CHAPTER 1282: 518._2

How much Little Okafor can understand and whether he will listen, Zhang Yang can’t control. Since he is the nephew of a good inside partner, he can be considered half his nephew. With such good basketball talent, it’s a pity that he is eliminated due to the change of the basketball era.

He remembers when Little Okafor entered the NBA, he was only 208 cm tall without shoes and weighed 125 kg. But unfortunately, the NBA had just entered the small-ball era. Not only was his technique out of touch with the professional arena, but he also had to drag his huge body back and forth, suffering from continuous injuries in his rookie year and being wiped out by his junior year...

Low post offense is possible. After weight reduction, Okafor’s low post technique training hasn’t stopped. Over there, since last season, Duncan has started to lose weight, but low post offense is still the primary scoring method. There is no outdated technique, but there are outdated play styles. The use of techniques must follow the changes of the times. Last season, Duncan rarely stood still and spread out to battle in low post offense. Instead, he caught the position in motion and quickly played with a rhythm difference.

And Little Okafor, by 2015, was still sitting in the low post grinding slowly with that set.

Since it’s fate to meet, Zhang Yang follows his heart and gives Little Okafor a tip. Whether it has any effect or not, it doesn’t matter; just easing his conscience with a few words is fine.

...

The day after the party, it was the Bobcats’ off day.

Just gathered and then had an off day is because last night many were drunk.

For this, Carlisle had long expected and arranged to rest for a day after gathering. The training camp would officially start on the 30th.

People will always change. Carlisle is no longer the ’new generation genius coach’ who liked to kill the fun of team members during his Pistons and Pacers periods and didn’t get along with anyone. Now he is the ’new generation championship coach’.

He arranged the gathering day to be on Okafor’s birthday, intending for the whole team to be present. No one would miss the first birthday Okafor spent with the whole team.

Earlier wouldn’t be suitable either. It can’t be that after practicing for two days, they suddenly stop for two days. The timing was discussed with Boss Qiao.

Some, knowing that they have work coming up, didn’t drink too much. They must familiarize themselves with the tactical adjustments in advance. Seven teammates left, and five new ones came. The team structure has changed greatly, so the tactics naturally need corresponding adjustments.

Zhang Yang was one of them, getting up at 10 in the morning, having made lunch, and then spending the afternoon flipping through the tactical manual. Since the system was already set up, the tactical manual was easier to study than in previous years because the adjustment was only aimed at the characteristics of new players, not based on their playing style. The new players needed to adapt to the system, not the system making changes for new players. The tactics would undoubtedly be centered around the Three Giants + Millsap.

In the evening, Zhang Yang returned to his parents’ home for dinner. There would be no free time in the next month, as he needed to devote himself entirely to the preparation work before the regular season.

After 9 p.m., having showered and laid down on the bed, going to bed early, he thought a movement and the ’door’ appeared in front of him.

"Name: Zhang Yang... Ability Assessment: Three-point shooting 94 (limit 95), Mid-range shot 93 (limit 95), Layup 94 (limit), Dribbling 90, Passing 87, Speed 94, Strength 87 (limit 89), Jumping 90, Stamina 94 (limit 96)..."

This summer, the most obvious improvement was mid-range shots, from 92 to 93; Dribbling, having broken 90 for two years, finally increased by 1 point;

As for three-pointers, last season threw out the first three-point king, and after an explosive increase of 3 points in one year, progress that fast is no longer possible. It’s close to the talent limit anyway, so keep practicing. In games, as long as he keeps shooting, it will eventually go up;

Playing ball relies not only on basic skills, technique is equally important, as is game experience, understanding, and utilization of tactics... He isn’t anxious about getting closer to the limit.

For stamina, he is already very good, like strength, it can only become stronger naturally with age.

He mentally gives the command, and the content on the ’door’ switches to tasks.

"Shooting value: 154972..."

In three months of off-season, only saved up 150,000 shooting value, the least in the last 3 offseasons. There were many commercial activities this summer, but not as much as last year’s busy participation in the Beijing Olympics.

Mainly he dedicated a large part of his time this summer to technical honing. Last season, after being ’squeezed’ to the limit by the Hawks’ three stars, the Bulls’ three second-defense perimeter players + Yao Ming, Lakers’ three giants + Iron + twin towers, the progress made definitely couldn’t be wasted. He also learned post-up moves with Kobe and revisited the 35 techniques... Therefore, besides the mid-range shots these skills mainly served, the time allocated to three-point and attacking the basket shooting training was squeezed out a lot.

He doesn’t feel he’s ’wasting’ time, knowing how to prioritize tasks. Talent points and level-up experience gains can wait; achieving such progress again in the future would take who knows how long to settle.

In fact, early last month, he had already accumulated 100,000 shooting value. But at that time, he was busy competing with Kobe on who taught better, mentally exhausted, and unwilling to give in. During the subsequent two weeks of solo training, until the ’Iron King Training Camp’ ended, he maintained that psychological state, unsuitable to start on the experiences. Now back in Charlotte, after a few days of rest to adjust his mindset, he’s finally prepared.

He mentally commands, and the shooting value on the ’door’ becomes 54972. The ’door’ slowly opens, and a heavy sleepiness overcomes...

...

"After leading the Knicks to win the championship in 1990, you fully became New York’s darling. Endorsements and TV shows came in droves; but amidst the indulgence in the Big Apple City, you maintained your original intention, remained in training, and continued to move forward. Larry Bird, the newly joined coaching staff consultant, also gave you substantial help in this regard, enriching your offensive arsenal under Bird’s guidance.

In the 1990-1991 season, the Knicks, retaining most of their main players, launched another championship chase under your and Patrick Ewing’s leadership.

During the regular season, you played 78 games, with three games missed due to a suspension from a fight during a game against the Celtics. Throughout these 78 games, you averaged 28 points per game, a slight reduction from the previous season, and the assist numbers also decreased from 4.5 to 3, but your shooting percentage significantly improved from the previous season’s 50.7% to 53.4%. Among all primary wing and guard players in the league, only you and Michael Jordan achieved such shooting percentages.

Moreover, you averaged 2.7 three-pointers made per game with a 40.4% shooting percentage, becoming the Three-Point King for two consecutive years.

Averaging 2.8 steals became a new career high, surpassing Jordan’s 2.6 steals per game, ranking third in the league.

Ewing played 81 games in the regular season, averaging 23.1 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3.2 blocks with a 51% shooting percentage, remaining your most efficient assistant.

A more mature Mark Jackson provided significant support to you as well. The significant improvement in your shooting percentage was inseparable from his role in the tactics.

During the regular season, you led the team to a 55-27 record, ranking second in the East, being selected as an All-Star starter, and making both the first team and all-defensive team.

Although finishing behind Jordan in the MVP competition, in the playoffs you led the team with momentum, first sweeping Big Bird’s old home Celtics, which dropped to a 44-win record following Big Bird’s retirement, in the diversion, then defeating Barkley’s 76ers 4-1 in the second round, and in the Eastern Conference finals, you led the team through six hard-fought battles to oust Jordan’s second MVP win with a 4-2 series, advancing to the championship round, meeting the Magician in the championship round for the second consecutive year.

This time the championship series was easier than the previous year. The Lakers managed to reach the finals again mainly because they had emptied the West in the past decade. Except for the Jazz Team reaching a 4-2 score against them in the second round, the Lakers swept through both of their other series to advance.

Ultimately, you led the Knicks to defeat the Lakers 4-1, again winning the finals MVP for two consecutive years...