Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 230 Effort Pays Off
at the post-game press conference.

A New York Post reporter covering the team said sarcastically, "Greg, you didn't reveal your strategy for dealing with Yao before the game. If you had, you would have lost."

"Since you all lost the game, can you tell us how you dealt with Yao?"

"Forgive my lack of expertise, but after watching the whole game, especially the last half of the game, I realized that you guys simply couldn't defend Yao."

After he finished asking the question, he stood there straight, staring intently at Popovich.

All the reporters present turned their gazes toward Popovich.

This is equivalent to turning the screen upside down right in front of you.

Before the game, Popovich joked in a relaxed tone, showing off his humor.

But his expression and reaction clearly showed that he didn't take the Knicks seriously.

This kind of contempt is even worse than saying the Knicks are no good on the spot.

So what now?
The Knicks, whom you looked down on from the bottom of your heart, led the entire game and won.

Tell us about your brilliant plan!

On the stage.

Popovich cursed under his breath.

In his memory, he rarely seemed to be proven wrong.

But today, I was hit hard by a boomerang.

Looking back now, I think I was a bit too cocky at the pre-match press conference.

The key is that no one expected the Knicks to be so strong, or rather, Carlisle to be so good, managing to mold these Knicks players together and achieve such a great performance.

Popovich probably wanted to say, "It's just a regular season game, what are you all so happy about? Let's see who's the real deal in the playoffs."

But after thinking about it, I decided against it.

That might fool outsiders, but Popovich knows very well that the Knicks won today because of their sheer strength.

The coach's tactical arrangements and deployments, are they not a matter of ability?

Thinking about this, Popovich's wicked schemes began to surface.

He coughed lightly and said, "Henry, you're right, we simply can't stop Yao."

"As for the reason, it's very simple. Yao was the top scorer. He's a genius. I remember Tang praising him more than once, saying that he has amazing talent."

"He's not a rookie at all. Look at the All-Star voting, he's the center with the most votes in the East. He's going to be an All-Star starter, so it's normal that we can't guard him."

These compliments made the New York reporters present smile even more broadly than AK.

Forget about being a rookie; in the hearts of New Yorkers, he's the next Shaq.

"As for this game, to be honest, we didn't lose unjustly. My thoughts are still the same as before the game: the Knicks have great potential."

"I would say that the Knicks now have the strength to contend for the championship."

Popovich simply went all out to praise her to the point of ruin.

These words startled the reporter who asked the question.

Overall champion?
I almost don't dare to think about it.

But the next moment, he felt a surge of heroic spirit.

If we beat the Spurs today, we can beat the Magic tomorrow, and the Lakers the day after. The championship is just around the corner!

This is New York, the stage where miracles happen. If you don't even dare to dream, you can't call yourself a New Yorker.

So he decided to publish Popovich's words verbatim, or even embellish them, in the newspaper.

Let New Yorkers have some fun.

See? In less than half a season, we're already aiming for the championship.

Popovich's words were quickly relayed to Carlisle through the reporter's mouth.

Carlyle is very pragmatic.

He didn't take Popovich's flattery to heart at all.

"Today was my first game in charge of the team, and I'm glad we won. I don't have any expectations. My goal is simple: to lead the team back to the playoffs."

After arriving in Knicks, Layden, as before, did not make any demands on Carlisle regarding team performance.

This year is all about leveling up; we could definitely make a run at the Akron boys.

But after this match, Carlisle proactively raised his expectations.

Carlisle isn't thinking about the championship yet, but he feels no pressure at all about the playoffs.

Without lingering for pleasantries with the reporter, Carlisle hurried back to the locker room and found Tang Sen.

Tang Sen was watching Guo Yonglin give the last few players a massage to relax them.

"Tang, let's chat for a bit."

Carlisle pulled Tangsen outside.

Tang Sen first congratulated Carlisle.

With this victory, Carlisle's position as manager should be secure.

Moreover, Tang Sen himself found it quite unbelievable.

It feels a bit unreal that the Spurs could win.

Even with Yao Ming only scoring 28 points.

However, Yao Ming's stats today were really impressive: 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.

He almost got his first triple-double of his career.

It's fair to say that having tactics is a completely different matter than not having them.

Carlisle waved his hand dismissively and then said, "Don, we need to practice our three-pointers."

And so they started making wishes again.

But that's not all. Carlisle continued, "There's also the team rotation. I know that you were previously implementing a strategy where whoever performed well in training would get to play."

"But I'd like to make some adjustments and rotate players according to my needs. Tang, I'd like your support on this."

He discussed this issue with Tang Sen in a consultative tone.

Tang Sen frowned imperceptibly.

Just like when I adjusted my training plan before, I'm putting pressure on myself again.

In fact, before the match, Tangsen had already anticipated that Carlisle might do this.

He immediately deployed a twin-tower lineup, taking away Bender's playing time.

Looking back, his twin-tower move was a brilliant strategy that helped the team win the game.

The reason for choosing competitive rotation in the past was to level up.

The message was already out, and a large screen was set up to ensure everyone strictly followed it.

If changes are made now, will it affect the fighting spirit of the players who train hard and strive for playing time?

After all, in a normal team rotation, eight or nine players are already considered a lot.

For example, in this game, there was a 9-player rotation.

Before this, the Knicks used at least a 10-man rotation, and sometimes they could field all 12 players.

Now change things up and fix the lineup according to Carlisle's tactics.

Some players might think, "No matter how hard I try, I still won't get a chance to play, so why bother training so hard?"

Layden's plan was to breed and select the best from a group of rookies, cultivating outstanding players.

If Carlisle does it this way, then this kind of cult of poisons becomes meaningless.

Just follow his tactical system, select a few suitable players, and focus on developing them.

"Rick, let me think about it."

Tang Sen did not agree immediately.

Although Carlisle was the head coach, he was new to the job and was well aware of Townsend's importance.

Otherwise, could he discuss it with Tang Sen?
I just didn't expect Tang Sen's attitude to be like this.

"Okay, we'll talk again later."

Carlisle smiled, then reminded him to practice three-pointers more before leaving.

He went to find Kruger.

This is where Kruger's role comes into play; he can act as a bridge, understand Tangsen's true attitude, and help him get things sorted out.

……

The next day, Tang Sen walked into the conference room carrying a cup of coffee.

A routine, brief meeting to arrange the day's training. "Don, have you read the New York Post?" Brittenham asked.

Tang Tangsen sat down and said, "How could I not have seen it?"

The New York newspapers are buzzing with excitement today.

Popovich's words were copied verbatim into the newspapers by the New York media.

The New York Times headline reads: "We are great."

The report lavished praise on all the Knicks players.

To say that Yao Ming was an all-around player, both offensively and defensively, is simply unbelievable.

Of course, Quacarlisle is also indispensable.

Some say the Pistons should regret firing Carlisle, calling him a championship-caliber head coach.

They also said that yesterday's game was a textbook tactical battle, and Carlisle had the last laugh, leaving Popovich heartbroken in the Northwest.

Between the lines, it was as if he was about to shout out that sentence.

And it wasn't just the New York media that were making a fuss; newspapers in other regions were doing the same.

The Los Angeles Times says the Knicks are becoming one of the most competitive teams in the East.

The Washington Post warned the Wizards to be wary, saying the Knicks are poised to become a major obstacle on their path to the championship.

Anyway, after looking at it, Tang Sen felt that there was something wrong with the recent trend.

It seems like every team in the league is praising the Knicks.

The key point is that Tang Sen really thinks the Knicks are still far from being good enough.

The core players are definitely not a problem.

However, the role players' form fluctuates greatly, and they lack experience, so they still need to be trained.

They're far from being able to contend for the championship.

The concern is that this kind of atmosphere and rhetoric might affect the team's mentality, leading to arrogance and complacency, which would be disastrous.

"Pay attention to the players' mentality, be strict with them, and make them understand that they are still very inexperienced," Tang Sen concluded with a final word of advice.

Thinking you're invincible before you've even mastered the craft is a dangerous mindset.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Tang Sen stood on the sidelines of the training field, watching everyone train.

Carlisle didn't come, but several teaching assistants did.

"Don."

Kruger approached Tangsen and told him about Carlisle's visit to him the previous night.

"He contacted you again?"

Tang Sen frowned slightly.

Kruger nodded and added, "But don't worry, I'll be on your side."

Carlisle asked me to be his advocate, so I have to listen to him?

I'm not familiar with him.

Tang Sen is his disciple. Given this relationship, if a conflict arises, Kruger will definitely stand on Tang Sen's side without hesitation.

"Not that serious."

Tang Sen was both amused and exasperated; this was just like taking sides in a company.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Sen said, "I understand Rick's thoughts."

Tang Sen could tell that Carlisle didn't want to interfere with his training.

This guy is pretty straightforward; he just wants to win.

He probably thinks the Knicks are quite strong right now, and that if he can assemble a roster according to his own ideas, they can achieve great things.

Therefore, he wants to change the practice of competitive rotation.

"It's not that I don't support him."

There was no conflict between Tangsen and Carlisle.

Moreover, whatever Carlisle decides to do will not affect him in any way.

I just need to focus on training the players well.

"I'm just a little disappointed."

Tang Sen looked at the players on the field.

According to Carlisle's plan, he might confirm eight or nine key players, while the remaining players would be left out of the plan.

Those who were abandoned may have lost an opportunity to change their fate through hard work.

Tang Sen witnessed everyone's hard work over the past three months.

"Lang, look at Kenyang."

Tang Sen pointed to Dulin in the corner and said, "He's an alcoholic."

Kruger's expression changed slightly, and he asked if it was true or not.

He knew that alcoholism had a significant impact on a player's performance.

Tang Sen nodded.

On the first day of the new season's training camp, Tang Sen smelled alcohol on Dulin.

After that, Tang Sen smelled it several more times.

At that time, Tang Sen was a little confused. His attitude was very clear: if he drank, he had to get out.

Dulin works very hard in training and should be a very self-disciplined person, so why can't he control his drinking?

Out of curiosity, Tang Sen contacted his family to ask if they knew the reason for Dulin's alcoholism.

I learned something unexpected.

When Dulin was 7 years old, he was assaulted by one of his brother's friends.

This unfortunate experience changed him.

He started drinking at age 10, became addicted to drugs at age 11, and began stealing cars at age 12, frequently going in and out of the police station.

Although he eventually pulled himself out of the mire through basketball, his drinking problem remained.

According to his older brother, he often has nightmares and sometimes can't sleep at night without drinking.

Tang Sen sympathized with Dulin's plight, so he didn't expose his problems and decided to observe Dulin.

And Dulin did not disappoint him.

During training, he was definitely one of the hardest working.

He trained hard, hoping to earn playing time through competition, and longed to perform well and change his destiny.

And he is not alone in sharing this view.

For example, Gazuric has hardly played any games this season, but he has completed every training session with utmost seriousness.

For players like these, Tang Sen hopes their efforts will be rewarded.

Kruger patted Tangsen on the shoulder, indicating that he understood Tangsen's thoughts.

After a moment's thought, Kruger said, "Don, why don't you go talk to Rick and tell him your thoughts? I feel he'll understand."

Carlisle got to where he is today through sheer hard work.

No one is more qualified to say that hard work deserves a reward than him.

Tang Sen nodded slightly, indicating that he should indeed speak with Carlisle.

But it's not about opposing him.

After returning home yesterday, Tang Sen thought about it seriously and suddenly realized that his ideas did not conflict with Carlisle's.

He wants a good group of players to achieve good results.

I want these hardworking players to get the rewards they deserve.

These are not actually contradictory.

You're full of ideas and have many tactics, so why rely on just a few players to make the world a success? That's pathetic.

Be a little bolder.

Prepare several tactical systems and try to use all the players.

Triangle offense, Princeton offense, pick and roll, pass and cut—play whatever tactics you want.

To truly become a tactical mastermind.

(End of this chapter)