You'd better come to assist me?
On November 7, 1996, after a day of rest, the Knicks faced a back-to-back away game this week.
Patrick Ewing may be too old. After the competition with O'Neal, his body did not recover to its best condition in just two days.
On the evening of the 7th, at the San Jose Arena, Lee got his first chance to start this season.
Facts have proved that as long as they partner with Ewing, it will not be too difficult for guards to get assists.
The gorilla, who was in average physical condition, did not frequently attack in the low post against the inside combination of Joe Smith and Todd Fuller. Instead, he made more use of his rich experience, positioned himself, and made simple lobs.
Patrick Ewing showed a very high shooting percentage near the paint areas on the left and right sides of the basket.
Lee, who started the game, didn't have to do much. He just needed to find the right time to pass the ball and he would get an assist.
In the end, Patrick Ewing made up for the slump in the previous game, making 14 of 20 shots, scoring 33 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 4 turnovers!
He blew up the Warriors' inside line with a 70% hit rate.
Clay Lee, who played for 35 minutes, also delivered very good data:
5 of 8, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 4 free throws, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 14 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers.
109:100, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents, and the Warriors suffered their third consecutive loss.
Jeff Van Gundy also realized that Lee could play like a traditional point guard.
Carry the ball across half court, pass the ball at the right time, attract double-teaming in the interior, and make a successful shot after receiving the ball from the outside.
The key to improving Ewing's hit rate is to catch more rebounds. Once the singles environment is good, it will be easy to educate the newbie on the opposite side.
The most exciting shot of the game was when Lee quickly dribbled the ball across half court in his right hand during the transition offense, and then he pushed the ball from the left wing outside the three-point line, facing the defense of the Warriors' Latrells Prewell, and then he turned around and pulled it back under his crotch.
The moment he shook off the defense, Ewing made a quick run down the middle, and Lee immediately threw the ball over the basket with one hand, and the gorilla easily caught the ball and dunked it!
After the game that night, the New York sports media collectively climaxed, the game was so smooth!
However, before they could get excited the next day, Jeff Van Gundy gave the New York media a collective 88:81 victory. After a hard-fought overtime, the Knicks defeated the Clippers with difficulty.
Charlie Ward returned to the starting lineup, and Alan Houston continued to miss shots in back-to-back games. Thanks to Ewing's low-post attack and accurate free throws, the Knicks finally won the game.
With 5 of 12 shots, 20 points, 19 rebounds, 1 steal, 7 blocks and 8 turnovers, Ewing once again became the team's hero in winning the game!
Lee played for only 16 minutes in this game. His time was cut into pieces. He made 3 of 6 shots, 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Although they won the game, the New York media did not buy it. While they criticized Van Gundy, they also criticized Starks again.
The veteran played for 37 minutes that night, and the more critical the moment, the more Jeff Van Gundy trusted the veteran.
2 of 13 shots, 1 of 10 shots from beyond the three-point line, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers, Starks returned to the finals of that year.
No matter how the New York media evaluates him, Jeff Van Gundy still insists on his use of players. He just wants to try out the best combination.
On November 10, the Knicks flew to Vancouver to challenge the Grizzlies, who had lost five games in a row since the start of the season.
There was no suspense in the game. The Grizzlies' offense went silent in the third quarter, and the Knicks secured the victory after a 12:0 run.
103:82, the Knicks defeated the Grizzlies and successfully won three consecutive victories.
At the end of the first week of games, the Knicks had 5 wins and 1 loss, and Jeff Van Gundy had an excellent record. In this regard, the New York media could only complain that the game was ugly.
In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls have a record of 6 wins and 0 losses, followed closely by the Knicks. Even the most picky New York fans cannot blame the team's performance.
On November 11, after returning to New York, Lee also breathed a sigh of relief.
The intensive schedule forces the team to travel frequently, and anyone would be tired after three consecutive away games.
The coaching staff announced a day off, but Lee continued to go to the gym for training as planned.
The team's staff also had to continue working. Equipment manager Old Mike happily prepared training equipment for Lee:
"Young people are still full of energy. In recent years, I have rarely seen players actively training!"
"Lee, you will definitely become a big star. If you were on the team last year, old Nelson probably wouldn't have been fired. He would definitely like a talented player like you."
The reason why Nelson was fired was because of his disagreement with Patrick Ewing. Last year, the New York media gossiped about this every day, and Lee naturally followed suit.
"Van Gundy is a good guy, he actually cares about the players, and I can understand the coach's situation."
Lee would not complain about his playing time in front of the team staff and continued to carry the basketball with a smile on his face.
Old Mike didn't care. He just liked chatting with young people and continued gossiping with Lee:
"In fact, old Nelson has a good eye. Mason was given a lot of opportunities last year. Even in the playoffs, the youngsters performed well."
"He shouldn't have proposed trading Pat. Of course, maybe Nelson was right. O'Neal was indeed younger and a good big man, but there was a conflict between the star player and the head coach, and the end result was that the coach was fired."
"Starks doesn't like old Nelson either, but honestly, sometimes the team should make changes sooner rather than later."
Lee just smiled and nodded in agreement without saying much. When chatting with older people, he usually just listened.
After coming to the Knicks, Lee learned a lot about the team's internal situation from the staff.
The reason why Jeff Van Gundy became Ewing's bootlicker was mainly to keep his position as head coach.
Even a veteran like Nelson couldn't shake Ewing, and Jeff Van Gundy was just Pat Riley's follower before, so it's even more impossible for him to go against the team's top star.
If Ewing can play comfortably, the Knicks' record can also be guaranteed. Jeff Van Gundy is very smart. If he can maintain the team's bottom line, he can continue to serve as head coach.
As for the championship? That depends on God's will!
In Lee's opinion, Ewing's style of play is "You'd better all come to assist me", which is fine, but the gorilla is not Olajuwon, and often can't carry the offense.
After Alan Houston came to the stadium, he found that Lee had already finished a round of shooting:
"Allen Iverson came to New York and spent like crazy. Sometimes I feel that you don't look like a young man at all!"
Alan Houston, wearing a training suit, teased Lee about his boring life again.
Lee was helpless about this. He just didn't like nightclubs with too many black people. Chanting made him feel overwhelmed:
"Young people need to be tough on themselves. I still want to get a big contract in three years!"
After a few jokes, they began the boring basic training.
Alan Houston is still not quite adapted to the team's system. His shooting percentage in the past few games is just over 30%, while Lee's playing time has been cut into pieces and his performance has been mediocre.
Neither of them complained, but just waited for the opportunity silently. The regular season is very long, and time is on the side of the young.
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