"D'Antoni's coaching style is unique, and his fast-break offense once dominated the entire league.
However, he does have flaws, namely his poor handling of details.
This includes defense, team relationships, and motivational tactics during the playoffs.
Li Feng gradually came to understand all these issues.
Therefore, as the team aimed for a three-peat, Li Feng felt it necessary to have a serious talk with D'Antoni.
D'Antoni was quite open-minded and patiently listened to Li Feng for half an hour.
After listening, D'Antoni nodded appreciatively.
'Li Feng, the issues you've raised indeed need to be addressed. Sigh, perhaps I'm getting old and lack the energy, sometimes I can't manage these details.'
Li Feng was quite measured, not becoming arrogant and respecting the coach's position.
'Head Coach, I'm just offering suggestions, ultimately you make the decisions.'
'Heh, you, stop being modest. If you have any good ideas, just say them. It's probably about the same.'
Seeing D'Antoni's sincerity, Li Feng directly presented his solutions.
'Coach, let's also call in the team manager, Burke. We need his cooperation for some issues.'
D'Antoni understood that some players had developed shifting sentiments due to salary issues, so the team management needed to show a clear stance.
This is a common problem for championship teams.
Team manager Burke was summoned by D'Antoni with a single phone call.
Since their two consecutive championships, the Knicks team had been working cohesively towards a three-peat, so the owner had issued a command.
All management personnel were to cooperate fully with the team.
After Burke arrived, Li Feng got straight to the point, 'Manager, Coach, my first suggestion is to extend Lowry's contract early.'
Burke hesitated and asked, 'Lowry is indeed good, and young, but do you think there are no alternatives in the free agent market?'
Li Feng inwardly cursed: This Burke is truly a capitalist's dog!
If players were so easily replaceable, anyone could be a coach.
'Manager Burke, Lowry is improving rapidly and is a significant contributor to the team. While there are cheaper point guards on the market, they would require at least half a season of team chemistry building.'
Burke replied sheepishly, 'Hmm, that makes some sense. Then how much salary do you think Lowry deserves for an extension?'
Li Feng shook his head, 'That's not for me to consider. You evaluate how much salary Lowry should get.'
Burke and D'Antoni both nodded in approval, greatly admiring Li Feng's maturity.
Li Feng knew very well what he should and shouldn't concern himself with.
'Alright, Li Feng, I've decided to offer Lowry five years and seventy million dollars. Do you think that's reasonable?'
Li Feng remained non-committal and replied, 'You two negotiate, I'll present my second suggestion...'
'Bill Walker's contract also needs to be renegotiated.'
Burke slapped his forehead as if just remembering.
'Right, right, I almost forgot. Bill Walker only has one year left on his contract, and his current salary is only two million dollars a year... I think offering him three years and fifteen million dollars, what do you think?'
Li Feng nodded without saying much.
There are many messy issues within a dynasty team. Subsequently, Li Feng also discussed the defensive issues of Bill Walker and Yi Jianlian with D'Antoni.
Additionally, the playing style of the reserve lineup became an important topic of discussion between Li Feng and D'Antoni.
A championship team must also have a top-tier bench.
If the reserve lineup loses points as soon as they come on, the team's overall combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced.
Currently, the core of the Knicks' reserve lineup consists of Billups, Marion, Chandler, and Shumpert.
Judging by the roster strength, this lineup is good, but apart from Shumpert, the other players are aging.
If they were to play the fast-break offense as well, their stamina would not keep up, and their efficiency would be greatly reduced.
D'Antoni was helpless, spreading his hands and asking, 'Then what should we do? Should they play set offenses?'
Li Feng nodded, 'That's right. Billups excels in set offenses. With him as the core, we shouldn't play fast.'
D'Antoni thought it made sense and agreed.
...
After a while, Lowry and Bill Walker were separately called into conversation by Manager Locke.
After leaving the manager's office, both of them wore beaming smiles, appearing very satisfied.
The All-Star Game is less than half a month away. Li Feng is currently the leading vote-getter, but the gap with LeBron James in second place is not large, only over ten thousand votes.
This season, the Miami Heat have returned with a vengeance, and the Big Three are cooperating with even greater chemistry.
Although they lost to the Knicks at the beginning of the season, the Heat's Big Three subsequently put on a dominant performance.
Before the All-Star Game, the Knicks and the Heat have another major showdown.
This game will determine who wins the All-Star vote race between Li Feng and James.
On February 3rd, the Heat will host the Knicks at their home arena.
Before the game, not only fans began to argue, but the media also fanned the flames.
The two most dominant teams in the league met again. In the words of the fans, it was like the NBA Spring Festival Gala had arrived.
The last time the Knicks played at home, they narrowly defeated the Heat. This time, returning to the Heat's home court, it is believed that the Big Three will not let victory slip away again.
At the press conference, James and Wade were interviewed.
It was evident that James and Wade looked very serious, as if facing a formidable enemy.
'Mr. James, this is the second matchup between the Heat and the Knicks this season. How do you evaluate Li Feng's recent explosive performance?'
James thought for a moment and replied, 'Not bad. His strength is undeniable, but we, the Heat, are not bad either. We will defeat them today.'
'In training interviews a couple of days ago, a player who wished to remain anonymous told reporters that you would dominate Li Feng in today's game. Is that true?'
James hesitated; this was a difficult question to answer.
'This... Oh... I will try my best to limit Li Feng. Regardless of whether I can dominate him, the victory will definitely belong to the Heat!'
James's answer was very clever; he used the team's victory or defeat to replace the direct confrontation between himself and Li Feng.
The reporter nodded appreciatively and then asked, 'Mr. Wade, this is the second year of the Big Three. Do you feel that the championship is far from you?'
Wade replied with a poker face, 'This is our strongest year. No opponent can take our championship away!'
That was a very powerful statement, and James nodded vigorously.
'James, what are your thoughts on the Knicks' Chinese trio? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each compared to the Heat's Big Three?'
James slowly replied, 'The Chinese trio excels in both offense and defense, with excellent chemistry. They are indeed the guarantee of the Knicks' victory. However, our Big Three are stronger, and you will see that in today's game.'
...
At the Knicks' press conference, Li Feng and Yao Ming were interviewed.
'Mr. Li Feng, your All-Star votes are very close to James'. Do you have anything to say to the fans?'
Li Feng smiled and said, 'I thank the fans who voted for me. I also hope everyone will vote for other hardworking players. Thank you!'
The reporters gave him thumbs up; Li Feng's vision was truly broad.
'You've come to the Heat's home court this time. Do you think the Chinese trio can defeat the Heat's Big Three?'
Li Feng's smile disappeared, and he retorted, 'Did you ask James that same question?'
The reporter was stunned and shook his head, 'I didn't...'
'We'll have to play to find out. Of course, our Chinese trio is very confident that we will defeat the Heat, because we have other teammates.'
Another reporter looked at Yao Ming and asked, 'Mr. Yao, the Heat's style of play is more like a fast-break offense, very fast. Can you adapt?'
Yao Ming sneered, 'The Heat's fast break? Very fast? I'll make them slow down!'
That was a powerful statement. Li Feng nodded repeatedly and high-fived Yao Ming, laughing heartily.
The reporters also applauded.
...
At eight o'clock in the evening, the American Airlines Arena.
The Heat host the Knicks.
The two teams' records are very close, with the Knicks only having one more win than the Heat.
Li Feng's average points per game is 30.6, while James' average is 28.7.
The Knicks' starting lineup is Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
The Heat's starters are James, Wade, Bosh, Chalmers, and Battier.
With the addition of Battier this season, the Heat's defense has become stronger, and Battier's three-point shooting is very accurate.
At the center jump ball, Yao Ming and Bosh stand in the middle. Yao Ming secures the first possession.
The Heat are playing a smaller lineup, with Bosh playing center.
Both in terms of individual skill and physical condition, Yao Ming completely overwhelms Bosh.
However, Bosh's defensive mobility and offensive range are slightly better than Yao Ming's.
Yao Ming tips the ball to Li Feng, who dribbles past half-court.
Battier steps up to guard Li Feng one-on-one.
When Battier was on the Rockets, he already knew how formidable Li Feng was, so his defensive movements were very aggressive.
Li Feng knew Battier was a good player with a good personality, so he didn't make it difficult for him.
He first used a change of direction to shake off Battier, then accelerated and drove to the frontcourt.
Wade abandoned Lowry and rushed to help defend.
The Heat were well-prepared, and their defensive coordination was more active, preventing Li Feng from taking long-range threes!
Li Feng felt the pressure and realized that the Heat's defense was smarter than before.
That is, instead of double-teaming, they relied on one-on-one defense.
Someone was always nearby, ready to rotate for help defense. This defensive strategy could block Li Feng's passing lanes.
Li Feng couldn't find a way to break through and passed the ball to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming has a huge advantage against Bosh, but the reason the Heat dared to play a smaller lineup was to use aggressive help defense to compensate for the lack of height.
LeBron James immediately stepped up and double-teamed Yao Ming with Bosh.
The hands of these two were very quick, slashing up and down, making Yao Ming flustered and giving him no space to drive to the basket.
Yi Jianlian felt an opportunity arise and immediately cut to the basket, intending to receive a pass from Yao Ming for a layup.
But Battier had already positioned himself, blocking Yi Jianlian's driving lane.
As Yi Jianlian accelerated, he accidentally bumped Battier and knocked him down.
Buzzz!
The referee's whistle blew, pointing at Yi Jianlian, calling him for an offensive foul.
Yi Jianlian shouted in protest, but the referee remained unmoved.
Li Feng walked over and pulled Yi Jianlian aside, whispering, 'The Heat's defense is very active today, be careful.'
A Lian indeed lacked experience, especially against these seasoned veterans of the Heat, and had to pay some tuition. Moreover, Battier was skilled at drawing offensive fouls, so it wasn't unfair for A Lian to suffer a disadvantage.
The Heat went on offense.
Chalmers dribbled past half-court, passed the ball to James, and then ran to the corner.
James dribbled at the top of the arc and faced Bill Walker's defense. He immediately called for a screen, and Bosh came up to block Bill Walker.
Then, James immediately drove to the paint.
The Knicks were old opponents of James. Yi Jianlian immediately rushed to help defend, but James' strength was considerable. With a change of direction, he pushed Yi Jianlian aside.
As soon as Yao Ming came out, James made an underhand pass to Bosh.
Bosh went straight for a layup and scored.
2-0!
The Heat took the early lead.
From the first offensive and defensive possession, it was clear that the Heat were playing actively and offensively, and had thoroughly studied the Knicks.
The Knicks' next offense.
This time, Li Feng did not hold the ball, but passed it to Lowry.
Since the Knicks extended Lowry's contract, Lowry had been even more motivated and played very fiercely.
Chalmers guarded Lowry one-on-one, but Lowry was not intimidated. He directly used a behind-the-back dribble to shake off Chalmers.
Actually, Chalmers' speed was extremely fast, but Lowry's ball-handling and strength were superior, so Chalmers couldn't stop him.
Lowry drove to the baseline from the right, looking to pass to Yao Ming.
But Yao Ming was being defended by Bosh's fronting defense, making it very difficult for him. Lowry felt that passing it over might result in a turnover.
Bosh's defense on Yao Ming was very effective. He kept his hands high and jumped up and down quickly. Although Yao Ming was much taller than him, it was truly difficult to receive the ball.
Lowry, with no other option, passed the ball to Yi Jianlian.
Yi Jianlian, having suffered a disadvantage just now, dared not attack rashly and passed the ball back to Li Feng.
Li Feng knew that if he didn't break the ice first today, the Heat might go on a run in the first quarter.
So, Li Feng faced Wade's tight defense and used a step-back jumper!
The move was very smooth, and he created space for his shot, but Li Feng's touch was off today, and his first attempt missed.
Bosh firmly guarded Yao Ming, and James took the opportunity to secure the rebound.
This was the chemistry of the Heat; everyone was willing to sacrifice. Bosh was willing to fight for rebounds for his teammates and position himself defensively.
James initiated a fast break, charging past half-court like a tank.
Despite Bill Walker's desperate chase, the charging James was unstoppable. He drove in for a powerful dunk!
Boom!
The Heat's home crowd was instantly ignited!
After the domineering dunk, James repeatedly pounded his chest and strode with immense presence.
Wade also rushed over to chest-bump him in celebration.
4-0!
The Heat had an invincible start, and the Knicks were suppressed.
Before the Knicks could go on offense, Li Feng called a timeout.
Usually, timeouts are called by coaches, but under NBA rules, players can also call timeouts.
When players call timeouts, it's mostly when they can't get the ball out.
Li Feng called this timeout because he simply couldn't stand it anymore."