Of course, Sun Hao also knew what the source of Finley's loneliness was.

From starting to benching, to playing time plummeting, tonight's game against the Bucks only lasted 15 minutes.

Even if Finley is one of those rare good guys, it's a bit too much for a player with a near-max salary.

Sun Hao comforted him for a while, but it didn't have a good effect.

Finley is also an old man, and he knows very well what he is going through.

After chatting a few words, Sun Hao hesitated for a while, got up and walked to Jackson's office.

If it was the other team members, he would have comforted him and done what he should do as a team leader.

But Finley is a special case.

Finley was teammates with him on his first day in the league and took good care of him during his rookie season in Dallas.

If you have to make an analogy, Finley is like Fisher and Kobe, and James Jones is and James.

And although Finley's form has declined, it is not so bad that he can't play for 20 minutes in a game.

You must know that in history, even if Finley was cut by the Mavericks, he could still play as a starter after going to the Spurs, averaging about 25 minutes per game and about 10 points.

In other words, Finley still has the quality to start a championship team.

Now in this situation, he had to do something.

"Mitch has already communicated with me, the team will not punish him again, and I will not give him a chance because of this incident, you can rest assured."

When Jackson saw Sun Hao coming, he thought he was still here for Zhu Fangyu's matter, and said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Sun Hao opened his mouth to thank him, Jackson can be regarded as very concerned about Zhu Fangyu's affairs.

"I have one more thing."

Sun Hao said after sitting down.

Jackson motioned for him.

'I know you shouldn't interfere with the coaching staff as a player, but I still want to ask about Michael's situation.

"I know you're going to ask this sooner or later."

Jackson spoke, with the look on his face that you had finally asked.

Obviously, everyone knows that Sun Hao and Finley have been teammates for so many years, and Sun Hao's character Jackson also knows it.

"So where is the problem? Michael's form this season is not so bad that he can't play 20 minutes. ”

After saying that, Sun Hao didn't worry anymore.

This kind of thing is very sensitive, either don't say it, or if you want to say it, you have to say it thoroughly.

'I know that Michael still has the quality to start or to play as a substitute and he deserves about 30 minutes, I know he has that ability.

What Jackson said next was beyond Sun Hao's expectations.

Because it sounds very contradictory.

"Is it to give other players a chance to perform?"

Sun Hao then asked.

"That's one reason, the other reason ......"

Jackson paused as he said this.

"Michael is no longer in the team's future plans."

He then said with a little helplessness.

Sun Hao was silent for a long time.

Finley is old and has a big contract, and last year he introduced the "Gary Payton Clause", which made it impossible to trade Finley and let other teams cut and sign it back.

If the Lakers want to win more championships, dealing with Finley is an inevitable event.

Just like those rumors, Finley has long been on the Lakers' shelves, but he just can't find the right buyer.

"Is that what management meant?"

Sun Hao asked, Finley's situation is different from Zhu Fangyu, and Jackson can't be the master alone.

Jackson nodded.

"I see."

Sun Hao got up and left the office.

Returning to Los Angeles the next day, Sun Hao went to Kupchak's house.

After chatting for a while, Sun Hao asked about Finley.

"My question, I should have said hello to you in advance."

Kupchak said apologetically.

Don't misunderstand the relationship between the general manager and the superstar, they are not a hired subordinate relationship, and the same is not the nanny and subordinate of the protagonist as many are written.

It's the norm to trade away teammates who are teammates with superstars without notifying the superstar.

The most typical case is the historical Nuggets sending away Marcus Camby.

Anthony and Camby have been teammates for five years and have a very good personal relationship, but the management sent Camby away without informing Anthony.

Anthony angrily questioned the management in front of the media, but in the end he was helpless.

At this time, Kupchak said this, already because of Sun Hao's status on the Lakers, and he said it very politely.

"I know management has its own considerations, but I don't think it's fair to Michael."

Sun Hao opened his mouth and said.

Finley's contract is already relatively large, and if there is no data, if the trade does not go through, his career may end sooner than in history.

'I know Michael's quality, he's a good player, but we have to think about the playoffs and the future.

Kupchak replied.

That sounds extreme, but with its peculiar ******* deadline attempt, the only way to let Lakers management know that Finley's contract is disposed of is to post draft picks backwards.

In other words, the management no longer expects Finley to come back with useful players, as they did before.

So what the Lakers are doing now is understandable.

They wanted to find someone who could replace Finley as soon as possible.

There is no pressure on the team to finish in the regular season this season, and the second half of the season is a good time.

As long as Williams or Zhu Fangyu can play one, or Payton, Christie and Horry can play better with more playing time, it will all work.

As for the fairness that Sun Hao said, the NBA has no such thing as fairness and unfairness.

"I don't think so, and now the team can't trade Michael, and his ability is here, so why should we go so far?"

Sun Hao asked rhetorically.

There is some truth in what Kupchak said, but he took the initiative to seek change, and he also said that to change for the better is to die.

Although Williams and Zhu Fangyu have played some performances now, neither of them is the kind of rookie with sufficient immediacy power.

Payton and Horry are also getting older, and if they can't play more at that time, it will be him and O'Neal who will be tired.

Taking a step back, even if you really have to deal with Finley, wouldn't it be nice to deal with it in the summer when this year is over?

"We're going to lose him."

Kupchak knew what Sun Hao meant, but he wasn't just thinking about this year.

"Isn't our priority whether we can defend our title this year? If the title defense fails, it may not be just Michael who will leave. ”

After Sun Hao said this, he glanced at Kupchak.

Puchek unconsciously broke out in a cold sweat.

This can be understood in many ways: if the Lakers fail to defend their title, there will be a purge of role players;

Or it can also be understood as ...... He Kupchak may also be gone.

This is not alarmist, Sun Hao, O'Neal, and even Phil Jackson are unlikely to move.

If trading a few role players doesn't satisfy the fans, then he, the general manager, will have to find someone to blame.

"You're right."

Kupchak then spoke.

This time it had nothing to do with Sun Hao's "Emperor's Wrath" badge, but he was indeed persuaded by Sun Hao.

"But the team will definitely do their best to trade Michael in the summer, and that's good for Michael."

Kupchak continued.

Sun Hao nodded.

The Lakers are inevitably aging, reinforcements are the only way to remain competitive, and Finley is also going to a team with more opportunities.

Not all trades are bad for players.

"I have a good suggestion."

Sun Hao has already thought of a home for Finley in his mind, and only he knows that such a trade is a good thing for the Lakers.

"What advice?"

Kupchek looked at Sun Hao happily.

He said he would trade Finley away in the summer, but he didn't have any eyebrows on a sure deal.

The current market is that Finley's contract is one year less next year, but the Lakers will most likely have to go back to the first round if they want to trade.

"Let's talk about it in the summer, it's useless to talk about it before it happens."

Sun Hao didn't deliberately sell Guanzi, but there is no impermeable wall in the world, and he didn't want any more trade rumors related to Finley to flow out at this time.

"Well, I'll ask you then."

Kupchak: This is an appointment in advance.

After chatting for a while, Sun Hao got up to say goodbye to Kupchak.

"You're a good friend."

Sending Sun Hao to the door, Kupchak suddenly spoke.

As mentioned earlier, the general managers trade players and don't notify the superstars on the team.

But if you want to say that the superstars haven't heard anything, that's impossible.

But very few superstars will go to management and say something like "I don't want the team to trade him".

Because this issue is very sensitive, the big hat of "interfering with management" is said to be deducted.

In history, James was hacked by fans because of this.

But Sun Hao has now done the same for Finley.

……

Two days after beating the Bucks, the Lakers host the Pistons.

Although the Pistons' record so far is not as good as that of the Wizards, their strength is there, and they are still the favorites for the championship.

The game was intense and played until the very end.

Sun Hao's last attack broke into the bottom corner of Finley, and Finley scored three points to kill the Pistons!

Finley let out a rare roar after the goal.

This is the catharsis of his feelings for a while.

However, this is also a portrayal of him tonight.

Although he didn't start the team, Jackson gave Finley a full 32 minutes of playing time, more than Payton who started.

Finley also handed in a 7-of-11 shooting, 20 points and 5 rebounds, including the final kill.

Sun Hao also went up to celebrate with this old teammate after Finley's lore.

The opportunity was for Finley, and if Finley could grasp it, then the words he said to Kupchak were not empty words.

In fact, Kupchak was also on the scene and smiled with joy after seeing Finley's kill.

He was even a little glad that Sun Hao would come to him, otherwise he might be "digging his own grave".

Payton and Sun Hao played the starters, and Finley played off the bench, playing the same time as the main player before, which became the Lakers' last backcourt rotation.

Facts have also proved that Christie's form has declined significantly this season, and this rotation is more suitable for the current Lakers.

……

Time flies, and the regular season comes to an end in a blink of an eye.

After a season of contention, the East and West rankings have been finalized.

The Wizards have been the most impressive team of the season, with a league-best record of 64-18.

This record also broke the team's 1974~1975 best regular season record of 60 wins.

It is worth mentioning that Yao Ming reached the peak of his career under Carlisle's guidance, averaging 25.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2 blocks per game, becoming the MVP favorite.

The Pistons are a close second with a 62-20 record.

Anthony also averaged 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in his third career, and his shooting percentage also improved significantly to 48.1%.

Although the data is not as exciting as James, Anthony's MVP ranking is not lower than James.

These two teams can be regarded as real standouts in the East.

The Nets are at the top of the Atlantic Division with a 49-32 record and third in the Eastern Conference by rules.

The Magic have a 53-29 record, which is better than the Nets, but because the record is not as good as the Wizards, they can only settle for fourth.

The Heat are fifth with 50 wins and 32 losses.

The remaining three teams have taken a dive.

The Bucks are sixth with 43 wins and 39 losses.

The Celtics are seventh with 42 wins and 40 losses.

The Bulls are eighth with 41 wins and 41 losses.

The Pacers (40 wins) and 76ers (39 losses) were sadly eliminated.

What is embarrassing is that Iverson's average of 33 points per game, the highest score of his career, finally turned into a sigh from the fans.

There are even fans who shouted "Philadelphia doesn't deserve to have the answer anymore", and there is a feeling that the mountain rain is about to come and the wind is full of buildings.

The matchup in the east was also confirmed.

Wizards fight bulls;

This matchup is very interesting, because Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, two Chinese players, staged a derby directly in the playoffs.

In this round of matchups, the good news for the Wizards is that Yi Jianlian, as the core of the family, has already played in the playoffs once two years ago and has playoff experience.

The bad news is...... The rest is bad news.

The Pistons beat the Celtics;

It turns out that the previous strength of the Celtics had a lot to do with Carlisle, and Pierce was indeed much worse than Kobe.

You must know that in history, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were the favorites to win the championship when they were on the first team.

Although it has something to do with Odom and Bynum, the Celtics' other role players are not too bad.

As a result, the Celtics are now barely making the playoffs......

If nothing else, there will be big moves for the team next summer.

You must know that the general manager of the "Green Shirts" is no longer a "cardinal", but Danny Angie, who is known as cold-blooded.

Nets play Bucks;

The Nets are in third place over the Magic and Heat because of the division, but they have a good chance of winning against the Bucks.

Of course, there are people on the Bucks' side who don't think so, and the person who doesn't think so is Bogut.

"It's the best playoff standings for us."

Bogut was confident.

The reason is also very simple, the Nets are in the top half of the region by taking advantage of the division and are the team most likely to overturn.

Magic beats the Heat;

This should be the most suspenseful matchup in theory.

And what makes this suspense even bigger is that before the end of the season, Grant I reimbursed Hill for giving the Magic a blow that caught the Magic off guard.

Suddenly missing such an important outside scoring point, the Magic team will encounter a difficult situation.

But the possibly good news for Howard is that there's a good chance he'll not have to play Yao Ming in the playoffs again......

In the West, the Mavericks are in first place in the West with a 62-win record.

Bryant scored 30.6 points this season, also setting a new career high.

However, Nowitzki averaged 21.8 points per game, the lowest in recent years.

The Suns are 60-22 and second in the West.

It is worth mentioning that in this year in history, the "little bully" Stoudemire was reimbursed for the season, and the Suns' record declined significantly.

But because of the butterfly effect, Stoudemire was not injured, and the Suns' regular season performance was still very strong.

The Nuggets are third with a 49-33 record.

Like the Nets in the East, the Nuggets have also benefited from the rules.

However, James averaged 31.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, and James was also one of the MVP candidates.

The Lakers are fourth in the West with a 58-24 record.

The Lakers experienced a major injury to O'Neal at the beginning of the season, experienced the Finley turmoil in the second half of the season, and in the last few games, Phil Jackson vigorously ran into the lineup, Sun Hao and O'Neal did not play much, and this record has shown a lot of things.

And what the record can't reflect, the Lakers have basically run in completely.

What level this Lakers team is, it will naturally be clear in the playoffs.

Sun Hao's statistics declined slightly in the second half of the season, but he still delivered the most beautiful statistics of his career.

He averaged 33.3 points per game, which was first in the league, in addition to 3.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists.

Although the Lakers will suffer some losses in terms of record, this data is still the favorite for MVP.

The Spurs are fifth in the West with 60 wins, and stability has always been synonymous with the Spurs during this period.

The Clippers are in sixth place with a 48-win record.

Many people don't know much about the Clippers during this period, but this is also because of the relationship with the Lakers in the same city.

Historically, Kobe Bryant has scored 35.4 points this season, and it's no surprise that the Clippers have paid less attention.

But take a look at the composition of this team and you won't be surprised by what they have achieved.

Brand, Margetty, Cassel, Mobley, Carman, Rademanovic, Livingston...... Plus Bynum, who is now their pick.

This is an absolute team of young talents.

Historically, Kobe Bryant once lost his temper in the summer of 2007, and the designated next home in addition to the Bulls was the Clippers.

From this list, you can understand why Kobe Bryant did that.

The Kings are seventh with a 44-38 record.

Although this is the 7th consecutive year since the 1998~1999 season, Adelman has brought the Kings to the playoffs.

But everyone knows that this is basically the last season for Adelman and his Princeton Kings.

With a 42-40 record, the Warriors beat the 41-winning Jazz to make the playoffs.

First round matchups on the Western side:

The Lone Ranger fights the Warriors;

In the eyes of most fans, this is a matchup without suspense.

However, in Sun Hao's eyes, this is the series he pays the most attention to in addition to the Lakers' own games.

Not because the winner of these two teams will be their opponents in the next round, but because it is too similar to the year of Black Eight in history!

The Warriors' side can even be said to be completely the "Golden State Gang"!

Of course, the Mavericks have Kobe, which is the biggest difference from that Mavericks, and no one knows what the outcome will be.

The sun beats the king;

If nothing else, the Suns will be the straw that will crush the Kings.

The Suns have also been drafted compared to last season, because after the victory over the Kings, their next round opponent will be the winner between the Nuggets and the Clippers, and whoever they are, they have a very good chance of reaching the Western Conference finals.

Nuggets play Clippers;

James had home-court advantage for the first time in his career, but it was also due to the rules.

The strength of this Clippers team is definitely not weak, and they also played the Nuggets this year in history, the Nuggets led by Anthony.

The final big score was 4-1, and the Clippers won easily.

Even in the second round, they were defeated after 7 bloody battles with the Suns.

James' first round seems to have a better chance and is more difficult than expected.

Lakers play Spurs;

The comparison between last season and this season can be seen that under the existing rules, as long as the four strong teams in the West do not reach the first place in the division, they will be greeted with a devilish playoff journey.

Last year, the Suns were the team that drew the pick, and this year it's the Lakers' turn.

In the first round, he played his old rival Spurs, and even if he won, he will most likely play with the Mavericks, and after the game, he will have to play the Suns, and then he will have to play the Pistons or the Wizards in the finals.

If this can still be killed from the west and win the championship, the gold content will be a whole notch higher than last season.