Chapter 902: Chapter 285: LeBron’s Awkward Predicament
It can be said that this season the New York Knicks have completely relied on the "Tsunami Brothers" to achieve the "First in the League" record.
The lack of a strong inside presence is a big problem, and this issue will be magnified infinitely, especially in the playoffs.
The New York media are discussing whether to make some trades to bring in a strong inside player.
However, once the discussion began, they realized that any quality inside players are being cherished like treasures by other teams and cannot be pried away...
For example, the Clippers!
They already have Little Si and Griffin as the starting inside players, but still keep Little Jordan with an 8 million contract as a backup.
Trying to trade for such players is too costly, and for the Knicks, who are aiming for "three consecutive championships," making such attempts is indeed a bit risky. After Su Wan’s statement, the Knicks’ management also immediately declared:
The Knicks have no inclination towards any trades. We are extremely confident in our current roster!
Donnie Walsh had long wanted to issue such a statement.
The New York media has been discussing who to trade and how to trade, which can easily plunge the team into an atmosphere of unease.
However, he originally hadn’t done a proper job of strengthening the inside.
Making a statement at this time would instead trigger a backlash from the New York media. It could even lead to him being dragged into the "execution ground," so it’s better to let it be. He can’t afford to provoke these madmen.
But after Su Wan’s statement, Donnie Walsh suddenly had confidence.
Su Wan is undoubtedly the "King" of New York now. As long as he speaks, the New York media basically have nothing to say.
Indeed, after he released the statement, no New York media opposed him.
Su Wan’s dominance over this city is truly...
Of course, the glory he has brought to this city is something unheard of in the past half a century,
The New York Knicks have never been this close to "three consecutive championships" since their inception.
The achievements Su Wan has built have made the whole of New York love him like never before.
If they win the championship again this year...
Donnie Walsh does not doubt at all that with one word from Su Wan, the whole of New York could rebel and declare independence!
And he is now, advancing towards this goal!
After defeating the Forest Wolves, Tyson Chandler suffered an injury.
It is not a very serious injury.
He can recover after resting for 2~3 games.
But Mike Malone thinks he might as well take more time to heal since he is hurt.
Therefore, during this half-month period, Tyson Chandler was sitting on the bench. The performance of the New York Knicks was thus affected.
There’s nothing to be done, even if Tyson Chandler’s form has declined, he is still unmatched by "Big White Side" or Karl Landry.
This led to the New York Knicks relying even more on their outside shooting. If the outside shooting becomes problematic, the match falls into crisis.
In late January, some teams noticed this point and began to expand their defensive circle, applying tight defense to the Knicks’ outside shooting.
Faced with these teams’ defensive adjustments, Su Wan did not have significant fluctuations in his performance.
Mainly because the defensive intensity he usually experiences is similar.
Stephen Curry’s overall performance, however, had some ups and downs.
Mainly because he is still primarily focused on three-point shooting, and his "great springtime" hasn’t truly arrived yet.
Nevertheless, the New York Knicks showcased their resilience as defending champions in these matches.
Even in disadvantageous situations, they can still play steadily, ensuring the team’s momentum doesn’t fall behind. And when the game reaches the final moments, everything becomes simple:
Give the ball to Su Wan!
In the last 4 games of January, Su Wan made 2 "game-winning shots," and 1 "quasi-fatal," directly thrilling all of New York.
The "New York Daily" referred to Su Wan as the "Last Gate of New York!"
Another New York media outlet called Su Wan the "Twin Towers of the World Trade Center that will never collapse!"
Barkley was once again shocked by Su Wan’s performance: "Honestly, this guy seems like he never makes mistakes!"
Especially in the last game of January, where the New York Knicks were behind in rebounds by 12, Su Wan scored 33 points with a 55% shooting percentage, and hit the "game-winning shot."
Bill Walton used just four words to describe Su Wan’s performance in this match:
"Terrifyingly strong!"
In early February, with averages of 38.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6 assists, Su Wan became the "Player of the Month" for January!
But in discussing his outburst, he mentioned one person: "Paul George shouldn’t be forgotten, this guy has taken on most of the defensive duties for me, but this is overlooked by many media outlets. Like Tyronn Lue said, Paul George should be part of the discussion for the best perimeter players this season!"
No one expected Su Wan to mention Paul George at this time.
Including Paul George himself, who didn’t expect Su Wan to do so...
When a group of reporters surrounded him, leaving him bewildered, he returned to the locker room and looked at Su Wan with eyes full of admiration.
He declared that from today onwards, Brother Su is the most selfless player in the league!
Honestly, considering Su Wan’s recent performances, if he wanted to hog the spotlight, no one would have a problem, including the New York Knicks players, because they all know that Su Wan has been dragging the team forward single-handedly.
Yet, in such a moment, Su Wan is willing to share the spotlight, and even to someone like him who isn’t even considered a "main offensive force" but a "purely defensive blue-collar"!
Paul George’s plan is to go step by step, from a blue-collar to a superstar.
But at this moment, he suddenly feels willing to play as a blue-collar for Su Wan for the rest of his life!
For this "boss," he is truly convinced...