Averaged 28.8 Points Per Game in the Regular Season, Second in the Scoring List!

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Starting from March 4, the Lakers have achieved a record of 4 wins and 1 loss in five games. Except for the away loss to the Mavericks, they won all the other games.

When Kobe stopped making poor shooting decisions and began to share the ball more, the Lakers' offense became much smoother.

A partnership between two top backcourt players can never be weak, as long as they play seriously. Their consecutive victories made Kobe question whether his previous approach was right or wrong.

If the two continued to cooperate seamlessly, it was genuinely possible that they could recreate the three-peat dynasty of the Shaq-Kobe era.

However, Wang Chong's talent was too outstanding, and the pressure on Kobe was overwhelming. If Wang had clearly expressed his willingness to assist and take a backseat, like Pippen did for Jordan, things would have been different. But what Kobe heard from management was that Wang Chong would rather request a trade and leave the team than compromise.

This clearly showed his attitude. So, while Kobe felt some regret, he couldn't say he entirely regretted his actions.

Management had promised him that Wang Chong would be put on the trading block during the offseason, and they'd seek the best deal to strengthen the team.

Wang's trade value far exceeded O'Neal's. Young, with immense potential, he could easily be exchanged for a top-tier player and a first-round draft pick. The Lakers could still build a championship team around Kobe.

With this assurance from management, Kobe no longer felt the need to compete with Wang for who scored more or who was the leading scorer. Wang Chong would leave after this season, and the better he performed on the court, the higher his trade value would be.

Wang was also aware of this, so he didn't hesitate to maximize his scoring opportunities in games. As long as the ball was in his hands, he attacked relentlessly. While his shooting percentage dropped, his points kept climbing.

Throughout the second half of March, the Lakers maintained a stable record, winning just over 70% of their games. Although they lost a few, they won more.

Wang's scoring average continued to rise as he took more shots, reaching 28.8 points per game, second in the league, only behind Iverson (31 points per game) and 0.7 points ahead of Kobe, who averaged 28.1 points per game.

Even though Kobe went on a scoring spree for over half a month, scoring more than 30 points in multiple consecutive games, he couldn't surpass Wang. If Kobe hadn't had such a strong scoring stretch, the gap between the two would have been even wider.

However, Wang Chong's scoring ceiling was likely fixed at this point. With only 10 regular-season games left, unless Wang averaged 50+ points in the remaining games, overtaking Iverson's 31 points per game for the scoring title was impossible.

And that's exactly what happened. In his final 10 games, Wang's average points per game stabilized around 28.

The Lakers' last 10 opponents in April were formidable teams, including the Spurs, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, and Kings.

Facing stronger opponents, Wang found it harder to score.

In April, the Lakers managed a 6-4 record, finishing the regular season with 55 wins and 27 losses, a 67% win rate, which was a typical case of starting strong and ending weaker.

This record placed the Lakers fifth in the Western Conference, putting them in the lower half of the bracket.

The first place in the West was taken by the Phoenix Suns, who finished with 60 wins and 22 losses.

Historically, the Suns should have finished with 62 wins and 20 losses, but due to the Lakers and Wang Chong's impact, the Lakers won two more regular-season games against the Suns, slightly affecting their record.

The second-placed Spurs, however, remained unaffected, maintaining their record of 59 wins and 23 losses. The Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Spurs in the regular season, failing to win a single game against them.

The third-placed team in the Western Conference was the Seattle SuperSonics, with a 51-31 record. The Mavericks finished fourth with 56 wins, but due to divisional rules, they were ranked below the Supersonics.

As for the Lakers, they were placed fifth due to being in the same division as the Phoenix Suns.

Next came the Rockets (50 wins), Kings (48 wins), and Denver Nuggets (46 wins).

The Memphis Grizzlies, with a 45-37 record, narrowly missed the playoffs, as did the Timberwolves (44-38).

In contrast, the competitive pressure in the Eastern Conference was much lower. The eighth-seeded New Jersey Nets had a mere 41-41 record.

Interestingly, the Timberwolves, who finished tenth in the West, would have been sixth in the East.

The East's standings, from highest to lowest, were led by the Miami Heat (58 wins), followed by the Detroit Pistons (54 wins), and then teams like the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards.

Notably, LeBron James had boldly declared he would lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs at the start of the season.

Statistically, James was a marvel, averaging 27+7+7. Yet, the Cavaliers finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs with a 40-42 record.

In contrast, Wade's Heat were first in the East, while Wang Chong and Anthony's teams made the playoffs in the West. For the second consecutive year, James was left watching the playoffs from the sidelines, fully understanding the frustration Anthony felt during the All-Star Game snub.

The media pounced on James' earlier confident statements and mocked him for not delivering.

James' supporters quickly offered excuses, pointing out that Wade had O'Neal, Wang Chong had Kobe, but LeBron was left with an aging Big Z as his only reliable teammate.

Regardless of the excuses, James' absence from the playoffs was a fact, and his fans could only hope the Cavaliers would add stronger players in the offseason.

Meanwhile, the class of 2003 continued to compete, with Wang, James, and Wade leading their teams.

In the regular season, Wang Chong was second in scoring, behind Iverson's 30.7 points per game, while Kobe finished with 28 points per game. James averaged an impressive 27+7+7 but didn't lead his team to the playoffs, and Wade's stats, while stellar, couldn't surpass Wang's or James'.

As the regular season ended, attention turned to the playoffs.

The Lakers' first-round opponent was the fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who had an unexpectedly strong season, improving even after parting ways with Steve Nash.

For Wang Chong, this would likely be his last season with the Lakers. His regular-season performance had boosted his trade value, and he initially planned to take a backseat in the playoffs, letting Kobe take charge.

However, the system had other plans, issuing Wang another challenge: help the Lakers go as far as possible in the playoffs.

The rewards were enticing, including a purple Hall of Fame badge if they won the championship. Despite the immense challenge ahead, Wang Chong now had a new motivation for the postseason.

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