NBA M3 - Chapter 506: Blake: Ushering in His Own "Small-Ball Era" (Patreon)

"Blake: Ushering in His Own 'Small-Ball Era'!"

That was the topic of TNT's roundtable discussion that afternoon, featuring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Reggie Miller, and Shaquille O'Neal, who had only recently joined the analyst ranks.

Shaq spoke first.

"I've been following sales of the Blake Su Generation too, and I even bought a pair myself to support Blake.

"But honestly, I never expected a center, especially a rookie center, to generate this kind of demand for his first signature shoe.

"Five million pairs sold out instantly.

"That's unbelievable.

"It's not that Blake isn't popular or famous enough to sell five million pairs.

"It's his position.

"Because centers are so much bigger, their shoes have traditionally been less appealing to fans than shoes worn by guards.

"Back when the Lakers won three straight championships and I won three straight Finals MVPs, I was one of the most dominant players in the league. My popularity and my game were both at their peak.

"But even then, my shoes didn't sell particularly well.

"Considering how popular and dominant I was at the time, the sales were honestly pretty weak.

"That's why seeing five million pairs of the Blake Su Generation disappear instantly shocked me so much as another center.

"So all I can say is this. 'The Emperor' Blake is incredible."

"Absolutely."

Reggie Miller nodded in agreement before continuing.

"But even though Blake is a 215-centimeter center, his offensive game doesn't look anything like a traditional center's.

"His flashy drives, his incredible acrobatic finishes, those completely unreasonable three-pointers...

"He doesn't play like a center at all.

"He looks more like a small forward, or even a guard.

"And I think that unique style has played a huge role in his popularity and in how much fans enjoy watching him."

"Exactly."

Charles Barkley nodded with a smile.

"Blake is one of the most unusual centers we've ever seen.

"And you have to remember that the league is already moving toward small-ball.

"So what is small-ball?

"Run-and-gun basketball. Fast breaks. Constant rotations and pick-and-rolls leading to three-point opportunities.

"You speed up the offense and bury opponents under a barrage of shots from outside.

"That's small-ball.

"And aside from rule changes and a faster pace, one of the biggest reasons that style has taken hold is the decline of dominant centers.

"Before Blake, after Shaq, the only truly elite center you could point to was Orlando's 'Superman,' Dwight Howard.

"But Dwight isn't exactly known for being the hardest worker. He's been wasting some of his talent, and we've gradually started seeing the consequences.

"You could see the problems with Orlando this season.

"They were strong early, fell apart later, and then got upset in the first round by an Atlanta team without a true superstar.

"They were swept 4-0.

"Of course, Dwight is still extremely talented right now. He hasn't wasted all of that ability.

"But even that sweep shows how much the league has changed.

"Traditional centers are becoming less important, and the small-ball era is arriving faster and faster.

"Yet Blake is a center who hasn't faded away at all.

"Instead, he produced an epic offensive season, became the 'superhero' who defeated the villains, the Heat Big Three, and carried the Suns to a championship as their lone superstar.

"I think the reason he's succeeded is because his game is ahead of its time, or more accurately, because his offense fits perfectly with where the league is headed.

"And the clearest example is his shooting.

"Especially his three-point shooting.

"Before Blake, if a center stood outside and started taking threes, people would've called it stupid.

"Even Dirk Nowitzki, 'The German Wunderkind,' had already shown that big men could score differently with that signature one-legged fadeaway of his.

"And people still called him soft.

"They still doubted him.

"For years, everyone treated the three-pointer as a weapon for guards and smaller perimeter players.

"And even among guards, ultra-deep threes were rare.

"But with Blake, we're not just watching a center shoot threes.

"We're watching a center shoot ultra-deep threes.

"And when a player that tall becomes accurate enough from that distance, he can use his enormous height advantage to hit shots that simply aren't supposed to be defendable.

"Then, as a rookie, Blake carried his team through the Finals after falling behind 1-3.

"He scored 16 points in 35 seconds.

"He hit five ultra-deep threes.

"And then he finished off the Heat Big Three with a game-winning hand-switch three to capture the championship.

"That made everyone stop and reconsider what a big man could be.

"Big men don't have to live in the paint.

"They don't have to rely on dunks for their points.

"They can shoot threes too.

"They can even hit absurd shots from way beyond the arc.

"And if they become accurate enough, they can turn into nearly impossible players to stop.

"They can dominate the league and carry a team.

"Of course, I'm not saying Blake can only shoot threes.

"We have to acknowledge that he's an extraordinary talent, even compared with the league's most gifted players.

"But there's no question that his style fits perfectly with the small-ball era.

"In my view, Blake hasn't just adapted to small-ball.

"With those ridiculous three-pointers, he's helping accelerate it.

"And because he's doing it as a center, he's opening the door to a new kind of small-ball built around big men.

"His own version of the small-ball era."

"Well said."

Kenny Smith nodded repeatedly and applauded.

Reggie Miller and Shaq did the same, clearly agreeing with Barkley's point.

The roundtable drew plenty of attention, and once Barkley finished laying out his argument, the discussion quickly spread online.

Fans became even more convinced that the small-ball era was truly arriving.

And Blake, who had adapted to the changing league while carving out his own version of small-ball, saw his popularity climb yet again thanks to the praise from TNT's analysts.

...

As for Blake himself, he got up that afternoon and went out for a quick meal with Mia Quinn.

Afterward, he headed to the Suns' training facility.

Of course, having just won the championship, he wasn't going there to practice.

He was there to prepare for the championship parade.

After 43 years, the Suns had finally won the first championship in franchise history.

The entire city of Phoenix was looking forward to the parade, and it was certain to be massive.

So preparations had to begin early.

On the way to the facility, Blake received a call from his agent, Austin.

"Blake!"

"Yeah, Austin. What's up? Why are you calling now?"

"Hehe."

Austin laughed excitedly on the other end.

"Blake, do you know how much money you made overnight from the Blake Su Generation sales?"