The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 62 Best of the First Week

On the 14th, the Hornets returned to their home court to face the Heat, and lost another back-to-back game.

这场比赛，拉里约翰逊14投仅4中，3罚1中，只得到9分7篮板4助攻的数据，差再次轰下25分14篮板的唐北一大截。

In the last game against the Pacers, he only made 7 of 17 shots and scored 17 points, which was not a good performance.

He played poorly for three consecutive games, with his average score dropping to 17 points. He was in a bad mood and looked extremely grim when he returned to the locker room.

He had been holding back, but today he couldn't take it anymore and complained to the head coach in front of everyone:

"Coach, I have no space under the basket. This is incorrect, unreasonable, completely unreasonable."

Bristol scratched his head in exasperation. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't very well let the 213cm tall center pull out and give up space under the basket for Larry Johnson, who was just over 1.9 meters tall, could he?

If Tang Bei were a blue-collar center, that would be fine, but the key is that he's not; he's a heavyweight center with extremely strong dominance under the basket.

If he dares to ask Tang Bei to give Larry Johnson some space under the basket today, he'll probably be criticized to death tomorrow.

Moreover, after Tang Bei's debut, he established Tang Bei's tactical role in the low post, leaving space for other positions and creating one-on-one opportunities for Tang Bei in the low post.

This was both his own decision and the management's decision; no one in the team could ignore Tang Bei's dominance in low-post offense.

He said with difficulty, "Larry, you have to compete on your own. In fact, you should know that you are getting more tactical support now."

"Humph!"

Larry Johnson's face darkened further; he sensed that the team's attitude towards him had changed, which was not the outcome he wanted.

Tang Bei smiled. He was still receiving very little tactical support, which was of course related to his poor technical and tactical abilities.

I'm already very satisfied with my current performance, and I'm the team's leading scorer, rebounder, and blocker.

The team currently has a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, with a winning percentage of 66.7%, and is temporarily ranked third in the Eastern Conference.

He recorded six consecutive 20+10 performances in six games, making him the best performer among the 92 rookies.

Moreover, the head coach has promised him that as long as his technical and tactical abilities improve, he will be given more tactical options.

In addition, the head coach also hopes that he will contribute more on the defensive end, because Larry Johnson lacks height and has limited rim protection ability, and only he can become the Hornets' core interior defender.

This indicates that his status on the team is steadily rising, and he will eventually surpass Larry Johnson.

In his view, his biggest disadvantage against Larry Johnson was not his basketball skills, but his commercial value and influence.

On Sunday the 15th, just a few minutes before eight o'clock in the morning, Eric Fleischer arrived at Tang Bei's apartment, right at lunchtime.

"Tang, your performance at the start was absolutely fantastic!" he exclaimed excitedly as soon as he entered the room.

Tang Bei, who opened the door, said, "It's alright. The head coach said that the schedule at the beginning of the season is more favorable for the Hornets, as they haven't encountered any strong teams."

John Liu's breakfast wasn't ready yet, so the two sat down to chat.

"Eric, you've been very busy lately?" Tang Bei asked.

Eric Fleischer said, "The company just moved here and there aren't enough agents, so I have to personally observe the promising talents I'm interested in."

"Are there any promising talents?" Tang Bei asked.

“There is one, his name is Kevin Garnett, he’s in 10th grade now, and he has good potential,” Eric Fleck said happily.

"10th grade?" Tang Bei was taken aback.

“Tang, 10th grade in American high school is equivalent to 11th grade in China,” John Liu said in the kitchen.

"Wouldn't it take several years before you can participate in a talent show?" Tang Bei said.

Eric Fleischer said, "Judging from his situation, if his physique and skills don't develop quickly, he'll definitely have to wait until college to participate in the draft."

But if he can develop quickly and reach NBA level, he won't need to waste time in the NCAA and can, like Shawn Kemp, enter the draft right after high school.

At this point, he added, "Tang, I was wrong to say that you had to wait until after your rookie season to compete for a core position on the team. I have to apologize to you."

"Ha ha……"

Tang Bei chuckled and said modestly, "I've only played six games. Although I'm confident, we'll have to see how I perform in the future."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Zhang Heli arrived.

After exchanging greetings, Eric Fleischer said with a smile, "Don, the official Player of the Week will be announced today. Let's see if you have a chance."

"Based on your performance, Tang Bei, I think you have a chance. Besides, if the NBA wants to expand into the Chinese market, it has to show some support."

Zhang Heli also agreed, saying that he came today to see if Tang Bei could win this honor.

"me?"

Tang Bei thought about it and felt a bit expectant.

What he was actually hoping for was that if he won Player of the Week, the Treasure Chest might give him a treasure reward.

Eric Fleischer added regretfully, "It's a pity there's no Rookie of the Week right now, otherwise it would definitely be you."

奥尼尔这两场虽然相继轰出了31分和29分的表现，但和你打的那场只有9分，三场比赛1胜2负，本周场均得分只有23分。

"The only player in the entire league with a higher average points per game is Michael Jordan, the best player currently playing. You are the number one rookie."

"If the draft were to happen again, Tang Bei, you might be the number one pick," Zhang Heli said happily.

Tang Bei smiled and asked, "When will it be announced?" "Nine o'clock, on NBC Sports," Fleischer said.

After the four finished breakfast and waited a while, NBC Sports broadcast the NBA's Player of the Week news.

The new season starts on the 6th, but this week's data covers the seven days from the 8th to the 14th, which is Sunday to Saturday. The matches from the first two days are not included in this week's data.

While the Player of the Week award is far less prestigious than the Player of the Month award, it is still quite significant, as it recognizes the best-performing player in the entire league that week.

According to official NBA news, the Player of the Week award goes to Tang Bei, a rookie center from the Charlotte Hornets.

After the middle-aged male host announced the news, Tang Bei's data for this week was displayed on the screen.

Five games, 3 wins and 2 losses, averaging 36 minutes per game.

26.4分13.4篮板1.2助攻2.8盖帽0.8抢断4.5失误3.5犯规，投篮命中率61.5%。

He averaged 9.5 free throws per game, making him more dangerous than O'Neal, and had a 55% free throw percentage.

"Is that really me?"

Tang Bei's eyes widened, hardly believing that he had actually won the first week's Player of the Week award.

"That's fantastic!" Zhang Heli exclaimed excitedly.

Eric Fleischer, instead of being happy, said thoughtfully, "They didn't give it to Michael Jordan?"

“What are his stats?” John Liu asked.

"The Bulls won all four of their games this week, averaging 28.25 points per game, the best in the league. I don't remember any other stats," Eric Fleischer said.

Then he smiled happily and said, "Tang, that's great! You were the best player in the entire league in the first week. The Player of the Week award is given to you, which means the league wants to promote you."

John Liu exclaimed excitedly, "It's worth a drink!"

“Do you have champagne?” Eric Fleischer asked immediately.

“No,” John Liu shook his head.

"I'll drive there to buy it; I need to have a drink to celebrate."

Eric Fleischer was particularly pleased, as Tang Bei's momentum was excellent, exceeding his expectations, and he was poised to become a star player.

Tang Bei's stats have now surpassed Ewing's, and if he continues like this, he might even have a chance to make the All-Star team this season.

The only disadvantage is that Tang Bei is not American, so he has no advantage in voting.

Tang Bei won Player of the Week, which he believes is related to David Stern's desire to develop the Chinese market, which is extremely beneficial to Tang Bei.

Tang Bei then checked the panel from time to time, but to his disappointment, Zhou Zuiyang did not grant him any treasures.

After a two-day break, the Hornets hosted the Mavericks at home on the evening of the 17th.

Jim Jackson, selected by the Mavericks with the fourth overall pick, has yet to sign a contract, and the Mavericks currently have a record of 1 win and 3 losses.

In this game, six Hornets players scored in double figures, with Larry Johnson scoring 21 points and Tang Bei scoring 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks, leading the Hornets to a crushing 101-136 victory over the Mavericks.

However, the team's sixth man, John Newman, was injured during the game and will be sidelined for a period of time.

For the Hornets, this injury is not too bad, because Dell Curry is also a good scorer and has the ability to be a sixth man. His ability to penetrate defense is not as good as John Newman's, but his shooting is stronger.

After a two-day break, the Hornets defeated the Warriors at home and then drove to Miami overnight to prepare for a back-to-back game against the Heat.

The Heat's record is not as good as last season, currently standing at 3 wins and 4 losses.

This is the Hornets' third back-to-back game of the season; they lost the previous two.

Just like the game against the Mavericks, this game was another offensive battle.

The Hornets were in good form as a whole, with 9 out of 10 players scoring, including 8 players who scored in double figures.

Tang Bei also failed to score 20+ points for the first time because his offense was too scattered. His outside shooting was very good, and he didn't get enough shots, so he only scored 18 points.

The game's leading scorer was reserve Dell Curry, who scored 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting, plus free throws and a three-pointer.

The Hornets went 3-0 this week, bringing their overall record to 7 wins and 2 losses, propelling them to the top of the Eastern Conference and tying the Bulls for first place in the league.

The Player of the Week for the second week was Michael Jordan.

However, this week, Tang Bei's name and news appeared in the media more and more frequently, and in increasingly prominent positions.

On the 24th, the Hornets defeated the 76ers at home, securing their 8th win.

After the game, the Hornets rushed to Detroit overnight to prepare for a back-to-back road game against the Pistons.

Last season, the Bad Boys achieved the fifth-best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. So far this season, they have a record of 2 wins and 7 losses, almost at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, only slightly better than the Mavericks with a record of 1 win and 6 losses.

There are several reasons for this: Chuck Daly's departure, the collapse and rebuilding of the Bad Boys, Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas' serious injuries, Joe Dumars' injury, Dennis Rodman's off-court issues and frequent absences, one-dimensional offense, and ineffective tactical system, etc.

After Tang Bei entered the NBA, Eric Fleischer told him about some things in the league, including the Bad Boys.

The Bad Boys emerged in the early 1980s, leading the league's tough style and redefining team defense. They received criticism, but also had many die-hard fans.

It was also with the Bad Boys that the NBA entered a tough and gritty era, with a much higher intensity of play than before.

(End of this chapter)