Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 210 Fighting like that makes me look pretentious.

Yao Ming, the number one draft pick, has been a hot topic ever since he came to the United States and went to Chicago for tryouts.

He came from the far East, which naturally gave Americans a sense of mystery about him.

The league is also hyping it up.

Stern hoped to use Yao Ming to tap into the huge market of that Eastern country.

This can be seen from the treatment received during the joint training.

No draft prospect in any previous draft has ever received such treatment as having a special tryout arranged for them.

In order to maximize profits, the league went so far as to shamelessly give New York a number one draft pick.

From the moment he was selected as the top draft pick, the name Yao appeared frequently in newspapers and on television.

Every American basketball fan knows that there was an Eastern giant, incredibly tall, who became the number one draft pick and entered the NBA.

The last player to generate this much buzz was Sabonis.

Everyone was curious about him, wanting to know if he was just all talk or if he was truly powerful.

The World Championships didn't count as a trial run.

In the eyes of Americans, FIBA ​​and NBA are not the same sport.

Just like how they stubbornly believe that their football is the real football.

Therefore, a good performance in the World Championships does not necessarily mean a good performance in the NBA.

Therefore, the pre-match press conference was incredibly lively.

Cheney felt a little dizzy looking at the densely packed reporters below the stage.

From the very beginning, the questions revolved around Yao Ming.

American journalists were curious, but Chinese journalists were even more concerned.

“He’s good, he has incredible talent, but I won’t make any assumptions.”

Cheney came up and put on his armor first.

Given the current roster that Leiden has haphazardly assembled, he really doesn't dare to make any tough statements.

They keep saying we have the next Garnett, the next Jordan, and Rodman and Larry Bird sitting on the bench. They think we can dominate the whole league?
Stop it.

If I were to say that, I would become the biggest joke in the entire United States.

So Cheney's current thought is very simple: be humble, you have to be fucking humble.

Otherwise, if the results are poor, the blame will fall on them.

"Everyone knows that he had just finished two rounds of national team matches and was very tired, so we decided not to let him participate in the preseason."

"But he still needs time to adjust, so we need to be more lenient with him, no matter how he performs."

Humility, and more humility.

The Chinese journalists nodded in agreement; such remarks aligned with their own thoughts.

The fear is that Yao Ming won't adapt well to the NBA and won't be able to make it in the league.

However, American reporters were not satisfied. They said he had already crushed Ben Wallace and the Dream Team at the World Championships, so why was he being modest?

"That's different. FIBA ​​rules are more favorable to inside players, so we can't equate Yao's performance with his performance in the NBA."

Cheney didn't respond at all, and then said, "I'm already very satisfied that Yao scored 10 points today."

After saying that, seeing that the reporter was still asking Yao Ming questions, he couldn't help but try to change the subject, saying that we should ask something else.

For example, our "luxurious" lineup.

Many reporters looked at Cheney speechlessly. With the Knicks' roster, do you really believe Garnett and Jordan?

Cheney's eye twitched, and he promptly shut up.

His humility immediately reached Rick Carlyle's ears.

In response to this statement, Carlisle said he didn't believe a word of it.

You're acting innocent after getting the benefits. Do you really think everyone is stupid? Yao Ming was in such good form at the World Championships, and you're telling me he couldn't adapt to the NBA?

Is it that NBA centers can't enter the paint or something?

Even if he can't get into the paint, he'll still shoot a three-pointer.

Add another Allan Houston, forming an inside-outside partnership, paired with a championship point guard, Billups, and a group of energetic young rookies.

Anyway, Carlisle felt that the Knicks were ready to take the lead.

Oh, and Tang Sen too.

Tang Sen's arrival in the Big Apple was like adding wings to a tiger.

The media made a big fuss, with all sorts of sarcastic remarks.

But just in case, just in case.

What if Tang Sen really manages to develop a few Garnetts or Jordans from this group of young rookies?

So at the pre-game press conference, Carlisle was very humble and praised Yao Ming highly.

Then, after returning to the locker room, he grabbed Ben and opened his mouth as if to say a few words of advice, but in the end, he didn't say anything long, just reminded Ben to be careful.

If you can't even defend properly and let someone score high in their debut, wouldn't you look like an idiot?

His reaction made Ben, who was already feeling apprehensive and had a headache, even more uneasy.

So there wasn't even a word of encouragement?

So at 8 p.m., in the center circle, Ben Wallace, who stood like a little bird opposite Yao Ming, was already a little intimidated before the game even started.

The game started, and Yao Ming simply tiptoed slightly and easily deflected the basketball.

Ben only jumped symbolically.

This scene made Barkley burst out laughing.

"Ben, why aren't you jumping!"

They weren't very proactive before.

He had barely finished speaking when he uttered a "fuck."

After deflecting the ball, Yao Ming immediately started his run and charged toward the penalty area.

He wasn't slow, and quickly reached the penalty area.

Billups, who was dribbling the ball up the court, immediately spotted Yao Ming standing out like a crane among chickens near the basket.

They didn't even see Ben Affleck, who was lost among the tall people.

He pushed the basketball out with both hands and sent it straight to the basket.

Before the two players were fully in position, Yao Ming noticed the ball flying over. He immediately exerted his strength, squeezed under the basket, and with a light leap, caught the ball in mid-air and put it into the hoop.

Alley-oop layup.

The moment Yao Ming jumped, with an official height of 206 cm and 201 cm with shoes, and his height seemingly made up for by his hairstyle, he still exuded a sense of awe and reverence.

Then a thought immediately came to mind.

Screw it, with that height difference, what's the point of playing around?

In just 6 seconds, Yao Ming scored his first 2 points in his NBA career.

The key is that they played so easily.

It felt like Yao Ming didn't exert much effort, and Ben Wallace was just pushed aside.

This is completely inconsistent with his previous image as a fearless and ruthless man who would take a couple of elbows from anyone who came near him.

This ease left Barkley and his two companions speechless.

“Kenny, do you think it’s like watching kids when someone this tall plays on the court?” He pointed to himself and Smith on the other side.

Standing at less than two meters tall, I once had to rush to the basket during my career to compete with giants over seven feet tall. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

Smith also made a joke, agreeing wholeheartedly, saying, "I think they probably breathe fresher air than we do."

I, being short, had to endure all the body odor, sweat, and body odor.

Especially when you drive to the basket, the opposing center raises his arm, and you look up—that feeling…

Smith shuddered.

On the court, the Pistons are on offense.

Ben Wallace, with his back to Yao Ming, looked like he was leaning against a wall.

He saw Atkins looking at him and promptly looked away.

Don't pass the ball to me!

I'm not good at attacking anyway, and I don't want to get blocked.

It's still Stackhouse.

This summer was a fruitless one for the Pistons.

They tried to trade Stackhouse; his one-on-one style and leadership were like a young lady on the streets of Seattle to the Pistons.

It's usable, it's definitely usable, but it's certainly not as enjoyable to use. And when Dumas finally decided to let him go, he discovered that Stackhouse wasn't in high demand.

They can't get what they want, and they don't want what they can get.

The only option is for Stackhouse to continue working alone.

Fortunately, Gerald Wallace, who started the game, was too hasty on defense and was caught off guard.

Stackhouse faked a shot, gained half a body length, and then pulled up for a jump shot that went in.

Courtside.

This time, Tang Sen was truly sitting on the team's bench.

Wearing uniforms similar to those of the training team, they silently observed the players' performance on the field.

What could Tangsen say about Wallace's lack of defensive experience?

Cheney struggled for a long time just deciding who would start.

Prince is this year's rookie, with a record of zero points.

Calderic Brown's record is verifiable; he averaged 2.2 points per game last season.

Even though Wallace was just acquired through a trade, the only option was to start him.

Because his stats were better last season, averaging 3.2 points per game, at least one more.

Youth means a lack of experience.

While defense relies on physical strength, experience is also very important.

Sasena was also personally taught by Tang Sen.

His ability to control his appetite was something Tang Sen personally taught him.

Tang Sen's technique and rhythm changes were enough to make even Jordan suffer a bit.

So these three young men, from Wallace to Prince, still have a lot of practice to do.

Moreover, they lack not only defensive experience, but all kinds of experience.

For example, positioning on the field.

Tang Sen could clearly sense Wallace's bewilderment.

He's always slow to react; when his teammates move, he has to pause for a moment before he knows where to move next.

Swift, who started the game, is in a similar state.

After a month of contact, Tang Sen had already realized that this guy really had nothing but a body.

He seemed unable to understand how a player should play.

All he knows is to dribble the ball and mindlessly charge towards the basket.

It seems that his mind can only hold this much; any more and it will overflow.

It's even more campy than Camp.

So it still has to be Yao Ming.

You can clearly sense that he's using his brain when he plays.

He would observe his teammates' positioning and then offer suggestions at the appropriate time to provide cover for Houston.

And Billups would always pass the ball to him at just the right time.

Houston now has a bit of a "simplify" vibe, abandoning any fancy moves and just focusing on pure shooting.

The quick pull-up shot after a screen, the catch-and-shoot after catching the ball off the rim, and finally the triple-threat shot for one-on-one play.

Especially the pull-up jumper after a screen, it's incredibly fast, giving the defender no chance to get around the screen.

In the summer, Tang Sen asked him to adjust the rhythm.

It means adjusting your footwork in advance when you observe your teammates rushing out to set a screen for you.

After setting a pick and roll, take a step and start moving.

Instead of adjusting the rhythm a beat later after the pick-and-roll.

Therefore, he acts quickly and accurately.

The basketball hit the net.

But looking back, the Knicks still couldn't stop the Pistons.

Clifford Robinson, whom the Magic desperately wanted last year, is a year older, but he's still sharp. He can cut inside after a screen and hit a three-pointer as soon as he catches the ball.

Tangsen turned to look at Cheney.

He remained completely calm, sitting as steady as a mountain.

Perhaps they truly have no desire for better results.

Fortunately, Billups was still on the field.

After a few rounds, he had already quickly assessed the situation on the field.

The sense of the big picture cultivated in elementary school students is truly remarkable.

He quickly gave a few instructions to the players on the court, telling them to extend their defense outwards, limit the Pistons' outside shooting, and force them to move towards the basket.

Yao Ming's intimidating presence in the paint shouldn't be wasted.

At the same time, they kept passing the ball to Yao Ming.

Slow down the pace, spread out, and create space in the paint. Use bounce passes or lobs to get the ball inside.

This avoids interfering with passing routes.

When only Yao Ming and Ben Wallace were left in the paint, Ben Wallace started to suffer.

Yao Ming's playing style is very pragmatic.

Or rather, smart enough.

He practiced his low-post footwork diligently and was able to show off his skills, but he knew how not to use it.

They simply sat firmly in their positions, relying on drives and using their height and weight to overpower the base.

Once he gets close to the basket, he still has enough skill to put the ball in.

After conceding two goals in a row, Ben Wallace was on the verge of a breakdown.

That's how I got completely crushed at the World Championships.

This style of play, much like Shaquille O'Neal using his weight to bully others, is simple yet incredibly difficult to defend against.

I'm taller and heavier than you, what can you do about it?

When Ben Wallace was forced to jump again and hit Yao Ming's arm, allowing Yao Ming to score a 2+1, Carlisle had no choice but to call a timeout.

After six and a half minutes, Yao Ming had made 4 of 5 shots, already scoring 8 points—no, with the free throws, he would immediately have 9 points.

Before the game, Cheney was saying he would be satisfied if Yao Ming scored 10 points. So he was just being modest off the court, but he really went all out on the court, huh?

Carlisle was also annoyed as he watched Ben Wallace walk off the field dejectedly.

He was too embarrassed to even utter a couple of curses.

After all, it's really not Ben Wallace's fault; with that height and weight difference, it's impossible to defend against him.

Double-teaming would probably be difficult.

Clifford Robinson is very light for the power forward position.

Yao Ming's current playing style requires him to position himself very deep, play high up the court, making it difficult to steal the ball and easy to get fouled.

Then let's replace them.

Gritting his teeth, Carlisle substituted in substitute center Zelke Rebraka.

Although it moves slowly, it is still taller and heavier than the Big Ben.

Most importantly, with a lack of offensive capabilities and being relentlessly targeted by Yao Ming on the defensive end, Ben Wallace could offer no help on either end of the court.

At least Rebraka, who comes from Europe, has a decent shooting ability.

Ben sat down quickly, as if granted a pardon, and even encouraged Rebraka, patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Brother, do your best."

Carlisle silently frowned. Was that supposed to be encouragement? It sounded like he was sending Rebraka to his execution.

Daben pretended not to see it.

It's not that he lacks fighting spirit, but when there's a 30-kilogram weight difference and a 25-centimeter height difference, basketball can easily become completely unenjoyable.

On the other side, Cheney, who had been sitting for half the game, seemed to only then remember that he was the head coach, and quickly got up to greet Yao Ming.

He wanted to say something complimentary, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to say them.

Scoring 8 points in half a quarter, he dominated the paint, showing no signs of discomfort whatsoever.

His performance was even better than Kwame Brown's last year.

It really felt like logging in was the pinnacle.

The key question is whether Yao Ming's playing style might make him seem like he was overly pretentious before the game.

(End of this chapter)