The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 16
"Run actively, don't stick to the ball..."

In the Spurs training camp, the group confrontation began on the second day. When playing against the main team, Zhang Xiaotian still faced Leonard, which was very familiar.

Unlike in the summer league, there were team assistant coaches urging loudly on the sidelines, and I was still a little unaccustomed to it at first.

However, in the fierce confrontation, Zhang Xiaotian quickly forgot everything around him and devoted himself fully.

The Spurs' training was step by step, Zhang Xiaotian didn't say he was conspicuous, but he still fulfilled the coach's requirements well.

In the third position, he should be no worse than the declining Stephen Jackson.

But the real test of everyone's quality is the competition, and there is a difference between training and competition.

The first game of the Spurs preseason is at home against the Italian powerhouse Siena.

A strong European team in front of an NBA team is like a European team meeting an American team. Everyone knew before the start of this preseason game that the Spurs would definitely inspect players during the game. Players who compete to stay on the team may be cut.

So he was both excited and nervous, looking forward to the opportunity to perform.

The team's starting lineup is Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw, who was traded last season.

At the beginning of the game, Parker scored the first score for the Spurs and started 10:3. As a European powerhouse, Siena also stabilized its position and launched a counterattack.

Seeing that the score was getting closer and closer, the Spurs replaced Ginobili before half a quarter, and then Ginobili and Duncan got consecutively, and the Spurs immediately led to double digits.

The opponent could only ask for it for the time being, and the team's official rotation began. The hearts of the Spurs' bench, including Zhang Xiaotian, tightened.

It was DeJuan Blair who got a chance inside first, and then Matt Bonner.

Outside Gary - Neal and Patrick - Mills soon played, the third position, the Spurs still let Stephen - Jackson on the first.

As a rookie, Zhang Xiaotian didn't get a chance for even one minute in the first half.

The only consolation is that seven of the 20 people received this kind of treatment, and the other three just went up to show their faces and came down without getting hot.

Fortunately, Siena cooperated and fell behind by 24 points at halftime. In the second half, the main players of the Spurs just thought about it and officially started the player inspection.

Zhang Xiaotian was replaced at the end of the third quarter with Corey Joseph, who showed his face for more than a minute in the first half, and Eddie Curry inside.

Siena is still in the normal rotation, and all the players are working hard.

However, the gap in strength still exists even if the Spurs replace the main force.

It's not the summer league now, so Zhang Xiaotian certainly doesn't have the treatment of core players.

Corey Joseph dribbled the ball up the frontcourt and threw it. There was no passing at all.

Zhang Xiaotian worked hard to defend well, but found that when the score difference was almost 30 points, it was not very conspicuous to work hard to defend.

The defender threw it when he got the chance, and there were several opportunities to catch the ball inside. Zhang Xiaotian became the most awkward person in the third position, and the ball couldn't reach his hands.

He ran desperately. In more than two minutes, he only received the ball once, and passed the ball without stopping according to the coach's request.

Fortunately, he desperately grabbed two rebounds while defending, otherwise the data in the third quarter would be zero.

Zhang Xiaotian is not tired, but he is afraid that he will lose his chance.

In fact, he was a bit conservative when he first played. If he grabbed a rebound in the summer league, he would definitely launch a counterattack. However, in these days of training, the coach has very strict requirements. He is positioned as a 3D player and cannot overstep to organize offenses.

If there is a mistake in the official game, there will definitely be no second chance.

But if you don't shine, you won't have more opportunities.

Zhang Xiaotian's entanglement, speaking of it, is still not strong enough. He didn't activate his skills in the first three quarters, and he didn't have the confidence to hit the ball when he got it.

The fourth quarter began quickly, and coach Popovich signaled him to continue playing.

Zhang Xiaotian's expression immediately changed. He swept away his negative emotions and focused all his attention on basketball.

Obtaining the system not only improved his ability, but also gave him strong confidence.

The Spurs launched an offense, and he slipped the baseline as he had done in practice, but the ball still didn't reach him.

If you don't pass, you don't pass. He defends hard and fights actively, and he can always fight for opportunities.

Mills raised his hand after bypassing the defender from the outside to make a three-point shot. Zhang Xiaotian has also roughly understood the shooting habits of his teammates these days. After Mills made a shot, he made a judgment and rushed to the basket.

After improving his ability, he has the confidence to rush for offensive rebounds, and he is not afraid of leaving a bad impression on the coach if he is too late to return to defense.

Dang, Mills' shot was urgent and fast, hitting the basket and bouncing high.

At this time, a figure flew up directly, no one thought that Zhang Xiaotian would rush over so decisively.

He jumped high, grabbed the basketball with both hands and pressed it back heavily.

This dunk was earth-shattering, and a group of people on the Spurs bench cheered, and the team boss GDP also raised his arms high.

Sure enough, nothing attracts attention more than a passionate dunk, but once he gets attention, he continues to show enough ability to impress the head coach.

Back in his own half, Zhang Xiaotian's defense was even more aggressive.

Siena's backup forward was a little uncomfortable, he was staggered by Zhang Xiaotian, the whistle didn't sound, Zhang Xiaotian had already picked up the basketball, and it was a heavy dunk with a tomahawk when it was transported to the frontcourt.

After feeling the shot, Zhang Xiaotian finally got the ball and hit a three-pointer at a 45-degree angle.

In terms of defense, he is even more meticulous, and the opposing players will not get a chance to shoot.

Just after 6 minutes of the fourth quarter, Zhang Xiaotian quickly advanced after grabbing a defensive rebound.

The Siena players had already paid more attention to him at this time, and the arrogant boy with two heavy dunks couldn't let him continue to perform.

Two strong local Italian players pounced on them. Zhang Xiaotian made a sudden stop and started to change his rhythm while he was running, and the opponent was caught in the air.

Without waiting for Siena's defenders to react, he pulled up one step away from the three-point line.

Three points... Hollow into the net, Zhang Xiaotian hit the fourth ball and finally scored in double figures.

He raised his arms high and shouted, the king of the last quarter, he was unstoppable.

In the SBC center arena, the home audience danced happily in their seats. The Spurs are not old, they are still strong. In the upcoming NBA2012-2013 season, the Spurs will continue to attack the highest throne.

At the same time, they also remember the yellow-skinned new face, a man full of passion and fearlessness on both ends of the offense and defense.

(End of this chapter)