Capítulo 1296: Chapter 524: Number One in the World, Yearned For

There’s also Sam (Vincent), Paul (Silas), and Randy (Brown). They’re not just assistants; they were athletes too. They have rich experience in playing and coaching games, so you can communicate more with them to understand the NBA better and prepare more effectively.

Don’t feel embarrassed. The team pays them a salary, and that’s what they should be doing. It’s stated in our contracts that we’re entitled to receive necessary help from the coaches.”

Matthews was momentarily stunned when he heard this, then replied with a slightly awkward, or perhaps unfamiliar, “Thank you.”

Zhang Yang waved his hand, following Jarett Young to the gym for a warm-up.

Seeing this childhood friend, Zhang Yang slightly understood why the Trail Blazers’ medical staff had such a stable position. In just a little over a year, Jarett Young progressed from an intern trainer to a supervisor responsible for basic training personnel arrangements. Although he was still doing odd jobs, he was managing training schedules for the players and working longer hours than ordinary trainers. The job wasn’t as tiring, sounded better when talked about, and the salary was higher.

As for reminding Matthews, it was purely a spur-of-the-moment decision. If Matthews hadn’t greeted him first, he would have just said a standard hello, like he would with any teammate, with no follow-up. It was just at that moment that he found Matthews much more agreeable.

Whether Matthews changes in this regard is none of his concern. After all, Matthews is just a 60th-pick backup shooting guard, and for shooting guard, his first choice is surely Zhang San, with senior Afflalo as the second option.

If Marion doesn’t perform well at the start or takes time to integrate, Zhang San might play small forward. Afflalo would, like last year’s playoffs, be the starting shooting guard. In that case, Matthews might have more opportunities, but they will certainly prioritize giving Marion time to adapt, even if he’s not performing well.

After warming up, Zhang Yang added extra sets of three-pointers and attacks to the basket, training more as his talent had just increased.

By 9 o’clock, teammates gradually arrived at the arena. After Carlisle arranged the training plan, Vincent took the lead, and the Bobcats’ training camp officially began. Zhang Yang fully immersed himself in it.

Zhang Yang was already familiar with the work in the training camp. With Felton, Hill, and this year’s certainly burdened Millsap actively participating in leading the team, Zhang San just needed to focus on his tasks and set a good example in every tactical training session he was involved in.

Day by day passed, and on October 10th, the preseason began. The Bobcats dominated relentlessly throughout the preseason, a scenario unseen for two years since the 06-07 season.

Zhang Yang, Felton, and Okafor did not exert themselves during the preseason. Their main focus was on cooperating with teammates, allowing new teammates and those on training camp contracts to better adapt to the team’s tactical system.

The one leading the team to a winning streak was Millsap, genuinely appearing as the core of cooperation.

Seeing Millsap’s all-out effort, Zhang Yang remembered his own sophomore year. Back then, the four of them didn’t really understand how to lead a team. In pre-season, they hardly considered the roles of teammate players, as they were also in an upgrading phase, putting in the same amount of effort as in regular seasons. Millsap now appeared quite similar.

After building his foundation for three years, Millsap entered his fourth year, nearly 25 years old, less than three months away. Compared to the start of last season, his transformation was clear as he appeared notably larger in size.

Zhang Yang saw Millsap’s physical test showing a weight of 116 kilograms, about as heavy as Okafor. Yet, Millsap was almost 7 centimeters shorter than Okafor, standing under two meters barefoot.

But this also demonstrated Millsap’s physical talent. At a shoe-worn height of only 201 cm with that weight, his mobility was just slightly less than Okafor’s. Even after gaining over 5 kilograms, his speed at the power forward position was still considered top tier. Of course, within the Bobcats, no one could surpass Ibaka in terms of athletic ability.

During the preseason game against the Hawks, when Millsap matched up against Horford, who stood at a shoe-worn height of 208 cm and weighed 110 kg, his mobility didn’t lag, and he had a clear advantage in physical confrontation.

However, Horford was only in his third year, with Millsap having played a year more at nearly a year and a half older, yet Horford’s prowess exceeded Millsap by more than half a tier. Compared to late last season, he showed obvious progress and was already a legitimate all-star level player. Millsap would likely have to wait for his peak years to join the All-Star ranks.

Unfortunately, Millsap had rotten luck in college. He wanted to stay in his hometown for college, and as the 66th ranked high-schooler in the nation, he joined the lackluster Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. By this year, this team hadn’t reached March Madness for 17 consecutive years. During high school, Millsap purely relied on physical fitness in games, and the then Bulldogs’ head coach, Keith Richard, used him purely as a blue-collar player. For three years, despite his attacking talent, he wasn’t given an offensive tactical position, nor did he develop offensively on his own, lacking both the initiative and the necessity to develop for use in games…

Horford, on the other hand, was different. He joined Florida State University, one of the strongest NCAA teams in the past decade, in 2004. He was coached by Billy Donovan, one of NCAA’s most capable young coaches, whom even Carlisle praises. Horford’s talent was quickly developed upon entering college. He won a championship with the team as a freshman, and over three years, honed very solid offensive fundamentals, reaching the NBA’s All-Star threshold halfway through his second year.

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