Kerr is a very qualified combo guard, capable of both individual offense and playmaking, physically strong, and tough on the defensive end.

His only flaw is his height of only 1.88 meters, which limits his ceiling.

But he's more than capable as a backup point guard.

Moreover, this trade also allowed the Pelicans to send away Stiemsma, who rarely got playing time, freeing up a roster spot and enhancing the team's flexibility for roster improvements.

Overall, the Pelicans didn't lose out on this trade.

The day after the trade, Roberts came to the locker room to pack his things and prepare to leave.

His teammates came to say goodbye one after another.

Roberts and Rivers both had obvious shortcomings, but Rivers had recently been squeezed out of the rotation, making his trade value basically non-existent. Plus, he was a lottery pick, and the team still wanted to see if they could develop him further. So, they traded Roberts, who had been in better form recently and was also more cost-effective.

Although the Pelicans' record was only average, the team atmosphere was very good, and the teammates were reluctant to see anyone go.

"Thank you, Tang, I will always remember you."

Roberts gave Tang Tian an extra thank you before leaving. He had only played for the Pelicans for half a season, and he felt a little indebted for taking Tang Tian's Ferrari.

"Me too, I wish you good luck with the Bobcats."

Tang Tian didn't mind, and sent his blessings to Roberts in the same way.

Although the NBA is a business league, players are still people after all, and the feelings and friendships between them will last a lifetime, which cannot be measured by money.

"Oh, right, you must drop my name when you go to Charlotte. Kemba is my brother."

Tang Tian didn't forget to pat him on the shoulder as a reminder.

Roberts nodded gratefully, feeling that Tang Tian was more than just a teammate to him, but a true friend.

The day after Roberts was traded, Kerr passed his physical and reported to the Pelicans.

"This is my friend, don't bully him."

As soon as Kerr entered the locker room, Tang Tian put his arm around his shoulder and said to the other players with a smile.

This was to say he was looking out for him.

The Pelicans players all took the initiative to say hello.

The team leader had said he was a friend, so they definitely had to greet him warmly.

Kerr felt an unspeakable sense of gratitude at this time.

His biggest connection with Tang Tian was only participating in the Heat's tryouts together, but he was being taken care of so much. It really gave him the feeling of wanting to give his all for him.

Tang Tian saw that kind of look in his eyes and smiled as he patted him on the shoulder.

"There's no infighting on this team, just the simplest kind of basketball, you'll love it here."

He continued.

He knew that Kerr was a good person, and also had good strength, so it was worth it to win him over as a follower with one simple move.

Kerr participated in the team's practice on his first day reporting to the team.

His performance left a deep impression on his teammates.

Especially during the full-court scrimmage, even though it was only his first day, he did a great job with the team's offensive movement.

And more importantly, the defense he displayed.

His 1.88-meter frame managed to put out the defensive energy of a 1.98-meter player, which was exactly what the team's bench needed.

"We got a steal."

At the end of practice, Williams turned to Borego and said with a smile.

You could hear from his words that he was very satisfied with Kerr.

With Kerr and Whiteside, as if by some stroke of fate, the Pelicans' bench, which was originally very weak, had been strengthened in just one week.

Now they could really push for a good position in the playoffs.

In the following week, the Pelicans welcomed a sweet schedule of three consecutive home games.

On February 25th, they faced the Cavaliers at home.

The Cavaliers' strength was average, and the Pelicans' morale was high. They ultimately defeated their opponents 110-94, extending their winning streak to a season-high six games.

Williams tasted the sweetness of the last game, and in this game, he let Tang Tian go all out again.

As a result, Tang Tian scored 32 points in three quarters, directly turning the last quarter into garbage time.

Kerr had 8 points and 3 assists, and his debut performance was also very good.

However, Whiteside, who had performed well in the last game, didn't play well in this game, contributing only 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but with 4 fouls.

It seemed he still had a lot of room for improvement.

At the end of the game, Irving, who had scored 30 points, was a little frustrated.

He was the first overall pick, and Tang Tian was a second-round pick. The two had a difference of one round in their draft position, but Tang Tian was doing much better than him now.

And weren't they supposed to be little partners who trained hard together in the offseason? He was really coming down hard!

"Cheer up, Kyrie, maybe you'll have strong teammates next season."

Tang Tian silently patted Irving on the head to encourage him.

In history, James went to the Cavaliers next season. Although history had changed, and the Heat looked like they had a good chance of winning the championship this season, what if?

Nobody knew what would happen in the future!

Irving shook his head with a wry smile.

Besides believing what Tang Tian said, what else could he do? He couldn't beat him anyway, so he was the boss.

After finishing with the Cavaliers, the Pelicans followed up by playing the Bobcats.

The Bobcats were currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference. Walker hadn't been selected for the All-Star game, but he was finally about to fulfill his promise from the offseason to lead the team into the playoffs.

The game was very tense, and remained deadlocked until the end.

Tang Tian played the role of clutch performer himself this time, scoring 7 consecutive points at the end to kill the game.

He scored 41 points, his seventh 40+ game of the season.

Walker had 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, and his mood was almost identical to Irving's before.

What happened to being little partners?

Why did it feel like he was being ravaged by Tang Tian!

Oh, right, I haven't settled the score with you for saying my dribbling was like yours last time!

Treat me to a meal, a treat that can't be forgiven if you don't!

One meal slightly comforted Walker's injured heart.

But the good news was, he wasn't the last one.

Two days after finishing their game with the Bobcats, the Pelicans welcomed their second game of the season against the Warriors.

The last time, Tang Tian scored a career-high 44 points to beat the Warriors, and this time, both Thompson and the Warriors wanted to get their revenge.

But Tang Tian once again became their nemesis, scoring 39 points to help the Pelicans win the game 109-100.

Thompson, who was matched up against Tang Tian in this game, was blown out by Tang Tian for the nth time, scoring only 11 points and 3 rebounds, and committing 3 turnovers!

His experience was even more thorough than Irving and Walker.

It was like a 1000-meter race. He wasn't far behind at the start, and he was determined to surpass him.

But after 400 meters, he was gradually being pulled away, and at this time, he wanted to catch up with all his might.

But now at 800 meters, he could barely see Tang Tian's figure anymore.

They had trained together, and he had even changed his habit of going to nightclubs, but he still couldn't stop the gap from widening little by little. This feeling was truly despairing!