Farewell to 10 MVPs, the four major defenders rose, and the NBA semi-finals announced that they had entered a "new era"

"The new wave of the Yangtze River pushes the old wave, and the newcomer in the air replaces the old ones." This old saying seems to be tailor-made for the NBA's pattern this season. When the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 125-93 in the tiebreak battle, the list of the semi-finals in the East and West was officially released: Pacers, Knicks; Timberwolves, Thunder. A remarkable phenomenon has emerged - since the 2008-09 season, no regular season MVP has entered the division finals for two consecutive seasons (the MVP has not been announced this season), and at the same time, the four major defenders are quietly rising, and the NBA's pattern is being rewritten.

MVPs "absence" and the prologue of the new era

In the past 16 years, the regular season MVP has been almost won by eight active superstars, James, Durant, Curry, Westbrook, Harden, Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Jokic. They have won 15 MVPs in total, plus Leonard and Brown, these 10 people have won 12 Finals MVPs in the past 13 years. In other words, they were almost always seen in the past division finals. However, since last season, the situation has changed:

•Last season, the Timberwolves, Mavericks; Celtics, Pacers, for the first time, there was no one of these 10 MVPs entering the division finals.

•This season, Timberwolves, Thunder; Knicks, Pacers, have not entered the division finals for the second consecutive season.

This is by no means accidental, but an inevitable rise of the new era. The four major defenders are becoming the new protagonists.

The rise of new forces: the rise of the four defenders

Edwards: The dominance of the three-point king

The Timberwolves entered the division finals for two consecutive seasons, and the biggest contributor is undoubtedly Edwards, who is only 24 years old. This season, he averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, becoming the king of three-point shooting in the regular season. In the playoffs, his performance was even more amazing, averaging 26.5 points, 8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game, leaving James and Curry behind.

Alexander: The candidate for the new MVP, the Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals, and Alexander made an indelible contribution. In the regular season, he averaged 32.7 points, 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Such data makes him a popular candidate for MVP this season. In the playoffs, he averaged 29 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, competing Jokic and Westbrook.

Halliburton: The Pacers' "Magic"

Pacers entered the Eastern Conference Final for two consecutive seasons, and Halliburton's performance was eye-catching. In the playoffs, he averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 0.7 steals per game, leading the team to a super reversal many times. His performance even eclipses Antetokounmpo, who is writing the story of "Harry's Magic" in his own way.

Brunson: The Knicks' key man

The Knicks finally advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Brunson's performance was indelible. In the regular season, he averaged 26 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game, and increased to 28.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists in the playoffs. His outstanding performance not only made Harrison nail the management's shame pillar, but also made Brown's FMVP quality a big question mark.

New era, new forces

Reviewing the Eastern and Western Conference Finals this season, we feel a little regretful - 10 MVPs including James and Curry missed the division finals; but at the same time, we are also extremely happy - Edwards, Alexander, Halliburton and Brunson, these four newly rising defenders are becoming the new protagonists. The NBA is quietly entering a new era, an era of young defenders.

Conclusion

"The Yangtze River pushes the previous waves", the history of the NBA always continues to stage stories of the alternation of old and new. As the older generation of superstars gradually fade out of the center of the stage, new forces are rising. Edwards, Alexander, Halliburton and Brunson, the four defenders are writing their own legends. A new era has arrived, let us witness their rise together!