The Lakers swept the Timberwolves 4–0, surprising many people with how strong the Lakers were.
But as head coach, Phil Jackson had keenly sensed a change in the team.
It was obvious that over the course of this series, King Arthur had increased his focus on scoring himself. He was passing a little less than he had during the Regular Season and the previous round.
In particular, he was passing to Wang Yi far less often than he had during the Regular Season and the previous round.
During the Regular Season, King Arthur averaged 17 passes to Wang Yi per game.
But in this series, King Arthur averaged only seven passes to Wang Yi per game. In the fourth game especially, he passed to Wang Yi just three times.
Clearly, something was wrong.
As a legendary coach, Phil Jackson had a good understanding of people. He had once managed to bring the headstrong Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal together and lead them to three consecutive championships.
That showed just how good Phil Jackson was at understanding people.
So once he realized what the problem was, he knew he had to resolve it before the next round began.
At the heart of the problem was King Arthur's desire to compete for the FMVP.
He knew King Arthur had a fiercely competitive streak, and yet for years, Wang Yi had kept him in his shadow.
Now that Wang Yi had joined the Lakers, King Arthur finally had his best chance to reach the Finals, and he wanted to compete for the FMVP.
The Zen Master had considered trying to persuade King Arthur, telling him Wang Yi wouldn't play much longer. Once Wang Yi retired, someone with King Arthur's ability would surely lead the team to another championship and have plenty of chances