Capítulo 1300: Chapter 525: The New Season Begins (Part 3)

In the later stages of the game, the Miami Heat, although not as suppressed as in the opening, with scoring efficiency half that of the Bobcats, were still at a disadvantage, with the outcome never really in doubt. Wade gave it his all, merely preventing the game from becoming a blowout.

The two teams, just considering their on-paper strength, weren’t in the same league at all. Not to mention the Bobcats had a complete tactical system, while the Heat, after O’Neal was traded away, lost their framework, leaving Wade to fight alone.

Additionally, tonight marked the Bobcats’ season opener in their title-defense campaign, and everyone played hard, even the sluggish O’ Neal, showing no mercy when attacking, refusing to give the Heat a chance for an upset.

The most interesting moment during the game was when rookie Collison bravely challenged Wade, only to be consecutively intercepted and aggressively dunked on with a Euro step—it was quite a disheartening sight. It was Zhang Yang who eventually stood up to rescue the rookie, confronting Wade head-to-head for an explosive bout.

Wade played 34 minutes, made 12 out of 25 shots, including 1 of 6 from three-point range, and sinking 13 out of 15 free throws, scoring a game-high 38 points along with 4 rebounds and 6 assists.

Zhang Yang played for 37 minutes, made 13 out of 24 shots, including 3 of 6 from three-point range, and a perfect 6 out of 6 free throws, scoring the second-highest 35 points, along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

Even though his score was lower than Wade’s, his efficiency was higher, with one notable back-turn three-point shot just inside the arc, executed with Wade having no answer.

Though Wade was less efficient compared to Zhang Yang, primarily because he was attempting to catch up in points, forcing several missed three-point attempts. In terms of close-range scoring, despite playing only 34 minutes, Wade maintained higher output. Stamina is a crucial component of strength.

In O’Neal’s first play, he dominated like Yao Ming, forcefully dunking over small O’Neal!

Yet, after just that play, his second dunk involved muscling through opponents for a close-range slam.

109 to 97, the Bobcats effortlessly secured a 12-point victory over the Miami Heat!

…

Winning the opening game, the Bobcats launched their title-defense season.

The next afternoon, Zhang Yang left Charlotte with his team, embarking on a consecutive away game journey: against the Pistons on the 29th, 76ers on the 31st, a back-to-back against the Bucks on November 1st, and Magic on November 3rd.

Upon returning to the team and seeing the schedule in the team handbook, Zhang Yang understood that they were not the league’s primary focus this season.

It wasn’t that they weren’t valued by the league, but rather the league had adapted their ‘usage strategy.’

Looking at the schedule, after this 4-game away stretch, there were no back-to-back games for the rest of November. Adding the four games from late October, the first month’s matches totaled 17 games over 35 days, with a pacing only matched by the Lakers.

Discussing the schedule with his parents and girlfriend, Zhang Yang speculated that Stern believed their popularity couldn’t climb any higher with 70 wins plus a championship. The city’s size imposed limits seen in last season’s playoffs, hitting peak excitement levels.

So the league transitioned from scheduling numerous high-profile games to promote them at season start, to leveraging them to boost other teams’ visibility.

For example, the Pistons, still remembered for their ‘Old Bad Boys Legion’ and ‘Fab Five’; the Bucks had ‘League’s Fourth Quarterback’ contender Reed… When the Bobcats faced these teams on away grounds, they undoubtedly stirred the local market.

Alongside were some high-profile matches, like against the 76ers and Magic, both housing popular stars, Iverson and Howard.

But truly focal battles, involving big stars and championship contenders, were few in this first 17-game month—only against the Bulls away on the 15th, and the Cavaliers at home on the 23rd.

The Magic, with Howard, Carter, and Nelson, stood as the strongest contenders for a regular season top finish, overshadowing the 70-win Bobcats of last season and the heavily-reinforced Cavaliers that took a swipe at the Wizards. Yet, they weren’t seen as championship contenders anymore, somewhat paradoxical, yet generally agreed upon by media.

Perkins, Okafor, and O’ Neal, alongside Heavenly Venerate, Big White Bear, and Little Giant in the same division, left the Magic playoffs without much hope without someone of Covey Bona’s level on the perimeter.

Many fans believe the Cavaliers and Magic share similar circumstances, with reports claiming Jamison felt disoriented when traded to the Cavaliers, publicly denouncing it as worse than scoring high on the Wizards.

Yet, the media treatments of James and Howard differ significantly, leaving the Cavaliers pictured as championship favorites.

In December and January, during NFL’s peak time, the Bobcats were slated for numerous high-profile games and crucial matchups. Come February, as North American sports fans gravitated back to NBA, their schedule looked like the opening phase again, intensifying in March, while the whole of April concluded with the regular season finale against the Bulls in a ‘China market annual showdown’…

Zhang Yang considered this well-timed, as their rotation roster had been completely refreshed; they required time to gel at the start. Ramp-up intensity in December seemed appropriate.

Also, excluding market factors, teams would face each other regardless, with matches played still, simply rearranging the sequence. Only a concentration of elite teams could potentially impact performances due to stamina, health, and other factors.

In the 4-game journey, Zhang Yang led his team into mid-season form, effortlessly securing victories in the first three games.

With Heavenly Venerate gone, the Pistons fully embraced tanking mode, seeking to sell off Hamilton after failing to tank thoroughly enough last season, falling short on recruiting top rookies, picking up Jordan Hill at the 6th position, and mid-first round drafting Gerald Henderson with decent immediate effect. Hamilton’s market value unyielding, forcing continued tanking.

The 76ers signed Iverson but lost Andre Miller, resulting in roster dynamics unfavorable to Iverson, ultimately weakening their overall strength.

The Bucks were unique; last season, Reed’s injury left him off the list with opinions stating that given his age of just 28, a profound impact seemed unlikely. Upon return, his performance drastically declined, the ‘fourth quarterback contender’ label becoming a joke, starting as a substitute behind Stackhouse in the season opener.

Nonetheless, the starters, including Jennings, Stackhouse, Delfino, Ilyasova, and Bogut, backed by reserves DJ Augustin, Ridnour, Reed, Hakim Warrick, and Charlie Bell, showcased commendable strength, achieving 3 straight wins at the start!

However, facing the Bucks, the Bobcats found little challenge as Zhang Yang exerted himself, scoring 53 points! Achieving the first individual 50+ points game of the new league season!

He wanted to compare the original spacetime’s ‘rookie 50-point player’ in scale… with no response from the opponent, as Zhang Yang went berserk midway through the second quarter, netting 3 consecutive three-pointers plus a fast-break dunk and a 2+1, breaking the opponent’s spirit…

After this game, O’Neal truly recognized Zhang Yang, more exhilarating than teaming with Iverson back in the day!

The sole challenging game in the 4-game stretch was the final one against the Magic; yet, subsequent to official mid-final quarter timeout, leveraging O’ Neal’s aggressive plays against Howard, provoking fouls, Howard departed due to six fouls, and ultimately securing victory at 98 to 91, marking a 5-game winning streak!