No matter how you look at it, Ron Artest joining the Warriors brought nothing but positive vibes.
This was especially true with Dunleavy Jr. being suspended and Richardson out with injuries.
Unlike the "Metta World Peace" people remember from later years, who could barely dunk...
Before time robbed him of his offensive prowess, Artest's ability to attack and defend was the main reason he could be traded for a star player of equal caliber, even after a year-long suspension.
In his prime, Artest averaged over five attempts at the rim per game.
While he couldn't quite charge the rim like LeBron, who averaged over eight attacks, and finish with a King's Axe...
Artest's bulldozer-like charges, fueled by his weight and iron elbows, still made opposing big men miserable.
After all, a player's attempts at the rim on the court often correlated positively with their free throw attempts.
In Zack's past life, after getting fed up with the "T-Mac" who was always "asleep," Houston Rockets fans would discover...
It turns out if their perimeter players could just help Yao Ming a little, like Artest did, breaking through the first round of the playoffs wouldn't be as hard as they thought.
Artest's arrival undoubtedly greatly reduced the offensive burden on Zack, the Messiah, on the court.
However...
As Artest gradually integrated into the Warriors...
After a few games, he quickly started to worry about how the team was using Zack.
As everyone knows, the current NBA was in an era where things were completely topsy-turvy.
In this era, where "rim attacks are all about forwards and guards, and big men are trying to extend their range," even Duncan and Garnett only averaged four to five finishes at the rim per game.
Conversely, players like LeBron, Wade, and a pre-weight gain Carmelo Anthony would frequently attack the opposing basket.
No doubt about it.
The perimeter stars of the last century, led by Michael Jordan, had changed the original ecosystem of basketball.
Because people realized that perimeter stars, who always had the ball in their hands, had more offensive opportunities in games, so...
If driving to the basket was a form of attacking, then why bother painstakingly figuring out how to pass the ball to a big center?
In fact, after entering the 21st century, only Shaquille O'Neal had averaged over nine finishes at the rim per game among all NBA big men.
And...
As the NBA's most unique presence, O'Neal wasn't entirely against following the trend.
But in the NBA, who would worry about Shaquille O'Neal punishing them with a mid-range jumper?
"You can't play like this. You're getting more finishes at the rim from drives each game than I am... Trust me, in two months, I'll definitely only see you in a hospital bed."
After a Warriors practice session that day, Artest earnestly said to Zack.
Hearing this, even though he knew the [Flying Pig in the Air] badge gave him iron knees, Zack also understood...
In his first month as a rookie...
He was indeed leading this current Warriors team by running at full throttle, even overclocking.
"Also, our defense can't just rely on you. Where's that kid Kwame? You can't let him hide behind you all the time. He needs to take more responsibility on defense."
In Artest's eyes, the current Zack was like he had to be Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and even guest star as Larry Bird on the court. (Barkley: ?)
With that kind of workload, Artest believed that even if Zack was made of steel and iron, he'd eventually break down.
So, the Warriors needed to undergo a strategic revolution quickly to lighten Zack's load.
Beside them, after fully understanding Artest's intentions, Dunleavy Jr. chimed in, "The NBA regular season has only been going for a month. We still have four and a half months ahead of us."
Seeing this, since he had only played relatively easy college basketball before, Zack humbly asked Artest and Dunleavy Jr., "In your opinion, how should I adjust moving forward?"
Artest, drawing from his experience, said, "Now that I'm on the perimeter... Baron and I can share a lot of the rim-attacking work with you.
So, on offense, whenever you feel like you need a breather, you can totally catch the ball beyond the three-point line and finish with easier shots."
Zack chuckled bitterly, "But then it would be hard for me to grab offensive rebounds immediately."
Artest was furious at this. "You can't take on every single job! Can't the rest of us get offensive rebounds?
Where's that kid Kwame? I'm going to have a serious talk with him later about how he's been supporting you."
Then, after calming down, Artest continued, "Also, on defense, you don't need to constantly help out your teammates. You're our core, our leader...
Didn't Michael Jordan also pass the buck to Scottie Pippen and Ron Harper on defense back in the day?"
Zack was puzzled. "But I read Michael's biography, and it all talks about how he used his all-around defense to shut down opponents' offenses."
Hearing this, Artest swore, "That's a load of bullsh*t! Without Scottie Pippen and other teammates, he was a piece of garbage!
If he was as godly as he claimed, then why didn't he win a single championship before Scottie Pippen developed?"
After a pause, Artest continued, "Of course... Michael is undoubtedly the GOAT, but what I'm trying to tell you is that basketball is never a one-man show.
You've already done too much for this team. Now it's our turn to support you."
Jordan, who was both a piece of garbage and the undisputed GOAT?
One has to admit, Artest's evaluation of Jordan was indeed full of his typical style.
That day, through his earnest advice to Zack...
Artest believed that people would definitely see a more composed and relaxed Messiah on the court.
However, something still puzzled Artest that day...
"Does this team of ours... not have a head coach? Isn't it the head coach's job to figure out how to lighten the load on the star player?"
Head coach?
My apologies.
Coach Mike Montgomery, from the moment he stepped into the NBA until now...
He had never truly grasped the difference between NBA and college basketball.
Including March Madness, college basketball only had about 30-odd games a year.
So in the NCAA, college basketball coaches would squeeze every ounce of energy from their star players to ensure their team secured victory.
But in the NBA...
This "squeeze-them-dry" model was destined not to work.
Because in the long NBA season...
As Artest said, even Jordan had to learn to hide behind his teammates and let them share the burden on the court.
---
### December: Navigating the Gauntlet
In December, with the full protection of his teammates, Zack and the Warriors successfully navigated through the challenging schedule.
Though at home...
Mr. Steve Nash, who suddenly decided to stop passing in the game, once again led the Suns to a victory over the Warriors on the road with an MVP-caliber performance of 37 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists.
But at Oracle Arena...
Against the Mavericks, the Warriors, with their spectacular offense, took down the Dallas Cowboys led by "Little General" Johnson in just three quarters.
In that game, the Warriors' Messiah once again notched a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal.
And in the game, the Warriors also had as many as six players scoring in double digits.
Before Dunleavy Jr.'s return from suspension...
This increasingly cohesive Golden State Warriors team left a deep impression on all Warriors fans.
"We might lose some games... but now we can beat any opponent!"
On the 17th, in the Warriors' road game against the SuperSonics, Mike Dunleavy officially returned from his suspension.
It's worth noting that compared to the SuperSonics Zack remembered from his past life, who at least tried to put up a fight...
Since entering December...
The entire SuperSonics team had become like a runaway train, rushing headlong towards the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Zack didn't understand what had happened to the SuperSonics in this life.
But this year, with the SuperSonics tanking early, the "sleeping T-Mac" wouldn't return until late January, and the Wolf King was slowly fading in silence...
The situation in the entire Western Conference had gradually become clear before the Christmas Day games.
The upper half of the Western Conference was monopolized by the Spurs, Suns, Nuggets, and Mavericks.
The lower half of the Western Conference saw the Warriors, Grizzlies, Kings, Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz competing for the remaining four playoff spots.
Thanks to the NBA's unique rule at the time that division champions automatically get a top-three seed, the Nuggets, with their inherent advantage in the Northwest Division, had become the playoff dream matchup for teams in the lower half of the Western Conference.
That's right, since the Nuggets were highly likely to secure the third seed in the West this season.
So for the teams currently in the lower half of the Western Conference, their best goal wasn't the fifth seed, but the sixth.
Because according to the traditional NBA playoff format of "1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5," compared to the fifth seed, which would face either the Spurs, Mavericks, or Suns in the first round of the playoffs...
The sixth seed, which would face the Nuggets in the playoffs, was clearly the legendary "first-round bye."
Even though in his previous life, Zack remembered that Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets never missed the playoffs, which became a point of pride for many "Melo fans" later on.
But in reality, considering the quality of the Northwest Division at that time...
At least in Zack's eyes, the Nuggets making the playoffs wasn't as difficult as people imagined.
If Zack remembered correctly...
The NBA would change this ridiculous rule next season to ensure division champions get a top-four seed.
While teams in relatively weaker divisions could still use their divisional advantage to make it into the top half of the Eastern or Western Conference...
At least, the revised format wouldn't make the fifth seed in the East and West such an awkward ranking. (Mainly the West)
In fact, as the Western Conference landscape became clearer...
Within the Warriors, they had even discussed whether to compete for the sixth seed in the West.
However, after a heated discussion...
The Warriors players, who had become increasingly like-minded lately, quickly made a team decision.
"Right now, the difference in wins between the fifth and tenth seeds in the West is only 5.5 games...
If we try to compete for the sixth seed and end up missing the playoffs entirely, we'll definitely regret it then."
The intense competition in the Western Conference at this time meant that the Warriors couldn't rely on "acting" to secure the sixth seed and its "first-round bye."
After all, if they messed up...
What awaited the Warriors then...
Was direct elimination.
---
### Christmas Day: Clash of Destinies
As one of the NBA's most talked-about traditions, many superstars said in interviews that Christmas Day games were their most hated.
But being invited to play on Christmas Day was also a form of recognition from David Stern, wasn't it?
This year, because they drafted Zack, the Golden State Warriors, as the NBA's new "internet celebrity team," had been on David Stern's radar since the league scheduled its games.
Originally, when arranging the Warriors' schedule, Stern had planned a " Derby" for this year's Christmas Day game.
But considering how strong the Rockets were back then and how weak the Warriors were, plus the fact that fans cared more about New Year than Christmas...
So after much deliberation, at Stern's behest, the Warriors' Christmas Day opponent was ultimately set as the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The league clearly understood that after the Warriors drafted Zack, the Nike empire was undergoing a magnificent expansion.
Perhaps the Messiah and the Chosen One still needed time to grow...
But before they grew up, the league also had an obligation to lay the groundwork for their future stories, so that when the two of them eventually stepped into legendary status, people would have more to talk about.
And so, Stern personally penned a Christmas showdown for Zack and LeBron James, two legendary good brothers who supposedly talked about everything.
However...
After Zack's earlier "The Dunk" in Cleveland, which garnered over ten million views online and crushed the Cavaliers...
This year's Christmas Day game was unintentionally elevated to a whole new level.
Although afterwards, to maintain his brotherhood with Zack and downplay his unfortunate role as a "background character" in that game, LeBron James used his relatively mild demeanor to successfully defuse the hatred and resentment of Cavaliers fans towards "The Dunk"...
But when the Chosen One and the Messiah met again in a game...
People believed that on Christmas night, James would lead his Cavaliers to Oakland, fueled by a thirst for revenge.
Before the game, Pulitzer Prize winner Ira Berkow wrote in his personal column: "The Cavaliers must deliver a powerful counterpunch to tell the Warriors that Cleveland is not the same as it was ten years ago.
And the Warriors must defend their home court with a victory...
When the 'Chosen One' and the 'Messiah' reunite, I think everyone is looking forward to LeBron James and Zack's performance on Christmas Day."
The media, never one to miss out on drama, furiously hyped the atmosphere of this Warriors-Cavs showdown.
This even overshadowed the "OK Civil War" (Lakers vs. Heat), which was originally more newsworthy, compared to this matchup between two of the league's rising stars.
After all, humans are always drawn to novelty.
Moreover, compared to the Lakers and Heat, where the roster disparity was obvious...
Since the Cavaliers were currently ranked fourth in the East and the Warriors fifth in the West...
The Warriors-Cavs game, with its theoretically closer strength, was undoubtedly expected to be more exciting.
December 25th.
As LeBron James and his teammates stepped onto the Oracle Arena court, he almost immediately noticed the banner on the big screen:
---The Battle of Destiny.
This was the slogan the Bay Area media had coined for this year's Christmas Day game.
Because as the darlings of the entire Bay Area, in the eyes of Bay Area fans, Zack, the Messiah, was clearly stronger than James, the Chosen One, so...
From the Bay Area media's perspective, they felt it was necessary to continue to adorn Zack's future crown with jewels and pearls.
After all...
If Zack could lead the Warriors to defeat the Cavaliers again in this Christmas Day game...
Then he, the Messiah, would undoubtedly earn a second "LeBron James' Crown."
For any superstar aiming to eventually ascend the throne...
This would definitely be a weighty trophy.
While the NBA has a "buy-back" mechanism, where every player automatically gets a "fresh start" in the next game...
If Michael Jordan's trophy collection lacked those two pieces of "Malone's remains" and "Stockton's championship heart" collected in the Finals... (including a piece of "Barkley's despair," etc.)
Where would the so-called "Basketball God" get his undisputed GOAT status from later on?
"LeBron, I saw 'The Dunk,' no matter how high you jump, you're not as good as our Messiah!"
"LeBron, you're a coward, you don't dare to face our Messiah head-on on the court!"
"LeBron, you fatherless wimp! You're a wild child!"
"The Cavs are a fake strong team, Cleveland will never break the curse!"
"LeBron, remember to wear your diapers, don't pee yourself on the court!"
Before the game, in the stands, Warriors fans hurled all sorts of trash talk at the Cavaliers and James.
Undoubtedly.
This was definitely the most pressure James had faced in a game since entering the league.
Although before the game, while chatting with Zack, James felt a warmth of friendship from his good brother.
Although before the game, Zack's never-funny cold jokes made James repeatedly recall the wonderful times he spent with Zack during their trip to in the summer.
Although before the game, James kept telling himself that he had to stay composed...
But as someone who occasionally lost his temper, facing the Warriors fans' taunts, James, knowing the importance of this Christmas Day game, still secretly made up his mind.
No matter what...
The Cavaliers had to respond to the Warriors with their performance on the court!
At Oracle Arena, the war drums had already sounded.
In the center of the court, as ten players took their positions.
This Battle of Destiny officially began.
Tonight, the Cavaliers started with Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Big Z), Drew Gooden, LeBron James, Larry Hughes, and Damon Jones.
Learning from their first encounter, Mike Brown proved his worth, which allowed him to win "NBA Coach of the Year" even without James.
Compared to Snow, James certainly needed Jones' three-point shooting more at this moment.
In Zack's past life, due to his endorsement of Li-Ning, Jones' popularity in at the same time was even higher than many NBA stars.
Throughout his career, Damon Jones had a three-point shooting percentage as high as 39%.
However, as a point guard whose offense primarily relied on three-pointers, Jones' strengths were as obvious as his weaknesses.
That is, while his open three-point shooting was deadly accurate, his lack of dribble-pull-up ability and subpar defense also easily made him a "net negative" on the court.
Therefore...
Brown's risky decision to start Jones tonight was actually a move born out of desperation.
Because even though the "LeBron I" Cavaliers players each had their own specialties, they truly lacked the shooting ability of the "LeBron II" era.
And compared to the Cavaliers, with Richardson returning from injury before the Christmas Day game, the Warriors tonight unleashed their strongest starting five, the "We Believe" Warriors: Kwmae Brown, Zack, Ron Artest, Jason Richardson, and Baron Davis.
Honestly, in both his past life and this one, Chris Mullin's team-building philosophy was superior to most NBA general managers of his time.
Since this "God's Left Hand" was known for his exquisite shooting during his playing days...
From Mullin's era to the later Stephen Curry era, the Golden State Warriors, when building their team, basically continued their emphasis on players' shooting ability.
Historically, the Warriors' rise was no accident.
Because Mullin and Don Nelson had already proven the importance of three-point shooting in basketball through the "We Believe" Warriors.
That's right...
The Golden State Warriors Zack remembered, who pulled off the "We Believe" upset in the 2006-2007 season, did so precisely with their insanely prolific three-point shooting.
In that series, even if Mickael Pietrus only had around a 20% three-point percentage, Don Nelson still demanded that he shoot the ball decisively on the court.
---
### Opening Tip: Zack Ascends
On the court, after the jump ball, it was Warriors' possession.
Brown, who had been constantly getting hammered by Artest in practice lately, didn't give Big Z another chance to "ambush" him during the jump ball, winning the opening possession for the Warriors with extreme assertiveness.
Then, with the "original bearded man" (Baron Davis) clearing the way, Zack found himself with an excellent isolation opportunity on the right side of the court.
Through a cross-screen with Brown, Zack successfully got the slow-moving Big Z switched onto him.
So...
Zack unhesitatingly drove towards Big Z the next second.
As "half" of the last two and a half centers in the league, according to O'Neal, Big Z knew he couldn't stop Zack's drive. So, as Zack tried to blow past him, he could only immediately wrap his arms around Zack.
However...
Because Big Z's relatively gentle demeanor meant he didn't go for a hard foul, it instead gave Zack a chance to showcase his talent.
On the court, just before losing his balance, Zack forcefully tossed the ball towards the basket.
*BANG!*
*Clang, clang, clang, swish!*
In the Cavaliers' restricted area, Zack, who had fallen and slid out of bounds, successfully completed the Warriors' opening score, and it was an "and-one" play, meaning Zack would get a free throw.
However...
At Oracle Arena, the next second, the cheering crowd, who were just celebrating Zack's "and-one," suddenly fell silent.
Because after falling...
Their Messiah seemed to have "rebooted" and didn't get up for a long time.
No way, no way...
Was Zack injured?
At that moment, Big Z, who had just grabbed Zack, was also getting "attacked" by Artest and others, looking completely bewildered.
Honestly...
Big Z's defense just now was absolutely clean.
But...
As he flew towards the baseline, Zack's keen eye for beauty made him spot a stunningly beautiful -American cheerleader with an amazing figure for the Warriors...
So after falling, Zack, who landed in the arms of this cheerleader, had to use his acting skills to lie on someone else's thigh for dozens of seconds.
"Don't move... it hurts!"
And, as this -American cheerleader and her teammates tried to help him up, Zack even "accidentally" brushed against her two enormous "balls" with a seemingly unintentional movement, and said with a pained expression.
At that moment, the -American cheerleader dared not move!
Because right now, lying in her arms was the Messiah of the Bay Area!
And...
So what if Zack took advantage of her?
You have to understand, these days, beautiful girls who wanted Zack to "take advantage" of them...
Could practically line up from the South Heaven Gate to Penglai East Road.
At Oracle Arena, after lying there for a pleasantly extended period, Zack finally "struggled" to get up, while his hands were "stretching" various soft parts of the -American cheerleader's front and back.
"Are you okay?"
At the same time, the Warriors' players and team doctors rushed forward, asking with great concern.
"I'm fine, 'Big Z's' move just now was clean. It's probably just a bruise, it hurts a lot, but I'll be fine once it eases up," Zack said with a calm expression, looking at his teammates and the team doctors.
However...
The next second, as Artest was the first to notice a certain prominent part of Zack...
Recalling everything that had just happened, he immediately understood everything, and he regretted that he couldn't punch Zack right then and there!
No, man!
I almost beat up Big Z just now, next time you want to hit on someone, can't you...
Can't you give your brothers a subtle hint?
After all, men...
What's wrong with being a little lecherous?
And on TNT, Barkley, who also realized what Zack had just done, shamelessly tried to cover for Zack, saying, "You can tell, this adrenaline-pumping game tonight has already excited the Warriors' Messiah."
On the court, as Zack prepared for his free throw, the -American cheerleader, who had just been practically "toyed with" by Zack, also noticed the visible change in Zack's body.
But compared to this -American cheerleader, who instantly blushed and even started thinking about the names of her future children with Zack...
Only Mike Dunleavy knew at this moment that Zack had already entered that state called "Ultra Instinct."
Because after entering December, Zack, who had been fully protected by his teammates, was no longer as exhausted as before, so tonight Zack, who even had the presence of mind to flirt on the sidelines...
In Dunleavy's eyes, he had already proven with his relaxed and composed demeanor just how confident he was in his performance tonight!
As the "Executive Vice Head Coach" and "Executive Vice General Manager" of this current Warriors team, Mike Dunleavy decisively concluded at this moment, "Watch closely! The Messiah will definitely crush the Cavaliers tonight!"
---
### The Messiah's Dominance
On the court, Zack's subsequent performance confirmed Dunleavy Jr.'s judgment.
Because at Oracle Arena, after James's signature instantaneous burst from the wing into the paint for two points, Zack immediately responded with a silky smooth three-pointer from the perimeter.
At that moment, looking at his hands that had "touched the ball" multiple times tonight...
Zack, feeling his touch was extra good tonight, didn't even wait for the ball to swish through the net before turning around to celebrate.
*Swish!*
The next second, as the ball elegantly swished through the net and hit the floor, the entire arena erupted!
"Hey, Charles, don't you think you saw Larry Bird just now?" On TNT, Smith teased about Zack's early celebration.
Hearing this, Barkley, whose mood immediately soured, said, "Larry Bird is Larry Bird. What Zack just did, celebrating early, is even cooler than Larry Bird in my eyes."
What Larry Bird?
Larry Bird isn't even fit to carry Zack's shoes!
At that moment, Barkley thought indignantly to himself.
On the court, it was the Cavaliers' offensive possession.
Because Artest had learned from his previous defensive mistake, even though James got a good one-on-one situation on the wing this time, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Finally, after struggling for several seconds...
James decided to pass first and observe the situation.
However, Hughes, who was more decisive in catching the hot potato tonight, didn't give James any more time to observe the Warriors' defensive positioning.
Because after catching the ball, he drained an open three-pointer from the perimeter, and with his absolute loyalty to James, he helped James complete his personally charismatic "assist-style Answer Ball."
Back the other way, Warriors' possession.
Under Zack's screen, Artest's shot attempt bounced off the rim, but Brown lightly tipped the offensive rebound back to Richardson.
This was a tip-rebounding trick Brown had gradually mastered during his training with Zack.
See, if you can't grab the ball firmly, why even try to grab it?
If you don't try to grab it, how can you have butterfingers?
In the 2001 combine, Kwame Brown, at 211 cm tall, had a wingspan of 221 cm.
His jumping ability was exceptionally good; he could easily jump over 80 cm without even exerting himself too much.
In fact, as long as he didn't gain weight, based on his physical talent alone, Brown had the potential to become an interior defensive anchor similar to Tyson Chandler.
In this life, with Zack by his side, Brown's confidence grew stronger, and in that offensive rebound sequence, he demonstrated his first overall pick-level jumping ability to the world.
On the perimeter, Richardson, restarting the secondary break, explosively drove past Hughes and into the paint.
At this point, successfully drawing the Cavaliers' help defense, he immediately dished the ball to the opposite corner.
Standing there, waiting patiently, was none other than Zack.
This was the biggest change for the Warriors since December.
Everyone wanted to share more of Zack's responsibilities, creating more "easy shot" opportunities for him on the court.
From the left corner, Zack elegantly leaped and once again softly sent the ball into the hoop.
In basketball, perfect pass-and-catch sequences can indeed increase a player's shooting percentage.
Richardson's pass just now was beautiful, and it also showed the Slam Dunk Contest winner's unwavering loyalty to Zack.
And the crowd, since Zack had already scored nine straight points to open the game...
Warriors fans also began to mock James.
"Hey, LeBron, can you stop avoiding this matchup? We want to see you score, not pass!"
"Shoot it, LeBron, if you don't shoot, we'll forget you're Cleveland's 'Chosen One'."
"LeBron, LeBron, when will you grow up?"
At this moment...
If you were to ask James how he felt.
He would definitely tell you...
If he could, he would truly want to unleash a nuclear bomb on the entire Bay Area.
On the court, facing the increasingly noisy taunts from the crowd...
James, after continuously testing Artest's defense with jab steps, responded to the home fans with his "bald lion's cold arrow," a move that, while not yet fully developed, already showed its sharp edge.
Unfortunately...
Even though the Warriors fans desperately wanted to mock James, as the river of NBA history that, no matter how much you deny it, scored over 40,000 points in Zack's memory...
On the court, James's "bald lion's cold arrow"...
By the will of fate...
Also went in!
After the basket, James, finally letting out a sigh of relief, found the courage to make a "quiet down" gesture to the fans.
And now, as the game moved to the Warriors' offensive possession, the fans, eagerly hoping their Messiah would avenge them, all collectively turned their gaze to Zack.
As the master of Oracle Arena, Zack couldn't ignore the Warriors fans' request.
Even if LeBron James was his brother.
So, after moving from the left side of the court, using Brown's screen, to the right side, Zack received the pass from the original bearded man and, while twisting his body, completed a highly difficult catch-and-shoot fadeaway three-pointer.
Drew Gooden had never seen an NBA big man taller than 210 cm perform such a move.
Because even Kevin Garnett back in the day didn't have Zack's fluid ball-handling coordination.
Still, the same thing.
Since the [Summit] system didn't specifically categorize Zack's various attributes.
That's why the [Summit] system provided Zack with a more valuable in-game rating based on actual combat algorithms.
But even so...
Those cold, visible data couldn't truly capture the unique aesthetic of Zack, the Messiah, with the ball in his hands on the court.
This shot was named:
---From the Future.
From the right 45-degree angle, Zack felled Drew Gooden with a fadeaway three-pointer, successfully forcing a timeout for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Tonight, Zack, who had scored 12 consecutive points for the Warriors, had an incredibly hot hand.
Mike Brown knew very well...
This was Zack's most terrifying aspect.
In Brown's eyes, Zack in this state was even more dangerous than many established superstars.
Because for this Cavaliers team...
Unless James guarded Zack, Gooden simply couldn't contain him in this state.
And even if James guarded Zack...
The Cavaliers still couldn't prevent Zack from getting his shots off.
---
### A God Descends
During the timeout, the fans momentarily paused their taunts of James.
After all, while mocking James was important, the master of Oracle Arena was Zack.
"MVP, MVP, MVP---!!!"
In the arena, led by the home DJ, the Warriors fans' deafening "MVP" chant instantly echoed throughout the basketball world.
On TNT, Barkley commented, "The Messiah has clearly captivated the Bay Area fans once again. This is the charm that star players bring to the NBA.
Because when they explode and score on the court, the NBA always becomes exceptionally exciting."
Beside him, Smith added, "Although nights like these aren't something Warriors fans get to see every day...
But that's also the most interesting part of basketball; it's always full of the unknown and randomness."
Indeed, this "Ultra Instinct" version of Zack wasn't seen every day.
But whenever he appeared, it was bound to be an earth-shattering, thought-provoking spectacle.
Especially in the context of tonight's "Battle of Destiny."
After the timeout, Big Z, after a pick-and-roll with James, received James's pass and hit a mid-range "step-back jumper."
This season, in the long two-point area from the 45-degree angles on both sides, Big Z had a shooting percentage close to 50%.
However...
Considering this big center's soft and effortless "step-back jumper" skill...
Zack always felt that Big Z's shooting ability was clearly wasted by this era.
Although in later generations, many fans complained that the NBA had become a boring league where it was all about who could shoot better threes...
But unless the three-point line was abolished, the three-pointer would always be the most efficient way to score in basketball.
For example...
Fearing Zack's hot hand, the Cavaliers were forced to expand their defense, and their previously airtight interior defense now exposed a weakness to Zack.
This was the deterrence Zack created through his three-point shooting.
On certain nights when he had an exceptionally good touch, this deterrence would be magnified infinitely.
On the court, after a hand-off with Davis, Zack turned without the ball and quickly rushed into the Cavaliers' paint.
And in the restricted area, seeing this, a helpless Ilgauskas could only stand still and spread his arms, trying to make a last stand with his 7-foot-3 (221 cm) height...
However...
In the already roaring Oracle Arena tonight, under LeBron James's increasingly anxious gaze, and with Charles Barkley's ensuing roar...
As the original bearded man's pass sailed over Zydrunas Ilgauskas's head...
The next second, Zack, soaring freely through the heavens, transformed into a god from Mount Olympus...
At this moment, a god descends!
*CRASH!*
Immediately after, there was a moment of silence, and then the entire Oracle Arena went wild, chanting Zack's resounding nickname:
"Messiah! Messiah! Messiah!"
After a long while, in the TNT studio, Barkley roared with a decibel level that could shake the entire building, "The Messiah just posterized 'Big Z'!
This All-Star center from Lithuania has officially joined the Messiah's poster collection!"
On the court, after landing from the dunk, Zack put two fingers to his temple, paying his highest respects to "Big Z."
At this moment, there was no mockery.
At this moment, there was only immense respect.
Because if it weren't for these courageous men who always stood in front of the opposing dunking masters on the court, how could basketball be so exciting?
This was why Zack loved basketball.
It was dark and cruel, yet also bright and full of courage.
At this moment, singing a hymn to humanity...
At Oracle Arena, Zack, the god descended, was fully qualified to bask in the adoration that followed...
From the entire basketball world!