If you don't break it, you can't stand it, and you can break it. For the championship team, throwing money is an attitude, trading is a declaration, if the money and the effect of the transaction is immediate, then the championship journey is likely to be smooth, otherwise, the championship journey will be full of thorns. This season, many strong teams in the East and West, such as the Green Army, Bucks, Clippers, and Warriors, have opened the dual mode of throwing money + big transactions to find a shortcut to the championship, but the effect is very different. In particular, the Bucks and the Green Army, in the process of the Trail Blazers' dismantling of Lillard, each have their own ghosts, the gears of fate are turning, and the pattern of the Eastern championship is also undergoing subtle changes.
48 points + 54 points, the NBA empty slash group leader was born
Turning the clock back to the offseason, Brother Alphabet was vague on the issue of early contract extension, which made the Bucks panic. In the face of this situation, the Bucks can only go sideways, send away the championship guard Holiday and introduce the NBA history 75 supergiant Lillard; in the face of this situation, Brother Alphabet was overjoyed, closed his eyes and renewed a 3-year $177 million super maximum salary contract with the Bucks, counting the original contract, Brother Alphabet will receive a salary of $271 million from the Bucks in the next 5 years. So far, the Bucks have embarked on the road to the championship with Brother Alphabet + Big Cousin as the core. People are in good spirits on happy occasions, and Brother Alphabet is getting better with the deepening of the season, regaining the demeanor of the king of the forbidden area.
After 35 games, Brother Alphabet averaged 31.6 points (3rd in the league) + 11.5 rebounds + 5.7 assists + 1.3 steals + 1.2 blocks per game, and averaged 21 points per game, ranking first in the league. It's just that Brother Alphabet hit hard and carried the team forward, but he wore the crown of the NBA air slashing group leader! On November 10, he beat the Pacers, Brother Alphabet scored 54 points + 12 rebounds, and the Bucks lost by 2 points; On November 12, he played Magic, and Brother Alphabet slashed 35 points + 10 rebounds + 7 assists, and the Bucks lost by 15 points; On January 2, he fought the Pacers again, and Brother Alphabet scored 30 points + 18 rebounds + 11 assists, and the Bucks still lost; On January 7, he played the Rockets, and Brother Alphabet scored 48 points + 17 rebounds, and the Bucks still couldn't win!
For $216 million in 4 years, Lillard is now in its original form
Brother Alphabet's bravery is a reflection of his strength, and being crowned the leader of the NBA air slashing group is completely helpless, just because the right-hand man Lillard and Middleton are really inaccurate. In a sense, Middleton's ups and downs are no secret, which is why the Bucks did not hesitate to send Holiday away in exchange for Lillard, because they need a big heart scorer like Lillard to step up and turn the tide when the team is in trouble. First of all, we must admit that Lillard is still the top killer in the league at critical moments, and so far this season, Lillard has averaged 4.6 points per game in key moments, tied for No. 1 in the league with Lao Zhan. But it is undeniable that in a team like the Bucks whose only goal is to compete for the championship, Lillard's shortcomings have been infinitely magnified and completely revealed.
On the one hand, Lillard's form in the new system has fluctuated too much, and his efficiency has been miserable. In 34 games, Lillard averaged 25.1 points + 4.3 rebounds + 6.9 assists + 3 three-pointers per game, shooting just 42.8% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range (the second lowest in his career). Statistically, the Bucks have a 12-0 record when Lillard scores 30+, and a 5-4 record when Lillard scores less than 20 points. On the other hand, Lillard's small body is completely out of the same level as his predecessor Holiday on the defensive end, and opponents will always target him by blocking and picking, which is a huge physical drain on Lillard, and will also greatly increase Lillard's frustration and weaken Lillard's self-confidence. Lillard has four years and $216 million left on his contract, and if he can't maintain a consistent output, if he can't play a dominant pick-and-roll with his brother, what awaits him will inevitably be verbal criticism or even a new round of displacement.
The eastern giants are cocooning themselves, but the green army is reaping the benefits
As of now, the Bucks are in second place in the East with 25 wins and 11 losses, but their outstanding record and ranking cannot hide their decline on the defensive end! According to the statistics of the NBA's official website, the Bucks' defensive efficiency is only 115.8, ranking 21st in the league, and the average points conceded per game is as high as 119.5 points, ranking 24th in the league. In other words, the Bucks' offense can be supported by Brother Alphabet, but Lillard's damage to the defensive system is not something that Brother Alphabet can fill, and the offensive and defensive dominance of this Eastern giants team is not advancing but retreating. What's even more difficult is that the Bucks are just cocooning themselves, and they also gave a big gift to their old rival Green Army, and the Green Army sat on the fishing profits to pick up Holiday and created the starting five tigers of Double Tanhua + Boshen + Holiday + White, and launched an attack on the championship in the best form!
So far this season, the Green Army has a league-best record of 28-7, ranking second in the league in offensive efficiency (120.6) and defensive efficiency (109.9), and leading the league in plus/minus (+10.8) per game, compared to +8.2 per game for the second-placed 76ers. Compared with Tatum's growth and the interior level brought by Boshen, the championship DNA that Holiday brought to this young team is the most valuable asset! There is no harm without comparison, at least from the current situation, the Bucks and the championship are at least separated by the Green Army armed to the teeth! Fans and friends, what do you think about this? Leave me a comment to discuss.