T0

Van Gundy said, "Carlos tonight scored 37 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks - an all-around performance. In contrast, the NBA Draft's first overall pick, who was hyped up before the game to face Carlos, Wall, had a pitiful 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the first quarter, when facing Carlos one-on-one, Wall was particularly miserable, scoring zero points. Considering Wall's explosive performance last night with 44 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, tonight's performance is unexpectedly poor."

"Yes..."

Mike Breen continued, "Tonight's showdown between Carlos and Wall, the battle of the strongest rookies, concluded with Carlos dominating. However, the disparity in the data is quite significant."

"Hehe!"

Van Gundy chuckled and said, "To be honest, I wasn't surprised by this at all. The heated anticipation for the matchup between Wall and Carlos had several reasons. It was a revenge game, Wall's explosive performance, the battle between the 'NBA Draft's first overall pick' and the 'monster rookie,' pre-game challenges, and more. These factors combined made everyone think the matchup would be explosive. In reality, Carlos has been dominating Wall from talent to skill, as evident from their first encounter. If you say Wall has adapted to the NBA and improved his skills, Carlos has made even greater progress. When a player stronger than you not only maintains that strength but also improves more than you, how can you possibly win? That's the situation when Wall faces Carlos."

"Indeed..."

Mike Breen added, "Van Gundy, can you give us a summary of this matchup between Wall and Carlos?"

"Uh..."

Van Gundy pondered and said, "If rookie abilities can be ranked into 10 levels, from Level 1 to Level 9, with T1 being the highest and T9 being the lowest."

"Huh?"

Mike Breen, puzzled, asked, "Aren't there 10 levels in total? Why only 1-9 levels, and what about the tenth level?"

"Yes..."

Van Gundy focused and said seriously, "There are 10 levels, and Levels 1-9 are considered one tier, with T1 being the highest. Carlos doesn't belong to this category. He's in a higher tier, T0. In other words, Carlos, at T0, is the king among rookies, far surpassing all other rookies, and can be compared to many stars, even superstars!"

Buzz!

Mike Breen was momentarily stunned, then nodded emphatically.

Yes...

The "super rookie" Carlos has surpassed other rookies, and his formidable strength puts him on par with many stars, even surpassing some.

After the game...

ESPN's renowned reporter "Woj" found Carlos and said with a smile, "Mr. Carlos, tonight you played another perfect game. You are undoubtedly the MVP of tonight. Congratulations to the Suns for achieving an 18-game winning streak, breaking the franchise's previous record of 17 consecutive wins. Also, in the matchup against Wall, you clearly came out on top. Despite being provoked, you used your full strength in the first quarter, shutting out the NBA Draft's first overall pick Wall. That was impressive. Seriously, you are amazing. How do you feel about your performance in the first quarter?"

"Well..."

Carlos thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, after hearing certain words, I approached the game with seriousness. However, there's one thing you got wrong."

"Oh? What is it?"

Woj blinked.

Carlos smiled faintly and continued, "I approached the entire game seriously. However, the showdown with Wall, I only used 50% of my strength."

"Only 50% of your strength?!"

Woj was stunned, then exclaimed, "But you completely defeated Wall. Using only 50% of your strength, that's incredible."

In response, Carlos shrugged and didn't say anything further. Meanwhile, Wall, who hadn't left yet, stared wide-eyed and exclaimed, "What? You only used 50% of your strength? Impossible! Are you kidding, bragging about it!"

Whether Carlos was boasting or not, Wall was genuinely furious. To the extent that when Woj, after interviewing Carlos, approached the Wizards' locker room to interview Wall, the latter outright refused.

On that night, fans on the internet had plenty to say about the game:

"Huh? Shut out? Is this the skill level of the NBA Draft's first overall pick? This is the capital for Wall to challenge Carlos. My goodness, even I could have done better."

"Carlos is the moon, and Wall is a firefly. How can the brightness of a firefly compare to the moon's radiance?"

"Hey, we expected too much. I thought it would be at least a 70-30 showdown. Unexpectedly... unexpectedly, it's Carlos dominating unilaterally."

"The gap is too big!"

"Wall got demolished. I bet it won't be long before the grass on his grave is two meters high, just like Griffin."

"Griffin: Am I dragged into this again?!"

"Hehehe, did you hear that? Carlos said after the game that he used only 50% of his strength against John Wall. That's too brutal."

"Haha!"

"So pitiful!"

"Cut... it's a showdown with a predetermined outcome from the beginning, just blown out of proportion by fans and media. It seemed evenly matched, with some semblance of a rivalry, but there was no real excitement. Really... forget about Wall; he doesn't deserve to be compared to Carlos. Instead, pay attention to the next matchup - Suns vs. Spurs, Western Conference second vs. Western Conference first. That's the real battle!"

A statement woke up the daydreamers. Fans' attention instantly shifted from the Wizards to the Spurs.

"Yeah, Tim, Tony, Manu, with the 'GDP,' the 'Big Three,' the Spurs have always been a strong team. As a Spurs fan, if I remember correctly, they've been at the top of the Western Conference since they climbed there with a 4-1 record after 5 games this season. Now, with a record of 21 wins and 7 losses, they are still leading the Western Conference."

"Hey, I've noticed something interesting. The Spurs have a record of 21-7, holding the top spot in the West, while the Suns are at 20-8, currently second. Two days later... if the Suns defeat the Spurs, both teams will have a 21-8 record, but because of their head-to-head matchups, the winner will be the Suns. In other words... if the Suns win against the Spurs in the next game, they will directly take over the top spot in the Western Conference!"

Boom! This perspective surprised countless fans and immediately fueled endless anticipation for the showdown between the Spurs and the Suns!