The Knicks scored only 35 points in the first half and 35 in the third quarter, which is the familiar Knicks.

The Clippers' offense is just as sharp, and without Chandler to contain it, Griffin has a clear advantage in the low post.

Paul singled Zhou Xuan twice, hit a three-pointer, and scored on a layup. His individual ability is still very strong, the breakthrough does not seem to be fast, but he has a strong sense of rhythm, and he is very proficient in each technique.

Crawford off the bench blasted Battier, and the Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter.

94-107 in the final game. The Knicks lost at home.

After the loss, D'Antoni was very calm, not criticizing the players, but only praising his former disciple Crawford. Crawford scored a game-high 34 points.

Zhou Xuan had 23 points and 8 assists in the game, playing steadily. Jeremy Lin was powerful in the second half, scoring 17 points and six assists. But he's the kind of player who has to have the ball to make a difference. For this reason, Zhou Xuan did not control the ball, played a fast attack, and let Jeremy Lin organize and play blocking and dismantling with the inside, sacrificing data.

The two are on the court together, and Zhou Xuan must use the style of play as a shooting guard to make Jeremy Lin run to catch the ball and shoot badly. Usually there is no core to give the ball to someone like Jeremy Lin, but Zhou Xuan will do this, maximizing the role of a role player, which is why the Knicks are strong.

The next day, Mullin contacted Clippers manager Sachs.

There's a lot of pressure on the saxophone right now. Last summer, Paul rejected a three-year, $60 million contract extension. Now the Clippers' first priority is to re-sign Paul, which is not an easy task, and they must achieve a good record and make Paul hopeful through trades.

In addition to Paul, the Clippers also need to decide whether or not to sign coach Nigro to a contract extension. The Sachs had to take feedback from the players. Whatever decision is made, of course, it is important to listen to the opinions of the star players, which is a key factor in keeping Paul.

Mullin offered Jeremy Lin and two draft picks in exchange for Bledsoe, but Sachs refused.

"No, the Clippers don't need rookies in their current situation, we need immediate power that can help the team. Your Jeremy Lin didn't have anyone wanted it before, but he just played a few good games, is it useful to get into the playoffs? ”

"Could it be that Bledsoe was useful in the Clippers? He only played for a few minutes per game. You don't trade now, you have to think about trading in the summer, right? Throwing his talent in his hands has been wasted, and his contract expires next year, what contract are you going to give him to renew? Mullin asked.

This is indeed a big problem that plagues the Clippers, the salary of the players in the team is too high, and the renewal of Paul's contract will definitely require more than five years and more than 100 million, and if new helpers are introduced in the summer to strengthen the lineup, it is impossible to give Bledsoe a high salary in 2014. Other teams may be able to poach people as long as they offer a mid-class job at this time. Staying for another year is just a substitute for Paul, and he won't be able to play for long.

The Clippers still want to pack Butler out now, the state has slipped too much, and the salary is low. Swing man was never what the Knicks needed, and Sachs didn't open his mouth, that's.

"Jeremy Lin can't do it, you can still consider it if you give an inside line. Like Scola. "Sachs is not stupid, the biggest problem for the Clippers right now is the interior bench, and only by strengthening the interior can there be hope for the playoffs. Sometimes Grant Hill has to make a cameo in the No. 4 position.

"Are we going to trade experienced, low-paid and high-performance starters for your backup? No kidding, the inside line doesn't work. Mullin laughed. Bleche doesn't even have to ask. Although the average is only 10 per game. 3 points, but the salary is only one million, and it is a low-salary and high-energy in the inner line.

"I'll look into it here."

"Okay."

The first negotiation ended unhappily, and Mullin knew that the Clippers would not be so easy to release, unless the manager was an idiot, and being willing to study it was good news.

A meeting of the management of both parties was held for this purpose.

What the Knicks are going to discuss is the bottom line of the trade and who they can send away in order to get Bledsoe. The Clippers are looking for someone who can help the team.

Parsons, Leonard, and Matthews are not for sale, defensively good, can attack, young and promising. The inner four-person partner is also perfect, it can't be sold, and the others don't care.

Nick Young is definitely not interested in the Clippers, he was with the Clippers last season, and he can only attack and defend mediocre. With a better Crawford, there is no need for a singles king. The most likely ones left are Battier and Stephenson. The Knicks have no shortage of swingmen, and there's a Copeland on the bench.

These two have the strength and experience, but they don't have many opportunities to play. Stephenson, in particular, has a great quality, but he can't be reused by the coaching staff. There is still a bit of a bad thing about sending Battier away, he was contacted and invited by Zhou Xuan in the summer, and the contract signed is not big, although the data has dropped to only 3. 6 minutes is almost impossible to watch, and sending it away seems too utilitarian. If you don't send it away, it really doesn't make much use to stay in the team.

If the Knicks uniforms discuss a topic that Heat management hears, they're going to cry. The Heat's pursuit of Battier was unsuccessful.

Zhou Xuan also attended the meeting.

Mullin asked, "Stephen, what do you think about this?" We're defending our title this year, the main problem is the point guard, do you think Lin can play well in the playoffs? ”

"I'm not sure." Zhou Xuan shook his head. Jeremy Lin's mentality is problematic, and if he is nervous and undercover in the playoffs, the consequences are not something the Knicks can bear.

He thought for a moment and said: "I regard the Spurs as an imaginary enemy in the Finals, and if there are no good backup guards, it will be difficult to win them." Spurs have not suffered against us this year, their defense is impressive, and their offense is very layered. I think a good backup defender is needed. Bledsoe is a good fit and against a veteran team we can use the speed advantage to break them down. ”

Pinning his hopes on Jeremy Lin is gambling, and Zhou Xuan doesn't like to gamble. He can also put the victory or defeat on his shoulders and increase his playing time, just like Deron Williams back then, but the Jazz were ravaged for several years in a row. According to the probability analysis, if there is no trade, the Knicks have the possibility of losing.

If Billups hadn't been brought in in the summer, finding someone else might not have been the problem now.

Mullin smiled: "That is, you think it can be traded?" ”

"Yes, on the premise that the lineup does not hurt the bones, it is best to get Bledsoe, but if it doesn't work, I originally planned to find Marshall." Zhou Xuan smiled.

D'Antoni was also immediately statistic. "I think it's not impossible to send Shaun away, he's already won a championship, and he didn't get nothing with the Knicks. It's the same with Lance, he's always wanted to play, but the three-point game doesn't work, I don't give him a lot of time, so it's not necessarily a bad thing for him to go to the Clippers. ”

With the Clippers, Stephenson could be a substitute at two positions. At the No. 2 position, he was more competitive than Willie Green, who was only good at shooting threes. GREEN IS ONLY 191CM TALL, AND THE NO. 2 POSITION IS OBVIOUSLY AT A LOSS, AND THE DEFENSE IS NOT STRONG.

Richmond asked, "Will we help the Clippers after the trade?" In the playoffs, if they make it to the finals, what are our chances of winning? ”

Zhou Xuan said lightly: "Don't worry, I don't think they can pass the Spurs, so we can help each other and benefit each other." ”

"Are you so sure?"

"Well, Tim and I studied it when we were talking, and the last thing he's afraid of is Griffin's type of insider. And the Clippers have a big problem, the three-point shooting is inconsistent, there are few shooters, they have weaknesses. ”

Mullin made up his mind. "Okay, then let's negotiate to get Bredsoe over. You can go to the Star Game with peace of mind and wait for the good news. ”

On the afternoon of the 15th, Zhou Xuan flew to Houston with D'Antoni, Chandler, Parsons, and Leonard. The two youngsters will compete in the rookie game.

Mullin and the Clippers manager had a second negotiation.

Sachs didn't have a lion open mouth, only offered Stephenson and Battier, and the Clippers sent Bledsoe and cash. It was a one-for-two deal, because Stephenson's contract was too worthless, and it was only one million in the third year, and he only needed to add cash to achieve salary parity.

Clippers scouts have studied Stephenson and think he's a good guy and Battier is the add-on. The Clippers don't lose, and Stephenson is also a player who has been delayed. If it weren't for the fact that Bredsoe's scud is more suitable for the team's tactics, the Knicks would not have reluctantly parted their love.

As for Battier, he can definitely bring experience to the Clippers and can play the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 positions to strengthen the defense. Barnes is also of this type, and the Clippers' forward strength will be improved, although there is still a lack of substitutes on the inside, but they can play small-ball tactics to enhance their offensive power.

The two sides reached a preliminary agreement, and Mullin decided to inform Battier in advance and ask him for his opinion.

Dialed the phone. Mullin got straight to the point and said: "Sean, we have weaknesses in the guard line right now, so we want to make a trade, the Clippers want you by name, you are a veteran who helped the team win championships, I want to hear your opinion." ”

Battier was about to go out on vacation with his family when he heard the news calmly and asked rhetorically, "If I don't want to be traded, won't I trade?" ”

"If you want to stay, we believe in your quality, and we will pick another backup guard and not trade with the Clippers." Mullin was not polite, and although it was a bit risky, he didn't want to chill the veteran's heart. It's a big deal to let Stephenson play a cameo point guard, increase Zhou Xuan's playing time in the playoffs, and the weakness is not impossible to make up.

Battier was silent for a moment and smiled, "I agree to the deal." There was a group of young people in the team to support me, and my playing time was already at a new low in my career. Staying in the team I was at best on the bench and lucky enough to win the title again, but it wasn't a good thing for the team. Surely you've already thought about tactics. The Clippers are also a strong team, still in Los Angeles, very promising, and I'm willing to give it a try. ”

"Thank you, Sean, and thank you so much for your understanding." A stone fell to the ground in Mullin's heart.

"Let me know when it's time to trade. My family and I were heading to Los Angeles to play. Battier sighed.

The clipper was good, and the manager called to ask for his opinion, which was very interesting. In fact, even if you don't ask, just send him to teams like the Timberwolves and Bobcats, Battier can't help it.

Switching to multiple teams, Battier doesn't care about being traded anymore.