Chapter 73: Wang Chong vs. Wade, A Battle Between Comrades
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Especially in this game, Wang Chong faced off against the Spurs' perimeter defensive specialist, Bruce Bowen, known as the "natural crippled foot."
The term "natural crippled foot" does not mean Bowen had physical problems, but rather that many famous players were tripped by him and even saw their careers jeopardized. This list includes the likes of Vince Carter, the half-man, half-amazing, and Yao Ming's elder brother, Steve Francis.
Apart from various dirty tricks like tripping and elbowing, Bowen was also a defensive master. Despite his average physical fitness, his basketball IQ was extremely high, and he knew how to use both the rules and borderline moves to limit his opponents' offensive potential.
To be honest, Wang Chong was somewhat nervous when facing Bowen.
Wang Chong's offensive style relied heavily on mid-range jump shots, which were nearly impossible to guard against given Bowen's height of 2.01 meters. However, if Bowen couldn't defend, there was a high chance he would resort to foul play, potentially injuring his opponent.
Wang Chong's injury resistance, or his overall durability rating, stood at 88. While not low, it was still nowhere near the level of LeBron James, who was almost invulnerable.
Therefore, Wang Chong was extremely cautious with his shot selection when attacking, especially when it came to landing after jumping. Every time he took a shot, he first observed Bowen's movements carefully.
This approach did not affect Wang Chong's offensive efficiency. His outstanding shooting percentage of 6 out of 9 in the game was a clear testament to this.
The main issue Wang Chong faced in this game was that he couldn't get his hands on the ball when he was in an open position during critical moments.
Even though Wang Chong's performances in the previous few games had been eye-catching, when faced with a strong opponent and the game was locked in a stalemate or at a disadvantage, both O'Neal and Kobe, as well as Payton and Malone, were more inclined to trust themselves over the rookie Wang Chong.
This tendency was particularly evident in overtime.
Throughout the overtime period, Kobe went 1-for-4, O'Neal went 0-for-2, and Malone went 1-for-3, while Wang Chong didn't get a single chance to shoot.
If the problem was with Wang Chong himself, he could find a way to solve it.
But the problem clearly didn't lie with Wang Chong, and that made it more challenging.
A good cook can't work without ingredients. This was evident when facing the Spurs, and it could become even more apparent when facing the Pistons in the Finals.
Because in the Finals, not only would they face the Pistons, whose defense was even stronger than the Spurs, but they'd also have to contend with Kobe, who was eager to win the Finals MVP and would likely make aggressive shot attempts to do so.
"It seems that even with the Lakers' F4 lineup in the 2003-04 season, winning the championship may not be an easy feat."
The Lakers were quite disappointed with their loss to the Spurs, but it was not entirely unacceptable. After all, the Lakers' F4 combination had just been formed, and the new season had barely begun. With less than a month in, the team was still going through a period of adjustment, and the full potential of all the stars had yet to be realized. As the season progressed into the middle and late stages, there could be two possible outcomes.
In the subsequent games, the Lakers resumed their winning streak, defeating the Hornets, Grizzlies, Raptors, and other teams in succession. On November 14, in a home game against the Detroit Pistons, they defeated them 94-89.
However, no one paid much attention to the Pistons at this point.
Although the team had reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the last playoffs, they were swept 4-0 by the Nets led by Kidd.
And let's not forget that the Nets were the team the Lakers had swept 4-0 in an earlier season.
So why would the Lakers fear a team that couldn't even beat the Brooklyn Nets?
Lakers fans likely never imagined that their proud F4 lineup would fall to this underdog team they had underestimated in the Finals.
On November 16, the Lakers faced the Miami Heat at home.
This time, Wang Chong would finally share the court with his old teammate, Dwyane Wade.
Like Wang Chong, Wade of the Heat had also put on an impressive display.
The Heat—or more specifically, Pat Riley—had high hopes for Wade, allowing him to start in his first game and giving him plenty of shot opportunities.
Wade played for 41 minutes in his debut, shooting 8-for-18 and scoring a team-high 18 points, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. While his debut was not as impressive as those of Wang Chong or LeBron James, he was certainly on par with Carmelo Anthony.
In the following games, Wade maintained steady stats of 16+4+4, with a shooting percentage of 46%, higher than those of James and Anthony, and certainly better than the percentages of his two older teammates, Eddie Jones and Lamar Odom.
Therefore, after more than half a month of the regular season, Wade had solidified himself as the fourth-best player in the 2003 rookie class, behind only Wang Chong, James, and Anthony. His upcoming matchup with Wang Chong was highly anticipated.
The day before the game, Wang Chong invited Wade to a lavish dinner in Los Angeles.
As former college teammates and clients of the same agent, the two naturally shared a close bond. Wang Chong, who was well aware of Wade's generosity and loyalty to his friends, was more than happy to maintain a good relationship with him.
The NBA is not just a business league; it's also a place where personal relationships matter. Having more friends means having more pathways.
However, when Wade saw Wang Chong, his expression was rather complex.
"I didn't expect you to improve so fast," Wade said, shaking his head with a sigh.
During their NCAA days, Wang Chong had been considered Wade's "little brother." When they played one-on-one, Wang Chong almost never won and was often helping Wade and doing the supporting work on the team.
Who would have thought that from the end of the NCAA Finals to the draft and then to the start of the NBA regular season, Wang Chong's strength seemed to have skyrocketed, surpassing even his own.
After half a month into the regular season, Wang Chong was averaging 18.6 points and 6 rebounds per game, shooting 52%. His offensive style was simple and efficient but difficult to defend against.
Even Wade, after watching Wang Chong's NBA game videos, felt that his former "little brother" had become stronger than him.
He couldn't figure out how Wang Chong had managed it. After much thought, he could only attribute it to raw talent. Wang Chong was young, had enviable static athleticism, and his growth potential was limitless.
"I'm sorry, but I think the victory in this game will be ours," Wang Chong said to Wade with a smile.
The strength disparity between the Heat and the Lakers was obvious. The two teams weren't even on the same level, and with the game being played at the Lakers' home court, the Heat had almost no chance.
"Not necessarily. Even if you win, it'll be the Lakers' victory, not yours," Wade replied with a nonchalant smile.
"How about this game? Let's see who performs better on the court?"
Although the two had a good relationship, they were also competitors in the league. A bit of healthy competition could help both of them improve and become better players.
Wang Chong readily agreed to Wade's challenge.
"Alright, let's have a competition."
End of this chapter
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