Chapter 231: Regular Season Data is Out, Adding Points to Get Stronger!
Despite the wave of injuries late in the season, the Phoenix Suns still managed to finish second overall in the league. Fans couldn't have been happier with how their team performed.
This accomplishment also meant something huge—the Suns would have home-court advantage against every team except the Lakers.
With the regular season officially concluded, player stats were finalized.
For the 2007–2008 season, Chen Yan played 78 regular-season games, averaging 34.9 minutes per game. His final stat line was remarkable: 28.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks, while committing only 2.6 turnovers per game.
He shot 51.8% from the field, 47.7% from three-point range, and 81% from the free-throw line—elite efficiency across the board.
By season's end, Chen had totaled 2,192 points, 406 rebounds, 523 assists, 70 blocks, and 140 steals.
The scoring title, however, went to LeBron James, who averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game on 48.9% shooting and 31.7% from deep.
LeBron had transitioned from being known as an all-around player to a historic-level scorer, his dominance unmatched throughout the East.
The assist title once again belonged to Steve Nash—his fourth career assists crown. While his scoring dipped to 16.5 points per game, he averaged an incredible 11.9 assists, the highest of his career.
Dwight Howard captured the rebounding title, pulling down 14.2 boards per game, and the block title went to Marcus Camby, who averaged a league-leading 3.6 blocks.
The steals title was claimed by Chris Paul, who averaged 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, and 2.7 steals, continuing his reign as one of the NBA's top point guards.
Chen Yan didn't lead any single category, but he ranked in the top ten in three major ones—third in scoring, tenth in assists, and ninth in steals.
That kind of all-around balance was rare, especially for a rookie.
Sports media immediately began drawing comparisons between Chen and a young Michael Jordan. Both played with a fearless, explosive style, and their rookie-year stats were almost identical.
Jordan's rookie averages were 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. The resemblance was uncanny.
In fact, Chen's efficiency was even higher. Jordan shot 51.5% from the field but just 17.3% from beyond the arc—reflecting an era that didn't emphasize three-point shooting.
Chen's modern skill set gave him an edge that Jordan never had as a rookie.
By midseason, Chen had climbed into the top five in MVP voting. During his record-breaking streak of triple-doubles, he even surpassed Kobe Bryant for the number one spot.
For a while, the league buzzed with the possibility that Chen could become only the third rookie in NBA history—after Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld—to win the MVP award.
But as the Lakers went on a late-season surge, those hopes dimmed.
Kobe led Los Angeles to the best record in the league, while also posting slightly better individual numbers. That, combined with his long-standing reputation, pushed him back into pole position for the MVP award.
If any other player had led his team to a 61–21 record with those stats, the MVP race might have been different. But Kobe's fame and the Lakers' dominance made him the inevitable choice.
Even so, nothing about Chen Yan's season could be considered a disappointment. His impact on Phoenix had been seismic.
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When the season officially ended, Chen opened his system's attribute panel. It was time to power up.
He had earned 152 honor points in March and April, plus 34 points left over from earlier months—a total of 186 points.
After spending 25 points on recovery potions for his ankle injury, 161 points remained.
Time to level up.
Chen first invested 60 points to increase his [Three-Point Shooting] from 90 to 93. His perimeter shooting had been lethal, and he wanted to make it untouchable.
Next, he spent 20 points to upgrade [Layup] from 88 to 90, sharpening his ability to finish at the rim under contact.
Finally, he used 40 points to raise [Mid-Range Shooting] from 90 to 92. In the playoffs, he knew mid-range shots would be a weapon—when defenses tightened and easy buckets vanished, this was how legends won games.
After the upgrades, he had just 41 points left.
He decided to hold onto the remainder, saving them for potential injuries or emergency status boosts during the postseason.
Honor points were like money—they always vanished faster than you expected.
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Updated Attributes – Chen Yan
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Wingspan: 218 cm
Standing Jump: 102 cm
Running Jump: 110 cm
Ball Control: 90
Speed: 94
Stamina: 90
Vision: 85
Breakthrough: 90
Layup: 90
Mid-Range: 92
Three-Point: 93
Free Throw: 81
Passing: 85
Positioning: 90
Steals: 88
Strength: 83
Rebounds: 80
Defense: 85
Blocks: 73
Spirit: 96
Skills:
God-Level Steal, Answer Crossover, Shadow Pursuit, Hot Start (Passive), Perfect Hand Form (Passive), Balanced Finish (Passive), Divine Pull-Up, Pass Master Lv.3, Sam Gold, Iron Ambition (Passive), Mamba Dance Lv.1, Post Technique Lv.1, Fingertip Layup
Honor Points Remaining: 41
Overall Rating: S
His overall rating hadn't improved, but Chen wasn't discouraged. The higher the rank, the harder it was to climb.
April 17 was set aside for rest. The team would resume training on April 18, and on April 19, the real battle would begin—Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets.
The regular season was over.
The numbers were set.
The lights were brighter.
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