The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 97 - 87: The Real Honeymoon (Two in One)_2

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Time flew, and by mid-March,

less than a month remained until the end of the NBA season.

In the past month, the Cavaliers had experienced their true honeymoon period.

They secured the season’s longest win streak with 12 consecutive victories.

This streak propelled the Cavaliers past the Celtics and Magic to claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Basketball is not a simple math problem, but when the number of ball handlers on the court increases, the defensive pressure on the opponent multiplies.

Take Conningham’s pick-and-roll as a straightforward example, where the defense only needs to concentrate on the ball handler because Conningham, other than catching and shooting, does not possess other threatening abilities in the NBA.

But with Jamison, you have to guard against his roll, watch for his three-point shots, and even be wary of his secondary passes, which completely changes the considerations.

This richness will make the Cavaliers’ tactical system more complex.

As for the much-feared issue of ball possession, Jamison demonstrated his North Carolina player trait by having no complaints about reduced touches.

Just like when he was traded from the Warriors to the Mavericks and moved from the main man to the sixth man, he chose to accept it.

This was his nature, and it was the deciding factor that kept him from becoming a top superstar, but it allowed him to integrate well into the Cavaliers.

Of course, no one is a saint, and one point that absolutely cannot be ignored is that Jamison had just signed a four-year, $50 million fully guaranteed contract in 2008.

This contract meant he did not need stats to fight for a new one.

During this win streak, James averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, Jamison averaged 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, Hansen averaged 15.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2 steals, Williams averaged 15.2 points and 6.2 assists, and O’Neal averaged 12 points and 7.8 rebounds.

The Cavaliers not only maintained their defense, but they also achieved a top-tier offensive standard in the league.

Moreover, in early March, the Cavaliers exploited a loophole in league rules by re-signing Ilgauskas after he was waived by the Wizards.

This meant the Cavaliers got Jamison for just a future first-round pick and Cleveland’s air.

This move elicited strong dissatisfactions from other teams in the league, and soon after, the "Ilgauskas rule" was established, stipulating that a traded NBA player could only return to their former team after a one-year interval.

However, as with all rules, it would not apply to the person who caused the creation of the rule, and Ilgauskas could still return to the Cavaliers.

Perhaps, as O’Neal had said, they genuinely did not know how to lose anymore.

Hansen’s excellent performance finally earned him his first career honor in March: Rookie of the Month.

Before this, the award had belonged to Bucks’ Brandon Jennings.

Jennings had nearly recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in his NBA debut, and during last year’s Thanksgiving game against the Warriors, he scored 29 points in a single quarter, totalling 55 points for the game, both of which set NBA rookie records.

The award was a cause for celebration, but more rewarding for Hansen was his training with Jamison.

With Jamison’s guidance and game experience, Hansen’s floater improved rapidly, and he began to see the limits of the "Giant Slayer."

Two days later, the Cavaliers were set to face the Lakers for the second time this season.

With the team in top form, the players were naturally eager to avenge their Christmas Day defeat.

On the morning of the game, the players gradually arrived at the locker room, preparing for the final practice of game day.

It was only when about to start that Hansen noticed that the spot beside O’Neal opposite him had been empty all along.

"Has Shaq not shown up?" Hansen asked, turning his head with a puzzled look.

Conningham shook his head; he had not seen O’Neal today either.

Today’s practice included tactical training and was not open to the public.

It wasn’t until they reached the training court that Brown announced the news: O’Neal had a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in his right hand that required surgery and would miss the rest of the regular season, with his availability for the first round of the playoffs dependent on the situation.

It was a devastating blow.

Hansen was a bit stunned.

He remembered O’Neal sustaining some injuries during his time with the Cavaliers, but he did not expect them to be so severe.

This affected not only tonight’s game against the Lakers but also cast a shadow over the Cavaliers’ playoff journey.

However, injuries are a part of the season. Kobe had previously missed nearly a month due to a broken finger, even missing the All-Star Game.

The 82-game regular season was a tremendous test of a player’s physical endurance.

That night, the Cavaliers succeeded in avenging their loss to the Lakers with a 102-87 victory.

James posted 33 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 7 turnovers, and 2 steals, while Hansen added 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, Jamison had 13 points and 4 rebounds, and Mo Williams had 11 points and 5 assists.

Although Kobe exploded for 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, he only made 11 of 33 shots. Gasol had 11 points and 6 rebounds, Artest 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Binamu and Odom combined for 10 points.

Despite O’Neal’s absence, the Lakers, especially the big three, played very poorly.

Actually, since the Christmas battle, it was clear the Lakers had significant issues this season.

The reasoning is quite simple: if you compare the championship to a goddess, you would go crazy for her before you have her, but once you do, your enthusiasm cools quickly.