Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 207 This way of playing is not right

At the highest point of Madison Square Garden, DJ Ray Castordi, who has been with the Knicks for almost ten years, once again played the sounds that New York fans are most familiar with.

"Let's Go Knicks!"

Houston's wing player loops out, the ball arrives, he pulls up and shoots.

The basketball, like a streak of orange lightning, plunged headfirst into the hoop.

"Six!"

The entire stadium seemed to boil over, with a large number of fans shouting the count in unison.

Houston hit his sixth three-pointer.

The DJ on site also played a timely variation, delivering an exciting goal-scoring sound.

As always, Albert, the commentator for MSG, let out a long, excited "YES," which was broadcast to countless fans in New York via television.

Houston ran off with his arms outstretched, basking in the cheers of the crowd.

Cheney stood up on the sidelines and shouted excitedly at the field.

Even though the team was behind, it didn't stop Houston from igniting the passion of every fan with each three-pointer.

Cheney sat back down and said, "Tom, did you see that? Alan is really crazy."

He knew that Tangsen had said he had spent a lot of time improving Houston's shooting ability during summer training camp.

I never expected the shot to be so accurate.

Six out of ten three-pointers made—that's incredibly efficient.

Sibodu nodded.

In the past, Houston had only managed to average over 20 points per game in the last season, after nine seasons.

His mid-range shooting percentage has consistently remained below 45%.

Compared to other top-tier stars, his output is not high, and his efficiency is not top-notch.

However, today's efficiency is indeed somewhat frightening.

"Tang, this is a preseason game, don't get excited," Thibodeau reminded him.

It's a preseason game after all, so it has no reference value.

Cheney sat down and said, "I know it's the preseason, but think about Kwame last year. What was his performance like in the preseason, and then he was great all season."

Don't take the preseason performance lightly.

"And didn't you notice that his actions were more decisive?"

In the past, playing basketball in Houston was often described as elegant.

But in Cheney's view, to say he is elegant is actually just that he is slow.

He has a lot of off-ball movement and is a master of catch-and-shoot.

However, after receiving the ball, most of the time it turned into a one-on-one situation.

It's just slow. The defenders are quick to follow, and you don't have the ability to shoot quickly after receiving the ball, so you're forced to switch to holding the ball and one-on-one.

His ability to catch the ball and score with lightning speed can only be seen in highlight reels.

But Cheney clearly sensed the changes in Houston during this game.

He seemed to be running a bit faster. When he received the ball after a screen or when he was out of position without the ball, he didn't hesitate and just threw it out.

Sometimes, even when the defender has closed in, he will still choose to shoot.

This means becoming more decisive and more willing to take risks.

This indicates that you have more confidence and are more certain of your shooting ability.

Just then, Houston came back onto the court.

He was mismatched against Kidd, held the ball at his waist, took a probing step, pulled back, and just threw it away.

Kidd was not out of position; he jumped in sync with Houston, and his blocking hand almost poked Houston in the eye.

But after landing, hearing the cheers from the stands, Kidd knew the ball had gone in.

The seventh three-pointer.

Damn it!
Kidd cursed under his breath. He didn't know what was wrong with Houston today; their shooting touch was so hot it was completely unreasonable.

The key question is, when did this guy become so accurate with his three-pointers?

Kidd knew that Houston's three-point shooting was quite accurate, after all, they had a shooting percentage close to 40% for many years.

But it can't be this accurate today, can it?

Kidd managed to sink several shots that he felt he couldn't make.

Was it just good luck or an amazing touch?
Kidd felt that wasn't entirely true; after one summer, Houston had truly evolved.

Tang Sen's contribution?
Kidd glanced at the Knicks' bench and spotted Tangsen sitting with his head down, talking to Tedeschi next to him.

Damn it!
During the Eastern Conference Finals, Kidd was already planning to train with Tang Sen in the summer, for example, to practice his three-point shooting.

As a result, Tang Sen started a million-dollar club, and because of the encouragement from various teams, the fee actually reached three million.

Kidd hesitated, reluctant to spend the money.

Unable to resist the temptation of progress, he eventually contacted Tang Sen. Three million it was; as long as he improved, he could earn the money back sooner or later.

Unexpectedly, all the spots were filled.

Just missed it.

Now, seeing Houston's incredibly accurate three-pointer, Kidd must really regret it.

After a few minutes in the third quarter, the starters were substituted.

Cheney began to rotate frequently.

Tang Sen sat up straight and began to observe the performance of these rookies on the field.

All I can say is that the fight was incredibly exciting.

That's right, it's lively!
DeMar Johnson made a powerful overtaking breakthrough, not even looking, and threw the ball directly towards the basket.

With that passing flair, would you dare say he doesn't possess even a fraction of Magic Johnson's elegance?

Only half, because the angle at which the ball was passed was completely wrong.

He wanted to pass to an alley-oop, but it was clearly too high.

As a result, Gazuric, this jumping guy, dared to take any ball. He jumped up in a flash, and it was hard to imagine that he was a 2.11-meter giant.

He almost managed to reach the basketball.

No wonder Cheney told himself that this guy was good for nothing except jumping ability.

He's not the only one who jumps around.

Swift, that guy who runs like a deer, is here too, starting from the free-throw line.

His first step was incredibly fast, even faster than Stoudemire's; he shot in in a flash.

Then he was blocked under the basket, trying to dunk while wobbling, but Jason Collins slapped the ball away.

Tang Sen silently covered his face.

This level of skill is simply unbearable to watch.

And then there's DeShawn Stevenson, who probably got hyped up by the New York media so much that he really thinks he's Michael Jordan.

He backed down Rodney Rogers, whom the Nets had just signed from the Suns, in the elbow area, swayed left and right, and then flipped and jumped into the air.

With that jumping height, can you really say he doesn't resemble Jordan at all?
He even added a backward lean!

It naturally veered off course and into the Mariana Trench, where it bounced off the rock face.

The center, Gazuric, is a complete idiot. His positioning is terrible. He just leaps up, stretches out his arms, but it's all for naught. He then pins his opponent down and gets a foul.

All I can say is that this game was incredibly exciting.

Tedsky, equally unable to bear the sight, saw Tang Sen covering his face and shaking his head, and offered words of comfort: "After all, they still have their explosive bodies."

Tang Sen wanted to laugh, thinking to himself that all that was left was his body.

Tang Sen wasn't the only one who wanted to complain.

In the MSG studio, Walter Frazier watched the Knicks players' performance on the court and felt a sense of dizziness.

"This is a complete disaster!"

Various mindless solo efforts, and then they can't break through.

There was no coordination between them, and any attempt to coordinate resulted in frequent mistakes.

On the other hand, the Nets still managed to execute smooth plays even with Kidd on the bench.

Brin tried to salvage the Knicks' reputation by mentioning Houston and showering them with praise.

"Alan was like God was on his side today. He was terrifying, hitting three-pointers from every angle."

Fraser has to admit that.

“After the offseason, Alan’s shooting has become more accurate and he’s more confident, thanks to Don.”

After a brief pause, Frazier returned to the topic of rookies. As a Knicks legend, deeply rooted in New York, he genuinely loves and cares about the Knicks.

“I know Scott has come up with a great plan. He wants the next Garnett, the next Jordan. That’s a great idea.”

"I also believe in Tang's ability; he's particularly good at developing players' potential."

"But this idea is too difficult to realize. Not every player can become Michael Jordan. Over the years, there has only been one MJ in the league."

The league has been looking for a successor for Jordan for several years, but they still haven't found one.

"I understand Scott's desire for the best players, and if that happens, it will inspire endless imagination."

"But I really think we need to be more realistic and build our roster based on Yao and Allan, and see what kind of players we need, instead of mindlessly saying that we need a Jordan and a Magic Johnson."

If Tang Sen were there, he would definitely give Frazier a thumbs up.

Tang Sen had long had this feeling that Leiden wanted everything.

Even now.

In the end, the Nets defeated the Knicks 92-78.

In the preseason, the outcome is not important.

New York fans were incredibly forgiving and thought it was okay, because Yao Ming hadn't reported to the team yet, and the team was missing a key player.

Houston's performance has already been a pleasant surprise for them.

New York fans are demanding and merciless when they criticize, but sometimes they are surprisingly forgiving of their own players.

It's perfectly normal for a bunch of newbies to perform poorly.

But after the game, Cheney approached Townsend and proposed a new idea.

He talked to Tang Sen, saying he wanted a small forward with strong penetration ability.

And it's not just small forwards; on the backcourt, players like Billups should ideally also have the ability to penetrate.

“We need to maximize Alan’s shooting ability. He needs someone to drive to the basket and draw the defense away,” Cheney said.

Houston prefers to pair up with wing players who can penetrate the defense.

He can create threats by breaking through defenses, drawing defenders away and giving them space to shoot from mid-range.

Ideally, this person would also be able to pass the ball.

This is also why he and Hill formed a golden partnership when they were with the Pistons.

"Stop."

Tang Sen reached out to stop Cheney.

From Leiden to you.

You've all come up with so many ideas, one by one.

Tang Sen said somewhat listlessly to Cheney, "Tang, let's call it a day. Let's go back and get a good night's sleep. We have training tomorrow."

After watching today's game, Tang Sen vaguely sensed some problems.

But upon closer reflection, I still can't pinpoint the problem.

Something just felt off.

Watching Tang Sen leave, Cheney said somewhat awkwardly, "Tom, did I ask for too much?"

Thibodeau, standing next to him, rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "So you know that too?"

After hesitating for a moment, Thibodu suddenly said, "Tang, I think there's a problem with what we're doing right now."

"What do you mean?" Cheney asked back.

Thibodeau followed Cheney toward the office area, saying as they walked, "I feel like we've been too casual with our lineup."

"Look at our game today, there was absolutely no teamwork, and we didn't even execute a few successful tactics."

"I feel like we've turned around."

Normally, when rebuilding a team and creating a roster, the first step is to identify the core players, then consider the tactical system based on their technical characteristics, and finally find and develop players who are suitable for them.

"But now, we simply want the best players in a certain position without even considering whether they are a good fit."

Cheney frowned and countered, "But Tom, if we have the best players in all five positions on the court, isn't that enough?"

Thibodeau rolled his eyes, speechless.

This guy still didn't understand what I meant.

Five Jordans together would seem very strong, but they wouldn't know how to distribute the ball.

So, are the five of them just mindlessly playing one-on-one?

Thibodeau felt that something was off about how they were playing.

"Alright." Cheney patted Thibodeau on the shoulder and said, "I know we played terribly today, but it's okay. We'll get better when Yao comes."

The Asian Games closed on the 14th.

Yao Ming also said that he would come directly to the United States as soon as the Asian Games closed.

Cheney is confident that once Yao Ming arrives, many problems will be easily solved.

……

Although today is a preseason game, it is also the first game of the season.

Tang Sen had originally planned that if they won the game, he would share in the good fortune and see if he could win a good badge in the raffle.

I haven't drawn the badges for this month yet.

I never expected to lose so badly.

But after thinking about it again, I just went ahead and smoked it.

If you look at it from another angle, maybe it's hit rock bottom and will rebound.

Back home, Tang Sen chose to have it drawn.

There is still no air force.

This is the beginning of good luck.

But then a flash of silver made Tang Sen's heart sink.

As expected, there was no rebound after hitting rock bottom.

However, the badge that was drawn last caught Tang Sen's eye again.

【Label】

I actually drew the badge with the tag.

Tang Sen always felt that the [Label] badge was the most precious badge.

After all, it comes with its own tag library.

Tang Sen found the added tag-based understanding particularly useful.

It's not about "brain" or a specific understanding of a particular technique, but rather an overall boost to a particular playing style.

It feels like the difference between a point and a surface.

Since it was still early, Tang Sen went to his study to figure out how to label the players.

Tang Sen had already planned out who would stay and who would leave after the training camp ended.

As for what to do next, that's Leiden's business.

Tang Sen is looking at the players right now.

For example, Prince.

Robinson will be eliminated, and even if Donil Harvey is brought in, Prince should still start in that position.

Because Cheney wanted a Larry Bird-like player.

As a first step, Tangsen wants to prioritize improving his shooting.

Bird's most prominent characteristic was his consistent shooting.

After a moment's thought, Tang Sen chose the tag "Steady Shooter".

The training requirement for this badge is to complete 100 shots while under defensive pressure.

Clearly, it leans more towards countering interference and improving stability.

Thinking of this, Tang Sen recalled Prince's shooting form.

Even though everyone is different, Tang Sen still feels like his horizons have been broadened every time he encounters different types of shooting postures.

Prince is a left-handed player, and because his arms are too long, his shooting form is very awkward.

And his assist hand, I don't know how he trained it, his wrist is always turned outwards, covering the basketball.

But now that the season has already started, it's too late to make adjustments.

If we don't adjust our shooting form and instead keep practicing, wouldn't we be going further and further down the wrong path?

(End of this chapter)