The Best Point Guard

Jason Kidd would have never imagined that one day, Hardaway would be imitating his style of play.

From the moment he entered the league, Hardaway had been a dazzling prodigy, the center of everyone’s attention. Jason Kidd, on the other hand, was known as a Point Guard who played with the maturity of a veteran, even as a young man.

Back then, even though Kidd’s performance was excellent, earning him a big contract and a great team record, it was nothing compared to the immense spotlight on Hardaway. There were times he couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

But as Hardaway’s career declined due to injuries, Kidd began to feel fortunate for his own style of play—a style that could sustain him for a lifetime and allow him to remain highly effective even in the final years of his career.

And yet, now that Hardaway had made a comeback, he was actually starting to copy him.

This left Jason Kidd feeling more than a little indignant.

’How is that fair?’

’You got to be the graceful, flashy superstar in your youth, soaking up all the glory. Now that you’re older and your athleticism is fading, you just get to copy my game, and you even do it this well?’

’He’s trying to have it both ways.’

Kidd was frustrated.

The more frustrated he felt, the more he tried to put on a show.

And the more he put on a show, the more Hardaway learned, creating a perfect feedback loop.

Of course, what Hardaway was learning on the fly couldn’t compare to Jason Kidd’s mastery. He missed many of the finer details, managing to replicate it at maybe sixty or seventy percent proficiency.

But sixty or seventy percent was more than enough.

Because the Knicks still had Su Xi holding down the fort.

With Su Xi running the show and the entire Knicks team fighting with everything they had, their execution was even smoother than the Brooklyn Nets’.

The imitation had surpassed the original.

Because the original was prone to coming unglued.

The contrast between the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets was becoming increasingly clear. The Nets were still built like an old-fashioned team: a core Point Guard, a primary offensive weapon, supplementary wing players, and a couple of blue-collar guys. A structure like that could, at the very least, guarantee a playoff berth.

But the Knicks were different. On this team, everyone was in it together.

Antonio Davis’s departure was an excellent thing for the Knicks. He did the right thing at the right time, helping the team’s budding spirit instantly coalesce. The powerful chemical reaction transformed them into an "all for one, and one for all" squad.

The Knicks players all had their own issues; just last season, many were widely criticized for being on "trash contracts."

In terms of their technical skills and playstyles, they hadn’t actually undergone a complete transformation this season.

But on a mental level—in their willpower and unity—the transformation was night and day.

Moreover, they were willing to work with one another, firmly believing that Su Xi’s ball distribution was fair. And Su Xi had indeed improved every player’s stats, ensuring everyone had their moment to shine.

Add to that a phenomenal locker room atmosphere and the passion that came from moving from one victory to the next.

In terms of their mentality and cohesion, the Knicks were already on another level compared to the Brooklyn Nets.

If you could say that the Knicks’ victories in the first seven or eight games of their streak had a bit of luck involved, that element of luck was rapidly diminishing. They were becoming increasingly adept at maximizing their strengths.

According to the rating standards of basketball experts, the Knicks’ current roster, at its absolute best, would be considered an upper-mid-tier team in the league.

But as long as the Knicks could maintain this unity and chemistry, they were undoubtedly a top-six team in the league.

The Brooklyn Nets most certainly were not.

The game itself was actually tightly contested.

However, the Knicks played with growing certainty, while the Brooklyn Nets seemed to lose their confidence with every passing minute.

This led to a turning point when the game entered the third quarter.

Vince Carter attempted two isolation plays, both of which failed.

The Knicks responded with consecutive fast breaks. Su Xi went coast-to-coast, driving into the paint for a layup, and Crawford forced up a jumper from beyond the arc, sinking the three.

From that moment on, the score began to pull away.

The lead never shrank to less than eight points again.

The Brooklyn Nets lost the game just like that, failing to stop the Knicks’ nineteenth consecutive victory.

The whole process wasn’t even particularly thrilling.

Su Xi put up his usual numbers: 26 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals, which was right around his season average.

The Knicks also scored their usual 113 points, which was also their season average.

The Brooklyn Nets also scored their season average of 101 points.

And that was it. There was no grand narrative, no breathtaking moments, just a simple display of strength. The Brooklyn Nets were swallowed by the inexorable tide of history. They had to admit they were no longer a match for the Knicks and were powerless to stop their rise.

It didn’t matter how much they looked down on the Knicks, or how many pundits used detailed analytics to prove the Knicks’ roster wasn’t strong and had all sorts of flaws.

But what did any of that matter?

Their light boat had already sailed past a thousand peaks.

Su Xi had led the Knicks to the longest winning streak in franchise history: 19 consecutive victories.

The roar in Madison Square Garden Arena was deafening, showing no signs of stopping. When Su Xi raised his hands, more than twenty thousand fans began to chant "MVP! MVP!" in perfect unison.

In less than half a season, Su Xi had become the reigning king of basketball in the Big Apple City, earning the heartfelt respect of every fan. People were already starting to call him the greatest superstar in franchise history.

Most importantly, Su Xi’s declaration at the start of the season that they would win the championship was no longer being treated as a joke. Everyone was beginning to realize the weight of those words.

This was true for New York fans and supporters of other teams alike.

With the Knicks’ 19-game winning streak, things that had once been considered impossible were now starting to seem plausible.

"A 19-game winning streak isn’t our ultimate goal. This is just the beginning. Maybe we can get to 25 wins, or even more."