Chapter 269 268. The Boss is Really Useful
After the game, the coaching staff held a review meeting for the match.

New coach Paul Silas asked, "Randy, Chip, are we a lot less consistent this season than last season?"

England responded: "Our breakthroughs, scoring, defense and stability have all declined. Last season, when we were not in good form, we were able to rely on breakthroughs and defense to maintain a relatively high level. We lacked this tonight. We lacked players with strong breakthrough and cut-in threats, and Emeka's scoring opportunities also became less."

My colleagues all nodded.

This involves a very "counter-common-sense" point. People generally believe that with more three-point shooters and more space, it will become easier for centers to score and they can score more points. In fact, among the active players, such a situation is limited to a very small number of centers such as Yao Ming, Shark Nadal and Fosbury.

In fact, a team must have players with strong ability to break through and cut into the basket to create more scoring opportunities for the center. For example, in the OK connection, most of the time it is Kobe who breaks through or cuts in to receive the ball and takes the opposing center away, feeding O'Neal, rather than passing the ball to O'Neal from the outside... Of course, this is based on the fact that the wing shooter can ensure basic open three-point containment.

For most centers, if their teammates are a group of three-point shooters, they can only rely on offensive rebounds and second offense to score most of the time. As long as the opponent puts a big meat shield under the basket, it will be difficult for them to score through singles.

Okafor's one-on-one ability is very good, but when his opponent is Bogut, who has strong low-post defense, he becomes one of the "majority".

Randy Brown: "But our three-point performance is much better than last season. We made 11 three-pointers tonight. Last season, we rarely had more than 10 three-pointers. When Jack attracted double-teaming through singles, our wing shooters were able to seize the opportunity well, allowing Raymond to have a better performance in receiving shots."

Vincent: "Jack's performance was amazing. Reed's 43 points was already amazing, but I didn't expect Jack to score 50 points!"

Carlisle: "I didn't expect Jack to be able to overpower Reed in a one-on-one match. Jack is better in mid-range, but Reed is better in three-point shooting. Reed is also in better physical condition when attacking the basket. On the defensive end, Reed is in good physical condition, more aggressive, and has great impact. He can create more possibilities, while Jack is more stable and has a better grasp of the timing of interfering with shots... In terms of strength, I think Reed is a little stronger. Jack is really an incredible player."

Randy Brown: "Basketball IQ and playing style selection are also part of strength. He knows what to do in the game better than Redd, and he is more determined and confident. He will not doubt himself because he missed one or two shots. When I see him play, I always think of Bird and Michael. Even if he misses several shots in a row, I think he can score when the ball is given to him again."

Carlisle: "Yes, this is Jack, a unique player."

Bickerstaff, who had been silent for a while, interrupted, "Why do I feel like he just likes shooting more?"

other people:"……"

General Manager, please don't be so unsociable!
Everyone is sighing, your words have ruined the atmosphere!
Kato rolled his eyes at Bito and said, "No matter what Jack thinks, our work will be much easier with him around. When we need time to think about tactical changes, giving him the ball is a good choice... Chip, what do you think about increasing the threat of attacking the basket?"

Englander was ready, he opened his little notebook and said, “Our players who score a lot in the paint are Rajon, Raymond, Jack, Alan, Paul, Emeka, Nazir, Kendrick, and Grant.

Both Nazir and Kendrick stood in the three-second zone to receive the ball. They could not create any threat and could only receive the ball.

Alan is a versatile player who can shoot and cut, and has a wide range of adaptability, but his athletic ability is limited and there is not much room for improvement.

Raymond and Rajon's one-on-one attacks on the basket are too easy to defend and are not suitable.

Grant has both the ability and basketball IQ, and his athletic ability is better than we expected, but he is too old and has the risk of injury. I don't recommend him to take on this part of the job. He is more suitable for scoring without the ball like Alan did."

Carlisle: "So the possibility of improving this lies with Jake, Paul, and Emeka?"

England: "Yes, the best option is to develop Paul's cutting and dribbling. His ball control has improved a lot this summer and he has the conditions to develop this ability, but it takes time to practice. I think it is a bad choice to let him take on this task now.

Rick mentioned in the summer the impact of Gerrard's departure on the team's weakened offensive ability. At that time, I thought the progress of Paul and Alan could make up for it a little. Unfortunately, Alan's talent is too ordinary, and Paul's offensive ability was not improved as much as I expected.

Emeka is very suitable for this. He performs well in cutting in after setting screens on the outside. However, he is too heavy. 260 pounds (118 kilograms) is still a bit too heavy for running and playing. He is only 205 cm barefoot. If he loses 10 pounds, he will be more suitable for this kind of play. His cutting speed and counterattack follow-up will be better.

Jack's problem is age. He has enough height, weight and skills. As he gets older, his strength will naturally increase, and his attacking performance will naturally improve."

Carlisle nodded: "Jack is the least troublesome in this regard... Chip, Paul's playing style adjustment is left to you. Focus on attacking the basket, and let him slowly get the feel of the support through team training games, actual combat and teammates.

Paul's slow improvement in attacking the basket may be related to the fact that he focused all his attention on improving his ball-handling ability this summer. He was too anxious about this matter, but it cannot be said that his choice was wrong. He did not improve his ball-handling and passing, and we cannot see his talent in assisting... We can only blame his college coach for not discovering his talent in this area for so many years and using him as a blue-collar worker.

Emeka, I discussed it with him. Really, he is so calm that I don’t know what he is thinking. ”

Bickerstaff: "You can ask Raymond to communicate with him."

Carlisle's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea..."

...

After winning both home games at the start, the Bobcats have a 2-0 record and are tied for first place in the league with the Bulls, Hornets and Pistons.

The day after playing against the Bucks, at noon on the 3rd, Zhang Yang left Charlotte with the team and flew to the South Coast to face the first away opponent of the new season - the Heat.

When they arrived at the hotel, Zhang Yang had just put down his luggage when Felton came to his room with a computer.

Felton: "Jack, look, you've been sprayed again."

You seem very happy that I was scolded, are you still the boss?
Zhang Yang complained inwardly, "I scored 50 points and won the game. How can I be criticized for this? I want to see what tricky angles they can find..."

After the game last night, he went home and read the news for half an hour. He was so happy. Portal websites and forums were all praising him. This was the first 50+ point in the new season, and it was a comeback after being 14 points behind at halftime.

He took the computer and looked at it...speechless: "Well, you are worthy of being the Kings' media, bullying the fans for not being able to watch the live game, are you forcing it?"

The Royals media ignored the facts and made a fuss about Zhang San throwing the ball 33 times, saying that it was because he played too many singles, which led to the Bobcats falling behind by 14 points at halftime. In the second half, his teammates made long shots and completed the reversal.

Since there was no live broadcast, many people actually believed this statement.

It's hard to refute it just by looking at the battle reports and data.

Felton gloated: "The Kings just scored 40 points in the game against the Knicks, and they topped the scoring list with an average of 35 points per game in two games. Half an hour later, you scored 51 points, averaging 35.5 points per game, surpassing him. How can the media behind him not be angry?"

Zhang San: Little Fatty, you’ve become a bad guy!

Currently in the scoring list, Zhang Yang ranks first with an average of 35.5 points in two games, James ranks second with an average of 35 points, and Reed ranks third with an average of 33 points.

科比揭幕战40分，但第2场打爵士队只打了25分钟，10投6中加上3中3的罚球拿到15分，湖人队在基德、加内特、卢克-沃顿三人的串联下7人得分上双以119比98吊打爵士队。

这场比赛得分最高的是……夸梅-布朗，9投7中，加上5中2的罚球拿到16分。

Kwame Brown: Stop feeding me. I’m about to vomit.

Apart from these four, no one else scored 4+ in the first two games.

The duo of Anthony and Iverson limited each other's shots, and both averaged 25 points in the first two games.

McGrady scored 35 points in the opening game and 2 points in the second game, averaging 23 points per game, which is not satisfactory.

Although the performance was good, it was different from the boasts he made before the start of the season and the expectations of the media and fans. At the beginning of the season, super scorers tend to explode, and McGrady's performance is definitely not related to that explosion.

On the media day, McGrady said: "I don't need to give up the inside space for Yao Ming anymore. I can break through and score more easily. I don't have to give him the shooting right. I can easily get 40 points and become the scoring champion."

Although his statement was criticized by many people, most people recognized his scoring ability. After all, he won the scoring title twice before joining the Rockets.

In the opening game, he scored 35 points against the Warriors, which looked impressive. However, in the second game against the Kings, he faced the inside and outside defensive combination of Brad Miller and Artest, and only made 21 of 8 shots, which was a disappointing performance.

Although there are only two games as a reference, people found that McGrady, who just turned 28 and should be at his peak, has declined a lot in physical fitness!

People expect McGrady to perform just like Kobe did after O'Neal left, and do 50 or 60 points right from the start.

After teasing his little brother, Felton got down to business: "Jack, just now on the bus, Rick gave me a job, this and that, this and that." Zhang Yang: "Let Emeka lose some weight, have better speed, less consumption to cut in and counterattack? This is indeed suitable for him. If Rick's tactics require such a role, I think it is feasible."

Felton: "Then I'll leave this job to you."

Zhang Yang: "Isn't this your job?"

Felton: "I'm stressed talking to Emeka, you're better at dealing with him, come on."

Zhang Yang: “…”

The fat little boss has really changed. He is no longer willing to take responsibility mindlessly. Is this the price of growing up?
Zhang Yang felt a little upset, but it was not a big deal. He left his room and went to Okafor's room and knocked on the door.

Okafor had just boiled water in his own constant-temperature kettle, ready to make black tea. Zhang Yang waited for a while and tasted Okafor's craftsmanship.

After a sip, Okafor asked, "Jack, what do you want to talk to me about today?"

Bad kids wouldn't come to him alone unless it was necessary, and little Duncan wasn't polite either.

Zhang Yang: "It's like this, like this... like this..."

Okafor thought about it for a moment and asked, "Do you think I should adjust?"

Zhang Yang: "From the perspective of tactical needs, the continuity of your playing time and the difficulty of scoring, I think this adjustment is suitable for you. But from the perspective of singles, losing weight will reduce your ability to eat more. You are not tall, and singles require a lot of strength."

Okafor nodded and said, "I see...Jack, why do I feel this style of play is a bit like Duncan's?"

A question mark popped up over Zhang Yang’s head: Does he look like Duncan?

As if he could see Zhang Yang's confusion, Okafor continued, "Duncan in the 98-99 season had the fewest points in singles for him, and his assists were not high either. With Robinson, Elliott, and Johnson (Avery) passing the ball to him, he mainly played counterattacks, cuts, and secondary offense. In the finals, he was able to score more than 10 points per game by cutting."

Zhang Yang recalled the video tape of Duncan before his first serious injury... It was true. Duncan's athletic ability at that time was not inferior to Dwight Howard's current one. After screening the shooter on the wing, he would take advantage of the opponent's switch defense to run back and cut in, unstoppable.

Zhang Yang responded, "It's possible that he learned from Duncan. Your nickname is Little Duncan, and you have good basic skills. When Chip was planning your playing style, he must have referred to many famous superstars, and Duncan must have been one of them."

Okafor nodded: "I'll think about it and I'll give Rick my answer then...Would you like another drink?"

Zhang Yang declined and continued drinking tea with Okafor and chatting about study. They did not talk about the game or playing style adjustments. The atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed and cheerful.

Zhang San: I really don't know why Baldy Ka and Little Fatty think that Little Duncan is hard to communicate with. Isn't this quite simple? He will even go to the side of facial paralysis to attack himself.

Little Duncan: It's a pleasure to chat with educated people. I heard that Zhang San took time out in September to go back to school to take exams. He has almost accumulated enough credits? He can graduate early in his junior year? That's great!
...

On the morning of November 11th, the Bobcats arrived at the American Airlines Arena to prepare for the game.

After chatting with Okafor for a few words, Carlisle went to a nutritionist and made a long-term weight loss plan for Okafor.

This weight loss is different from the previous sudden weight loss of more than ten kilograms. It needs to be lost slowly without affecting Okafor's playing. There is no rush. It will be fine to lose three or four kilograms before the All-Star Weekend. It is not difficult.

After arranging the work, Carlisle sighed to Bickerstaff: "Raymond is so useful, no wonder you like him so much."

Bickerstaff: "He is really good at uniting his teammates and leading his teammates. No one would dislike such a dynamic and positive teammate."

Carlisle: "Asking Emeka to lose weight and attack without the ball is equivalent to weakening his individual singles ability. I thought about it all morning yesterday and didn't know how to start the conversation, so I went to find Raymond. I don't know how he convinced Emeka."

Bickerstaff: "The process is not important. Just get the work done and they get it done."

Carlisle: "Haha, Bernie, you're pointing your finger at me again. I know I'm asking too much about my colleagues' work, but I just can't help but want to intervene and hope to do better."

Bickerstaff: "This is not a bad thing. Your ability as a coach is stronger than everyone on our team, including me. You can do your best in every job you participate in...but you will also be very tired."

Carlisle: "It's great to have your recognition. It doesn't matter if I'm tired. Just like you said, I hope to do things better..."

At 9: in the morning, the Bobcats held a pre-game meeting.

After the meeting, Zhang Yang summarized today's preparations and made some detailed adjustments in tactics - significantly reducing the frequency of Okafor initiating offense with the ball and increasing the frequency of Okafor serving as the finishing point in tactics.

Although weight loss has not yet begun, the tactics have already begun to adjust.

Even if he hasn't lost weight yet, Okafor is still the player with the best attacking ability in their team. The purpose of losing weight is to reduce consumption, enhance continuity, and improve mobility, so that Okafor can play better in the role of offensive end point.

At 6:40 in the evening, Zhang Yang and his teammates entered the stadium together.

He glanced around the venue and complained, "It's only the beginning of the season and there are so many empty seats."

Felton: "That's only a few hundred empty seats, that's good."

Zhang Yang: “Huh?”

Felton: "I saw the news yesterday. The day before yesterday, the Heat's first home game, the ticket sales rate was 79%, the attendance rate was 77%. They played the second game of the back-to-back against the Bulls on the 1st away game, and lost by 26 points. The day before yesterday, they returned to their home court to play the Timberwolves back-to-back and also lost. O'Neal was dunked by Bynum, and they almost got into a fight.

O'Neal only scored 15 points and 6 rebounds and 7 points and 10 rebounds in two games. Wade scored 31 points and 26 points and 10 assists but still couldn't win the game. O'Neal is old... If we hadn't come today, their attendance might have been even lower. Look over there, those fans are wearing your No. 3 jersey, not the Heat's No. 3 jersey. "

Zhang Yang: "11+8 per game? Not bad, a top-paid performance."

This time it was Felton's turn: "Huh?"

Zhang Yang: "Ah, it seems like it was just yesterday when the Heat won the championship. At that time, the white wave in Miami was so lively. Now they can only rely on visiting teams to sell tickets. Wade and O'Neal are still here. It's really ruthless. But they are also declining too quickly."

At this point, he remembered that he had seen a discussion thread in his previous life. The topic was "The Worst Defending Champions in History". The 98-99 Bulls team topped the list, and their title of the Worst Defending Champions was unshakable.

The Heat of the 06-07 season are also on the list. Some netizens mentioned the Heat of the 07-08 season. Wade played more than 50 games and only won 10 games, with a winning rate of less than 20%; O'Neal played more than 30 games and only won 8 games, with a winning rate of less than 25%; the two played 18 games together and only won 5 games, with a winning rate of less than 30%; throughout the season, with O'Neal playing more than 30 games and Wade playing more than 50 games, the Heat only got 15 wins.

Felton: "South Coast fans are like this. When they win, they are all Heat fans. When the Heat lose their strength, they immediately become like this. Who makes Florida the state with the largest number of illegal immigrants? They don't have any sense of belonging... Hey, I think of us, the situation seems to be similar. The fans are much more loyal to North Carolina and Duke than to us. If we don't play well, our attendance will also drop like this, right?"

Zhang Yang: “I think so.”

Felton: "="=Tu, Jack, shouldn't you comfort me at this time? "

Zhang Yang: "Goodbye, Boss, your sentimental look is disgusting...

Since there is such a concern, then try to win, and the fans will not leave if you win. Besides, the situation there is different from here. You also said that the fans are more loyal to North Carolina and Duke, which means they are loyal, and very loyal! "

Felton put away his tears and said, "Yes, take the fans from them and don't give them back!"

As Felton stretched out his fist, Zhang Yang also stretched out his fist, and they punched each other. The Bobcats boss and star player set a small goal at this moment!

……

……

Finally I'm back to Chengdu. I took another two hours to get to the airport, and then I took the subway again... I was very happy to see my grandma blowing out the candles on her cake~ I'll write this chapter today, go to bed early, and get up early tomorrow to start working hard! Thank you for your understanding, let's work hard together!
(End of this chapter)