Champion, please stay!

Chapter 201, page 199: Me!
At noon on the 8th, Yi Shui arrived at the Colorado Plateau with the team.

In his rookie season, he had two tough away games – Denver and Salt Lake City.

The team's two lowest-scoring games last season, with 86 and 90 points, were away games against the Jazz and Nuggets.

But the frustration wasn't because we couldn't win, but because of the game itself and the geographical issues.

New York City has an average elevation of only 10 meters, while the Pepsi Center in Denver has an elevation of 1655 meters.

Run-and-gun teams always have a tough time playing here. It's not just them; back in the day, the Suns and Warriors also had more losses than wins against the Nuggets on the road.

He himself is fine; he's young and resilient. But his teammates, especially the heavier ones in the paint, will experience the effects of altitude after running a few rounds.

The Nuggets, having adapted to this environment, are practically born with a knack for running and shooting. They can dominate at home and even more so on the road, which is just unfair.

However, compared to last season, after trading back Mickey Moore, the team only had 11 players available. This season, they have more players and are younger.

Apart from Hughes, Ben Wallace, and Birdman, the main roster is all under 30 years old. Hughes and Birdman are only 30 and 31 years old respectively, so the situation will be much better.

The next day, the 9th, the Pepsi Center in Denver welcomed its most exciting day since the start of the season, as the Knicks arrived!

After a week of the season, three teams remain undefeated.

The defending champion Lakers are not included, as they lost their opening game to the Cavaliers and currently have a 4-1 record; nor are the Cavaliers included, as they lost their third game to the Pacers, who were dubbed the "Eastern Meat Grinder" at the start of the season.

Instead, it's the Knicks, Nuggets, and Suns!

Three run-and-gun teams, running like the wind right from the start of the season!

With O'Neal gone, it's practically dawn. DeAndre Jordan has been moved to the starting lineup to partner with Amar'e Stoudemire, and with Frye and Louis Amundson off the bench, they can shoot, fast break, and score one-on-one.

On the perimeter, Nash, Richardson, Hill, Barbosa, Dragic, and Dudley are all very capable scorers. Gentry's 10-man rotation has been praised for being better and more consistent than D'Antoni's 8-man rotation back in the day.

The Nuggets' second unit's lack of offensive firepower last season was a major weakness, and they were worn down by Kobe's one-on-one play in the playoffs. After selecting Lawson midway through the first round, the newly crowned 'league's fastest player' was able to put up a good fight when Billups was resting.

With Lawson on the team, Billups has had more rest time. Last season, after joining the Nuggets, Billups averaged 38 minutes per game, a career high. This season, he started playing 32 minutes per game, but his efficiency has increased dramatically. He averaged 20.6 points per game in the first 5 games, a career high.

The team that made tonight's game the focus of the basketball world was, of course, the Knicks, who had won five straight games to start the season and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference!
The highlights of tonight's game: the well-rounded Emperor vs. the offensive kaleidoscope Melo, the classic run-and-gun game vs. the track-and-track style run-and-gun game.

The term "orthodox run-and-gun" was coined by the media based on Don Nelson's (the "creator of the run-and-gun" style) comments at a press conference after the Knicks scored 56 points against the Warriors: "The Knicks are the run-and-gun team of my dreams."

At noon, the league announced the Players of the Week awards for the first period of the new season.

东部：易水，5胜0负，场均33.8分8.6板6助攻1.8抢断2盖帽，投篮命中率56%，以47.8%命中率场均投进2.2个三分球，罚球命中率92.5%。

Western Conference: Carmelo Anthony, 5 wins and 0 losses, averaging 32.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, with a field goal percentage of 49.1%, a three-point percentage of 42.4%, and a free throw percentage of 80%.

Although Yi Shui knew he was going to win an award after scoring 56 points and achieving a triple-double, and he had been making headlines for the past few days, he was still very excited when he received the notification.

However, he saw that Anthony won the award in the West... and felt that the league might have considered increasing the popularity of tonight's national broadcast.

纳什那边，5场比赛场均17分3板12.4助攻，命中率是53%+47%+100%，带着太阳队原地起飞。

Judging from the live broadcast on the night of the 31st, Billups is the real brain of the Nuggets. Although Lawson can run with the second and third units, he can only run without dragging down the main lineup.

'They openly and secretly despise Dong Ge (Liu Qiangdong), but when it comes to popular competitions, they still have to use Dong Ge to create hype, just like they do with the answer sheet. That Jew…'

...

At 7:40 p.m., at the Pepsi Center, the Knicks entered the court amid boos.

After the opening ceremony, Yi Shui and Anthony were invited to give a pre-match interview.

When asked what he was looking forward to tonight's game, Anthony said, "I love star-versus-star matchups, and Brook and I are sure to deliver a thrilling scoring duel."

The reporter followed up on this topic by asking, "Cameron, who do you think is the best scorer in the world?"

Anthony tilted his head, pouted, and thought for a moment before saying, "If you look at NBA history, it might be Jordan or Chamberlain, but in my mind, it's Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson."

The reporter turned to Yi Shui and asked, "Brook, what do you think?" Yi Shui glanced at Anthony and replied, "Me."

Anthony, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed. Was he really that confident?
He just mentioned Jordan, Chamberlain, Kobe, and Iverson!
The reporter was very excited; compared to Anthony's worldly answer, Yi Shui's answer was exactly what he wanted!
Tonight's game, while there's the topic of a clash between 'orthodox' and 'unorthodox' run-and-gun offense, the most talked-about topic is undoubtedly the scoring title battle between Yi Shui and Carmelo Anthony!

目前得分榜，易水场均33.8分第一、安东尼场均32.4分第二、埃利斯场均32.2分第三、韦德场均31.8分第四、詹姆斯场均31.6分第五、波什场均28.8分第六、杜兰特场均28.6分第七、科比场均28.6分第八……

Four of the top six spots on the scoring list are occupied by students from the class of 2003!
It is widely believed that Ellis and Bosh's scoring fluctuates greatly; they start strong but are likely to drop later on.

It's uncertain whether Durant can hold up; Kobe hasn't had any ambition for the scoring title since 07...

The scoring title race this season is basically set to be between Embiid and the three super scorers from the 03 draft class!

After finishing the pre-match interview, Yi Shui returned to the bench and glanced back at Anthony, who was smiling and talking to his teammates. Every time he played against Dong Ge, he felt that Dong Ge was a wonderful person.

He's completely different from the guys in his year!

Dwyane Wade's obsession with the championship is as strong as that of an old blacksmith.

James' goal is to become the GOAT.

Bosh wants to go to a big city, wants to be a member of a strong team, and has his own firm goals.

Hinrich was also determined to take down Wade.

But Dong Ge seems... happy? He doesn't seem to care about anything in particular, nor does he have much ambition.

Just as Yi Shui was pondering Anthony's personality, a mission arrived!

"You have begun your journey to become the scoring champion. The super scorers of the Class of 03 are the obstacles you must overcome... Mission: The Road to the Scoring Champion Triggered."

Objective 1: In this season's regular season, you must score more points than Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James in total matches against them. (VS Anthony: 0-0, VS Wade: 0-0, VS James: 0-0.)
Reward 1: One random skill from one of the three top scorers of the 2003 cohort.

Goal 2: Your average points per game need to be higher than those of Anthony, Wade, and James.

Reward 2: 1 matching skill from Reward 1.

"Averaging more points per game than the three stars from the 03 draft class? Isn't that just vying for the scoring title?! And you put it so euphemistically… wait, I remember this season's scoring title was won by Coach Russell, who came from behind to surpass LeBron James!"

After thinking it over, Yi Shui recalled that it seemed that the three guys from the 2003 class had won the scoring title three times!

Anthony won the scoring title with the Knicks 'a few years later'. During that period, team offense was prioritized. Although he started strong, his score would definitely drop later.

But it's hard to say!
James and Wade started strong; Wade didn't become a "babysitting" player like he remembered in the 09-10 season, but continued to score, which may be due to his influence, or it may be because with Conley as the supporting point guard, he didn't need to worry about organizing the offense.

And then there are schoolbags; we should be wary of latecomers.

Since Yi Shui wants to surpass the three guys from the 03 class in terms of scoring, his goal is naturally to become the scoring champion!
...

The pre-match preparation time has ended, and both teams have started their respective teams on the field.

The Knicks' starting lineup remains unchanged, while the Nuggets' starting lineup consists of Billups, Arron Afflalo, Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene.

This summer, the Nuggets' recruitment efforts were not smooth. It was a weak free agency year, and Denver was not very attractive to free agents.

However, they struck gold in the trade. Linas Kleiza, their former starting backup forward who averaged 11 points and 4 rebounds per game over the past two seasons, wanted a $500 million annual contract, so the Nuggets had no choice but to trade him in a sign-and-trade deal. In return, they received a second-round draft pick and Arron Afflalo as a bonus from the Pistons.

Arron Afflalo, who was selected by the Pistons in the first round of the 07 draft, played three years in college but his immediate impact was poor. He had a terrible first two years in his career, averaging only 4.3 points per game. He couldn't make his shots and was too aggressive on defense, committing frequent fouls. As a result, he was released by the Pistons.

Who would have thought that after those two years of development, Afflalo would emerge as a star. His catch-and-shoot three-pointers in the preseason were incredibly accurate, and his aggressive defensive style was a perfect fit for the Nuggets, who were aiming for a fast-paced game. In the opening game, George Karl put him in the starting lineup, and he became a high-quality 3-and-D player of the new generation.

The competition began at 8 p.m.

Yi Shui defeated Nene to win the jump ball, extending their winning streak in jump balls to six games at the start of the season. The Knicks take the lead!
When Nene retreated to defend, he shook his head. A bouncing jump shot? He had never seen such a jump ball before.

Curry advanced to the frontcourt and started a pick-and-roll offense with Ben Wallace.

Yi Shui made a cut inside, like a dagger piercing the Nuggets' interior. He received a pass from Curry, drawing Afflalo and Kenyon Martin to block his defense... and then passed again!
Duhon received the ball on the sideline, lobbed it to the baseline, and David Lee caught it, took a step, and made a floater!
Yi Shui had the urge to score high, but didn't go all out at the start. Tonight, D'Antoni's strategy was to prioritize the team's attack!
(End of this chapter)