章節 121: James Was Named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Is He Good Again?
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The popularity of the Kobe-Wang combination has far surpassed and even crushed the Yao-McGrady duo in terms of attention. It's not an exaggeration at all.
McGrady, despite winning two scoring titles, has never had as many fans, especially compared to Kobe, who has four championships in the last five years. Plus, the Rockets' performance isn't even close to the Lakers'. Over their last 10 games, the Rockets managed just 4 wins and 6 losses, putting them outside the top ten in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Lakers, after defeating the Suns, have solidified their spot as the second-best team in the West.
Casual fans naturally gravitate towards a winning team over a losing one. And the Lakers have been a Western Conference powerhouse in recent years, winning four championships in five years and establishing themselves as a dynasty. They're easily the most popular team in the NBA.
The Rockets, on the other hand, have barely been competitive, despite having the first Chinese No. 1 pick. Yao Ming certainly brought a significant number of Chinese fans to the Rockets. Even after Yao retires, the Rockets will remain popular among Chinese fans... until certain controversies arise.
In the 2004-05 season, the Rockets were actually pretty decent. Despite a slow start due to chemistry issues, the team found its rhythm as the season progressed. The Yao-McGrady combination was solid, with McGrady averaging 25.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, while Yao contributed 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. With multiple players scoring in double digits, the Rockets finished the regular season with a 51-31 record, placing fifth in the Western Conference.
They fought hard in the first round of the playoffs against the Mavericks, going to seven games before being eliminated, a loss that was seen as respectable.
But at the beginning of this season, the Lakers' on-court performance has far outshone the Rockets'. Even though they lost one game to the Rockets, most people consider the Lakers a far superior team.
Especially after their win against the Suns, the Lakers embarked on another winning streak.
From November 21 to November 30, their opponents included the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Hornets, and a second matchup with the Bucks. The only challenging team in that group was the Kings.
But this version of the Kings is not the powerhouse they once were. While their core players from their Princeton offense peak, like Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic, are still around, they're all past their prime, and the team's strength has clearly diminished. They managed a 50-32 record in the 2004-05 season, but by the 2005-06 season, after Webber's departure, their record slipped to 44 wins. By the 2006-07 season, they fell out of the playoff picture, starting a 17-year stretch of missing the playoffs entirely.
The Lakers' game against the Kings was relatively easy.
They won 115-99, a 16-point blowout.
Kobe led with 31 points, and Wang Chong added 27. The Kings had no answer for the Kobe-Wang duo, either in the backcourt or the frontcourt.
This victory extended the Lakers' winning streak to seven games, which finally ended on December 1 with a road loss to the Bulls, 84-92.
Throughout November, the Lakers went 13-2, briefly overtaking the Spurs (12-3) and the Suns (11-4) for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Kobe was named Western Conference Player of the Month for November, with averages of 28 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists across 15 games. He edged out Steve Nash, who averaged 16 points and 11.4 assists per game.
In the East, James was named Player of the Month, leading the Cavaliers to a 9-5 record while averaging 26.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
In just his second season, James was already proving to be a top superstar. His numbers would only improve as the season progressed, potentially reaching 27 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game by the end of the season. However, despite his stellar individual performance, James couldn't lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs. In that sense, he and Kobe, who also had impressive individual stats in the Western Conference, were both star players struggling to get their teams to the postseason.
With the Player of the Month award and solid team performance, James' fans began boasting about his achievements again.
Wang Chong's November performance wasn't far behind, though. In 15 games, he averaged 26.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, shooting 51% from the field. He outperformed James in scoring and rebounding but lagged slightly in assists.
Yet none of that mattered. Wang Chong had overshadowed James in nearly every way, particularly during the Olympics, where James was relegated to Wang's backup and could barely make an impact.
Now that James was finally receiving some recognition, his fans were eager to celebrate.
But Wang Chong didn't care.
If someone is excited about winning Player of the Month, it just means they haven't reached a higher level.
Instead of comparing himself to James, Wang Chong was more focused on improving his game.
As the schedule shifted to December, the Lakers' record began to fluctuate, and they were no longer as dominant as they were in November.
After losing to the Bulls on December 1, the Lakers bounced back with a 97-88 home win against the Warriors. However, they soon fell to the Suns, losing 110-113 at home.
This game was particularly frustrating.
The Lakers stuck with their small-ball lineup against the Suns, with Odom starting at center. The game was neck-and-neck, and the Lakers nearly pulled out a victory.
But Kobe fell apart in the crucial moments, shooting 1 for 7 in the fourth quarter and scoring only 3 points. Despite his cold shooting, he continued to force shots, ignoring Wang Chong, who was open and in rhythm.
Wang Chong, being from the future, understood Kobe's tendencies well. He knew why Kobe suddenly lost control during the game.
The reason was Joe Johnson from the Suns, who had a great game, shooting 10 for 19 from the field, 5 for 7 from three, and finishing with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists. Kobe, feeling frustrated that he couldn't shut down Johnson, decided to prove himself by forcing shots in the fourth quarter.
This mindset was as immature as a three-year-old's, but it was quintessential Kobe.
Even after winning five championships and establishing himself as the best in the league, Kobe would still have moments where he took too many shots just to one-up a certain player.
In fact, other Lakers players were shooting well in this game. Wang Chong finished with 24 points on 48% shooting. Odom and Chris Mihm each scored 18 points, shooting over 60%. The team led through the first three quarters, making the loss all the more disappointing.
End of this chapter
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Chugamc
Chugamc Hi guys this is Chuga. If you read this far and liked it you can leave comments, stones and reviews which is very important for a new translator / author.
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