Chapter 420: The Turbulent Playoffs
After the end of the whole season, Lin Han felt that this season was likely to be his biggest harvest, even if he himself in his own career and in his future is very likely to not be able to replicate the success of this season, after all, although this season is called a perfect and legendary season by many people, but even if it is legendary and perfect, this is not replicable, there are too many accidents and impossible games to appear again, so, for this season's understanding, Lin Han is very sober.
Of course, Lin Han can clearly understand what kind of season this season is called legendary and perfect, and in the same way, for most of the media in the league, of course they also know, in the history of the NBA, many players have appeared in a season of supergods, but the next career is quite ordinary, such as the most famous is the triple-double king and the guy who averaged a triple-double per game in a single season, at that time, that kind of number was also called a perfect season by many people, Although Lin Han may have been more terrifying this season, Oscar Robertson was no worse that season, but in the end? The triple-double king didn't have a great career!
Therefore, at this time, the entire American media and public opinion are frantically chasing Lin Han, which does not mean that the entire American public opinion has completely believed that Lin Han can become a super legend in the future, maybe Lin Han will make Lin Han leave a mark in the history of the NBA after this season, like Oscar Roll 9n Bertson, Lin Han will be a legendary player when he retires, but as for how much Lin Han's career has achieved, these undisciplined media don't look at Lin Han so fiercely now. But these guys are definitely not going to give Lin Han any guarantees if he and his team are in the playoffs this season. I'm afraid these guys will soon forget what they said today.
It's just that, although the festival of these American media is not very good now. It's also a great joy to get such praise from these guys, at least for the rest of the Lakers, they're really happy that Lin Han can get such recognition.
Therefore, when Lin Han came to the team with a very happy mood after the game with the Clippers, Lin Han was also a little stunned when he saw his teammates who were happier than himself at this time.
"Boss, now everybody is saying you're going to be the first player in history to win all of the regular-season and All-Star Game honors this season, and I've heard that Mr. Jerry West is already arranging your regular season MVP speech. Aren't you excited right now? ”
"Hahahaha, Aaron, isn't that for sure, this is the regular season MVP, and if the boss can win the MVP, it will be the youngest regular season MVP in NBA history, plus other awards that are already in the boss's pocket, I think even if we make a mess in the playoffs this season, this season is a very successful season"
"What does it mean that this season has been a mess in the playoffs. You don't really believe what those people say, do you? Is our boss so easy to drop the chain in the playoffs, even if the playoffs are stronger for defense, I believe that we can do no worse than the regular season, and the boss will not do worse than the regular season! ”
24 April 1995. The day after the regular season, some teams take players off a few days before the playoffs begin, even though the playoffs are still a few days away. But the Lakers have no plans to do that this season, as most of the Lakers' roster is a group of young players. It's easy to go wrong if you really make it too easy for these guys before the playoffs start. Although the team has experienced veterans such as Magic and Rodman and Lynch and Wilkins, the others, such as Eddie Jones, Ruffin and Van Axel, are all playing in the playoffs for the first time, not to mention these people, even Lyser is only playing in the playoffs in the second season of his career, and the environment in the playoffs for the Lakers this season is completely different from when he was with the Jazz last season.
Just like at this time, although most of the media are touting Lin Han, some media have also said that Lin Han's playoff table with the Lakers this season will be very difficult, because the most reliable player in the entire Lakers is only Lin Han, especially the main offensive point, and Lin Han is not very reliable Other players, in this case, almost all the Lakers' opponents know very well what kind of defense they should come up with when facing the Lakers.
Although in the regular season, when many teams face the Lakers, the intensity is actually very large, and the pertinence is also quite good, but this kind of intensity and pertinence is definitely not on the same level as the playoffs, in fact, in the second half of the season, when Lin Han is crazy about scoring, the Lakers' record is actually not too good to be able to see, as long as the opponent is willing to pinch Lin Han, although it will pay some price, but it can also be pinched slightly, and in the regular season, After pinching Lin Han and choking Lin Han, the Lakers' winning rate will decline, which is almost a norm, and after getting such a normal, as the Lakers' opponent in the first round, it would be really strange if the Warriors didn't take advantage of it, the head coach of this team, Harris, is not an ordinary head coach, this former assistant of old Nelson is definitely a pretty wise head coach, Without wisdom, it is impossible to re-establish the Warriors, who have almost fallen apart, and lead the team to the playoffs again this season, after the departure of former Warriors head coach Nelson Sr., there are also many people who are not optimistic that this team can enter the playoffs in the competitive West, but Harris finally did it.
Even at the end of the season, when the Nuggets had almost determined the sixth place in the West, as the head coach of the Warriors, Harris bluntly said in an interview that his team was ready for the Black Seven. And actually, for a lot of people. The Warriors do have such strength and qualifications, because the true strength of this team is definitely not what they can reflect in the seventh place in the regular season.
The reason why this team ended up being only seventh in the regular season. It's not because they can't be strong, it's just that there are more injuries within the team, if they can maintain their health for a season, this team is a team that can enter the top five in the West in terms of strength, not much worse than the Lakers, and almost all the injuries of this team this season have all recovered by the end of this season, including the team's overstretched injuries some time ago. And they have already played the last two regular season games of this team and found a certain form.
And this is probably the reason why the Lakers coaching staff is reluctant to give Lakers players a day or two off at this time, it is obvious that the Warriors' opponent is definitely not a team that the Lakers can take lightly, although Harris's black seven remarks should not be over-interpreted, maybe just his encouraging shouts, but as the coach of the team, it is not okay if you can't be prepared enough.
Therefore, on April 24, Lin Han and the Lakers players were still chatting excitedly after coming to the team's training gym. was trained by the team's consultant Carell, and it was obvious that in the old man's opinion, Lin Han and the other Lakers players were too relaxed at this time. Although in the face of such crazy touting by the national media, it is very important to relax the mind, but it is not good if it is too loose.
Not to mention that Carell is not very satisfied with the current mentality of the Lakers. Even Adelman, the assistant coach of the team, who has always been a good person, was quite dissatisfied with the team at this time, although Adelman never won a championship in the NBA. However, the assistant coach of the Lakers has the best coaching record in the NBA, and he is known as the first coach of the Mesozoic generation, and he has a lot of coaching experience in both the playoffs and the playoffs. At a time when the Magic is still a little bit of a problem with these Lakers players, the team's assistant coach has already made a clean up within the team.
Because the significance of Lin Han to the Lakers is completely different from the significance of most of the leading players in the league to their own team, in the entire Lakers, Lin Han is almost integrated with the Lakers, for most players, Lin Han is good is the Lakers, and the two are almost directly equal, such a situation does not appear in the Bulls, although the Bulls Jordan is also very dependent, but Jordan himself does not dare to say that he and the Bulls are completely integrated, and he can fully represent the Bulls, I'm afraid not to mention Jordan, Other Bulls players wouldn't think that way.
And in the Lakers, this is like this, for many Lakers players, their attention and concern for Lin Han is actually more than for themselves, most Lakers players are good for themselves, or they are not good for themselves, they will not pay too much attention, but whether Lin Han is good or not will be their first concern, which is indeed the most united and cohesive team in the entire league, but such a team is also a place that is not so good, That is, the ability to adjust is a little inadequate, and the ability to adjust the whole team is problematic.
For example, at this time, when the national media frantically touted Lin Han, even if Lin Han was sober at this time, if these Lakers players enjoyed the praise of Lin Han more than the sober Lin Han, then it would be quite difficult, just like at this time, Lin Han is very happy and relaxed now, but Lin Han is still a little sober, and the other Lakers players are really not sober at all!
As the rookie head coach of the team, although the Magic has a lot of experience in the playoffs as a player, the direction of looking at such a problem as a player and as a head coach is completely different, as a player, he doesn't think that such an ease is too much of a problem, because every player has such an idea in his heart, don't look at us now, as long as the game really starts, we can definitely tighten up quickly, and then God blocks and kills God and Buddha blocks and kills Buddha, This is one of the NBA's famous delusions, we can always be super-godly, although the Magic will not be so naïve, but as a more enlightened head coach, let him choose, he may not choose the style of the Lakers head coach Pat Riley, so he is actually the least sensitive to the overall relaxation of Lakers players, but as the team's assistant coach Adelman is much more sensitive at this time.
Even Carell, the team's advisor who has never been in the NBA, feels more right than the Magic at this time.
Of course, as the head coach of the team. The Magician has a high status in the team, after all, he is the first star in the team's history. Coupled with such a good coaching this season, the Magic's status on the team can almost be said to be directly chasing in the direction of Jerry West. If the Magic really has any ambitions, then it is not impossible for this guy to challenge Jerry West's status, if there is the support of the team owner Old Bass, it is not even necessary for the Magic to win, but fortunately, the Magic is also a relatively generous person, although the ambition is, but it is not so big, at least his mind is quite clear, when the team's consultant and assistant coach directly put him aside and took over the team's training arrangement. The head coach of the Lakers also smiled a little helplessly, and then followed the other Lakers players to start the devil training before the playoffs.
After the end of the regular season, the current atmosphere of the Lakers is too loose and relaxed, which makes the team's assistant coaches and consultants very dissatisfied, and the Lakers players have to pay some price for their relaxation at this time, and they are directly trained by Carell and Adelman.
And at this time, when the Lakers were fighting for the playoffs, the public opinion of the entire United States quickly set their sights on the next playoff showdown again after frantically touting Lin Han.
It's been a fantastic regular season this season, especially for the league as a whole. Not only are there two main lines such as Jordan and Lin Han, but the tables between other teams are also quite exciting, especially in the west, and almost all teams in the west are quite good this year. In addition to the Rockets and Lakers, two teams with 60 wins, the other six teams that made the playoffs are also quite good on the table.
After the end of the season, so to speak. When all eyes are on the playoffs, the first round of the year is definitely not going to be boring. Because everyone's strength is actually quite close, almost every duel is quite suspenseful.
If a round of playoffs. Every matchup is quite suspenseful, so for these experts, it is quite attractive.
In fact, at the end of the regular season this season, when everyone turned their eyes away from Lin Han, when everyone looked at the matchups in the playoffs this season, almost all major public opinion in the United States was frantically predicting the scores of all the matchups in the first round of this season.
For example, the four matchups on this side of the West, the first is the first in the West, the Rockets with a record of 65-17 face the Suns who are 46-36, this matchup is the most suspenseful matchup in the entire West, almost most of the media experts predict that most of the games are artificial The Rockets can sweep the Suns 3-0 in three games, but there is no suspense in this matchup, it does not mean that there is no highlight or is not exciting, as the former Suns player, Barkley returned to the West Jersey as an enemy to play against the Suns, such a gimmick was expected by quite a few people!
Although Barkley's departure is not a revenge or a feud between the two sides, there is no doubt that the drama of a superstar player against his old club can still get most people's interest.
In addition to the first matchup between the Suns and the Rockets, the second matchup in the West, the second in the West, the Lakers with a record of 64-18 faced the seventh in the West, and the Warriors with a record of 50-32 are quite exciting, unlike the Suns, when the Warriors face the Lakers, this is not without any resistance, on the contrary, in the eyes of many people, the Warriors are the strongest overall playoff team in the second half of the season, even compared to the SuperSonics. This team is quite balanced both inside and outward, coupled with the integration of Harris, the combat effectiveness is quite strong, and what about the Lakers? This team is recognized as the weakest team in the league in the first half of the league, the team with the worst playoff potential, compared with the Bulls, Magic, Rockets or Spurs, the Lakers because of the style of play and personnel, this team is the least optimistic about the playoffs, although the regular season is fierce, but not many people in the playoffs believe that they can play the same table as the regular season, in this case, although the Lakers are second in the league, the Warriors are only seventh in the West, But this matchup is arguably the most suspenseful matchup after the first round of the playoffs in the entire league. It's like Harris said that he and his team are ready for Black Seven this season, although Harris's statement is a bit crazy. It's also a little crazy, but it's the same. There are also many teams who are willing to believe Harris's statement, because the Warriors definitely have the strength to beat the Lakers' Black Seven!
This round of matchup between the Lakers and the Warriors will be a very suspenseful matchup in the entire first round, and in the entire first round, the most suspenseful matchup should be the third in the West, the Spurs with a record of 58-24 against the Nuggets who are sixth in the West, 51-31, and the Jazz, who are fourth in the West with a record of 55-27, face the fifth SuperSonics team in the West, who are also 55-27!
In these two matchups, the Spurs and the Nuggets are similar because of the team's style of play. Coupled with the Nuggets' crazy table in the playoffs last season, many people believe that this team can also replicate the excitement of last season this season, after all, for Mutombo, the hottest young center in the past two years, this is a player who is known as one of the successors of the three major centers in the future, and many people want to see if Mutombo will have an excellent performance in the face of David Robinson, one of the current three centers, you know, Mutombo's matchup with Olajuwon in the playoffs last season surprised quite a lot of people, and compared to O'Neal's poor performance in the playoffs last season, Mutombo's performance in the playoffs was actually better. The first round was black, and the second round almost blacked the Rockets, which is quite a shocking performance, and this season. The more experienced and more mature Mutombs would not be better? It's something to look forward to, and the Spurs are also very much to look forward to this year. Because the team got some good players in that big trade for Barkley, plus the team didn't have to their star David Robinson in the second half of the regular season this season. This also makes David Robinson quite physical after reaching the playoffs this season, and the three centers who have always fallen a lot in the playoffs in his career. It's quite possible that this season we'll be able to wash off your soft hat after getting fit enough for the playoffs.
So, this matchup between the Spurs and the Nuggets is a showdown between the present and the future of the three centers, and for many fans who like that kind of hand-to-hand fighting, this game is quite appealing.
This matchup between the Spurs and the Nuggets is quite interesting, the current and future center matchup, and the same round of the matchup between the Jazz and the SuperSonics is the same, Malone is the current number one forward, and Camp is considered the number one forward in the future, and more importantly, it is not the first time that these two teams have faced each other in the playoffs, in the past four years, these two teams have met in the playoffs three times, and it was only last season, because the first round of the SuperSonics was blackened seven, So in the end, there was no Jazz team to meet in the Western Conference Finals, so, in terms of familiarity with Cheng dù, the familiarity of the two teams with their respective Cheng dù was quite terrible, in the first two matchups, whoever had the home court advantage was able to win, especially in the 1993 playoffs, when the SuperSonics, who had the home court advantage, directly led the Jazz team to rebuild after defeating the Jazz in the playoffs. And the Jazz team is also the guide zhì when the team is rebuilding There was a vacancy in the position of the team's scoring guard and finally selected Lin Han, in the face of this supersonic that almost crippled itself and rebuilt, if the Jazz team does not want to take revenge, I am afraid no one will believe it, and in the regular season of this season, although the record of the two teams is the same, the relationship between the winners and losers when they face each other is also the same, but because of the better record with the teams in the same district, the Jazz team has gained a home court advantage, if according to the situation of the two teams in the previous two times, The Jazz team should be able to win with home court advantage, but this year's Jazz team is different from previous years, this year's Jazz team is now the relationship between players and fans, this team has a gross home court advantage, so this round of matchups is actually quite mysterious, if you talk about the matchup between the Spurs and the Nuggets, many people are optimistic that the Spurs will eliminate the Nuggets in five games, but this matchup, experts and media who are optimistic about the Jazz and the SuperSonics team are almost half and half, but most people agree, I'm afraid this round of matchups will also be more likely to reach the fifth game!
On the western side, because seven of the top eight teams in the regular season have a record of more than 50 wins, the extremely close strength of the western teams makes the four matchups here quite interesting, while on the eastern side, although the eastern team has a bad regular season record, a bad regular season does not mean that the playoffs are not intense.
The Bulls, who have a 59-23 record in the regular season, face the New York Knicks, who have a 35-47 record and are eighth in the East. Although the New York Knicks were crippled by Lin Han in the regular season, their head coach Pat Riley was directly beaten by Lin Han and resigned. Ewing, the team's leading player, was also beaten by Lin Han and almost traded away, and the new arrival of the old Nelson not only did not bring the aristocratic offensive play and scoring that New York fans loved. In the end, even the team's results were not able to keep, and there were not many highlights in the style of play, even the record was not comparable to Pat Riley, although Pat Riley did not play well, but at least he could lead the team to kill in the regular season and playoffs, the former Celtics legend player, the cardinal's disciple is not bad in the Knicks, but the temper of the big name is not small at all, as long as the team asks him when he will be able to play the offense like the Warriors. The first thing this guy said was to ask when the team would be able to trade Ewing away, although when the Knicks questioned Pat Riley, they asked Pat Riley when he would be able to play show-time, and Pat Riley also said that as long as he gave him the Magic, he would be able to play show-time, although the deep meaning is also to say, as far as the Knicks are concerned, it would be good if I could give you an improvement in your record, and I still want to play show-time. Kicked in the head by a donkey, unless you get Ewing to the Lakers to get the Magic in exchange, although the deeper interpretation is also to trade Ewing, but Pat Riley will be more human than Nelson Sr. It won't be as direct as the old Nelson, so the new Knicks head coach has only been in charge of the Knicks for less than a season. But next season, the Knicks seem to be ready to let him go, because the team's boss Ewing has let go. Said that he was insulted by the old Nelson, and that either the old Nelson went or he left. With Ewing's status with the Knicks, the old Nelson, the thorny coach, is more likely to leave.
However, regardless of whether the Knicks are infighting at this time, whether the team has a lot of problems, but as long as the Knicks and the Bulls face each other, such a matchup will definitely not be a mediocre matchup, even if the Knicks' record is not good, it is not easy for the Bulls to break through from the Knicks easily.
As the first in the East, it is not so easy for the Bulls to break through from the first round, and the Magic team as the second in the East is also similar, their opponent in the first round is the bitter Cavaliers in the playoffs last season, although the Magic's 58-24 record is better than the Cavaliers' 36-46 record, but the scene of O'Neal, the leader of the Magic team in the playoffs last season, being played by the Cavaliers' group of hooligan old ball ruffians is still fresh in many people's memories. Although the hands of Mark Price and the retirement of Larynance this season have made the Cavaliers' record a little bad, especially the retirement of the legendary interior Larynance has had a great impact on the Cavaliers, the old interior who single-handedly concocted the blockade of O'Neal last season is now gone, O'Neal looks like he should not be as difficult as last season, but if O'Neal thinks that he can easily crush the Cavaliers for revenge at this time, I'm afraid it won't be so easy!
Of course, as the first and second places in the East, there will be some challenges in their first round, but because of their absolute strength, they will only encounter challenges, how many people really think that the Knicks can eliminate the Bulls or the Cavaliers eliminate the Magic? Of course, there won't be too many, after all, even when Pat Riley is there, the Knicks can't get the Bulls, and even when Larynan is there, the Cavaliers were eliminated by the Magic last season, but compared to the other teams in the East that are somewhat weak, the Bulls and the Magic pose the biggest threat.
In the East, in addition to these two matchups, the third in the East, the Pacers with a record of 45-37 against the Hawks with a record of 38-44 is also a highlight, because the Hawks were hacked by the Pacers last season, and the Hawks' results last season were better than the Pacers, and now the two sides are thinking about it, the Hawks After a series of deadly transactions, the team that originally had the strength to compete for the first place in the East finally fell to the point where it is now, but no matter how embarrassing, The strength of this team is not weak, and the team's head coach Wilkens is the head coach of the Dream Three team and one of the most famous coaches in the NBA, so the coach between Larry Brown and Wilkens is probably the biggest attraction in this round.
The fourth in the East, the Hornets with a record of 41 wins and 41 losses against the Bucks with a record of 38 wins and 44 losses, this round of matchups is the most uninteresting round of the first round, however, the two teams are fourth and the other is fifth, and they may be able to play some tricks in the first round, which may also be quite good.
Of course, for the entire league, now the league has entered the playoffs, and those teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs, the East, the Celtics, the Heat, the Nets, the Pistons, the 76ers and the Wizards, the West, the Trail Blazers, the Kings, the Mavericks, the Timberwolves, the Clippers, these eleven teams may only be watching or preparing for the draft of the new season at this time.
On Thursday, April 27, 1995, the first day of the NBA playoffs, the Hornets, who were fourth in the East, defeated the Bucks who were fifth in the East 98-81, and the NBA playoffs officially kicked off, and after the Hornets defeated the Bucks, the Bulls, who were the first in the East, defeated the old rival Knicks 99-81 at home, and the Spurs, who were third in the West, defeated the Nuggets 102-86 on their home court
And when these three games ended, in the eyes of many people, it should have been a very fierce first round of the playoffs, but after the first three games, it turned into a one-sided victory, and it was in such a sudden change that the Los Angeles Lakers sat at home and ushered in the finale of the first day of this year's playoffs with the Warriors!
"Lin Han is a great player, he has achieved a lot of incredible results this season, there is no doubt that I have always been a fan of Lin, but this series we will win, because no one can always hit the ball easily, Lin Han may be the best scorer in history, but even Lin, he can't always throw the basketball in, in fact, at the end of this season, Lin Han's hand is quite bad, Of course, we hope that Lin Han can always maintain such a bad hand, and we also believe that Lin Han will be in such a situation, so in this game between the Lakers and the Warriors, the Warriors will not be beaten by the Lakers, and I firmly believe that we will be in this round of the series Black Seven, if we can win the first game and take back the home court advantage, this is quite important for us, because the home court advantage in the best-of-five game is too important, and no one can accept a 0-2 deficit back at home, so, this game, The Warriors must win! (To be continued......)