Chapter 144 143. Small Goal Already Got

Zhang Yang saw that everyone in the comment section was mocking the Rockets general manager.

I checked the reviews from various media outlets and they were all complaining about the Rockets general manager.

Entering several mainstream domestic portal websites... Zhang Yang looked at them and gave a thumbs up.

Can't we spend the money spent on media operations on recruiting players?

It seems that it really doesn’t work!

Signing new players does not necessarily make the team stronger. Take the Mavericks in the 03-04 season as an example. They used a bunch of expiring contracts to pick up two top power forwards, Anthony Walker and Jamison, for free. However, they just won 60 games and reached the Western Conference Finals the previous season, but after signing new players, they only won 52 games and were eliminated in the first round.

In fact, the effect of spending a lot of money to recruit players is often lower than expected. For example, the Nets recruited Mutombo and Carter, the Nuggets recruited Kenyon Martin, the 76ers recruited Webber, and every recruitment of the Knicks in recent years...

In that era when information dissemination technology was not yet well developed, most fans could only learn about the NBA through mainstream media. They believed it, and even if the sponsors knew it was fake, they would still choose to sponsor the Rockets. Fans would only pay for the products if they believed it.

But why is it so direct this time?

Zhang Yang recalled that in 06, after the Rockets introduced the Korean, although the domestic media also praised the Rockets for getting a great bargain by spending only 500 million to get a player who originally cost more than 3000 million, and praised the Rockets management's operational capabilities, they did not seem to praise Wells as a superstar. At most, they just said that Wells restrained Duncan, and the Rockets could rely on Wells to win against the Spurs in the playoffs, and were expected to replace the Spurs as the favorite team to win the Western Conference.

Zhang Yang suddenly thought of the news in the local media during the playoffs last season, which said that several domestic brands that originally sponsored the Rockets ended their cooperation with the Rockets and switched to the Bobcats.

Since these sponsors are not the top sponsors of the Rockets, he didn't care too much. He just knew that Boss Joe was making money.

Now it seems that those sponsors want to place their bets again, and the money-sensitive Jewish guy on the Rockets can't sit still and wants to use this gimmick to trick the sponsors back?
And the Rockets don't need to actually win the championship. As long as they perform better than the Bobcats next season, it will be enough to satisfy domestic fans and retain sponsors.

The first small goal for next season has been decided - continue to suppress the Rockets!
...

September 9th, a new week has arrived. After the morning physical training, the trainer told Zhang Yang that the number of physical training sessions will be reduced to 11-1 times a week before the start of the training camp, and the amount will also be greatly reduced. He was also asked to reduce the amount of other training. For example, if he trained physical fitness this morning, he would not be able to do "anti-fatigue technical training" in the afternoon, and he could only do light training tomorrow, or at least not train. He would do regular training the day after physical training to allow his body to get enough rest and prepare for the new season.

In terms of health, Zhang Yangzhu listened to the advice and planned to go home and take his younger brother for a walk after completing the physical therapy.

The preseason will begin in at most a month. I will then have to fly around the United States for at least six months, and won't have time to take my brother for a walk. In another year or two, my brother will reach the age where people and dogs hate him, and it won't be so fun anymore.

While doing physical therapy, Zhang Yang opened the door to experience.

“Name: Zhang Yang.

Age: 18 (Date of Birth: June 1988, 6)
Height 195 cm, weight 91 kg.

Ability value assessment: three-pointer 74, mid-range shot 83, layup 88, ball control 89, passing 77, speed 93, strength 82, jumping 85, physical strength 88.

Gains from the training: Steve Nash's sense of rhythm in ball control (intermediate), improved continuous jumping ability, the devilish pace of the demon sword, Bird's back-to-the-basket rhythm (intermediate), slight improvement in core strength, and the ability to win big with a small effort.

Shot value: 121942…”

After three and a half months of hard training, I have made great progress!

The biggest improvement is in physical strength, which soared from 84 to 88, but Zhang Yang feels that it is still not enough. He wants to do the best he can on both offense and defense. His playing time may decrease instead of increase in the new season. If he still plays like last season, his playing time will definitely increase. It depends on the team's needs at that time.

If Rondo and Alan Anderson make enough progress on defense this summer, then he will focus on the offense, try not to be a drag on defense, and cooperate better with his teammates.

Thinking of this, he felt that there was another reason why Bickerstaff introduced Muhammad, which was to further reduce the defensive pressure on the back line players.

For example, he relies on his speed to chase down shots, and when defending alone, he only needs to interfere with outside shots, and he can do a good job without expending too much physical energy. When encountering shooters like Peja and Hamilton who have good positioning or amazing physical strength, he will not be asked to be the main defender. On this basis, if the team wants to further improve its defense, the best way is to strengthen its inside defense.

During this summer's physical training, he only gained less than 3 pounds due to good diet control. Grove does not recommend that he gain weight at this age. Although his height does not have much room to grow according to his bone age, the strength of his bones and joints has not reached the optimal age. Moreover, gaining weight is not conducive to his current style of play that focuses on mobility and flexibility. However, his strength has improved from 80 to 82, and his jumping ability has also increased by 1 point as his strength has increased.

投篮传控方面，三分提升4点、中投2点、上篮3点、控球3点、传球4点。

Mid-range shots, layups, and ball control have improved steadily, with three-pointers and passing improving the most. Because his foundation is the worst, Zhang Yang wants to improve his three-point shot to over 75 before the start of the new season.

The season goal is to improve three-point shooting to 80+, mid-range shooting to 85+, and layup to 90+. In that case, when we meet a truly top defensive team in the playoffs, we will be able to make a push. I felt too helpless when I met the Pistons in the second round last season.

However, there is hope for three-pointers and layups, but mid-range shots are not certain. The range of mid-range shots is too wide. After 75+, the improvement is very slow, and after 80+, it is even slower... But this one has strong lethality! The containment effect is also better!
The next morning, Zhang Yang arrived at the home team's training ground at 9 o'clock. As Zhang Yang expected, the stern-tempered poker-faced rookie was already training - Rajon Rondo.

Since the end of June, Zhang Yang, Felton and Gerald Wallace have not trained at the home team's training ground, but have trained at another large training ground rented outside the stadium. During the season, those rented training grounds have good business, but in the offseason, especially in the summer, business is average. Small training grounds are still okay, with eight or ten people coming to rent them. Large training grounds are empty in the summer, which is just right for the three brothers to train.

Zhang Yang's physical training is mostly done in the fitness club opened by Jordan not far from the stadium.

Zhang Yang walked into the training ground and caught Rondo's attention.

Zhang Yang: "Good morning, Rajan. You're here for training so early again."

Rondo: "Not as early as you. You start training before 7 o'clock every morning."

Zhang Yang heard the dissatisfaction and unhappiness in the other party's tone, and said with a smile: "If you play well in your rookie season, I will definitely invite you to join us next time. There is no free lunch in the world... unless you become a homeless person and queue up for relief food."

Rondo: "..."

He thought Zhang Yang was going to give him some chicken soup and wanted to say something back, but he didn't expect him to say this in the end.

During the tryout, Rondo felt that Zhang Yang was too abominable. Relying on his own talent and the fact that he had entered the NBA a year earlier, he bullied him, a draft candidate who had just graduated from college. He really didn't want to be selected by the Bobcats.

When Stern called out his name, he felt like the sky was falling and his NBA career might be over.

But he was unwilling to accept his fate and was already prepared. As long as Zhang Yang dared to bully him, he would fight with Zhang Yang, even if he couldn't win. The worst that could happen was that he would be put on ice. He was not a person who was willing to suffer in silence.

As a result, when he came to Charlotte again at the end of June, Zhang Yang and Felton, who seemed to be the boss of the team, warmly entertained him and Millsap, took them to dinner, drove them around the city, and told them things to pay attention to...

Felton was enthusiastic, and Rondo was not surprised, because this guy was carefree during the tryout.

The way Zhang Yang looked when he wasn't playing basketball was indeed beyond Rondo's expectations. He was so humble and polite, with outstanding looks and good taste in clothes, that Rondo thought he had recognized the wrong person.

At first, Rondo thought Zhang Yang was pretending, but in the following months, when he occasionally met Zhang Yang, he was very polite, like a harmless little mountain cat... Until one day, when he was practicing shooting, he felt good and excitedly went to challenge Zhang Yang...

In short, Rondo is not as averse to Zhang Yang as when he was first selected, but that little grudge is still there. He wants to confront him every time he meets him, even if he cannot win.

Seeing Zhang Yang start to warm up, Rondo asked, "Aren't you going to the training ground over there to train today?"

Zhang Yang: "The special training is over. We will have two weeks of rest. Raymond and his family went to Miami yesterday. Gerald also went to New York with his wife and children. I was not planning to come today, but I heard that there will be new players joining the team today." Rondo asked quickly: "A new teammate has joined? Which position?"

Zhang Yang: "Don't worry, you are not a point guard. With your strength, you will definitely be Raymond's number one substitute."

Rondo: "I don't care about that. No matter who comes, I can win playing time. I will definitely surpass Raymond one day."

Zhang Yang: "Then you have to work hard. Raymond has become stronger this summer. This is not a game of four-in-one chess."

Rondo: "Huh, who's coming? Which team is this free agent from? I remember there seems to be no fish in the free market. The remaining free agents shouldn't make you give up your rest to come and see them. You didn't come when Derek Anderson and Othella Hannington signed. Was it a trade?"

Zhang Yang: "He is not an American player, but a player of the Argentine national team. I heard that he has Spanish royal blood. His father is a famous writer in Argentina. The boss went to Spain after the World Championships and snatched him from the Spurs management. I am very curious about what kind of player he is."

Rondo: "Well... now that you mention it, it makes me curious..."

The topic came to an abrupt end. For Rondo, he had said enough today.

Zhang Yang did not continue to find topics to talk about. Although he could talk, it depended on the person. With teammates like Rondo, he would talk if there was something to talk about, but if not, forget it.

At around 10 o'clock, Zhang Yang met his new teammate, Walter Hermann, the 04-2 swingman who represented Argentina in the World Series in 4 and this year.

After completing the signing, Bickerstaff and Jordan brought Hermann to meet Zhang Yang. In fact, it was to let the new Argentine player know who the team values ​​most.

The first impression Hermann gave Zhang Yang was loneliness and melancholy. With his shoulder-length hair and Latin American face, he looked a bit like an artist.

This temperament is similar to what Zhang Yang imagined. This is a player with a very rough fate. In the past few years, his relatives have left one after another, leaving only him and his sister to depend on each other. It would be strange if he was not lonely and depressed.

Zhang Yang and Hermann greeted each other but didn't talk much.

He was interested in Herman because Jordan personally snatched him from the Spurs, and he heard that Herman was a fan of Jordan.

Zhang Yang checked Hermann's information. He is 27 years old, 206 cm tall and weighs only 102 kg. He is very thin, but he can play shooting guard. When he was in the La Liga club, he played as a forward, but in the Argentina national team, he played as a shooting guard. Ginobili played as a small forward for him.

Since Herman was the player invited back by the boss himself, Bickerstaff could only complete the signing first and then test Herman.

During a break in training, Zhang Yang went to watch Hermann's test.

The South American players that the Spurs have their eyes on may not be very strong, but they definitely have some special qualities that Popovich is looking for.

He soon found out why the Spurs took a fancy to Herman - his shooting was so accurate!
In the first set of three-point tests, 100 out of 94 shots were made, in the second set 88 shots, in the third set 91 shots... In the five sets of three-point tests, about 5 shots were made each, with the lowest being 90 shots.

Zhang Yang learned from Bickerstaff that the Spurs had been paying attention to Herman as early as around 2000 and had been in contact with him a long time ago. However, Herman's contract with the La Liga club was very long and would not expire until this year. The buyout fee was very high, so the Spurs waited until this year... but were intercepted by Jordan.

It seems that after Herman came into contact with the Spurs, he had the idea of ​​playing in the NBA and started preparing a long time ago, otherwise he would not have been able to shoot such a high percentage from beyond the NBA-standard three-point line.

No wonder Ginobili was able to change his position to small forward in the national team. His shooting accuracy and distance are so useful in the World Series.

He is 206cm tall and can shoot like this. He must be the bankrupt version of Bird and Durant in international competitions!
However, training is training, and it is hard to say what the situation will be like during the game. I don’t know whether I can adapt to NBA games.

If he can adapt, they have another solid shooter at the 2-4 position.

Then the pressure on Alan Anderson, Matt Carroll and Jumaine Jones will be great.

This is a good thing for Zhang Yang. Competition and pressure among several pitchers will give them the motivation to become stronger.

...

While Zhang Yang was watching Hermann, his teammates also came to the gym to train one after another.

At the beginning of the month, most of the teammates had returned to the team and started training. The only ones who didn't come this morning were Felton, Gerald Wallace and Okafor.

Okafor has not been idle this summer. Jordan asked his good friend Charles Oakley to teach Okafor defense. The training started in mid-June and lasted for two and a half months. The training ended at the end of August. He is now in his hometown in Texas with his family and will come back when the team notifies him to gather.

Zhang Yang heard from Jordan that Okafor was training and then he moved to the boxing ring... He was just like Oakley.

After watching Herman's tryout, Zhang Yang chatted with the new center Muhammad.

This is a very generous player. He is actually not very old, only 29 years old, and he has played in the NBA for 8 years. But he gives people the feeling that he is very old because he looks very mature and has a generous personality, but he is also very calm. He likes to take care of young players, which makes people feel that his age is not surprising.

The new teammate that Muhammad cares about the most is Rondo, and Rondo is also happy to play with this new teammate. Zhang Yang was quite surprised at first that Rondo made friends so quickly, but later he found out that Muhammad was Rondo's senior, so it was not surprising.

The person who was most happy about Muhammad's arrival was Perkins. Perkins was finally no longer the darkest one in the team. Muhammad was almost as dark as him.

After hanging out in the gym for the whole morning, Zhang Yang went home in the afternoon to help his parents pack.

Zhang Chen and Yang Jing have been in Charlotte for several months and have finally finalized the opening of a new farm. They will live in Charlotte for a long time. After the start of the season, Zhang Yang goes out early and comes back late, so it is inconvenient for him to live here.

Last month, the couple started looking for a place to live, and a few days ago they rented a villa in the suburbs and prepared to move in.

Zhang Yang still plans to live in the apartment first. It is close to the stadium and convenient. He can occasionally stay with his parents. It only takes half an hour to drive there, which is not a problem. It is also convenient for his parents to visit him.

Regarding Zhang Yang's decision, Yang Jing complained about his eldest son's face, saying that his son grew up and did not kiss his parents, but he couldn't be in private ... Let Zhang Shen want to report to his eldest son, but he was afraid of being beaten.

The main thing is that we have been living together for a few months and it’s a bit annoying.

Children want private space and time alone, and parents do the same.

Yang Jing is not the kind of mother who has a strong control desire when it comes to educating her children, otherwise she would not have allowed her eldest son to go to another city to attend high school alone.

After two days of hard work, on September 9, my parents moved out. Zhang Yang looked at the empty house and felt… so happy! It was so cool to lie on the sofa and play games in my shorts.

After a leisurely day of rest, Zhang Yang went to bed at 10 o'clock that night, opened the door of experience, and silently chanted in his heart to start the experience. After deducting 12 from the 10 shooting points, he fell into a deep sleep soon...

...

In the 85-86 season, you won the championship with the team by defeating the Rockets 4-2 in the finals. As a rookie, you averaged 15.8 points per game in the finals, ranking third on the team, which made the team's general manager Auerbach really determined to train you as one of the future dual cores.

Before the draft in June 1986, Auerbach used all his connections, paid multiple players and draft picks, traded for the second pick, selected another future core player in his mind, Len Bias, and announced loudly that you and Bias are the future of the Celtics dynasty... But three days after the draft, the bad news came that Len Bias took drugs and killed himself...

(End of this chapter)