Chapter 447: MVP Ranking First, Letting the Boat Drift
After the Christmas Day game, the Suns got 3 days off. Chen Yan spent those days bouncing between different kinds of "get it in the hole" hobbies, with the same enthusiasm he usually saved for a hot shooting night.
But he did not let fun turn into laziness.
He showed up to every team workout on time, and he even added extra sessions on some days. The win streak was still alive, the locker room mood was high, and the league chatter was getting louder. If Phoenix kept winning at this pace, people said Chen Yan would be the MVP front runner.
That kind of talk hit him right in the ambition.
No player is immune to MVP desire. It is the highest individual honor, and everyone wants it. The problem is that the award is also subjective. The media votes, and media members are human. They carry narratives, biases, fatigue, and personal preferences.
Chen Yan had seen how ridiculous it could get.
He still remembered one of the most absurd MVP outcomes in history, when Michael Jordan lost to Karl Malone. That season, Jordan led the Bulls to a 69 and 13 record, the second best regular season record ever at the time. He averaged 29.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, and he won his 9th scoring title.
In almost any season, those numbers and that record would guarantee MVP.
But the media decided not to give it to him, with a reason that sounded like a joke. They claimed Jordan had already won it 2 years in a row, and if he won again, fans would feel "aesthetic fatigue."
Chen Yan did not know what kind of logic would show up when the voting came at the end of the season. But at least in the most recent weekly MVP ladder, he was sitting at number 1.
Phoenix had quietly climbed to the best record in the league, and Chen Yan's stat line was even louder than what Steve Nash had when he won MVP. That was why the buzz around him was so strong this year.
The MVP ladder updated weekly. Over the past 5 weeks, Chen Yan had been ranked first for 3 of them. Not a total monopoly, but a clear lead.
The other 2 weeks were topped by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Kobe's numbers were not as strong as Chen Yan's, but before the Christmas Day game the Lakers had held the top spot in the league. That team success gave him real momentum.
LeBron had his own argument. Cleveland had started the season 21 and 7, and his production was complete, 28.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. The Cavaliers were not matching Phoenix or Los Angeles in record, but the league loved the idea of LeBron as the engine who lifted everyone around him.
Chris Paul, who had been ranked 4th in the previous update, slipped to 6th this week. His numbers dipped to 17.8 points, 9.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds, and the Hornets fell to 6th in the West. In MVP talk, record is never fair, but it is always real.
Dwight Howard landed at number 4. His season numbers looked almost cartoonish, 20.9 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks. He was leading the league in rebounds and blocks at the moment, and Orlando's record was strong. Still, they were a step behind the top tier records of Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Dwyane Wade climbed to number 5 after a surge. Over the last week, he averaged 32.5 points, a pure scoring machine. Miami's roster was thin and uneven, and Wade was dragging the team forward like a one man rescue mission. Because of record, number 5 was probably his ceiling this season.
Steve Nash also appeared on the list at number 7. He was averaging 14.1 points, 12.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. For a point guard, it was the kind of line that made coaches smile and opponents tired.
Some analysts predicted that if the Suns kept rolling like this, Nash could climb into the top 5 by the end.
Two teammates landing in the top 5 MVP discussion was the clearest dynasty signal there is. Over the past 20 years, it had only happened 3 times. Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1995 to 1996, then Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in 2001 to 2002 and 2002 to 2003.
The 1995 to 1996 Bulls were the standard. They went 72 and 10, ranked first in the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and Jordan and Pippen both finished top 5 in MVP voting. Jordan averaged 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, earned 109 of 114 first place votes, and won MVP comfortably.
In 2001 to 2002, the Lakers three peated and finished 58 and 24. Tim Duncan won MVP, but the O'Neal and Kobe duo dominated the conversation anyway. Shaq averaged 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks. Kobe, at 23, averaged 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. In the final voting, Shaq got 15 first place votes and finished 3rd, while Kobe got 1 first place vote and finished 5th.
A season later, they both made the top 5 again. Duncan won MVP again, leading his team to 60 and 22. The Lakers, coming off the three peat, slipped to 50 wins. Shaq averaged 27.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks, missed 15 games, and still finished 5th with 3 first place votes. Kobe averaged 30.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. In the voting, he received 8 first place votes and finished 3rd, scoring 496 points and passing Shaq in the MVP ranking for the first time.
That was the kind of history Phoenix was brushing against.
…
On December 29, the Suns got back to work. Their opponent was the Thunder, a weak team still focused on developing its young players.
After Oklahoma City, the Suns would face the Grizzlies next. The schedule was turning friendly, and Phoenix was poised to run up the win streak even further.
The result was exactly what it looked like on paper.
111 to 92, Suns.
A comfortable road win.
After 3 days of rest, the Suns had energy to burn. Everyone wanted to play well. Chen Yan did not chase another headline scoring night. Instead, he spread the touches around and made sure everybody got something out of the game.
Shared joy beats solo joy.
If Chen Yan monopolized shots every night, teammates would start feeling it. In this league, stats are currency. Players build careers, contracts, and reputations off numbers. Even on a championship level roster, egos still breathe.
Chen Yan understood that and played accordingly.
The game itself was not dramatic. It was closer to a controlled scrimmage. Oklahoma City was giving minutes to rookies, and Phoenix used the night to sharpen role players. Not every NBA game is a fireworks show. Some are routine, and the best teams treat them like business.
The biggest winner was Nash.
He only played 23 minutes, then spent the rest of the night stretched out on the sideline, practically living on the advertising boards.
Chen Yan only logged 26 minutes himself. He finished with 18 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.
And afterward, he realized something that actually bothered him.
Phoenix was too good.
The team's firepower was so strong that he kept clocking out after 3 quarters. Sometimes, they did not even need him after halftime.
How was he supposed to build MVP level numbers like that?
Chen Yan's goals this season were greedy. He wanted the scoring title, and he wanted MVP. Both demanded statistical weight.
That night, he thought about it for a long time, and he came to a conclusion that made him feel both practical and slightly guilty.
He needed to change his approach.
In certain regular season games, when the opponent was clearly weaker, he could ease up on defense a little and put more energy into offense. It would save his body and keep the scoreboard closer, which meant more minutes and more chances to stack numbers.
Of course, he would only do it in the right situations. He was not going to try that against real threats like the Lakers, Mavericks, or Spurs. Against teams like that, relaxing for even a moment was how you lose.
Regular season wins still mattered. They shaped playoff matchups, and the playoffs were the only part of the year that truly judged you.
In the NBA, stat padding came in 2 forms.
The obvious kind, when players chase numbers in garbage time with zero shame. That type was stupid. No matter how pretty the box score looks, people do not respect it, and it can backfire hard. The league still laughed at guys who tried to manufacture milestones, like Ricky Davis chasing a triple double with fake plays.
Then there was the subtle kind.
The smart kind.
You ease up on defense just enough, you lean into offense a little more, and you build big numbers without creating an ugly moment that people can clip and mock. It is harder to detect, and it rarely draws backlash.
Almost every star has done it.
And if a star does it, people do not call it padding. They call it domination.
…
After beating the Thunder, Phoenix flew to Memphis for the next road game.
On the plane, the entire roster was in a great mood, already thinking about the next win and the next record.
.....
[Check Out My Patreon For Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]