69novels Chapter 42 Ups and Downs
Chapter 42 Ups and Downs
"Softies, you're going to lose. This is your fourth loss this season, isn't it? Ha, you might not even make the playoffs this year."
Wang Kai's "trash talk" never contains a lot of profanity, but it goes straight to the heart and hits the nail on the head.
Thanks to Lao Ke, who "had something to ask for," he tolerated Wang Kai's behavior time and time again. In the process, he developed some symptoms of "Stockholm syndrome."
Raja Bell did join the NBA for the hefty salary, but at the same time, he also had his own pursuit of glory.
In 2008, the NBA produced an inspirational short film called "How Much Do You Want to Succeed?", which included the line: "When you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe, you've succeeded."
All those who leave their mark in this alliance and are remembered by those who come after them can be considered successful, because these people know that money is only part of success, not everything.
In basketball, success is achieved only through passion, not through money.
All role players like Raja Bell are not just motivated by money; they are driven by a deep love for basketball and a strong desire for glory.
Raja Bell wanted to punch Wang Kai, this "nasty" rookie, but he ultimately held back.
With three minutes remaining in the game, D'Antoni substituted Nash and Raja Bell, who had played the most minutes, off the court. They had given up on the game and were preparing for the next one.
Warriors interim head coach Tom Jackson also substituted all the starters in a timely manner, and they achieved a 14-point victory in Phoenix.
The Warriors are overjoyed to have upset a team that won 62 games last season, and many see this as a sign of the Warriors' resurgence.
Wang Kai played 43 minutes in this game and ultimately achieved a triple-double with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists. This was his second triple-double of the season.
When the game ended, Nash went up to Wang Kai to congratulate him.
Wang Kai happily accepted the congratulations from last season's MVP.
"Good job, kid. I like your toughness."
"Old Ke, that really hurts!"
After the game, Wang Kai returned to the locker room and lay exhausted on a chair in the away team's locker room. At that moment, he felt that the most sensitive parts of his body were "groaning".
Wang Kai had the most playing time on the Warriors in this game, and he spent a lot of time in the paint, actively battling against the Suns' "beasts".
Such intense competition, approaching the level of the playoffs, is indeed a huge burden for Wang Kai right now; his ribs, thighs, and waist are covered in bruises.
"So that's the NBA. Here, you have to give it your all to succeed. Go back to Golden State and find a masseuse to relax. You need that right now."
Old Ke has extensive experience in competitions, as well as extensive experience in "recovery".
When the Warriors were preparing to return from Phoenix, Chris Mullin, as the Warriors' general manager, went to Dallas.
Chris Mullin's purpose in going to Texas was clear: to invite Nelson Sr. to come out of retirement.
After falling out with Cuban last season, Don Nelson resigned as head coach of the Mavericks, but he did not leave Dallas. Instead, he took on a consultant role for the Mavericks.
The seemingly harmonious scene actually concealed a conflict. Don Nelson disliked the boss who interfered with the team's management and tactics, while Cuban disliked Don Nelson's tactical ideas. The falling out between the two was foreshadowed.
Chris Mullin, a former protégé of Don Nelson, believes that Nelson is the best head coach for the current Warriors roster.
Don Nelson coached the Warriors during the 88-89 season and created the "TMC" trio, making them the first team in league history to truly employ a run-and-gun offense.
During the "TMC" era, the Warriors averaged a maximum of 118.7 points per game, a score that would be considered astonishing even by today's standards.
After receiving Chris Mullin's invitation in person, Nelson accepted it without much hesitation.
In fact, Don Nelson has been keeping a close eye on the league's dynamics. He is very interested in the current Warriors team, especially their rookie Wang Kai, who has been the subject of much controversy.
Although Don Nelson is currently battling cancer and needs treatment, he doesn't want to miss the opportunity to coach the Warriors team he has now.
However, Don Nelson did not sign a contract with the Warriors immediately. He said he needed some time to deal with his own affairs and that he would sign with the Warriors no earlier than after Christmas.
On November 14, the Warriors, back at home, failed to secure a victory against the invading Bulls.
After a "running" game against the Suns, the Warriors players have regained their confidence, but their physical exertion is greater than in the previous games.
Wang Kai, back on his home turf, also had a mediocre performance in this game and failed to play the game he wanted.
Wang Kai was tightly guarded by the Bulls' Nocioni and Luol Deng in this game. He only made one three-pointer and only made one of six shots, which is not the normal performance that Wang Kai should have.
Wang Kai only scored 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in the game, but his performance was already the second-best on the Warriors.
Jason Williams scored 31 points in this game, making him the only Warriors player with a field goal percentage of over 40%.
The Warriors ultimately lost the game by a large margin, 82-100.
As Wang Kai's performance declined, many media outlets have described it as encountering a rookie wall.
Two days later, the Warriors hosted the Bucks at home, and this time they lost.
Bucks' star player Reed scored 27 points with a very good shooting percentage, shooting 9-for-19 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. For the Warriors, only Jason Williams and Wang Kai scored in double figures.
Baron Davis was the main reason the Warriors lost the game. He made only 1 of 11 three-pointers, and only 4 of 21 games, with a shooting percentage of less than 20%.
Wang Kai scored 17 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists.
Such a performance would be considered good for an ordinary rookie, but when it came to Wang Kai, the media called it "the fall of the East, a mediocre genius," praising the good while belittling the bad—Eastern and Western media are the same.
Bogut felt he had gotten his revenge, but to his dismay, the media paid no attention to him. Despite his 9 points and 10 rebounds, the media seemed to have already accepted that his number one draft pick was a "bust".