บท 68: 8 Points in a Single Quarter, a Perfect Debut Performance
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It's often said that Larry Bird was great at trash-talking, but Wang Chong feels that compared to the future masters of sarcasm on the internet, it's hard to say who would come out on top.
Wang Chong, who has survived the online wars of the future, isn't quite a master of insults like the best keyboard warriors, but for this era, he's definitely more than capable.
Especially when you combine his actions with a verbal counterattack—the taunt is as effective as it can get.
With just a few simple words, Walker found himself in trouble.
"You're looking for trouble, rookie!"
After all, Walker was a three-time All-Star who had once been as famous as Paul Pierce during his Celtics days. How could he tolerate being provoked by a rookie who had just entered the league?
The Mavericks had the ball. As soon as Walker crossed half court, he eagerly signaled for the ball, itching to redeem himself.
Though Wang Chong was a rookie, Walker was a three-time All-Star, and besides Nowitzki, the rest of the Mavericks were a notch below him.
This includes Nash and Michael Finley, who had only been selected to the All-Star Game twice each, and both times as reserves. Walker, on the other hand, was an All-Star starter during the 2001-2002 season, which shows he has quite a fan base.
So, when Walker asked for the ball, Nash obliged.
With the ball at the top of the arc, Walker faced Wang Chong's defense, his face set in determination.
So, how strong is Antoine Walker?
In Wang Chong's opinion: not very strong.
During his years with the Celtics, Walker could average over 20 points and 8 rebounds per game, but as a forward, his shooting percentage hovered just above 40%. In both the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, his shooting percentages were 39.4% and 38.8%, respectively.
This certainly doesn't scream efficiency.
His teammate Paul Pierce, also a forward, averaged over 25 points per game while maintaining a shooting percentage around 44%. That's the difference.
Considering Walker's technical skills, Wang Chong estimated that his overall rating was at most 85, maybe even lower.
Averaging over 20 points and 8 rebounds per game sounds impressive, but both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony did this easily in their rookie seasons, and with better shooting percentages than Walker.
Currently, Wang Chong's overall rating is 83, and with a significant size advantage over Walker, he had no fear facing him.
Faced with Wang Chong's defense, Walker chose to drive to the basket with the ball.
Walker, also known as "Toine," was relatively strong for a forward, but not as strong as people might imagine. His finishing ability at the basket was even worse than his shooting, which is why his shooting percentage was only 38.8% last season.
Wang Chong initiated a physical confrontation and quickly realized that Walker's strength was far from that of LeBron or Carmelo. He could defend him without much trouble.
Wang Chong easily pushed Walker away from the basket.
Realizing he couldn't make it to the basket, Walker stopped, turned, and attempted a jump shot.
He executed the move smoothly; his ball-handling and ability to combine moves were commendable for a forward.
But the only problem was that he was too slow.
As Walker turned and went for the jump shot, Wang Chong was already in position, leaping alongside him and catching his shot mid-air.
A clean block!
A gasp of surprise erupted from the stands. Brutal.
Wang Chong, standing at 2.09 meters, was taller than Walker, who was 2.03 meters. The difference in their wingspans was even more pronounced. To the naked eye, the matchup looked like an inside player taking on an outside player.
Not only that, Wang Chong was faster and could jump higher than Walker. In this situation, attempting a shot in front of Wang Chong was simply asking for it.
It's worth noting that Durant, with similar attributes to Wang Chong, also had a decent shot-blocking ability. After all, with his height and wingspan, Durant averaged 1.1 blocks per game in his career. LeBron James, known for his chase-down blocks, averaged only 0.8 blocks per game.
When it comes to blocking shots, physical attributes often trump athleticism.
"Oh my god!"
Walker was stunned. He hadn't expected Wang Chong to be so relentless. Before he could react, he saw Wang Chong throw the ball forward and sprint towards the Mavericks' backcourt with long strides!
Fast break!
Wang Chong was incredibly fast, especially in a straight-line sprint. With his long legs, his speed was comparable to that of LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Mavericks weren't known for their defense, and there were few players who could match Wang Chong's speed. The only one who had time to get back on defense was Nash, the point guard.
Seeing Wang Chong charging towards him with the ball, Nash had no idea how to stop him. He could only glance at the restricted area, position himself in advance, and stand his ground in front of Wang Chong, hoping that Wang Chong's ball-handling wasn't good enough to change direction on the move and that he would commit an offensive foul.
But Wang Chong wasn't going to fall for it.
His ball-handling ability, rated at 81, was more than sufficient to make adjustments during a fast break.
In a blink, as Wang Chong rushed at Nash, he took a big sidestep, avoiding Nash, then sprinted and took two steps before soaring in for a one-handed tomahawk dunk!
"Bang!"
Although Wang Chong wasn't very strong, the impact from his speed made the rim groan under pressure.
"Wang Chong!!!!"
The DJ roared, and the fans in the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
For a rookie's NBA debut, Wang Chong's performance in these two offensive possessions was flawless and far exceeded expectations.
Wang Chong had managed to dominate an All-Star like Antoine Walker, showing his strength. What else could he do?
Scoring four consecutive points, Wang Chong caused the Mavericks to lose the progress they had painstakingly made in closing the point gap.
But he wasn't finished yet.
With two efficient plays, Wang Chong earned Payton's trust. In the next few plays, Payton frequently passed the ball to Wang Chong to create opportunities. Wang Chong, in return, made 2 of 3 shots.
By the end of the first quarter, Wang Chong had made 4 of 5 shots, scoring 8 points in a single quarter with exceptional efficiency.
On the other hand, Antoine Walker, facing off against Wang Chong, played poorly, scoring only 2 points on 1 of 3 shooting attempts and was completely outplayed.
As a result, the Lakers scored 31 points in the first quarter. Although Nowitzki shot 4 of 8 and made 3 of 4 free throws to score 11 points, the Mavericks, as a team, only managed to score 20 points.
31:20, an 11-point lead that left Lakers fans pleasantly surprised.
Facing last year's Western Conference Finalists, the Mavericks, the Lakers were cruising without Kobe, and Wang Chong's 8 points in a single quarter played a crucial role!
End of this chapter
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