Doing the Butterfly Step and Knocking Down Anthony

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James doesn't know it now, but he will eventually pay the price for what he said.

When facing interviews with reporters, Wang Chong always maintained a relatively low-key and conservative attitude.

"Mr. Wang Chong, what are your goals or expectations for the new season?"

Wang Chong thought about the question for a moment, then gave a conservative answer.

"I have two main goals for the new season. The first is to participate in the All-Star Game, and the second is to be selected for the All-NBA Team by the end of the season."

Even though Wang Chong had spoken conservatively, the reporters were still shocked by his ambitions.

Being selected for the All-Star Game is one thing—24 players are chosen, 12 from each conference, so as long as Wang Chong performs well, with his Chinese-American identity and support from a large fanbase, he could potentially be voted into the starting lineup, similar to how Yao Ming was once voted in.

But the All-NBA Team is different. Only 15 players in the entire league make the cut—split into first, second, and third teams. For Wang Chong , who plays forward, he'd need to be among the top six forwards in the league to be considered.

For a sophomore player, that's no small feat.

The players Wang Chong would be competing against are some of the best in the league: Duncan, Garnett, Nowitzki, O'Neal Jr., and McGrady, to name a few. These are household names and top-tier stars. They're not easy to surpass.

But when you look at it from another angle, Wang Chong 's goals aren't impossible either.

After all, his performance in the Olympics was spectacular, overshadowing even established stars like Iverson, Duncan, and Marbury. In the new season, Wang Chong would be the Lakers' second offensive option, meaning he would get more ball-handling and shooting opportunities. But with that comes a greater defensive burden than he faced last season.

Without O'Neal there to back him up, nobody can be sure if Wang Chong can maintain his efficiency.

As the Lakers gathered for pre-season training, the assistant coaches began by conducting physical assessments on all players to tailor personalized training regimens.

"Wow, you've grown taller again," one of the assistants said while measuring Wang Chong 's height, recording 6 feet 11 inches on the stats board and shaking his head. "With that height, you could easily play center."

Wang Chong chuckled, "Come on, I'm too small for that. You'd be destroying me in the paint."

The assistant took another look at Wang Chong 's physical stats:

Height: 6 feet 11 inches (2.10 meters)

Wingspan: 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters)

Weight: 240 pounds (109 kilograms)

"With this build, how can you not play inside?" the assistant wondered aloud, comparing Wang Chong 's stats to those of Odom, another forward on the team.

Odom's height: 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 meters)

Wingspan: 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 meters)

Weight: 230 pounds (104 kilograms)

Odom had played both forward and center for the Heat last season. Clearly, Wang Chong could play inside too, but that wasn't the ideal use of his skills. As a forward, his height gave him an advantage, especially on offense.

After reviewing the physical data, the assistant handed the report to Phil Jackson, the Lakers' head coach.

Phil was impressed by the improvements in Wang Chong 's physical abilities: height, wingspan, weight, speed, jumping, and explosiveness. But what stood out even more was Wang Chong 's improvement in ball-handling skills.

Wang Chong 's dribbling had always been solid, but after the Olympics, he'd taken it to another level. His handling, particularly in fancy dribbling and left-hand control, had gotten so good that it was on par with Odom—and even better when it came to breaking down defenses.

For someone 2.10 meters tall, such ball-handling skills were a rare gift. Combined with his shooting ability, Phil Jackson realized that Wang Chong had all the tools to become a top scorer in the league.

"This growth rate is unreal..." Phil thought to himself.

By the end of last season, Wang Chong 's overall ability rating had reached 91. There were only a handful of players in the entire league rated higher. This prompted Phil to implement a new tactic—Wang Chong 's isolation play.

In early October, the 2004-05 preseason began.

Unlike the previous year, when he had to prove himself as a rookie, Wang Chong's starting spot on the team was secure this time. In fact, Phil deliberately limited his minutes to hide his true abilities and give him more rest before the regular season.

Wang Chong averaged only 18 minutes per game in the preseason, about the same as Kobe Bryant. Despite the limited time, the Lakers won 4 of their 8 games, a performance that didn't fully showcase their strength post-O'Neal.

The real test would come with the season opener on November 2, 2004, when the Lakers would host the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets, having bolstered their roster by acquiring Kenyon Martin in a trade, were a stronger team than they had been the previous season. Martin was coming off an impressive year with the Nets, where he averaged 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds, earning him a spot on the All-Star reserves.

The Lakers' starting five for the season opener were Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Wang Chong, Odom, and Chris Mihm.

The Nuggets countered with Andre Miller, Voshon Lenard, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby.

From the start, all eyes were on the matchup between Wang Chong and Anthony, both top players from the 2003 draft class.

Anthony, determined not to underestimate Wang Chong after their encounters last season, used screens and picks to avoid Wang Chong 's defensive reach. Despite his efforts, Anthony struggled, while Kobe dominated for the Lakers, quickly putting up 12 points in the first quarter.

Wang Chong , meanwhile, played a supporting role in the early minutes, taking only two shots but making both, scoring 5 points. By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had pulled ahead, leading 26-17.

As the second quarter began, Kobe took a break, and Wang Chong assumed the primary offensive role.

In one of the opening plays, Wang Chong found himself one-on-one with Anthony. He quickly increased his dribbling speed, faking a right-handed drive. As Anthony adjusted, Wang Chong crossed over to the left with a Butterfly Step, leaving Anthony off-balance.

Anthony tried to recover, but stumbled and fell to the floor as Wang Chong blew past him, creating a clear path to the basket.

End of chapter

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