Ron Artest's self-destructive actions, a core player's season-ending injury, and disagreements among the team's management for various reasons – all of this inevitably impacted the Warriors during their preseason preparations.
Even though he'd never thought much of that old geezer Phil Jackson, after the preseason training wrapped up, Mike Malone felt that one of the themes Jackson always set for his teams before each season perfectly fit the current Warriors:
"Where has the soul gone?"
After his surgery, Artest spoke to the media, revealing his thought process behind his self-destructive behavior this summer.
"I tried to show my loyalty to the team, but the team's management rejected my loyalty again and again. I know my actions were unprofessional and deeply hurt my teammates." After a pause, Artest added, "But at that moment, I was so angry, I couldn't think of anything else."
Among the public, Artest's explanation was met with mixed reactions. Some fans understood him, while others fiercely criticized him.
However, for the Warriors' management, this wasn't just a public split; it also made other players on the Warriors' roster feel insecure.
The league had officially implemented the "Messiah Clause" before the regular season began. As expected, in two years, Zack would become the first player in NBA history to receive a super max contract right after his rookie deal.
If the team wasn't even willing to promise Artest a respectable retirement contract now, did it mean that to prepare for signing Zack in the future and cut expenses, the team management planned to clear out high-salaried players from the roster?
Even though Zack's coercion of team owner Cohan over Davis and Artest was no longer a secret within the Warriors, who could guarantee that they'd have the same influence to make Zack repeatedly pressure the team owner for their sake?
Immediately after Artest's public interview, Cohan had Mullin contact Zack. Cohan hoped Zack would prioritize the team's overall interests, firmly stand with the management, and refute Artest's unprofessional behavior from the summer through a press conference.
But after reading Artest's interview, Zack simply said, "Wasn't Ron just telling the truth?"
Artest had admitted his unprofessional behavior in the interview and apologized to his teammates he had hurt. Even if Zack still wouldn't forgive him, he didn't think Artest had said anything wrong.
"But now he's put us on the hot seat, and the players have completely lost trust in management," Cohan said, finally approaching Zack himself out of exasperation.
Zack looked puzzled, "Didn't Robert Lowell and the rest of the team management cause all of this?"
Zack genuinely couldn't understand the logic of capitalists. He especially couldn't fathom why capitalists would think he'd betray his teammates for a super max contract and deeply align himself with the team management.
Cohan overestimated the appeal of a super max contract to Zack and underestimated the camaraderie Zack had built with his teammates over the past two years.
News of Zack standing by his teammates quickly spread throughout the Warriors. For those players who were initially anxious about being on the potential "cleaning" list, Zack's stance was undoubtedly a strong boost, completely relieving them and strengthening their resolve to fight for this young king.
Only then did Artest realize why Brown had said he chose an idiotic way to solve the problem. Because if he had just quietly undergone surgery during the offseason and chosen to trust Zack, Zack, who always kept his word, would have undoubtedly pressured the Warriors' management further after the offseason, winning him the commitment he desired.
Through Mullin, Zack had already warned and reminded the Warriors' management. However, unlike the offseason warnings, Zack knew he'd have to wait until the new season began to personally rip off team owner Chris Cohan's "willing to spend on the team" clown mask.
Now, facing a confrontational Zack, Cohan frowned deeply. "What do I need to do to satisfy him?"
Seeing this, after Cohan had cooled down a bit, Mullin immediately made a "counting money" gesture to him. But Cohan still tried to defend himself, "Chris, I'm definitely not an owner unwilling to spend on the team."
Mullin shook his head, "I think players care more about the team's future actions than just promises. The rift between the players and management can't be healed with a few words, but the Messiah has still united the entire team. In my opinion, as long as we don't mess things up, that's the biggest help we can give this team."
Cohan frowned, "You mean, we should just tolerate Ron's verbal attacks in his interview without responding?"
Mullin nodded, "I think you should know, Ron was telling the truth."
"..."
The Warriors' management's silence after Artest's revelations immediately made them the target of widespread criticism. Zack's unprecedentedly tough stance made Cohan and Lowell, who had already begun paid leave, realize how naive their previous ideas were.
After this incident, Zack, who had completely stripped away Cohan's facade, became even more determined to only be loyal to his own beliefs in the future. "This league isn't just full of bad guys; good guys are bound to be taken advantage of."
---
Preseason training ended.
The Warriors finished the six preseason games before the new season with a 4-2 record. Old Hill, who replaced Artest as the Warriors' starting small forward for the new season, showed impressive form in the preseason. Matt Barnes, who had turned into an ice-cold shooter last season, even shot an astonishing 60% from three-point range in the six preseason games.
Zack was curious why Barnes had suddenly become so fierce, like he'd eaten dinosaur viagra. Barnes just laughed, "No one can stop a man who's in love."
In his previous life, Zack had read gossip about Barnes and his current girlfriend, Gloria Govan's, tumultuous relationship. In short, before he became teammates with Derek Fisher and Fisher shot that "game-winner" into Gloria, it was largely a happy and fulfilling marriage.
Although flies never land on a seamless egg, and it takes two to tango, Zack, who had no right to interfere with Barnes' private life, still wished him well, "I wish you happiness, Matt."
Kwame Brown became another big surprise for Warriors fans during the preseason. Especially during one offensive possession, when Brown pulled up to the free-throw line to set a screen for Zack and then hit a jump shot, Rick Barry exclaimed from the commentary booth, "Who's possessing him on the court? Don't stop now!"
Brown's progress in the offseason also made Biedrins gradually realize the talent gap between himself and Brown. Biedrins, who was entering a contract year, was no longer the naive youngster he once was. If the Warriors truly intended to keep him, they should have discussed an early extension with his agent back in the summer.
So, after the preseason, Biedrins privately approached Zack, "Boss, I want a change of scenery. I want to go to a team where the interior competition isn't as intense as it is with the Warriors."
Seeing this, Zack said, "Andris, I'll convey your thoughts to 'the old drunkard' [Mullin], but until you're traded, you must remember, you're still a Warrior."
Biedrins smiled, "Don't worry, boss. As long as the coach gives me a chance, I'll play harder than anyone."
The calm and collected Biedrins was put on the trade block by the Warriors. Since this 21-year-old rim-protecting center had extremely high trade value in the current market, after careful consideration, Warriors GM Mullin immediately communicated with Biedrins' agent. Mullin hoped the agent would wait a bit longer so the Warriors could choose the most suitable trade partner to complete the deal.
"If Andris disagrees, I'll arrange a new team for him as soon as possible. But if he can, I hope Andris can wait a bit longer."
"You want to package Andris and Ron together in a trade?"
Mullin didn't hide it and honestly told him, "Yes, because that's the only way I can ensure the team's interests are maximized."
"I appreciate your honesty. In fact, Andris specifically said that if you were honest, he'd be willing to repay this team, which he's fought for, with his true heart."
And just like that, "the old drunkard" Mullin, with his honesty, successfully earned Biedrins' pure heart.
---
Additionally, after the preseason, Zack officially triggered the "To the Summit" mission.
"To the Summit: It's time to kick Michael Jordan off that damn throne!
Mission Completion Condition: Unknown.
Mission Completion Reward: [The.Zone] badge fragment and a legendary random technical attribute gift pack.
Note: The mission completion conditions will be revealed at specific time points."
"Specific time points?"
Zack's curiosity was thoroughly piqued by this mission. He was very curious about when the mission completion conditions would be revealed.
---
October 30th.
The Warriors hosted their regular season opener at Oracle Arena. The league had scheduled their opening night opponent to be the Utah Jazz.
As another championship banner swayed in the rafters, this might have been the only good time the Warriors, who were facing a disastrous start to the new season, had recently enjoyed.
At center court, Zack received the second championship ring of his professional career from David Stern. Facing this league icon with the GOAT halo, Stern, who could only describe his feelings for Zack as a mix of love and hate, said, "You are already the focus of the world's attention. You must not let down the high hopes everyone has for you."
Unlike the well-behaved Yao Ming, Zack, who almost every other day provided juicy news to the Sun across the ocean, in Stern's eyes, now had the momentum to surpass his predecessors and leave his peers far behind.
Although Stern knew very well that during the Chicago Bulls' heyday, Michael Jordan often bet with his teammates on which Hollywood actress he could spend the night with on a road trip. However, compared to the relatively slow news dissemination of the 1990s, people were now living in an information explosion era.
Stern was never worried about Zack's flashy off-court life. But he was very concerned that Zack might make the same mistakes as Kobe. After all, making mistakes in the 21st century wasn't like the 1990s, where news could be easily suppressed.
Zack saw Stern's concern for him in his words, but being a man of consistently good character, he felt greatly wronged at that moment, "I've always been strict with myself, and whether on or off the court, I'll take Michael Jordan as my role model!"
Stern: "..."
Stern knew that Zack's unspoken meaning at that moment was – what I'm doing now, Jordan also did back then.
So, before Zack could literally infuriate him to death, Stern quickly clutched his chest and turned away.
As the banner raising and ring ceremony concluded, the regular season opener officially began.
Chris Paul, who intended to relentlessly attack Warriors backup guard Jack due to Davis's season-ending injury, instead got three monstrous blocks from Zack during the game.
The Warriors, having received their championship rings at home, were on fire. Old Hill, eager to realize his dream in Oakland, noticed that even fringe players like Will Bynum already had two rings, and frequently performed backdoor cuts and dunks at Oracle Arena.
The final score was 98-118, with the Warriors securing a dominant 20-point victory in their regular season opener at home.
Immediately after, under the league's carefully arranged schedule, the Warriors officially embarked on a seven-game East Coast road trip.
In Orlando, Zack gave LeBron a thorough taste of the new Magic's strength. Stan Van Gundy's "one star, four shooters" offense truly lived up to its reputation. During the game, the Magic, with "Saint of War" Jackson and "Urban" Redick as their dual-forward playmakers, always found the seams in the Warriors' zone defense. In the first quarter, after just three possessions, Warriors head coach Malone obediently switched from zone to man-to-man defense.
Additionally, Howard, who continued to evolve on the defensive end, was subtly showing flashes of his "peak Dwight" self. With Jackson also helping to lock down the paint, Zack, who also had to exert tremendous effort to break through the Magic's defense, felt that this Magic team could stir up trouble even in the Western Conference.
Van Gundy's tactics were advanced. Jamal Nelson, who had dominated college basketball, even surpassing Paul and Jack, was epically enhanced under Van Gundy's system. Nelson's three-point shot was accurate, and he had a soft touch for finishing at the rim. In Van Gundy's tactical system, Nelson, who further increased his three-point attempts, was like a mortar that could ambush enemy positions at any time, making him incredibly difficult to defend.
Originally, with Jackson, Turkoglu, and Lewis on the court simultaneously, this Magic team would inevitably have issues with late perimeter rotation defense due to the lack of mobility on their wings. But "Peak Dwight" was able to cover the entire Magic's defensive area with his terrifying defensive range.
Facts proved that this Magic team was by no means an easy opponent. Fortunately, they were an Eastern Conference team.
After a tough two-game winning streak in Orlando, the Warriors immediately rushed to Atlanta. There, Zack scouted the new-look Hawks, who were aiming to break out of the East this season, to see what they were made of for LeBron.
How to describe this Hawks team? You just need to know that in this game against the Warriors, Hawks fans, who used to loudly shout "fix!" and wish for a great fire to burn down all of California whenever Zack visited Atlanta, vociferously cheered for their home team all night long. From that, you can tell how much this Hawks team wanted to make a statement this season.
Josh Smith, who always looked up to Zack, might still have been a bit raw. But when Smith's talent combined with Tyson Chandler's defensive range, Zack was forced to use a high-difficulty reverse layup in the Warriors' very first offensive possession of the game.
Deron, who had officially entered his prime, predictably dominated Jack on the court, making him look like Chris Paul. And Joe Johnson, whose isolation game was becoming increasingly refined, made the usually jovial Richard Jefferson look utterly dejected.
Maurice Peterson, a "3&D" player the Hawks signed from the free agent market in the summer, also integrated well into the team. Under Mike Budenholzer's leadership, this new Atlanta Hawks team had a chance to upset the defending champions until the very last moments of the game.
Zack personally blocked Josh Smith's game-winning layup with 0.8 seconds left. However, this heartbreaking block for the people of Atlanta also made Zack, who had been putting up consecutive "30+ triple-doubles" for the Warriors, keenly aware that the Eastern Conference in the 2007-08 season was no longer the weak conference people stereotyped it to be.
The Warriors finished their seven-game East Coast road trip with a 5-2 record. In Charlotte, the Bobcats, usually seen as a weak team, led by Randolph, Roy, and Wallace, tore the first hole in the defending champions' unbeaten record.
This season, Paul Silas, who had completed his studies during his unemployment and took over as the Bobcats' head coach by submitting his resume, designed a sharp high pick-and-roll offense for the Bobcats. When Roy's elusive drives combined with Randolph's exquisite shooting, the two instantly sparked with passion on the court. On the court, with a clearer offensive focus, Wallace and Okafor on the Bobcats could dedicate more energy to defense. Plus, Felton's steady ball-handling, with a career assist-to-turnover ratio close to 2.5:1, was a huge asset. Without a doubt, this was definitely one of the few nights Michael Jordan could feel relieved since Zack entered the league.
After all, the Bobcats defeating the Warriors at home not only allowed Jordan to prove the earlier skeptical experts and reporters wrong with his actions, but most importantly, beating Zack's Warriors felt like winning the entire world to Jordan.
---
Ending the seven-game East Coast road trip, the defending champions concluded November with a 12-5 record. The challenging regular season opening schedule undoubtedly gave the short-handed Warriors a major headache. However, more than the schedule, the biggest impact on the Warriors currently was injuries. Murphy, Brown, and Richardson, key Warriors players who had played too many games in the past two years, all missed several games in November due to injuries.
Moreover, after further examining Zack, team doctor Ryan officially warned Mike Malone: "The Messiah's playing time must be reduced. He's played over two hundred high-intensity NBA games and World Championship games in the past two years... his injury risk has far exceeded your imagination."
Hearing this, Malone, knowing the Warriors couldn't afford to lose Zack, said with a depressed expression, "What a brutal season this is!"
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①: According to Bulls players, Jordan's probability of winning this bet was infinitely close to 100%. Pippen even privately made a remark similar to "I thought these actresses were more precious." (The above information comes from several Jordan biographies and Pippen's memoirs.)