Chapter 706: Chapter 706
The San Antonio Spurs closely followed in the West with a 61-win record.
Kawhi Leonard averaged 25.3 points per game, making him the second Spurs player to achieve this since Duncan in the 2001-2002 season.
If nothing unexpected happens, the Spurs have another foundational player who can be utilized for at least ten years.
The most surprising performance was from the Houston Rockets, who placed third with a 55-win record.
Bosh confirmed his season-ending status before the season even started, making it more decisive than in the past two years.
This also theoretically eliminated the Rockets’ chances of winning the championship.
However, Harden had a breakout season after leaving Kardashian, averaging 30.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder ranked fourth with 50 wins.
Anthony’s scoring this season was the lowest since his rookie season, with his average dropping to 21 points.
That was the main reason the Thunder previously attempted to trade him, but unfortunately, they couldn’t finalize a deal.
However, Westbrook had the most impressive statistical season of his career, averaging 25.4 points, 10.1 assists, and 10.3 rebounds per game, achieving a triple-double for the season!
He amassed 25 triple-doubles throughout the season, the most in the league.
Recalling how Ricky Davis once turned to his own basket just to grab a final rebound to complete his triple-double.
For most players, achieving a triple-double is an elusive feat; who would have thought Westbrook would manage it 25 times in one season?
This started comparisons outside the league to Oscar Robertson.
Some media even suggested that with Westbrook producing a triple-double performance under the modern basketball framework, he should be the MVP candidate for this season.
The Memphis Grizzlies ranked fifth with 47 wins.
Randolph became a bench player for the Grizzlies, with their current frontcourt pairing being Little Gasol and Noel.
Both Little Gasol and Conley had career-best performances, although Wiggins, in his third year, averaged 18 points, somewhat falling short of the expectations placed on him back in the day.
The Jazz, Clippers, and Blazers ranked 6th to 8th respectively.
Previously, a trade caught much attention, yet the Pelicans, who formed the world’s strongest frontcourt twin towers, only secured 34 wins.
Davis averaged 28 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.2 blocks; since joining the Pelicans, Cousins averaged 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks.
The twin towers didn’t fail in the small-ball era, but the Pelicans’ biggest issues weren’t with the twin towers.
Anyone who’s watched the Pelicans’ games knows their lineup space is too small, and they lack self-generated offensive abilities on the perimeter.
With such a top-heavy lineup, changing it is a must if they want success.
In the East, despite losing Irving mid-season, the Cavaliers’ overall record was better than the past two years, achieving 61 wins.
This was the first time since Hansen returned to the Cavaliers that he led the team to over 60 wins.
He averaged 31 points, 6.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.6 blocks; shooting 52.4% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range.
Jokic averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, shooting 49.9% from the field and 32.4% from the three-point line.
After coming off the bench, Wade’s numbers slightly declined but his efficiency was higher than during his time with the Chicago Bulls, finishing the season with 16.8 points, 4 rebounds, 4.2 assists; shooting 47% from the field and 33% from three-point range.
The Boston Celtics closely followed behind the Cavaliers in second place in the East with a 59-win record.
Durant averaged 25.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, shooting 51.6% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range, setting a career high;
Little Thomas averaged 25.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, shooting 46.3% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range, with all stats hitting career highs;
Towns averaged 18.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.6 blocks; shooting 54.2% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.
The Raptors ranked third with 51 wins.
At the start of the season, they traded for Ibaka from the Thunder, strengthening their frontcourt compared to last season.
Derozan averaged 27.3 points, also a career high.
The Chicago Bulls ranked fourth with 50 wins.
Irving averaged 23.8 points, 5 rebounds, 6.9 assists; Butler averaged 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists; Howard averaged 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks.
The Washington Wizards ranked fifth with 49 wins.
Wall and Bill both averaged 23.1 points, with Wall averaging 10.7 assists, earning the title of the season’s assist leader.
The Pacers, Pistons, and Bucks ranked 6th to 8th respectively.
The Cavaliers will face the Bucks in the first round.
The Bucks’ record is 42 wins, quite decent for the eighth in the East compared to previous years.
But when compared to the Cavaliers, the 18-win difference highlights the gap in strength between the two teams.
However, this series has gained unprecedented attention.
The main reason is Antetokounmpo.
Before the season ended, Nike reached a nine-year, $90 million extension contract with Antetokounmpo.
This makes him, in terms of annual salary, second only to Durant within the Nike system, and on par with James and Irving.
As one of the future twin stars chosen by Nike, ESPN is ramping up efforts to continue to package and promote him.
He averaged 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.9 blocks this season, along with a 52.1% shooting percentage, described as a generations-making inside player in the small-ball era.
Yet that is not the main reason this series garners attention.
The intrigue traces back to a live interview of Antetokounmpo at the end of the season.
Sponsored by ESPN, it was part of a television program.
In the program, hosts asked about Antetokounmpo’s idol, a topic NBA player idols frequently interest the public.
Especially when these players begin to shine, the idol seems to gain added glory.
This is why O’Neal exaggerated Jokic frequently in his commentary, also why this program was hosted.
Since Antetokounmpo rose to prominence, he’s been continuously linked to James by the media.
The media see him as the "Next James," aligning with Nike’s vision for him.
So, when hosts asked about his idol on the script, which is live, they knew the answer well.
First, Antetokounmpo named his idol before entering the League, surprisingly it was Iverson.
It’s rare for an inside player to idolize an outside player .
Of course, that’s not crucial, because Antetokounmpo soon revealed his idol once he entered the League.
When this answer came out, the host was dumbfounded, as likely was ESPN.
It was simply unconventional.
"When I entered the League, the Memphis Grizzlies had just completed a title defense; I witnessed Han beat that incredibly powerful Heat team, and he became my idol, proving that if one is strong enough, no opponent is unbeatable."
Yet Antetokounmpo’s reasoning is irrefutable. Fınd the newest release on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
So, when the Bucks and Cavaliers faced off in the playoffs, it maximized the topic discussions.
Hansen felt somewhat complex upon hearing this news.
As a transmigrator, he had deep impressions of Antetokounmpo’s reckless plays involving Irving, Porzingis, Anthony Davis, Capela...
The last player star to do such a thing personally was James.
Regardless, the controversies don’t impact the outcome of their match.
The Bucks’ current lineup, playstyle, and even coaching pale in comparison to the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers easily swept the Bucks 4-0.
After the series ended, Hansen acknowledged Antetokounmpo’s performance in the post-game press conference and encouraged him to keep improving his skills.
Antetokounmpo averaged 24.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the series, a solid performance.
Setting besides the reckless plays, Antetokounmpo, as a mid-first-round rookie, wasn’t fostered initially, climbing to a superstar status, is truly an inspirational story.
Even the persona Nike crafted reflects real happenings.
So, Hansen also hopes that his "idol" expectation can lead Antetokounmpo to a path different from "history".
Although following Irving’s case, he doubted such a possibility.
But those aspects matter not anymore, because after defeating the Bucks, the Cavaliers’ true playoff journey just begins.
Their next opponent in the second round is the Chicago Bulls.