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Facing the Pistons in the second round.After the first round of the playoffs, the matchups for both the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals were confirmed. At the same time, the league also began announcing the season's awards one after another.
In previous years, the selection of the All-NBA teams garnered a lot of attention, and this year was no different. Being named to one of the three All-NBA teams essentially means you're among the top 15 players in the league that season, ranking just behind MVP and the scoring champion in terms of prestige.
For many of the league's top superstars, when the number of championships they've won is similar, their historical standing is often measured by how many times they've been named to the All-NBA teams.
This year's All-NBA selection was highly competitive due to the emergence of the 2003 draft class. Their impact on the All-NBA teams was significant.
The five players selected to the First All-NBA Team were Nash, Kobe, James, Wang Chong, and O'Neal.
The Second Team consisted of Billups, Wade, Nowitzki, Duncan, and Ben Wallace.
Competition for spots on the three All-NBA teams was fierce, but in the end, Arenas, Iverson, Anthony, Elton Brand, and Yao Ming were selected to the Third Team.
As a result, four players from the 2003 draft class made the All-NBA teams this year: two on the First Team, one on the Second Team, and one on the Third Team. Their terrifying strength almost rivals that of the Golden 1996 Draft Class.
Coincidentally, four players from the 1996 draft class also made the All-NBA teams this year: Kobe and Nash on the First Team, Ben Wallace on the Second Team, and Iverson on the Third Team.
Looking at the numbers, the 2003 draft had Wang Chong, the scoring champion, and LeBron James, who averaged 30+7+6 per game. In the 1996 draft class, Kobe Bryant nearly matched Wang Chong in scoring and finished third in the league with similar averages of 30+7+6 per game. Iverson scored 33 points per game.
Wade averaged 27+6+6, and while he slightly fell short compared to Nash, the top MVP candidate, Anthony's performance surpassed that of defensive anchor Ben Wallace, making the battle between these two draft classes an evenly matched affair. These two classes, with their abundance of elite players, are considered some of the best in recent years.
It is expected that the rivalry between the 1996 and 2003 draft classes will continue to shape the league for many years to come.
The All-NBA Defensive Team was also announced.
To Wang Chong's surprise, Tyson Chandler was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team, based on the Bulls' excellent regular-season record and his key role in their defensive system.
Wang Chong had thought Chandler would have to wait until the 2010-2011 season, five years later, to make his first All-Defensive Team. In fact, Chandler eventually moved from the Second Team to the First Team and won Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) during that season. He became a late bloomer in that respect.
Chandler still needed time and games to hone his defensive skills, and the teams he played for later on didn't always allow his talents to shine. After stints with the Bulls, Hornets, and Bobcats, Chandler found his defensive identity when he joined the Dallas Mavericks.
Now that Wang Chong had arrived at the Bulls earlier than anticipated, he made sure Chandler's talent wouldn't be overlooked. Whether through on-court tactics or daily training, Wang Chong offered Chandler advice that fully aligned with his future prime years. His guidance was so appropriate that even professional coaches and assistants couldn't fault it.
As a result, Chandler was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team five years ahead of schedule.
One key reason Chandler made the All-Defensive Second Team was the Bulls' strong record.
Though they were fourth in the Eastern Conference, their overall league record was fourth-best, behind only the Pistons, Spurs, and Mavericks.
Given their impressive performance, simply selecting Wang Chong to the All-NBA First Team wasn't enough to properly reward the Bulls' success.
This boosted Chandler's reputation. Although he wasn't quite at the level he would reach five years later, his selection to the All-Defensive Team was helped by the Bulls' achievements.
At center, there was no doubt that the All-Defensive First Team spot went to Pistons' center Ben Wallace. This marked his fifth consecutive selection to the All-Defensive First Team, and it was almost guaranteed he would win his fourth DPOY award.
His dominant defense was unmatched, even when looking back at the league's history. Though defense doesn't often bring superstars much glory, it highlighted Ben Wallace's overwhelming ability on that side of the court.
Next up for the Bulls was their second-round matchup against the Detroit Pistons, led by Ben Wallace.
As mentioned earlier, the Bulls had an impressive record, but only Wang Chong made the All-NBA teams, somewhat overlooking the contributions of the rest of the roster.
The same principle applied to the Pistons.
This season, the Pistons had the best record in the league, winning one more game than the Spurs during the regular season. Yet, despite this, only Ben Wallace and Billups made the All-NBA Second Team, a showing even worse than the Bulls.
Though the Pistons were known for being a team-oriented squad without a true superstar, this result left many Pistons players and fans feeling disrespected.
"What? You're really going to underestimate us like this? Let's see how many rounds the Bulls, led by your First Team selection Wang Chong, can survive against us!"
On May 7, 2006, the second-round opener between the Bulls and Pistons kicked off at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, home of the Pistons.
The famed Pistons' starting five — point guard Chauncey Billups, shooting guard Richard Hamilton, small forward Tayshaun Prince, power forward Rasheed Wallace, and center Ben Wallace — were ready to battle.
The Bulls maintained their usual starting lineup: Ellis, Bell, Luol Deng, Wang Chong, and Tyson Chandler.
As the game tipped off, Rasheed Wallace won the opening jump ball.
Ben Wallace didn't jump often, despite his excellent leaping ability and explosiveness, as his shorter stature made it hard to compete with the 7'1" Chandler.
But Rasheed, nicknamed "The Roaring Heavenly Lord," couldn't win the jump ball against Chandler either. Chandler tipped it to the backcourt, and the Bulls started their first possession.
Monta Ellis dribbled the ball up slowly, eyeing his opponent, Billups, standing in front of him. Wang Chong's words from the past few days echoed in his mind.
"Chauncey Billups is a highly underrated player. He's strong, has a high basketball IQ, and possesses top-tier point guard skills. His athleticism is among the best. Don't assume because he played calmly in the first round, you'll easily drive past him. You're no match for him right now! Avoid one-on-one situations as much as possible!"
Ellis was hesitant to believe Wang Chong's warning.
Billups hadn't received many accolades yet. Wang Chong had eliminated Billups' most significant career honor, the Finals MVP, and Billups had only made his first All-Star team and All-NBA selections this season.
Even as a backup All-Star, Billups' resume was nearly blank before this.
However, regardless of his accolades, Billups' real strength couldn't be underestimated. That's why Wang Chong emphasized Billups, even more than Ben Wallace, the Pistons' central figure.
After all, Ben Wallace was, in essence, a defensive specialist. On offense, Billups was the brains and tactical leader of the Pistons.
Billups averaged 18.5 points and 8.6 assists this season, explaining his All-NBA and All-Defensive Team honors.
His only weak spot was his 41.8% shooting percentage, which was relatively low compared to elite shooters like Nash, who posted absurdly efficient numbers.
But unlike Nash, who was known as a defensive liability, Billups' selection to the All-Defensive Second Team proved his ability on both ends of the court.
Ellis heeded Wang Chong's warning and didn't try to force a drive like he had in the first round against the Cavaliers. Instead, he passed the ball to Wang Chong, the team's focal point.
The Pistons' defense was as suffocating as advertised.
Despite only two players making the All-Defensive Team, three were selected overall: Ben Wallace on the First Team, Billups and Prince on the Second.
In many ways, the Pistons resembled a better version of the Bulls — a strong defensive center paired with an elite perimeter defender.
But unlike the Bulls, the Pistons had strong defenders at every position.
Though Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace never made All-Defensive teams, both were solid on defense.
This put immense pressure on the Bulls' already average offense.
Before the game, analysts predicted that, similar to the Cavaliers in the first round, Wang Chong would struggle due to the lack of scoring support from his teammates.
Facing the suffocating Pistons' defense, Wang Chong would be the Bulls' primary, if not sole, scorer.
That's why some media outlets analyzed that for the Bulls to have any chance against the Pistons, Wang Chong couldn't rely on scoring alone. He'd need to help his teammates score to even win one or two games. Ultimately, though, the Pistons were expected to prevail.
These analysts made valid points, but Wang Chong wasn't worried about any of them.
The Pistons had five starters averaging double figures in scoring, while the Bulls had only three: Wang Chong, Ellis, and Deng. Yet, despite these statistical disadvantages, Wang Chong didn't fear the Pistons.
Why?
Because he was the best player on the floor. He had become such an overwhelming force in this league that he alone made the Bulls the team to beat.
End of this chapter
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