69novels Chapter 48 Four-game home winning streak
Chapter 48 Four-game home winning streak
After a 26-point victory over the Raptors at home, the doubts about Wang Kai from the outside media have subsided, and many media outlets have stated that the Rookie of the Year award is no longer in doubt.
Wang Kai, who averages 24.5 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game, is far ahead of the rest in the rookie rankings.
With higher scoring and assists than Chris Paul and more rebounds than the number one draft pick Bogut, Wang Kai's performance is not only dominant this season, but also comparable to only a few legendary stars in NBA history.
Of course, the regular season has only just begun, and many people believe that Wang Kai's performance cannot continue. Some so-called legends even said that Wang Kai's playing style is weak and that he is afraid to go into the paint to fight. They seem to have completely ignored Wang Kai's excellent performance in the low post in some games.
The Warriors have four home games coming up, and none of them are back-to-back games, making their schedule relatively easy. Apart from the final home game against the Suns, which will be a test, the other three opponents are all weak teams.
On November 28th, North American local time, the Warriors hosted the New Orleans Hornets at home.
Wang Kai was happy to see Paul again. The two had talked during the rookie training camp. Although Kobe told Wang Kai to be careful of this "little guy" in the game, Wang Kai felt that Paul was at least someone he could talk to, while players like Bogut were not worthy of talking to him at all.
Paul's feelings towards Wang Kai were complex. He craved attention and victory, but while he was heavily relied upon by Byron Scott upon joining the Hornets, New Orleans generally receives little attention. Furthermore, the Hornets' current winning percentage is just over 50%, a record typically reserved for playoff contenders in the Western Conference.
Once the game started, the Warriors didn't feel much pressure.
While Paul handled Baron Davis's defense with ease, the other Hornets players struggled to some extent.
Paul used David West's screens to hit consecutive mid-range shots, while Baron Davis used his stronger body to overpower Paul and attack the Hornets' interior.
Wang Kai returned to the small forward position in this game, while Dunleavy continued to serve as a substitute.
During the offensive play, Wang Kai led Hornets small forward Nachba on constant movement.
Nachba was Yao Ming's teammate on the Rockets before joining the Hornets this summer.
Although the Warriors struggled with their shooting at the start, Wang Kai used his speed to get past Nachba and score.
The score was 21-25 after the first quarter, with the Warriors leading by 4 points.
At the start of the second quarter, Murphy first found his rhythm from beyond the three-point line. He received a brilliant pass from Wang Kai and made two of three three-point attempts, helping the Warriors extend their lead.
The Hornets then attempted a comeback using pick-and-roll offense, with David West scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in the second quarter. However, the Warriors found their rhythm from three-point range, outscoring the Hornets 23-28 in the quarter and extending their lead to 9 points.
After the start of the third quarter, Wang Kai began to exert his strength, and Byron appropriately reduced his ball possession time, allowing Wang Kai to take control of the game.
Judging from the performance in the last game against the Raptors, Wang Kai's ball-handling was better than Byron's, but Byron is the team leader after all, and Wang Kai has no intention of taking over at this time.
However, although Baron Davis has poor shot selection, he is not brainless. He likes to mentor young players. Not only Wang Kai, but also Monta Ellis have received help and recognition from Baron.
After Wang Kai took control of the ball, the Warriors' offense immediately changed, and Jason Richardson, Murphy, and substitute Monta Ellis all got their chance to shine.
In particular, Monta Ellis took advantage of Wang Kai's threat in the latter part of the third quarter to repeatedly break through the Hornets' defense and drive into the paint, causing injuries.
Paul struggled in the third quarter, shooting 1-for-6 from the field and making only one three-pointer.
At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led the Hornets 85-64 by 21 points.
Seeing that the game was hopeless, Byron Scott decisively gave up on it. They were going to play the Nuggets on the road next and didn't want to expend too much energy in Oakland.
None of the Hornets' starters played in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors also substituted their starters.
The Warriors ultimately defeated the Hornets 103-83, a 20-point victory.
Wang Kai played only 25 minutes in this game, scoring 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Chris Paul had 15 points and 5 assists, a mediocre performance.
"Next time, I'm determined to win," Paul said to Wang Kai with a look as he left.
Two days later, the Warriors will face the Sacramento Kings on the road.
The current Sacramento Kings are no longer the team that once pushed the Lakers to the brink of defeat. They have gone downhill and are now only supported by a few veterans.
Facing the Kings' strong interior defense, the Warriors started the game at a high speed.
The Kings' starting lineup features a strong frontcourt of Shareef Abdul-Rahim, Brad Miller, and Bonzi Wells, but unfortunately, none of them are known for their speed or agility.
The Warriors' interior defense was completely overwhelmed, but the Kings' interior defense was also completely outmatched by the Warriors' speed.
Since they didn't have an advantage in the paint, the Warriors simply stopped using interior tactics. Apart from Murphy playing for a few minutes at the start of the game, the Warriors went back to the style of play they used against the Suns.
If you can shoot from beyond the three-point line, then shoot from beyond the three-point line; if you can launch a fast break, then never slow down.
Although the Warriors couldn't stop the Kings' interior offense, with Bonzi Wells alone causing chaos in the Warriors' paint, the Warriors still overwhelmed the Kings with a barrage of three-pointers, shooting 17-for-34 throughout the game.
王凯全场三分球9投6中，拜伦·戴维斯全场三分球12投6中，仅仅他们两人就贡献了12记三分球。
In the end, although four of the Kings' starting five scored over 20 points, the Warriors still won the game 120-106 by 14 points.
Through the regular season games, the Warriors gradually found a style of play that suited them. Since their interior defense was weak, they simply followed the Suns' example and implemented their run-and-gun offense to the fullest.
The Warriors' home fans also really like this style of play. Compared to the slow-paced games of the Spurs or Pistons, the Warriors' current style of play is at least more entertaining to watch.
The Warriors' home fans are overjoyed with three consecutive blowout victories.
With Wang Kai joining the team, the Chinese community in San Francisco began to pay attention to the Warriors' performance. The Warriors, whose attendance rate was previously in the middle of the league, have surged to the top five in the league since the start of this season. Many of the new fans are Chinese, of Chinese descent, or of other East Asian ethnicities.
Throughout November, the Warriors played 17 games, achieving a record of 11 wins and 6 losses, a significant improvement compared to last season.
Wang Kai was also successfully selected as the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in early December. His performance was unanimously recognized by all the judges and the media, and also won the approval of a considerable number of fans.
On December 2nd, the Warriors will continue to host the Bobcats at home.
In 2002, the original Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans, and Charlotte lost its NBA team. The league promised to build a new team in Charlotte, and after two years of preparation, the Charlotte Bobcats were officially established in 2004.
The Bobcats, which have only been established for a year, are not yet able to compete with other teams in the league, and they still need to pay their dues for a few more years.
The Bobcats played 16 games in November and only won 5, placing them in the lower ranks of the Eastern Conference. Only the Raptors and Knicks performed worse than them.
Like most teams in the league, the Bobcats have stockpiled a number of tall big men, and their starting frontcourt duo is Brezec and Okafor.
Brezec is 2.18 meters tall and averaged 13 points and 7.4 rebounds last season, while Okafor was the second overall pick in 2004 and delivered a double-double of 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in his rookie season, winning the Rookie of the Year award.
The Warriors didn't hesitate any longer and continued their strategy from the previous game. This time, they went even further, pushing Wang Kai into the paint and completely switching to a small-ball lineup.
After the game started, the Bobcats took the lead by taking advantage of their inside game, with Okafor and Brezek both scoring 7 points in the first quarter.
The Warriors got off to a bad start, failing to make their three-pointers, with even Wang Kai only making 1 of 4 three-point attempts in the first quarter.
During the transition period of the second quarter, Wang Kai began to dominate from beyond the three-point line.
Although Gerald Wallace is exactly the kind of physically strong forward that Wang Kai hates the most, Wang Kai is more threatening when he has the ball than when he doesn't.
By using changes in dribbling rhythm and feints, Wang Kai repeatedly left Gerald Wallace, who was guarding him one-on-one, completely bewildered. On one occasion, he even managed to completely shake Wallace to the ground.
Wang Kai hit three consecutive three-pointers, helping the Warriors erase their deficit in less than two minutes.
After the Warriors' three-point shooting became unstoppable, the Bobcats' defense quickly collapsed.
Bobcats starting point guard Bryn Knight is only 1.78 meters tall, and Byron's jump shot can ignore the opponent's defense.
In other positions, Karim Rush is no match for Jason Richardson.
On the bench, Fisher, who played today, showed his talent, scoring 11 points in the second quarter alone.
At halftime, the Warriors led the Bobcats 59-51 by 8 points.
Wang Kai scored only 6 points in the first quarter, but 12 points in the second quarter. He also dished out 6 assists in the first half and grabbed 4 rebounds despite the defense of the opponent's tall interior players.
In the third quarter, the Bobcats couldn't hold on any longer. Although they had a significant advantage in the paint, the Warriors, who had really picked up the pace, played even better than the Suns.
Each offensive possession lasted eight seconds. The Warriors, running, seemed to have boundless energy, while the Bobcats were completely lost in their running.
Ultimately, relying on Wang Kai's game-high 30 points, along with 10 assists and 8 rebounds, the Warriors defeated the Bobcats 119-99 by 20 points. In four home games, they have won by a total of 80 points, averaging a 20-point win per game. This performance has made the Warriors more prominent than the Suns, and they are now the most offensively potent team in the league.