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Although they don't necessarily represent a team's true strength, it's also the most relatively objective perspective.
The reason they are optimistic about the Bulls is also quite simple. The Bulls themselves are a very young team. The oldest of the five starters is Laga Bell, born in 1976, currently 30 years old. Tyson Chandler is under 25.
The remaining three, Wang Chong, Luol Deng, and Monta Ellis, are just over 20 and are in their prime. Every season is a stage for them to accumulate valuable playing experience and improve their skills.
So there's no doubt that the Bulls should be stronger this season than they were last.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are different. Although they've gained considerable assets and the team's defensive ability has improved significantly, it remains to be seen what level the Cavaliers' second top scorer, Larry Hughes, can play at as he recovers from an injury. His injury remains a question mark, so it's reasonable to rank the Cavaliers behind the Bulls.
The preseason has ended, and the Bulls' first regular-season game will be held on October 31. Their opponent is last season's Eastern Conference Finals opponent, the Miami Heat.
On October 30, the entire Bulls team flew to Miami and began preparing for the opening game.
Although it was an away game, the Bulls had no intention of giving up. On the contrary, they planned to take revenge for last season's Eastern Conference Finals in this game. They were not intimidated by the Heat's title as defending champions.
This is also the benefit of a young team: they won't be discouraged or give up just because of one or two failures.
People expected this rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals to be a close battle, but no one expected the Heat to melt down as soon as the two teams faced off.
The Bulls took the first quarter 26:16 and the second 35:14.
By halftime, the Bulls were already leading by 29 points (59:30).
The Heat were completely stunned by the Bulls. They didn't react until the second half but were ultimately defeated. They lost 108:66 at home by 42 points.
The Bulls' revenge was intense, completely ruthless, and bloody.
Not to mention the Heat and major media outlets, even the Bulls themselves were a bit confused.
What's happening? Is the defending champion really this weak?
Others may not understand the situation, but Wang Chong knows it well, and that result was no surprise at all.
Although the Heat's lineup hasn't changed much compared to last season, the Heat, with many veterans like O'Neal, Mourning, and Gary Payton, weaken with each additional season due to the aging of their veterans.
The most critical factor is O'Neal's declining condition.
O'Neal himself is not a disciplined player. He's often criticized for not training seriously and being lazy. Although he previously had the goal of winning a championship, O'Neal could barely keep himself in check.
But after winning the championship last season and completing his obsession with slapping the Lakers, O'Neal started to completely let go. Over just one offseason, O'Neal gained a lot of weight, and his competitive state was ridiculously poor. He ran a bit on the court and was already out of breath.
In the Heat, there are more players like O'Neal in a similar situation. As a result, after the entire game, the only player on the team to score in double figures was Wade, who made 10 of 15 shots and scored 25 points.
Wade, who is in the same period of rising strength as the Bulls' key players, is certainly not as weak as O'Neal and others, but when he's the only one who can score consistently, he's still alone and can only watch the Heat suffer a massacre.
For the Bulls, Wang Chong didn't push too hard in the game. He made 10 of 18 shots, 3 of 5 three-pointers, and 6 of 6 free throws, scoring 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, which was relatively normal.
But the performances of other Bulls players were quite striking, especially Luol Deng in the forward position. In this game, the Heat relied on the old and slow O'Neal inside, frequently cutting to the basket and scoring off-ball plays. Deng made 9 of 12 shots in the game, 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 20 points and 6 rebounds.
In addition to Luol Deng, Ellis, Chandler, and others also performed well. Five Bulls players scored in double figures and played a very intense game.
After an away victory against the Heat that shocked everyone, the Bulls immediately headed to Orlando to challenge the Magic.
The 2006-07 season can be considered the season of the Magic's rise. In Howard's third season, he's been able to average 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. With capable players like Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, it's no surprise that the Magic returned to the playoffs with a regular-season record of 40 wins and 42 losses.
However, the Magic's strength at this stage is still limited. Howard is not yet the monster who will later rival James in his prime. His defensive level in the paint is about the same as Chandler's, and the two teams' outside setups are completely different.
With a score of 104:89, the Bulls won another road game and marked their second consecutive victory.
On November 3, the Bulls finally returned to their home court to face the Sacramento Kings.
By the 2006-07 season, the Kings were no longer the Kings who dominated the league with their magnificent Princeton system a few years ago. The only players from that period are Mike Bibby and Brad Miller, though they have other players like Artest and Kevin Martin. However, they are definitely not a strong team.
Defeating such an opponent won't be difficult for the Bulls, who are so impressive.
With a score of 96:88, the Bulls won the game on their home court and also achieved three consecutive victories at the start of the new season.
The Bulls started the new season in unexpectedly hot form. Defeating the Magic and the Kings was one thing, but winning their opening game by 42 points against the Heat on the road really scared the entire league.
After all, the Heat are the defending champions. To beat them by 42 points is shocking.
The Bulls don't seem to care. A group of young players lead the team, and the more they win, the more powerful they become.
On November 6, the Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 110:85 at home. It was another big victory, pushing their regular-season record directly to 4 wins and 0 losses.
However, the next opponent won't be so easy to deal with.
The Bulls' opponent in the fifth round of the regular season is the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team at the center of the much-anticipated 23VS24 showdown at the start of the new season.
The Cavaliers' start to the regular season can only be considered average. They easily won their first game, followed by two consecutive victories. However, in their next two games, the Cavaliers lost to the Spurs and the Hawks, suffering two consecutive losses, bringing their record to 2 wins and 2 losses.
The game against the Cavaliers is also the Cavaliers' fifth-round matchup.
Both Cavaliers fans and those in Cleveland place great importance on this game.
There's no choice but to pay attention. In the regular season and playoffs last season, the Cavaliers didn't win a single game against the Bulls and were swept by them.
Cavaliers fans may be able to accept the team's failure, but it's still a bit uncomfortable to lose so miserably to the new Bulls, also led by a supernova.
So when the Cavaliers acquired Ben Wallace during the offseason, the first thing many fans thought was that they would finally get revenge on the Bulls this season.
The Cavaliers' star, James, is also full of confidence about this; otherwise, he wouldn't have declared that they would take the first seed in the Eastern Conference before the new season even began.
Though the regular season didn't start well, with a record of only 2 wins and 2 losses, it's just the beginning. As the season progresses, the team's chemistry will improve sooner or later.
The first game of the new season against the Bulls is still being played on their home court. The Cavaliers must win this game no matter what, and James cannot accept continuing to lose to Wang Chong.
But Wang Chong says that winning or losing doesn't really depend on you.
If the Cavaliers had gotten Duncan or Garnett this summer, Wang Chong might not have been so confident about defeating James. Either of those two top players in the league would have been unimaginably terrifying.
But they got Ben Wallace. Are they really treating Ben like a treasure? Even if he was once dominant, Ben's truly powerful period is over. What can a player who can only handle defensive tasks do on the court?
As the Cavaliers prepare, Wang Chong is also ready to wake up the Cavaliers fans who are still dreaming.
——November 9, Quicken Loans Center Arena in Cleveland, Cavaliers vs. Bulls.
The Bulls' starting lineup has remained unchanged for a long time. They're still the same five key players from last season: point guard Monta Ellis, shooting guard Laga Bell, small forward Luol Deng, power forward Wang Chong, and center Tyson Chandler.
The Cavaliers put forth an interesting lineup.
Point guard Eric Snow, shooting guard Larry Hughes, small forward LeBron James, power forward Drew Gooden, and center Ben Wallace.
The game began amidst the shouting of the Cleveland fans. The Cavaliers won the jump ball, and the first possession was held by the home team.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
End of this chapter
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