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The next day, the media wildly praised the Raptors for slaughtering the Pacers. They lost in the evening, losing back-to-back away games to the Philadelphia 76ers 101-104.

The reason for the big victory in the first game was not only the Raptors' strong offensive power, but also the weakening of the Pacers. Even if Jaylen Rose comes back, it will be difficult for them to make the playoffs. Without a star, they are just an underdog.

The 76ers retained last season's core lineup, and newly added Maurice Peterson also performed well. He made 4 of 9 shots, 2 of 4 three-pointers, 10 points, 1 rebound, and no assists.

Substitute Kukoc had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, Aaron McGee had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. The 76ers' role players collectively broke out, and six of the team scored in double figures.

The Raptors' defense against Iverson was relatively successful. He made 9 of 23 shots, 0 of 4 three-pointers, and 6 of 6 free throws. He scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.

The Raptors' starting offense was still strong, with four players scoring in double figures, but only Halprin scored 12 points off the bench, while Jackson scored 8 points and 5 rebounds. Boykins misfired, shooting 1 of 8 from the field and scoring only 2 points.

Media analysts believe that the 76ers have once again strengthened and can threaten the Raptors' position in the East. They still only have one star in Iverson, but they have many outstanding defensive players, and their offensive power on the bench has also been improved.

The Lakers also lost back-to-back games on the same day, losing to the Spurs at home. Kobe and O'Neal both scored 30+, and only Isaiah Lederer scored 10 points and 6 assists among other players.

O'Neal made only 6 free throws in 18 attempts, which was the main reason for the failure. He missed consecutive free throws when the score was tight in the final quarter.

On the 3rd, the Raptors defeated the Celtics 101-93 in an away game, and there were attrition in the team.

Substitute power forward Jumaine Jones was fouled by Matt Blount during a counterattack layup, fell off the baseline and injured his shoulder.

Blount failed to get signed after playing in the preseason for the Raptors and got a basic salary from the Celtics. In this game, he played while holding his breath and committed a big foul.

After an MRI examination, Jumaine will miss at least 4 weeks of competition.

On the 4th, it was another back-to-back game. The Raptors defeated the Wizards at home, 113 to 106.

Although they won, the Raptors' weaknesses were revealed and their perimeter defense became weaker. Once Christie left, Carter, Reed, and Halprin were unable to assume the task of leading perimeter defense.

In the summer, Yang Rui thought about signing undrafted player Raja Bell, but the impression was that Bell only became stronger defensively after playing under Larry Brown for two seasons.

Not immediate combat power.

Now Bell is very thin, has poor confrontation, and no one wants him at all. In Yang Rui's previous life, he joined the 76ers as a temporary worker in his first season and only played 5 regular season games for the team. He was also an absolute marginal player in the playoffs.

There are not many defensive experts in the league. The swingman defensive expert Yang Rui is most familiar with is Bruce Bowen. However, history has changed. The Knicks did not give up on Bowen even after changing the head coach, and he was used as a substitute at positions 2 and 3.

After discussing with the assistant coach, the Raptors defensive end arranged a pseudo-zone defense in every game, shrinking near the penalty area and relying on the team as a whole to make up for the lack of individual defensive breakthroughs. The disadvantage was that the defense against long shots became weaker.

It wasn't until the 20th that the Raptors lost their second game, losing to the Hornets 94-105 at home.

In the summer, the Heat and the Hornets made a big deal. As a result, the Heat started with 5 wins and 6 losses, but the Hornets played well, ranking third in the Eastern Conference with 7 wins and 4 losses.

After Eddie Jones left, Steve Francis became the new core of the team. His physical fitness is amazing, his breakthrough ability is super strong, and his pick-and-roll cooperation with P.J. Brown is very powerful. He can drive the whole team whether he is shooting or sudden. The Raptors strictly guard against the Hornets' pick-and-roll, and Mashburn can also hold the ball in one-on-one situations, averaging 20 points per game. With the ball in hand, Mashburn's performance is better than in the Heat.

The person who is more depressed about the Hornets is David Wesley. In the past, the team used power forward Anthony Mason Jr. to organize. Wesley is 185cm tall and plays the role of a shooting guard on the court.

Now that Mason is gone and Francis starts at point guard, Wesley becomes unfit to start. He and Francis overlap in position, and neither can defend the opponent's No. 2 position well.

The Hornets have obviously become stronger. On the 22nd, they defeated the 76ers who started their 10-game winning streak at home again, and their record is closely chasing the Raptors.

On the 23rd, the Raptors defeated the Pacers 115-91 on Thanksgiving Day, avoiding a losing streak.

Rose's comeback will not have much effect, because there is no O'Neal inside, only Camby. This Pacers is weaker than Yang Rui's previous life. Camby has played for so many years, but he is still a center who likes to jump around and block shots when defending.

On the 25th, the Raptors defeated the Knicks 91-75 in an away game.

The Knicks currently have a good record of 9 wins and 5 losses. However, the team's biggest star, Grant Hill, only played 6 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. This dealt a huge blow to the Knicks, who were motivated to win the championship.

Center Luke Longley, with an annual salary of $5.75 million, can only be a marginal player. He averages 12 minutes per game, 2 points and 2.6 rebounds, and is not a qualified substitute for Ben Wallace.

Glenn Rice has an annual salary of 7.58 million and averages 12 points per game, but he has defensive holes. The team loses more points when he is on the court. It is better to use Bruce Bowen.

The Knicks have two players with annual salaries of tens of millions, Sprewell and Larry Johnson, and fringe center Tyrese Knight, acquired from the Lakers, has an annual salary of US$3.2 million, which is comparable to Brad Miller. Compare. This season, the Knicks' total salary has reached $77 million, ranking first in the league, and the luxury tax is close to $100 million.

The Raptors lost their third game in back-to-back games to the Bulls 100-109.

The Bulls formed a trident of McGrady, Artest, and Brand, with veteran Hoiberg and former Pacers point guard Mark Jackson on the outside. The Bulls also have Ron Mercer and Jamal Crawford on the bench who can score from outside, and they have risen strongly.

The Bulls' shortcoming is that they do not have a good center and an excellent power forward backup, but this does not prevent them from becoming one of the teams that attracts attention in the league. McGrady's popularity has surged this season and he has become another "Jordan successor" compared to Carter.

Because Brand takes the ball away, McGrady is not as strong as in the Magic. His playing time increased to 37 minutes, and he scored 24.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Brand averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal and 1.6 blocks per game. The Bulls are more likely to win with a dual-core inside and outside.

The Bulls' fortunes were rewritten, almost locking in a playoff spot.

Now that Crawford has not grown up, if Mercer is sent away in the future, he can be replaced with a good role player. The Bulls management has begun to consider trading. Mercer, Tracy McGrady and Artest all have overlapping positions. It would be a waste to play as a substitute.

The Bulls are now good at offense and defense, only the point guard position is slightly weaker. Since there is only one high-paid player in the team, Tracy McGrady, with a total salary of only 35 million, the Bulls will not have any pressure to renew Brand's contract in the future.

This lineup puts a lot of pressure on Yang Rui. As long as the management does not make random transactions, the Bulls will be a strong force in the Eastern Conference for many years and can even compete for the championship.

As a result, the Clippers will definitely be worse than Yang Rui's previous life, they will miss their star, and everything will be different.

In 2001, the Bulls were at the bottom of the league, so Brand was traded for Tyson Chandler. Now that the team is playing well, that trade probably won't happen again.

After the Raptors defeated the Mavericks in an away game on the 28th, they lost to the Hornets 99-103 in back-to-back away games, suffering their fourth defeat.

The Raptors are still a strong force in the East, but they are only ranked second. Everyone can see that they no longer have the overwhelming advantage they did last season.