Big Ben was the Knicks' true starting center last season, and he played for a good price. But anyone with a discerning eye can see that the people the Knicks want to cultivate are Da Yao and Nowitzki.

Ben Wallace didn't want to play only on the bench for the rest of his life, so his agent Steve Kaufman gave two options: First, the Knicks gave Big Ben the position of starting center or starting power forward, and he would immediately renew his contract early. Second, if the Knicks don't want Big Ben to be the starter, but are willing to give him a maximum salary contract, then Big Ben can also renew his contract with the Knicks in advance.

The second option is vexatious at first glance, the big book is very valuable, but it is certainly not worth the top salary, and people want a starting center position.

"This is forcing me to choose between Da Ben and Da Yao!" Li Wei sighed.

He understands Big Ben's feelings, and no one wants to be a supporting role forever. Although after the NBA allowed joint defense, Big Ben can be called the best defender on the inside, but if he chooses one of the two, Li Wei still has to choose Da Yao.

Big Ben's defense is good, but his strengths are help defense and rebounding, and in terms of defending the inside of the tank, limited by his height, his level is average. And the Knicks' goal is to win the championship, and the hypothetical opponent is the Lakers with O'Neal and the Spurs with Duncan.

In addition, in terms of offense, Da Ben's range is 0, and Da Yao's range is far beyond the three-point line, which type Li Wei prefers, everyone understands.

Next summer, Big Ben will not be able to keep eighty percent, and there will definitely be teams poaching him as a starter. Li Wei also has no idea of trading him now, because the blue-collar players with only one year left on the contract can't be sold at all, and the Knicks won the championship last season and aims to defend the title this season, and Big Ben stays, and the team is easier to defend the title.

Maddie's situation is the same as Ben's, with only one year left on his contract, and he is also worried about the future. Maddy's agent made it clear to the Knicks that his client doesn't want to be a backup all the time, so they don't want to talk about a contract extension for the time being.

The rookie class of '97 is the lucky one who can become a full free agent at the end of his rookie contract. If you can't renew your contract early this year, once the contract expires and Maddie wants to leave, the Knicks can't stay at all!

"Or sell Houston and make room for Maddy?" Xia Cuirong asked.

Li Wei thought for a while, and finally shook his head.

Houston is in his prime, shooting 41 percent from three-point range last season, and Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and others are all out of his game. In the case of maintaining a high shot, the hit rate can be so high, which is simply the best puzzle piece in Li Wei's system.

Of course, he didn't play well in this year's Finals, but let's not forget that the Spurs are the league's top defensive powerhouse, and their defensive focus is Houston.

Rao is the Spurs' desperate defense, and Houston is still the Knicks' most scoring man, and the Knicks' most consistent scoring point.

Compared to Houston, the young Maddie has a sharp breakthrough but lacks consistency in his projection, and although Hornacek is accurate, his aging knees and short stature also make him not as big a role as he thinks.

Moreover, the league's deal is to buy and sell, and directly put Houston on the shelf, which will only provoke a group of robbers, and it will not be able to exchange for chips close to its value, and the players in the team will definitely be in turmoil when they hear this kind of news.

Houston is now the boss of the Knicks, and the defending champion is really demoralizing, and the team culture that has been built with great difficulty is easy to destroy!

Moreover, Will selling Houston necessarily keep Maddie?

The answer is obviously no, the Knicks score a lot of points, everyone doesn't have much right to shoot, if Maddie wants to become a superstar and become the absolute core, the Knicks can't be satisfied, and it is estimated that he will run away.

Li Wei admires Houston very much, this person has a good personality, never fights or grabs, and he will work hard to complete the tasks assigned to him by the team. In his previous life, he was able to sign a contract with a maximum salary of 100 million yuan, not because the management of New York was blind, but because he was really worth the price!

Considering the potential injury, Li Wei may not send a 100 million yuan contract extension after the end of Houston's contract, but at the critical moment when the team is rushing to the championship, he will not be able to cut himself off. Once the league's top shooter is lost, the Knicks' road to defending their title will be very difficult!

Xia Cuirong said: "In that case, Maddie won't be able to keep it next year?" ”

Li Weidao: "It doesn't matter if we can't keep it, as long as we can keep Garnett, Nowitzki, and Da Yao, the Knicks will always be a strong contender for the championship." And these three people have to renew their contracts with the highest salary, and Maddie has to have the highest salary if she wants to stay, and if the four top salaries are opened, and then pay a lot of luxury tax, we will have less profit. ”

Xia Cuirong said: "Maddie is only a sixth person now, so it's worth the top salary?" ”

Li Weidao: "NBA managers are not fools, in his previous life, he was a sixth man who averaged 15 points per game, and he only ranked fourth in the evaluation of the best sixth man, and was robbed of the top salary. ”

Xia Cuirong said: "Okay, then I won't stay, Garnett's salary is top two salaries, Nowitzki and Da Yao will have to renew their contracts with a maximum salary in two years, plus one Maddie, the luxury tax we have to pay is simply scared to death, and the team's profits are not enough for me to buy milk powder for my son!" ”

"Haha." Li Wei smiled.

Although it may not be a good thing from the team's point of view to keep Maddie and cause a heavy salary burden, he still wants to try to keep it.

Do your best, obey the destiny of heaven, keep it, and you won't regret it in the future!

The Knicks play team basketball, and Li Wei can't give him too many shots, but a starting position still has to be squeezed out!

That afternoon, Li Wei and the Knicks coaching staff had a meeting.

D'Antoni said: "Maddie doesn't want to be on the bench, that's right, I don't think he should be on the bench, we don't make sense to keep this talented young man on the bench. We can play Garnett and Maddy's double small forward tactic, which is what you call a big belt and four small, and I love this tactic so much! ”

"You." Li Wei smiled.

He understands D'Antoni's thinking, and Garnett is a taller, stronger Marion in D'Antoni's eyes. Marion is so short that he can be thrown into the power forward position, and Garnett will definitely be no problem!

Byron Davis said: "I also very much agree that Garnett plays power forward on the defensive end, his height does not suffer, he can guard most of the league's power forwards, and at the same time, he is very fast, he has a good sense of defense, and once he stands inside, the team's defensive system will be more impermeable." I suggested to you last season that Garnett change to a big forward. ”

Chuck Daley, who has retired as the team's vice president, also participated in the meeting, saying, "David, the league has introduced new rules, and your Kombat dreams can be realized in the new season. We're going to have Garnett and Maddy as small forwards, and it's going to be faster than we can imagine, and I think that's a good arrangement. ”

"Okay." Li Wei nodded.

After a lot of deliberation, David Stern announced new rules for the NBA league season.

There are four main rules for this year's new rules:

Rule 1: In the backcourt, the defender should not make contact with the offensive player with his hands and forearms. In the frontcourt, defenders cannot use their hands to make contact with their forearms, but below the free throw line, they can use their forearms to make contact with the defense.

In the low post, neither offensive nor defensive players can squeeze the opposition out of their rightful positions. When attempting to get around legal screens, defenders cannot pull opponents or change their course with their forearms, shoulders, farts or hands. It is also a foul to try to slow down or hinder the movement of a covering player by grabbing, pinching, etc.

This is a very important new rule, and while the hand check has not been completely abolished, it is no longer possible to push people above the free throw line. The league has also made it clear that a lot of physical contact is fouls, and offensive teams, especially teams like the Knicks who like to play cover and cut into the air, will become very well taken care of next season.

Rule 2: When an offensive player under the free throw line who is heavily defended has his back to the basket and starts dribbling, the referee shall give a visible 5-second timer. This is also timed for an offensive player who dribbles from the outside into the free throw line and is heavily defended, starting when he travels below the free throw line and the offender loses possession of the ball.

This is the famous five-second rule for backs, and Mark Jackson and others can't go crazy with their backs.

Article 3: When a kick, bat, or ordinary foul or illegal defense that does not require a free throw occurs, the offensive clock must be reset to 14 seconds if it is less than 14 seconds.

In the past, the clock was not reset, which often led to a lot of times when the attacker did not have enough time after the game was interrupted, but now it is enough.

Rule 4: Any defensive position on the strong side is legal. A defender on the weak side should not enter the paint area unless he is covering the ball, defending a cutter or defending an offensive player closely.

Another major modification, although the illegal defense has not been canceled, the strong side has allowed joint defense, and an era of restricting big men through fast packs will gradually come!

There is another very important change, although it has not been announced, but it is also huge, that is, the whistle of the alliance will be tightened!

David Stern wants to give the NBA a new look!