Chapter 512 Changing Times

Author: Sheep that doesn’t like to eat grass

Chapter 512 Changing Times

Although he was psychologically shocked by Min Congda's boldness and fearlessness, Krakow, as a seasoned investor, calmed down and did not let his emotions influence him, and rashly signed a gambling agreement with Min Congda.

He said he would have to see the Clippers' subsequent performance before he could determine whether he was willing to make the investment.

Of course, Min Congda was not very happy. He thought that it was relatively safe for the Clippers to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder was not the Clippers' opponent.

But if he reaches the Western Conference Finals, would Krakow want to see the Clippers' performance again? Do they want the Clippers to advance to the Finals?

This is a result that Min Congda does not want to see.

Enter the Western Conference Finals, sign the agreement, get the money, and then the Clippers are smoothly eliminated and go home to fish. This is Min Congda's ideal scenario.

It's a pity that investors don't want to follow Min Chongda's script. They have to "see is believing" and see the Clippers' true potential in the NBA.

After the meeting, Shelley Sterling asked Min Congda privately: "Are you so confident in the Clippers' record?"

Min Congda thought to himself, where did I get the confidence? It would be great to reach the Western Conference Finals, and said: "Of course, of course I have the confidence!"

Shelly said: "If you are so confident, then I will also have the confidence to participate in this bet with you."

Since a bet is going to be made, the participation and consent of the Clippers owner is naturally indispensable.

Xie Li's trust is very important to Min Congda.

If Shelly refuses to join the game, he alone as a general manager cannot do this.

Min Congda was very grateful for the old lady's trust, but felt a little ashamed in his heart.

"I'm sorry, old lady. If you trust me now, you will go bankrupt in the future. But you are over eighty and have enough wealth. If the team goes bankrupt, you can still live a good life. Don't blame me."

Min Congda comforted himself for a while.

The next day, the semifinals between the Clippers and Thunder will begin.

In the East and West, other semifinal matches have also been announced.

Not surprisingly, the Lakers successfully passed the first round and got their revenge on the Dallas Mavericks 4:2.

After experiencing the glory of last year, the Mavericks are without Chandler this year. Nowitzki is one year older and no longer has the style that swept the Lakers last year.

However, they still won two games, and the Lakers were not able to easily pass the Mavericks.

In fact, in terms of lineup, the Lakers are extremely strong. On the trade deadline, the Lakers also acquired small forward Gerald Wallace from the Trail Blazers.

The lineup of the Purple and Gold Army can be said to be luxurious to a certain extent.

Paul, Kobe Bryant, Gerald Wallace, Metta Shiping, Kenyon Martin, Grant Hill, Billups, Bynum, Michael Reed...

In terms of paper strength alone, the Lakers' lineup is simply an All-Star.

It's just that from a tactical perspective, after a regular season, the chemical reaction has not reached its optimal state.

However, with the help of Phil Jackson, this star-studded team continues to move forward towards the championship.

In the semifinals they will face the young Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies played seven games against the Denver Nuggets in the first round, eventually defeating their opponents 4:3 and qualifying for the semifinals.

The young combination of Griffin-Conley-DeAndre Jordan showed great potential, and their matchup with the Lakers also attracted great attention.

In the Eastern Conference, the script of the semifinals is exactly the same as last year. The Cavaliers, who are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference, will meet their old rivals, the Boston Celtics.

Last year, the Cavaliers successfully overcame the inner demons of the Big Three in the semifinals. After having Irving this year, they are naturally no longer afraid of the one-year-old Celtics.

The Heat, third in the Western Conference, once again took advantage of opportunities and met the Bulls in the semifinals.

It seems that the Heat are addicted to beating the Bulls, because in terms of lineup, the Heat are indeed more restrained than the Bulls.

The Bulls' only strong point is Derrick Rose, but it is really difficult for Rose to take advantage against Wade.

Moreover, Rose was injured when the Bulls faced the 76ers in the first round, and the semifinals will undoubtedly be affected by the injury.

The Bulls, whose offense relies heavily on Rose, will obviously have their combat effectiveness greatly reduced.

It's just that the Heat were able to take advantage of the Bulls through opportunism. Can they still beat the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals?

The Heat lost Battier and gained Odom, and the effects were mixed.

The problem is that Battier went to the Cavaliers, which is very troublesome.

After the first round, the Cavaliers have ranked first in winning odds.

They don't have as many stars as the Lakers, but the team has a group of players that fully meet James' needs. The Cavaliers are obviously stronger than last year.

The semi-finals have not yet started, and many fans have already begun to imagine that the 23vs24 they have been looking forward to may come this season.

Relatively speaking, the Clippers have become the more low-key among several teams.

Because they exposed many problems in the first round against the Spurs.

First of all, they are young and inexperienced. Although they have had amazing performances in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the core members of the Clippers are still very young.

Curry, Harden are in their third year, George is in his second year, Leonard, and Butler are all rookies.

Gasol is only in his fourth NBA season, and Randolph has just turned 30.

The only true veteran on the team is Derek Fisher.

Their average age is only 24.7 years old, not even 25 years old.

From this point of view, the Clippers are too young.

If we go back and count the teams that have won the championship, the average age is generally relatively older. The average age of winning the championship is 28 years old. In recent years, many veteran teams have won the championship.

Because the competition for the NBA championship is extremely fierce and cruel, and the playoffs adopt a 7-game 4-win format, it is not a random game that determines the outcome, so experience is very important.

Like last year's championship Mavericks, the average age of the team is over 30, and the core players are all over 30.

The Lakers in 2009 and 2010 were also an old team. The core Big Three of the Celtics in 2008 were all veterans over 30 years old, and were paired with a bunch of old players on the verge of retirement, such as PJ Brown, Cassell, etc.

Therefore, the average age of the team is also very high.

The Spurs in 2007 and the Heat in 2006, not to mention their age, were all veterans.

This idea of ​​veteran team building almost started in the late 1990s.

The Chicago Bulls in the 1997-1998 season were the championship team with the oldest average age in NBA history.

Their average winning age is 32.09 years old.

If you count further, you will find that the teams with the highest winning ages are basically concentrated in the period from the mid-to-late 1990s to now.

For example, 07 Spurs, 97 Bulls, 11 Mavericks, etc.

The exception was the 1969 Boston Celtics.

Starting from the 1970s, through the 1980s and early 1990s, the average age of winning teams was relatively young.

The youngest among them is the 1977 Trail Blazers, only 24 years old, a second- and third-year rookie who started first.

There are many reasons, two of which are more important. One is that contemporary medical technology is advanced, and the condition of veterans is getting better and better.

In the past, when medical care was underdeveloped, many players were in poor health at the age of 30 and were already considered veterans.

Nowadays, 30-year-old players can still last for several years when they reach their peak. In the future, the career lifespan of players will become longer and longer.

Another point is the league's playing style. Starting from the 1970s, to the 1980s, and then to the late 1990s, the overall trend was from aggressive offense to tight defense.

By the middle and late stages of Jordan's reign, and the first few years of the 21st century, the overall benefits of defense had exceeded those of offense.

The defense is strong, the offense is weak, the pace of the game is slow, and the stars play a prominent role. This game format is beneficial to veterans.

Veterans are more experienced and can be more effective in games with low scores, few rounds, strong confrontation, and weak running.

Then veteran coaches like Popovich and Phil Jackson developed a team-building idea of ​​core superstars + outstanding stars + experienced veterans.

It can be said that from the time Jordan retired in 1998 until today, this team building idea has included most of the championships.

So every offseason, veterans who want to win a championship will join the Lakers or Spurs to win a ring.

The 2010 Finals between the Celtics and Lakers embodies this trait to the extreme.

The Mavericks won the championship last season, but there are still shadows of the previous era, although they have begun to bring the atmosphere of the new era.

This year, the Spurs were eliminated in the first round, and the young Grizzlies, Clippers, and Thunder will attack the Lakers.

These three teams all have a common characteristic, which is that they rely entirely on the draft to build their lineups. They have almost no gains in the free market, and they have no habit of collecting outdated veteran stars, and veterans are not willing to come.

The only Clippers veteran star who can be considered a has-been is Okafor, but Okafor is actually not that old. The general is in his prime at 30 years old, and in terms of appearance, he is not a big name as he has never been selected as an All-Star.

The core lineups of these three teams, from starters to substitutes, are basically self-selected and traded. They are all in their prime or very young, and there are at most one or two veterans in the team who serve as ballast.

In the Eastern Conference, the situation of the Bulls is very similar to that of the Clippers, Thunder and other teams. The core of the Heat are also in their prime years. Riley would like to collect balloon stars like he did in 2006, but it is a pity that others are not willing to come. The combination of Wade + Bosh

Unattractive.

The Cavaliers' lineup has a very reasonable age, with a good ratio of rookies + prime players + veterans, and the team's age structure is the healthiest.

The only remnants of the old era in the East and West are the Lakers and Celtics.
To be continued...