On February 19, Beijing time, the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend ushered in the first game day. In previous years, as a cushion game for individual events and main events, the All-Star Rookie Challenge did not receive much attention. A group of flesh-and-blood stunned young people get together, and the game often enters the garbage time early, and it is difficult to have a critical moment. From 2010 to the present, 6 of the 11 games (cancelled in 2021 due to the epidemic) have double-digit point differences, and only 1 game has a point difference of less than 5 points.
In order to save this gradually chicken rib game, the league has thought of many ways. This year's Rookie Challenge, the league reformed the format, by four celebrities each led a team to play a small tournament. outcome. The two semi-finals and finals were far more exciting and dramatic than in previous years. It can be said that this year's format reform has been very successful.
In the end, Rick Barry, led by 2021 Champion Cade Cunningham, won two consecutive games and won. In the final, Cunningham hit a crucial three-pointer and Wagner scored a free throw, which are classic shots in this year's rookie challenge.
Rookie Challenge 28 years only Zhan Huang played to understand
The 1994 All-Star Game introduced the Rookie Challenge, and for 28 years, the Rookie Challenge was hard to pick out a game that was tied to the "classic" because it was a purely exhibition game. Coupled with the fact that the participants are all first- and second-year newcomers, the players are not technically mature, and it is really difficult to expect them to stage classics.
Since it can't be played like the fourth quarter of the main game, how can the rookie challenge be more attractive? In the 2004 All-Star Game, the 2003 rookie led by LeBron James, Cameron Anthony, Chris Bosh, dwyane Wade and the rookie of 2002 led by Amare Stoudemire came into a dunk contest, turning the game into a dunk contest.
How crazy is this game? After the game, the US media made statistics:
There were 55 dunks in the game, including 10 dunks by James, 9 by Stoudemire Jr., 8 by Carlos Boozer, 5 by Nene, 4 by Anthony and Wade, 3 each by Bosh, Prince and Josh Howard, and 2 by Chinese player Yao Ming.
The US media even counted the types of dunks:
There are 13 two-handed dunks completed by double-foot jumping, 11 one-handed dunks completed by double-foot jumping, and 10 one-handed and two-handed air dunks.
In the last 2 minutes of that game, both sides gave up the offensive performance dunk caused a lot of controversy, but from the overall point of view, that game, to be exact, the "dunk show" quality is still very high. And, from a topical point of view, few people may remember Zach Lavin and Andrew Wiggins taking the rookie challenge MVP, few people remember their stats, and some stars like Stephen Curry are very low-key in the rookie challenge, and most people can't remember what kind of performances they have performed on this stage. But when it comes to rookie challenges, most people remember that dunk show in 2004.
However, such a game can not be sought, the class of 2003 and 2002 have some players with strong physical fitness, and then many rookie challenges do not dare to play like this, in recent years, as the league enters the three-point era, the rookie challenge has often become a three-point pair, and the shooting game makes the audience look sleepy.
The new format spawned several classic shots
For fans, a loose exhibition game is difficult to get them interested. In the past 3 rookie challenges, the confrontation between the world team and the United States team is really lacking in suspense, and the two games won by the United States team reached 17 points and 20 points respectively, and the game entered garbage time early. The final point difference in the world team's win was 31 points. The score between the two sides seems to be very high, but the lack of intensity and suspense has caused the rookie challenge to attract countless complaints.
This year is different, after the reform of the format, the team that scored 50 points first in the semifinals advanced to the final, and the team that scored 25 points in the final won first. With the goal score, the intensity and excitement of the game immediately increase.
Because the game time is shortened, both sides are willing to fight with real knives and guns. In the first game of the semi-finals, Saggers made two free throws and one shot at a crucial moment, and the Worthy team missed a good opportunity. Isaiah's Bain made two free throws, and Isaiah narrowly won by 1 point 50-49.
In the second semifinals, after the two sides tied 48, Rockets player Tate hit a difficult breakthrough pull-on layup, and the game was a dead end, and Barry defeated Payton 50-48 to advance to the final.
In the final, Cunningham hit a crucial three-pointer to give Barry a 24-20 lead. Wagner then made a free throw to end the game with a free throw, and Barry beat Isaiah 25-20 to win the championship.
Three games, each with a famous scene, the suspense and topic of the game are full, and the classic index soars. It turns out that the All-Star Rookie Challenge doesn't have to rely on dunks and exciting moves to attract audiences.
For example, the elbow pass of "White Chocolate" Jason Williams rookie challenge, Kyrie Irving's wonderful goal of shaking Knight, the difficult layup of Tyrek Evans, and the assist of Baron Davis's gorgeous dribble breakthrough are all wonderful.
For example, LeBron James's crotch change dunk, Yao Ming's self-throwing dunk, Richardson's partition dunk, Wall's back-changing dunk, Cameron Anthony and James's empty connection are also wonderful.
But just like eating too much fish and meat, it is a truth that the rookie challenge needs some new elements. In this year's rookie challenge, new stars such as Jalen Green also staged a thrilling dunk, at the same time, the rookie challenge added suspense and excitement, which is the game that fans want to watch.
Crazy performances don't necessarily make you a star
The Rookie Challenge is a very relaxed exhibition game, and in the past 28 years, many new stars who are not the rookies of the current draft have won the Rookie Challenge MVP. However, the rookie challenge played gorgeous data, and taking the MVP does not mean that you can become a star in the future.
For example, in the past three All-Star Rookie Challenges, the MVP was Myers Bridges, Kuzma and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who are now role players of their respective teams, not the core of the team.
"Beast inside line" Farred originally played with Anthony Davis, in the case of playing time, Farred scored 40 points, 10 rebounds and was elected MVP, the data completely crushed the same team Of Davis, but now Farred has been unemployed in the NBA, Davis is the core player of the Lakers.
There is also Daniel Gibson in 2008, in the case of Roy, Aldridge, Guy and other stars in the team, Gibson suddenly hit 11 three-pointers and scored 33 points to get MVP, but his future development was not smooth, just a fixed point pitcher.
In this year's Rookie Challenge, Cunningham scored 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks in 10 semi-finals. In the final, Cunningham hit a crucial three-pointer to score five points. Cunningham has both all-around stats, efficient performance, excellent defense, and big heart performance in key moments, and really deserves MVP. In the 2021 rookie class, Cunningham is indeed not the most athletically talented, but he is the one with the highest technical maturity and the lowest limit. On the contrary, the rocket green, who has a higher athletic talent, has the highest 20 points but has not won, and whether he can become a winner in the future remains to be tested.