Chapter 57: The Rookie Wall? (Part 1)

On January 1, 1997, the NBA announced the Player of the Month for December. Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal successfully claimed the award.

In December, the Lakers posted an 11-3 record. O'Neal averaged 39.9 minutes, 27.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 3.4 blocks, and 2.9 turnovers per game.

He averaged 21.0 field goal attempts with a shooting percentage of 52%, alongside 10.2 free throw attempts per game at a 55.9% clip.

Aside from his customary dismal free throw shooting, the Diesel's statistics were nothing short of impeccable!

The Rookie of the Month for December was awarded to Li You, as the New York Knicks recorded a 13-2 month.

Li You averaged 26.4 minutes, 15.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 turnovers per game.

He averaged 10.3 field goal attempts with a 48.4% shooting percentage, took 6.0 three-pointers per game with a 39.5% conversion rate, and shot 3.6 free throws per game at 74.3%.

These numbers not only led all newcomers, but also placed him near the very top among all point guards in the league.

The New York media initiated a fresh round of hyperbole, as it had been quite a few years since they last saw one of their own win the Rookie of the Month award.

However, Li You would have to wait until the team returned home on the 5th to receive his trophy.

Right after celebrating his birthday at the end of the year, Li You and the team set off for Washington on the first day of the new year. On the evening of the 2nd, they would face the Washington Bullets on the road.

Rookie John Wallace looked at Li You with envious eyes the moment he boarded the plane. This poor guy had suffered a minor calf strain and missed half a month, only fully recovering recently.

"That's the Rookie of the Month! Most players don't even get it once in a lifetime. Li, aren't you excited? This is seriously so cool!"

The team punching bag Walter McCarty was equally green with envy.

Comparisons can be truly odious!

Winning Player of the Week and Rookie of the Month awards meant Li You had essentially established a firm foothold in the league. As long as he maintained his current level of play, a multi-million-dollar contract in the future would be well within reach.

"It's just a minor award for a rookie. Grant Hill was voted the All-Star starter in his rookie season—now *that* is truly cool!"

Upon hearing Li You mention Grant Hill, the veterans felt a slight prick of annoyance. The so-called true heir to Jordan had essentially climbed to the top by stepping on the old guard.

Rookie John Wallace couldn't care less about Grant Hill; that kind of generational talent was galaxies away from him. Still brimming with excitement, he asked loudly:

"Li, can I touch your trophy when we get back? I want to take a bunch of photos!"

Li You's mouth twitched as he hurriedly reined in his wandering thoughts.

"No problem, you can keep it at your place for half a month if you want. Snap all the pictures you like!"

"..."

On the evening of the 2nd, at the US Airways Arena, fans who bought tickets for the game found themselves rather depressed as the match unfolded in a drab, sluggish fashion.

During their previous encounter, the Knicks had cruised to an easy victory. Jeff Van Gundy's repeated pre-game warnings had fallen on deaf ears, and everyone had taken the opponent lightly.

Oakley and Larry Johnson both shot an abysmal 1-for-6 in the first half, nearly knocking the rim out of alignment.

Yet, as dismal as the Knicks' offense was, the opposing Bullets were in even worse shape, managing a meager 12 points in the entire second quarter...

Juwan Howard shot 3-for-13 in the half, while Chris Webber went 3-for-9. The pair combined for 16 points, effectively hammering their own rim askew...

45:34. After the half, the Knicks still held an 11-point lead.

Li You's performance was similarly unremarkable, largely because his matchup for the night, Rod Strickland, played as if he had ingested stimulants, sticking to him like a second skin on defense.

"Welcome to the NBA, Li. Starting this month, you're going to enjoy this level of defensive treatment every single night!"

"If you're just a nobody, no one cares. But it's different now. You won an award, and everyone wants to take a shot at you. That's the NBA!"

Returning to the locker room at halftime, Starks chuckled as he filled Li You in on the current reality. The haters were beginning their counterattack.

This was the so-called "rookie wall." Only notable rookies ever encountered this kind of special attention.

No team was going to waste time scouting a 12th man who played fewer than 5 minutes a game—the prime example being the team punching bag Walter McCarty, who hadn't even earned the chance to hit the wall...

Charles Oakley didn't care about the defensive pressure Li You was facing; the old veteran cared much more about his own pride.

Sitting on the Bullets' bench was his protégé, Ben Wallace, and Oakley had no intention of losing face in front of a rookie:

"Run more pick-and-rolls, Li. Right around the elbow. Feed me a few more passes; I feel like my shooting touch is coming back!"

No sooner had Oakley finished speaking than the "Grandmama" also fixed his gaze on Li You:

"No problem. We're up by double digits anyway, plenty of room for error!"

Li You nodded in agreement. Ewing didn't like easy garbage baskets because the team leader had to shoulder the heavy offensive burden, but the rest of the players had no such worries. Padding stats was everyone's favorite pastime.

When the second half got underway, Charles Oakley still couldn't find his shooting touch, but by relying on ferocious offensive rebounding, he managed to salvage a shred of dignity.

On the Washington Bullets' bench, Ben Wallace wore an expression of undisguised envy. Ignoring Oakley entirely, he kept his eyes locked on Li You for the vast majority of the time.

Off a rare transition opportunity, Li You caught the ball and pushed the pace rapidly along the right sideline. Mid-stride, he suddenly executed a behind-the-back dribble, lowered his center of gravity, and shifted his body toward the left.

Taking advantage of Rod Strickland sliding to his right, Li You unleashed a lightning-fast, sweeping crossover, switching the ball to his right hand and accelerating past him.

The veteran of many years in the league possessed vast defensive experience. He quickly adjusted his center of gravity, applied a subtle, covert tug with his hand, and continued sliding in an attempt to maintain tight coverage.

Li You was fully prepared. Crossing the midcourt line, he suddenly pulled up into an abrupt stop, then shimmied his body to the right with a head fake before executing a rapid between-the-legs dribble.

Rod Strickland couldn't hold his ground this time. He instinctively slid backward-left, misjudging the defensive angle. When he tried to recover, he stumbled heavily, completely surrendering his defensive positioning.

Li You's rhythmic change of pace drew an exclamation of awe from the crowd. He accelerated straight into the paint, causing the Bullets' defense to instinctively collapse inward.

Drives-and-kicks brought him to the free-throw line, where Li You suddenly flicked a no-look pass behind his back, firing the ball straight toward the left wing. Allan Houston caught and immediately launched!

"Swish!" The three-pointer ripped cleanly through the net!

Allan Houston was in the zone tonight; counting this one, he had already buried three triples.

"Boo!!"

Jeff Van Gundy wore a relaxed expression. Ignoring the chorus of boos from the arena, he stood on the sidelines clapping continuously. There was no need to call a play; he simply shouted at the top of his lungs:

"That's it! Keep this offense going!"

On the bench, assistant coaches Thibodeau and Don Chaney exchanged glances, reading the exact same thought in each other's eyes:

"Our head coach has officially gotten used to autopiloting the tactics..."

In the Knicks' daily training sessions, transition offense was the most drilled scheme. Knowing how to execute a fast break efficiently and score with ease was also a technical art form.

The bald-headed Jeff Van Gundy remained blissfully unaware that his assistants were mentally critiquing him. He only knew that the autopilot strategy was working wonders. Seeing the team successfully lock down another defensive possession, he yelled with wild enthusiasm:

"Move! Move! Go! Go! Go!"

"..."