"This kid has the potential to become a key piece of the championship puzzle. He must be trained well." George Karl sighed in a low voice.
Assistant coach Bob Weiss responded: "Yeah, we don't have much time. After next season, Gary (Payton) will definitely have to sign a big contract. In another year, Sean (Kemp) will sign a big contract."
contract."
"We must win the championship in these two years." Karl attaches great importance to Yang Jian, which is related to the current situation of the SuperSonics. The team is about to undergo a major change due to salary reasons, and times create heroes.
The Sonics are recognized as a strong team in the Western Conference. They have been eliminated in the first round for two consecutive years. This is mainly due to the lack of strength of the role players and the lack of many cards the coach can play.
The SuperSonics currently have three All-Stars in the starting lineup, and both of them are paid very low salaries. If they don't win the championship in the past two years, it will be very difficult in the future.
The core of the team on the outside is the super point guard Gary Payton, nicknamed "The Glove", one of the 50 greatest stars in league history. He is good at offense and defense, likes to talk trash during games, and has challenged Jordan several times. As a point guard
He has never averaged double figures in assists per game in a single season, but is a regular on the All-Defensive Team.
Power forward Sean Kemp, nicknamed "Rain Man", has amazing athletic ability. He can dunk when he hits the basket, but never lays up.
Because the dunk was so violent, his head hit the backboard and required several stitches. In addition to the breakthrough dunk, Kemp also had a unique skill of facing the basket and making a mid-range shot, which he could do directly and cleanly.
German forward Detlef Schrempf, who has no nickname but is very capable.
He has been selected to the All-Star twice. At his peak, he averaged 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He is versatile both inside and outside.
It was difficult to see a "Big Three" team in the 1990s because the league's salary cap was so low that it was impossible for one team to offer high salaries to three stars at the same time.
The SuperSonics and Bulls are the only teams with three All-Star players. What they have in common is that some stars signed long-term contracts before salary increases and became "model workers." The Bulls' model worker was Pippen, and the Sonics' model worker was Kemp. Last season
Kemp is a starter in the Western Conference All-Stars, but his annual salary is only 1 million.
The SuperSonics cannot pay high salaries to shooting guards and can only improve their strength through trades and drafts. Yang Jian, a young rookie with explosive physical talent, best meets the team's recruitment needs.
Karl plans to train Yang Jian. Without holding him back, he can play 15-20 minutes per game and play 30 minutes for the team to make a profit. The Sonics don't need him to become a star, they just need him to shoot the ball in the open space and make a score.
Hard defense.
As soon as Yang Jian's shooting test ended, Karl called him to his side, with a gentle smile that was a bit unlike himself.
Steve Oldman stood aside calmly, fearing that Yang Jian would say the wrong thing, and was ready to try his best to make amends.
"Crazy Carl" applauded several times and obviously had a good impression of Yang Jian. As long as Yang Jian doesn't talk nonsense next, he is likely to become a key training target of the team.
"I'm very curious, why didn't you produce good statistics in college? Didn't the coach of Harvard University give you a chance to perform?" When Carl asked Yang Jian, he already had an answer in his mind. There must be something wrong with the coach of the Harvard basketball team.
Yang Jian explained with a smile: "Because I am a Chinese student, I didn't adapt to the life here when I first came to the United States. I didn't communicate well with my coaches and teammates at Harvard, and I didn't have many playing opportunities and no cooperation. I gradually adapted to it.
At that point, the season will be over.”
"Why don't you try to take more shots yourself? This will allow the coach to see your talent." Karl asked again.
Because the person before was not me at all, but a soulless tool. Yang Jian thought to himself.
Of course he couldn't tell the truth, and no one would believe him if he did.
"The coach arranged the tactics, and I must obey the arrangement. He didn't ask me to take more shots. If I attacked freely on the court, I would be replaced." Yang Jian thought for a while, implicitly expressing that it was not that he did not dare to take responsibility, but that
I could only obey the tactical arrangements and was suppressed by the coach.
If he wants to become a star in the NBA, he must continue to improve and not hide his weaknesses. The discrimination against foreign players in the NBA is very serious these days. Even white Europeans are discriminated against, let alone the Chinese. If he doesn't fight, he will never get ahead.
Yang Jian is an ambitious person and is not satisfied with becoming an ordinary NBA star in the future. If the Lakers invite him to try out, he will definitely be thinking about how to replace Kobe. He wants to build a dynasty with O'Neal and use a better way to catch up.
Go fat, turn the Lakers into your own team, and then build a dynasty again to surpass Jordan.
If he joins the SuperSonics, he wants to win a championship in his rookie season.
The original Sonics team can reach the finals, and Yang Jian firmly believes that the team will be stronger after he joins. Who would be willing to sit on the bench and watch his teammates lose after reaching the finals? He must strive for playing time, and it is best to become a starter.
, help the team reach the top!
The game that sent him back in time was called "God of Basketball," not "Role Player of Basketball." In order to maintain a good image in the eyes of the SuperSonics coaching staff, he could only let the head coach of Harvard University, whom he had never met, take the blame.
. In short, George Karl cannot be made to think that he lacks enterprising spirit.
He dares to take responsibility, and the coach may not dare to ask him to do too many things. The system evaluates his basketball skills as a "rough brother", which is not a problem. There are three All-Stars in the team, and Karl is crazy to arrange for him, a rookie, to hold the ball.
attack.
Carl and the two assistant coaches were very satisfied with Yang Jian's answer and were convinced that there was something wrong with the Harvard basketball coach. Yang Jian spoke so neatly and did not seem like the kind of person who is not good at communicating with others. Maybe he encountered racial discrimination and did not want to be in front of others.
Make it clear here to save face for the Harvard coach.
Karl even figured out the reason why Yang Jian took the risk of participating in the draft after just one season. "If he stays at Harvard, the team will be too bad to have a chance to enter the championship, and the coach will not reuse him. He might as well take a gamble on his talent."
, it is very attractive that a 19-year-old with such a strong physical fitness. Once he meets a good coach like me who has a keen eye for gold, he may be able to stand out."
"A smart Chinese" is the evaluation Carl gave Yang Jian in his heart. We don't know the level of his basketball IQ, but people who are not smart can't get into Harvard. The NCAA underdog Harvard University doesn't have a basketball scholarship.
A fool goes to school just because he is good at playing ball.
Julius completed the shooting test for the fourth time. His shooting percentage outside the penalty area was very low and he could not shoot three-pointers. His hook and low footwork were good, but they were not what the Sonics urgently needed. The coaching staff did not do the right thing.
He made any comments and lost interest in them.
In the final static talent test, Yang Jian was still the best.
His 193cm in shoes is not really tall for the No. 2 position, but his wingspan is very good, with a standing reach of 255cm and a body fat rate of 7%. In addition, his strength is super strong, so he will not be a weakness in the No. 2 position. If he increases appropriately,
Zhong can also play as a small forward.
Yang Jian definitely doesn't want to gain weight. If he gains too much weight, he will become a muscular man and his playing style will not be so elegant.
The static talents of the other three are very average. Scherer's height of 201cm and wingspan of 208cm are not as good as Yang Jian's.
After the test, George Karl made his decision directly. "We have to sign Yang Jian as soon as possible, and we can't delay. He is an undrafted rookie, and we don't have the right to sign him. We don't have to wait until the summer league is over."
Knox smiled and said: "I think so too. The four of them will stay in Seattle for a few days and set off from here to participate in the Salt Lake City Summer League."
Karl nodded. "Let's do it. Bob, after you've worked hard for a few days, take the time to come to the arena to further inspect them. In addition to setting appropriate tactics for them, focus on guiding Yang's offense and defense."
Bob Weis is the coach of the Sonics this time, and George Karl will not participate in the summer league.
"Leave it to me, I will report the situation to you at any time." Weiss smiled.
In the coaching circle, 53-year-old Weiss is also a veteran. He is a retired NBA player and a white coach. He has served as the head coach of an NBA team three times before.
From 1986 to 1988, Weiss coached the San Antonio Spurs and achieved a record of 59 wins and 105 losses; from 1990 to 1993, he coached the Atlanta Hawks and achieved a record of 124 wins and 122 losses; in the 1993-94 season, he coached the Los Angeles Clippers.
Achieved a record of 27 wins and 55 losses.
Beginning in 1994, Weiss, who led the team with a poor record, stepped back and served as the assistant coach of the Sonics, assisting George Karl. Such an experienced old coach as an assistant made the SuperSonics' coaching lineup look very luxurious.
Their goal for the new season is only the championship.