The Regular Season Ends with the Bulls in First Place, 67 Wins!

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The star of the Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony, was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for several players and two first-round draft picks. This news sent shockwaves throughout the league. The Knicks were no longer a weak team in the Eastern Conference. This season, with Derrick Rose averaging 24 points and 8 assists per game and Amar'e Stoudemire averaging 25 points and 8 rebounds, the Knicks had become one of the strongest teams in the East, currently sitting in fifth place behind the Bulls, Heat, Magic, and Celtics.

Although Anthony's stats this season were slightly down compared to last year, this was mainly due to the league-wide slower offensive pace. So far, no player in the league is averaging more than 30 points per game. With just over 29 points, averaging 25 points per game is enough to place Anthony among the top ten scorers.

The acquisition of Anthony by the Knicks now meant they had three players among the league's top ten scorers, instantly forming a Big Three comparable to the Miami Heat's trio.

After all, while Rose and Anthony may be at a disadvantage compared to Wade and LeBron, Stoudemire is definitely much stronger than Chris Bosh. Stoudemire has been selected to the All-NBA team four times, whereas Bosh has only been selected once.

From an outside perspective, this seems like a great move.

But Wang Chong, as a time traveler, knew very well what would happen when Anthony and Stoudemire joined forces.

The Knicks, with two superstars, weren't particularly strong. Their best record came in the 2012-13 season with 54 wins and 28 losses, finishing second in the East. However, in the second round of the playoffs, they were eliminated by the Pacers, 4–2.

In the five years that Anthony and Stoudemire played together in New York, their best result was a second-round playoff exit. They only made it to the second round of the Eastern Conference once. The rest of the seasons ended with first-round eliminations.

The Suns' management made the right call when they let Stoudemire go. His injuries had a significant impact on his performance. After joining the Knicks, Stoudemire only had one superstar-caliber season, in 2010-11. In the following years, he suffered repeated injuries, and although his assist rate was very low, his physical condition also deteriorated rapidly.

While Stoudemire has better honors and personal skills than Bosh, he's less effective in a Big Three setup because a Big Three requires someone to sacrifice for the team.

Bosh made considerable sacrifices during the Heat's Big Three era, and his technical skills ensured that, even when sacrificing the ball, he could still shine on the court.

But it's hard to say the same about Stoudemire. His post-up game is not as strong as Bosh's, and his defensive ability is weaker too.

Of course, there is an up-and-coming star, Derrick Rose, among the new Big Three of the Knicks. Therefore, Wang Chong was unsure whether the trio would develop good chemistry, but he judged that the Knicks' Big Three would not be as much of a threat as the Heat's, especially the Heat of the next two years.

Anthony wasn't the only one making big moves before the trade deadline.

After the Nuggets and Knicks, the Utah Jazz also made a move. They traded their star, Deron Williams, to the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and two first-round picks.

This trade caused much less commotion in the league than the Knicks' acquisition of Anthony, because the Nets were a weak team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, unlike the Knicks. With 21 points per game this season, Deron Williams, who also averaged 4 rebounds and 9.7 assists, wasn't part of the championship conversation the way Anthony was for the Knicks.

However, Deron's trade can be described as a walk in the park for the Nets.

Sloan, the legendary coach of the Jazz, was so heartbroken by this young disciple that he had to resign and broke down in tears during the press conference.

After Deron Williams forced Sloan out, the Jazz didn't choose to keep this young All-Star. Instead, they decided to package him and send him to the Nets, beginning their rebuilding process.

The clash between Deron and Sloan can be described as a lose-lose situation.

Deron Williams' strength is undeniable. Beating Chris Paul effortlessly is no joke. Deron was quite strong in his prime, but unfortunately, his prime didn't last long. After joining the Nets, his peak only lasted for two or three seasons. In terms of career longevity and stability, he's undoubtedly better than Paul, whom he often outperforms on the court.

There were many teams involved in trades before the deadline, but none of the moves made had the same scale or impact as the Anthony and Deron Williams trades.

As usual, the Bulls didn't make any moves at the deadline and kept their original lineup intact.

With their current record and on-court effectiveness, the Bulls really didn't need any reinforcements.

However, many teams contacted the Bulls before the trade deadline, inquiring about players like Curry, Gasol, Danny Green, and others, as well as Garnett and Billups. Nobody was interested in the fragile veteran with a multi-million-dollar contract.

Of course, Wang Chong wasn't on the trading block. Nobody sought him out. Even if the Heat offered to swap their Big Three for him, the Bulls' management might not have agreed to it.

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The trade deadline passed, and the league schedule entered March.

The Bulls' rotations became more frequent than in the first half of the season. As Wang Chong had planned, Marcus Thornton began starting regularly, and his playing time gradually increased to more than 20 minutes per game.

This allowed his stats to continue improving, with his scoring averaging in double digits.

Although the Bulls' record had significantly dropped, Thornton's performance had begun to attract the attention of more and more teams.

"Could Marcus Thornton be a hidden gem? How do the Bulls keep finding these great prospects? What kind of vision is this? No, what kind of luck is this?!"

On March 12th, the Bulls faced the Heat on the road.

Curry was out due to an ankle sprain, and the Bulls sent out a starting lineup of Billups, Thornton, Wang Chong, Garnett, and Gasol.

Thinking they were missing an important scorer, the Heat finally saw an opportunity to get revenge.

Unexpectedly, Thornton exploded in this game. Under Wade's defense, Thornton made 12 of 18 shots, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and 4 of 4 free throws. He scored 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, leading the Bulls to a 110–105 victory over the Heat.

Thornton's outburst exceeded everyone's expectations, especially when he scored more than 30 points against Wade. This was a major achievement, as Wade has been an All-Defensive Team regular for many years, with defensive abilities that are unparalleled among guards.

In the following games, Thornton began to earn more playing time. While his performance didn't match his Heat game, he averaged 18 points per game in less than a week, becoming one of the most powerful players alongside Wang Chong.

A week later, Curry returned from injury, Thornton returned to the bench, and his scoring began to dip, but he still managed to maintain a double-digit scoring average per game.

Thornton's breakout helped the Bulls survive many tough games in March. The Bulls achieved a 12–4 record for the month, pushing their overall record to 60–14, with a win percentage of 81%.

In April, the Bulls had 8 games remaining. Even if they lost all of them, their 60-win record was basically enough to secure the top spot in the East. It was also unlikely that the Bulls would lose every game. The only two tough opponents in these 8 games were the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks.

On April 5th, the Bulls faced the New York Knicks on the road. This was the first time the Knicks, with their newly formed Big Three, faced the Bulls.

The two Eastern Conference teams had already met three times before the All-Star break. In this game, the Knicks came out aggressively, eager to beat the Bulls at home.

This victory was crucial for them, as the Knicks were currently fifth in the East. If they could defeat the Orlando Magic, who were fourth, they would face the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs.

Although no one thought the Knicks had the strength to contend for the championship in the first year of their Big Three, they still had dreams. What if they came true?

The Knicks had considered the Bulls their greatest hypothetical playoff rival, so they were desperate to find an opportunity to beat the Bulls in the regular season.

Unfortunately, their plans backfired.

Rose defeated Curry in their matchup, scoring 26 points and 4 assists. Although Anthony's performance against Wang Chong was average, he still managed 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Stoudemire's performance was also underwhelming with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Big Three combined for 71 points, but they couldn't help the Knicks defeat the Bulls.

Thanks to this game, Wang Chong made 17 of 28 shots, including 4 of 9 from three, 12 of 14 free throws, and scored 50 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He defeated the Knicks' Big Three on his own and led the Bulls to a 128–123 victory.

The biggest difference between the Knicks' Big

Three and the Heat's Big Three isn't the gap in strength, but the gap in defensive capability.

Both Wade and James are regulars on the All-Defensive Team with extremely strong individual defensive skills. Bosh's defense relies on his height, wingspan, and mobility, which is certainly not bad, but the Knicks are different.

Stoudemire, trained by former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, focused mainly on offense and not defense.

Not to mention Anthony, who is known for his strong offense and weak defense—his offensive and defensive skills are completely uneven.

As for Rose, his perimeter defense is average. While not a complete liability, his defense isn't very strong.

The Knicks' head coach is still Mike D'Antoni, who previously coached the Suns, meaning their defensive capabilities were predictable.

With a poor overall defense, the Knicks had no power to resist Wang Chong's relentless offense. All they could do was try to outscore Wang Chong, but even with their Big Three, it was impossible to match Wang Chong's solo scoring explosion.

The Bulls, who successfully defeated the Knicks, only lost one more game in their final stretch, finishing April with a record of 7 wins and 1 loss. Their final regular season record was 67 wins and 15 losses, with a win percentage of 81.7%.

While this was slightly behind the Bulls' previous record of 73 wins, it was still enough to secure first place in the league, seven games ahead of the Spurs, who finished second.

The San Antonio Spurs had a record of 60–22, finishing first in the Western Conference. They were the only other team besides the Bulls to win over 60 games. Other teams like the Miami Heat with their Big Three, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had met the Bulls in the Finals three times, and the Dallas Mavericks, led by the little-known Nowitzki, all had records of 57–25 or worse.

A drop in the Bulls' record was inevitable. Injury problems had increased significantly this season, especially for Curry, whose frequent ankle sprains caused him to miss many games. Additionally, Wang Chong worried that his injury was too serious, so he gave himself some rest, playing only 69 games in the regular season.

Garnett and Billups played only 70 games. Wang Chong didn't want to jeopardize the main players' playoff availability for the sake of regular-season results.

As of now, it seems that Wang Chong's adjustments are working. Garnett and Billups are in good shape, fully prepared for the playoffs.

Although Curry's ankle remains a hidden issue, as long as he takes care of it and focuses on spot shooting, avoiding ball-handling duties, it won't pose a major problem.

In general, the Bulls are fully prepared to take on the challenges of the playoffs.

With the final regular season game over, the standings in the East and West are clear:

In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls finish first with 67 wins, followed by the Miami Heat with 57 wins, the Boston Celtics with 52 wins, the Orlando Magic with 50 wins, the New York Knicks with 50 wins, the Atlanta Hawks with 44 wins, the Philadelphia 76ers with 41 wins, and the Indiana Pacers with 37 wins.

After the Heat's Big Three had a rough start, they quickly regained their form, relying on their personal abilities and adaptability to go on a winning streak. Although they lost multiple times to the Bulls during the regular season, they managed to stay ahead against most other teams.

The Magic, who were third in the East for a while, were hit by a wave of injuries midway through the season and made major trades, sending Vince Carter away for Arenas, but their struggles persisted, and they ended up fourth behind the Celtics.

The Green Army finished third with 52 wins, which was well deserved. Durant continued competing with Wang Chong for the scoring title. Though he couldn't surpass Wang Chong, Durant averaged 28.4 points per game, and with Rondo, Pierce, Millsap, and Jefferson, the Celtics had a strong lineup.

End of this chapter

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