The Best Point Guard

Chapter 385: Chapter 121: The Regular Season MVP Winner

The Brooklyn Nets remained in Indiana after their final regular-season game, as their first-round playoff opponent was none other than the Pacers.

For the past few years, the Brooklyn Nets had been a powerhouse in the East, enjoying immense success with two trips to the Finals. But they began to decline last season, and this year, the downward spiral had become unstoppable. Even their mid-season trade for Vince Carter, one of the era’s four great shooting guards, couldn’t turn things around.

The core of the Brooklyn Nets was still Jason Kidd, and their tactical approach hadn’t changed significantly. While the roster had seen some changes, in terms of sheer individual talent, their overall strength hadn’t fluctuated much.

So why was there such a stark difference in their record?

Team chemistry.

They were missing a crucial tactical component.

When building a strong team, player talent is only part of the equation. What’s more crucial is whether they can unite and bring out every player’s full potential. Many teams assemble a host of superstars but still can’t win. Take last season’s Lakers and their "Super F4" lineup. On paper, their strength ranked among the top three in history, so why didn’t they ultimately win the championship? It was a lack of chemistry. None of the four superstars were in a position where they could thrive.

The Brooklyn Nets were now facing the same issue. And this was despite Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson all being good-natured guys; there was never any turmoil in the locker room.

But they weren’t a perfect fit.

Vince Carter had a ball-dominant playstyle, though he was in the process of adapting.

Richard Jefferson, having grown rapidly as a player, also needed the ball in his hands.

Jason Kidd was an old-school, traditional Point Guard.

Add to that the fact that the Brooklyn Nets didn’t re-sign Kenyon Martin, allowing him to leave for the Denver Nuggets.

The Brooklyn Nets’ steady decline started to make perfect sense.

Although Su Xi had his feuds with many basketball experts, when it came to first-round predictions, every single commentator believed the Pacers would win easily. Most predicted the series would be over in five games.

...

On April 24, Conseco Fieldhouse hosted the first game of the 2004-2005 playoffs’ first round. The excited Indiana fans packed the arena to the rafters.

The passion for basketball among the people of Indiana was soaring. The previous season’s championship had brought immense pride to the small city, drawing in even those who had never cared for the sport. Su Xi’s name was already a household word here; he had become a city hero.

When asked by the media about their expectations for this season, Pacers fans didn’t hesitate to declare, "The championship! We are definitely going to win the championship."

’We already won the championship last season. Anything less than a repeat this season would be a failure.’

This sentiment hung in the air over all of Indiana.

It placed immense pressure on the entire Pacers Club.

...

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the game began.

The Pacers’ starting lineup was: Su Xi, Artest, Stephen Jackson, Little O’Neal, and Foster.

The Brooklyn Nets’ starting lineup was: Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Collins, and Kostic.

Foster won the opening tip against Kostic. Su Xi brought the ball past half-court, with Jason Kidd guarding him.

Jason Kidd was an extremely experienced defender, and a very strong one physically.

At this level of competition, both sides knew each other’s offensive and defensive tendencies inside and out.

And in the realm of superstars, there was rarely a case of one completely dominating another; more often than not, they just traded blows. Even if a superstar had an off night, they were sure to make up for it in other ways.

That’s because to become a superstar, you must possess an ability in some area that is "unguardable" or "capable of transcending defensive schemes."

Jason Kidd was still a superstar; he hadn’t fallen from that elite tier.

Su Xi used a powerful burst of speed to squeeze past Jason Kidd, but J Kidd’s defense was specifically tailored for him. He bumped Su Xi right as he was transitioning between moves, slightly disrupting his rhythm and preventing him from driving straight to the paint.

But Su Xi quickly recovered, passing the ball into the paint. Little O’Neal easily overpowered Collins and scored with a left-handed layup.

On the other end of the court, the Pacers established a strong defensive front.

However, Vince Carter, relying on his extreme explosiveness and leaping ability, still managed to hit a pull-up jumper over the defending Stephen Jackson.

That’s just pure superstar ability.

After all, Vince Carter was a super-scorer capable of trading 50-plus point games with the likes of Iverson. Though he was best known for his incredible dunks among the era’s four great shooting guards, one should never underestimate his scoring outbursts.

At the peak of his career, Vince Carter was a top-five player in the league. Now, even with his physical condition and competitive form in decline, he was still a superstar-caliber player—or, you could say, a gatekeeper to the superstar club.

Stephen Jackson was a strong defender, but it’s incredibly difficult to limit a superstar’s scoring.

The game continued.

The Pacers’ shooting had gone cold.

On the Brooklyn Nets’ side, however, Vince Carter’s shot was hot. He also got Jefferson’s shooting going, and the two wing scorers began sinking shot after shot.

By the end of the first half, the Brooklyn Nets were surprisingly up by 8 points.

This was the complete opposite of what the pre-game predictions had suggested.

It just goes to show, there are no weak teams in the NBA.

On-paper strength and tactical refinement are important, but every victory also contains an element of chance.

Starting in the second half, the Pacers adopted a lockdown defensive strategy. They focused on defense first, forcing the game against the Brooklyn Nets into a slow, half-court grind.

Slowly but surely, the Pacers began to turn the tide.