Chapter 23

Chen Mu, a power forward, currently plays for the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

In the first four games of Chen Mu's NBA career, he delivered a jaw-dropping performance.

Averaging 17 minutes per game, he grabbed 10.5 rebounds per game, including 5 offensive rebounds.

This level of rebounding ability could be described as dominant.

It's important to note that as basketball has evolved, the pace of the game has slowed, and half-court sets have become more common.

Although the 2004-2005 season reforms, including the elimination of hand-checking, helped to revitalize offense, the early 2000s were still the slowest and lowest-scoring period in NBA history.

In fact, many NBA experts consider the 2000 to 2004 seasons to be the "dark ages" of the NBA. While teams like the Lakers and Kings had brilliant offensive capabilities, the entire league was dominated by slow half-court defense and suffocating, iron-blooded defense.

The entertainment value of games steadily declined, especially during the 2003 NBA Finals, where the Nets and Spurs' grueling battle set a new low for Finals viewership.

This record wasn't broken until two years after Chen Mu's arrival, and the team that reclaimed this dubious honor still included the Spurs.

It's not that defensive basketball is bad or that half-court defense isn't exciting. In fact, this methodical, one-step-at-a-time style of play has its own appeal. Many fans and experts enjoy the clash of defensive philosophies and consider such games to be textbook examples.

However, for new fans who are not as deeply invested in basketball, a defense-first approach is not an ideal way to watch the NBA.

Against this backdrop, the average number of rebounds per game in the NBA has steadily declined. In the "ancient" era of the NBA, interior giants routinely averaged 15 to 20 rebounds per game. In modern times, the league's leading rebounder averages between 12 and 15 rebounds, a significant difference that is worth pondering and studying.

It was in this context that Chen Mu emerged, grabbing double-digit rebounds in less than two quarters of play. This remarkable impact reminded many of the legendary names that once dominated the paint.

What is Chen Mu's secret to rebounding? How can he so easily judge the trajectory of each rebound? Every fan, player, coach, and expert wants to know the answer.

And if this secret were to be revealed, what kind of ripple effect would it have? Chen Mu himself doesn't know.

After several games, Chen Mu earned a significant number of SP points. Following his initial plan, he used all the points to enhance his rebounding ability, particularly his offensive rebounding.

Currently, Chen Mu's offensive rebounding rating is 76, which is considered average among NBA interior players.

With the help of a rebounding prediction "cheat," Chen Mu has become a rebounding monster. After a few games, he has become a minor celebrity, gaining recognition in the league.

However, this rating is still not enough to match a player of Kevin Garnett's caliber.

"Slam!"

On the court at the Target Center, Chen Mu grabbed another rebound. Garnett, having watched the Suns' game against the Lakers, knew that backcourt pressure was no longer effective against Chen Mu. Instead of attempting a steal, he quickly retreated to prevent the Suns from launching a fast break.

"Steady and sure, take it one play at a time!"

The Suns' starters were resting, and the game had entered the early part of the second quarter. Under Chen Mu's control of the rebounds, the Suns gradually took the lead, with a score of 27-25.

Of course, Coach Casey was not willing to give up and continued to trust his star player. Garnett, who played the entire first quarter, remained on the court, engaging in a bone-crunching, muscle-to-muscle battle with Chen Mu.

"Chinese kid, I didn't expect you to adjust so quickly. You must have put in a lot of work..."

Garnett continued his trash talk, which was not meant to be disrespectful but had become his trademark.

Chen Mu smiled slightly, not taking it to heart, and focused on his positioning and rebounding, not letting Garnett's words affect him.

In the latter part of the first quarter, after being thoroughly schooled by Garnett, Chen Mu suddenly had an epiphany and found a way to counter the MVP. Using unusual positions as decoys, he repeatedly put Garnett in a guessing game.

The other Suns players also did their best to help Chen Mu, positioning themselves to block Garnett and keep him behind.

Although Garnett occasionally guessed correctly and grabbed the rebound, the tide of the game was no longer one-sided. The Suns' backcourt rebounds began to improve, and they also started to grab more offensive rebounds.

However, Garnett, being one of the top players in the NBA, eventually figured out a solution after being temporarily outrebounded by Chen Mu.

"As long as I don't play the guessing game with you, I just need to focus on the old-school way of rebounding, right?"

At the start of the second quarter, as the players took the court, Garnett smiled and said this to Chen Mu.

From then on, their "battle" no longer involved deception and trickery but returned to a straightforward, intense competition.

Defensively, Chen Mu couldn't stop Garnett's offense, but whenever the Timberwolves missed a shot, Chen Mu would secure the rebound. In fact, after Garnett grabbed the last offensive rebound over Chen Mu's head, Chen Mu didn't let a single Suns backcourt rebound slip away, firmly controlling the paint.

Offensively, although Chen Mu lacked scoring ability, his relentless movement and playmaking still forced Garnett to run all over the court. Chen Mu also managed to grab a few offensive rebounds, maintaining the Suns' offensive advantage.

The game continued, with the score remaining close. At halftime, the Suns led 48-47.

The second half was a mirror image of the first, with the Suns being dragged into the Timberwolves' half-court defense, unable to leverage their speed and athleticism. During the衔接段 (衔接段 means "transition period" or "gap period" in this context, referring to the time when the starting lineup is resting and the bench players are on the court), Chen Mu came on, taking advantage of Garnett's rest to grab numerous rebounds, forcing the Timberwolves to call a timeout.

"Breath... breath... breath... breath..."

Sitting on the bench, Chen Mu panted heavily. The physical toll of facing Garnett was significant, causing his stamina to drop rapidly, unlike his previous opponents.

In this game, Chen Mu's playing time had already reached 14 minutes. Coach D'Antoni knew that Chen Mu was approaching his physical limit and did not send him back onto the court in the first half of the fourth quarter.

As the game progressed, time was running out, and Chen Mu finally heard the coach's call.

"Chen, go in for Tim."

"Whistle!"

After the dead ball, Chen Mu took the court. To his surprise, the crowd did not boo him.

"Hmm...?"

In previous away games, due to Chen Mu's outstanding performance, he would often be greeted with a wall of boos whenever he entered the game.

But this time was different. The fans did not boo Chen Mu; instead, a few began to applaud.

"Chinese kid, not bad, not bad at all!"

"Actually, you can hold your own against our KG for so long. I think you have a good chance of becoming an All-Star in the future!"

"Come to the Timberwolves! Come to Minnesota! Partner with our KG! We need someone to share the load with him!"

Chen Mu felt a warm glow in his heart. Although most of these comments might be polite, they at least proved one thing:

"I, Chen Mu, am no longer a minor character. Fans have been moved by my effort and are even starting to recruit me to their team!"

The thought excited Chen Mu, and he nodded slightly to the fans.

In fact, during the last two games in Phoenix, the fans who initially viewed Chen Mu with racial prejudice began to cheer for him.

"It seems the coach was right. America is a place that only recognizes strength. As long as I can show my abilities, I can earn everyone's respect!"

"Beep beep"

The game continued, and the Suns' lead had grown to 10 points. Nash controlled the ball steadily, and Chen Mu and Diaw executed a pick-and-roll. Nash, with a sudden burst of inspiration, delivered a stunning bounce pass that sliced through the Timberwolves' defense like a guided missile.

"Slam"

Chen Mu caught the ball under the basket, with no one in front of him, and jumped to bank the shot off the glass.

"Slam... swish!"

The ball went in!!!

"Ho ho~!!! Chen!!! Great job!!!"

On the Suns' bench, the teammates cheered for Chen Mu's score. They knew that, given Chen Mu's scoring ability, this was a significant achievement. Towels waved, and Chen Mu smiled, nodding to his teammates in gratitude.

Time continued to tick away, and the Timberwolves began to focus all their efforts on Garnett. The "Wolf King" attacked from inside and out, using textbook offensive moves to teach Chen Mu a lesson, scoring numerous points over him.

However, the Suns' offense had adapted to the Timberwolves' defensive rhythm and continued to score, keeping the lead and leaving little time on the clock.

"Slam"

Once again, Garnett received the ball under the basket. The lone warrior, exhausted and panting, began to engage Chen Mu one-on-one.

"Step step"

Garnett changed his footwork and executed his classic "back spin to create space, then reverse spin to shoot" move.

However, this time, the Wolf King was truly tired. Although he managed to create a small gap and get off a shot, his feet were slightly sluggish, giving Chen Mu a chance to catch up.

"Roar!"

Chen Mu roared, forcefully moved laterally, and leaped high from Garnett's side, his eyes fixed on the ball in mid-air. He then slapped it down with a powerful hand.

"Slam...!!!"