No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 184 - 108. Long-Awaited Rival_2

Zhang Yang: "Don’t push yourself too hard; a healthy you is very important to us."

Okafor: "I know, thanks for the reminder. I’ll wait until I readapt to the physicality, the rhythm of the game, and find my shooting touch before I apply to play in games. I’ve been waiting for two months now, and I’m very patient."

Zhang Yang nodded and did not continue to inquire. Okafor also did not mention how difficult the muscle reduction process was; each practiced on their own.

It’s just losing weight—do we really need to make a documentary and sell tickets at the cinema?

Today there was no team training; Zhang Yang came on his own to practice passing. After a short while, Felton arrived and practiced fake moves leading into step-back three-pointers.

Felton’s ability to break through was strong; this move was very effective.

During lunchtime together, they received the news that Felton won the Rookie of the Month for January.

Felton immediately started to show off, while Zhang Yang revealed a hint of unwillingness to concede. Instead of getting upset, Felton even comforted Zhang Yang.

Felton winning the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month was something Zhang Yang had anticipated.

He had solidified his starting spot and became a core player on the backline, handling the ball more often.

After adapting to the competitive environment of November and December and correcting his playing style, Felton transformed in January. In reality, his skills didn’t improve significantly; rather, his approach to initiating attacks and shooting choices improved a lot compared to his college days, vastly different from the preseason.

In January, Felton averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, ranking third in scoring on the team and the highest in assists, with a 42% shooting percentage which was decent for a ball-handling guard. The highlight was his significant improvement in three-point shooting, knocking down 1.4 three-pointers per game at a 38% rate in 16 games.

Zhang Yang, on the other hand, saw his scoring decrease in January compared to December, averaging only 14.2 points, along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1 steal, and 0.4 blocks per game. Most games saw him scoring similarly to December, the main difference being fewer high-scoring games. He had four 20+ point games in December, but including yesterday’s game against the Knight, only two in January.

However, his shooting percentage had increased, hitting 44% in 16 games in January. Partly this was due to improved technique and progress in his shot, and also by January, the stronger teams were entering a period of fatigue, taking a rookie like him less seriously and lacking the energy to target him specifically, so his efficiency in isolation plays, off-ball shooting, and fast breaks all improved this month.

In the Western Conference, Paul won Rookie of the Month again, averaging 19 points, 5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2 steals per game. His scoring increased compared to the previous two months, but his rebounds, assists, steals, and shooting percentage all decreased.

Zhang Yang had followed the performance of the Western Conference’s number three draft pick, and Paul had a tough January. Like the Hornets, the Charlotte team was mostly used by stronger teams to rack up wins during the mid-season. Most of their opponents were playoff teams, and at this point, David West was still out due to mid-season fatigue and injuries, forcing Paul to increase his shot attempts, with both his offensive and defensive performances slipping, significantly affecting his efficiency.

Even so, Paul’s individual performance was far ahead of his peers.

The two also heard that Kobe won the Western Conference Player of the Month for January, which was a foregone conclusion.

On January 26, Kobe scored a whopping 81 points at home against the Toronto Raptors, turning Nike’s official website and all store posters into solo shots, his popularity continuing to soar.

Throughout January, Kobe averaged 43.4 points per game, while Billups, who also won Player of the Month, scored less than half of Kobe’s average, their data side by side seeming incongruous.

With no team practice, a morning spent on passing drills, an afternoon working on shots to increase his Shooting Value – another day passed.

In the evening, before going to sleep, Zhang Yang checked the forums and came across news that made his jaw drop.

Arenas tried to defend James on his own, much like Felton did. James, on the second night of a back-to-back, hit 13 out of 23 shots and 12 of 19 from the line, racking up a massive triple-double with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, leading the Knight to a 23-point blowout over the Wizards.

Zhang Yang was astonished—was that really what went through Arenas’ mind?

Surely Arenas didn’t really think Felton had managed to contain James on his own, right?

Is it really just about reading the headline and not the content of the news, not seeing how the defense actually played out before blindly following suit?

If the Wizards were to adopt that defensive strategy, Jamison to protect the rim? That would be quite the spectacle!

...

As the saying goes, weak teams have no rights.

After a day of rest, on February 2, the Charlotte team left Charlotte to start another series of consecutive away games; this time it was a six-game road trip in the West, which would lead directly into the All-Star weekend break.

The good news was that after the All-Star break, they would have seven consecutive home games. It was either a drought that killed or a flood that overwhelmed.

Zhang Yang saw that Okafor was not traveling with the team and completely put his mind at ease. The key interior player did indeed return to the court for practice but was not in a hurry.

Had Okafor not heeded the warning, despite being explicitly advised, and still recklessly ruined his body, Zhang Yang would not have cared afterwards. But since Okafor had listened and lost weight, it was likely he would avoid that career-jeopardizing injury and have a brighter future... Then he would be Zhang Yang’s good teammate and partner, deserving of attention.

On February 3, the Charlotte team arrived at the American Airlines Center to challenge the Mavericks, the first game of a six-game tour, and Charlotte immediately experienced what cruelty meant...

to 90, the Charlotte team was mercilessly thrashed by the Mavericks.

Although the Mavericks were only fourth in the West, their record was 31 wins and 15 losses, third in the league, trailing only the Pistons and the Spurs. The reason they were only fourth in the West was that they were in the same division as the Spurs; under the current division rules, if not division leader, they could only be ranked fourth at best.

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