Now, you have two point guards in front of you. Point Guard No. 1, who has made 67 appearances this season, shot 38.4 percent from the field, averaged 15.5 points and 9.2 assists per game, and his team has a record of 47 wins and 35 losses; Point Guard Two, who has 81 appearances, 48.8 percent from the field, 19.8 points, 7.3 assists, and a team record of 58 wins and 24 losses, which of these two point guards deserves to be named the best of the season?
The standard answer is the latter, but the fact that it happens is the former. It was a true story in the NBA's 03-04 season — sam Kassel, 34, played his best performance of his career and was selected for the All-Star Game for the first time, when the point guard's first-time honor was awarded to Kidd, who was inferior to him in all statistics except assists.
When Sam Kassel is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is his very characteristic appearance. A famous film company once commented on him: "Sam went to make the Alien series, then we can save a lot of makeup costs." Coupled with Kassel's poor facial management, photographers left many photos of him dancing on the pitch, and fans also gave him a nickname of "alien".
Cassel entered the NBA at the time of Michael Jordan's retirement, and being selected by the Rockets was expected to become a rookie player with a championship ring. In the hearts of every NBA rookie, the championship is like a specialty in a restaurant, which must not be missed when it comes, but there are too many players who have devoted their careers to taste it.
The Rockets' team structure at the time was entirely centered on Olajuwon, with a strong inside lead and a bunch of shooters on the perimeter, including Holly, Elie, Kenny Smith and Maxville, all of whom were not well-known but accurate and dared to shoot at key moments, which meant that Cassel had few opportunities to play, and his first championship ring of his career was likely to be just a "participation award".
In the g2 of the semi-final with the Suns, Tang Shuai decided to let the 24-year-old rookie go up and test the waters and feel the charm of the playoffs, which was The first time Kassel appeared in the playoffs. With 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, 36.4% shooting percentage, and the first playoff game of his career, the slightly nervous Cassel scored the fifth highest score in the team, which was trusted by Tang Shuai.
At this time, the Rockets trailed the Suns 0-2, and the inside combination of Olajuwon + Thorpe could only achieve the effect of matching Barkley and Kevin Johnson, and the outside play of the two teams became the key to who could qualify for the Western Conference Finals.
The older rookie was thought to be just a passer-by in the series, and no one expected the heroic moment that belonged to Kassel to come soon. After getting considerable playing time, Kassel got better and better, even overtaking the corner against starting point guard Kenny Smith, becoming the second-highest-scoring outside player in the series.
In the life-and-death battle with the Sun g7, Kassel's performance is like divine help. He got a chance to play in the first quarter, bouncing off three-pointers and teaming up with Olajuwon to help the team build a 12-point advantage in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, he and Holly fought on the outside line one after another, resisting the sun's counterattack. In this campaign, Kassel scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and four-of-four from three-point range. In his autobiography years later, Tang Shuai commented on the match: Kassel, like Horry, is a "buried genius".
And the most popular story about Kassel is the "no passing incident" with the Knicks Finals. The Rockets were playing the standard inside-out tactic — the guard sent the ball into the inside for Olajuwon to handle, and if he didn't encounter the bag, the big dream single shot; if the bag was encountered, Olajuwon passed the ball to the outside players, and the shooters shot directly or passed the ball back to the inside line of Olajuwon, and so on.
The duel between Olajuwon and Ewing, two super centre-forwards, was supposed to be the biggest attraction of the finals, but Kassel was not human beauty. As a rookie, he boldly digested a part of the ball, even if Smith directly reprimanded him for leaving the key ball to big dream to handle, he still got the empty position to shoot, regardless of his identity and consequences. In this way, Cassel scored a total of 20 points in the fourth quarter of g1 and g2, and in the finals that needed the most experience, the rookie Kassel behaved like a superstar who had been famous for a long time.
After Kassel seized the limited opportunities again and again, his opportunities became more and more numerous. In the fourth quarter of g3, big dreams were strictly guarded by the Knicks, and Tang Shuai replaced the main controller Smith, allowing Cassell to monopolize the organization. Cassel first surprised Ewing to play 2+1; then refused to implement the tactics set by Tang Shuai when the score was behind, and shot directly at the three-point line to reverse the score; finally resisted the pressure, facing the Knicks' foul tactics and making all four free throws. Kassel scored ten points in the final quarter, and the Rockets took the victory from Madison Gardens.
Ten days later, in a life-and-death battle with the Knicks, Cassel handed over 13 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound, of which 10 points still came from the fourth quarter. In this way, Cassel became one of the few rookies in the history of the NBA to win the championship, not the "participation award" of Milisic, and even had a fight with the magician to some extent, and took two of them.
But Kassel is destined to be a passer-by hero. In 1996, the Rockets stopped in the Western Conference Finals, and Kassel fell prey to the defeat, taking his two championship rings and embarking on an 11-year wandering career.
In the 1996-97 season, he traveled three places in just one year. First traded by the Rockets to the Suns, before he mixed with his teammates, he was traded by the Suns to the Mavericks, and then to the Mavericks to the Nets. Kassel, who recently shined on the stage of the finals, is now like a hurried passerby, running back and forth between cities.
After coming to New Jersey, the 28-year-old Kassel ushered in the first peak of his career. In the 97-98 season, Kassel averaged 19.6 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds per game, leading the team to eighth in the East. In the playoffs, Cassel exited the game due to injury after only 8 minutes of playing in G1, and the Nets were also swept out 3-0 by the Bulls.
Kassel, who has changed teams many times, is eager to make a home in a city. So after the rookie contract ended, Cassel insisted on signing a long contract with the Nets. In 1997, the Nets offered him a six-year, $21 million contract. But after revisiting Kassel's age and injury history, the Nets saw it as a failed signing and traded him to the Bucks in 1999.
Kassel started a new career with the Bucks, and he and Ray Allen were a match made in heaven. He always gives the ball to Ray Allen, and Ray Allen's shot always translates into an assist. In their first season together, Kassel averaged nine assists per game, the most assisted in his career. Ray Allen shot 172 three-pointers in a single season, second in the league.
Cassel had a great success in five seasons with the Bucks, with him on the Bucks going from bottom-of-the-bottom team for seven consecutive years to a strong Eastern Conference team that made the playoffs in five years. Ray Allen called him one of the best teammates he's ever worked with, the other being James. Sam is a guy you want to, he doesn't abandon you, he does his best, he never shows negative body language.
After four seasons in Milwaukee, Kassel was traded to the Timberwolves in 2003 to form the Big Three with Garnett and Spreeville. This season, the 34-year-old Kassel reached his peak, and the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals under Garnett and him. In series g1 with the Nuggets and Kings, Cassel scored 40 points twice, making it his highest moment in the playoffs. If it weren't for the impact of injuries, the Timberwolves might have played the Finals with the Pistons that year.
During the Timberwolves era, Kassel's skills have been polished to perfection, and his back punches have made countless defenders miserable. Holding the ball in the low basket, trying to create space through footsteps, and then turning around to shoot the shot, Payton, Nash, Old Fish, Paul and other point guards can't figure out his move. Players with guaranteed shots are also handy to do the "three threats", so Cassel's breakthrough rhythm is also very good.
In addition, his crosshairs are always online, and the mid-shot after the block is another big killer for him. As he got older, Cassel preferred to end a round with a shot, coupled with his unparalleled heart — he once said that only Jordan could beat his half-interceptor, making him stable and deadly on the court.
Kassel career data comparison, data from b/r
In terms of organizing the team, Kassel is a typical traditional point guard. The rhythm of the ball control is stable, the vision awareness is outstanding, the pass is solid and efficient, but occasionally there are "Ginobili-style" half-court passes. Kassel is not a good defensive player due to his body shape, and Iverson once scored 44 points on him. Later in his career, however, Kassel became a good team defensive player, one-on-one without pulling his hind legs, and assisting the defense in position.
In the 2004–05 season, Kassel was traded to the Clippers by the Timberwolves. When the team needed to make a change, he was always the one who was sacrificed by management. He did a good job with the Nets, Bucks, timberwolves, and did the same after he came to Los Angeles.
In his first season with the Clippers, Cassel averaged 17 points and 6.3 assists per game. The Clippers hadn't made the playoffs in eight seasons, were young and inexperienced, and the old-fashioned Kassel brought them exactly what they needed most, and he proved his worth in Los Angeles.
With Kassel threading the needle on the court, the effect was immediate, and the Clippers' players quickly became familiar with the rhythm and learned to win. They had ten more wins than last season and made it to the playoffs with a 6th place in the West, blacked out Anthony's Nuggets, and fought seven games with the Suns to stop in the Western Conference semifinals. There is no doubt that the Clippers have had a successful season with his help.
But Kassel eventually became a passer-by in Los Angeles, filing for a buyout in the 07-08 season because he couldn't bear to work with the miserly Sterling anymore. The 38-year-old, who spent 15 years in the league, finally drew the perfect end to his career in the arms of Boston — winning the last title of his career with old friends Ray Allen and Garnett.
With a championship as the beginning of everything, with a championship as the end of everything, there is no more complete player than him.
Cassel's basketball career can be described as both a passer-by and a hero. Before entering the NBA, kassel's wandering journey has already begun. During his college years, he transferred to three schools to complete his studies, first de Paul University, then to a university in Texas, and finally to Florida State University, and it is difficult to investigate which famous players were influenced by his early style of play.
After entering the NBA, his home team changed 8 times in his fifteen-year career, strictly speaking, 9 times - he was finally traded to the Kings by the Green Army, but the 39-year-old Cassel finally got tired of drifting, he did not play for the Kings, chose to retire, such a team change experience even in the NBA business league seems sad. It is invaluable that kassel, as a passerby, can always be a hero of every team.
In the 1994 Finals g3, Kassel scored 10 consecutive points in the Rockets jersey and became a key gamebreaker; in the 95 Finals g2, Cassell, who came off the bench, scored 31 points with a 66.7% shooting rate, becoming the third giant who led the Rockets to defeat the Magic; before 93 years, Olajuwon had reputation and ability, and was criticized for the team's cancer for a long time.
Before '97, the Nets missed the playoffs for three consecutive years; before '98, the Bucks missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years; before '03, the Wolves King Garnett led the Timberwolves on a seven-year playoff round; before '05, the Clippers missed the playoffs for eight consecutive years; before 2007, the Celtics had not won the championship for 22 years.
It may be because of his looks, Kassel is not very popular with the media; it may also be the reason for the frequent change of teams, he is never taken as the core of any team, which makes Kassel always ignored in the honor evaluation. Like the vote at the beginning of the article, Kassel is the standard answer on the pitch, but it is not actually affirmed. He's just a passer-by in the minds of all fans, and people prefer to talk about Jordan's heroic deeds. But if you look closely at his performance on the pitch, it is clear that he is also a hero.
In the Rockets, in the Bucks success, in the Timberwolves to the top, in the Clippers to prove value. Kassel, who had been wandering all his life, eventually settled his mansion in Houston, calling himself a rocket star. In fact, Milwaukee is the city he has lived in the longest time, and few fans mention his name when talking about Houston's city heroes.
Cassel's basketball career is like the chivalrous man in the classical martial arts novel, he does not belong to any team, constantly drifting in the NBA, constantly rushing, and constantly resolving disputes. When everything returned to plain, most of his honorary exploits were eventually counted on the "locals" who partnered with him or were rescued by him, but few people talked about the heroic performance of Kassel as a passerby.