Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 666 - 228 Without Him, It’s Very Important to Me! (2 Consecutive Updates, 1st Update)_2

Harden is well aware that James indeed exaggerated Westbrook's weaknesses.

But with the irrefutable evidence provided by James, Big Westbrook had no choice but to yield this time.

As for why Durant shares the same view as James?

The answer is, when James packages himself as a "neutral and objective person," given Durant's current life experiences, how could he see that James is step by step trying to approach the center of power of these Knicks?

Especially when James repeatedly emphasized that the Knicks should focus their offense around Durant.

"'KD's' offensive efficiency in the first game was not much worse than Messiah's, it's just that we didn't create more shooting opportunities for him."

"I have no doubt that as long as we unite to support 'KD,' he will definitely have an on-court impact no less than Messiah."

"In these finals, to defeat the Warriors, 'KD' is indeed our only trump card."

When James unexpectedly managed to navigate the locker room politics successfully during the first game of the finals.

Being the King of these Knicks, Durant accepted this loyal supporter without hesitation.

Two days later, the second game of the finals continued at Oracle Arena.

As the last year of the NBA executing the "232" finals format, the Warriors, who must win this game to secure home-court advantage, continued with their starting lineup from the first game of the finals.

On the Knicks' side, when Harden really replaced Westbrook as the Knicks' starter, Qin Yue, who had a bet with Brown before the game, couldn't help but look at this Detective Brown in a new light.

But what truly made Qin Yue feel that Brown was a slick operator was...

During the start of the game, James repeatedly received the ball at the high post and controlled the pace of the game for the Knicks.

In the first quarter, during an official timeout, looking at Brown intentionally untying his shoelaces and waiting on the sidelines, Qin Yue, who never defaults on a debt, bent down and prepared to tie Brown's shoelaces, saying: "Didn't expect you to actually guess it right."

Upon hearing this, Brown, helping Qin Yue up and not actually daring to have him tie his shoelaces, laughed and said: "I always said, maybe you understand basketball better than I do, but you definitely don't understand LeBron better than I do."

Last summer, with James laughing and joking in the Dream Factory, Brown had long labeled James in his mind as a court merchant and a court politician.

Brown knows very well that James never acts without profit.

Therefore, since that Christmas battle, when James, who lived under media criticism daily, still managed to keep a good mood after losing by a large margin in the first game of the finals...

To Brown, there was only one explanation that could prove why James was in such a good mood.

It was that, in that conflict within the Knicks, James was the big winner.

"How did you guess there was a conflict within the Knicks?"

"Observation. You're better at observing on the court, while I've always been better at observing off the court."

During the first game of the finals, when Westbrook was substituted by DAntoni midway through the third quarter, Brown, noticing that Westbrook did not return in the subsequent games, almost instantly recalled when he was replaced by Jamison as the starter due to tactical reasons.

But compared to himself, a historical second-center in name only...

The Knicks choosing to DNP Big Westbrook and the Warriors choosing to DNP him were clearly not on the same level. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Brown is self-aware.

So, when Ma Long arranged for him to be a substitute for tactical reasons, he never once cried or threw a tantrum about it.

But Westbrook is different.

Because he is undeniably a star guard.

However...

When the Knicks decided to DNP him, they did it. What does that prove?

It proves that someone within the Knicks must have stirred up the whole team against Westbrook at the time.

"A merchant will spare no cost to gain profit, and a politician will strike at the most opportune moment to seize power," Brown said, "Remember, your once good buddy was never just a pure basketball player."

In Brown's eyes...

Perhaps during the players' era, Jordan and the current Qin Yue were those kinds of oppressive court bullies who never felt satisfied until they thoroughly humiliated you.

But compared to James, Jordan and Qin Yue were undoubtedly more pure basketball players.

Because humiliating their opponents was always just a way for them to gain emotional satisfaction during a game.

Moreover, while humiliating their opponents, Qin Yue and Jordan never said they wouldn't allow their opponents to humiliate them back.

As long as you have that ability, Brown believed, Qin Yue and Jordan would only feel pleased about it.

After all, being invincible can sometimes be truly lonely.

"LeBron never plays just to win, instead it's more like he hopes to maintain his name and status through playing,"

Brown concluded, "In all your past matchups with him, I noticed that he isn't unable to accept you being a cut above him, he simply cannot accept you getting all the exposure alone."

In Brown's account.

Recalling what James said to him when he first entered the league, Qin Yue nodded and said: "I think you're right, you definitely understand LeBron better than I do."

The timeout ended, and the game continued.

With the adjusted starting lineup and with more ball control given to James, have the Knicks really solved their offensive and defensive issues?