Basketball miracles

Chapter 130 [Two All-NBA First Team Selections, Rookie of the Year]

In the other series of the Western Conference second round, the Nuggets easily eliminated the Jazz 4-1.

Mark Eaton, nicknamed "The Mammoth," performed exceptionally well against the Rockets, showcasing his outstanding rim protection. His season-ending injury was the Jazz's biggest weakness, causing their defensive system to collapse.

Denver Nuggets star Alex English averaged 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in the series, dominating the game.

In the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the 76ers, who were ranked third in the regular season, swept the second-ranked Bucks 4-0.

Barkley became a key figure for the 76ers in the playoffs, holding his own against the Bucks' star power forward Terry Cummings. While his stats were slightly inferior, his shooting percentage was higher, and he played an extremely tough style.

大学时期，198CM的巴克利长期打中锋，大学三年他场均可以贡献14.8分9.6篮板1.6助攻1.7盖帽，投篮命中率高达68.2%。

There has never been a player like Barkley in NBA history. His physique and playing style seemed quite incongruous, and the 76ers ultimately decided to take a gamble and selected him with the fifth overall pick.

In hindsight, the 76ers made the right gamble. Since entering the NBA, Barkley has stuck to his signature strong offensive style and hasn't needed to change. His physical attributes still give him an advantage in the NBA; he just can no longer play center.

Major media outlets praised Barkley and lauded the 84 draft class as a golden generation with an astonishing success rate.

The Celtics defeated the Pistons 4-2, narrowly escaping defeat.

Considering the Celtics' clearly superior roster, yet the Pistons won two games, many fans recalled what Xiao Tu said in an interview: the Celtics are nothing special.

After the second round of the series concluded, the various awards for the regular season have been announced one after another.

Lakers coach Pat Riley was named Coach of the Year, without any controversy.

Many people used to say that Riley had no tactics, was a coach who relied on star players, and only knew how to let star players take turns playing. This season, the Lakers have consistently used pick-and-roll tactics as the main strategy, with star players taking turns playing, and no team has been able to stop them.

Boston Celtics power forward Kevin McHale was named Sixth Man of the Year, a star player with no competitors.

Xiao Tu and Michael Jordan were jointly selected as Rookie of the Year. After discussions in a meeting, David Stern ultimately added Jordan to the list.

Jordan's stats were also very impressive, so it would be a real shame to exclude him; this honor is a reward for him.

Jordan ranked first among rookies in points, assists, and steals. His selection as Rookie of the Year was controversial because his team's record was far inferior to Xiao Tu's, and he often padded his stats during garbage time, averaging 38.3 minutes per game.

Xiao Tu ranked first among rookies in rebounds and blocks, second in scoring, and had the highest field goal percentage. He was good at both offense and defense, and his overall evaluation was much higher than Jordan's.

Many fans believe that Xiao Tu is a superstar of regular season MVP caliber, and that the league has been too lenient with Jordan.

Stern believes Xiao Tu doesn't lack exposure, so giving some to Jordan wouldn't hurt. Jordan was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but with his Rookie of the Year title, he can attract more attention next season.

Xiao Tu was in a good mood and congratulated Jordan in an interview. "I'm happy to share the Rookie of the Year award with Jordan. I think his performance fully deserves this honor and he shouldn't have been excluded."

A reporter from Los Angeles asked, "Don't you think you performed better?"

"Rookie of the Year award is a small matter to me right now, all I want to do is help the team win the championship. Let the fans judge who's good and who's bad." Xiao Tu appeared selfless, low-key, and focused on the team.

He has already given his answer, believing that the Rookie of the Year award is a minor matter, and that he has nothing to do with those who were eliminated in the first round.

After seeing the news, Xiao Tu's fans exclaimed, "Xiao Tu is so generous!" Many people felt that Xiao Tu didn't respect Jordan at all, so he was willing to share the honor.

Xiao Tu's 60+ triple-double put him far ahead of all the other rookies; no one else could compare.

Jordan also gave an interview on the same day, appearing very cool and only saying that he did not praise Xiao Tu.

Xiao Tu didn't care what Jordan thought, and it didn't matter if they didn't praise each other; he was more concerned about the rewards.

His bonus for winning the Rookie of the Year award was a golden treasure chest. And he had other rewards as well—a real windfall.

All-Rookie Team: Jordan, Barkley, Shawn, Sam Perkins, Olajuwon.

This season only had one rookie roster, with no All-Rookie Second Team. This shows that the scouts from each team had a good eye; of the top five rookies, only Sam Bowie was a bust, while the other four performed exceptionally well.

Even Perkins, with the worst stats, still has a significant tactical role, but his physical limitations restrict his potential. Xiao Tu, selected for the rookie team, received a silver chest, which is better than nothing.

Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton was named Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting the importance of positional centers in this era.

This award is somewhat controversial, with many fans arguing that Xiao Tu's defense is better. His defensive range is much wider, with no obvious weaknesses. Eaton, on the other hand, can only protect the rim; outside the penalty area, he's easily beaten.

Xiao Tu was a little disappointed not to win an award; the more awards, the better. Centers like Eaton were only viable in the 8s and 90s; they wouldn't be able to play in the NBA in the future. He couldn't keep up with the pace of the game if it got even slightly faster, and he was only good at half-court sets and not particularly good at scoring.

All-Defensive First Team: Maurice Cheeks, Sidney Moncrief, Paul Plessy, Shaw, Eaton.

All-Defensive Second Team: Michael Cooper, Dennis Johnson, TR Dunn, Bobby Jones, Hakeem Olajuwon.

76队的白人大前锋鲍比-琼斯入选二阵是唯一有争议的人。他身高206CM，体重95公斤，7.5分3.7篮板1.1抢断0.6盖帽看起来完全是凑数。

This is the kind of person whose "effect cannot be reflected by data." Jones was a long-time All-Defensive Team selection, and even when he was about to retire, he was still selected for the Second Team.

Xiao Tu felt no pressure facing Jones; Jones has no rebounding ability, no physicality, and only plays 20.4 minutes per game. If he's so impactful, why doesn't the coach let him play more?

Statistically, steals leader Mitchell Ray Richardson seems more deserving of the award. But the league won't give him any prizes; he's already on Stern's blacklist.

Magic Johnson won his first regular season MVP award.

Statistically, he's not as well-rounded as Larry Bird. But if Bird were to win the award, it would be for consecutive MVPs, and his attendance rate would be low.

Xiao Tu's stats are equally impressive, but he's a rookie and primarily plays off-ball. In NBA history, only Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld have won MVP in their rookie season, both in the 60s.

All-NBA First Team: Isaiah Thomas, Johnson, Larry Bird, Shaw, Moses Malone.

All-NBA Second Team: Moncrief, Jordan, Bernard King, John Cummings, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Rockets' two star centers were excluded from the All-NBA Team, and their overall evaluation is not high enough.

Jordan's selection to the All-NBA Second Team and his shared Rookie of the Year award made for a very successful season. However, Jordan was not happy; the Bulls were eliminated in the first round, and he saw no hope of winning the championship.

Xiao Tu is the most watched player, a two-time All-NBA First Team selection, Rookie of the Year, All-Star MVP, and third in the regular season MVP.

Xiao Tu received two gold chests as rewards for being named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA First Team. These are honors that elevate a player's historical standing, at least on par with individual statistical champions.

The season isn't over yet, and Xiao Tu has already saved up four gold chests. If he wins the championship, he'll get even bigger prizes.

The rewards were more than Xiao Tu had anticipated, and they didn't seem difficult to obtain. In reality, these awards are extremely hard to come by; most All-Star players never make the All-NBA First Team or the All-Defensive First Team in their entire careers.

Magic Johnson accepted the award in Los Angeles and held a press conference.

He thanked many people, but he especially thanked Xiao Tu. People know why; Xiao Tu was the player who cooperated with Johnson the most, his screens were of high quality, and his catch-and-shoot ability could provide him with assists.

Johnson reiterated his championship declaration, believing that the Lakers will definitely win the championship this year, no matter who their opponent is!
Xiao Tu later held a press conference at the same hotel, where he was interviewed by even more reporters than Johnson.

Xiao Tu said, "Right now, I only want to win the championship and I only care about the overall championship. I won't be complacent about the success in the regular season."

The reporter asked Xiao Tu to predict the upcoming Western Conference Finals.

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "I'm very happy that the Nuggets have made it to the Western Conference Finals because the Nuggets are an offensive team that wins games. The back-and-forth between the two teams will be very exciting. The Nuggets beat the Lakers in the regular season, so we won't underestimate them and will go all out in every game."

The reporter asked, "Which team do you think will advance to the Finals?"

"Of course the Lakers will advance. We have a better chance of winning because we have home-court advantage."

He said having home-court advantage was a low-key statement; his real intention was to sweep the opponent and have each team play two home games. With him on the team, the Lakers are almost guaranteed to win. The Nuggets' power forward is insignificant; no one can stop him from scoring.

Lakers fans are also happy that the Nuggets have made it to the Western Conference Finals, as both teams tend to score high points.

(End of this chapter)