Chapter 109: Fan Xi

The news of Andrew Bynum's comeback caused a great sensation in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, within the Lakers, Bynum has been the basketball golden boy since 2005, and he has a not-so-small group of supporters.

Fans all believe that the current Lakers plus Andrew Bynum will definitely be like a tiger adding wings, and will definitely go to the next level; this year's championship is stable.

However, in the hearts of the Lakers players, it seems that the expectation for Bynum is not particularly strong.

When a team is in the right and comfortable mode, it is unwilling to accept new changes.

What if it destroys the harmony and becomes worse?

After the Lakers finished playing the Utah Jazz, they went to the Southwest Division, which makes all teams in the league hear the wind and fear, for four away games. In fact, it can also be said to be a five-game battle, because the fifth game returned to the home court, and it was still a contest with the Southwest Division team, the Hornets led by Chris Paul.

The Southwest Division has a total of five teams: San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets.

These five teams currently have four in the top eight in the West, and the San Antonio Spurs are even ranked first.

Being able to kill out of this division, all are strong teams among strong teams.

For every team, entering the Southwest Division is an arduous test.

This four-game away trip for the Lakers can be said to be a rare experience in the world.

Many sports media "gloated" at the Lakers' away trip this time.

The Lakers' first away opponent was the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets are the NBA team most familiar to Chinese fans, because after Yao Ming entered the league as the number one pick, he has been working for the Rockets.

The Rockets were once the mother team of Chinese fans, and the Rockets' boss also increased his net worth because of this. Even the Lakers' role players followed the chicken and dog to heaven; many role players couldn't get any advertising endorsements in the United States, but in China, they could enjoy the star treatment that was highly respected.

Yao Ming has been in a semi-retired state since he was injured in the playoffs against the Lakers in 2009. He played five games after his comeback this season, and then triggered a stress fracture again. Some news is showing that Yao Ming is very likely to officially announce his retirement after this season ends.

This is a huge loss for the NBA, for the Rockets, and for the entire Chinese basketball.

However, the fortunate thing is that Fan Xi has risen rapidly this season.

Although he hasn't reached the game dominance of Yao Ming's peak, the sound he has made since entering the league has exceeded Yao Ming's.

Yao Ming's personality is conservative, but Fan Xi is flamboyant and vengeful.

Moreover, Fan Xi entered the league as an undrafted player, unlike Yao Ming who entered the league as the number one pick. Yao Ming was under great expectations at the time, and he would be criticized if he played bad games. But Fan Xi didn't have this "sky-high expectation"; he was "astonishing" from the first appearance.

Then he kept creating miracles.

So that his reputation climbed rapidly.

By this time, Phil Jackson and some media in Los Angeles began to worry: Fan Xi has been so glorious during this period, but it will eventually fall back, because the information update in the NBA is very fast, and every team has a huge "observation system." Many videographers, editors, and assistant coaches will conduct complicated analysis on every player.

Then, quickly send the player manual to the opponent before the game starts.

Dragic and Kyle Lowry received all the information about "Jack Fan."

The information shows: Jack Fan has super ball-handling ability, excellent speed, astonishing jumping ability, good body control ability, strong explosive power, and great open-shot shooting.

The rating they gave is: A.

In the Rockets' internal rating, reaching A means the level of a star player.

This evaluation is not low at all. In the Lakers' rating given by the Rockets, it is second only to Kobe, Gasol, and Andrew Bynum who didn't play, and even Lamar Odom only got an A with quotation marks.

In the player manual, it also points out that 72% of Fan Xi's breakthroughs are cut from the left side, the probability of Fan Xi choosing to pass after a breakthrough is 69%, passing inside is far lower than passing outside, and the probability of using screens is low.

Lack of confidence in shooting with the ball, and the posture is strange...

Every team will have this information.

The coping strategies given by each team are different.

The NBA is a huge system, and fierce competition is not only reflected at the court level.

…

Fan Xi received some welcome at the Toyota Center, and many Chinese in Houston rushed to the arena to cheer for him; they were cheering for Yao Ming before.

Now, Fan Xi is comprehensively taking over the influence Yao Ming left in the NBA, and the league officials are also secretly promoting this. They don't want to lose this huge market in China.

However, what is a bit unexpected is.

Fan Xi not only took over Yao Ming's influence, but also took over the commercial value that Yao Ming didn't possess.

The news that Pepsi signed Fan Xi for $30 million quickly made the headlines, plus the previous super unprecedented contract from Nike.

Some American sports media began to use words like "robbery."

As if only American athletes earning money from Chinese brands can be called fair, while Fan Xi earning money from American companies is called an "unequal treaty."

These are people who are hypocritical to the extreme. They pretend to be elegant gentlemen in normal times, and even put on a condescending saintly posture. But when others look at them equally, they feel offended, and then tear off their faces and put on a crazy attacking posture.

In the past two days, Fan Xi has seen media people commenting on himself more than once, saying that Jack Fan is far inferior to American local stars, and brand merchants shouldn't give him such generous endorsements.

Fan Xi felt absurd about this.

He is full of expectations to become more powerful, and he wants to step on all these "arrogant and ugly" faces.

"Hey, Jack, have you seen the news?"

Before the game started, Lamar Odom leaned over to ask Fan Xi: "Scarlett actually tattooed your initials on her arm."

Hmm?

Fan Xi was startled.

Lamar Odom considers himself half an entertainment industry person; since marrying a woman from the Kardashian family, he has mastered the first-hand news of many gossip news.

"Don't you know yet? Paparazzi took photos of Scarlett at a famous tattoo shop in Los Angeles, and she tattooed a letter JK. The tattoo shop owner also said... what she said at the time was Jack Fan." Lamar Odom said with eyebrows dancing.

"When did you get the Hollywood sexy goddess? She is the dream lover of many NBA stars, including that bastard Kevin Durant, who actually wants to drink Scarlett's bathwater..."

Lamar Odom rambled on.

Fan Xi frowned. Thinking of Scarlett, he remembered the madness during the All-Star halftime break. He even felt that he was "defiled" by Scarlett; this was Fan Xi's unprecedented passivity.

However, it was indeed crazy enough to make him have endless aftertastes.

"Didn't we agree not to disturb each other?"

Fan Xi whispered to himself, although he often missed Scarlett during this period, and couldn't stop those crazy pictures from appearing in his mind.

However, he really thought it was just a flash in the pan in his life.

In the United States, this kind of thing is common, and everyone tacitly exits with dignity.

But now, is Scarlett playing some feelings with me?

"JK doesn't necessarily mean me; maybe she is a fan of the author of Harry Potter? And the Chinese JK abbreviation doesn't necessarily mean me; maybe she likes someone called 'Liberation'."

Fan Xi said against his will.

…

The game started quickly.

Kyle Lowry was the starter tonight.

Kyle Lowry is a very strong point guard. He joined the league in 2006, was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th pick, and then traded to the Rockets.

At first, he competed with Brooks for the team's starting position, and was even suppressed on the bench by Brooks.

But later he played better and better. Before the start of this season, he even got a 4-year $24 million mid-level renewal contract from the stingy Rockets boss, which shows his power.

For the first ball of the matchup, Kyle Lowry flew over fiercely. He is known for his fierce playing style. Now he is a classic guard similar to Billups. His movements are open and close, his fast break is fierce, his offensive rebounds are fierce, although his long-range shooting is not good, his defense is tough, his breakthrough is decisive, and his organization is stable.

Fan Xi was interfered with. To some extent, he has similarities with Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson.

However, there are differences.

He is smarter.

Fan Xi was caught off guard at the time and hurriedly passed the ball.

Kobe took over the ball possession.

The Rockets' starting five are: Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin, Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes.

The Lakers are: Fan Xi, Kobe Bryant, Mike Dunleavy, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol.

In terms of lineup, the two are far apart.

Kobe soon dominated Kevin Martin, easily completing a fadeaway jump shot.

Looking back, Kyle Lowry rushed into the paint with a fierce posture. Fan Xi tried his best to entangle, but couldn't stop Lowry's pass. Kevin Martin ran without the ball and received the ball, hitting the shot.

Back and forth, Fan Xi found that he seemed to be a bit restrained by Kyle Lowry.

There is a feeling of having strength but nowhere to use it.

Especially when Kobe is on the court, it is difficult for him to let go and compete with Kyle Lowry.

Moreover, the Lakers don't need Fan Xi to let go and play one-on-one with Kyle Lowry.

So, Fan Xi simply restrained himself. After passing the ball to Kobe, he ran quickly.

Kobe easily solved the defense.

Fan Xi's running on the side can also contain the defense.

This is a very smart way to play.

The Lakers' offensive efficiency is very high.

Because Fan Xi not only has perimeter shooting ability, but can also quickly pass the ball to open teammates, and can also hold the ball for further breakthroughs.

As the team's third transit station, Fan Xi's ability is more than enough.

The game lost suspense from the first quarter.

In the past 10 years, the Rockets closest to the Lakers was the 2009 playoffs. That year, McGrady was injured, and Yao Ming led the team to play a crazy offensive, and he suppressed both Bynum and Gasol alone.

If Yao Ming hadn't been injured that year.

If the Rockets' morale had been stronger that year.

Perhaps, the Rockets who defeated the Lakers would have a chance to win the championship. After all, it is said that the Orlando Magic represented the East that year.

When the Rockets play the Magic, it's always a sure win. As the saying goes, Dwight Howard is the league's number one center, and Yao Ming is the center who dominates the number one center.

After the second quarter, the point difference between the two teams expanded to 19 points.

Then, the second half started, and Fan Xi didn't play.

Phil Jackson was practicing tactics; he wanted to make the rotation lineup more powerful.

This game ended with 109:89.

The Lakers easily won the first victory of the Southwest tour.

Fan Xi played 19 minutes, getting 9 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds.

It was his most "depressed" game since entering the league.

He didn't blow up Kyle Lowry in a one-on-one situation, nor did he form suppression on Dragic in a one-on-one situation.

On the one hand, because the opponent's research on him is becoming more and more profound, and on the other hand, because after Kobe returned, some tactical focus is inevitably tilting toward Kobe.

Kobe loves Fan Xi very much and is willing to give Fan Xi a chance to show himself. However, habits accumulated over so many years are difficult to change.

Most importantly, playing like this can also win.

This is the "drawback" of a super strong team.

In the NBA's ecological system, strong teams often don't cultivate newcomers; they only need to supplement the immediate combat power of the tactical system.

Fan Xi's many games before can be said to have created the NBA's miracle. Of course, it was also caused by the objective conditions of Bynum and Kobe's successive injuries.

Now, it seems that everything is returning to the normal track, and Fan Xi exists as a "booster" for the Lakers' number 1 position.

…

The "law" that strong teams don't cultivate rookies doesn't seem to apply to the Spurs. Since Tim Duncan joined, they have always been a super strong team.

However, they can often dig out super energy from newcomers, even low-pick newcomers.

The best sixth man Ginobili, Finals MVP Tony Parker... etc., are all selected from low picks.

Popovich has a deep memory of Fan Xi.

After returning to San Antonio, he often watched Fan Xi's game videos and had in-depth research on Fan Xi.

He believes Fan Xi will become the biggest key factor in the Lakers' playoffs this year, and he also feels that Fan Xi has a not

Therefore, he even showed goodwill toward Fan Xi before the game started. "Jack Fan is the best rookie in my mind. Yes, although John Wall's talent is amazing and Blake Griffin is a regular on the Top 10 plays, but... I just like Jack Fan."

"If the Lakers are willing to trade Jack Fan, I am willing to send out Tony Parker and George Hill."

Popovich is a master of psychological warfare; his words make it very difficult to guess his true intentions.

Perhaps it was just to stimulate the fighting desire of Tony Parker and George Hill?