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Chapter 419 - 194. Another small but promising change_2

Chapter 419: 194. Another small but promising change_2

Despite Howard’s significant improvement this season compared to the last, Zhang Yang felt, while studying the Magic’s game footage, that Howard’s role in the games wasn’t as strong as it had been previously.

Back then, Howard’s style was purely blue-collar: defending, rebounding, finishing easy baskets, and playing on the fast break—everything that was right for a man with superb physical attributes but little offensive ball-handling ability.

Last season, Howard averaged only 2.6 turnovers per game—a low number for a center taking more than 10 shots, Perkins, averaging 18 minutes per game, had 2 turnovers.

This season, Brian Hill had Howard develop his ball-handling and playmaking abilities, which resulted in Howard enjoying handling the ball; however, lacking technique, he just bulldozed through, which worked against similarly athletic opponents but led to a barrage of missed shots and turnovers against good defenders.

If Howard hadn’t made those playmaking and one-on-one mistakes, the Magic might have won at least five more games this season.

Many of Howard’s flaws in the future may well be seeds sown this season...

Zhang Yang reckoned that if Brian Hill hadn’t been so experimental this season and let his players play freely, his chances of getting fired would have been much smaller.

The 21-year-old Howard, daring and combative during garbage time, played against the defenses of Muhammad or Millsap in the final quarter for 10 minutes, scoring 13 points with 7 rebounds from 7 out of 11 shots including 5 of 9 free throws, adding to his first three quarter scores of 8 points and 13 rebounds for a total of 21 points and 20 rebounds, leading his team to score 31 against 24 in the final quarter, and the Magic ending up losing to the Bobcats with a score of 88 to 119.

As the final whistle blew, Zhang Yang stood up and celebrated the big win with his teammates.

Before the game, he hadn’t expected the Magic, a team they had greatly feared, to end up playing so poorly; it just goes to show that game outcomes can often defy common logic.

You never know what crazy tactics some coaches might come up with.

But regardless, they had won the game, and Zhang Yang found amusement in seeing Okafor, who always maintained a poker face, looking incredibly sour.

A 21-year-old player grinding out a double-20 during garbage time, while Okafor, from the same draft year as Howard but already 24, couldn’t justify padding his stats... it really was a bitter taste of American air!

...

As expected, after their 31-point debacle, the Magic faced a barrage of criticism post-game, and calls for Brian Hill’s dismissal grew louder.

Zhang Yang thought it was justified.

But Howard getting praised for his double-20 as ’the posture of the number one center’... wasn’t too big of an issue, as those numbers are not something just anyone could achieve.

Yet being praised like that despite losing by more than 30 points has shown how much the media coverage of basketball has deteriorated over the years.

If O’Neal had gotten a double-20 and the Magic had lost by over 30 points back in the day, he would have been ripped apart.

After playing against the Magic, the Bobcats took a day off and on the 22nd faced the challenge of playing against the Clippers at home.

Zhang Yang’s ’60 wins declaration’ was broken, with the Bobcats losing to the Clippers 97 to 102.

Brand scored 24 points and 10 rebounds, Cassell had 11 points and 6 assists, Maggette added 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, Kaman scored 8 points and 7 rebounds, Livingston added 5 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block, Tim Thomas and Mobley each put up 14 points... The Clippers played very well tonight.

The Bobcats actually played fairly well, too; Zhang Yang made 8 of 18 shots, including 2 of 6 three-pointers, and added 5 of 6 free throws for 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

Felton scored 15 points and had 6 assists, Gerald Wallace had 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, Okafor had 15 points and 9 rebounds, Perkins put up 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks, Rondo scored 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists... but they fell short in a few crucial moments, lacking the savvy of the experienced Cassell.

Following their victory over the Bobcats, the Clippers improved to a record of 36 wins and 34 losses, continuing to compete with the Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, and Hornets for a playoff spot.

Having lost the game, Zhang Yang naturally couldn’t be happy, but he acknowledged the Clippers’ performance.

If it were a playoff series, aside from their own team and the Pistons, he thought no other team in the East would dare say they could beat the Clippers... the East was truly dismal.

Even though the Clippers were only ninth in the West and not doing as well as last season, as an opponent, Zhang Yang felt firsthand that the Clippers were stronger than before.

Cassell and Mobley were aging yet still effective, Maggette was unusually healthy with fewer than 10 missed games, Tim Thomas’s three-point shooting had become more precise, Kaman was steadily improving, and Brand was in his prime... Elgin Baylor’s ’Top Manager Level’ moves in the summer of ’05 gave the Clippers the strength of a top-tier team for several years to come and would normally expect steady improvement as 03’ draft center sensation Kaman and 04’ high school prodigy Livingston progressed.

But that ’Top Manager Level’ impact only lasted a year, not because the moves weren’t good, but because Baylor was unlucky again.

Kobe’s abilities continued to improve, being hailed as ’the best player in the world,’ Bynum was only 19 and already displaying great potential;

Yao Ming had become a super center averaging over 25 points and 10 rebounds, McGrady, although declining, maintained his health;

The Jazz made remarkable progress, the Nuggets were about to collapse but robbed the 76ers for Iverson, and the Hornets also rapidly improved...

The Clippers, relying on the growth brought by Kaman and Livingston, did not improve enough compared to these teams; a top-tier team in the West was barely making it to the playoffs.

After losing to the Clippers, Zhang Yang grew even more eager to secure the first spot in the East; at least this season in the East, they truly had only the Pistons as their competitors.