Chapter 587: Decline in Dominance
"60 Point Triple Double, Terrifying Numbers! Chen Yan Leads Suns Past the Boston Celtics!"
"Is 60 Points Difficult? Chen Yan Smiles, He Is Already Used to It!"
"Miracle Game Winner! Chen Yan Steals Victory on the Celtics' Home Floor!"
"Showdown of Super Scorers! Chen Yan Completely Overwhelms Durant!"
"Game Winner! Chen Yan Ruins Durant's Perfect Night!"
"Championship Presence! Experts Predict a Suns 3 Peat!"
After the game, Chen Yan once again became the center of the media storm. He was now unquestionably Asia's number 1 basketball star, and the attention once enjoyed by Yao Ming had clearly declined.
Yao Ming had been injured again a few days earlier. Although he had lost weight and adjusted his style of play to prolong his career, the old injuries were still there. Even if he did not retire as quickly as before, it would be difficult for him to return to his peak.
Chen Yan and Yao Ming spoke on the phone. Injuries were the most torturous thing a player could endure, and that torment was never only physical. It was mental as well.
"Yao Ming, I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself," Chen Yan said. "You want to score, you want to assist, you want to lead your teammates, and you want to do everything yourself. Playing that way puts too much strain on your body."
Yao Ming laughed. "Then I'll borrow a line from your postgame interview. I'm already used to it. I'm used to playing with that attitude and that style. But seeing how fast you've grown, I feel relieved. It won't be long before you can take over my role with the national team. As for the Rockets, I still have to fight hard. After all, they're the ones paying my salary, haha."
Chen Yan wanted to persuade Yao Ming to leave Houston.
With the Rockets' current depleted roster, their chances of winning a championship were minuscule. Their owner, Alexander, was stingy, and the team might not even be willing to offer Yao Ming a max contract. Chen Yan truly could not understand why Yao Ming was still staying there.
But he swallowed the words.
He had already tried more than once to persuade Yao Ming to leave the Rockets' pit as soon as possible, but Yao Ming had never been moved.
Chen Yan understood that with matters like this, outside persuasion was useless. The person involved had to figure it out for himself.
"Brother Yao, take it easy this season," Chen Yan said. "This is your contract year. Staying healthy is what will get you a big contract."
Yao Ming smiled. "A few days ago, I was discussing that with the Rockets. They want to sign me to a 5 year contract. If this had been 2 or 3 years ago, I would have renewed without hesitation, but now my thinking has changed a bit. How many 5 year periods does a person get in life? Especially an athlete. I need to plan carefully for the rest of my career."
Chen Yan was delighted to hear that.
Yao Ming had finally come around.
"Brother Yao, you've finally seen the light, haha. Do you have an ideal team in mind? How about the Suns?"
"I really can't go to the Suns. I can't keep up with your pace. All that back and forth running would destroy my knees. Personally, I'd prefer a team that mainly plays half court offense, preferably in a big market, and with championship potential."
"Brother Yao, you're not thinking about going to the Lakers, are you?" Chen Yan quickly asked.
"Hahahaha, what, are you scared?" Yao Ming laughed.
"Scared? Not really. That trade would definitely be blocked by the league. A trio of you, Kobe, and Garnett would be too unfair to the rest of the NBA," Chen Yan said with a laugh.
"I actually haven't decided where I'll go. Maybe I'll stay with the Rockets after all. I've been here for 7 years, and feelings do build up."
"Alright, let's stop talking about that. Want to play some games?"
"No problem. Warcraft?"
"I'm not playing Warcraft with you. When you were injured, you were running dungeons every day. Your gear score is way too far ahead of mine now."
"Hahahaha, then let's play CS."
"No problem. By the way, I keep asking you to play games. Your wife doesn't mind?"
"How could she? She'd love for you to play with me every day during this period. Otherwise, with me injured and stuck at home, she'd be worried I'd get depressed from being cooped up."
After hanging up, the 2 grown men began their online match.
…
A day later, the Suns continued their Eastern Conference road trip. Their opponent was the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards' current record was 2 wins and 5 losses. A few seasons earlier, they had been playoff regulars, but things had long since changed. Of their former trident, only Arenas and Caron Butler remained, and Arenas was still recovering from a major injury.
Arenas had been sidelined for a season and a half. His form was uncertain, and there was always the risk of another setback.
Chen Yan still remembered the scene from his rookie season, when he had gone head to head with Arenas. In just 2 seasons, that former general had fallen. He was like a brilliant meteor that had flashed across the sky, dazzling for a moment, then gone too quickly. It was truly regrettable.
But that was competitive sports.
Most athletes did not have long careers to begin with. Once a major injury arrived, that career span shortened even further.
Arenas was nowhere near his old form, but his competitive spirit was still there. In this game, he tried to enter a scoring duel with Chen Yan, but his touch was terrible. He made only 7 of 22 shots, scoring 20 points on extremely poor efficiency.
Chen Yan also scored 20 points, but he needed only 9 attempts. He checked out before the third quarter was even halfway done.
Arenas could not find his rhythm, and the other star, Caron Butler, also struggled. He made only 7 of 20 shots for the game.
In the end, the Wizards lost at home, 90 to 117.
It was a game without suspense.
…
A day later, the Suns challenged the 76ers on the second night of a back to back.
After Iverson left, this 76ers team had become completely civilian. Their top player was Iguodala.
Philadelphia had always wanted to develop Iguodala into its franchise core, but Iguodala lacked the temperament of a primary leader. His playing style was not selfish enough, and his ball handling was not strong enough. Compared to being a number 1 option, he was more suited to playing as a high level supporting piece.
Although the 76ers did not have many stars, they were balanced and united. Teams like that were often not easy to deal with.
The suspense lasted until the latter half of the fourth quarter, when Chen Yan and Stoudemire both stepped up and scored 11 consecutive points to widen the gap.
Chen Yan finished with 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Stoudemire had 28 points and 10 rebounds. He had delivered impressive performances in 3 straight games.
However, Stoudemire's consistency did not last long.
In the next home game against the Charlotte Hornets, he made only 3 of 15 shots.
Stoudemire was an emotional person, and his mood was easily affected by things off the court. The news that the Suns were shopping him around left him unable to play with peace of mind. He even fell into confusion, wondering who he was fighting for.
During this period, Stoudemire's agent also clashed frequently with Suns management. The 2 sides had drifted farther and farther apart, and there was now open tension between them.
In this game, the Hornets delivered their most spectacular performance of the season. All 11 players who appeared scored, with 7 of them reaching double figures.
In the end, the Suns reluctantly suffered their second loss of the season, 109 to 116.
Many fans noticed that the Suns' dominance was no longer as overwhelming as it had been last season.
Aside from Stoudemire's instability, Nash was also an important factor. His playing time had dropped significantly this season. After 2 championship runs, Nash's body had already been overdrawn. In the game against the Hornets, he played only half the game before leaving with a back injury.
The Suns were now in an awkward position.
On paper, their strongest trident was still intact. In reality, it could no longer produce the same power as before.
2 days later, the Suns lost again, this time to their archrivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nash missed the game due to injury, and Stoudemire continued his slump. He contributed only 8 points and 5 rebounds, shooting a miserable 13.3 percent on 2 of 15 from the field.
Chen Yan stood alone, pouring in 45 points. The bench played well, with both Hill and Barea scoring in double figures, but the help they gave Chen Yan was still too limited.
After returning home, the Suns completely crushed the Toronto Raptors behind an explosive collective performance from their perimeter players.
These games were a microcosm of the Suns' entire November. There were highs and lows, and the team's performance was becoming increasingly unstable.
Chen Yan realized this could not continue.
He had to change his style of play.
.....
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