After the pre-season training camp, the SuperSonics threw themselves into the preparation of the preseason non-stop.

According to the league's original plan, this year it was not planned to let the superSonics play in China.

But Mr. Yu's popularity in China changed the alliance's plans.

With Chinese magician Sun Yue joining the Lakers this season, the NBA is like the beginning of the millennium, with the league once again having three Chinese players.

Coupled with Yu Fei's supersonic speed, it is just right to make up four teams to play a crossover preseason in China.

Returning to Wukesong Gymnasium after more than a month is not new for Fei, who has been used to it since the Olympics.

The most important thing for the SuperSonics at the moment is to test the team with preseasons.

Kevin Durant shines in China.

In addition to strengthening his ball-handling ability, Durant also spent a lot of time in the summer training his three-point shot.

Durant shot 60 percent from three-point range in China's three preseason games, and while the intensity of the preseason wasn't telling, his outside shooting improved from his rookie 30 percent three-point range.

Yu Fei didn't play much in the preseason.

Most of his energy is spent dealing with journalists.

China's media would go out of their way to ask Mr. Yu questions about Mr. Yao, Mr. Space and Mr. Sun.

For the latter, Yu Fei basically replied in an official tone.

But for Yao Shu, Yu Fei is attentive.

When asked by the media what he thinks of Yao Shu's season prospects with the Rockets, Yu Fei replied: "It depends on his fitness, if he can stay healthy, I think the Rockets will be a very competitive team." ”

It was at that time that Yu Fei suddenly thought that the injury that buried Yao Shu's career was not the one that went against Kobe Bryant in the 2009 semifinals?

Judging from the whole season, Yao Shu that year was actually the healthiest year since 2005, but the violent collision with the opponent in the playoffs was a force majeure.

If the SuperSonics could take the Lakers' place this season and face the Rockets in the playoffs, wouldn't that accident happen?

Yu Fei didn't know, it's hard to say.

It's like he accidentally stopped the Pacers from fighting the Pistons' Auburn Hills palace, but in the end, he and the Bucks became the protagonists of the brawl.

Yu Fei's thoughts only spread here, because that was later.

After the China game, the SuperSonics returned to the United States to play two more preseason games.

Durant continued his strong run from beyond the three-point line.

This led to George Karl starting to feel that perhaps the best position for Durant would be the No. 3 position rather than the No. 2 position.

Last season, he put Durant at the No. 2 spot because he was worried that he wouldn't be able to fight enough.

Now, his confrontation is still very poor, but he can barely cope with the confrontation in the NBA.

But this matter needs to be discussed with Yu Fei.

Because Yu Fei played well in the No. 3 position, and suddenly asked him to change positions, could he agree?

After Carl informed Yu Fei of his thoughts, Yu Fei's answer shocked him.

"George, what age are you still in the traditional position?"

Carl looked "Wang Defa", and then said: "Da Fei, what do you mean?" ”

"George, tell me first when the five positions on the basketball court were born."

Karl thought for a moment and said, "The first four positions in basketball history were playmaking guard, scoring guard, forward and center. In the late '60s, there was a wave of sporty modern forwards like Connie Hawkins PF, so we made a distinction between big forwards and small forwards. This is the origin of the five positions of modern basketball. ”

"But is our carnival basketball tradition?" Yu Fei said, "How can we ever have a serious No. 1 position? There's a saying on the basketball court that whoever wins the center wins, but our interior is never the best. George, we're not traditional at all, or rather, traditional basketball has been changed by us. ”

"Five years ago, only three teams in the NBA averaged more than 20 three-pointers per game, but last season, nearly half averaged 20 three-pointers per game."

"Times have changed, games have changed, and positions should have changed." Yu Fei said, "I don't have to change positions, and I don't need to use symbols like X to clarify our position. In our game, we only need to have three positions on the pitch. Ball-carriers like Brandon, wings like me and KD, and big guys like Kwame and DJ (Jordan Jr.), that's enough. ”

Hearing this, Carl shuddered.

For a long time, he felt that his team was not serious, and although they could win, the squad did not look like a standard winning template like those classic teams in history.

Now he understood.

It's not that they can't become classics, but from the perspective of tradition, they are deviant in the first place.

Once you accept that there are only three positions on the court, "ball carrier", "wing" and "big man", the position of carnival basketball is very clear.

If carnival basketball is a revolution in the philosophy of the game, then a radical change in position is a reversal of traditional basketball.

Carl had a hint of trepidation, he could have foreseen himself being frantically accused by conservatives, but what if he succeeded?

He will be eligible to join the ranks of Grandmasters.

"I see, just do it!" "From today, we don't have any more defenders, forwards and centre-forwards, just ball carriers, wingers and big men!" ”

"The same goes for our registration form!"

Yu Fei didn't expect this incident to touch Carl so much.

The division of positions he mentioned was already a consensus in the small-ball era of the previous life.

He had thought that Carl had understood the matter, but it was only today that he realized that Carl had been digging into the horns.

He's just using the old ideas to control carnival basketball.

But now, his notions have been turned upside down.

It's unclear what this will do for him, but a few days later, at the season opener, many basketball pundits were puzzled by the SuperSonics' entry form.

They don't see a clear location.

"Ball carrier? Flank? Big? Jeff Van Gundy is critical of the supersonic approach, "What is Coach Karl doing?" Does he want to change some of the positional consensus that has become conventional? ”

However, the criticism was mild.

Most people just think that Carl is attracting attention, and they don't think deeply.

Then came the game of the night.

The opening game of the new season for the SuperSonics is against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Moreover, they are away.

That means they can't see the championship flag hoisted at home in the first game of the season.

The arrangement of the alliance is clearly deliberate.

Durant or Oden, this topic was comparable to "Messi or Ronaldo" before Messi won the Hercules Cup in the draft.

This is the biggest controversy in NBA draft history.

The SuperSonics' choice of Durant as the No. 1 pick has been met with many doubts, but Durant has shut up with his outstanding rookie season.

With Oden's rookie season out to work, last season's rookie of the year contest became Durant's one-man show.

The arrangement of the two against each other in the season's opener was clearly intentional.

The rivalry between Yu Fei and James is outdated.

Yu Fei is indeed a hero, but James has a tendency to become a bear.

As a result, the league wants to stir up a conversation with the most promising young rising stars.

"Kevin, go talk to Greg about trash."

Yu Fei said: "This is your first mission tonight. ”

Durant hesitated, "Is there a second mission?" ”

"Yes." Yu Fei said, "You have to shut up those who like to compare the two of you tonight." ”

Yu Fei wants to see such a Durant.

That vitriol, mean, selfish, completely self-centered Durant.

However, Durant occasionally exhibits one of these traits and never fully explodes it.

Whether he was hidden deep enough, or whether he was really as innocent as he appeared to be, is a mystery.

Yu Fei asked Durant to spew trash talk, but Durant came to Oden and just said: "Greg, it's nice to see you recover, let's have a good game." ”

Russell Westbrook, another core of the Timberwolves' rebuild, seemed to feel a sense of calling to go against fate when he rubbed shoulders with Durant, and he stopped to look at Durant for a moment.

Then, he came to the dazzling number 44.

"You're my favorite player." Westbrook said to Fly, "But I'll beat you." ”

Yu Fei smiled gently, "If you are talking in your dreams, I suggest that you wake up immediately and apologize to me." ”

"I never talk in my dreams." Westbrook said unwaveringly, "I'm just living in reality." ”

That may explain why Westbrook is such a unique player, and why Durant looks like a poisonous snake after his good-guy image collapses.

If you are not living in reality, what you feel you have is an illusion.

In the opening game of the 2008-09 season, the SuperSonics entered the game for the first time with a ball-carrier, wing-wing, and big-man structure. This means they don't have a defender in the traditional sense.

But they've always been like this, only this time, they have a systematic positional theory to back it up.

Oden wanted to prove himself in front of Durant, but his every body language said "My body isn't at its best", and in the end, he ended up with a poor performance of 0 points, 6 rebounds and 5 fouls.

Durant played well, scoring 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in the first game of the season, and he is fundamentally dismantling the "Oden or Durant" debate.

Westbrook had no enthusiasm and ran back and forth throughout the game, finishing with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, but left the court with six fouls in the end. It is worth mentioning that every foul he committed was committed on Yu Fei. In other words, it was Yu Fei who deliberately caused his six crimes.

When Westbrook left the court with six fouls, Yu Fei whistled and said lightly, "Welcome to the NBA." ”

(End of chapter)