No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 1432: Afterword 3
Harden and Bosh’s mindset change came too late, leading to the biggest trouble: missing the midseason trade window, failing to adjust the roster, and losing against the Bulls who were reinvigorated by Wade’s return and aiming for another championship push.
The Spurs were the final champions of the 12-13 season. After narrowly defeating the Lakers 4-3 in the second round, they started to find their stride, defeating James-led Rockets 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals, and beat the Bulls 4-1 in the Finals to claim the championship. Conley, with an average of 17 points and 6 assists per game in the Finals, won the Finals MVP.
In the summer of 2013, the Lakers’ Three Giants disbanded, becoming a thing of the past after six years. Throughout those years, they faced the strongest Bulls, the Bobcats’ 6 years and 4 championships ’PDD Dynasty’, and the peak period of the ’Spurs system’.
Moving to Brooklyn in New York, the Brooklyn Nets’ new general manager Billy King started a masterful operation.
Using two unprotected first-round picks, he traded for Garnett, whose contract had 2 years and $36 million left, and used an unprotected first-round pick + three quality young players amassed from tanking to trade for Joe Johnson. He also poached the over-30-year-old Gerald Wallace from the Grizzlies with a 4-year, $60 million deal, forming the ’Four Giants’ along with Deron... The Nets at one point only had six players, including one rookie.
Kidd, who signed a one-year extension, did not continue to renew after Garnett was traded, instead signing a one-year veteran’s minimum contract with the Knicks... Ultimately teaming up with the big shot, compared to others, Kidd had more faith in Zhang Yang.
However, the Lakers didn’t fall into despair but rather turned their fortunes around.
Previously, Kobe didn’t renew his contract early in 2012. Instead, he dropped out of his contract to recruit Zhang Yang, taking a pay cut and renewing for 4 years, $80 million, till 2016.
Kobe reduced his salary by nearly ten million every year, and with Garnett traded away, even though they got an average contract in return, it freed up over $11 million in space, plus the departure of Kidd freed up $9 million in space. The Lakers only had Kobe and Pau Gasol’s $11 million salary and Ariza’s $7 million, becoming the team with the largest salary space in the 2013 free market.
Next door, Paul opted out of the last year player option of his 09’s 4+1 contract with the Clippers, and the Lakers traded a first-round pick to sign him and send him in exchange.
Spurs’ ’peak period’ doesn’t seem to end anytime soon, James’ Rockets are incredibly strong, and the Thunder Team’s combination of Rose + Durant + Jordan Jr. is also extremely powerful... With the Clippers, Paul saw no hope, and next door was his partner of several years, the top-tier holding ball and off-ball super scoring Kobe, plus Pau Gasol gradually developing into a top center, and without having to move, Paul decided to team up with Kobe.
Then the Lakers used Steve Blake, Trevor Ariza, and Ramon Sessions, three high-quality players, plus the Nets’ 2014 first-round pick, and the Lakers’ own 2016 first-round pick, along with the remaining salary space after signing Paul, to trade for Pau Gasol from the rebuilding Grizzlies.
The Gasol brothers had never collaborated in the Spanish league, but started the brothers’ basketball mode in the NBA.
Mitch Kupchak: Forming the Four Giants, I’m a professional, thanks to the strong support from my brother.
Lakers’ general manager Kupchak and Grizzlies’ general manager Chris Wallace come from the same origin – the logo man.
Originally, Chris Wallace wouldn’t even take Blake, but after the Lakers gave up Ariza and Sessions, there was still a slight shortage in salary space, forcing Kupchak to reluctantly include the hard-battling Blake.
In the summer of 2013, basketball fans were hit with two pieces of bad news - the recently crowned Regular Season MVP Rose and Pacers’ Boss Granger, both suffered serious injuries.
In the second round G5 Mountain King battle, the Western first Thunder Team and the Western fourth Rockets went into overtime. During the overtime, Rose stole a counterattack and quickly changed direction past the retreating Battier. However, as Rose moved past, he fell unopposed and was out for the playoffs, causing the Thunder Team to lose two straight games and watch as James advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder Team never disclosed Rose’s injury, but experts commented that such non-contact injuries are more serious than contact injuries, indicating it wasn’t an accident, but an existing physical problem, a reference being 09-10 season March Paul.
This expert was right in the prediction, Rose’s left knee cruciate ligament rupture was announced out for the season before 13-14 season even began.
Granger’s injury was even more heartbreaking, twisting his knee in the East Final, impatiently training after the season but worsening instead of healing completely, necessitating surgery with a 6-8 month recovery period. This was akin to a bolt from the blue for the Pacers in the middle of their championship golden period, with the core combination of DeRozan + Granger + Randolph + Hibbert, loved by fans for nearly three years.
In 13-14 season, Knicks Team officially stepped onto the path to conquest.
In the transaction with the Grizzlies, who started a fire sale and embarked on the tanking mode, Knicks Team obtained Ariza, Harden returned to the Point Guard position, Zhang Yang returned to the shooting guard position, and Nash transitioned to the sixth man, playing alongside Kidd as substitutes.
Last season, with only 52 wins and fourth place in the East, and sooner encountering the Bulls, this season Knicks Team boasts 62 wins at first place in the East, with their biggest playoff opponent... second in the East Bobcats Team.
In the 12-13 season, Curry couldn’t take off.
For the first time truly becoming the top scoring option, the first tactical endpoint, and having unlimited firing rights, he was very excited.
