Chapter 103 [Continuous Flight, Counter Pressure]

After attending a party together, Guo Xu and O'Neal's relationship became even better, and they were like brothers in the locker room. At O'Neal's request, Guo Xu and Brian Shaw changed the cabinets and came to O'Neal's side because it was easier to chat.

Brian Xiao complained crazily in his heart, are you two trying to be gay? !

Although there is another Kobe next to the cupboard between them, Brian Shaw firmly believes that Kobe, the steely straight man who is good at chatting to death, is definitely not the same type of joker as these two.

The newcomers are extremely envious. After only playing two games in the regular season, Guo Xu is no longer treated as a rookie, but has vaguely become the team's third boss. This is a rocket-like speed to improve his status.

The players had replenished their strength after two days off, but they felt terrible. On the 4th, they played away against the Grizzlies. The Lakers did not win easily. It was not until the fourth quarter that the two sides decided the winner. The OK combination played for 40 minutes and only won by 13 points.

Like other teams, the Grizzlies used the "shark-cutting tactic" inside to prevent O'Neal from scoring. O'Neal had poor free throw shooting, making only 3 of 14 shots, which left people speechless. Even so, he still scored 27 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks with his performance of 12 of 20 shots.

Kobe made 9 of 20 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Harper played for 19 minutes, made 0 of 2 shots and failed to score a point. He sent two assists and two steals. Everyone can see that Harper is old. It is difficult for him to move fast enough to keep up with the point guard. He is just a false starter and must make way for young people.

The best performer on the bench is Guo Xu again. He has the right to shoot in the second quarter and has a stronger inside partner.

The space-based power forward Robert Horry returned. In the second quarter, he partnered with Grant to widen the formation.

Guo Xu plays the pick-and-roll, and he can break through with speed and technology when facing the Grizzlies' second-round pick Swift or the meat-shield center Bryant Levis. The Grizzlies' backup guard Damon Jones is not fast and is more like a shooting guard. , the pursuit and defense was poor.

As a result, Guo Xu played 30 minutes, made 7 of 12 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, scored 19 points and 4 assists.

On the defensive end, Guo Xu did not take advantage of Mike Bibby. The "White Devil" is an underrated point guard. He can handle the ball when playing against Harper, and he can pull up jumpers when playing against Guo Xu. He always has a way to score. He made 16 shots in the game. 10 of 10, 3 of 4 three-pointers, scored 23 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

After the game, the major media continued to praise Guo Xu and casually mentioned Bibby.

Guo Xu's data is slightly inferior to his opponent, but his popularity is much higher than that of Bibby, because he has the gimmick of the last rookie and plays for the Los Angeles team. And Bibby's style of play is unpretentious, low-key, playing in Vancouver, and his statistics are pretty, but he can't attract media attention.

In the NBA, popularity represents money. Only high popularity can win the favor of merchants. A star's annual income from advertising endorsements is much higher than his playing salary. At present, many merchants have contacted Guo Xu's agent, Happy Waters, hoping that he will be the product spokesperson. Happy didn't let him sign a contract, but only negotiated, because he firmly believed that his commercial value could be improved.

Looking at Bibby again, Gui was the No. 2 pick in the 1998 draft and overwhelmed many talented players. Jamison, Pierce, Nowitzki, and Carter were all left behind by him. In his first season, Bibby averaged 13.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, and was selected to the All-Rookie Team. Last season, he averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 assists per game, already looking like a star.

However, he played for the Grizzlies for two years, and he didn't accept a single commercial endorsement, and the number of votes he got in the star voting was even more pitiful. Facts have proved that if a player is very low-key in the NBA, he is not far from hitting the street.

Bibby's evaluation cannot be compared with Guo Xu's. This year's rookie No. 2 Swift is even worse. Almost all media said that the Grizzlies selected parallel imports.

Swift's golf IQ is extremely low and he is always out of touch with tactics. On the offensive end, he will rely on physical fitness to play and attack the basket.

On the defensive end, he is easily staggered. If his opponent makes a fake shot, he wants to fly into the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun...

Swift only played 7 minutes in this game and scored 3 points and 1 rebound.

The Lakers returned to their home court and defeated the Clippers 109-93, winning their fourth consecutive victory. This was a simple game, but Guo Xu's good luck came to an end.

He was completely at a disadvantage against Jeff McGinnis and got into foul trouble. He only played 23 minutes with 5 fouls and scored 7 points and 2 assists.

McGinnis was the 8th overall pick in the second round of 1996. He is 193cm tall and weighs 86 kilograms. He felt good in this game. He used his height advantage to beat Guo Xu several times and hit a three-pointer. He also provided many assists, finishing with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.

It is very difficult to deal with such a tall combo guard Guo Xu, who must use Kobe, Harper, and Brian Shaw.

O'Neal was extremely brave, making 15 of 31 shots, 9 of 18 free throws, and scored 39 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks; Kobe continued his comprehensive performance with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists; Leder also broke out, scoring 22 points and 4 assists. .

On the evening of the 6th, Guo Xu flew to the away game with the team. On the 7th and 8th, there were back-to-back games. The opponents were the Texas Rockets and Spurs.

Guo Xu's poor performance on the court is directly related to the continuous flight. It has nothing to do with physical strength. Rookie players will feel uncomfortable to varying degrees when they first join the NBA. Flying back and forth around the United States is a trivial physical exertion for the players, but more of a mental exhaustion.

Before entering the NBA, Guo Xu had flown no more than 10 times in total, and now flying is a common occurrence.

Although Guo Xu knew that the probability of a plane accident was very low, he still occasionally felt flustered and depressed on the plane. Especially when encountering airflow, the entire body of the aircraft is shaking, and the iron skin of the aircraft seems to be torn apart at any time, making him feel very small.

Compared with airplanes, high-speed rail will be much more comfortable in the future, but NBA players will not be able to use trains to play games.

After checking into the hotel in Houston, Guo Xu fell asleep and didn't get up until noon to go out for dinner. After a late nap and some good food, he felt better. This was another nationally televised game, and he had to keep his spirits up no matter what.

The media has already heated up this game, and O'Neal VS Olajuwon is the biggest highlight.

In fact, the "four major centers" are no longer worthy of their name. The only one who is still at the peak is O'Neal. He entered the league last and is not of the same age as the other three centers. Apart from him, only the Spurs "Admiral" David Robinson is in good shape. Well maintained.

"Gorilla" Ewing's condition declined severely and was traded by the Knicks; Olajuwon was the No. 1 pick in the 1984 draft. He is in his 17th year in the league and is about to retire at the age of 38 this year.

Olajuwon only played 44 games due to injury last season, and his playing time was reduced to 23.8 minutes. He averaged only 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In the past two years, Olajuwon often scored in single digits against O'Neal.

The current boss of the Rockets is point guard Steve Francis. He is 191cm tall and weighs 90kg. He has super physical fitness. In his rookie season, he averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was elected together with Brand of the Bulls. Last season's Rookie of the Year.

Guo Xu's matchup is under great pressure tonight. Veteran Harper is now unreliable on both offense and defense. If the coach arranges for him to guard the peak Fubo boss for a long time, can he guard him?

For now, Francis is one of the most physically powerful point guards in the league.