Chapter 792 [Amazing Deal, Lakers Rise]

On August 1, there was a surprisingly big trade in free agency, and after Maddie, another superstar changed teams.

The Celtics sent center Al Jefferson, forwards Rudy Gay and Ryan Gomez, guard Telfair, and Glass Man interior Ratleaf in exchange for the Timberwolves' "Wolves" Kevin Garnett and two first-round picks (top-three protection) in 2009.

Previously, many experts predicted that Garnett would join the Lakers, and the two teams did have intentions, and they almost reached a deal, but it was Kobe Bryant who scolded the owner and the manager who ruined all this.

After bringing in Steve Blake and Josh Howard last year and selecting Randy Foye, the Timberwolves began to go the younger route, and Garnett didn't play happily on the team, and the team didn't make it through the first round of the playoffs.

Garnett himself doesn't want to go to the Celtics, he wants to join the Lakers, Los Angeles is a big city, and there are a lot of potential players.

The recent situation has put Garnett off because the atmosphere in the Lakers team is very bad, Kobe Bryant has made many teammates want to flee, and he has asked the Lakers to trade him, which Garnett does not want to be involved in.

Green Army manager Angie had already targeted Garnett before the draft draw, and there were many favorable factors, in addition to the team's enough chips, Angie is also familiar with Timberwolves manager McHale.

McHale is very bullish on Al Jefferson and believes that only by trading Garnett can the Timberwolves have a chance to rise. Garnett earned $140 million with the Timberwolves during his 12-year career, and the team would need to spend at least $100 million if he were to re-sign. KG Midu said that Garnett deserved the salary, and the management didn't think it was worth spending hundreds of millions just to make the playoffs.

Garnett, 31, has surpassed Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas in total regular season minutes. He has two years left on his contract, with a player option for the second year, with the option to become a free agent after the 2007-08 season, and now that the Timberwolves don't let him go, there is a possibility that he will be a basketball basket next year.

After Ray Allen joined the Green Army first, Garnett nodded and agreed to join, and the Green Army successfully formed a big three lineup. The three are about the same age, Pierce is 30 years old and Ray Allen is 32 years old, they have a lot of experience, they are all at the end of their prime, and they can play well for a few years.

The Green Army are strengthening by overdrawing the future, they have been dormant for too many years and need a title to prove that they are giants.

The Timberwolves have a good lineup after the trade, and the main players are Blake, Foye, Howard, Gay, and Jefferson, among which Howard is already an excellent instant and quasi-star player.

After Garnett joined the Green Army, he completely announced the failure of the Lakers' summer recruitment. There are only a few big men in the league who can shoot and respond, and one of them, Odom, is still with the Lakers, and they have lost their target for reinforcements.

In their previous life, the Grizzlies played poorly and started to rebuild without winning a single playoff game. Now that they've reached the Western Conference Finals, they've drafted point guard Mike Conley after suffering injuries last season, and they're in good shape for the new season.

Neither Gasol nor Randolph has been put on the shelf, and the management will not dismantle the "double bears" that have been run-in.

Lakers manager Kupchak no longer hesitated, and on August 3, he completed a trade with the Warriors, sending star Kobe Bryant in exchange for Shaun Battier, Joe Johnson and a 2008 first-round pick.

It's a deal that everyone but the Kobe fans in Los Angeles are happy with.

The Warriors got the coveted super scorer, starting with Byron Davis, Kobe, Rohr Deng, Troy Murphy, and Ilgoskas. There are also potential players on the bench, such as Barbosa, Diogu, Belinelli, Azubuuk, etc.

Davis attended a press conference to welcome Kobe, calling him a top scoring guard, and Kovis also praised Davis, saying that he is a super point guard.

Davis is one of the most physical point guards, with first-class strength and speed, and skillful ball handling skills, averaging 22.9 points and 7.5 assists per game at his peak, and 20 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season, shooting 43.9% from the field and 33% from three-point range.

On the Lakers' side, Battier has average stats, active defense, and being able to shoot three-pointers is just an addition to the trade, and the key is Joe Johnson.

Joe Johnson, a two-time All-Star player, averaged 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game last season while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. He is a player with a core style of play, a combination of sudden points and shots, good heads-up ability, and can play triangle offense.

The Lakers' starting lineup for the new season will probably be Fisher, Joe Johnson, Artest, Odom, and Bogut.

As soon as Kobe Bryant left, Artest and Bogut didn't leave. In Guo Xu's view, the depth of the Lakers' roster is even more terrifying, with Monta Ellis and Battier both having to play off the bench.

In the system of "Zen Master" Jackson, Ellis had to be a substitute, playing point guard with poor playmaking skills, and playing scoring guard to defend the black hole. He is very suitable as a sixth man, and he can rely on his individual ability to lead the bench to score.

The Lakers' bench lineup is not weak, in addition to them, there are Jordan Farmar, Jason Smith, Turiaf, and Mbenga.

The Lakers also signed swingman Matt Barnes, who can play three positions, to fill the void left by Devin George's departure.

This is a butterfly effect, originally Barnes was supposed to join the Warriors, and after Kobe Bryant, the Warriors had no shortage of swing people, and they had to cultivate Belinelli, so he chose the Lakers.

As soon as the news came out, most people were optimistic about the rise of the Warriors, who have two All-Stars and former star Ilgauskas, and Rohr Deng is also recognized as an all-round fighter with the potential to become an All-Star.

There are also people who are not optimistic about the Warriors, thinking that they did not have a good chance of scoring the ball last season, and only three people shot more. With the introduction of Kobe Bryant, last season's scoring champion, it will be more difficult to distribute the ball.

In fact, the Warriors' biggest weakness is the interior defense, because they failed to make the playoffs last season, and this season's shortcomings have not been made up. Both Big Z and Murphy are slow to move, and it would probably be better for management to trade Gooden for Bidrins.

There are no low-paid and excellent interior players in the free market for the Warriors to choose from, and Brandon Buss is good, just signed by the Mavericks, and the Warriors can only rely on these interior lines next season.

Guo Xu guessed that Kobe's fate would change greatly, without 62 points in the third quarter and 81 points in a single game, his popularity dropped sharply compared to his previous life, and the boss had no reason to get used to him all the time. He just didn't expect Kobe to pick the Warriors, and the Lakers' roster would be so strong after the trade.

In the view of Guo Xu, a reborn person, the Lakers' strength next season will definitely be better than the Warriors, their lineup is reasonable, and the offense and defense are balanced.

Bogut is the best meat shield and has already proven his ability to defend in the box in the first two seasons.

Odom is an all-round warrior who can attack and defend, and can play as a cameo center when playing small-ball tactics.

The best thing is the Lakers' wing, the depth of the lineup is simply explosive, even the weakest individual Barnes is good at single defense, but not offensive.

Joe Johnson's style of play is selfless, and he knows that he is suitable for triangle offense by looking at the nickname "Single Joe"; Artest is still in his prime in the past two years, and has the strength to be selected to the All-Star and All-Defensive Team; Battier has a poor record with the Warriors and is severely underrated, making him an excellent 3-and-D player.

Looking at the overall defensive ability, the Lakers are estimated to be in the top five in the league. They were a bit weak defensively only in the No. 1 position, and Fisher stepped up when he returned. Both he and Ellis are suitable to partner with Joe Johnson and don't need them to organize the offense.

Guo Xu feels that the Lakers are about to rise, as long as they keep the current lineup for a year, they will be very strong......