Volume 4: Golden State Prosperity

The Laughingstock of the Entire League. After the regular season began, Harden excelled in his new position, averaging 29.4 points, 12.1 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game, ranking second on the scoring list and first in assists. However, the Warriors held too great an offensive advantage, with an offensive rating far above the Rockets'. No matter how many points Harden scored, it was of no use. D'Antoni took a risky approach, stacking defenders high up, extending the defense aggressively to guard against the Warriors' threes, then relying on collapse defense to protect the rim and rotations to defend drive-and-kicks. The Rockets' tallest players, Capela and Anderson, were only 2.08 meters tall, and Anderson was particularly soft. Ariza was the only usable wing; Dekker was too young, Brewer too old, while Beverley and Gordon were both undersized guards. This was the story of a lone hero. Oklahoma quickly forgot Durant, and Westbrook's passion and fighting spirit ignited the city, making him the Thunder fans' sole darling. Since the start of the season, Harden had been brilliant. His transition from shooting guard to point guard amazed everyone. No matter how that statement was eventually revised, the Thunder's former Big Three had become renowned throughout the league. In the latest MVP rankings, Westbrook also sat firmly in first place. Since the season began, he had never fallen out of the top three and had ranked first twice. A guard who could run the pick-and-roll, distribute accurately in transition, shoot precisely, and attack the rim fiercely was the most important link in this system and directly determined the offensive level of a D'Antoni team. Small-ball was not mindlessly playing a small lineup; it did not mean abandoning centers or putting out three guards or four guards. That was a path to ruin. Many people