"Carlos?"
"The rookie center from Mexico actually won the Western Conference Player of the Week?"
"Fake... must be fake. How can a rookie outshine stars like Kobe, Durant, Nowitzki, and be chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week?"
"Yeah, especially Kobe and Kevin. Not only are their stats good, but they also lead their teams to impressive records. It seems obvious that the Player of the Week should be one of them."
"What's going on?!"
The NBA officially announced this result on Twitter.
Instantly, fans exploded with disbelief and unwillingness to accept it. But when they looked at Carlos's stats, they were all left stunned.
Carlos played four games last week.
Averaging 33.25 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.5 blocks per game, he led the Suns to four consecutive victories.
"It seems... it seems kind of amazing."
"A bit crazy, huh? Bro, are you not looking carefully?"
"Exactly!"
A user with the ID "Carlos's Fan" also stepped forward and commented, "If we just look at the average stats, Carlos is already better than Kevin and Kobe. In scoring and blocking, he leads the Western Conference in all categories. Moreover, you should be clear that Carlos's stats were calculated in a situation where he only played half of the first game. If he played the entire game against the Wizards, Carlos's average score would easily exceed 35+, and all his stats would skyrocket."
"More importantly, the Thunder and the Lakers are both powerhouse teams. Kevin and Kobe have many strong teammates, so it's not surprising that they lead their teams to almost impeccable records. However, Carlos, almost single-handedly, led the Suns, who were 2-8 and 13th in the Western Conference, to a four-game winning streak. That kind of ability to lead a team as a solo player is what makes him strong.
Of course, if you insist that 36-year-old Nash, 33-year-old Carter, and 38-year-old Hill are his helpers, then I have nothing to say. Also, don't forget, Carlos is still just a rookie. The fact that a rookie has such outstanding leadership abilities is terrifying. Look at this year's first overall pick, Wall, and then look at last year's first overall pick, Griffin. Compared to Carlos, they are far behind in both stats and records."
"Whoa!"
"Carlos's fan" made countless fans suddenly realize. Those who already thought Carlos was powerful now found him even more formidable.
"Really amazing!"
"This center, Carlos, is too strong."
"Carlos's Fan" continued to reply, "Of course, and not just generally strong. You have to know... throughout NBA history, only O'Neal in '92 won Player of the Week in his first week as a rookie. Although this is the fourth week, for Carlos, it's the first week of his professional career. So, Carlos stands shoulder to shoulder with 'Shaq' O'Neal, becoming the second player in NBA history to win Player of the Week in his first week as a rookie. Not even Jordan, LeBron, Iverson, and other superstars who peaked right from their debuts have achieved this. I say this, and I'm sure you all understand how strong Carlos is."
"Wow!"
Once again, the fans were shocked by this statement.
Seeing the comment from "Carlos's Fan," 'Shaq' O'Neal tweeted on his own account, "Congratulations to the Mexican center Carlos, becoming the second player after me to win Player of the Week in his first week as a rookie. Keep it up!"
Although 'Shaq' was in the twilight of his career, getting praise from such a legendary superstar made Carlos the envy of many rookies. Players like Greg Monroe, Aminu, George, Aldrich, and others were quite envious and couldn't help but marvel at Carlos's powerful skills.
Of course, some players had different thoughts.
NBA Draft's first overall pick, Wall, on his way to the team's training facility, saw the news of Carlos winning Player of the Week and receiving praise from O'Neal. He clenched his fists.
"Carlos, the more dazzling you are, the happier I am. So... after our next matchup, when I defeat you, I will completely wipe away the shame and make a stunning appearance on the NBA court."
Obviously...
Being overturned by a rookie center in just half a game, reversing a 17-point deficit, and even performing a game-winning shot had a significant impact on Wall. At the same time...
Last year's first overall pick and this year's rookie, Griffin, who was sitting on the toilet at home, looked at the messages with a strong fighting spirit, "Carlos, I'm really looking forward to facing you. I think... defeating you should secure my position as this year's best rookie."
It's not just the rookies; the entire league, from players to team management, was astonished by the fact that the rookie Carlos won the Player of the Week in his first week.
Everyone started paying more attention to this center from Mexico.
While fans praised Carlos on the internet, one fan said, "So what if he won Player of the Week? What does good data mean? Carlos is just a flash in the pan."
"Hmm? Why?"
"Why mock Carlos like this?! Is it jealousy? Or envy?"
"What nonsense is he talking about?!"
One sentence sparked numerous accusations.
However, the person calmly said, "This rookie Carlos does have some skills, and his offensive style is different. However... he can only play this eye-catching with insufficient understanding from everyone. In fact...
Just take a closer look at his games, and you'll find that this center, Carlos, uses his height and arm length advantage for direct jump shots when mismatched against smaller players. When facing forwards, he uses speed to break through, creates space, and then takes a jump shot. In short, his offensive skills are limited to a single outside jump shot. When defending, as long as a faster forward keeps up, prevents him from penetrating, Carlos will be locked down. At that time... with no inside scoring ability, he will be useless and become mediocre."
"Buzz!"
This speech triggered a moment of contemplation among fans, and they began to recall Carlos's various games, sparking a significant controversy.
Some fans felt that it seemed to make sense. Carlos's offensive methods were almost always finishing with mid-range jumpers, but others disagreed. They thought...
Those opportunities were all created by Carlos himself, and it was entirely reasonable. Even if you replace him with a fast and tall defensive player, it wouldn't necessarily lock him down.
For a while, the debate between the two sides was intense.
However...
As fans passionately argued on Twitter, the rookie who won Player of the Week in his first week, stood shoulder to shoulder with 'Shaq' O'Neal, and Carlos, whose short-term contract was about to expire, ultimately became the object of desire for numerous teams.