Chapter 97: Sweeping the Nuggets in the First Round—Are Wang Chong and Wade the Only Ones Left from the 2003 Class?
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As anticipated, Anthony's performance in the first game was dismal. Not only did his team lose, but his individual stats were lackluster as well.
Throughout the game, Anthony shot 6 of 17 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, barely accumulating 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Some of these points came during garbage time in the second half.
Even with these numbers, 19 points was the highest score for the Nuggets. Andre Miller scored 15 points, Earl Boykins added 16, and Marcus Camby, the team's starting center, matched Anthony with 19 points and 8 rebounds.
Coincidentally, Shaquille O'Neal also scored 19 points in this game, though he had even fewer rebounds than Camby, with only 6.
It's not that O'Neal was overshadowed by Camby; the lead was simply too substantial. O'Neal didn't play much in the third quarter and logged just over 30 minutes for the entire game, embodying the classic sentiment:
"You fell down before I even tried to exert any strength."
O'Neal made 8 of 13 shots and scored 17 points in the first half. In the second half, he added just one dunk before stepping aside to watch the rest of the game, highlighting his relaxed approach.
In contrast, Camby only had 8 points and 4 rebounds through the first three quarters but scored 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds during garbage time in the final quarter, finishing with 19 points and 8 rebounds.
The disparity in strength between the teams was glaring, and this was evident in every aspect of the game.
Kobe Bryant made 9 of 20 shots and 8 of 10 free throws, finishing with a game-high 26 points.
Wang Chong made 8 of 14 shots, scoring 21 points with 5 rebounds.
Together, Wang Chong, Kobe, and O'Neal scored 66 points.
The only concern for Lakers fans was the performance of the other two members of the famed F4 combination.
Karl Malone's performance in his first game back from injury was underwhelming. He scored only 7 points on 3 of 14 shooting. Fortunately, his 11 rebounds helped mitigate his poor shooting stats.
Gary Payton also had a lackluster performance, making 4 of 10 shots for 11 points and adding 4 assists.
Despite the underwhelming performances of the two veterans, the Lakers' 35-point victory made their contributions irrelevant.
At this point, Lakers fans hadn't fully grasped that, apart from the OK combination, Malone and Payton were proving to be liabilities. In the 03-04 season, Payton's performance in the playoffs rapidly declined. Over 22 playoff games, he averaged only 7.8 points and 5.3 assists per game with a shooting percentage of 36.6%, a stark contrast to his regular-season performance.
In the Finals, facing the Pistons' Chauncey Billups, Payton was less effective than Derek Fisher. In 5 games, he averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists with a shooting percentage of 32.1%. Malone's stats were not much better, with 5 points, 7 rebounds, and a shooting percentage of 33.3%. This inefficacy contributed significantly to the Lakers' unexpected loss to the Pistons in the Finals.
As the playoffs progressed, Wang Chong had mentally prepared for Malone and Payton potentially underperforming. With the addition of another player to the Lakers' roster, the team could afford to let the two veterans sit and rely on the OK Big Three to compete with any team in the league.
Even with just the OK combination, the Lakers managed to reach the Finals by defeating formidable rivals like the Spurs and Timberwolves.
After losing the first game, the Nuggets aimed to win as many games as possible to avoid a sweep. However, achieving this was far beyond their capability.
On April 21, in the second game, the Lakers defeated the Nuggets again, 95-81. Although the 14-point margin was smaller than the first game, the Nuggets remained powerless to mount a comeback.
In this game, Kobe Bryant excelled with 11 of 17 shooting, scoring 31 points. Shaquille O'Neal added a dominant double-double with 20 points and 22 rebounds.
With the OK combination performing well, the Lakers secured an easy win.
Wang Chong had fewer opportunities to shine in this game, making 7 of 11 shots for 16 points and 4 rebounds.
After two games, the Nuggets finally returned to their home court in Denver, hoping to use the altitude to their advantage and secure a win. However, the opposite occurred.
The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 107-86 and 102-91 in the home games, completing a 4-0 sweep to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Anthony was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career, and his performance in the series was notably poor.
Over the four games, Anthony averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of only 32.8%.
Clearly, Anthony struggled with the increased intensity of the playoffs. Despite his talent and potential, he was still just a rookie.
Wang Chong's performance in the first round was also mediocre. He averaged 16.8 points per game, significantly lower than his regular-season average. However, his shooting percentage remained around 50%, and the lower scoring was mainly due to fewer opportunities as the games were often decided early.
In the playoffs, experienced veterans are generally more reliable than inconsistent rookies. With the OK combination handling the bulk of the scoring, Wang Chong's role was less prominent, which is why his numbers weren't as high.
The Lakers' sweep of the Nuggets wasn't surprising. Many teams achieve 4-0 sweeps in the first round.
In addition to the Lakers, the Spurs also swept the Grizzlies 4-0, advancing to the second round.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers swept the Celtics 4-0, and the Nets swept the Knicks 4-0.
Of the eight East-West matchups in the first round, half ended in 4-0 sweeps, highlighting the significant disparities in team strength.
It's worth noting that Wade's Heat defeated the Hornets 4-3 in the first round, advancing to the second round alongside Wang Chong, surpassing Anthony's team.
In the first round, Wade averaged 15.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, closely mirroring Wang Chong and Anthony. His shooting percentage of 42.4% was slightly better than Anthony's.
After the first round of the playoffs, only three rookie players from the 2003 draft class were still competing: Wang Chong of the Lakers, Wade of the Heat, and Darko Milicic of the Pistons. However, Milicic's presence was minimal. He played only 34 games in the regular season, averaging 4.7 minutes per game with stats of 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons defeated the Bucks 4-1, but Milicic only played in one game for 3 minutes, scoring 1 point with no rebounds or assists. He continued to sit on the bench.
No one is paying much attention to this talented European center who was once considered a threat to James' No. 1 pick status.
End of this chapter
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