Veterans don't die, they just fade away. This quote is also applicable to the NBA stage. In the era of small ball prevalence, young players are in the water, the growth cycle is suddenly shortened, the first 2-3 years are expected to emerge, and now it is not uncommon for young players to debut and peak.
The back wave of the Yangtze River pushes the front wave, which has become the trend of the times. Some of the old cannons that have lost their prosperity and old age have gradually lost their competitiveness, although they are still struggling and have never bowed their noble heads to fate, but in the era of materialistic commercial alliances, they have long lost their place, and perhaps leaving the scene will be their best destination, but their great achievements will never wither.
Today, take stock of the six stars who are afraid to return to the field in the offseason.
Sixth place: Aldridge, who reignited the war
Aldridge was selected by the Bulls with the second pick in the first round in 2006. He was then traded to the Trail Blazers. As a talented big forward, Aldridge once played an All-Star performance after his debut, and during the Blazers period, Aldridge played the peak of his career. The combination with Huang Mamba and Auden is even more eye-catching.
But eventually, with Auden's injury and Roy's slump in form, he was pardoned by the Blazers and traded to the Timberwolves. Trailblazers have entered a new era. In the few seasons with Lillard, despite the beauty, the Blazers have never been able to go any further in the playoffs.
In the 2015-16 season, Aldridge went to the Spurs and began a new journey, under Popovich, Aldridge is still the team's most relied on scoring points, in the 2016-17 season, the Spurs once reached the Western Conference Finals, but in the end, due to Leonard's injury, the Spurs completely lost the opportunity to win and was swept by the Warriors.
In the 2018-19 season, the Warriors entered the era of double Germany, but Aldridge was plagued by injuries, and his form was not as good as before, and he began to go downhill.
In the 2020-21 season, Aldridge bought out with the Spurs, went to the Nets, joined forces with the Big Three, and fought for the only regret of his career and won the O'Brien Cup. But after playing only a few games with the Nets, Aldridge chose to say goodbye to the game with tears because of the heart problems that had been plagued by it, issued a retirement statement, and officially ended his 15-year career.
In the new season, Aldridge returned to the stadium of his heart after everything returned to normal, and playing became a part of the life of the big striker. Aldridge rejoined the Nets for a base salary of 2.76 million.
And after the return, Aldridge has no sense of violation, the state is brave, and the mid-range shooting is as stable as Tarzan, becoming the Most Stable Scoring Point for the Nets after the Big Three.
Aldridge averaged 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game this season, becoming the team's most consistent and consistent output of firepower inside. As a 36-year-old veteran, Ard is still a sword and has become the Nets' main scoring point.
This season, the Nets have undergone tremendous changes, but, whether starting or replacing, Aldridge has been at ease, a stable mid- and long-range shooting, and has become a player with stable shooting ability of the Nets.
However, at the end of the season, Aldridge was plagued by injuries, and after this, Chuang Shen and Clarkston played extremely well, and after returning, Aldridge was once abandoned by Nash.
For Aldridge, if the Nets can't win the championship in the playoffs, the big forward who has returned in the offseason this season may face the possibility of retirement again, after all, for Aldridge, since there is no hope of winning the championship, physical hazards have always existed, it is better to choose to return to the family, enjoy life, and live in the moment.
Fifth place: Howard the warcraft that is no longer brave
Howard was selected by the Magic in the first round of 2004. As the chosen son, Howard was also a man who could replace James alone at his peak. During the Magic period, he also led the team to the stage of the finals, and the magic beast at the peak of the inner line could compete with O'Neal.
In 2012, Howard left his old club Magic through a four-team deal, went to Los Angeles, and formed the Lakers F4 that shocked the alliance, but because Kobe Bryant and Nash were old, there was no chemical reaction between the four, the prosperity on paper failed to cash in, Nash was plagued by injuries, Kobe Bryant's Achilles tendon was broken, and the indispensable Lakers F4 also ended.
In 2013, Howard joined the Rockets for 4 years and 88 million, teaming up with the best sixth man Harden, the two once played an excellent chemistry, but the team could not go further in the playoffs, the contract ended thickly, and Howard also began a wandering career again.
Howard left the Rockets in 2016, and howard has since moved to hawks, Hornets, Wizards and other teams. However, Howard, who is over 30+years old, has long since aged, is not in peak form, and has also been reduced from a top interior lineman to a substitute player.
In 2019, Howard returned to the Lakers and supported the Lakers' interior defense work with McGee. In the same year, the Lakers braved all the way, defeated the Eastern Conference Dark Horse Heat in the finals, and lifted the O'Brien Cup again after many years, a giant beast that has been in the league for many years, and also won the only championship trophy in his career at the end of his career.
After winning the championship, the Lakers abandoned Howard again, and Howard joined the 76ers with a minimum salary. At the end of the season, the defending Lakers recruited again, and in the competition with the Nets, the Lakers won again, and Howard was recruited by the Lakers again.
However, in the new season, Howard has successively broke out locker room conflicts with Davis and Vogel, and Vogel refuses to let Howard play, and even once preferred to let James play center, but also refused to let Howard play with more internal capabilities, and the locker room contradictions are constantly intensifying.
As a veteran, although Howard's athleticism and state have declined, the experience and consciousness of the inside line are still there, and Vogel's decisive tactical arrangement once reduced Howard to a water dispenser custodian, which also caused heated discussion in public opinion.
But the Lakers management is obviously on Vogel's side, and even once put Howard on the trading shelf, the Lakers' hero who won the championship, but now he has become a prisoner of the order, and the offseason will inevitably start a wandering career.
From the Monsters of the League, the men who can change James at their peak, to the blue-collar stars who are pressed on the bench by Vogel as the custodian of the water dispenser. Howard, who was once at his peak, was not even afraid of Kobe, and now even a descendant like Davis can point fingers at Howard.
Decades of conquest have long exhausted Howard's talent, from an invincible magic beast to a prisoner of the order that everyone shouts and fights.
It is reported that in the offseason Howard may retire and end decades of career, although Howard will eventually be successful and win the championship, but such a bleak passage not only makes people lament that the years are old, whether it is to continue to fight for the championship or to raise the year, we can only wish the future of the Warcraft a good future.
Fourth place: Water dispenser custodian Millsap
Millsap was selected by the Jazz with the 47th overall pick in the 2006 second round. As a legend of low-pick counterattacks, Millsap at his peak was also an All-Star player that the Jazz could not underestimate.
However, as he grew older, Millsap gradually lost his athletic talent and ability to fight tough physically. The pace also became extremely slow. Both offensive and defensive ends have become the team's shortcomings.
In the 2021-22 season, after multiple teams were dormant, Millsap joined the Nets, which owns the Big Three, but Millsap's sluggish performance was once abandoned by Nash and almost lost playing time. You can even only become a water dispenser administrator.
However, this is not what Millsap wants, in the middle of the season, it was revealed that Millsap was extremely dissatisfied with Nash, and even forced the Palace Nets management to send Millsap away in Harden's whistle trading plan.
Millsap, who came to the 76ers, is still extremely depressed, completely out of rhythm, and the 76ers would even rather get Jordan Jr. in the hands of the Lakers than use Millsap, a big forward who once had unlimited scenery in Salt Lake City, but now he has become a prisoner of the order, and no one even cares.
Offseason, 37-year-old cannon, most likely choose to leave the stage of decades of play, after all, with the increase of age, Millsap really can not adapt to the fast-paced mode, once became the team to do big chicken ribs, perhaps leaving for this veteran is also a kind of enjoyment and relief, he has brought us too many legends, his departure is not an escape, just a choice and a new beginning.
Third place: Triple Crown Haslem
Haslem lost the draft in 2002 and then signed with the Heat, and as a loser, Haslem once changed his life against the odds and continued to set new records. As the heat's three-time champion in 2006, 2012 and 2013, Haslem once became the biggest contributor to the team's treble after Wade, and this missed draft is also refreshing his legendary story.
In the new season, the Heat renewed haslem's contract for a year, and the 41-year-old Haslem also became the fifth player in NBA history to play for a team for 19 years.
However, as he grew older, the veteran who witnessed the vicissitudes of the Heat could not give the team much help on the court, and could only become the cheerleader on the bench to cheer for the team.
At the end of the season, the old cannon, once broke out with the team leader Butler locker room conflict, as the team's oldest star, Haslem was extremely dissatisfied with Butler's performance, and even once angered Butler, the two sides were also sword fighting, and even once caused huge fluctuations in the team's record.
In the offseason, I believe that no matter whether the Heat can win the championship, this legendary star will eventually end his legendary and long career. After all, for the treble winner, he has devoted all his energy to his beloved team, and the 41-year-old cannon will finally have the time to say goodbye to the team.
Although this day is extremely unwilling, but the end will have to face, perhaps, this weathered old cannon is not as great as Wade, nor as irreplaceable as James, but his legend in the Heat will eventually be a good story that no one can match, and this place will always belong to this veteran who dedicated all his youth to this.
Second place: Resourceful Long guide
Rondo was selected by the Suns with the 21st pick in the first round in 2006. As a possession mage, Rondo became famous with the Celtics, and in 2008, Rondo won the championship with the Celtic Triumvirate, as the team's starting point guard, Rondo had no sense of violation around the big three, and thus became famous and gradually grew into an All-Star guard.
Later, Rondo was traded by the team for a locker room conflict with Ray Allen, and then Rondo went to the Mavericks, Bulls, Kings, pelicans. In the 2017-18 playoffs, Rondo made a pelicans lacking Cousins to the semifinals at one point in the Pelicans, and Long's coaching title became famous.
In the 2019-20 season, Rondo traveled to Los Angeles again, joining forces with James and Davis. And won the NBA championship in the same year, as the team's point guard, Rondo's contribution is also indispensable.
In the 2021-22 season, Rondo, who returned to the Lakers, did not spark with the team again, and was once traded by the team to go to the Cavaliers again and become Garland's bench. As a cavalier of the dark horse team, it was once full of momentum, but the continuous baptism of injuries caused the team to suffer successive blows, and finally lost to the Nets and Hawks in the playoffs, ending the season in a very bleak way.
After coming to the Cavaliers, Rondo did not have much of a highlight, although still experienced, but the increase in age, so that Rondo can not be as comfortable as when he was young, has long been unable to do.
Offseason, the master point guard with two championship trophies is likely to end decades of his career in momentum, and the 36-year-old Rondo is also a combination of honors, from a low pick to an All-Star, Rondo's career is brilliant and brilliant enough, although this master point guard will eventually leave, but his great achievements will be immortal.
1st Prize: Anthony the Rejuvenated Melon
Anthony was selected by the Nuggets with the 3rd overall pick in the first round in 2003. As a super scorer who was once comparable to Kobe, Anthony was also the hottest superstar in the league at his peak.
As a super scorer, Anthony has a lot of offensive means, and the iconic back-up jump shot also makes Anthony famous. From the Nuggets to the Knicks, Anthony has always been one of the team's few scorers.
As he grew older, Anthony moved to the Thunder and Rockets. He was even completely lost in the Rockets at one time, and once had the idea of retiring. After a brief adjustment, Anthony went to Portland to join Lillard and regained the honor and confidence of the former super scorer. He also regained his confidence and embarked on a new journey.
In the new season, Anthony joined the Lakers with a basic salary, completing his long-cherished wish to join forces with James, which was also the first time in the careers of the two superstars in the class of 2003. Anthony also fought for the first championship trophy of his career.
However, the Lakers have not been able to cash in the prosperity on paper into real combat strength. Even because of this, it collapsed, from a championship team to a playoff marginal team.
As one of the three giants, Wei Shao was in a sluggish state and completely lost his superstar ability, and Davis was also plagued by injuries and diseases, and once fell into a glass physique. The Big Three are also the only ones left for James to still play at his peak.
This season, Anthony averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1 assist per game, and as a veteran, Anthony returned to his old age and became the core player that the team relied on most.
However, with the Lakers losing to the Suns to end this season, the Lakers career belonging to Anthony also ended. As a super scorer, Anthony at his peak is also an absolute leader, but, as an old cannon, Anthony is still fighting for the championship, but as Stockton and Nash did, perhaps Anthony is doomed to lose the championship, and the uncrowned king is also a kind of praise.
As a low-paid veteran, Anthony has indeed played a shocking game presentation this season, but in the end, he can not withstand the passage of time, he is no longer the melon that can call the wind and rain. It is reported that the offseason melon does not have any plans.
Perhaps, for this super scorer who has experienced storms, instead of drifting for the uncertain dream of winning the championship again, it is better to retreat from the rapids and leave in a dashing manner. After all, the 37-year-old melon has long been prosperous, maybe enjoy the present, maybe a kind of enjoyment and relief.