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Chapter 344 - 163. The Last True - Iverson_4

Chapter 344: 163. The Last True - Iverson_4

Rondo, during his training breaks, had been observing Zhang Yang practicing long passes. He saw that in just a short while, without any opposition or time constraints, Zhang Yang could accurately send the ball to the marked landing zone. He quickly mastered the control of power, the trajectory of the lob, and the direct passing direction; Rondo was overwhelmed.

He felt that Zhang San was going to steal his job!

Can’t you just focus on shooting? Is it so bad that I, little Rondo, handle the passing?

Anxiously, he started shooting quickly, making a mess of it, thus he was scolded...

Okafor chuckled at Rondo’s reaction; he was used to it.

...

On December 8, the Bobcats faced their first of four consecutive home games against the Suns.

To accommodate the live broadcast by CCTV, the game started later than usual, at 9 p.m.

At 8:40 p.m., players from both teams entered the court.

Upon entering, Nash approached Zhang Yang and gave him a few tips.

Zhang Yang felt strange; he and Nash weren’t close enough for Nash to take a ’mentor’ role, were they?

However, when Nash pointed out his weaknesses, Zhang Yang found him quite accurate, like his tempo during spin moves and drives. He always initiated contact with the opponent before driving—a tactic that worked well against physically aggressive but less skilled defenders like James, a third-year Iguodala, but not against experienced defenders with good skills like Bowen and Snow, or even when facing Fisher.

Though it felt weird, Zhang Yang listened obediently and humbly.

Nash, feeling appreciated, gave thorough advice and suggested they train together sometime, then contentedly returned to the Suns’ bench.

Ever since his first matchup with Zhang Yang, Nash had been thinking of ’demonstrating’ some skills to Zhang Yang but never found the right opportunity.

Whenever he saw news about Zhang Yang or occasionally watched a Bobcats game, it was with a ’scouting’ mindset... Thinking this over, he had somehow positioned himself as a ’beneficial mentor’. In his mind, he and Zhang Yang, who had similar playstyles, already knew each other well, although in reality, this was the first time they had such a detailed chat, hence the awkwardness felt by Zhang Yang.

But with this initiation, Zhang Yang embraced Nash’s enthusiastic approach, and their personal relationship took a significant leap.

Back on the bench, Zhang Yang focused on preparing for the game; tonight’s opponent required all-out effort for a chance to win.

So far, the Suns had played 18 games, with 13 wins and 5 losses, just half a game behind the Bobcats.

In their 5 losses, 4 were from the first 6 games when Stoudemire had just returned, scoring under 15 points in all six games, with three under 10 points: 6, 5, and 2 respectively.

During that time, the media had hyped the decline of Stoudemire, saying after his power and speed dropped, and his physical confrontations weakened, he was useless.

His $103 million, 4+2 six-year contract seemed wasted in the Suns’ hands, and they mocked the Suns’ owner as a fool by comparing it to Yao Ming’s $75 million, five-year extension.

But after a 2-6 start, the Suns delivered an 11-1 record. Once Stoudemire found his groove, scoring 20+ points in 10 out of 12 games, he discovered a more effective way to attack the basket and even developed a mid-range shot with 45% accuracy, hitting an average of 2.6 mid-ranges per game up to long two-pointers, effectively silencing his critics. Previously labeled as rugged, lacking any game besides dunking, he had developed a reliable jump shot during his year of recovery!

Stoudemire’s improvement was expected by Zhang Yang.

But the progression Nash displayed this season was outrageous.

Mr. Nash, you’re nearly 33 in less than two months!

This season, Nash had averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 assists per game, stats similar to last season, but his shooting percentage was a career-high 52%, and his three-point accuracy was a career-high 44%, only his 88% free-throw accuracy hindered him.

Nowitzki had been fluctuating around 50% after more than a month, whereas Nash’s shot had jumped from 48% at the start and seemed to keep rising!

Was this MVP-level performance inspired by his old teammate?

If anyone didn’t want this generation’s Mavericks stars to snatch the MVP, it was probably Nash. At 30, he had asked for four years and $40 million, thinking he would retire after that contract. However, Cuban refused, deeming him not worth a ten-million annual salary, and instead extended Dampier for seven years and $73 million. For Nash, it wasn’t just a refusal but an outright humiliation.

Zhang Yang suspected that Nash’s fierce play this season was to vie for the MVP.

However, a three-peat MVP was highly unlikely. If the Suns performed better than the Mavericks, there was a slim chance, but he remembered that during the Suns’ run-and-gun era, they barely cleared 60 wins. The Mavericks this season were pushing for over 65 wins, making Nash’s MVP contention tough.

At 9 p.m., the game between the Bobcats and the Suns tipped off at the Bobcats’ home court!

Suns’ starters: Nash, Raja Bell, Marion, Diaw, Stoudemire.

Bobcats’ starters: Felton, Zhang Yang, Gerald Wallace, Jumaine Jones, Okafor.

Facing the Suns certainly meant battling offensively, where space was crucial. Bickerstaff placed sharpshooter Jumaine Jones in the starting lineup.

Okafor, unusually, lost the tip-off, and Stoudemire swiftly leaped to deflect the ball backward, giving the Suns the first possession!

Nash initiated the offense with a pick-and-roll with Marion, passed to Diaw, who then dished it under the basket, and Stoudemire leapt from a standstill, fiercely dunking it!

Zhang Yang: ????

What happened to the slowed explosiveness? What happened to the weakened burst?