NBA: I am the card dealer

in the office.

Atkinson asked: "Xue! The team is in a very bad situation now. I would like to hear your opinions or suggestions?"

Xue Liancheng was a little confused. Just a few days ago, Atkinson was still asserting his authority with great authority, but his communication with him was mostly about pointing out his problems.

Ask for his opinion or suggestions?

That simply does not exist.

Atkinson's reaction now really seems like a different person.

Seeing that Xue Liancheng didn't say anything, Atkinson continued, "You are the leader of the team. Your achievements are remarkable. I believe you have the experience to lead a team forward."

Xue Liancheng stared into Atkinson's eyes and said with a smile: "We have a lot of problems."

Atkinson: “You can say it.”

Generally speaking, this is a polite remark.

I told you to speak freely, but I don’t mean to ask you to say everything.

But it was not the case with Xue Liancheng. He said directly: "For example, our lineup is a huge problem, and you, sir, have not yet reacted. This is an even bigger problem."

Hear the words.

Atkinson was completely stunned.

He never expected that the first sentence Xue Liancheng said would be directed at him. What's more outrageous is that this spearhead pierced his heart directly.

As the head coach of a team, it is really heartbreaking to be pointed out by the players as the root of the problem.

At this moment, his whole face turned red and he couldn't speak for a long time.

Xue Liancheng didn't care: "If the Nets want to enter the playoffs, then you have to change, that's my opinion."

In fact, he had wanted to talk to Atkinson for a long time.

The lineups in the two preseason games made him very disappointed with Atkinson. Although there were only two games and they were preseason games, he could clearly see Atkinson's coaching ability and his lack of deep understanding of himself.

It’s just that due to the coaching changes for two consecutive years, he is not so unscrupulous anymore.

But if the Nets want to go further, they must start with the head coach.

That's why he needed to talk to Atkinson.

If they can reach an agreement and Atkinson is willing to accept his opinions, and most importantly, recognize his own problems and is willing to change, then he can give Atkinson more time to get back on track and find a way forward.

But if Atkinson still thinks that there is nothing wrong with his tactical arrangements and that he is constantly trying and correcting them, then he can't wait any longer. Even if he gets criticized, he will replace Atkinson.

It’s that simple, direct and crude enough.

There is no other reason.

Sabonis Jr. and Anunoby, these two rough diamonds, cannot be left to gather dust.

If Atkinson is stubborn and refuses to change, then if they are kept, it will be difficult for these two to make a breakthrough. One more season of training will be one more season wasted.

This is why he was willing to bear the blame and replace Atkinson.

of course.

He is also worried that he will not be able to make the playoffs in the new season.

After all, if he continues to work with the current lineup, it will be difficult for him to have this certainty. If you go further and further on the wrong path, then no matter how hard you try and struggle, it will be in vain.

If he fails to make the playoffs, he will be pushed to the forefront, and his previous three consecutive championship prestige will be wiped out, which is not what he wants.

Atkinson's eyelids twitched twice, but he finally suppressed the devil in his heart, "Then what do you think is the problem with our lineup?"

Xue Liancheng: "Lonjo Jefferson and Lopez Jr. don't have the ability to shoot three-pointers. What's the point of them being on the court at the same time? Is it to occupy more interior space? Now is the era of small ball, and the offensive tempo is very fast. If our offense can't keep up, it will be a disaster. And... Carroll and Crabbe are both very good players. The former is a well-known 3D in the league, and the latter has an excellent three-point shooting ability, but both of them are not very good at holding the ball. In other words, when I run or encounter double-teaming, no one takes over my ball-holding torch, and no one organizes the offense and receives the ball. In addition, is this lineup focused on offense or defense? Play a fast-paced game or a positional battle? Sir, with all due respect, I don't see the meaning of your lineup, and the low scores in the two preseason games also illustrate the problem."

Atkinson smacked his lips twice, and finally his face turned red, and he was unable to respond for a long time again.

a long time.

He cleared his throat and said, "So what lineup do you think is more suitable?"

Xue Liancheng pondered for a moment: "Me, Crabbe, Carroll, Anunoby, and Sabonis Jr."

Hear the words.

Atkinson's eyes widened. "Xue! Your proposal is so outrageous that I am scared."

It is simply unbelievable to let a rookie start against a quasi-rookie who was not very adapted to the confrontation last season.

Xue Liancheng explained: "I believe that no one in the league will question my ball-handling and organizational skills. Although Crabbe is thin, he is 198cm tall. He still has some defensive role on the court. The most important thing is that his three-point shooting is relatively stable and can effectively open up space. Everyone knows Carroll's ability. As the team's outside gate, his role is irreplaceable. Although Anunoby is a rookie, his athletic ability and impact are very good. His talent on the defensive end is also of great concern. After all, his template is Leonard. In this case, we need to cultivate him more vigorously, and Sabonis will start. His biggest role is to help me organize the offense, receive the ball and distribute the ball, so that the entire offense will be smoother."

Atkinson was speechless again and didn't know how to refute for a moment.

But soon, he reacted: "Anunoby's physical talent is indeed excellent, but he is still a rookie. His ball handling ability, game experience, and confrontation ability may make it difficult for him to adapt to NBA-level confrontation for a while, and his role on the court may not be as big as imagined. And everyone saw Sabonis' performance last season. He is indeed very promising. He has good height, wingspan, passing vision, and offensive skills, but his confrontation is too poor. He still needs to adapt to the intensity of the game, which requires time. And to be honest, Xue...both of us are under tremendous pressure to achieve good results, and we don't have that much room for mistakes."

Xue Liancheng: "I know, so we must do our best to train them at this time. As long as they build up their confidence and make a name for themselves, the team's ceiling will be infinitely expanded. If we continue to stick to the old ways, we may never win the championship, sir! I came here to win the championship, not to enjoy a one-round playoff tour with you."

When these words came out, Atkinson's face really turned red.

That's right.

What he wants now is to make it to the playoffs, and then propose a trade to the management to form a super team and compete for the championship.

As for training new people?

The Nets' new players are all in Boston, how do they train them?

Anunoby is just a rookie picked at 23rd. There is definitely a reason why he fell to this position. His physical talent is indeed good, but it has not reached the super level. His ball-handling ability is very average and his vision is extremely fragmented. He almost survives on the court as a terminator. Defense and three-pointers are indeed his strengths, but they have not reached the top level.

Or to be more precise, it is quite a distance away from the top level.

and so.

Atkinson did not think Anunoby had much training value. At most, he could just be a 3D player to survive in the league.

There are still many such players in the league, but not many can reach the top level. They are quite popular, but there is no need to deliberately train them!

After all, it was a four-year contract!

Starting as a substitute and growing slowly step by step is a must for young people. For the team, it will be a very cheap opportunity for trial and error, and the cost of trial and error is also low.

If you can type it out, then everything will be fine.

If you don't perform well, they can save a lot of manpower and resources, and not waste resources on a rookie at the end of the first round.

Training players is not a simple process. For example, players need to be given playing time. If a new player plays more, it means that others will have less playing time.

For example, you need to give him a tactical position, such as positioning Anunoby as a top 3D player, then you need to let him defend the opponent's top superstar. As a newcomer, it will be difficult for you not to be beaten.

Once we get beaten, won’t we lose the game?

Just as Atkinson said just now, they are under great pressure to achieve good results. They have no chance to make mistakes now. If they focus all their efforts on developing Anunoby, they will be committing self-destruction!

The same goes for Sabonis Jr.

Even worse.

After all, Sabonis has been in the league for a year, and the scratch card slowly showed half of the word "thank you". It is obvious that he is not very adaptable to the intensity of the league's confrontation.

You are putting all your efforts into training him at this time. Aren't you jumping into a fire pit?

But the problem is, what Xue Liancheng said makes sense!

Without bargaining chips, they can only dig internally.

If they continue to use those established veteran players, they will be eliminated in the first round even if they make the playoffs.

and so.

Xue Liancheng's words really touched Atkinson's heart.

Xue Liancheng did not give up: "If you don't even have a heart to win the championship, then I'm sorry sir, we may really not be suitable to work together."

This is very serious.

It's almost like either you or me.

When a team is faced with a choice between a head coach and a superstar, the team will often choose the superstar, and the head coach will become the victim.

Xue Liancheng's words were full of threats.

of course.

He also said this on purpose.

He needs an obedient head coach, at least one who agrees with his tactical system and ideas, listens to advice, has excellent on-the-spot reaction ability, and can stabilize the situation.

Instead of being a head coach who is stubborn, too concerned about his reputation, and values ​​his authority more than his life.

You may not have tactical thinking or sufficient basketball knowledge, but you must be obedient.

And his words were obviously meant as a test of obedience.

No accidents.

Atkinson stood there with his face flushed, obviously unable to accept Xue Liancheng's words, but he did not refute.

Xue Liancheng was not in a hurry and let him digest it well.

a long time.

Atkinson finally came to his senses: "Maybe you are right."

Xue Liancheng was surprised again. He didn't expect Atkinson to compromise so quickly. He expected Atkinson to go back and think about it for a whole night before giving him a result.

Now he was just stunned for a moment, and then gave him the answer he wanted.

He was really curious and couldn't help asking, "Did someone tell you something?"

Atkinson nodded with a wry smile: "Sean Marks just talked to me for a while. He said that you have led the team to win the championship for three consecutive years, and you have achieved this feat with different teams. This means that your ability to lead a team is incomparable. You are the embodiment of success. No one's words are more convincing than you. I suddenly realized that yes! Your philosophy may be the right path."

Xue Liancheng: "Hmm? It's gone?"

Atkinson smiled awkwardly and nodded.

obviously.

There are still many things left unsaid.

But Xue Liancheng had no intention of delving into it. He only emphasized one point: "It's not maybe, it's a certainty, because I have found the way to compete for the championship. As long as you follow me, you will soon become the league's champion coach. At that time, you can freely display your talents and do what you want."

Hear this.

Atkinson's eyelids twitched.

Because he had just heard Sean Marks say the same thing Xue Liancheng said.

of course.

Sean Marks' words were a hundred times more unpleasant than Xue Liancheng's. He directly criticized Atkinson for being useless, saying, "You want the best player in the league to listen to your commands? Who do you think you are? Do you have a championship? What results have you achieved? Is your coaching philosophy correct in practice?"

Atkinson was speechless, bewildered by the barrage of criticism, but he had no way to refute it.

Because this is the truth!

Sean Marks quickly pointed out the key point: As long as you win the championship under the leadership of Xue Liancheng, you will become a championship coach and you will have supreme persuasive power. Then you can do whatever you want in other teams, but here, you are not the first person in charge. Listen carefully.

and so on...

It's so harsh and so merciless.

Although Atkinson is stubborn and proud, he is not a fool and naturally knows that what Sean Marks said is right.

That's why he went to talk to Xue Liancheng. He hoped to find a way for the two of them to get along with each other.

And obviously.

Xue Liancheng never thought about getting along well with them.

Atkinson could only awkwardly grumble: "Then I look forward to your fulfillment of your promise."

Xue Liancheng said confidently: "It will be very fast, so fast that you dare not imagine it."

The reason why he is so confident is mainly because he has a very clear vision for the future and knows exactly which players have some level of ability.

With the added bonus of his golden thigh, is winning the championship far away?