Chapter 585 - 83: I Want to Help the Knicks Reclaim First Place

Su Xi noticed this as well, so he encouraged Milicic.

He even told Milicic, "Forget that you were the second pick in 2003. Forget everything that happened over the past three and a half years. You are the player the Knicks selected with the second pick in the 2006 draft, and we will give you the kind of development a second-overall pick deserves."

To Milicic, this was an incredible show of faith.

How many people ever get a second chance?

How many people, after floundering for three and a half years, are still treated and developed like a rookie—let alone a potential superstar?

When the Knicks began to develop Milicic with the mentality of raising a rookie, everything started to change.

In the following games, the Knicks completely abandoned their run-and-gun offense in the first half. They had Su Xi, Randolph, Stephen Jackson, and Gary Payton specifically on the floor to help Milicic level up.

This support lineup was simply unbelievable. You couldn’t find a group like this anywhere else in the league, or even in the entire, long history of the NBA.

Throughout February and March, the Knicks remained dedicated to developing Milicic.

During this time, Millsap gradually secured a starting spot on the Magic. He was playing exceptionally well, and just as everyone predicted, Jeff Van Gundy switched to a four-forward strategy.

Hardaway, Hill, Turkoglu, and Millsap, plus Dwight Howard.

After the trade, the Magic went 19-2.

They quickly surged to second in the East.

Meanwhile, the Knicks had dropped to third in the East.

They lost quite a few games, especially against strong teams from the West, where they lost almost every matchup.

This was because they were having Milicic play isolation at all costs, letting him handle the ball. Su Xi had even turned into a pure scorer, using his off-ball movement to help Milicic manage possessions.

Milicic was improving, and the progress was obvious.

Moreover, he had gained weight.

He became ’fatter,’ his body type showing a tendency to become more like Randolph’s.

His ability to handle contact was improving, but his coordination hadn’t declined. In fact, his movements had become even smoother than before.

In 16 games in March, he was already averaging 16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.5 steals—a very well-rounded stat line.

His efficiency was also gradually increasing.

Most importantly, his confidence was growing. He was becoming more daring in taking on strong opponents and wasn’t afraid to use his God-given creativity to pull off little moves that toyed with his defenders.

This was something that had been strictly forbidden before, especially under Larry Brown’s coaching.

But on the Knicks, he received unprecedented encouragement.

Even when he tried to nutmeg Duncan and got the ball stolen by Parker, the bench would erupt in cheers.

Milicic was truly being developed like a superstar rookie.

At 21 years old, it wasn’t too late for him.

With his progress, the media’s evaluation of him gradually shifted from "bust" to "serviceable," and then to "maybe Milicic’s previous development was just handled wrong; perhaps he can still catch up to the rest of the 2003 draft class."

Of course, due to the Knicks’ slipping record and Millsap’s success in Orlando, both the Knicks and Milicic faced heavy criticism. The vast majority of people considered the trade a failure for New York.

The only thing that could potentially salvage the deal was the draft pick from the Orlando Magic.

But as the Magic Team’s record got better and better, the value of that pick was plummeting.

For many people, this was a wonderfully joyous occasion.

The arrogant Knicks were finally getting their comeuppance.

Many people hated the Knicks to the bone, so they were happy whenever things went wrong for them.

Larry Brown was a prime example.

During his commentary for a Magic game, he was relentlessly taking shots at the Knicks. "Some teams always think they have the Midas touch. But the ugly duckling was able to become a swan because it was a swan all along. You can’t turn a duck into a swan—that’s a basic fact of nature."

"Basketball isn’t about wishful thinking. You can feed a player a lot of possessions to make his stats look pretty and deceptive. But you can’t actually make him a real threat on the court. Forcibly padded stats can’t stand up to scrutiny. Come playoff time, his true colors will be exposed."

"The whole world already knows whether Milicic has what it takes. The draft is a gamble, and when the cards are already on the table, you still think you can win? There’s either something wrong with your eyes or something wrong with your head."

"Millsap will definitely be an All-Star; his talent is outstanding. I think he’s better than David Lee."

Larry Brown spoke with great confidence.

Next to him, Reggie Miller would always get a jab in. "If Milicic really does prove to be a swan, will the person who judged him to be an ugly duckling be held accountable?"

His comment was aimed directly at Larry Brown.

Everyone knew Larry Brown had never given Milicic a chance before, claiming a championship team doesn’t develop rookies. But they never won the championship, and instead, Brown left Detroit in disgrace.

If the Knicks actually managed to develop Milicic, Larry Brown’s reputation would take another massive hit.

His prestige in the basketball world was already in rapid decline; Su Xi had all but destroyed his authority.

Whenever it came to games involving the Knicks, any of his predictions were treated as a reverse indicator.

For a veteran, old-school coach whose resume was among the best in the active basketball world, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow.

And if Milicic, the player he had written off as a bust, were to find new life under Su Xi and Isaiah Thomas and become a soaring eagle, then whatever prestige he had left would be stripped away.

Then, sitting in the commentator’s booth, he would inevitably be mocked by Reggie Miller and become an object of ridicule for viewers all across America.

In reality, Larry Brown was already starting to panic.

He had secretly watched quite a few Knicks games. Milicic was playing with more and more confidence on the court, showing more flashes of brilliance, and becoming more solid and well-rounded. He was already starting to use his energy to contribute back to the Knicks’ system.

Praise for him was also starting to appear in the media.

If this trend continued, Milicic could genuinely have a breakout. He might even see an exponential rise in his performance.

How could Larry Brown not be anxious?

But he certainly couldn’t reverse course now and start praising Milicic.

He could only stick to his guns to the bitter end.

He had to keep trashing the Knicks and Milicic.

...

As April arrived, the playoffs drew closer and closer.

The NBA playoffs start in mid-April, around the 16th.

The Knicks had eight games left. They were 1.5 games behind the second-place Orlando Magic and 2 games behind the first-place Cavaliers. The gap wasn’t large.

However, the Knicks weren’t deliberately chasing their record.

They had already been the number one team in the league before, and from the moment they decided to develop Milicic, they hadn’t given it a second thought.

Because to the Knicks, it didn’t mean much.

And to Su Xi, it also didn’t mean much.

The NBA has its unwritten rules. Even though Su Xi was currently averaging 41.6 points per game, the best in the league, it would be very difficult for him to win the regular season MVP. It’s nearly impossible for the regular season MVP to be awarded to the same player three years in a row.

Although Su Xi was still a top candidate, the loudest buzz was for Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

Steve Nash had been in the running for two years straight, Kobe Bryant had led his team back to first place in the West this year, and LeBron James was also leading his team in a charge for first in the East. They all had compelling cases.

And on April Fool’s Day, the Knicks faced Cleveland for the last time this season.

The Knicks had won all three previous matchups.

This was the fourth.

Before the game started, Milicic suddenly found Su Xi and said, "Jack, we have to sink Cleveland tonight. I feel like I’ve had a breakthrough. I’m going to help the team reclaim first place in the East in these last few games, and I’m going to help you win the regular season MVP!"

Milicic’s tone was incredibly determined.

...