mountain top

Chapter 279 You asked when the gods would descend to earth, and the gods answered that it would be tonight.

How can you put up convincing statistics in the NBA?
First, let's talk about scoring.

Regarding this, the great Michael Jordan once said:

If a player can make two or three shots and two or four free throws in each quarter, he can easily score thirty points in a game.

Of course, that's the logic.

However, in actual games, due to the inherent randomness of basketball, very few players in the NBA can actually reach the standards that Jordan once set.

For example, as the new era's GOAT
Qin Yue couldn't do that.

Because, generally speaking, Qin Yue's scoring is mainly based on bursts of scoring within a certain period of time.

To date, Qin Yue has recorded 57 20+ point quarters in his NBA regular season career.

In this statistic, Qin Yue not only far surpassed his contemporaries, but even compared to Curry, who later became the most explosive scorer in a single quarter, Qin Yue's scoring power was still unmatched.

Moreover, during the game, Qin Yue, as the team's offensive core, not only had to score, but also had to help the team open up the game through off-ball screens and on-ball playmaking. This also resulted in Qin Yue suffering from physical exhaustion even in those possessions where he didn't need to take a shot.

Furthermore, unlike later generations like Harden and Doncic, who could only rely on eye contact for defense in order to conserve their energy for offense.

Qin Yue, who is both the Warriors' offensive and defensive core, must also ensure the team's floor on the defensive end.

Therefore, in order to allocate his physical energy reasonably, Qin Yue, with his increasingly rich competition experience over time, has already figured out a specific style of play that belongs to him.

This playing style, as can be clearly seen from the data, shows just how uneven Qin Yue's score distribution really is.

Throughout his career, Qin Yue has averaged 13.4 points in the first quarter, his highest single-quarter average across all four quarters.

In stark contrast, Qin Yue's average score in the third quarter was only 5.8 points.

Let's set the tone with the first quarter.

Then, in the second quarter, the decision on whether to increase shot attempts will be made based on the situation of the game.

And in games where you don't have to clock out in the third quarter, you can maintain your energy in the third quarter.

Finally, he cleared the table in one shot in the final quarter.

Since Qin Yue entered the peak of his career, this style of play has become his fixed routine in every game.

However, as time entered the first month of the new year...
Many basketball experts who are keen to analyze players' performance on the court based on various technical statistics have discovered that Qin Yue has quietly changed his past mindset about the game.

There were many reasons that forced Qin Yue to make changes in January.

The most important factor was that, as the Warriors began to selectively forgo some games, Qin Yue, who no longer needed to be fully committed on both offense and defense, had more energy at his disposal than usual.

In his first game of the new year in Orlando, Qin Yue, who took a total of 38 shots, scored 14, 11, 17 and 16 points in the four quarters, respectively, due to the absence of several key players.

After the game, when asked by reporters why he was the active player with the most 50+ point games in a single NBA game, Qin Yue joked, "As long as you can make four mid-range shots in each quarter, make sure one of them is a three-pointer, and make two free throws, scoring 50 points in a single game isn't as difficult as people imagine."

At that moment, the reporters had every reason to suspect that Qin Yue was putting on an act.

However, in January of that year, Qin Yue's final monthly average of 45.4 points gave him the right to boast.
Of course, if it's just about averaging "40+" points per game in a single month, then even if it's rare, it's not like no player in the NBA has ever done it.

For example, Kobe in the 05/06 season.

Therefore, the "ancient data" that Qin Yue submitted in January of the new year should be considered in conjunction with his other four major technical statistics.

Throughout January, under Malone's tactical adjustments
Qin Yue, who spends more time playing alongside Kwame Brown in games, leads the league in monthly rebounds with an average of 21.8.

Brown's absolute loyalty to Qin Yue demonstrates why he has been able to remain a fixture on this Warriors team.

On the court, Brown realized what he needed to do to dissuade the team's head coach and management from wanting to trade him.
Brown, who averages a whopping 4.1 offensive rebounds per game this season but only 1.2 defensive rebounds, is at least feeding Qin while simultaneously sacrificing his own flesh.

"You know, I'm already a 31-year-old veteran."

Moreover, to prevent Qin Yue from feeling guilty for ruthlessly stealing his rebounding stats, Brown said to Qin Yue: "In my past career, I have proven myself with five championships, so since having you grab defensive rebounds can ensure the quality of the team's fast breaks, I will definitely protect you on the court."

In the NBA, some players push themselves and their teams to their limits.

Some players compete in pursuit of fame and fortune.

But Brown, whose mind is always clear, knows better than anyone that no matter what, he can only play for Qin Yue.

Because everything he has achieved in this life is closely related to Qin Yue.

Within the Warriors, watching Draymond Green, who still needed to learn from him how to be a good dog, Brown said confidently, "'Dray,' you have to understand that when your teammate is 'Qin,' all you need to do is lick his boots, and you can easily get everything you want."

“In the past, I gained fame, popularity, and wealth far exceeding my actual abilities.”

"Now, I only need one month of competition to completely dispel the doubts of the team management and coaching staff about me."

"In the future, given 'Qin's' personality, I dare not say that I will be his best teammate, but in his heart, I will definitely have a position that surpasses others."

Brown's teachings and example have instilled in Green, who has always been keenly aware of right and wrong, that he became Qin Yue's second quality "card forward" on the court in January.

Furthermore, Green's rate of evolution even exceeded Brown's expectations.

Because of the preseason training camp, Green, who had previously complained about Qin Yue in private, has recently been having conversations with Qin Yue like this: "Bro, are you itching to hit me? If you are, you can hit me anytime."

Green admitted that after realizing the benefits of being Qin Yue's dog, his attitude was somewhat "despicable".

But since he's already decided to be a good dog for Qin, why should Green care about dignity that can't be eaten?
That's right, right now all Green needs to pay attention to is when he needs to bare his teeth on the court for his owner.

"I enjoy watching 'Da Qin' grab rebounds on the court."

In addition, during the interview, Green strongly defended the legitimacy of his owner's "rebounding" on the court, saying, "Every time the ball gets in his hands, he launches a beautiful offensive like a magician."

However, compared to the rebounding statistics that can be guaranteed by having two good dogs.

In January of the new year, Qin Yue's average assists per game were only a disappointing 9.4.

On the court, Qin Yue, who clearly had a better shooting touch, attracted more double teams for his teammates, but why did his assist numbers actually decrease?

The reason is actually very simple.

That is, Ma Long's rotation strategy resulted in Qin Yue, who had different teammates every night, being unable to feed his teammates a consistent shooting touch through one or two games.

As for blocks and steals in the five major technical statistics.

Although Qin Yue wasn't fully committed to defense in every possession, he still delivered a historic defensive performance in January of that year, averaging 3.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.

Now, combining Qin Yue's five major technical statistics, this unprecedented "ancient data" not only made him the undisputed NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for January.

Furthermore, this data made the league executives, who no longer wanted to award him the regular season MVP, suddenly feel what it meant to be under pressure from a god.

——单月场均45.4分21.8篮板9.4助攻3.8封盖1.4抢断。

The three main hit rates were 55%, 39%, and 91%, respectively.

On the day Qin Yue was named Western Conference Player of the Month for January, ESPN commented: "In this era, no one can touch the hem of this basketball god's robe!"

The New York media, who were initially celebrating Durant's selection as the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January with an average of 31.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, immediately fell silent after glancing at Qin Yue's stats: "This is simply not a performance that a human could produce!"

On the surface, Durant used his main account to say on social media: "Da Qin is the undisputed MVP in my heart."

But privately, Durant said on his alternate account: "It's unbelievable, can't the NBA just exclude Da Qin from the regular season MVP selection?"

In Durant's view, Qin Yue's participation in the regular season MVP selection has seriously disrupted the balance of the award.

Because as long as Qin Yue is around, who dares to say they can rightfully become the NBA MVP?

"This is the tragedy of being born in the same era as the 'Qin Dynasty'." Dwyane Wade, who was also a contender for the regular season MVP this year, said to Kevin Durant in the tone of someone who had been through it all, after the team's game against the Knicks at the end of January.

Upon hearing this, a heartbroken Durant said, "The NBA should just rename the regular season MVP to the 'Qin Award.' With him around, how can we compete with him?"

At that moment, Durant had no idea that he would unfortunately become a prophet in the future.

Because approximately nine years from now, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NBA, the league will officially rename the NBA regular season MVP trophy to "Michael Jordan and the Great Qin Award".

Of course, that was nine years later.

January is coming to an end.

Before the start of the Houston All-Star Weekend, Qin Yue, who showed no signs of slowing down in his great career of padding his stats, officially announced his decision to participate in this year's Three-Point Contest.

Unlike the All-Star Weekend event, which was restructured into a highly unsuccessful team competition format this year, this year's format will be different.

Because the players' union, led by Qin Yue, strongly opposes NBA Vice President Adam Silver's decision to change the All-Star Weekend event into a team competition, this year's All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest will still be an individual event in which players participate as individuals.

So now comes the problem.

Why would the new GOAT, who had long refused to participate in the Three-Point Contest, citing "my three-point shooting style is not suitable for performance," suddenly decide to participate?
"I don't even want to call you out on it. You just think the opponents in this year's three-point contest are weak, and you have a chance to win?"

At Qin Yue's mansion in the East Bay, Qin Yue's personal steward, Ronnie Evans, risked being expelled by the GOAT by complaining in this way.

Qin Yue, who believes in picking on the weak, bluntly stated, "That's just how I see it. What, you have a problem with that?"

"No, I'm just worried that you'll surpass Michael Jordan's record in the three-point contest."

"Don't joke around, Ronnie. Even if I threw with my eyes closed, I couldn't possibly throw worse than that 'egg'."

Since the beginning of February, Qin Yue, who felt incredibly comfortable with his shooting touch, was convinced that he would bring home the three-point contest championship trophy he had been longing for in Houston.

In addition to Qin Yue, who was once again voted the All-Star Weekend's top vote-getter without any doubt, Gerald Wallace was also selected as a reserve for the All-Star Weekend this year.

However, on the day the NBA officially announced the starting lineups and reserves for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star teams, Curry, who was recovering from injury, completely shut himself off.

Why is Curry withdrawn?
This is because the league is currently in an era where the East is stronger than the West. Since, apart from Paul and Parker, there is no third truly outstanding point guard in the West, this year the voters could only select the relatively unknown Mike Conley as a reserve for the Western Conference All-Star team.

In Curry's view, if he hadn't been injured, even if he couldn't compete with Paul for a starting position, he could at least have secured a spot as an All-Star reserve.

But since reality doesn't allow for "what ifs."
If Curry wants to participate in All-Star Weekend as a star player, he will naturally have to wait until next season.

On February 16, the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend officially kicked off in Houston.

In the first Rising Stars Challenge, Team Barkley defeated Team O'Neal for the second consecutive year.

Furthermore, Barkley's team broke the Rising Stars Challenge single-game scoring record with 164 points during the game.

Of course, the main reason why O'Neal's team suffered a crushing defeat in this game was that O'Neal made retaliatory selections during the earlier draft phase.

Why is it said that O'Neal was retaliating by drafting players?

Because Shaquille O'Neal drafted Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard, and Klay Thompson into the roster, he ended up having to use Tyler Zeller at center.

What, you don't know who Tyler Zeller is?

That's right.

Because during the draft phase, Barkley, who deliberately reserved all the quality guards for O'Neal, had already selected a number of quality centers, including "The Brow" Davis, "The Manimal" Faried, Tristan Thompson, and Nikola Vucevic, into his roster.

In addition, Barkley also acquired Isaiah Thomas, the "best 175cm player on earth," who was extremely cost-effective, Rubio, who was disliked by O'Neal due to his inaccurate shooting, and Bradley Beal.

In addition to their forwards, Barkley also has the "new Hawks King" Kawhi Leonard.

If you don't understand, just ask: How can Shaq's team, which looks down on everyone except Kerr who has a "shortness fetish," defeat Barkley's team, which has a balanced roster and a strong interior?
Qin Yue's personal trainer, Evans, commented on the rookie challenge: "Is Shaq being drafted so many guards because he can't shoot threes and he's always wanted to play with a superstar guard?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue laughed and said, "So, according to you, Charles chose so many tall players because he was always at a disadvantage when playing basketball due to his short stature?"

Team Barkley dominated Team O'Neal in the Rising Stars Challenge with their overwhelming advantage in the paint.

On the 17th, Qin Yue, who was determined to achieve a grand slam of individual NBA All-Star Weekend events in the Three-Point Contest, became the focus of attention.

On the day of individual competitions, in the first event, the Skills Challenge, Lillard defeated Holiday with a final time of 29.8 seconds.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Yue's appearance at the George Brown Center in Houston ignited the entire arena.

However, in the preliminary round, Qin Yue, who was extremely confident beforehand, only scored 17 points.

Fortunately, GOAT's assessment of the strength of the opponents in this year's Three-Point Contest was correct.

Compared to Paul George, who only scored 10 points in the preliminary round, and Kyle Lowry, who only scored 14 points, this contrasts sharply with the performance of other players.
Although GOAT's performance in the preliminary rounds was poor, since the other competitors insisted on letting GOAT "sneak" into the finals, GOAT naturally had no choice but to accept the ticket to the Three-Point Contest finals.

In the final, Qin Yue, who had the worst preliminary score, was the first to appear.

Before the competition began, Huang Xudong, who was already somewhat famous in China, complained on social media: "Da Qin has no chance of winning the championship. I'll be grateful if he doesn't perform too badly in the final."

Then, perhaps they sensed that mysterious power emanating from the distant East.

From the very first shot, Qin Yue seemed completely focused, sinking five consecutive three-pointers from the right corner, the area with the highest shooting percentage of his career.

In the end, Qin Yue, who only missed twice in the first three shooting spots, finished his performance in the three-point contest final with a score of 27 points.

It wasn't until the game ended that Qin Yue, who had been focused on shooting, realized that the entire stadium of fans had stood up because of him.

The fans at the Houston stadium chanted "GOAT, GOAT" with abandon.

On the sidelines, Qin Yue's teammate Wallace held his head and exclaimed, "This is definitely the most accurate shot I've ever made since I've known him."

That's the appeal of individual NBA competitions.

Qin Yue doesn't need to be so accurate every time.

He only needs to perform well once in the finals to finally win the three-point contest championship trophy he has been longing for.

George Brown Center.

Qin Yue's outstanding performance caused the other two finalists, Kyrie Irving and Steve Novak, to miss shots in the subsequent games.

Irving ultimately scored only 19 points.

Novak, on the other hand, only scored 18 points.

"Let's congratulate Messiah on becoming the first player in NBA history to win the Slam Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, and Three-Point Contest!"

Actually, before the Three-Point Contest finals began, Barkley was the one among the TNT commentators who was least optimistic about Qin Yue.

Regarding this, Barkley said, "We all know that Messiah has always been a 'passionate player' when it comes to three-pointers. But in this game, I couldn't see a single bit of passion in his expression."

Then in the final, Barkley, with an irrepressible smile, was slapped in the face by Qin Yue.

Unfortunately.
The atmosphere at the George Brown Center, which had finally reached a fever pitch after Qin Yue won the Three-Point Contest, fell into an unprecedented gloom as the Slam Dunk Contest began.

The dunk contest, which had been getting worse year by year, was ultimately won by Terrence Ross.

Before the competition, James White confidently declared that this year's Slam Dunk Contest would become an eternal classic.
He further demonstrated with two dunks that totaled only 77 points that it means you have the ability to show off, otherwise you'll only get struck by lightning.

On the 18th, the NBA All-Star Game was held at the Toyota Center.

That afternoon, during joint practice, you might not believe it.
Within the Western Conference All-Star team, it's likely that only LeBron James wants to win.

This year, LeBron James, who was controversial for being selected as a substitute for the Western Conference All-Star team, is eager to seize this rare opportunity for exposure with a perfect performance in the All-Star Game.

However, since James today is no longer the chosen one he once was.

Before the game even started, James wasn't sure how long he would be able to play, so where did he get the right to express his opinion within the Western Conference All-Star team?

On the night of the game, with no one on the Western Conference All-Star team except James wanting to win, Durant, who couldn't win the regular season MVP but at least wanted an All-Star MVP as a consolation prize, unsurprisingly became the protagonist.

全场比赛，24投15中的杜兰特总计拿到了40分7篮板4助攻。

He also won the All-Star Game MVP award while helping the Eastern All-Stars defeat the Western All-Stars 155-134.

As for James, who was eager to prove himself in the game before the match?

In the game, James only played for a total of 11 minutes, and ultimately only scored 6 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.

Without a doubt, with this kind of performance, James is destined to fail to gain the exposure he desires.

But James was helpless in the face of this.

As the "new Wolf King" of the Timberwolves, who are currently ranked last in the league, James has already benefited from the league's "East is strong and West is weak" advantage by being selected as a substitute for the Western Conference All-Star team this year.

It's important to understand that in the NBA, a star player from a bottom-ranked team will never have a say at All-Star Weekend.

Therefore, no matter how much James wanted to win that night, he couldn't change the excellent team atmosphere within the Western Conference All-Stars, which was clearly a competition of who could row the best.

Fortunately, after the game, Durant, who won the All-Star MVP award, did not forget his former teammate: "Has anyone seen LeBron James? What, did he not play in this game?"

"."

Having already trudged through most of the season in endless darkness, James did not choose to respond to Durant's comments after the game.

Because what's even more upsetting than being "psychologically attacked" by Durant is...
James has personally experienced the feeling of being abandoned by the entire basketball world.

Thus, the Celebrity Weekend came to a successful conclusion.

On the 21st, after returning to Auckland for two days of rest, Qin Yue, who had been using "ancient data" to shake people's values ​​since the New Year, faced a major match with his team that evening.

This was the Knicks' last regular season matchup against the Warriors during the Oracle era.

As the Warriors prepare to leave Oracle Arena and officially open the Qin'an Center starting next season.

Before the game, Warriors legend Rick Barry predicted, "I have a feeling that Messiah will do something in this game."

"How do you know, Rick?"

"This is what Adonar Foyle, who was commentating on the game with Barry, asked."

Upon hearing this, Barry said, "It's just a gut feeling, because Messiah has always been a sentimental person, and I always felt that he would leave something for Oracle Arena and its fans before the Warriors bid farewell to the arena."

Although, judging from the Warriors' future prospects...

Those who are about to move from Oakland to San Francisco will, in any way, gain better location advantages and business value because of this move, whether in their past or present lives.

But undeniably, in Qin Yue's memory, the Warriors, after moving to Chase Center, also lost that golden wave that once terrified the entire league.

In later generations, the dilapidated and small Oracle Arena could not compare to the high-end and grand Chase Center.

However, any Warriors fan who experienced the Oracle Arena era would never deny that the atmosphere at Oracle Arena was hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times better than that at Chase Center.

That night, Barry's premonition was correct.

Qin Yue, who only truly gives his all when facing strong teams, entered a state where no one dared to disturb him from the pre-match warm-up stage.

You ask when the gods will descend to earth?

The gods replied:

—Tonight.

……

PS: This chapter is probably the longest one in recent times, so it's a little late (TnT). Speaking of which, tomorrow Hua Zi will face off against SGA. As I always say, Hua Zi will definitely break people's stereotypes in this year's playoffs because Hua Zi, who has changed his scoring composition (mainly three-pointers), is no longer the same Hua Zi from last season.

(End of this chapter)