Chapter Forty-Eight: Terrifying Data

A survey was conducted among the owners of all the teams in the league, asking: if you could choose any player in the league to take the final shot for your team, who would it be? One owner chose Dwyane Wade, another chose Brandon Roy, one selected Carmelo Anthony; three chose LeBron James, three chose Kobe Bryant, three chose Derrick Rose, and three chose Kevin Durant. As for the remaining votes, they all went to one man—Lin Fei.

The sheer terror inspired by his statistics is evident from the data: after his last two games, Lin Fei scored 50 points in one and 41 in another, bringing his season average to 27 points per game. His shooting percentage is an astonishing 55%, with three-point accuracy at 50% and free throw percentage at 88%. He averages six made three-pointers per game, leading the league both in three-point accuracy and in threes made. These are the most direct indicators of his dominance. Even more frightening is his performance under pressure: when his team trails by 1–3 points, his shooting percentage is a staggering 70%, and all of his clutch shots are from beyond the arc. So far, Lin Fei has delivered three game-winners or near game-winners, never missing in such moments.

Lin Fei is an anomaly among three-point shooters. Even top marksmen like Ray Allen rely on teammates for over 80% of their three-point makes—meaning that out of every 100 threes, more than 80 come from assists. Lin Fei, however, owes only 30% of his made threes to assists; the rest are the result of his extraordinary solo abilities, creating his own space and shot. This prowess becomes especially prominent in crucial moments.

Looking at the league’s per-48-minute efficiency rankings, Lin Fei stands alone at the top, leaving even the most renowned veterans trailing behind. From second to fifth are LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, and Blake Griffin. Lin Fei is also the only perimeter player among the leaders—a true outlier on the efficiency charts, with his scoring efficiency far ahead of the pack.

Clearly, not only do the league’s coaches have sharp eyes; the team owners are equally perceptive.

Yet, even these dazzling statistics have not silenced the debate surrounding Lin Fei. The most discussed topic is that, while his scoring ability is universally acknowledged as formidable, that seems to be where his impact ends. On the court, Lin Fei is often seen as a lone wolf, unable to orchestrate the team’s offense. According to another league statistic, Lin Fei passes the ball only 19% of the times he possesses it—meaning out of every 100 possessions, he passes just 19 times, choosing to shoot himself the remaining 81 times. This is the lowest in the league. Even the league’s former “Iso King” Nick Young had a pass rate of 23%, Houston’s Kevin Martin 27%, and Mo Williams—dubbed “Never Pass Mo”—had 35%. For a point guard, passing rate is a key indicator of how well the team’s offense is functioning. In the eyes of many, Lin Fei is simply a “stat-padder,” a “scoring machine”—labels often given to players on underperforming teams with impressive individual stats. Kobe once bore this label, as did Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and more recently, breakout stars like Blake Griffin and Kevin Love.

There is now an intense debate about whom Lin Fei most resembles. His blazing speed and fearsome scoring recall the dominance of scoring champion Allen Iverson, but his shooting ability is more reminiscent of a pure marksman, evoking the peak years of Gilbert Arenas. Averaging six threes per game is unprecedented. Many say that if Lin Fei maintains this extraordinary pace, he will break nearly every three-point record: the single-quarter mark of eight threes has already fallen, Kobe’s single-game record of twelve threes has been nearly matched several times, and Ray Allen’s season record of 269 made threes seems well within reach—Lin Fei is on pace to beat it in just fifty games. As for scoring, Lin Fei jumped from 20 points per game as a rookie to 27 in his second season—a meteoric rise that borders on the uncanny.

The Warriors’ record is equally stunning. After a string of early victories, followed by a brief slump, they have regained form, standing at 14–5, fourth in the Western Conference. They are the league’s undisputed dark horse this season. Last year, they failed even to make the playoffs. As many experts have noted, everyone expected the Warriors to improve this season, but few predicted they would be this formidable—at 14–5, they trail only the Lakers and Mavericks in the West and are just behind the Spurs, who are 15–2.

Another hotly debated question is whether the Warriors’ transformation is due to Lin Fei’s arrival, or if Don Nelson’s innovative system is responsible. Many experts credit Nelson’s tactics with revolutionizing the team, while fans prefer to believe that Lin Fei’s rise has injected new life into the squad. Regardless, neither experts nor fans can deny the vital importance of Lin Fei’s scoring to the team’s success.

One more question lingers: did the Warriors and Nelson’s system create Lin Fei’s scoring explosion, or did Lin Fei’s brilliance ignite the Warriors’ resurgence? Many wonder what would happen if Lin Fei left the Warriors. Under Nelson’s system, Lin Fei thrives with the freedom to control the ball and shoot at will, often overriding set plays in favor of his own scoring instincts. From this perspective, it seems that Nelson and the Warriors have enabled Lin Fei’s exceptional scoring. Yet, from another angle, perhaps only Lin Fei could execute Nelson’s system so perfectly. When Lin Fei is off the court, the Warriors remain highly competitive, their offense more team-oriented and their players exhibiting greater chemistry.

Once again, Lin Fei has claimed Western Conference Player of the Week. Few in the league can boast back-to-back performances of 50 and 41 points. The experts offer this appraisal: “He never stops running on the court. When he has the ball, no one can stop him. His shot is as precise as a sniper’s. You never know how many threes or points he’ll score in the next game—there are no limits to his game.”

Lin Fei, upon learning of his selection, smiled faintly. To him, it was all just passing clouds.