Translation: The NBA Draft is always a grand event that captures the attention of many, with young rookies often exploding onto the scene, quickly rising to become promising stars. For instance, players like Wenyen Gabriel and Josh Huestis are breaking out and becoming core members of teams like the Spurs and Thunder. Sometimes, when the overall talent of the rookies isn't particularly outstanding, that year is referred to as a "draft down year." The 2021 NBA Draft was considered a down year, but these young players have been impressive, each breaking through their own talent ceilings. Averaging 28+4+4, the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 draft picks are all setting new highs, who says this year's draft quality isn't good? Experts and journalists from ESPN in the United States have summarized the first half of the NBA season, selecting the most surprising players of the season. Knicks center Towns ranked first, Pistons Cunningham second, and Spurs Wenyen Gabriel third. Cunningham has always been a relatively low-profile No. 1 pick. He plays for the rebuilding and tanking Pistons, so he hasn't received much attention. However, Cunningham has made tremendous progress this season, not only improving his personal statistics comprehensively but also significantly enhancing his leadership abilities, impressing everyone. Cunningham is the No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft. This season, he averages 24.3 points + 6.5 rebounds + 9.4 assists (third in the league) + 0.9 steals, with a shooting percentage of 45%, a three-point percentage of 36.8%, and a free-throw percentage of 80.5%. Not only can Cunningham score steadily,…

Translation of the article content into English: Why write about Booker? Many fans believe that the shooting guard closest to Kobe now is Booker, and Booker is only 28 years old this season. Booker was born in December 1996, so how does Booker's strength compare to that of Kobe and James at the same age? 28-year-old Booker Booker can be considered one of the strongest shooting guards currently active, excelling in both offensive and organizational abilities. His highest personal score of 70 points speaks for itself. He is particularly skilled in step-back shooting, with excellent mid-to-long-range shooting capabilities and top-tier basketball IQ, able to effectively connect the team. His best leadership achievement was reaching the finals. This season, he played 33 games for the Suns, with an average of 24.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. So far, his best individual honor has been one All-NBA First Team and one All-NBA Third Team selection. 28-year-old Kobe Before turning 28, Kobe had already won three championships in his career, which was no big deal for him. The only regret was that he hadn't led a team to a championship. Kobe was born in 1978, and in the 2006 season, he was exactly 28 years old. Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers in the 2004 season, which was two seasons after O'Neal's departure. Without O'Neal, things didn't seem to go well, especially in the first season when the Lakers failed to enter the playoffs under Kobe's sole leadership, ranking only 12th in the West. Everyone knows Kobe's personality; he was very…

The Phoenix Suns have gone all-in, trading their valuable 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for three first-round picks. These include the worst first-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2025, as well as the worst picks from the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Jazz in 2027 and 2029. Essentially, the Suns have acquired three strictly protected first-round picks, which can only be the worst available. But why would the Suns make such a move? It's no secret that they want Jimmy Butler. However, the specifics of how this might happen are unclear, with multiple US journalists reporting that a potential trade involving Butler could involve four teams. The Miami Heat are not interested in acquiring Bradley Beal, who has a trade veto power and is only willing to waive it for the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks. Among them, the Bucks are the team Beal wants to join, as he wishes to team up with Damian Lillard. Regardless, the Suns have made it clear that they are not backing down. Their options are limited, as both the Houston Rockets and the Jazz have cut off their retreat. US journalist Trevor Lane commented after the Suns' trade, suggesting that the Jazz engaged in the trade because, like the Rockets, they do not have high hopes for the Suns' future. They believe that after the Kevin Durant era, the Suns will fall into darkness, making their draft picks highly lucrative. Currently, the Rockets own the Suns' draft picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029, with the 2029 first-round pick…

Manchester City has experienced a dip in form this season, with their performance not matching previous years. This has led the club to embark on a significant spending spree during the winter transfer window, with rumors linking them to multiple players. Now, they have finalized one deal, with the young Uzbekistan international Husanov officially joining the Sky Blues. Considering Husanov's abilities and potential, Manchester City has secured a gem of a player. For £40 million! Manchester City announces their first winter transfer signing, Pep's vision proves sharp, welcoming an upgraded version of Walker.‌ On January 21st, Beijing time, Manchester City released an official announcement stating that the 20-year-old Lens defender Husanov had joined the team. He has signed a contract until the summer of 2029 and will wear the number 45 jersey for Manchester City. According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, Husanov's transfer fee is £40 million, with additional bonus clauses in his contract. In the ranking of Asian player transfers, Husanov comes second only to Kim Min-jae, who was transferred for £50 million. In the history of the Premier League, no Uzbekistani player has ever made an appearance, but Husanov is set to make history.‌ Husanov stands at 1.86 meters tall, weighs 84 kilograms, and is a right-footed player. On the field, he can play multiple positions, capable of playing as a center-back in a four-man defense or as a central or side center-back in a three-man defense system. Additionally, Husanov can also play as a right-back. With his strong physique, speed, and explosive power, Husanov is known for…

On January 20th, Beijing time, the NBA 2024-25 season regular season staged a Western Conference focus match, with the Los Angeles Lakers challenging the Clippers. This is a city derby. This season marks the first meeting between the two teams, with the Lakers holding a slight advantage over the Clippers in their four encounters last season, winning three out of four games. Obviously, these two teams are always the focus of the event. Compared to the Clippers, the Lakers have a significant advantage in terms of lineup this season, but they have not been able to meet expectations, with extremely fluctuating form, often experiencing multiple consecutive losses after several victories, which is really regrettable. The key point is that this game is an important positioning battle. The Lakers currently have a total record of 22 wins and 17 losses, and have achieved 2 consecutive victories, ranking 6th in the West; while the Clippers have a total record of 23 wins and 17 losses, having won 3 consecutive victories, ranking 5th in the West. Obviously, neither team wants to lose in this game. Before the game, American media ESPN predicted the win rate for the day's game: the Lakers' win rate is only 36.0%, while the Clippers' win rate reached 64.0%. Obviously, the American media leans more towards the Clippers winning this derby. In terms of the starting lineup, on the Lakers' side, Wood, Vanderbilt, and Hood-Scheffino were unable to play, and James was likely to play. Redick's latest starting lineup is James, Davis, Hachimura, Christie, and Reeves; on the Clippers'…

The Lakers faced off against the Wizards at home, with the Lakers starting lineup consisting of Reeves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis; while the Wizards started with Carrington, Poole, Culver, Kuzma, and Sar. In the first quarter, the Wizards surprisingly took the lead as visitors. After Poole scored a three-pointer and completed a 2+1 play, Davis responded with a three-pointer and a mid-range shot, allowing the Lakers to take the lead. Kuzma also scored consecutively, and the two teams exchanged points, entering a timeout with a score of 12-13. Returning to the game, Davis sent a big block on defense, and Smith hit a three-pointer, prompting the Wizards to call a timeout with a score of 15-18. After the timeout, Smith hit another three-pointer, and the Wizards responded with a three-pointer. Davis and Hayes took turns dunking, and after James scored on a breakthrough, the Lakers extended their lead. However, the Wizards quickly responded with a 5-0 run to stop the bleeding. Reeves was fouled on a buzzer-beating three-pointer, but the Wizards successfully challenged the call, ending the first quarter with the Lakers leading 29-23 by six points. In the second quarter, during the rotation phase, James came in and immediately hit a three-pointer, then assisted Reeves in hitting another three-pointer. However, the Wizards quickly responded with a small scoring spree, with Kuzma hitting a three-pointer to close the gap to 33-36, only three points behind, forcing the Lakers to call a timeout. Returning to the game, James led a 9-2 scoring run to re-establish the lead, but Culver's 2+1…

On January 22nd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. In today's focus game, the Nuggets defeated the 76ers at home, achieving a three-game winning streak. Facing the 76ers without Embiid, Jokic made an all-round performance with 11 points and 4 assists in the first quarter, helping the team score 35 points in a single quarter and establish an 8-point lead. In the second quarter, both sides scored a total of 82 points, and the Nuggets expanded their lead to 10 points. At the beginning of the third quarter, the Nuggets quickly scored 27-17, expanding their lead to 20 points. It should be noted that the Nuggets scored over 100 points in just two and a half quarters. Although the 76ers tried to catch up later, the Nuggets did not give them any chance and easily won at home. Jokic once again achieved a triple-double today. In the entire game, Jokic played for 30 minutes, shooting 10 of 15, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc and 5 of 5 from the free throw line, totaling 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. This is Jokic's 19th triple-double this season, and he has also achieved a triple-double in four consecutive games, continuing to rank first in the league. At the same time, this is also Jokic's 149th career triple-double, continuing to rank third in NBA history, only behind his teammate Westbrook and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. It should be noted that Jokic's career triple-double ratio reached 20.8%, ranking first in NBA history! Westbrook continued to start today, playing…

On January 22nd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Lakers defeat the Wizards at home. LeBron James played for 35 minutes, shooting 8 of 18 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three-point range, scoring 21 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 13 assists, making 2 steals, and blocking 1 shot, with 5 turnovers and a +19 plus-minus rating. The 40-year-old James set multiple records in this game, leading the Lakers to victory while also contributing to the Wizards' 11th consecutive loss. Facing the Wizards, who are ranked last in the league, James focused on organizing the offense at the start of the game, assisting Rui Hachimura for an easy score. When opportunities arose, he responded with strong counterattacks. In the final stages of the first quarter, James made a long pass to assist JaVale McGee for an alley-oop dunk. In the first quarter, James went 2 for 4 from the field, scoring 4 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing out 3 assists, but missed both of his three-point attempts. In the second quarter, James finally made his first three-pointer, helping the Lakers gain the upper hand. Despite the Wizards' counterattack, James scored with mid-range shots and completed an unreasonable dunk over Jonas Valanciunas, converting it into a 2+1 play. He celebrated by shaking his shoulders on the spot, causing excitement on the Lakers' bench, with Bronny James covering his head in disbelief. James continued to score, helping the team widen the gap, and at halftime, the Lakers led 59-49, a 10-point advantage. In the first half,…

Guangdong offers a quote for the abandoned Rockets player, Xu Li uses Zhou Qi to waste! Jiao Boqiao's season is written off, Liao Saning returns

The Clippers lost 99-112 to the Bulls today, ending their four-game winning streak. However, they remain in fifth place in the Western Conference, with the gap between them and the Lakers closing to 1.5 games. Today's loss isn't a big deal for the Clippers, considering that Leonard and Zubac didn't play. These are key players, and Zubac's impact in the paint is irreplaceable by Bamba. Despite Bamba starting and playing well with Harden due to his ability to space the floor and shoot threes, he later became somewhat ineffective. Bamba couldn't hurt the Bulls' interior defense, and relying on outside shooting alone won't defeat them. Moreover, the Clippers struggled to contain LaVine, who was unstoppable even against the Celtics. LaVine scored 35 points, shooting 11 of 21 from the field and 5 of 12 from three-point range. The Clippers' main issue is not only the absence of two key players but also their lack of energy. Harden, in particular, played 40 minutes against the Lakers and then logged 30 minutes in just three quarters today. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes, shooting 5 of 17 from the field, 3 of 13 from three-point range, and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line, with 5 turnovers. In two consecutive games, Harden played a total of 76 minutes. The Clippers' loss to the Bulls is understandable given Harden's workload. He refuses to rest, as Tyronn Lue pointed out, citing the team's lack of energy and softness in today's game. When discussing Harden, Lue mentioned fatigue…