The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 10 Defensive Targeting
"You're starting. Your coach finally got the hang of it. I'm watching the live broadcast."

"Your teammates are really bad. Fortunately, you are good enough. The basketball game is quite interesting. Although the pretty girl dragged me to watch it at first, but this time I watched the live broadcast on the Internet alone, ^_^."

Although Zhang Xiaotian didn't know why Yang Feiyu sent another message, he was still very happy to have fans.

Those people on the website were making a lot of noise, but it didn't make much sense. Yang Feiyu had watched him play in the amateur league, but it was a pity that he was a fake fan.

Zhang Xiaotian replied to the message and explained a few words. Yang Feiyu might not be here at this time, so he didn't send another message.

The Spurs' fourth game will be the next day, and when they came to the training ground the next day, Ryan Richards walked over awkwardly.

They participated in the same draft, so they knew each other, but Zhang Xiaotian lost the draft, and Ryan Richards was selected by the Spurs in the second round.

When they first trained together, Ryan Richards still had a sense of superiority, but now it has all become a sense of crisis.

"What's the matter?" Zhang Xiaotian was a little surprised, they hadn't communicated before.

Ryan Richards struggled for a long time, and finally whispered: "Zhang, help me, I can't lose this opportunity, please..."

Zhang Xiaotian was a little bewildered, he didn't even get a formal contract, how could he be able to take care of other people.

He noticed that several people looked towards this side, and instantly understood that someone had instigated Ryan Richards to come over.

He sighed: "Let's work hard together, I also want to stay, but the most important thing is to show my strength and get the recognition of the coach and management."

Zhang Xiaotian doesn't care what the person who encouraged Ryan Richards to come here is, he works hard to train and play, and nothing can affect him.

During the training, Ryan Richards was so preoccupied that he didn't even perform at his usual level.

Zhang Xiaotian paid attention, not only Ryan Richards, some players who felt hopeless to stay were also worried about gains and losses, and some were simply coping.

The NBA is the temple of professional basketball. Every year, countless players aspire to enter, but only a few can do so.

Talent and working in the right direction are both indispensable. The system gave him the opportunity to have talent, but for the rest he had to go all out. Seeing the performance of his teammates, Zhang Xiaotian became more determined.

On July 7, the Spurs ushered in a matchup with the Heat.

The Heat's summer league is mainly to train some of the team's role players. There are no particularly talented players in their lineup, but there are three players who played with the team in the playoffs last season and finally won the championship.

This allows them to play with ease in the summer league, especially the team's overall defense, which is a level better than other teams.

The Spurs' starting lineup is still the same as on the field. Zhang Xiaotian's opponent is the little-known NBA fringe player Trey Gilder. The opponent's main attack power is the three players who won the championship with the team and the two guards. Norris Cole, Terrell Harris, and inside player Dexter Pittman.

But this time, Jacques Vaughn did not ask Zhang Xiaotian to switch to the opponent's most capable scoring player, but asked him to help defend more, because the opponent's two guards can shoot and attack.

The Heat's lineup is two big and three small. At the beginning of the game, they fired from the outside, and then succeeded in the second attack from the inside.

When the Spurs were attacking, Zhang Xiaotian and Corey Joseph performed a pick-and-roll cooperation. Corey Joseph took the ball out and ran back. Zhang Xiaotian returned the ball. The quick rotations are ruined.

The failure of the Spurs' offense in this round shows that the Heat's defensive requirements are not met by the teams encountered before. It seems that the championship can make a team mature quickly and affect the role players.

"It's okay, defend well." Zhang Xiaotian clapped his palms and shouted while retreating.

Being the core of the team and mobilizing the emotions of teammates on the field are all things Zhang Xiaotian is very used to.

Of course, the Spurs' defense is not at the level of an ordinary summer league team. The Heat have two big men on the field, and the firepower outside the three-point line is not very stable. If Norris Cole and Terrell Harris break through, The Spurs shrink their defense, and the opponent can't do whatever they want.

Zhang Xiaotian assists in the defense according to the coach's instructions, but he can't let the team he is facing open.

Fortunately, Trey Gilder's outside ability is not good enough for him. The Heat made Trey Gilder mainly to defend Zhang Xiaotian, so he gave Zhang Xiaotian the opportunity to constantly adjust.

In this summer league, the rhythm of the two sides is similar to that of the regular season, the only difference is the ability of the players.

Although Zhang Xiaotian did not perform miraculously in the first half, he drove the team with active defense and won the respect of some teammates.

In the first half, the two sides tied at 40:40. The process was lackluster, but it was a test for the players.

Ryan Richards is still not performing well, and Zhang Xiaotian has nothing to do.

The two teams were in normal rotation. This time Zhang Xiaotian was not on the court at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but at this time the Heat suddenly exerted their strength and played a small climax of 8:2.

When the Spurs replaced Zhang Xiaotian, they were already behind by 6 points. After Zhang Xiaotian made a mid-range shot, Norris Cole made two consecutive convulsive three-pointers, extending the score advantage to 10 points. The Spurs quickly called a timeout.

When Jacques Vaughn asked the players to pay attention to defense, the coach of the Heat was also making demands on the players.

"At the last moment of the Spurs, they will definitely let their No. 10 be the main attacker. No. 10 Zhang Xiaotian is a player with extremely explosive scoring power. We can't let him shoot smoothly. As long as he breaks through the defense, he will double-team."

The Heat don't have players with strong personal defensive ability, but the overall defense is the best among the summer league teams. They are full of confidence in strangling Zhang Xiaotian.

After the timeout, the Spurs handed the ball to Zhang Xiaotian.

When Zhang Xiaotian clicked, Trey Gilder, who was concentrating on it, flew up, and he came over with a pinch inside. Zhang Xiaotian immediately flicked the ball to the side, and Jamichael Green caught the ball and made a jumper.

When JaMychal Green missed the shot, the coach of the Heat beamed. His tactic succeeded, and the Spurs would not have a chance to counterattack.

But under the basketball's landing point, Zhang Xiaotian was the first to jump up.

When his teammates shot, he had already predicted that he might go wide. At this time, the player who flanked him had already focused on the basketball, and he took the opportunity to grab the rebound.

Zhang Xiaotian flicked the ball, and the ball was in the hands of the Spurs again.

Zhang Xiaotian, who ran back and caught the ball again, made a steady mid-range shot.

(End of this chapter)