Chapter 613: The Lakers’ Gambling, Changes in the Defending Championship

On August 19, Xie Hou announced the end of his honeymoon on Shett and returned to the United States to prepare for the new season.

The media was moved and too many people wanted to interview Xie Hou.

They returned to the United States on a private jet of the Mustu family, and Xie Hou first accepted the "Superstar One-to-One Column" led by ESPN.

The host of this column is Xie Hou's teammate and Pacers' legend Reggie Miller.

After retiring, Miller was doing well in major TV stations. Including this column, he already had two of his own columns, and was also one of the resident guests of TNT Studios.

After Xie Hou met Miller, the two of them hugged each other and performed a common shoulder-to-strike etiquette for black people.

Xie Hou is not a black man, but he has been dealing with black man for many years and is too familiar with these trivial matters.

"You look a lot stronger," Miller smiled.

Xie Hou turned his shoulder and said, "Are you envious? You have never grown so strong in your life."

Miller has been retiring for a long time, and he lacked the shocking power he had in the team at the time. Xie Hou actually dared to joke with him. He made him smile and threatened: "Do you know I can stop the live broadcast and beat you up at any time?"

Xie Hou felt nervous after hearing this, "This is the first episode of the show. I beat me up. Who dares to come on your show in the future?"

Miller's answer was particularly annoying.

He actually said, "You don't know this, right? Do you think you are a heartthrob? The guys who want you to die can line up from here to the suburbs. If I really beat you up, those guys who are so overwhelmed by you will definitely come to the show. And, the first question they see me must be - how does it feel to smash Arthur's face with one punch?"

He also became more and more energetic as he spoke. He seemed to really want to implement this evil plan that made his teammates sad.

The director reminded them: "Get back to the topic quickly, Reggie."

Miller picked up the live broadcast preparatory board, which contained the questions he needed to ask.

"The first question is easy: Is Xuewei pregnant?"

"What are you doing? Census?"

"No, someone photographed his lower abdomen bulged. Some fans thought she was fat, and some fans thought she was pregnant. Which one was it?"

"I'm fat!" Even if I had to go home and kneel on the washboard, he would not reveal his privacy, "I'm fat!"

Miller deliberately put his face close for the show effect: "Really?"

"Really, which pregnant woman doesn't gain weight?" There will be mistakes when speaking too much, and there will be mistakes when speaking quickly.

That's how the show effect came, Miller said to the camera: "Let us congratulate Arthur and his wife."

In order to live well, Xie Hou added a sentence to the camera: "I think Xuewei is more beautiful after becoming fat. She was a little too thin before."

After this episode is broadcast, the editor will find a photo of Xuewei before she becomes pregnant, so that people can see what Xie Hou calls "Where did she lose weight before?" Anyone with discerning eyes will find that Xie Hou is talking lies.

"Okay, let's be more serious now."

Miller asked the reporters the question they wanted to interview Xie Hou the most.

"What do you think about the Lakers and Nets' deal?" Miller asked.

Since the Lakers traded Sharks in the summer of 2004, the team structure has changed drastically. Carter and Kobe formed a CK combination, which is the most popular, ticket-selling and most eye-catching team in the league.

The Lakers made a lot of money, but it delayed Kobe's three-year peak and Carter's three-year peak tail.

After three consecutive years of out-of-the-season, Kobe's patience was exhausted, and he put pressure on the management to either strengthen or trade him.

After the news of Kobe's threat came out, the first person to react was the Knicks.

Since the Smiling Assassin took over the Knicks, he would come up to take a look at any movement in the league.

The Knicks gave away chips that left the Lakers speechless: Randolph Banyani's first-round draft pick in 2012.

It’s not that they don’t want to give more draft picks, but that their first-round draft picks from 2008 to 2011 have been sent out.

Moreover, Thomas believes that their chips are not bad at all.

The All-Star inside super potential stocks will be able to save you face in the future.

The Lakers elegantly rejected the Knicks' offer, and Kobe's request for the transaction was just a way to force management to change. The Timberwolves' format reaction brought about by the three-party transaction that shocked the world triggered the birth of a series of subsequent transactions.

The Lakers want instant combat power and strategic potential to hit the championship, and for this, they put David Lee, who has All-Star potential on the shelves.

The Nets, who decided to rebuild, came to ask for the price with Jason Kidd, who convinced the Lakers to add a second round with lotto protection, and then the deal took place.

This is a crazy era.

The Wolf King descends on Phoenix City, making each team crazy.

The Lakers paired the contract with David Lee and Radmanovic, plus the protected first round, and replaced the former cornerstone guard from the Nets, and led the team to the finals twice.

After getting Kidd, the Lakers' outside lineups were brought together by Kobe, Carter and Kidd, which was a luxurious three-shot rare in history.

That is, Kidd is no longer young.

What Miller is asking now is: "Do you think the Lakers can pose a threat to the Pacers' defending title?"

Xie Hou thought about it carefully. He had heard of Kidd's visit to the Lakers. He had thought that the Lakers were taking action. He didn't expect that the one who sent it was David Lee.

It seems that young and handsome guys who are strong in Nian R&F are popular everywhere.

"I don't think so," said Xie Hou. "The Lakers are very strong on the outside, but their inside lacks altitude and talent. If they meet the Suns, they can't beat it."

Li is not only a young potential stock, he is also the Lakers' most reliable inside player.

In exchange for Kidd to strengthen the Lakers' outside defense, it will be in trouble in the inside.

Once David Lee and Radmanovich left, only Frenchman Turiav remained in their inside line.

Such a lineup looks really bad.

"How strong do you think the Suns will be next season?"

"They have won 62 games without KG last season. In the new season, I think it's not difficult to win 70 games, right?" Anyway, it's adding pressure to others, Xie Hou said as if he was talking nonsense.

After hearing what he said, Miller almost laughed again.

"Well, then, what do you think of the Pacers' offseason operation?" Miller asked.

The Pacers are different from those affected by the Garnett effect, and their focus is on consolidating the championship roster.

Although this lineup has been playing for four years, it is still young overall.

No one in the starting lineup except Papalucas is 30 years old.

Stabilize the starting lineup, retain the substitute, and use the back picks as much as possible to supplement their combat power. This is what they need to do.

There are two major changes in the Pacers.

One change is where Wang Zhizhi went.

He did not return to Bayi and did not renew his contract with the Pacers. He accepted a three-year, 16 million contract from Orlando Magic.

Some people think it is unwise for him to leave the championship team for money, but the Pacers can only give him a four-year, 12 million contract extension.

Regarding this matter, Wang Zhizhi called Xie Hou and wanted to hear his opinion.

With Xie Hou's standpoint, he really couldn't give Wang Zhizhi an opinion.

Does he want Wang Zhizhi to stay? Of course, Wang Zhizhi and his tacit understanding and chemical reaction on the offensive end often make Kirilenko, who has been playing since childhood, jealous.

O'Neal Jr. even complained to Xie Hou, "I feel you prefer playing pick-and-roll with Wang."

They are all right. Xie Hou likes to play pick-and-roll with Wang Zhizhi, and they have a more tacit understanding.

For the Pacers, Wang Zhizhi's stay is equivalent to an extra golden lineup that breaks the deadlock when attacking constipation.

The Pacers gave Wang Zhizhi a new life, but he was facing a contract that was longer and more money.

Just like the hesitation he showed in the incident of no return, he was hesitant about this matter.

When Bird heard about the magic quote, Wang Zhizhi's hesitant look made him take the initiative to carry out the next step.

The Pacers withdrew their renewal offer for Wang Zhizhi.

Hearing that the Pacers withdrew their offer, Wang Zhizhi suddenly understood what he wanted. He called Bird and wanted to stay.

"No, get your big contract, get out of Indiana, good luck!" Bird refused him so.

Wang Zhizhi signed a three-year, 16 million contract with Magic.

This contract is a premium no matter how you look at it. The Magic don't care. They weakened the Pacers and brought back a veteran with experience in winning the championship to the team, and continued to play happily.

Wang Zhizhi will get more than 25 minutes of playing time in the next three years. He will use his characteristics - not defending, able to attack - to help the Magic play badly and have the opportunity to score double-digit average points per game for several consecutive years.

For a role player like him, his career is a perfect one.

As a pioneer in opening the NBA door to the Chinese player, he cast stones and ask for directions. The personal character and the unreturn incidents that were born under the general environment buried the best years. So he became a tragic person. Xie Hou found him and asked him to join the Pacers, which allowed him to regain his life. After proving himself again, he got the biggest contract in his career, and he will go to a team that can give him enough tactical status to soar.

Few role players have such ups and downs, and complete careers.

After Wang Zhizhi left, Donnie Walsh took action and used Spaniard Sergio Rodriguez as his bargaining chip to exchange Steven Hunter for Philadelphia 76ers.

Hunter is seven feet tall, a typical blue-collar insider, has no range, can catch rebounds and defend.

This is an emergency remedy.

Getting Hunter and losing Wang Zhizhi and Rodriguez will far more harm than good for the Pacers.

Hunter's defense and rebounds are stronger than Wang Zhizhi, but Wang Zhizhi's role in offensive end is far stronger than the role the former can play as a blue-collar worker.

The Pacers' changes are far less than those of other teams, but there are still quite a change.

Miller's question stumped Xie Hou.
Chapter completed!