Chapter 503: New League Landscape, Knicks Core Lineup

Fan Xi in his mind gave Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan a good‑person card, so much so that he even temporarily set aside his work with the Clippers and devoted his full attention to building the Knicks.

The Clippers' goal for next season is to retain a playoff spot while also stepping up the training of Leonard and other players.

Mike Brown and Bilupusi feel relatively confident about this matter.

The Clippers have already entered a virtuous cycle; by proceeding methodically, everyone can sustain strong momentum.

Although Jimmy Butler's trade left many people puzzled, Butler's girlfriend Mai Li Selese even publicly said she didn't understand Fan Xi's actions.

Jimmy Butler did not make any statement.

This matter had been discussed by Fan Xi with him long ago, and Fan Xi even showed him the trade details between the Clippers and the Mountain Cat; every clause in that agreement concerned how to set Butler's tactical position and his contract amount.

Butler holds no resentment toward Fan Xi, only gratitude.

In fact, his agent had long told him this is the best outcome he could get.

Not only for his present, but also for his future, it's a huge boost.

Butler actually knew this result in his heart, yet he wanted to stay with the Clippers for another year and leave next year when Jie Ke returns. Moreover, he felt a bit indignant—why is the one departing not Leonard? Is Leonard truly stronger than me?

As for the media's claim that Giannis Antetokounmpo is better than him, he paid it no mind. He doesn't know why Fan Xi chose that Greek, but he believes that Greek kid will never be able to catch up to him.

When departing Los Angeles, Jimmy Butler silently swore in his heart: I will definitely come back. Jie Ke, see you again at the pinnacle!

Jimmy Butler is very ambitious.

This pleased Fan Xi.

He hopes that every player he develops becomes a pillar of the league, each capable of charging toward the summit on their own.

…

Fan Xi reached a contract with the Knicks on the first day after the Nets–Knicks trade officially took effect.

Then, while Cameron Anthony flooded social media with 18 posts attacking the Knicks and Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan and cursing the Knicks with no good outcome, Fan Xi met with Joe Johnson.

In Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan's office.

Joe Johnson boasts himself as the contemporary Jordan, also nicknamed "One‑on‑One Joe", an offensive kaleidoscope.

He is certainly past his prime now; at his peak he averaged 25+5+4, could get near the tails of the four great guards, and even Vince Carter couldn't consistently dominate him, even at Carter's own peak.

Joe Johnson's technique is extremely comprehensive; he possesses a full suite of post‑frame skills, his probing steps are excellent, and his back‑to‑basket one‑on‑one has its own system. In crucial moments his one‑on‑one is very reassuring, and in some respects even steadier than Kobe's.

However, he always falls just short of being a super‑star. It's like a cup of 99‑degree hot water—just a hair away from boiling.

He has a textbook small‑forward physique; his size is undeniable.

However, his explosiveness is slightly lacking, so when defending break‑through guards he gets flattened… this is also due to his relatively poor lateral movement.

Fan Xi watched many of Joe Johnson's game videos; overall, he likes him and considers Joe Johnson a perfect second‑or‑third option.

Of course, last season he was with the Nets on a massive max contract, living a slacking life; occasional highlights couldn't conceal his overall underperformance.

So when Fan Xi first met him, he asked, "Do you want to win a championship?"

When Joe Johnson was still with the Hawks, he had faced Fan Xi, and at that time Fan Xi hadn't yet attained his current stature. Joe Johnson didn't even truly regard him as an opponent, but now Fan Xi has secured three straight titles and is the sole true god of today's basketball scene.

His words seemed magical.

They instantly ignited a flame in Joe Johnson's heart.

He nodded almost without hesitation and said, "Of course."

"Then you should lose some weight and practice your shooting; next season I need a super scorer to clear space for me," Fan Xi told him. "You should be able to perform better than those two up‑and‑coming stars in Los Angeles, right? I don't want to drop 62 points in the finals again."

Fan Xi cracked a joke.

Joe Johnson gave a knowing smile.

He instantly felt that Fan Xi possessed great personal charisma.

His heart was filled with a proper attitude that working with Fan Xi would surely yield good results. (He reads a book.)

In fact, these things are determined by a person's status. If Fan Xi were just an ordinary All‑Star, saying the same words to Joe Johnson with the same tone and expression, Joe Johnson might not take it seriously.

But now, Fan Xi, single‑handedly, has taken down the Three Giants, a half‑step basketball god.

This "contemporary Jordan" has no choice but to bow his head in reverence.

James is very pleased with Joe Johnson's attitude, and he cheerfully says, "Joe, I truly didn't misjudge you. You will become the best Pippen in the world!"

Um…

The contemporary Jordan feels a bit awkward.

But he quickly readjusted, after all, being Pippen for Fan Xi isn't shameful.

Fan Xi invited Joe Johnson to take part in the upcoming discussion, giving him great respect, which moved him deeply.

Because the team's discussion concerned the head coach.

James, Fan Xi, and Phil Jackson, the three team heavyweights, were discussing which head coach to hire; the team's current head coach is Mike Woodson.

After De An Dongni left the Knicks, the Knicks lavishly offered this head coach a three‑year contract.

But after the results were unsatisfactory, they began discussing buying out the contract.

Mike Woodson was once the Hawks' head coach and had worked with Joe Johnson; Joe Johnson's peak season came under Mike Woodson.

Mike Woodson is an excellent assistant coach; he handles player relationships well, but his in‑game management is somewhat lacking.

Mike Woodson can be counted as a disciple of Larry Brown, though only in appearance. Defensively, they pursue extreme pressure, swapping players on every screen, constantly stirring player aggressiveness.

Offensively it's quite one‑dimensional, despite being called dynamic offense. It focuses on spacing, uses off‑ball screens and cuts, supplemented by multi‑point ball handling… but his grasp of details doesn't reach a high level, so it easily devolves into pure isolation play.

Last season, Cameron Anthony was like that.

Previously, when Joe Johnson was still with the Hawks, he was like that.

This style can maintain decent regular‑season results, but in the playoffs it becomes easy to be targeted.

Therefore, Phil Jackson proposed that, now that Fan Xi is here, they should completely overhaul and replace the head coach.

Fan Xi wasn't particularly enthusiastic about this matter; he asked Joe Johnson for his opinion. Joe Johnson was blunt, saying, "Although I have a good personal relationship with Mike, I think he is not capable of being the head coach of a championship‑winning team."

Phil Jackson encountered a difficulty.

His physical condition is not good now; he cannot endure the rigors, otherwise he could come out of retirement again and sound the charge for his thirteenth championship ring in his career.

Several people discussed back and forth, but no suitable role was found.

Until Fan Xi suggested: "How about Larry Brown? We could have him come on as a consultant; his defense would surely be better than Mike Woodson's, and Mike Woodson would certainly be willing to be his substantive assistant."

Larry Brown?

That name caught everyone's eye.

If Larry Brown were willing to come out of retirement, that would naturally be a good thing.

But after the Lakers lost to the Kuaisuan last season, he felt utterly humiliated, and rumors had already spread that he would retire completely.

Moreover, his past relationship with New York was not good; he was invited to New York with a high salary, but after not even completing a season, he was fired by Isiah Thomas, leaving a mess.

Larry Brown still believes his reputation began to deteriorate in New York.

So they had little confidence in securing Larry Brown.

Fan Xi thought for a while and said he would give it a try.

Then he used Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan's office phone to call Larry Brown.

After Larry Brown picked up the phone, his tone was hostile; he never had a good tone for calls from New York, especially since this phone number had once brought him harm.

But when he heard Fan Xi's voice and self-introduction.

His tone and attitude underwent a 180-degree change.

The other three people present were astonished to hear it.

They never expected that Fan Xi would have such influence with Larry Brown.

Fan Xi told him: "Larry, we really need you now. We've thought long and hard, and we truly can't think of anyone else who could build a championship team in one year besides you; we need your help."

Fan Xi's words flattered Larry Brown.

In fact, that's true; Larry Brown joining the Pistons made them champions in his first season.

Larry Brown looked very pleased and said: "I didn't expect you to hold me in such high regard. Frankly, I'd love to work with you; if you really need my help, please have the Knicks' general manager call my agent. They'll have a good talk."

Fan Xi thanked him repeatedly after hearing that.

When they finished the call and hung up.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan looked at Fan Xi in disbelief: "Jie Ke, you actually managed that stubborn mule so easily? He's someone even Isiah Thomas couldn't handle."

Phil Jackson said unhappily: "What kind of person is Isiah Thomas? How could his name be mentioned alongside Jie Ke?"

"'Larry Brown's willingness to join is probably because Jie Ke defeated him last season; people respect strength.' Phil Jackson said: 'Moreover, if he wins another championship, his historical standing will be more secure; before this, it was on the verge of decline.'"

What Phil Jackson said is likely the correct answer.

Joe Johnson agreed with that.

At this point, Phil Jackson said he would personally talk to Kevin Garnett and also meet with Brook Lopez.

Fan Xi did not bring it up again.

He merely asked Joe Johnson to find time to train together, and Joe Johnson readily agreed.

Their relationship was heating up.

Even Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan seemed like a third wheel that couldn't be inserted.

…

Carmelo Anthony went 'crazy' on his social media, saying he had been humiliated, criticizing the Knicks as a team lacking basketball culture, claiming Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan had no basketball concept at all and completely disrespected players, and also believed that Fan Xi joining the Knicks wouldn't change them because the Knicks were beyond redemption; he cursed that the Knicks would miss the playoffs next season, said they would lose utterly, and promised to help the Nets win the first championship at their new arena.

He said a great deal.

These things only prove his frustration; they prove nothing else.

It's like an ex-girlfriend who's been dumped, endlessly badmouthing her ex-boyfriend to others.

What could it change?

But news of his meltdown was quickly overshadowed by his Banana Boat brothers, as Chris Paul announced he would join the Rockets as a free agent.

Although he could sign a six-year max deal with the Lakers, he still chose a five-year max with the Rockets.

He was tired of life in Los Angeles and completely bid farewell to the memories of the past two seasons.

For him, the Lakers' two years were like a nightmare; he joined the Lakers as the league's top point guard, and everyone thought he could easily outweigh Fan Xi's influence on the Lakers. Yet what greeted him was Andrew Bynum's classic line: 'Before you joined the Lakers, we were already champions.'

Afterward, in his head-to-head clashes with Fan Xi, he lost repeatedly; to this day, he slunk away from Los Angeles. No one mentions the league's top point guard title anymore; instead, Fan Xi has become the league's number one, a half-step Thus we include: English.

The Lakers hadn't not tried to keep him, but Paul's decision to leave was firm.

He firmly believed that playing in Los Angeles could not save him.

So he resolutely chose the Rockets, opting to partner with the rising young shooting guard James Harden; this seemed far more suitable than Kobe Bryant.

Not long after Chris Paul's announcement, Dwight Howard also declared he would join the Rockets.

The Beast Howard likewise chose not to re-sign with the Lakers; for him, the Lakers were equally an unforgettable past.

He differed from Chris Paul in that he initially wanted to join the Kuaisuan, but Fan Xi rejected him.

So he went to the Lakers to vent his frustration, but ended up holding a bellyful of anger.

Although the Lakers offered him a tempting contract and promises.

But he still didn't heed the advice that 'the top center must be in the Lakers to have a bright future,' choosing Space City and Harden instead.

This time, the Rockets' owner Galan Tai was very supportive.

He finally let loose, insisting on forming a new Three Giants despite the luxury tax exploding.

With these two additions, the Rockets quickly became a top championship contender.

Many even said it was an upgraded version of last season's Lakers.

No matter how you say it, with Fan Xi joining New York, Anthony entering Brooklyn, and the Lakers being reborn in Space City, the league's landscape has undergone a complete transformation.

Although the 2012-2013 season had just ended, more and more people began to look forward to the new season's arrival.

People's anticipation for the new season reached its peak.

…

After La Li Bu Lang arrived in New York, he immediately took on two jobs: first, meeting with Kai Wen Jia Nei Te; Phil Jackson and Kai Wen Jia Nei Te chatted for a while, and after La Li Bu Lang took over, Kai Wen Jia Nei Te quickly changed his attitude and decided to really go all out for the Knicks.

Kai Wen Jia Nei Te is the model of a defensive player, while La Li Bu Lang is the ultimate defensive coach; it is only natural that they have common ground to talk about.

La Li Bu Lang brought the second piece of good news: he had secured Ben Hua Lai Shi.

Ben Hua Lai Shi is his favorite player; although he has aged a lot, Ben Hua Lai Shi is still worth a minimum salary, even if he sits on the bench, he is very safe.

Afterwards, the Knicks signed another free agent, Han Mi Er Dun.

This surprised Fan Xi.

Fan Xi never expected to meet again here.

Indeed, all encounters in the world are reunions after long separations.

Han Mi Er Dun got the last retirement contract, and at the same time became teammates again with Fan Xi; this is like having both the fish and the bear's paw, as the saying goes.

At this point, the Knicks' main lineup is actually clear: Fan Xi, Na Shi, Fei Er Dun, Qiao Yue Han Xun, Xiang Bo Te, Ba Li Ya Ni, Kai Wen Jia Nei Te, Si Ta De Mai Er, Bu Lu Si Luo Po Si….

This lineup is somewhat like Fan Xi's first championship season lineup with the Kuaisuan, with veterans as the core.

It is competitive, but not quite top-tier; the lineups of the Rockets, Heat, and Nets are definitely top-notch. Moreover, in terms of chemistry, the Spurs, Bulls, and Thunder are also forces not to be underestimated.

…