Volume 4: Golden State Prosperity

However, coaches would not ignore his outstanding performances. Klay had also earned the coach's favor and successfully made the All-Star reserve roster. The Brow's fans envied the honors Antetokounmpo had earned with the Warriors and the lenient defensive treatment he received, but Antetokounmpo's fans did not envy The Brow's status as the Pelicans' franchise star. His finishing at the rim had also declined severely, with a shooting percentage of just 60.7% in the restricted area. He did not have to face a crowded paint or worry about opponents helping off, and he could even dunk wide-open shots with ease much of the time. Often, opponents no longer regarded Green as a floor-spacing power forward at all, freely leaving him open to provide help defense. It was hard to imagine that an interior player could produce such efficiency with the Warriors, the team with the best spacing in the league, in an extreme spacing lineup. In comparison, Green's fans were in great pain. Leonard's excellent offensive performances had completely shed his blue-collar image in the minds of fans. For that very reason, many people did not believe Antetokounmpo was truly as strong as his stats suggested. But even if Curry did not play well, the Cavaliers were still no match for the Warriors. "His efficiency is decent only because the Warriors' lineup is so good. Let him try playing for the Pelicans?" But that was impossible. No other team possessed those defensive resources, unless they resorted to the ultimate tactic of four defenders guarding two players. His fans always questioned Antetokounmpo's performances with sour jealousy. Even they had not expected Zhang Yu to remove Green, still in his prime, from the starting lineup and make Antetokounmpo a starter. What courage and decisiveness that took, and what a show of faith in