Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 635 - 217: The Day the False Crown Shatters (Second Update, Begging for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets!)
The regular season has concluded successfully.
Before the playoffs began, Qin Yue's followers were deeply immersed in the delightful stats of this new GOAT's season.
In the 10/11 season, Qin Yue played all 82 games for the Warriors, averaging 35.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 3.5 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game.
After a sluggish start to the regular season, Qin Yue not only broke Wilt Chamberlain's NBA historical single-game scoring record with 101 points in last year's Christmas game, but he also pushed his three main shooting percentages up to 51.8%, 37.4%, and 86.5% by the latter half of the season.
Moreover, after this season, Qin Yue's career five major statistics have respectively risen to 13,434 points, 5,711 rebounds, 3,821 assists, 1,568 blocks, and 613 steals.
Currently, although Qin Yue is still some distance away from completing the great "411 Project," he has already laid the foundation for this project as he is about to lead the Warriors to once again challenge for the championship.
Four-time scoring champion, five-time rebounding and blocks champion, and once assist champion—from 2005 to 2011, even though he missed a complete season due to injury, Qin Yue's performance compared to his peers can only be described as unprecedented. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
On the 14th, after the team's traditional celebration party, the Warriors' 14-man playoff roster was also announced.
However...
Looking at this playoff roster, Qin Yue suddenly fell into deep thought.
Because after looking for a long time, he couldn't figure out who was missing from this roster.
Not until Curry reminded him did Qin Yue remember that the Warriors also had Danny Green as a player.
"Did Danny not attend the celebration party?" Qin Yue asked curiously.
"He came," Curry replied, "but he was sitting in the corner, so you didn't notice him."
In the past two seasons, Green's presence in the Warriors can't be said to be nonexistent, at least he was considered dispensable.
Truth be told, even Qin Yue, who hails from the future, started to have doubts about whether Green could ever prove himself.
Qin Yue was well aware that Green had already become his "Achilles' heel."
Qin Yue planned to arrange for Tim Grover to personally coach Green this summer.
For no other reason...
Than to prove that this new GOAT has a better eye for talent than the old GOAT.
Qin Yue does not believe that, under his patient guidance, Green would remain stagnant.
Shortly after the Warriors announced their playoff roster, other successful playoff-contending teams also gradually unveiled their playoff 14-man rosters.
Because this season's Eastern Conference competition was much fiercer than the West, people were evidently more concerned about the Eastern Conference's first-round matchups than in previous years.
The Knicks, who secured the top spot in the East with an impressive 62 regular-season wins, ranked second in ESPN's final power rankings; major media outlets commented on their season with: "If you don't know what talent is, take a look at this Knicks team."
Recently, the spirited Durant, during an interview, stated: "Although we are still young, I believe we've already formed a super team. Yes, reaching the finals and winning the championship is exactly our ultimate goal this season!"
Led by the Gua Wei Brothers, the Heat eventually finished second in the East with 61 wins.
During the latter half of the regular season, by extensively using their main players, the Bulls overtook the Celtics with a 59-win record, claiming the third place in the East.
It's worth mentioning that when someone noted that Rose and Stoudemire averaged nearly 40 minutes of playtime per game this season, someone who wished they could play 48 minutes every night showed a noticeably envious expression.
As a player, Qin Yue feels that being coached by Tom Thibodeau is truly a stroke of luck in life.
According to the Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchups, the Knicks, Heat, Bulls, and Celtics will face off against the Hawks, Magic, Bobcats, and Pacers respectively.
Just how wild is the East this season?
When the Hawks, with their 51 regular-season wins, could only rank eighth in the East, ESPN commented: "This is undoubtedly the most brutal year in Eastern history!"
This year's Eastern teams are destined to battle fiercely to secure a spot in the finals.
Meanwhile, in the West, the Warriors, Mavericks, Supersonic, and Lakers, occupying the top four spots, will face off against the Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, and Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
This season, because Western teams have reached new heights in the great undertaking of tanking, the Spurs, forced to enter the playoff ticket competition, barely secured 36 wins in the regular season.
Before the playoffs started, seventeen experts from ESPN unanimously believed that the defending champion Warriors would easily sweep past the Spurs in their series.
As for this, even the always cautious Qin Yue has prepared various snacks in advance, ready to snack while playing this playoff series.
In contrast, Kwame Brown looked particularly serious before the G1 match, his expression and demeanor even made Qin Yue mistakenly think he was about to play in the finals.
"Media in San Antonio say that I took the All-Star spot that should have belonged to Al Jefferson this year." The day before the game, Brown revealed his reason for being so serious to Qin Yue, "So in this series, I want to show them exactly why I am better than Al Jefferson!"
Better in what?
Although reluctant to discourage Brown, Qin Yue still wanted to say...
Apart from defense, in what aspects isn't Jefferson better than you?
As the only American center currently in the league with low post single-play ability, Jefferson not only has solid fundamentals but can also seamlessly execute powerful offensive moves for the team in the low post.
Furthermore, after entering the peak of his career, Jefferson's mid-to-long-range shooting is also his forte; this season, Jefferson's long-distance two-point shooting percentage is close to 42%, with an average of over four attempts per game.
Additionally, Jefferson, with extremely strong lower limb power, is still Yao Ming's only nemesis in the current era.
In short, if Qin Yue doesn't step onto the court, then in the upcoming playoff round, even if the Warriors can win game after game, Brown is sure to be blown away by Jefferson on the court for four consecutive games.
But, since Brown has worked diligently and meticulously to assist and position himself on the court for Qin Yue, how could Qin Yue just stand by and watch Brown be overwhelmed by Jefferson?
In Game 1, throughout these years with the Spurs being too weak, Qin Yue had no interest to settle scores over Bowen's ambush kick in past days, and just in the first three quarters of the game, he helped feed Brown to produce star center statistics with 21 points and 17 rebounds.
And Jefferson?
Tasked with completing strong offensive challenges in front of Qin Yue, after putting in all his effort for the whole game, he only managed to register technical stats of 17 points and 11 rebounds, with an overall shooting accuracy of just 37.5%.
Final score, 91 to 129.
The Warriors secured the first victory with a bloody massacre of 38 points.
After the game, the usually honest Jefferson was pushed to the limit: "This isn't a fair matchup. If Messiah were my teammate, I would definitely bring that guy down to his true self!"
To be honest, pushing an honest person to such an extent, you might say that Brown is incredibly disliked in the NBA?
"What does it mean if Messiah were his teammate? Then why doesn't he reflect on why Messiah isn't his teammate?" Brown smugly responded to Jefferson during the interview segment, "I know Al Jefferson is jealous of my talent, so I won't stoop to his level, but I believe I've proven through this game that I am more worthy of being an All-Star than him."
Brown's shamelessness exceeded Jefferson's imagination.
This caused Jefferson's mindset to be noticeably affected in the second game.
On the court, when Jefferson found that, despite struggling with his shots, Brown consistently scored easily with alley-oop assists from Qin Yue and Nash, Jefferson couldn't help but start questioning the world—why do people with real skills have to suffer under those who only flatter and curry favor?
On that night, Jefferson, with a poor performance, only managed 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spurs also suffered a humiliating defeat away from home, 85 to 127.
And Brown?
After the game, Brown, who totaled 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, swaggered in front of Jefferson: "Scoring '20+10' over you is as easy as drinking water. Remember what I say, practice more when you're bad, and don't always blame weak teammates or strong opponents after losing."
"..."
Jefferson was once again broken.
And, if not for Brown hiding quickly behind Little Deng Liwei, Jefferson would have definitely confronted Brown about it.
Two days later, in the third game at the Spurs' coffin-like home court, a calm Jefferson delivered several low-post offensive performances in front of Qin Yue that made the latter view him differently.
Hook shots, step-back jumpers, fadeaway shots—as Jefferson used various styles to send the basketball into the Warriors' basket, Qin Yue remarked with great appreciation: "No wonder Yao Ming finds you difficult to deal with."
In this game, Jefferson unleashed 28 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs.
But...
He still couldn't reclaim his pride in front of Brown.
Because that night, the opponent totaled 25 points and 11 rebounds, ending in a draw statistically with Jefferson.
Moreover, compared to the first two games, this match further broke Jefferson.
The reason was, despite exhausting all his might to achieve a "20+10" on the court, Jefferson was powerless to change the game for the Spurs and even had to face mockery from Brown afterwards.
A day later, Jefferson's tolerance reached its limit, and in the fourth game, he frequently attempted to switch Brown onto himself through pick-and-rolls with teammates.
Regrettably, due to Jefferson's inside partner Tiago Splitter lacking an outside shooting threat, the Spurs' isolation tactics were effortlessly resolved by the Warriors.
On the sidelines, as Brown again pushed Jefferson to the brink, Big Ben curiously remarked: "Is this guy truly unafraid of someone pulling a gun on him in the future?"
At the end of the fourth game, 135 to 104.
The Warriors won four straight, easily sweeping the Spurs with a 4-0 victory.
Since Duncan's departure, an increasingly disheartened Popovich didn't attend any post-game interviews.
As for Jefferson?
"Congratulations on advancing to the next round." Jefferson said to Qin Yue, "I hope you fulfill your wish of winning your fourth championship ring."
During this series, although knowing Qin Yue didn't exert much effort offensively, Jefferson was thoroughly convinced by Qin Yue's performance.
Hearing this, Qin Yue smiled and said: "Al, don't let Kwame's words affect you. I believe no one would ignore your performance on the court."
Referring to Brown, Jefferson, feeling a wave of anger, said to Qin Yue: "You know, I've always firmly believed in one saying."
"What is it?"
"A crown not won by one's own efforts, no matter how dazzling, will ultimately break one day!"
...
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