of more than 45% in this position like Kobe or Dirk Nowitzki, it would be really scary."

"So, even though Zhang Jun has been shooting mid-range shots for almost a month and has shown his mid-range shooting ability, most teams will still choose to focus on guarding his breakthrough."

"After all, according to the data provided by ESPN, Zhang Jun's breakthrough shooting rate is as high as 58%, and his foul rate is as high as 20%. It's really scary."

"In these two statistics, I think there are no more than five players in the league who are higher than Zhang Jun."

On the court.

Zhang Jun and Luo Yin high-fived.

The two have formed a complete tacit understanding on the court, and this high-five is also the code word they agreed on during training.

After the high-five is completed, it means the handover of the offensive ball, so Zhang Jun will become the main offensive point next.

Switch offense.

Durant took the initiative to ask for the ball and hit Zhang Jun in singles.

The Sonics do not have the goal or task of reaching the playoffs this season, and the management does not care about the team's win or loss this season. They only have one request, and that is for Durant to be full of firepower and the whole team to give him the best. Opportunity and time to level up.

Because the Sonics will move to Oklahoma next season, it will be a new city and a new beginning.

In the audience, Sonics general manager Sam Presti was also there.

Tonight's game was broadcast live across the United States, and everyone was paying close attention to the duel between Zhang Jun and Durant.

So far this season, each of them has averaged 30 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game, ranking third in the league's scoring list. Zhang Jun has also occupied the first place in the best rookie list since the opening game.

In fact, countless media already believe that Zhang Jun is the absolute best rookie of the year. No one can change this. He is simply too good.

Durant, on the other hand, averaged 21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game this season, showing his talent. From the opening game to now, he has been ranked second on the best rookie list, and he is unbeatable.

Countless media reporters are lamenting that if it weren't for Zhang Jun, Durant would have had a chance to become the No. 1 pick, and would undoubtedly become the best rookie of the season, and even the hottest young player among the 2007 rookies.

But because of Zhang Jun's existence, he can only be in second place no matter what.

Dribbling with a low hand, he took one step and took a mid-range shot.

Uh-huh!

Basketball hits steadily.

Zhang Jun, who stretched out his hand to try his best to defend himself, couldn't help but look back at Durant, who snorted arrogantly.

"Are you allowed to steal the show alone?"

"In order to catch up with you, I have been working hard to improve myself."

Zhang Jun nodded, he quite agreed with this.

Because Durant's current shooting height, shooting timing and release point are much improved compared to when the two met in the preseason.

Durant, who has been playing star tactics in the SuperSonics, has also been growing in all aspects.

Durant, who retreated, looked at Zhang Jun with a look of complete jealousy.

He is indeed growing and making great progress.

Whether it is the Sonics coaching staff, management or outside media reporters, they are all commenting that he will inevitably become an All-Star player within three years.

Durant thinks that he is already so good and hard-working, but why is Zhang Jun the player who receives the most praise and appreciation in the United States?

The opponent's breakthrough is the best in the league, and Durant recognizes it. After all, Zhang Jun has been a well-known breakthrough master in the United States since high school, and has gained the reputation of California's first step.

But now that Zhang Jun is so good at even the mid-range, Durant really can't bear it anymore.

After all, mid-range shooting has always been Durant's most proud offensive method, but just now Zhang Jun used such a difficult mid-range shot to hit the basket against his defense. Durant was really a little sore.

“And he actually took pictures on the beach with my Scarlett Johansson!”

"Hold!"

Switch offense.

Zhang Jun and Aldridge engaged in a high pick-and-roll, and Luo Yin ran without the ball and cut into the penalty area to complete a dunk.

"This tactic is not what we usually practice."

Monty Williams warned.

Nate McMillan nodded in agreement and said, "But it's a very good tactical play."

"Zhang Jun and Aldridge set up a high pick-and-roll. Because of Zhang Junqi's fast breakthrough speed and intimidation of hitting the basket, the opponent either squeezed through in advance or switched to double teams."

"But no matter which one you choose, there will be opportunities in the inside penalty area because of Aldridge's pull. Zhang Jun can kill, and Luo Yin, who runs without the ball, can kill even more."

"Moreover, Luo Yin playing without the ball is no worse than playing with the ball. Luo Yin is a player who can play with or without the ball."

Nate McMillan suddenly had an idea in his mind.

As an old partner, Monty Williams certainly understood the opponent's emotions. He seriously suggested: "Zhang Jun doesn't pass the ball. Don't look at his average of 5 assists per game. Those are all after opportunities. 's passing."

"In fact, he has no ability to control the field and organize."

"So it is too reluctant to let him play the core position of holding the ball. Zhang Jun cannot drive the entire team's offense."

Nate McMillan suddenly woke up. Monty Williams' reminder was too timely. He almost destroyed the team's already stable tactical play and offensive run-in because of his impulse inside.

Nate McMillan wanted to say that because of Zhang Jun's outstanding performance on the court, he had almost forgotten that the opponent was just a rookie.

As a rookie player, learning from experience on the court is the most important, followed by personal ability.

Nate McMillan doesn't need to worry about Zhang Jun's growth at all, so he has never participated in the opponent's training.

"But I think it is necessary to mention Zhang Jun's passing and organizational training."

After 7 minutes of the first quarter, Zhang Jun left the game early.

The end time of tonight's game is one minute earlier than usual.

After all, Zhang Jun was mainly responsible for almost the entire first quarter. In order to lead the subsequent rotation, Zhang Jun must ensure sufficient physical strength.