Oracle Arena
Amidst the roaring cheers of the home crowd, Zack walked to center court to receive his championship ring. Zack had to admit, this ring truly felt magical. It cost around $100,000 to make, but its value was simply immeasurable. The front featured the Bay Bridge, intricately engraved with Zack's jersey number, while his name, "ZACK," was etched in large letters on the side. Adorned with flashy diamonds and platinum, its overall design wasn't exactly a beauty queen, but the moment Zack slipped it on, he understood why it was dubbed "the One Ring" in the NBA.
Happiness, excitement, fulfillment – as a whirlwind of emotions flooded his heart, Zack felt that no words could truly capture his feelings in that moment. But one thing was for sure: he was hooked. Especially when he noticed two pairs of eyes from the opposite half-court staring intently at the ring on his finger...
You'd hardly believe that this superstar, already considered the current best player in the NBA, would act like a kid, hastily hiding his hand with the ring behind his back, as if he was afraid someone might snatch it away.
Those two pairs of eyes belonged to Zack's senior, Josh Howard, and the Mavericks' star player, Dirk Nowitzki. In that moment, watching Zack's cautious expression, both Howard and Nowitzki flashed awkward smiles. They couldn't fully grasp Zack's feelings, but they could sense just how precious that ring was from his careful demeanor.
In fact, other Warriors players' reactions to receiving their rings were even more obsessive than Zack's. Take Baron Davis, for example, who, before receiving his, declared it was just a regular piece of jewelry. But "Big Mouth Dad" (referring to his penchant for trash talk, like Mitsui in Slam Dunk often does before a game) got a taste of his own words when tears of excitement streamed down his face the instant he put on the ring.
"W-w-this... W-w-w-this is definitely... w-w-w-w-this is definitely the best moment of my life... w-w-w-w-w..."
In the latter half of the 2004-05 season, when Davis was traded from the Hornets to the Warriors due to a major injury, who would've thought that was actually God's special blessing upon him?
This night, every Warriors player had a unique ring reception experience, but what they all shared was that "One Ring" strengthened their resolve to win again. They weren't greedy; they just wanted to win one more time... Just one more time!
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Pre-Game Ceremony Concludes
On the Warriors' bench, Mike Malone, who had clearly realized how foolish his previous coaching style was, instantly changed his demeanor. He gently told his championship players, "Tonight's theme is... enjoy the game!" Malone didn't bring up his advanced tactics that still needed time to be implemented, nor did he discuss how the five starters should play. But a simple "enjoy the game" made the Warriors players, who had previously felt dissatisfied with him, suddenly smile at him.
Tonight, the Warriors stuck with their championship core: Kwame Brown, Zack, Ron Artest, Jason Richardson, and Baron Davis. After a summer of adjustments, the Mavericks trotted out a starting five of Erick Dampier, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, and Devin Harris. Compared to last season's playoffs, Zack noticed that "the Western Conference's top center," Dampier, had visibly slimmed down. This was another change Zack had brought to this era. The era of Shaquille O'Neal was gone forever. Since this new era demanded solutions to Zack's explosive creativity through mismatch advantages, the mobility and perimeter defense of centers naturally became more crucial.
Dampier, now 31, might very well experience a second spring because of this. Standing at 6 feet 11 inches, he already possessed an impressive wingspan. By losing weight, he not only reduced the physical burden of his heavy frame but also, with increased mobility, found it easier to finish plays on pick-and-rolls. Zack felt like he was a savior of this era – by shattering O'Neal's crown, he had indirectly rescued all those centers who were being crushed by excessive weight gain. In the NBA, no one knows how many centers collapsed in the first decade of the 21st century due to excessive weight gain in order to counter O'Neal and, later, Yao Ming.
At center court, Kwame Brown, who successfully reduced his weight to 121 kg this summer, clearly recaptured his former feel when jumping. You have to remember that when he was drafted, Kwame Brown, who had the same height as Zack with shoes on, was an ultimate talent freak who could easily jump over 90 centimeters vertically.
The Warriors easily won the tip-off. Davis, who was responsible for bringing the ball past half-court, gave the team's first shot of the night to Zack. Seeing this, Howard immediately stuck close to Zack. This was the strategy Little General Johnson had painstakingly devised over the summer to limit Zack. The idea was to use a more mobile small forward to prevent Zack from driving from the perimeter and to disrupt his shot with close physical defense, while also having a mobile center inside ready to provide help defense at any time.
Zack's senior, Howard, possessed excellent lateral quickness and enviable long arms. Theoretically, he was indeed the most suitable player on the Mavericks to guard Zack on the perimeter. But on the court, facing Zack, who executed a powerful dribble drive followed by a dragging step, Howard was forced to abandon his tight defense and give up enough space for Zack to pull up.
Zack didn't miss this excellent shooting opportunity. Bringing the ball together, raising his hand – after smoothly bringing the basketball to its highest point, Zack calmly released the three-pointer. Swish!
Why are statistics always just a reference? On ESPN, as the camera turned to tonight's special guest, Tim Hardaway, A. Smith chuckled, "Hey, Tim, can you give us a professional analysis of the Messiah's recent offensive move? We know you're a Warriors legend, so you can't be biased towards the Messiah."
Hardaway smiled and said, "For this play, I'll focus on two details. The first is how the Messiah created a safe dribbling distance with a powerful dribble drive, and the second is how he successfully manipulated Josh Howard's defensive footwork with his dragging step."
A. Smith nodded, "These two moves aren't uncommon in the NBA, but why... can the Messiah always use them to shake off defenders?"
Hardaway explained, "The Messiah is 6 feet 11 inches tall with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, man! Do you know how exaggerated it is when he uses these two techniques like a guard?"
How exaggerated, exactly? First, the level of physical confrontation. Zack is a heavy power forward weighing 124 kg, so when he dribbles powerfully, a typical defender simply cannot stop his explosive first step. Second, the dribbling range. Zack's range when performing a dragging step is much larger than that of shorter guards, so as long as a defender's footwork is manipulated by his dragging step, the space he creates when he collects the ball will be much greater than what shorter guards can achieve. These two factors combined create Zack's despair-inducing mismatch advantage on the court. Simply put, Zack's physical attributes determine that once his technical skills surpass a certain threshold, and he combines those skills with his physical attributes... the chemistry they produce is far more than just one plus one equals two.
On ESPN, after a detailed analysis of Zack's previous technical movements, Hardaway added, "The Messiah has infinitely amplified his mismatch advantage, stemming from his physique, through his incredible ball-handling. Plus, his three-point percentage last season was 36.5%, which makes him even harder to guard when he's dribbling from the perimeter."
To be fair, Hardaway was perhaps hyping him up a bit too much at that moment, especially when he mentioned Zack's rookie season three-point percentage. 36.5% – in this era, that's definitely above average. But... Hardaway, when mentioning this statistic, seemed to forget the easy shooting opportunities Zack always created due to his mismatch advantage. For instance, on that last pull-up, Howard, completely shaken off by Zack's dragging step, couldn't even interfere with Zack's shot. It was essentially an open three-point attempt. Add to that the threat Zack posed by driving into the paint, which forced opponents to occasionally allow him to shoot threes... So, was Zack's 36.5% three-point percentage in his rookie season really an excellent stat?
Why did Zack refuse to participate in the Three-Point Contest? In the playoffs against the Spurs, why did Zack, who feigned a three-point shot to provoke Popovich, ultimately defeat the Spurs with powerful interior attacks exploiting his mismatch advantage? In the Finals against the Heat, why did Zack increase his frequency of tough drives to the basket and use free-throw line jumpers to finish? Wasn't it precisely because Zack knew his three-point shot wasn't consistent enough yet? Aside from some nights when he was red-hot, Zack's ability to shoot 36.5% from three in his rookie season relied more on the excellent shooting environment he created, which was far superior to other shooters. (Note ①: Why does it feel like Zack's threes are always going in the book? Because using a highlight reel editing method to describe game scenes emphasizes exciting good shots and largely skips missed shots and turnovers.)
Of course, if Zack's three-point shot could become more consistent... then, in a complementary manner, you could easily understand that even if he had the same three-point rating as another shooter, his eventual shooting percentage on the stat sheet would very likely look better than the other player's.
On the court, it was the Warriors' offensive possession again. This time, Zack executed a perfect drop step drive against his senior, Howard. Dribbling, lowering his center of gravity, drop-stepping to the side – on the right side of the court, the moment Howard was forced to slide over tightly, Zack once again showed the world how broken his long legs truly were. As everyone knows, the farthest distance from the three-point line to the basket in the NBA is 7.25 meters. For Zack, that distance required only three large steps to get to the basket. Therefore, when Howard was forced to commit his weight... the next second, seeing Zack suddenly burst past him, Howard's heart was undoubtedly in despair.
Zack never needed the explosive first step of a Dwyane Wade. Nor did he need the world-renowned, almost flying first step of a Grant Hill or Tracy McGrady from back in the day. Because his long legs came with a built-in acceleration buff!
In the Mavericks' paint, it was dunking time. CRASH!
At Oracle Arena, Zack, who had driven to the Mavericks' basket in three huge strides, completely ignited the crowd with a single-arm gliding dunk. On ESPN, Hardaway lamented, "When the Messiah perfectly combines skill with physical talent, as he himself said, there's nothing he can't do."
Avery Johnson's defense, meticulously designed for Zack over an entire summer, proved why theory is just theory in less than half a quarter. So... for the rest of the quarter, the Mavericks could only obediently switch to a zone defense. Seeing this, in the ESPN studio, A. Smith immediately turned his attention to another special guest – Jeff Van Gundy, who announced his resignation this summer after Yao Ming's trade and was preparing to transition into broadcasting.
"Hey, Jeff, we all know the Messiah is the league's expert at breaking down zone defenses. Can you give us a professional analysis of the Warriors' zone-breaking strategy just now?"
Van Gundy replied, "This was a standard high pick-and-roll approach to breaking down a zone defense..."
At this moment, rather than analyzing how the Warriors broke down the Mavericks' zone defense, Van Gundy actually wanted to talk about a story of growth and transformation. This summer, carrying his professional skepticism, Van Gundy independently reviewed all of the Warriors' games from last season. It was a review that surprised and delighted Van Gundy. Because in studying the Warriors, Van Gundy discovered... Zack, who had a triple-double in his career debut, had passing and playmaking abilities that were completely different concepts from what he later displayed in the playoffs. If Zack's triple-double in his career debut was "hard-earned" (like Sakuragi in Slam Dunk "forcing" rebounds), then through game after game, he had quietly accumulated the capital for his transformation.
In Van Gundy's opinion, Zack's rapid growth in playmaking was related to the Warriors giving him a lot of ball-handling opportunities in his rookie season. And his increasingly unstoppable ability to break down zone defenses was thanks to the other twenty-nine teams in the NBA.
"Jeff, are you saying that as early as last regular season, NBA teams had already noticed that the Messiah's mismatches always gave them a huge headache?"
Van Gundy nodded, "Back then, we wouldn't use terms like 'devastating impact' to describe the Messiah's mismatch advantage on the court. But NBA teams, when facing the Warriors, had already unanimously adopted zone defense as their winning strategy to limit the Messiah."
Constantly growing through game after game and continuously evolving through the beatings from various NBA teams. Van Gundy knew very well that Zack's transformation in his rookie season was by no means accidental. Because he had been accumulating playmaking experience since his college days; he simply needed a process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. Perhaps in the NBA, you could give some players all the ball-handling opportunities and time in the world, and they still wouldn't grasp the true meaning of playmaking. But why are geniuses called geniuses...? Isn't it because so-called talent simply cannot confine or stump those geniuses?
On ESPN, after listening to Van Gundy's perspective, A. Smith chuckled, "Jeff, by your logic, didn't NBA teams essentially dig their own graves?"
Van Gundy added, "To defeat opponents who always used zone defense against the Warriors, I imagine the Messiah must have put in a lot of hard work."
Talent is important, but Zack's diligent study of tactics on a daily basis was indeed key to his gradual growth into a playmaking master. As early as last season's matchups with the Warriors, Jazz veteran coach Jerry Sloan had repeatedly marveled at Zack's astonishing learning ability. Again, not a single day of Zack's entire college career was wasted – whether it was from Coach Prosser or from Paul, Zack absorbed a wealth of experience from them and, through continuous deliberation, transformed it into his own tactical knowledge base.
"He officially completed his transformation before last season's playoffs, but people's attention at the time was drawn to the 71 points he scored in the final stages of the regular season, causing them to overlook this evolution he completed through long accumulation."
Yes, compared to his more intuitive athletic talent, which was visibly apparent with just a little activation, Zack's mastery in playmaking truly underwent an incredibly long accumulation. From his sophomore year to his junior year, and then to his rookie season. It wasn't until his playmaking talent was fully activated in higher-level games that he truly transformed into an interior magician. (Note ②: This foreshadowing comes from Chapter 71 of the original text, which twice mentioned Zack's rapid increase in passing and court vision after entering the higher competition level of the NBA.)
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Latter Half of the First Quarter
The Warriors' offensive possession. Dampier and Howard teamed up to stop Zack's low-post attack, immediately converging to block his driving angles. However, the cunning Brown had already secretly positioned himself near the baseline. This play was precisely the positive change Mike Malone brought to this Warriors team. That is, when Zack held the ball in the low post, Brown had to actively move closer to Zack and create passing lanes for him. This was completely different from last season. Because last season, the assists Zack delivered to Brown were mostly Zack's passes leading Brown to his spot.
On the court, Zack, observing Brown's movement, didn't hesitate. He immediately pressed the pass button and happily collected the assist. Then, Brown elevated for a dunk, combining with Zack for a spectacular Top 5 play. Although the Warriors currently only had a rough framework, under Malone's tactical system, Zack, officially promoted to the primary ball-handler at the power forward position, found it noticeably easier to rack up assists on the court. If last season the Warriors relied on Zack's individual ability and explosive influence to carry the entire team, Malone hoped to see the entire Warriors team actively create opportunities for Zack to exert explosive influence through various advanced tactics and more off-ball movement. These two are incomparable. And it would be reflected in the most intuitive way on Zack's stat sheet.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 24-36. Zack, with 3-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line, tallied 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal in the first quarter. Tonight, Zack effortlessly filled his stat sheet. Because the Warriors were increasingly rallying around him, his individual offense and ball-handling would become even smoother and more comfortable on the court. This was especially important during the Warriors' long regular season journey. Perhaps in the playoffs, the Warriors would still inevitably have to rely on Zack to break open games, but in the regular season, efficiency and energy conservation were key.
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Second Quarter
Zack rested for four minutes. And at this point, due to a poor start in the first quarter, Little General Johnson also displayed another characteristic of his: grasping at straws. The Mavericks' poor start tonight had many reasons: perhaps the players' shooting touch was off, Nowitzki wasn't getting enough isolation opportunities, or Johnson was wavering between winning with defense and going toe-to-toe with the Warriors offensively. But compared to Johnson's adjustments in the second quarter, these reasons were mere trifles.
Oracle Arena. Johnson, feeling like he needed to channel "Old Man Nelson" to turn the game around, put out a lineup that would make even Old Man Nelson himself weep: Diop, Dampier, Nowitzki, Terry, and Barea. How to describe Avery Johnson's bizarre starting five? Without exaggeration, you could liken the Mavericks' mixed-up lineup to a pizza made with pineapple, dumplings filled with strawberries, steamed buns made with apples, and Sichuan hot pot with a cheese base.
Johnson hoped to use the twin towers of Diop and Dampier to reduce the frequency of Zack and other Warriors players driving into the Mavericks' paint. But since the Mavericks also needed to catch up in the second quarter, to boost their offense, he swung Nowitzki to the small forward position while also putting in Terry and Barea. In Johnson's imagination, this should have been a lineup with height, three-point shooting, and speed. But in the actual game...
On the court, led by a re-energized Zack, the Warriors instantly widened their lead over the Mavericks. Since neither Diop nor Dampier possessed shooting range, having both of them on the court simultaneously would only compress their own offensive space. Nowitzki wasn't even fast enough for power forward, yet Johnson put him at small forward... In that case, who would be responsible for guarding the Mavericks' forwards on defense? Who would be responsible for help defense and rotations? And once the defensive support from the forwards was gone, the backcourt consisting of Terry and Barea... Keep in mind, one of them is just over 5'11" in real height, and the other is only 5'9". Seriously, in the NBA, what's the difference between putting out such a backcourt combination without proper defensive support and essentially giving the opponent free points?
And this was just one of Johnson's fatal mistakes in the second quarter. Under his chaotic guidance, Nowitzki gradually lost himself. So, Johnson, believing the problem wasn't his tactics but rather Nowitzki being too soft, immediately decided to hand over all of the Mavericks' offensive responsibility for this game to Zack's uniquely distinctive-looking senior, Josh Howard.
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Latter Half of the Second Quarter
Mavericks' offensive possession. As the Warriors steadily increased their lead, Josh Howard, back on the court, was visibly anxious. However, under Artest's tenacious defense, the shooting opportunity Howard created through a change of pace was immediately turned into a rebound assist for the Warriors. At this moment, the more anxious Howard became, the less he could convert these offensive plays he usually handled with ease.
Back to the Warriors' possession. Zack posted up in the Mavericks' three-second area, faked a floater over a well-positioned Dampier, and then delivered a fantastic lob pass to Brown for an alley-oop. This was another play where Zack's pass seemed incredibly clever, but the primary credit had to go to Brown's off-ball movement. In the NBA, behind many flashy passes often lies the excellent off-ball movement of the offensive player.
Zack wouldn't, because of how frequently he pressed the pass button tonight, arrogantly believe that his playmaking and passing had no equal. Especially these assist statistics gained through tactical boosts, in Zack's opinion, they only proved that he played team-first and had his teammates in mind. Of course... since Zack had a big heart, while fully demonstrating that he was a team player, he didn't mind accumulating even more assist statistics.
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Halftime
The score was 40-74. Whether in his past life or this one, the Mavericks led by Johnson were famously the background board for massacres in the NBA. Aside from Kobe's three-quarter "60+" game last season, Zack clearly remembered that it was at the beginning of the 2006-07 season that the Mavericks suffered a humiliating 76-107 defeat to the Rockets, led by "Yao-Mac" at the time. Why did Zack remember the score of this game so clearly? Because in that game, a struggling McGrady only scored 8 points. (Note ③: In that game, Yao Ming went 12-of-16 from the field, 12-of-12 from the free-throw line, scoring 36 points and 6 rebounds.)
In short, leveraging the Mavericks' incredibly deep roster, the free-spending Johnson did indeed lead the Mavericks to excellent regular season records during his tenure, thanks to a more balanced offense and defense. But in stark contrast to their regular season performance, Johnson's career playoff winning percentage was only 48.9%. Once an unexpected situation arose in a game, Johnson would, with his "mysterious operations," personally kick the Mavericks into an endless abyss. Yes, the terrible losses they unexpectedly suffered in the regular season stemmed from Johnson's nonsensical meltdowns on certain nights.
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Third Quarter
Zack, who had already achieved a triple-double by halftime with a total of 15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, hadn't really paid attention to the real-time quest titled [Zack's Two-Sided Life] that the system had given him earlier. After all, in a basketball game... sometimes the more you try to win by a bigger margin, the harder it becomes to win at all. Tonight, Zack was simply filling his stat sheet with a calm mind.
As a result, at Oracle Arena, even before the third quarter was over, the Dallas Mavericks proactively pulled all their starters. By the time they took their starters off the court, the score difference on the scoreboard had already reached 51-91. On the court, at the moment he was substituted by his teammates, as Nowitzki recalled the pre-game banner raising ceremony and Zack putting on his ring – he stared blankly at the scoreboard one last time. No one knew what was going through Nowitzki's mind at that moment. But one thing was certain: Nowitzki's chest was starting to hurt again.
"Soft Dirk" returned to the bench with a dejected look. Then, he watched in despair as the Warriors' subsequent substitutions continued to pummel the Mavericks' bench. On this banner-raising night, the Warriors' beating of the Mavericks continued until the latter half of the fourth quarter. In the game, the Mavericks' collapse had long rendered the score meaningless.
Can the score represent everything in the NBA? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because as the final outcome of a team's on-court performance, the score tells you who the winner is. No, because in the NBA, where anyone has a chance to defeat their opponent, an overly lopsided score often only proves that one side was "lost" by their opponent on a given night.
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Final Score
68-126. The Mavericks, thoroughly "lost" by the Warriors in the game, suffered a humiliating defeat on the road with an incredible 58-point difference. This was the largest single-game regular season loss in Dallas Mavericks' franchise history. Before the regular season began, Avery Johnson, who had boasted that he could easily defeat the Warriors if given another chance, personally nailed himself and the Mavericks to the pillar of shame. But this was absolutely an unfair humiliation for the Mavericks players. Because after the game, when Johnson actively shifted the blame to Nowitzki... both reporters and fans eagerly mocked "Soft Dirk." Online, Nowitzki's blank-faced photo sitting on the bench had already become a world-famous painting for fans to display everywhere.
Did the Mavericks players and Nowitzki need to bear the blame for this "58-point massacre" that was destined to be remembered in history? Of course, because it was their own game outcome. But if that humiliation was solely attributed to the players' poor performance... then in Zack's eyes, it was somewhat unreasonable.
After the game, before accepting interviews, Zack successfully received the rewards for the [Zack's Two-Sided Life] quest and successively opened the two legendary defensive and technical random attribute gift packages.
"Congratulations to the host, lateral quickness potential +2, steal potential +2."
"Congratulations to the host, dribbling potential +5."
Again... again, again, again, it's damn dribbling?! Zack felt like he was destined to become a 6-foot-11 Kyrie Irving in this life. After gaining these 5 points in dribbling potential, his dribbling potential had already risen to an astonishing 91. Why was Zack's individual ball-handling offense so hard to guard as the playoffs approached last season? Because compared to his career debut, his dribbling attribute had already risen from 81 to 86 at that time.
From his sophomore year, to his junior year, and then to his rookie season, by completing one task after another, Zack gradually accumulated the dribbling talent that this body shouldn't have possessed. And in last season's regular season, thanks to the tactical freedom and extensive ball-handling opportunities granted by the Warriors, it triggered a qualitative change in his dribbling attribute. Zack knew very well what kind of change each point of dribbling attribute brought after surpassing 80.
Zack had asked Tim Grover, the legendary trainer, to evaluate his dribbling skills at different stages of his career.
Sophomore year: When Zack's dribbling attribute broke through 75, Grover commented: "You now possess the dribbling ability of an NBA starting small forward. I think once you create a mismatch in college basketball, your opponents will have a hard time stopping you from attacking from the perimeter."
Rookie season: When Zack's dribbling attribute reached 81, Grover candidly stated: "This is truly incredible. You already possess the dribbling ability of an NBA starting point guard... With your current ball-handling, even in the NBA, I believe you can easily break through opponents' defenses from the perimeter."
As for this summer... regarding Zack's dribbling attribute, which had already reached 86, Grover sighed and said: "Your dribbling is already elite level in the NBA... Considering your height, I can't even describe your dribbling talent in words, because even I have never seen such terrifying talent."
Under the [Summit] system's extremely strict rating system, since dribbling also includes attributes like ball-handling coordination, dribbling transition ability, and ball-handling acceleration, which are difficult to quantify with numbers, Zack knew very well that if he could completely absorb these 5 newly acquired dribbling potential points through continuous diligent training day and night, his individual ball-handling offense would undoubtedly reach a whole new level!
A height of 6 feet 11 inches, a wingspan of 7 feet 6 inches, and a weight of 124 kilograms. His athletic talent, which had already astonished the basketball world during his combine, coupled with his masterful dribbling skills. The humiliating defeat the Mavericks suffered in the regular season opener didn't just nail them to the pillar of shame; the serendipitous opportunity they gifted Zack had quietly elevated his talent to another level! Zack's dynamic and technical talents have always complemented each other. Even the visual data provided by the [Summit] system cannot fully reflect his ultimate on-court performance, because numbers are always just numbers.
"I don't think this big win has any special meaning; it's just an ordinary victory. The NBA has 82 regular season games, and we can only achieve our goals by being down-to-earth." After the game, during his interview, Zack didn't rub salt in the wounds of the Mavericks players and Nowitzki. Because he never liked to kick someone when they were down. And Zack had no obligation to tell the world that Little General Johnson was responsible for over ninety percent of the Mavericks' 58-point debacle. After all... in Zack's eyes, the Mavericks coached by Johnson were a "good bull." Every time they played against them, the Warriors felt like it was New Year's, always getting to enjoy a delicious plate of beef dumplings.
"After a humiliating 58-point loss to the Golden State Warriors in the regular season opener, Dirk Nowitzki shed sad tears in the locker room. It seems this German star, who has always been weak-willed, still hasn't learned how to face games strongly." - ESPN News Flash
"In the Lakers' regular season opener this year, Lakers star Kobe Bryant scored 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists, while new team member Pau Gasol had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. After the game, when asked about his new teammate, Kobe frankly said that Pau Gasol was definitely the smartest big man he had ever seen play." - Los Angeles Times
"When asked about the Cavaliers' goal this year, LeBron James, who led the Cavaliers to a 97-91 victory over the Hawks in the opener with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, said that in his opinion, the Cavaliers' current roster still needed to be strengthened and that they were not a super team." - The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The Seattle SuperSonics convincingly defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 104-75 on the road. After the game, when asked about his new teammates 'Big-Yao' and Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett joked that the SuperSonics had a 7-foot-6 Michael Jordan and a Michael Jordan who could shoot threes, respectively." - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Regarding playing only 29 minutes in the opener, the Messiah, who recorded 24 points, 14 rebounds, 15 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal for the Warriors, told this newspaper that if he could, he wouldn't want to punch out after three quarters either." - San Francisco Chronicle
After defeating the Mavericks and taking a day off, the Warriors easily beat the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, who had already begun their tanking season. "New Wolf King" Rashad Lewis was the most eye-catching player for the Timberwolves in that game. He attempted 28 shots in the entire game, making 12 of them, and with free throws, he scored 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Timberwolves. Although Lewis's efficiency was far from outstanding, this resilient "New Wolf King" repeatedly hit crucial three-pointers for the Timberwolves on the court, giving Zack a valuable... opportunity to play in the fourth quarter.
Unlike the previous season opener, in this game against the Timberwolves, the Warriors players' defensive performance on the court, if not completely lax, could at least be described as everyone guarding with their eyes. And this was another change Mike Malone brought to this Warriors team. On the Warriors' 2006-07 season schedule, Malone had already made markings in advance, using them to tell the players which games required their full effort and which games they could approach with a more relaxed attitude.
"The NBA regular season has always been a marathon. The ones who start first don't necessarily have an advantage, and the ones who run fast don't necessarily laugh last. In the regular season, we can't go all out in every game against our opponents; that's not rational, and it wouldn't guarantee we'd have enough stamina when we get to the playoffs."
As Malone gradually adjusted his mindset, and established a framework and corresponding regular season strategy for this Warriors team... after just two regular season games, Zack understood why the Denver Nuggets from his memory were so fond of "reducing the sauce over high heat" (a cooking term meaning to concentrate flavors, implying they save their best effort for when it truly matters).
According to the schedule, after two home games, the Warriors would officially begin their Eastern Conference road trip this year. But... looking at the first opponent on the schedule—the Cleveland Cavaliers—before leading the Warriors to Cleveland, Zack, who always asks questions when he doesn't understand, curiously asked, "Mike, why is this game marked 'insignificant'?"
Malone, who was Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown's capable assistant last season, smiled and said, "Because in today's NBA, no one understands these Cleveland Cavaliers better than I do." In that moment, Malone was by no means boasting. Because a day later... he would use his knowledge of these Cavaliers to tell all the Warriors players why he had only marked this highly anticipated showdown as "insignificant."
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