NBA: The Basketball Miracle

Chapter 508 508: The Limitations of MVP (2994 words)

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As the regular season drew to a close, the Dallas Mavericks surged ahead, and their excellent record led to increasing calls for Dirk Nowitzki to win the MVP award.

Last season, the recipient, Tim Duncan, was truly disappointing.

After all, major sports media outlets had heavily promoted a showdown between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, only for the newly crowned MVP to fall in the semifinals.

It's important to create a rival.

After realizing that most Eastern Conference teams were completely underperforming, no one expected the New York Knicks to stumble.

Dwyane Wade's shoulder injury recurred in late February, with a high probability of him being out for the season.

In this situation, relying solely on Old Shark, the Heat had officially fallen behind.

As for the Cavaliers, who were firmly in second place in the Eastern Conference, their constipated offense in certain games was truly frustrating to watch.

LeBron James hadn't yet entered his prime, and his finishing ability around the rim still had significant issues.

With no real rivals in the Eastern Conference, many basketball commentators turned their attention to the Dallas Mavericks.

It wasn't that Dirk Nowitzki was ridiculously strong, but rather that their record was simply too outstanding!

On the evening of March 6th, the Dallas Mavericks easily defeated the Nets 89-102 at home, bringing their record to 51 wins and 9 losses!

Coincidentally, that same night, the New York Knicks lost to the Washington Wizards on the road, bringing their record to 59 wins and 3 losses.

As for why they lost, the main reason was that Lee took time off to care for Krysten Ritter, as her pregnancy symptoms were more severe than expected.

With no pressure on the schedule, it was a good opportunity for him to rest for a few days.

Theoretically, the Dallas Mavericks still had a chance to surpass the New York Knicks.

Head Coach Avery Johnson, in a post-game interview, once again emphasized the team's goal:

"We don't want to start on the road in the Finals. Although we'll have three consecutive home games afterward, last year's experience was a lesson."

"Now is not the time to relax. My goal is the same as the players'—we want to secure home-court advantage!"

At the American Airlines Arena, 20,000 fans continued to cheer for the home team after the game.

Their excellent record once again boosted the Dallas Mavericks' attendance this season, proving that Mark Cuban's investment was well spent.

Unlike Clay Lee, who focused on simplification this season, Dirk Nowitzki, having experienced the baptism of the Finals, began to control the ball more to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.

How to deal with double teams was an important skill Dirk Nowitzki had been practicing this season.

The German was very satisfied with the current team atmosphere, noting that achieving such a record in the Western Conference was more difficult than for the New York Knicks.

After coasting through the All-Star Weekend, Dirk Nowitzki got a short haircut.

When interviewed by an ESPN reporter, the German was optimistic and confident:

"I think we've entered another level. We didn't play well in the first half tonight, but at halftime, I told everyone we would win the game."

"Give the ball to me and Terry, and we can handle everything. We are more mature than last year, and now everyone just wants to get home-court advantage!"

Thanks to their explosive performance in the third and fourth quarters, the Dallas Mavericks turned the game around.

Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki both scored 24 points, and for this game, the German wasn't exaggerating.

The ESPN reporter quickly brought up the changes in the MVP rankings, smiling as he asked about the standings:

"Dirk, congratulations on reaching the top spot in the MVP rankings!"

"We all know many commentators are calling for you to win the award. What are your thoughts on this, with Lee currently in second place?"

The MVP is considered the highest honor of the regular season, and no one would refuse this award.

Dirk Nowitzki was no exception.

He truly desired to win:

"You know, Lee is on another level. I feel honored to be discussed alongside him."

"But I think I deserve an MVP. The Dallas Mavericks will win at least 65 games, and I won't disappoint this award."

With the MVP honor, he would once again challenge the defending champions.

The script was set, just waiting for Dirk Nowitzki to lead his team to end the New York Knicks' consecutive championships.

On Thursday, March 8th, TNT's program also began to hype up the new MVP.

The Dallas Mavericks had a very high chance of reaching 65 wins, making Dirk Nowitzki a deserving recipient of the award.

The Phoenix Suns had fallen behind after the All-Star Game, with a record of 46 wins and 14 losses.

Steve Nash could only occupy the third position in the MVP rankings.

Commentators had mixed opinions about this core guard.

The boost Amare Stoudemire brought to the team was clearly visible, and the New York Knicks' championship experience seemed to play a greater role.

In the studio, after discussing the surging Dallas Mavericks, the three began to joke about Rajon Rondo.

Gilbert Arenas finally got the better of the Rookie.

The ripple effect of a core guard lacking shooting ability was that Grant Hill and Ron Artest also struggled with their shots.

The bench unit of Raja Bell, Finley, and Tayshaun Prince also couldn't find their rhythm.

Coach DAntoni's tactical limitations were completely exposed.

In crunch time, the fluid offense turned into Pau Gasol's isolation plays, which seemed no different from other teams.

After all, most teams in the league start from the low post, and one-on-four isolation is the most common tactic.

In the studio, the director deliberately edited some game clips, mostly focusing on Rajon Rondo's choices after pick-and-rolls.

Gilbert Arenas defended by going under screens the entire game, and this newly minted All-Star locked down the Rookie.

A typical offensive sequence was when Pau Gasol received the ball in the left low post and was double-teamed by Gilbert Arenas.

After passing out and in, Rajon Rondo's driving floater missed.

This kind of possession would never happen when Derek Fisher was playing off the bench.

Whether it went in or not, Old Fish would just shoot the ball as soon as he got it.

"It seems we've all forgotten one thing: no tactic is perfect."

"Coach DAntoni's system relies heavily on the core point guard. Even if he reduced Clay Lee's usage rate this season, it doesn't change that fact."

"Of course, I won't be harsh on the Rookie. Rajon Rondo sees opportunities, and he is undoubtedly an excellent point guard. In comparison, Chris Paul is more suited for this system."

Kenny Smith analyzed the tactics seriously, and also briefly mentioned the Rookie Challenge.

During All-Star Weekend, the Rookies just went for it.

Rajon Rondo's performance was mediocre.

His individual stats and on-court performance were completely overshadowed by the record-breaking Chris Paul.

Charles Barkley, however, was unimpressed by his colleague's analysis.

He didn't care about the details.

8 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers—in his eyes, those stats were unacceptable:

"Kenny is right, but Clay Lee shows no signs of decline. Perhaps his body won't start to decline until he's 33."

"So, the tactical limitations simply don't exist for Coach DAntoni."

"What I'm more concerned about is the award selection process. Dirk Nowitzki has performed very well, but for the past two years, everyone's selection seems to be deliberately avoiding Clay Lee, and the MVP is losing its fairness."

Ernie Johnson glanced at his rambling colleague.

In fact, this award has always been like this.

It's a result of the league's star-making efforts:

"If the Dallas Mavericks get 65 wins, I support Dirk Nowitzki winning the award. A historical record deserves the recognition."

"As for Clay Lee, I believe he won't care about losing a trophy. Facing an MVP-level opponent might even make him happier."

There were too many trophies, and most people couldn't empathize with Lee.

Charles Barkley was one of them.

Thinking of a three-peat MVP, he instantly became envious again:

Clay Lee has almost won everything.

Lakers fans are still celebrating Kobe's 18,000 points, which is commendable, but Lee already reached 20,000 points long ago.

I feel bad for the players of the '96 draft class.

Their brilliance has been overshadowed by Lee.

After the Lakers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road last night, they suffered their fifth consecutive loss, making Kobe's milestone-turned-misery even worse.

After flying to Philadelphia on the afternoon of the 9th, Kobe threw himself back into the training.

With the team losing, no one paid attention to him anymore, and the MVP was out of his reach.

Derek Fisher, however, has been in a good mood these past two days.

The Philadelphia Inquirer was also poking fun at Rajon Rondo.

In fact, news about the New York Knicks was more popular than news about the 76ers.

For Philadelphia fans, waking up basically meant another big loss.

No one expected much from the 76ers' games.

Phil Jackson, as a Champion Coach, was also keeping up with the times, but unfortunately, he had no one under him, so even if he wanted to adopt some of New York's tactics, the effect wasn't very good.

Because the locker room had long been divided, Kobe practiced alone on the half-court, with only his old teammate Derek Fisher by his side.

"Derek, how does Lee plan his training during the regular season?"

Kobe, who had been silently shooting, suddenly asked a question in a low voice, which startled Derek Fisher, who was accompanying him.

The Old Fish subconsciously rubbed his bald head, really not wanting to discourage his teammate:

"There will be fixed shooting and ball-handling training every day, not just our ordinary shooting, but more strength training followed by specific drills."

Derek Fisher talked nonsense for a while.

The New York Knicks would lighten their load when the schedule was dense.

Aside from the atmosphere group vying for roster spots, the veterans focused more on recovery training.

In fact, after returning to the Lakers, the high-pressure management from the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man and Kobe made the Old Fish a bit unaccustomed.

Seeing his old teammate's sincere expression, Kobe didn't say anything, just nodded silently.

He had always believed that trainer Tim Grover hadn't fully unleashed his physical potential, and this answer seemed to confirm it.

"I want to start a 'Breakfast Club' like Michael Jordan. Derek, you can join my training camp."

"You're different from those lazy guys. We won championships together! Now we need to prove ourselves. The Lakers can succeed even without Shaq!"

Kobe, wearing the Lakers' purple and gold away training uniform, held the ball and looked seriously at his old teammate.

Derek Fisher felt his scalp tingle and wished he could slap himself:

"Kobe, I need to think about it. You know, to take care of the kids, I might have to stay in New York during the offseason."

Kobe nodded, and just as Derek Fisher breathed a sigh of relief, he added:

"It's okay, maybe we can start trying new training soon."

Derek Fisher felt that Kobe really should see a psychologist.

A Champion Guard should enjoy life.

But under Kobe's serious questioning, he had to continue to blather:

"This kind of training should be fine, right?"

That night, 96:108, Kobe Bryant scored 31 points on 12-of-27 shooting, and the Lakers suffered their sixth consecutive loss, bringing their record to 31 wins and 32 losses.

Andre Iguodala scored 31 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers on an efficient 11-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Having won a rare game, the 76ers' new leader hugged everyone he saw.

Kobe's face was dark, and he quickly walked towards the player tunnel amidst the Philadelphia fans' shouts of "overrated."

Even though this was his hometown, Philadelphia fans didn't respect him.

Kobe felt terrible, and his plan for the "Breakfast Club" became even more urgent.

On sunday, March 10th, the New York Knicks would host the full-strength Seattle SuperSonics at home that night.

After nearly a week of rest, Lee had to wake up early, before 7 AM, from being surrounded by three women.

A naked Scarlett was wrapped around Lee, while Kim and Melinda on either side were also sleeping soundly in his arms, their blonde hair disheveled.

The succubus, barely opening her eyes, grumbled twice in dissatisfaction.

With high-intensity combat these past few days, and occasional extra training in the mornings, she couldn't recover without sleeping until noon.

Leaving the big bed from the entanglement of the three, Lee stretched his body, and all his fatigue completely dissipated.

A week of high-intensity training had indeed been effective.

At breakfast, Krysten Ritter, with her belly protruding, was eating her nutritious meal.

Seeing Lee full of energy across the table, she rolled her eyes and teased:

"Aren't you going to exercise in the morning? Scarlett loves to cling to you at this time!"

The little follower was already adept at multi-person sparring, but she preferred late-night battles, completely different from Scarlett's special preferences.

"There's a game tonight, Alyce. Take care of yourself. You don't need to help out at the coffee shop. If you want to exercise, remember to bring the butler."

Lee instructed and leaned over to kiss the little follower, who was overjoyed by the kiss and agreed with a low laugh.

Leaning down to listen to the little one's movements in her belly, Lee was in a great mood.

He was one step closer to the Lee Family Football Team.

With a little more effort, the starting lineup would be out!

Because the Seattle SuperSonics had a back-to-back game, the New York Knicks canceled their film session that morning.

The players would go directly to Madison Square Garden for warm-ups in the afternoon.

When JR Smith arrived at the locker room, Rajon Rondo had already changed into his training uniform.

The two had some unpleasantness in the last game.

The New York Knicks were full of veterans, so JR Smith could only pick on the Rookie.

He mockingly taunted the Rookie while changing his clothes:

"Don't think of yourself as a starting point guard. You're not Lee. Even if the coach favors you, you still have to give me the ball the moment I ask for it!"

"You can't score with that crappy shot of yours. I get disgusted just looking at Gilbert Arenas' face. We shouldn't have lost."

Because he wasn't good at flattery, Rajon Rondo was usually quiet in the team and didn't interact much with his teammates.

Hearing JR Smith's mockery, he immediately glared back:

"What the Fuck! You can't even make the active roster, what right do you have to tell me what to do?!"

This blunt truth immediately broke JR Smith's composure.

He was a third-year veteran, and although he had become a sycophant on the team, he wasn't someone a Rookie could boss around:

"You'll be traded in less than two seasons! Who do you think you are? By the time you can't make it in the league, I'll have won everything in New York."

"Fuck you!"

When Boris Diaw entered the locker room with his beloved hand-ground coffee cup, he looked bewildered at the rhythmic rap battle between the two:

"Hey! What are you two arguing about? Shit! You're fighting even after winning. Don't let the coach catch you!"

The two, having calmed down, quickly looked around and noticed that only Boris Diaw was smiling and teasing them, and they immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Watch your tone when you're talking to me, Rookie!"

JR Smith scoffed again and left the locker room.

Rajon Rondo pursed his lips and said nothing.

Seeing Boris Diaw ignore him and start grinding coffee again, he suddenly felt a little wronged:

"I'm clearly the most hardworking player!"

....

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