The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!

The Lillard they selected this summer has performed exceptionally well so far. In 15 games in November, he averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists, putting up numbers equivalent to a top-tier guard in the league. Under his leadership, the Bobcats have successfully cracked into the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

Who could have seen this coming?

Even though the new season has just begun and there's a long way to go before it ends, being in 7th place in the East now doesn't guarantee they'll stay there.

But the problem is...

The Bobcats have never been at the table before!

This time, they actually got a seat for a while, which is an incredible achievement in itself.

But what's more surprising to the media is that the Bobcats' choice didn't backfire this time!

Lillard's performance has been the best among 2012 rookies so far.

The "top pick" obviously still needs to grow!

Michael Jordan did such a good job with this draft, the media was genuinely caught off guard. Even Charlotte's media was surprised, wondering if their "God" had made the right choice this time around?

This...

Shouldn't be the case!

Over in the Western Conference.

The team at the top surprised everyone.

It turned out to be the "Old Car" San Antonio Spurs, known for being old enough to be considered outdated!

They fell in the semifinals last season, yet it didn't affect the team's continued strong form at all.

Indeed!

As long as Tim Duncan is there, this team won't fall!

Even if they are just "regular season powerhouses," they are still "powerhouses!"

For Popovich, "tanking in a weak year" is completely meaningless, and 2013 is a definitive "draft weak year," even the "top pick favorite" is pretty average.

The overall quality is worse than in 2012.

So, there's no point in tanking; you might as well make the playoffs and sell more tickets!

Then there's the surprise at second in the Western Conference:

Minnesota Timberwolves!

Their combination of LeBron, Howard, and Kevin Garnett didn't create much buzz, doubts were still predominant. But as it turned out, they started the new season in great form.

Especially with the new rules in place, this team's impact on the basket is one of the strongest in the league.

The third in the West is the Thunder.

They could have been ranked even higher.

But losing to the New York Knicks in the season opener clearly affected them, and the Thunder went on a win-one-lose-one streak, taking quite a while to bounce back.

The fourth in the West is the Lakers!

This is exactly as most media predicted before the season started.

Kobe is declining from his peak, paired with Chris Paul, facing significant problems in the paint, they could only climb to this position.

The intensity of the Western Conference remains as tough as always, although they haven't widened the gap with the Eastern Conference too much, the top three each won more than 10 games in the first month.

The Lakers only won 9 games...

On December 1, the league announced the "Player of the Month" for the first month.

The Eastern Conference awarded it to the "Tsunami Brothers"...

No problem there!

Su Wan averaged 28.8 points, 7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks; Stephen Curry averaged 22.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists.

By the end of November, the two of them together averaged 8.8 three-pointers per game.

With such performances, winning the Eastern "Player of the Month" was not a problem.

Over in the Western Conference, "Player of the Month" was also awarded to a duo.

That's Howard and LeBron.

So far this season, Howard has averaged 25.4 points and 13.6 rebounds, while LeBron James has averaged 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. Together winning "Player of the Month" was also no issue.

However, in the eyes of the media, the league really went all out to promote LeBron!

Because when these two duos won the "Player of the Month" for November, a topic naturally arose:

Who is the strongest duo of the season, Su Wan and Curry or LeBron and Howard!

Minnesota is naturally confident in LeBron and Howard, believing that the strongest duo of the season has to be LeBron and Howard.

But New York media, on the other hand, are equally confident!

As the two sides argue, discussions regarding the two duos have grown louder.

Amidst the heated debates, time marched to December 8, as the New York Knicks traveled to Minnesota to challenge the Timberwolves.

Su Wan and LeBron, the first meeting of the season is here!

It's been a week since the media started debating which is the strongest duo since December 1.

Barkley has finally awaited this match, and he truly didn't expect that:

LeBron could still get on Su Wan's coattails like this!

The league's antics... even he has to admire!

Well, it's all happening tonight!

Once tonight is over, this topic should be settled!

In Barkley's view, Su Wan and the New York Knicks are sure to be the eventual winners.

He's seen this episode many times!

That night, the stands at the Timberwolves' home court were packed with fans early, and all Minnesotans were united, collectively howling when Su Wan and the others entered the venue.

This is a hallmark of the Timberwolves' home court!

To be fair, the atmosphere at the Timberwolves' home this season is incredibly strong.

This has to do with Kevin Garnett's return.

The "Old Wolf King" is back, and many old fans have also returned!

They know Kevin Garnett isn't what he used to be, but they aren't coming to the arena expecting the 35-year-old Kevin Garnett to do much; they're just here to reminisce about their youthful days.

At the same time, the Timberwolves' resurgence in performance this season is pivotal, being able to currently sit in second place in the Western Conference is what Minnesota media hoped for at the season start, but that hope came with apprehension.

Thankfully...

It finally came true!

The wolf howls continued until the home team's players took to the court.

LeBron and Howard, wearing Timberwolves jerseys, walked out to cheers, clearly adapted to their new roles.

Last to walk out was Kevin Garnett.

Can't deny, twelve years of youth left in this city is indeed rewarding.

Even now, Kevin Garnett remains the focal point of attention!

In Minnesota, he is the "King!"

As he stepped onto the court and saw Su Wan and the New York Knicks, his expression immediately grew serious.

The day finally came:

He is going to prove in this game that it was a huge mistake for the New York Knicks not to embrace him this summer!