With only a month left in the regular season, the playoff picture in both conferences was beginning to take shape.
In the Western Conference, three teams stood far above the rest—the Warriors, Lakers, and Spurs. The rest? A noticeable decline.
This wasn't a coincidence. It was a consequence of Nike's power moves, stacking superstars on specific teams while leaving others in diocrity.
It was a familiar story—when the Miami Heat's Big Three ford, many owners pushed back, arguing it distorted the league's competitive balance.
So things may not break the rules, but they certainly break the spirit of competition.
In contrast, the Eastern Conference had one of its most competitive seasons in years.
The Raptors and Hornets were both having their best seasons in franchise history.
The Celtics had fully completed their rebuild.
The Pacers had Paul George back and looked dangerous again.
For the first ti in years, the East felt stronger than the West overall.
anwhile, the Cavaliers?
Locked into a top-three seed, Mike Malone was in no rush. Instead, he focused on developing Nikola Jokić, as if the chaos of the East had nothing to do with them.
---
Jokić's Growing Pains
However, Jokić's defensive struggles weren't his only issue.
His conditioning was another major concern.
Big n naturally burn more energy than smaller players due to their size. Even Yao Ming used to struggle with stamina, often tiring out by the third quarter.
And Jokić?
Still a rookie, still far from peak conditioning.
Even as a starter, his playing ti was carefully managed—rarely exceeding 27-28 minutes per ga to avoid a steep performance drop-off.
Luckily, the Cavs didn't need him to do too much.
With Han Sen and Kyrie Irving leading the charge, Jokić could develop at his own pace.
---
April: The Final Stretch
As the regular season neared its final weeks, most playoff teams began resting their stars in preparation for the postseason grind.
But in the East?
The Hawks, Hornets, and Pacers were still fighting tooth and nail for position.
The stakes were clear—whoever finished last among them would likely have to face Cleveland in the first round.
And while the dia ranked the Cavs below the Warriors, Lakers, and Heat, no team wanted to deal with Han Sen in the opening round.
It was less about pride and more about survival.
Even though Han had only been back in the East for a season, last year's playoff dominance had left a lasting impression.
And in the West?
One team was still going all out—but not for seeding.
They were chasing history.
---
The 2015-16 NBA regular season ended.
And in their final ga, the Golden State Warriors defeated the mphis Grizzlies to set an all-ti record: 73-9.
The Chicago Bulls' legendary 72-10 record from 1996 had officially been broken.
Four years ago, LeBron's Heat couldn't do it.
But the Warriors had done it.
"We can go ahead and hand them the 2015-16 championship now!"
So fans were already popping champagne for the Warriors.
anwhile, the Lakers finished 67-15—the second-best record in franchise history.
And the Spurs?
66 wins, breaking their own franchise record.
For the first ti ever, three teams in the sa conference had 65 wins in a season.
But that dominance ca at a cost—the rest of the West was weak.
4th seed: Thunder (51-31)
5th seed: Rockets (45-37)
6th seed: Grizzlies (44-38)
7th seed: Blazers (43-39)
8th seed: Mavericks (41-41)
---
The East, on the other hand, looked more like the West from previous years.
1st: Heat – 63-19(fourth straight 60 win season, matching the 1984-88 Lakers)
2nd: Cavaliers – 58-24
3rd: Raptors – 56-26(DeRozan and Lowry's best seasons yet)
4th: Celtics – 50-32(closed the season strong with a winning streak)
5th: Hawks – 48-34
6th: Hornets – 48-34
7th: Pacers – 47-35(set to face Cleveland in Round 1)
8th: Pistons – 44-38(clinched the final playoff spot over the Bulls)
anwhile, Chicago collapsed—finishing 42-40, barely missing the playoffs.
With Joakim Noah injured and Derrick Rose a shell of himself, the Bulls' championship window had all but closed.
---
The Cavaliers finished the season 58-24, identical to last year. However, this wasn't the sa team. This ti, they weren't just chasing regular-season success—they were refining their identity, fine-tuning their chemistry, and preparing for a deep playoff run.
Last season, they relied heavily on Han Sen, who led the league in scoring, assists, and steals, carrying a massive offensive burden.
But this year? Han took a step back—not because he had to, but because he chose to.
Even in a 'scaled-back' role, his numbers remained absurd: 30.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 7.1 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.5 BPG, shooting 51.8% from the field and 41.5% from three.
And the biggest beneficiary? Kyrie Irving.
With more freedom to operate, Kyrie put up the best season of his career: 23.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.8 APG, shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from deep.
anwhile, Nikola Jokić, in his rookie year, showed flashes of brilliance: 11.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, shooting 51.2% from the field and 34.8% from three—a clear sign of things to co.
---
Han hadn't expected to face the Pacers in Round 1.
At the start of the season, Indiana looked dangerous, bringing back Paul George and signing Monta Ellis.
But down the stretch?
Internal drama derailed them.
Why?
Well, let's just say it involved a model, two teammates, and a fight over who went first.
In another tiline, there were rumors about a certain Suns team with seven players and one model.
NBA players finding 'off-court entertainnt' wasn't uncommon.
But when Paul George and Roy Hibbert set their sights on the sa person, things got ugly.
One was the franchise star.
The other was a literal giant.
Neither backed down.
Fists were thrown.
The result?
Hibbert, already struggling under new defensive rules, fell off a cliff, averaging just 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Paul George?
He posted a career-high 23.1 PPG—but with a career-low 41.8% shooting.
If you asked Han?
George should've been first in line—not because of seniority, but because in situations like this, order matters.
Jokes aside, despite their issues, the Pacers were still a tough opponent.
Their defense was strong, and they weren't much worse than last year's Bulls team.
For the Cavs, this was a perfect first-round test—and a chance to see just how much they'd improved since last season.
---
Before the season started, the NBA announced that this would be the final year where regular-season awards were revealed during the playoffs.
As always, the first batch of awards announced included Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Sixth Man of the Year.
No surprises in the Coach of the Year voting—Steve Kerr finally took ho the trophy after being snubbed last season.
The Most Improved Player award went to CJ McCollum.
Despite the Trail Blazers losing several core players in the offseason, they still made the playoffs—thanks in large part to McCollum's ergence.
Last year, he averaged just 6.8 points per ga—a borderline rotation player.
This season? 20.8 PPG, solidifying himself as Damian Lillard's right-hand man.
But the biggest shock of the night?
Sixth Man of the Year.
Because the winner was... Nikola Jokić!
Even Han Sen was caught off guard.
At first, it didn't make sense—until he realized Jokić had only started 23 gas all season, aning he was technically eligible for the award.
And the final voting?
Jokić won with 29.5% of the votes, narrowly edging out Andre Iguodala (24.62%).
For context, Iguodala averaged just 7.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.3 APG.
On pure stats, Jokić was the clear winner.
---
The morning before Ga 1, the Cavaliers held a light practice at ho.
When Nikola Jokić strolled into the team's breakfast club, still half-asleep, Dante Cunningham greeted him with a grin.
"Congrats, big fella!"
Jokić blinked, groggy. "For what?"
Cunningham chuckled. "Sixth Man of the Year, man!"
Jokić just stared, looking completely lost.
He didn't even know he'd won.
And when it finally clicked?
His first reaction almost made Han Sen spit out his food.
"Wait... do I get prize money?"
Han shook his head, laughing. Of course. After pocketing $50,000 from the Dunk Contest, Jokić had just assud every NBA award ca with a cash bonus.
"The award itself? No," Han said. "But the recognition? That gets you endorsents. And endorsents? They pay a whole lot more than fifty grand."
Jokić scratched his head, still processing.
Then Han leaned in, smirking.
"But playoff wins? Those co with bonuses."
That woke Jokić up real quick.
His sleepy eyes suddenly lit up. "How much?"
Han grinned. "Championship team splits $2.46 million."
Of course, that total was divided between players, coaches, and staff. But one thing was certain—if the Cavaliers won it all, Jokić was getting way more than $50K.
Jokić didn't hesitate.
"I'm full."
He pushed his plate away, stood up, and started walking out.
Cunningham raised an eyebrow. "Where you going?"
Jokić didn't even look back.
"Extra training."
"For the bonus!"
Cunningham facepald.
Han? He just laughed.
---
That morning, the Pacers' team bus arrived in Cleveland.
As the Cavaliers wrapped up practice, they ran into their first-round opponents in the parking lot.
Just as Han was about to leave, soone called out to him.
He turned—Tony Allen.
A forr teammate from his mphis days, now playing for Indiana.
They exchanged a few words—catching up, cracking jokes—before Han felt another presence nearby.
He turned his head.
Paul George was staring at him.
And the look in George's eyes?
Pure determination.
Han was surprised.
George entered the NBA the sa sumr Han moved to the Western Conference.
Then, by the ti Han returned to the East, George had suffered his grueso leg injury.
Before this season, they had barely faced each other.
But now, thinking back—every ti the Cavs played Indiana this year, George had gone all out.
And it wasn't just effort.
George had played well against Cleveland, almost like he had sothing to prove.
Han recognized the energy.
It was the sa fire Kyrie had whenever he faced LeBron Jas.
A rivalry—not out of hatred, but competition.
The difference?
George and Han had no off-court drama.
So if this was about proving himself, it could only an one thing—
George wanted his shot at taking Han down.
This wasn't the Paul George Han rembered.
His strongest mory of George?
Demanding a trade with a preferred destination.
But maybe—just maybe—history was already changing.
When Han chose Cleveland, the NBA's balance shifted.
In the past, George and DeRozan were trapped in the East, watching LeBron form superteams year after year.
Eventually, they gave up.
But now?
LeBron was still chasing sothing.
And George?
He wasn't looking to leave anymore.
He was looking to win.
The sa way Jordan's rivals once did.
The sa way the league had always worked.
No shortcuts.
No excuses.
Just one goal—beating the best.
And right now?
That was Han Sen.
(End of Chapter)
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