Before the playoffs officially begin, the league announced the first batch of awards for the season: Best Head Coach, Most Improved Award and Best Sixth Man.

There is no doubt that the best head coach award goes to Cole.

The playbook Kerr received as a coach was very similar to when he was playing with the Bulls.

If you have the best record in the league, you won't get the best head coach award. You have to break the regular season record to get it.

However, it is foreseeable that after playing such a crazy regular season, the Warriors will definitely usher in a wave of honors like the Nets coached by Sloan three years ago.

The Sixth Man of the Year belongs to Jamal Crawford of the Clippers. This is the third time the latter has won this honor, ranking first in NBA history.

The Most Improved Award belongs to Jokic!

Jokic was just a rookie last season, averaging negligible single digits per game, but this season he has grown into an All-Star level player.

Based on his season data, even if he is not selected, he will not be able to run as a substitute.

This kind of improvement surpasses CJ McCrum of the Trail Blazers.

Then when the awards were announced, the little fat guy was sprayed with champagne by his teammates as he entered the door.

Generally speaking, when not winning a championship, the team members would just drink mineral water or something to celebrate, but Jokic was so popular in the team and winning the award was expected, so Lin Ying had already prepared champagne.

The little fat man enjoyed a champagne bath for the first time, ran around the locker room, and finally sat on the bench, gasping for air. When he saw Durant still wanted to come over, he immediately smiled and raised his hands in surrender.

"Most Improved Player, it's up to you in the first round!"

However, when Lin Ying sat down next to him, put his hands on his and smiled, his smiling face suddenly turned into a bitter one.

If possible, can you just let me lie down and then take me flying?

…

Than 0.

The process was simple and rough, and the Nets basically didn't give the Hornets many chances in the first two home games.

The Hornets have a pretty good lineup this season, including Kemba Walker and Jefferson, as well as Jeremy Lin on the bench.

This configuration can make it to the playoffs, and the team's chemistry and fighting spirit are strong.

But the problem lies in this configuration.

To give a simple example, if the Nets' hard power is 95 points, the Hornets' maximum is only 70.

Even if they use 10% of their strength, it will only be 84.

Although a basketball game is not a simple lineup competition, the fact that someone else's lower limit is your upper limit is very cruel.

But thinking on the bright side, the big score is only 0 now, and the Hornets still have the possibility of reversing the series after returning home.

Theoretically.

…

Charlotte, Time Warner Cable Arena.

G's game won't start until tomorrow. Jordan frowned and sat on the sidelines watching the team's training.

Looking at the group of people on the field now, he felt indescribably uncomfortable.

Well, it’s the same feeling as if you took off your eyes and found out it was Lin Ying and Durant, but put on glasses and found out it was Stephenson and Lamb.

Of course, he wasn't upset that Lin Ying couldn't come.

He was very proud. He had already lowered his profile to recruit Lin Ying, but if Lin Ying didn't come, the matter would naturally be over.

The group of people he felt so uncomfortable were really unsatisfactory.

Originally, in the last game of the regular season, we had a head-to-head dialogue with the Pistons. If we beat them, we would be fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The result was good, but I lost and fell directly to eighth place.

Forget it if he falls, he doesn't expect the team to advance against the Nets in the first round, but he has to win a game, right?

As a result, after two games, they lost an average of 0+ per game.

He is really, even the boss is embarrassed.

Damn it!

If he were more than twenty years younger, no, fifteen years old would be enough, and he would definitely teach the Nets a lesson.

At this moment, Jeremy Lin was easily deflected by Walker and scored. Jordan couldn't stand it anymore, so he took off his clothes and went straight on the court.

The players on the field didn't seem surprised. It was obvious that Jordan was not happy with them.

"I don't ask you to be like Lin on the opposite side, but can you do the best at the most basic defense?"

Jordan came on the court with a serious face and pointed at his eyes.jpg,

"Focus, use your eyes."

Jeremy Lin felt a huge pressure. Even though the Jordan in front of him was already an old guy in his 50s, that look could make you breathless.

Then, Jordan joined the training and the defensive end continuously interfered with Walker's offensive success.

This is Jordan, he won't ask others to do what he can't do.

Even though he is now an old guy in his 50s, and he still has a big belly.

…

The next day, the Time Warner Cable Arena was fully booked.

The Hornets' market is not that big, after all, Jordan is just the owner.

However, because the opponent is the Nets led by the Texas Twins, local fans will naturally not miss such a game.

Jordan showed up in the arena.

He didn't go to the previous two away games, but he came to the home games.

During the warm-up before the game, Jordan even came to the Nets to chat with Lin Ying.

Then Durant was left alone.

At that time, I was twenty-seven, and I stood like a gangster.

Jordan's vision is really high, and now he only likes Lin Ying in the field.

When he was finally leaving, Jordan glanced at Durant, said hello politely, and then went back to the auditorium.

Durant looked very excited.

Iverson said in a speech before that Jordan was his idol, and it felt unreal every time he saw Jordan.

So why not Durant!

"Do you play golf?"

Lin Ying saw Durant's eyes and said.

"No fighting."

Durant shook his head. At that time, he still preferred to check social media.

"It's a pity. I originally said that I would play golf with Michael in the summer. If you know how to play, you can go together."

"I can learn."

Durant immediately changed his tune.

"Then it's settled."

After hearing this, Lin Ying reached out and patted Durant on the shoulder.

The pre-match warm-up was over and players from both sides came on stage one after another.

Nets: Bradley, Ariza, Durant, Lin Ying, Jokic;

Hornets: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, McGeege, Marvin Williams, Jefferson;

*In the summer of 2015, McGeege was spotted by Jordan and poached from the Thunder with a four-year, $5 million contract.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Jefferson jumped up and moved the ball back to the Hornets half, kicking off the G curtain.

Walker started a pick-and-roll with Jefferson, and then made a double change to pass Jokic and score.

Walker is not well-known, and his strength is only at the quasi-All-Star level, but his frequency of changes of direction is very fast, and this double change of direction is his unique skill.

And judging from his offensive resoluteness in the opening game, the Hornets did a good job of "psychological adjustment" during the two days of rest.

No, it's not just a psychological adjustment. The Nets advanced to the frontcourt. When Jokic was playing in the low post, Jefferson used all his strength.

Moreover, Marvin Williams' timing of assisting defense was also very good, and Jokic's shot finally missed the basket.

This also triggered a burst of cheers from the Hornets fans at the scene.

Their thinking is actually similar to Jordan's. They don't expect the team to win the series, but they must at least win one game, or at least build momentum.

The first two rounds were more in line with their expectations.

However, their offense failed to connect. McGehee's three-point shot from the outside missed and the rebound was picked off by Jokic.
To be continued...