Chapter 416: Chapter 328, Nuggets Lead the Small Ball Era!
In the NBA arena, every win carries the effort and sweat of the team.
For this season’s Nuggets, achieving 73 wins is undoubtedly a milestone moment, with too many meanings embedded behind it.
The atmosphere in the TNT Studio was so lively it was almost like shouting.
Barkley stood in front of the commentary desk, like a passionate orator.
"Look! The Nuggets have become the benchmark of the new era of the NBA." His eyes were shining with excitement, his hands waving in the air as if to convey this excitement to every viewer. "The Nuggets broke the record held by the Bulls for many years, and this is no small feat. This signifies unprecedented stability and dominance by the Nuggets during this season’s regular season."
"What does tonight’s 73 wins mean? It means that if they continue at this pace, the Nuggets’ winning percentage by the end of the season could exceed 90%. Oh my, such a winning percentage is truly terrifying." Barkley said as he shook his head. "And we’ve all seen it, the Nuggets have achieved several comebacks and game-winners this season. In those nerve-wracking moments, they demonstrated extremely strong mental toughness and execution."
At this moment, those exciting game highlights started playing on the TV.
"With ’Zeng Xingyang + Jokic’ pairing with a lineup of outstanding role players as the core, the Nuggets mainly employ rapid offense and defense transitions, unlimited switching, and pick-and-roll tactics. This style has completely overturned traditional basketball cognition," Smith said. "The birth of this record proves the feasibility of modern basketball systems centered on speed, pick-and-roll, shooting, and teamwork, pushing the league into the ’small-ball era’."
"Moreover, this also means Zeng Xingyang has locked in this year’s MVP in advance, he will definitely be considered a ’generational star’."
"Nikola Jokic has achieved 50 triple-doubles this season, and the value of the Nuggets’ overall defense system has been highly recognized, making them a model of ’team basketball’."
"I think, after this season, the Nuggets will be studied more deeply by opponents. They will also drive the league to focus more on data analysis and efficiency basketball, with data like three-point attempts, fast break points, pick-and-roll coordination being reconsidered."
"In summary, the Nuggets achieving a 73-win record is both a subversion of traditional basketball and a milestone in the development of modern basketball. It symbolizes the perfect combination of teamwork, tactical innovation, and individual prowess."
At this point, Barkley paused slightly, his tone turning somewhat heavy: "However, now this record also forces the Nuggets to win the championship. If they don’t win the championship next, then for them, this season might not be so perfect."
Smith nodded repeatedly on the side, the two of them speaking excitedly like a string of firecrackers, analyzing the significance and value of this game by the Nuggets in great detail.
Outside the arena, this game by the Nuggets also brought about a tide of praise.
The Nuggets fans cheered both within and outside the stadium.
"Awesome!"
"We are the champions!"
Various shouts rose and fell.
Some female fans were even tearfully excited, having witnessed the Nuggets’ madness this season.
The Bulls’ 72 wins back then seem almost inconsequential.
Media reporters busily shuttled at the sidelines, capturing every exciting moment and recording every thrilling moment.
Returning to the locker room, the management had already prepared champagne, and the locker room was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
The players were all excited, hugging and high-fiving each other, their faces beaming with joy from the victory.
The moment the champagne was opened and spewed out, it seemed to be cheering for the team’s victory as well.
Everyone was immersed in this joyous atmosphere, despite the regular season not being over, but at this moment, the Nuggets had no concerns, they enjoyed this moment of glory.
After 73 wins, the topic fans and media discussed more was whether Zeng Xingyang is the best second-year player in history.
Jordan, in the early stage of his second season, fractured his left foot’s stress and had to miss the first 64 games against the Warriors.
It wasn’t until March 15, 1986, that Jordan returned to the court.
Upon his return, Jordan quickly regained his form, though his average points slightly decreased compared to his rookie season’s 28.2 points, he still showcased his ability to adapt to high-intensity games, delivering averages of 22.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals.
In the first-round series of the playoffs against the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the East, Jordan further displayed astounding prowess. In the first game, he scored 49 points, and in the second game, he scored 63 points, shocking the entire league.
Although the Bulls were ultimately swept, Jordan’s performance made even Celtics coach Cardinal Auerbach exclaim, "He is God disguised as a player."
However, now in his second year, Zeng Xingyang is clearly better than Jordan in his second year, his on-court data shows a crushing advantage over Jordan.
As for the playoffs, although the Nuggets may not necessarily win the championship, it’s almost certain they won’t be eliminated in the first round.
Even those fans and media who once firmly supported Jordan, upon seeing Zeng Xingyang’s performance, have to admit that Jordan’s second season is indeed not as outstanding as Zeng Xingyang’s.
This is already the second year Zeng Xingyang has done such astonishing things.
Competing for the regular season MVP in his second season makes Zeng Xingyang seem more like an ancient mythical beast.
On the other hand, in his last regular season game with the Warriors, Durant led the Warriors to defeat the Kings, securing a 64-win record for the Warriors.
This record does not match the Warriors’ last season, where they achieved 69 wins. Warriors fans, after Durant joined, once thought they would easily achieve wins over 70.
However, all this indicates that the NBA is not that simple.
But it seems that the Warriors care little about regular-season wins over 70, having suffered from focusing too much on the regular season, leading to insufficient stamina in the playoffs.
In the final interview, Green said with a relaxed face: "Regular season wins don’t mean anything, the most important thing is winning in the playoffs, our goal this season is the championship."
Thompson also said: "The upcoming playoffs are our target, we will defeat all opponents."
The Warriors players also showed a nonchalant attitude towards personal data and honors.
ESPN’s reporter was not intending to let the Warriors off easily, bluntly questioning Durant: "KD, what do you think about the Warriors being swept by the Nuggets this season?"