Even before today's game, Barkley told Smith, "I bet you, if the Knicks don't lose by 20 today, I'll eat shit!"
Having worked with Barkley for so long, Smith knew his temper and didn't bother to bet with him.
Moreover, his view this time was consistent with Barkley's: the Knicks' management was out of their minds!
"Win or lose aside, it's just a preseason game, but the Knicks have no hope of winning the championship this season."
Smith also uncharacteristically drew a conclusion early.
"Smith, you finally agree with me. What the hell is wrong with the Knicks? Apart from Lin Shuhao, who looks decent for now, the other signings are just infuriating!"
"Indeed, Jokic only scored 2 points and grabbed 2 rebounds in the first half. I think even a random center signed for ten million wouldn't have these stats, right?"
"Exactly! The owner must be trying to save money, so he found a big guy from Europe. I really don't know what they're thinking. Li Feng is so young, are they starting a rebuild already?"
"Post-championship syndrome, can't be helped. Owners want to make money and avoid the luxury tax!"
"They really can't see the big picture. In a place like New York, why would they be afraid of losing money? Even if they pay the luxury tax, they'll definitely make it back. Li Feng is a money-printing machine!"
"Their vision is too narrow. I suspect that if the Knicks don't win the championship this season, Li Feng might leave."
"Li Feng leaving is unlikely, isn't it? Didn't he just sign a long-term contract?"
"It's hard to say. A long-term contract can't restrict a superstar. If he really wants to leave, the Knicks won't be able to keep him!"
...
Many media outlets and fans shared similar sentiments, expressing great disappointment with the Knicks this season.
Jokic did not play again in the second quarter.
At the end of the first half, the score was 65:46, with the Knicks leading by 19 points.
It was pretty much a blowout.
There was no other way, as Li Feng and Curry rained down threes, overwhelming the Hawks.
During the halftime break, Li Feng pulled Jokic aside to a secluded spot.
He could tell Jokic was in a very bad mood.
An eighteen-year-old, indeed, couldn't handle such a blow.
From an unknown player in Europe to the world's top basketball league, and a team that had won three consecutive championships, it was truly overwhelming for him.
"Jokic, don't put any psychological burden on yourself. Whatever your performance, it's normal because you're only eighteen, understand?"
Jokic lowered his head, not speaking, his eyes already a little moist.
"Li Feng, maybe you can talk to the coach and tell him not to let me start anymore. I can't do it, let me be a reserve..."
Jokic made his request with a wronged expression.
He wasn't speaking out of anger; he truly felt that way.
As it stood, Chandler, the reserve center, was indeed much better than Jokic.
"Are you a man?" Li Feng asked, frowning.
"I... I'm really bad."
"People need to grow. I know many fans and media are criticizing you, but this is a commercial league. As long as we play under the spotlight, we will be scolded. I get scolded frequently too!"
Li Feng earnestly advised Jokic, hoping to help him build confidence first.
Jokic didn't say anything more. Li Feng couldn't persuade him further, so he could only pat his shoulder.
Time, only time was needed now.
...
The second half of the game began, and Jokic indeed started.
Li Feng and Curry continued to dominate the perimeter, but Jokic inside was still being suppressed by the Hawks' Pachulia.
Perhaps Li Feng's talk with Jokic had some effect, as Jokic wasn't as dejected and played with effort.
Led by the Splash Brothers, the Knicks maintained their lead.
With over seven minutes played in the third quarter, the Knicks were already leading by 23 points.
D'Antoni substituted all the starters, with Li Feng playing only three quarters.
Jokic scored 1 point from free throws, adding to his first-half points, for a total of 3 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists.
These statistics were among the worst for centers in the league.
Li Feng scored 28 points, and Curry had 24 points.
The Knicks' bench, led by Lin Shuhao, still held the advantage.
Finally, the entire game ended, with the Knicks defeating the Hawks convincingly.
Although the Knicks won the game, the media was very disappointed with the Knicks' interior play.
Especially concerning Jokic, they were heavily critical.
Li Feng had already instructed Jokic to delete his social media accounts and not to read the news.
Gradually, the media and fans understood that Li Feng was strongly supporting Jokic.
This made it even harder to comprehend.
If Jokic were Chinese, it might have been understandable.
But he's Serbian, so why the confidence in him?
After the game, Li Feng accepted media interviews, and a reporter specifically asked about this matter.
"Mr. Li Feng, can you talk about the Knicks' starting center, Jokic?"
Li Feng knew what the reporter wanted to ask and didn't bother to explain, just saying a few simple words.
"Jokic has great potential. The team has the patience to develop him, and he won't disappoint the fans in the future."
The reporter couldn't help but ask again, "But the Knicks are a three-time championship team. After Yao Ming retired, why not bring in an experienced center?"
Li Feng shrugged and retorted, "Why don't you apply to be the team manager? Or the team owner?"
The reporter was rendered speechless by the retort.
Li Feng continued, "Today is just a preseason game. Our main goal is to train the team. I believe that as the games progress, the team will get better and better!"
...
On the second day of training, Li Feng did not train with his teammates in the morning. Instead, he took Jokic and Sabonis to the video room.
Li Feng and Sabonis isolated Jokic's footage from the previous game, summarizing and analyzing each play, helping Jokic identify his problems.
Sabonis was hot-tempered and sometimes became impatient, but he saw how patient Li Feng was.
He couldn't understand why Li Feng was so invested in Jokic, even though Jokic did have some talent, there were plenty of talented players in the NBA.
Under the guidance of Li Feng and Sabonis, Jokic recognized the mistakes he made in the game.
After watching the video, Sabonis also engaged him in one-on-one post-up practice.
D'Antoni watched from afar, shaking his head helplessly.
According to him, he would have already benched Jokic.
...
The Knicks' second preseason game was an away game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The two teams were in the same city, so it was almost like a home game.
The Nets this season were not weak, having assembled a group of very capable veterans.
Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez, and others.
In the first quarter, Jokic was again troubled by Brook Lopez, picking up two fouls early and having to leave the game.
Li Feng and Curry's shooting touch from the perimeter was average, and they didn't take many shots.
Instead, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams had outstanding performances.
At the end of the first quarter, the Nets led the Knicks by 4 points.
In the second quarter, Lin Shuhao led the reserve lineup and caught up in the score.
Novak exploded off the bench, receiving consecutive passes from Lin Shuhao and hitting three-pointers.
By halftime, the Knicks had taken a 7-point lead.
Jokic did not play in the second quarter.
Starting the second half, Li Feng and Curry simultaneously exploded, and the Nets' home arena was once again showered with threes.
Nets fans were the least loyal.
Despite playing at home, Nets fans had a habit of cheering for the visiting team.
This was even more so today.
Most of the fans who came to the game were Li Feng's fans.
Therefore, Li Feng and Curry's three-pointers caused the crowd in the arena to erupt, with cheers echoing continuously.
This made the Nets players very awkward.
Perhaps out of frustration from losing, Deron aggressively knocked Curry to the ground while defending him.
Li Feng was not having it and immediately charged forward, pushing Deron over two meters away, sending him to the ground!
It's worth noting that Deron was also a heavy guard, taller and seemingly sturdier than Li Feng.
Yet, with Li Feng's push, Deron couldn't stand his ground.
Players from both teams rushed forward, shoving each other, and it looked like a brawl was about to erupt.
Amidst the chaos, Gerald Wallace rushed in from behind and was about to punch Li Feng.
This guy, nicknamed "Grievous," was at his peak with the Rockets, forming an unbreakable interior with Ben Wallace, and was a capable player.
But he was also very dirty.
Such a tall player resorting to a sneak attack instead of facing him head-on was truly despicable!
Just as Wallace was about to hit Li Feng, a tall figure suddenly appeared and with a thud!
A chokehold, followed by a body slam, sent Wallace crashing to the ground.
So cool!
Everyone turned to look, completely stunned.
Especially the Knicks players, their faces full of disbelief!
The one who made the move was the rookie, Jokic!
Li Feng was also taken aback, then he smiled.
While others might not understand, Li Feng knew very well that Jokic's family was no small matter!
His two older brothers were involved in organized crime in Serbia and had many subordinates.
If Jokic hadn't pursued basketball, he would have inherited the family's criminal enterprises.
Therefore, Jokic was by no means a pushover.
He was low-key in the team, appearing docile and simple, because the Knicks had a good team culture, and everyone treated each other like family.
But when conflicts arose with outsiders, Jokic's "fangs" would show!
The referees and security quickly separated both sides to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
Wallace, who was slammed by Jokic, was disoriented and couldn't recover for a long time.
Li Feng knew Jokic's moves were strong and quickly pulled him to a chair to sit down.
"Jokic, thank you. If it weren't for you just now, I would have been caught in a dirty play," Li Feng said with a smile.
Jokic scratched his head with a simple expression, "It's nothing. We're on the same team, we're brothers."
"Right, brothers!"
Li Feng really appreciated Jokic's performance just now.
As long as a player has grit, they will possess a soul in competitive sports!
Li Feng believed that this parallel-world Jokic would grow even faster and help the Knicks win the championship!
The three referees reviewed the game footage from earlier, discussed for a long time, and finally decided to eject Li Feng, Deron Williams, Wallace, and Jokic!
A preseason game becoming so heated was truly rare.
The fans were overjoyed. They paid for a ticket and got an extra show of combat, which was exciting!
Especially Li Feng's shove and Jokic's chokehold and slam, it was like divine intervention!
Despite being ejected, the Knicks showed their fighting spirit!
After all, the uncrowned champions were implicitly considered enemies of the entire league.
Opponents not only studied you tactically but also played more rough defensively.
This was the treatment of an uncrowned champion.
Therefore, showing a tough demeanor in this preseason game was very necessary!
Li Feng and Jokic sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the locker room, legs crossed, watching the game footage on the wall-mounted television.
As they watched and chatted, their sincere camaraderie as teammates deepened.
In the end, the Knicks defeated the Nets, achieving two consecutive preseason victories.
Curry had a breakout performance today, scoring 37 points, which was considered avenging Li Feng and Jokic.
...
In the next three preseason games, the Knicks achieved two wins and one loss.
In the game they lost, both Li Feng and Curry were rested, and the Knicks lost to the Clippers away.
Overall, the Knicks' signings were considered successful.
Curry and Lin Shuhao exceeded fan expectations.
However, Jokic's performance, not to mention compared to Yao Ming, was still far behind Chandler.
In five preseason games, he averaged 26 minutes, scoring 3.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
He also averaged 4.3 fouls per game.
Although the league had entered the era of small ball, without interior dominance, winning a championship was still difficult.
Everyone believed that the Knicks' interior would be the biggest weakness in the new season.
Even everyone in the Knicks organization had lost confidence in Jokic.
Only Li Feng resolutely supported Jokic.
There was nothing that could be done.
Team manager Burke, unable to bear the fans' criticism, angrily found Li Feng.
"Li Feng, do you really think so highly of Jokic? Let me tell you, I'm confident I can sign a decent center, and the owner also said that under twenty million is fine, even if it means paying the luxury tax!"
Li Feng looked at Burke quietly, without answering.
Burke didn't understand what Li Feng meant and felt a bit unnerved by Li Feng's gaze.
"Li... Li Feng, say something. Jokic is clearly not good enough, a hopeless case. Even if he were to develop, it would be three years from now. The development cycle for interior players is very long, wouldn't that waste your prime?"
Li Feng smiled and pulled Burke to sit down.
"Burke, let me ask you, when I was optimistic about Lowry and insisted he be the starting point guard, what did you say?"