Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 125 With such an excellent trainer, can't they create some miracles?

On December 28th, the Magic will host the Pistons.

Inside the locker room, Rivers, unusually stern, roared, "Guys, I need a win."

"Kwame, show Ben your attacking skills, let him know that players are not all the same, and there are some players he just can't stop!"

Brown nodded blankly, then turned to look at McGrady, giving him a look that seemed to ask, "What's wrong with Rivers?"

McGrady shrugged, indicating that he didn't know.

"Tracy!"

Rivers called out names again.

McGrady was startled.

Rivers pointed at McGrady and shouted, "I know you think the same way I do, what else does Jerry have besides scoring? Penetration? Defense?"

Stackhouse, who was second in the scoring list last season, averaging nearly 30 points per game, and was hailed as one-third of Jordan, was described by Rivers as a mere stat-padder.

But McGrady thought that this argument didn't seem wrong either.

My own shooting percentage is already low enough, and the media frequently discusses my inefficiency.

Stackhouse, on the other hand, is even worse, with a shooting percentage of only 40% last season.

“So take him down.” Rivers roared again, pointing menacingly at McGrady. “I know you’ve learned a lot from Don, and I believe you have the ability.”

McGrady nodded blankly, as if Rivers had been provoked today.

Grant was wondering if he would be next when Rivers called on him.

“Horace, stop running like you did in the last game, understand?” Rivers said in a deep voice.

The Magic lost their last game against the Pistons.

Brown played very well against Ben Wallace, scoring 22 points.

But the team still lost because Grant couldn't keep up with Robinson, who scored 31 points and helped the Pistons win.

Grant glanced at the clearly bulging calf muscles on his two calves and simply nodded.

These increasingly defined calf muscles are the result of training with Tang Sen over this period of time.

These days, Grant feels as young as 30.

"We need this win! We need to show the Pistons that they're dreaming if they think they can overtake us and push us to third in the East!"

Rivers continued his enthusiastic morale-boosting speech.

Why do they need three first-round picks?

They also need to package it up and trade it to Brown.

Are you trying to be disgusting on purpose?
You treat Robinson like a treasure, and if you can't get him, then I'll never admit defeat!

Billups couldn't help but whisper to Miller beside him, asking if Rivers was always like this.
Miller shook his head slightly. He was also wondering what had gotten into Rivers.

7:30 p.m.

The game began amidst cheers from the fans.

Billups was given a key role and started the game.

When he came on the court before the game, the Orlando fans in the stadium were quite supportive and gave him a lot of cheers.

Tang Sen guessed that Gabriel had gained a lot of goodwill in the Brown and Hill trade, making Orlando fans think that he had good judgment again. Since he had his eye on Billups, there must be something good about him.

But Tang Sen was not so optimistic.

Although Armstrong's defense was terrible due to his physical limitations and age, his offense was still decent.

At least he can score; last season he was the Magic's consistent second-leading scorer.

As for Billups, Townsend specifically sought him out and watched the video recordings of the four games in which he supposedly shed the label of a "flop" third overall pick.

Based on what I've seen, his good performance in those four games was just a flash of brilliance.

He used to be a substitute, but now he has the opportunity to start.

He seemed to be holding his breath, and his actions became even more decisive.

When I'm on the bench, I'm timid and hesitant, but when I'm in the starting lineup, don't I go all out?

However, this results in low efficiency.

拿23的那一场，他17中7，三分7中4，这才砍下23分。

In the second game, he continued to hurl three-pointers, going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Of course, he was completely outplayed by Kidd in this game against the Nets.

Then against the Hornets, he recovered a bit and made 6 of 11 shots.

But in the next game against the weak Bulls, they immediately showed their true colors again, shooting 4-for-13.

This shows that he is not stable enough.

And defense.

While he's described as a full-size point guard, Tang Sen genuinely feels his defense is still lacking. The reason he seems alright is because the Wolves have Garnett, a defensive stalwart, who has filled in the gaps in his defense.

All things considered, it seems he's about the same as Armstrong.

Did the Magic choose to trade him to... save money?
After all, it's more than a million cheaper.

This sounds like something the Magic's management would do.

But I have to say, this guy is pretty daring.

McGrady reached out for the ball, but he didn't give it to him.

In the previous Magic era, McGrady could just reach out and the ball would come to him.

Armstrong, in particular, would practically pass the ball to McGrady the moment it crossed half-court.

Billups, on the other hand, acted like a true point guard, controlling the ball, observing the game, and then sending the ball into the paint.

Brown has already taken a seat.

The pass was decent but unremarkable.

Ben Wallace suddenly exerted his strength, trying to disrupt Brown's receiving of the ball.

However, after playing for so long, Brown is no longer the rookie he was when he first entered the league, and he can handle these minor distractions very well.

The moment he received the ball, he pushed his hips back and immediately made a half-turn cut to the side.

But his route was closer to the basket, almost brushing against Ben Wallace as he walked towards the basket.

He doesn't have the problem of holding the ball below his waist like Yao Ming used to, because if you hold the ball up and have a height advantage, you can also suppress the opponent with your arms.

Of course, against a defensive stalwart like Ben Wallace, a bench press monster, it all comes down to strength.

Brown's strength is not bad, so he banked the ball into the basket.

He practiced low-post shooting, and with the system's effects enabled, his accuracy gradually improved.

Just like Tang Sen said, when you're physically battling, there's simply not enough time to aim at the basket; it's all about feeling.

I've been casting my ballots in the dark for so long, it wasn't for nothing.

Ben shoved Brown aside, turned around, patted his elbow, and complained to the referee that Brown's elbow had hit him.

The referee chose to ignore it.

Brown wouldn't pay him any attention. Complaining to the referee only shows that you're a coward.

Brown genuinely felt that this game would be easier than the one against the Pistons last month.

Because their offensive tactics have become more diverse.

In the words of assistant coach Davis, Ben Wallace is afraid of opponents who are not only physically strong but also technically skilled.

Tangsen was at ease with Brown.

The attention was still on Billups.

Tang Sen took the opportunity to talk to him yesterday.

Ask him what he wants to improve.

As it turns out, this guy, like McGrady, had very simple requirements.

Become stronger!

She still sees herself as a wishing fairy.

It's clear that Billups handled the situation very well against Chucky Atkins, who is significantly shorter than him, by leveraging his height and weight advantage.

The Pistons' offense remained stagnant.

Tang Sen did see the news that Rick Carlisle made adjustments to both the Pistons' offense and defense after taking office.

On the defensive end, the main defensive unit was determined to be the core of the defense.

On the offensive end, they reduced Stackhouse's shot attempts, hoping he would distribute the ball more efficiently.

But clearly, they've fallen into a vicious cycle where they don't give Stackhouse playing time, and the others aren't consistent enough.

Of course, Stackhouse also lacks sufficient attacking ability.

But at least he's better than others.

Moreover, Tang Sen noticed that the magician seemed to be playing very aggressively in this game.

Grant was running around following Robinson around, being overly active.

Could it be that Armstrong's deal spurred him on?
Robinson's mid-range shot missed.

Billups still controlled the ball, gesturing for McGrady to go to the weak side wing, as if he was going to pass the ball to him.

As a result, even after the defensive formation was pulled to the weak side, he still managed to put the ball in the basket.

Brown hit another hook shot after backing down his opponent.

Ben was aware of the need for defensive support, so some of his attention was drawn away. Tang Sen's eyes lit up, and he continued watching.

In the first quarter, the Magic led 23-15, an 8-point advantage.

It wasn't because the magic tricks were particularly good.

The Magic played as expected, while the Pistons still couldn't solve their offensive stagnation problem.

In the second quarter, the Pistons tightened their defense, and Robinson began to front Brown to disrupt him.

At this point, McGrady began to exert his strength.

At halftime, the Magic led 47-34, maintaining a 13-point advantage.

After the halftime timeout, the Pistons began to gain momentum.

Carlisle seemed to have swallowed Stackhouse's poison, giving him plenty of opportunities to make quick shots.

He quickly found his rhythm and led the Pistons on a 7-0 run, bringing the deficit to within 10 points.

At this moment, Tang Sen keenly noticed that Billups had slowed down his pace.

In a 24-second game, he can spend half of that time controlling the ball, patiently watching his teammates run and pull, and often only when there are six or seven seconds left will he pass the ball to a position where the chance of winning seems greater.

Even he himself started throwing three-pointers.

This adjustment in rhythm allowed the Magic to catch their breath and continue scoring, preventing the Pistons from closing the gap in the score.

In the midst of this tug-of-war, Stackhouse's touch cooled off.

Tang Sen gasped and turned to look at Rivers on the sidelines.

At that moment, Tang Sen suddenly understood why Rivers wanted to trade for Billups.

He probably valued Billups' ability to control the game.

In Tang Sen's understanding, the quality of a point guard cannot be simply judged by how many points he scores or how many good passes he makes.

There are five players on the court, and the point guard is the brain!

As the brain, you need to know when to attack, who should attack, and when to slow down, adjusting your own state according to the opponent's situation.

To put it simply, it means knowing when to be on the field and what to do.

This sounds simple.

But very few players truly understand this.

Billups, on the other hand, seems to possess this ability.

He was really reading the game, observing each other's condition, and then distributing the ball to the right places.

Of course, I feel it wasn't done well enough.

It may be related to the fact that he has been wandering around for too long and has not had a stable playing time.

As someone who often plays as a substitute, how could he possibly have the opportunity to take charge of the team?

But having this awareness already means that more than 70% of point guards are capable of it.

sure!
Tang Sen then turned to look at Rivers.

Tang Sen couldn't understand why the Magic would make this deal, and felt that the Magic had been fooled again.

But just based on Billups' ability to control the game, this trade is worthwhile.

Because the Magic want to make a breakthrough in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, tactical execution is truly put to the test.

Having such a player to control the game is incredibly important.

Ultimately, the Magic defeated the Pistons 89-80, a nine-point advantage, and maintained their second-place position in the Eastern Conference.

Rivers greeted the players coming off the court.

Instead of embracing McGrady, who scored 26 points, or ignoring Brown, who consistently contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds, he hugged Grant.

"Horace, well done!"

Grant was very proactive today and actually started running.

It has a distinctly bullish feel to it.

Under his defense, Robinson underperformed, shooting 3-for-8 and scoring only 7 points.

Rivers wanted to tell the Pistons.

Don't overestimate Robinson; I have some decent players too.

He walked to the technical table and shook hands with Carlisle with a proud, even contemptuous, gaze.

Carlisle wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, but Rivers shook hands and left immediately.

This left Carlisle completely bewildered.

This isn't the playoffs, it's just a regular season game. What are you so smug about winning?

After the game, many local reporters surrounded Billups.

Billups didn't score much in this game, only 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but he dished out 9 assists.

And after all, it was his first game since joining the Magic.

"I feel great. We won the game, and that's the most important thing."

He started by saying a couple of polite words.

After a moment's hesitation, Billups added, "To be honest, I've gradually come to like Orlando."

A smile appeared on his face.

This wasn't just a polite remark.

The locker room atmosphere was harmonious; the veterans were unpretentious, the core players were not arrogant, and Billups was very comfortable there.

Most importantly, he saw hope in the Magic to shed his "flop" label.

He had already experienced how high Tang Sen's level was from the very first contact.

"Do you know how powerful Tang is?"

Billups suddenly asked the reporter.

The reporters exchanged glances, their expressions strange.

Well, I've fallen for another one.

Brown goes without saying; he's always been a big fan of Tangsen.

Then there's McGrady, who now also frequently mentions Tang Sen.

Instead, Billups showed up.

It's only been two days, and you've already been won over?
Seeing that Billups also wanted to praise Tangsen, a reporter said seriously, "Believe me, everyone in Orlando knows that Tangsen is amazing."

If Townsend wasn't so great, Brown and McGrady wouldn't have performed so well.

Is the Magic's second-place finish in the Eastern Conference really a result of coaching Doc Rivers, the best coach?

the other side.

Tang Sen was about to leave when Rivers chased after him and stopped him.

"Tang, have you discovered Changxi's advantages?" he asked with a smile as soon as he came up.

The expression on his face seemed to say something like, "Quickly praise me, see how good my taste is!"

Tang Sen nodded politely.

They even said the Magic made a huge profit from this deal.

Rivers couldn't help but chuckle, then said, "But Tang, I think Chauncey has even more potential, and do you think there's any way to improve his ability to control the game?"

He pointed to his brain.

In Rivers's view, physical strength and skills can be trained.

But brainpower, or rather, sports intelligence, seems to be something that can't be trained; it's innate.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many rough guys in the NBA who just can't seem to get the plays right.

But who is Tang Sen?
Such an excellent trainer, can't he create some miracles?
Tang Sen silently rolled his eyes at Rivers, then said seriously, "Doug, you should go home and get some sleep."

When I'm asleep, I dream about anything and everything.

After saying that, he turned around and left.

However, on his drive home, Tang Sen did think about Rivers' idea.

Clearly, he wanted him to train Billups' organizational skills.

But in Tang Sen's understanding, this thing is something that either exists after playing ball, or it doesn't exist.

Tang Sen's own organizational skills are not very good either.

After his injury, he also tried to develop his playmaking abilities, hoping to be of greater help to the team.

But once on the field, amidst the crisscrossing figures, it becomes clear that there's no one who can calmly read and analyze the game and then pass the ball clearly.

Therefore, Tang Sen truly believed that this skill was innate, and could not be mastered through hard work alone.

However, based on today's game, Tang Sen felt that Billups does have the potential to organize the offense and knows what to do on the court.

But how do you practice this?

Tang Sen felt that the only way to learn it was by playing more matches.

Even if you practice on purpose, it might not be effective.

However, when Tang Sen stopped his car at a red light, he noticed a banner hanging in front of a youth activity center across the street. The banner celebrated the AAU (Academic Association of Residents) U12 team, the Bulldogs, for winning the Winter Park Community Championship.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sen had a sudden thought, as if by some strange twist of fate.

(End of this chapter)