NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Chapter 58: National Team

The host, Ferrer, got straight to the point as the program began, saying, "You two, the biggest highlight of tomorrow night's game will be the fourth position. What are your thoughts on this matchup?"

Fraser and Reid exchanged a glance, with the latter signaling for the former to speak first. Fraser then said: "Chris Webber and Zhao Dong both have impressive offensive and defensive attributes, with a wide range of attack areas. There's no place they can't reach. They're both similar types of players. From the current perspective, Webber is already in his fourth season, and his performance is definitely something to look forward to, while Zhao Dong still needs more time to prove himself."

Reid continued: "However, Zhao Dong has great potential, and his strength is undeniable. Let's not focus on his matchup with Mourning for now, as the time on court has been too short to draw conclusions. Instead, we can look at his matchup with Ewing, where Zhao Dong has the upper hand."

Ferrer immediately asked, "Do you think Zhao Dong will win the matchup with Webber?"

After a moment of thought, Reid replied: "Personally, I think Zhao Dong's style of play is tougher and more threatening. But when looking at the game as a whole, Webber is the more dangerous player."

"Why do you say that?" Ferrer asked.

"Webber's passing ability is outstanding. He can even play point guard. For the overall team, he plays a more significant role for the Bullets than Zhao Dong does for the Knicks," Reid explained.

At this point, Fraser spoke up: "I've been paying close attention to Zhao Dong's game. In the last two matches, he's improved his outside jumper. His speed is impressive. I'm not sure how the team positions him, but his low-post game is his strongest asset. He should focus on that."

"How do you evaluate Zhao Dong? What are your expectations for him? And as for the Knicks after Ewing, do you think it will be the era of Zhao Dong?" Ferrer asked, posing several questions in quick succession.

After giving it some thought, Fraser replied: "Zhao Dong has made great strides. We've seen his significant progress in just one month of competition, which shows his immense potential. My expectation for him is to become a low-post superstar with both offensive and defensive capabilities. I believe he will inevitably be selected as an All-Star in the future. He has the potential to be a superstar. As for the Knicks after Ewing, I'm still optimistic about Zhao Dong. There is no other player on the team with better potential. And don't forget, he's a rookie this year. The Knicks are his first professional team. Although we didn't draft him, he's still our rookie, and as his home team, we should give him the best possible support."

"How about Alan Houston?" Ferrer asked.

"He's very good, but his playing style isn't as threatening as Zhao Dong's. He's also not as committed on the defensive end as Zhao Dong is. I'm more optimistic about Zhao Dong," Fraser responded with a smile.

"Willis, what do you think?" Ferrer turned to Reid.

Reed smiled and said: "I generally agree with Walter's opinion, but I'd like to add that Zhao Dong has a bit of a rivalry with Jordan. His recent positioning and playing style seem to be moving outside. This trend is something the team should pay attention to."

"You mean... you want to stop him?" Ferrer asked.

Reed replied: "I'm not sure. That's something the team needs to figure out. What position is best suited for Zhao Dong? He's still a rookie, and the team should make the most professional assessment."

"Lastly, I want to ask, who do you think has a better chance of leading the Knicks to the championship, Zhao Dong or Ewing?" Ferrell asked.

The two looked at each other, both with a sense of helplessness in their eyes. "Patrick, I've been hoping every year at the start of the season that you'd lead the team to a championship, but unfortunately, it always ends in disappointment," Reid said with a sigh.

"Ahem..." Reid cleared his throat twice, then smiled and added, "They have the best chance when they're together, right?"

"Yes, Ewing has a great helper now, and with our strong record, this season looks very promising," Fraser laughed.

"Haha..." Ferrell chuckled twice and ended the show. There was nothing controversial about this episode, but the attitudes of the two celebrities made many Knicks fans realize an important point: the rookie, Zhao Dong, already has the strength to impact the Knicks' championship run. This warmed their hearts. Ewing had been with the Knicks for 12 seasons, and they had faced disappointment for 12 seasons. Was there hope for this year? Could the rookie, Zhao Dong, really help the team win the championship?

Zhao Dong watched this episode but didn't dwell on it for too long. His focus was clear. Ewing was gradually losing his dominance in the paint, something evident from his decreasing free throws, at least during the regular season. Ewing was known for his low-post offense, so Zhao Dong's goal was to earn the team and fans' recognition by consistently performing well in the low post. In doing so, he would gradually diminish Ewing's influence, aiming for more ball possession and control. He set a personal deadline—before the playoffs.

In that season's playoffs, Zhao Dong planned to dominate the paint and, ideally, gain some influence on the outside as well. This way, if Ewing were seriously injured next season, Zhao Dong could smoothly take over the team without any obstacles. The process would be difficult, though. To overthrow Ewing's 12-season dominance with the Knicks, Zhao Dong would need to prove himself game by game.

On the 10th, the Knicks faced the Washington Bullets at home:

Bullets: George Muresan, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Calbert Chaney, Rod Strickland

Knicks: Ewing, Zhao Dong, Oakley, Alan Houston, Chris Childs

In the home team's locker room, the Knicks were interviewed by the media.

"Hey, Teacher Sun, Director Zhang, haven't seen you in a few days!" Zhao Dong greeted with a smile upon seeing Sun Zhenping and Zhang Hexian.

"Oh, good news! We now have two games a week, mainly focusing on Knicks games. Things have been settled," Sun Zhenping said happily.

"Really?" Zhao Dong responded, excited that more Chinese fans would be able to watch his games.

Zhang Lili smiled and added, "Also, our live broadcast method has changed. We now have a live broadcast room on-site and have canceled the one in the back. Teacher Sun and I will be handling the commentary."

"That's great, congratulations!" Zhao Dong laughed.

"Same joy, same joy," the two said happily in return.

Sun Zhenping smiled and said, "By the way, I haven't congratulated you yet on your 40+ point game, but unfortunately, that game wasn't broadcasted live. When the domestic fans heard about it, they were so excited that the hotlines of the five stations were completely overwhelmed."

"No, no, the opponents in that game were too weak; scoring 40+ points isn't my real strength," Zhao Dong said modestly.

At this point, Zhang Lili spoke up: "I received news from the national team, and it's been confirmed that you'll be recruited to play in the 98 World Championships."

"The national team?" Zhao Dong touched his nose, surprised.

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