The Warriors finally concluded their January campaign with a 39-11 record. It was an extremely tough stretch of games, but during the period when key players like Davis were sidelined due to injury, Mike Malone fully showcased his coaching talent. By adjusting player rotations, optimizing tactics, and sticking to the "prioritize and strategize" plan formulated before the regular season began, the Warriors successfully remained in the upper half of the Western Conference after a schedule that many fans initially thought would cause them to falter. Furthermore, they were only 2 games behind the Phoenix Suns, currently ranked first in the Western Conference.
"Prioritize and strategize" – this was the codename Zack came up with for Malone's battle plan, which involved tagging different games with corresponding labels before the regular season started, determining which games the Warriors would fully commit to, and which games they could take it easy on.
Additionally, it must be stated that while the Warriors might selectively take it easy in some games, this didn't mean they would intentionally lose. The labels Malone assigned in advance simply determined the Warriors' level of commitment on different nights. And on certain nights when the Warriors were truly provoked, these pre-assigned labels would be rendered void by the agitated Warriors players on the court.
For example, in the Warriors' game against the Spurs on January 18th, after the first three quarters, with the Warriors already trailing the Spurs by as many as 19 points, Mike Malone was already starting to strategize for the next game. But during a break interview, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich suddenly declared, "As long as the officiating is fair, our defense can completely handle the Warriors' offense."
This statement thoroughly enraged every championship player on the Warriors' roster. Thus, a classic "boil down to the essence" comeback unfolded at Oracle Arena. In the fourth quarter, led by Zack, the utterly unleashed Warriors attempted a total of 17 three-pointers, converting 10 of them. Ten three-pointers in a single quarter. In the face of these illogical and even unreasonable three-pointers, how could the Spurs' vaunted iron defense possibly hold up?
The final score was 104-112. After leading the Warriors to a comeback victory in the final quarter, Zack stated in a post-game interview, "As long as the officiating is fair, our offense can crush any defense!" Popovich, for his part, was far from convinced.
Popovich's disbelief stemmed from the Warriors hitting too many unscientific three-pointers in the fourth quarter that shouldn't have gone in. This season, as the average three-point attempts per team have increased, teams are recognizing the value of the three-pointer more, but they've also gradually realized that in the current era, a reasonable number of three-point attempts should be around 20 to 25 per game. Too few three-point attempts can't relieve the offensive team's pressure when breaking down a packed-in defense. But too many three-point attempts are purely gambling.
Especially this season, to maintain a certain level of competitiveness, the league implicitly allows teams to use aggressive defensive strategies in some games. Unless you have a shooter who can comfortably shoot over defenders and consistently knock down threes at over 35% accuracy, blindly increasing three-point attempts will likely backfire. As an experienced player, Zack knew very well that there were still too few quality shooters in the current era.
When the three-point line was first invented, the NBA did experience the 80s, an era of offense for offense's sake, with virtually no defense. But even in that era, where teams averaged 110+ points per game, the three-pointer was still seen as a novelty trick. As for why? Of course, it was because when the three-point line was first invented, how many people in the NBA at that time could guarantee they could consistently sink the ball from long distance with relatively stable accuracy?
Just as basketball tactics never go out of style, they just need to find the right people. It wasn't until the mid-90s, when more and more quality shooters began to emerge... especially after the Houston Rockets, with their then-shocking average of 22 three-point attempts per game, shot their way to a championship, that people gradually realized that the three-pointer could be a crucial skill and winning weapon for a team.
(① In the 1994-95 playoffs, the Rockets averaged 22 three-point attempts per game with 39.1% accuracy.)
It's important to remember that compared to the roaring 80s, the mid-90s NBA was a time when gritty, physical basketball reigned supreme. Undoubtedly, it was that "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion" Houston Rockets team that pioneered the first wave of three-point shooting. And in the early 21st century, with the NBA introducing zone defenses to break down the incredibly suffocating packed-in defenses, the current NBA has reached an era that requires reform and evolution. Since the Warriors have already proven that more three-point attempts are key to breaking down packed-in defenses, other teams will naturally follow suit.
However, as tactics progressed, another problem emerged in today's NBA: too few quality shooters. On the free-agent market, three-point shooters who can consistently hit at a high percentage under the current level of physicality have already been snatched up by every team. This supply-and-demand imbalance fully demonstrates how much today's NBA needs quality shooters.
This season's Warriors are the best example. As the only team in the 2006-07 season that averaged over 25 three-point attempts per game and was ranked in the top five of the league in overall record... because the Warriors have a group of qualified shooters, they can naturally attempt more three-pointers when breaking down packed-in defenses. While Zack admitted that their comeback against the Spurs had an element of luck, that luck was also related to the Warriors having more reliable three-point shooting than other teams.
However, under the current level of physicality allowed in the NBA, the Warriors can't gamble every night. Zack knew very well that even in the small-ball era of the future, as long as the NBA allowed more aggressive defensive strategies, unless everyone was Stephen Curry, the average three-point attempts per team would definitely drop to around 30. As for whether Curry himself could adapt to such aggressive defensive strategies? Zack believed that perhaps Curry's three-point percentage might drop on some nights due to defensive intensity, but since there was Reggie Miller who came before him, Curry would surely find ways to counter high-intensity defense. After all, what truly influences era-defining change is never tactics, but people.
On February 1st, the Warriors, bolstered by Murphy's return from injury, dominated the Orlando Magic, whose paint was guarded by Dwight Howard, with Phil Jackson's famous triangle offense. As this year's Eastern Conference All-Star starting center, Howard's defensive range and his ability to wreak havoc were already beginning to show. Therefore, to better establish inside-outside connections in this game against the Magic, Mike Malone decided to start by attacking the Magic's paint. Before the game, Malone's idea was simple: if they could make Howard hesitate to come out, the Warriors would surely get more opportunities on the perimeter.
But as the game began, Malone quickly realized just how naive his idea was. On the court, it was the Warriors' offensive possession. After once again tricking Howard's balance with a rhythmic back-to-the-basket move, Zack quickly spun around and easily cut to the basket to add two more points for the Warriors. During the game, facing the Warriors' triangle offense, Magic head coach Brian Hill didn't even consider double-teaming Zack. In his eyes, Howard's low-post defense was trustworthy, and the Magic had no need to commit more players to圍剿 Zack.
And then, Howard was given a lesson by Zack. Because Howard's lower body wasn't stable enough, with most of his power concentrated in his upper body, Zack could always find ways to toy with the "Dwightmare" in low-post backdowns throughout the game.
The result? As the game wore on, the Warriors didn't even need other players to provide firepower from the perimeter! "I was too naive. I actually thought Dwight Howard could defend our Messiah," Mike Malone confessed after the game.
In the entire game, Zack, shooting 15-of-21 from the field with no three-point attempts, and 11-of-13 from the free throw line, totaled 41 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal for the Warriors. Howard, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, left the game with 10 points and 12 rebounds, completely activating his self-pity mode.
Honestly, if the Magic had just double-teamed Zack a few more times during the game, Zack wouldn't have turned this into such a one-sided beatdown. But alas, Brian Hill was an old-school coach. In his eyes, a superstar big man should have a fair and square one-on-one battle with another superstar big man. However, this old-school coach, who had led the Magic to the Finals in the 1994-95 season, clearly forgot: Howard wasn't Shaquille O'Neal back then, and Zack's playing style was completely different from Hakeem Olajuwon's. Even if Howard could somehow "cheat" and read Zack's low-post backdowns, he'd still have to swallow another dose of poison called clever perimeter play. For Howard, who still needed time to level up, Brian Hill choosing to let him face Zack alone in the game was no different from giving Zion Williamson a hard time.
On the 4th and 5th, the Warriors, riding high on Murphy's return from injury, surprisingly suffered two consecutive losses. The two teams that defeated the Warriors were the Jazz and the Nuggets. In the high altitudes of Salt Lake City and Denver, the Warriors' perimeter shooters couldn't find their rhythm for two straight games. One game, they shot 7-for-29 from three-point range. Another game, they attempted 33 threes but only made 8, for a dismal 24% accuracy.
However, compared to these two losses, what truly broke Zack was the trash talk his friends dished out after the games. In Salt Lake City, Paul, who scored 22 points and 12 assists by tormenting Jack, boastfully told Zack after the game, "It's not hard to beat you guys. You're definitely overrated." In Denver, Anthony, who scored 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Nuggets, flashed his signature smile at Zack: "Before the trade deadline, Melo welcomes you to join the Nuggets anytime."
Although from Paul and Anthony's utterly ugly post-game smugness, Zack somewhat felt he had chosen his friends poorly... Zack, always magnanimous, didn't mind his brothers trash-talking him occasionally after beating him. Moreover, since Mike Malone had already tagged the two games where the Nuggets and Jazz would visit Oracle Arena in the second half of the regular season as "full effort," Zack naturally had to teach Paul and Anthony a lesson in those two games. Yes, Zack never minded his brothers trash-talking him. But afterward, his brothers shouldn't mind his consistent retaliation either. (Gritting his teeth)
To hold onto their top-half ranking in the Western Conference and keep their chance to compete for the top spot, Mike Malone had already changed the tag for the Warriors' remaining five games before the All-Star break to "must-win."
On February 6th, while visiting the TNT studio, Scottie Pippen once again brought up the bet he made with Charles Barkley before the regular season began. It was a bet that Zack had to help Barkley win to complete the [Charles Barkley's Gift II] quest. The terms of the bet were whether Zack could record a "50+ triple-double" in a regular season game before the All-Star break.
Originally, as Zack notched triple-double after triple-double in the 2006-07 season, Barkley thought victory was within his grasp. But almost two-thirds of the way through the regular season, Barkley realized that he had clearly underestimated the difficulty of a "50+ triple-double."
Since entering the league, Zack's two closest nights to achieving a "50+ triple-double" were the first "Good Night, Los Angeles" night. On that night, Zack was just 2 points shy of becoming the fourth player after Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to record a "50+ triple-double" in the NBA. The second was that Christmas night when Zack chose not to play in the fourth quarter. Many believed then that if Zack had learned from his good brother and shamelessly padded his stats in garbage time, he would definitely have gotten a "50+ triple-double."
All in all, a "50+ triple-double" is not an impossible task for the current Zack. But it also has its difficulties. First, based on the Warriors' win statistics this season, on nights when Zack recorded "30+ triple-doubles," he usually ended up sitting out the fourth quarter. The only exception this season was the Warriors' Christmas game against the Sonics. That night, Zack, who totaled 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists for the Warriors, exceptionally received playing time in the fourth quarter. But besides the Sonics game, whenever Zack recorded a "30+ triple-double" in a game, it equated to him sitting out the fourth quarter. Because the better Zack, the primary ball-handler, played on the court, the easier the Warriors tended to win their games.
Second, a "50+ triple-double" has another challenge. That is, Zack must consume more possessions in the game, especially shot attempts, to achieve this feat. Given Zack's visibly elevated status within the Warriors, this challenge shouldn't have been an issue for Zack to achieve a "50+ triple-double" on a given night. However, currently, to ensure the Warriors can compete for the top spot in the Western Conference, Zack also prioritizes winning the game. So, he only increases his shot attempts on nights when he feels his shot is exceptionally good.
But Zack's playing style also dictates that he is the type of player who can suddenly unleash a high-damage burst in a certain period, directly taking down an opponent. Therefore, this leads back to the first problem. That is, how can Zack, when he's having an exceptionally good shooting night, get playing time in the fourth quarter? This season, in Zack's recent 40+ point games, only in the previous game against the Magic did Zack get about 4 minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter. But in that game, the efficiency Zack gained from high-frequency backdowns meant his energy levels weren't as full as usual.
So, after some calm reflection, Barkley realized that he might actually lose his bet with Pippen. Because for Zack to achieve a "50+ triple-double" feat... it depended on his own condition, and at the same time, it depended on the opponent's performance. And now, with the All-Star break fast approaching... Barkley admitted he was indeed panicking. Although his bet with Pippen was only about who would have to wear a maid outfit and kiss the other's butt...
No! If he lost this, how the hell would Barkley show his face again?
On the evening of the 6th, after finishing the "Inside the NBA" show on TNT, Barkley immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Zack's number. On the phone, the always impatient Barkley directly stated his purpose: "You have to figure something out! It's just a '50+ triple-double,' can't you put in a little effort? You know your recent performance has disappointed me! You're the new GOAT of the NBA, how can you not care about stats at all? Forget about those damn teammates' feelings, just go out there and absolutely pad those stats for one game!"
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