Chapter 72: The First Generation of Organizational Forwards
After all, the city of Auburn Hills is a "city" built on the basis of a village, and the place is very small.
But although it is small, it has everything needed to meet the daily life and entertainment needs of local residents.
And there are quite a few highly rated restaurants here...These days, almost all of Detroit's most famous restaurants are concentrated here.
If you open a store in other places in Detroit, you can't afford to sell on credit!
No credit allowed?
Then you are racist.
As for when to pay back the money... It's money I owed with my own ability, it's not like I won't pay it back, so just owe it for now.
After saying hello to the coaching staff, Zhang Hao came to Michael Simon's BBQ restaurant in Auburn Hills.
The name of this shop is Michael Symon's Grill.
I asked Vaughan Fleming and he said this is the best barbecue restaurant in the area. The Italian and French cuisine are also good. The steaks are also delicious, and the steaks imported from Kobe are very popular.
Looking at this store, Zhang Hao felt complicated.
Looking back a few months ago, when the tryout had just ended, he missed his high school coach so much that he wanted to strangle him half to death.
But in a blink of an eye, several months have passed, and when we meet again now, I miss you so much.
The draft registration form that Scott Collins handed him made him determined to skip college, and now he is very grateful for Scott Collins' advice.
As I walked into the restaurant, I immediately saw familiar faces.
"Axl, you're here on time!" Coach Scott Collins came over to greet him. "I haven't seen you for several months. I'm really not used to it..."
"Yeah, it feels like winning the California Championship was just yesterday..."
Zhang Hao hadn't seen Scott Collins for half a year. He missed him very much and hugged him.
Both of them felt something was a little off. They had hugged each other when they won the California High School League Championship earlier this year, but it felt a lot different.
"Oh, I just remembered that I've grown taller. When I used the Growth Card, I didn't feel any growth at all."
"This kid has grown so tall. If I had known, I would have forced Doug to trade for an 8th pick. He is a perfect match for Grant... Oh, who knew this kid could be selected in the lottery..."
Having not seen each other for a long time, the two were in different moods. They hugged each other and then walked into the restaurant.
As soon as he entered the door, the waiter came up to him and said, "I have reserved a seat. Waiter, take you there. I'm going to the bathroom first."
Zhang Hao responded and followed the waiter to the second floor. He came to a window seat. There was already a person sitting at the table with four seats... This was not the point. The point was the person sitting there...
Zhang Hao's eyes widened - would our coach use the Gaima to absorb NO funds?
When I was going upstairs, I looked back and saw Scott Collins walking towards the room marked as the bathroom. This second floor... it seemed like there was only this one staircase. What was going on?
Scott Collins, who was sitting, smiled unnoticed. He looked at the newcomer, as if he had just seen him. He stood up with a surprised expression and said, "Axel, you are on time!"
As he spoke, Scott Collins stood up and walked towards Zhang Hao.
"I haven't seen you for several months. I'm really not used to it..."
Zhang Hao was stunned. It seemed like he had heard this before. He responded in a familiar voice, "Yes, it feels like winning the California Championship was just yesterday... No! Who are you?"
Just as he was about to hug him, Zhang Hao suddenly realized that although the other person looked like Scott Collins, very much like him, and was dressed the same, a suit jacket with a striped shirt and no tie, but there was still a slight difference from before. The man in front of him had a bright red brooch pinned to his chest pocket.
There is also the expression, deliberately making an expression that says "we know each other very well".
Doug Collins saw that he couldn't continue the performance, so he said towards the stairs: "Scott, your student is too powerful. I can't handle him!"
Scott Collins, who was hiding at the corner of the stairs, walked up and complained, "Doug, how long did you last? Ten seconds or so?"
Doug? That's right!
Zhang Hao suddenly remembered that the Pistons head coach seemed to be named Doug Collins. During the team's tactical meeting, photos of every opposing player were posted, but the coach's photo was not posted.
In a game, although the opponent's coach is important, what he looks like is not important at all.
Doug Collins and Scott Collins look exactly the same... My high school coach and my NBA head coach are actually twins!
However, Zhang Hao felt something was wrong with their conversation...
…
The world is full of wonders...but twins are really not a rare thing.
It's just a little unexpected.
However, Zhang Hao once heard from Scott Collins that Scott Collins' father was also an athlete, so it was not so strange that both of his twin sons went into the sports industry.
After getting to know each other and ordering food, the atmosphere became lively.
This kind of goodbye experience is quite unique.
Scott Collins complained to Zhang Hao, "I didn't expect you to be selected at the 9th pick. Do you know that in order to help you enter the NBA, I was forced to be an assistant coach for Doug?"
"I asked you to be my player training coach, okay? You just nodded."
"Doug, can you let me pretend how aggrieved I am..."
After no longer being a coach and a player, or a physical education teacher and a student, Scott Collins became noticeably more humorous than when he was in school and no longer tried so hard to maintain his dignity, otherwise he wouldn't have played such a goodbye game with his brother.
From the bickering between the two, Zhang Hao had roughly understood the whole story.
It turned out that when Scott Collins gave him the draft registration form in May, he had already prepared a way out for him and took the initiative to help him find a first-round spot.
I just didn’t tell him because I wanted him to venture into the adult basketball world and know that everything he did was not in vain.
He remembered that when he tried out for the Pistons, he didn't even meet the head coach...
The feeling in my heart cannot be described in words.
However, Zhang Hao thought that this might just be Scott Collins’s bad taste?
Without talking about much else, after lunch, the master and disciple parted ways after a quick meeting.
After all, they are the head coaches and player training coaches of other teams. Although the rules are still imperfect these days and there are no regulations in this regard, if reporters really take pictures of them, if something happens in the future involving them, it may be dug up and made into a fuss.
We have already entered the NBA, so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future.
…
After lunch, Zhang Hao returned to the Palace of Auburn Hills instead of hanging around outside.
It was said to be safer than other places in Detroit, but when Zhang Hao came out of the restaurant, he was stopped by a white lady driving a sports car and asked him, "50 bucks to get in?"
Not to mention, people in this line of work have pretty good figures and looks. Zhang Hao was so frightened that he ran back to the Palace of Auburn Hills and refused to go out.
Such a beautiful girl actually came out to rob!
This time it was a robbery of money, next time, she will be raped!
Zhang Hao came to the locker room of the visiting team's training ground and looked at himself in the mirror. It is very likely!
Fortunately, the Imperial TV station did not follow the filming during the more than one-hour shift from 11:30 to 1:00.
I changed into my training clothes early, and the people from the court station had already set up the equipment and continued filming.
Another interview, questions about tonight's opponent.
As for documentaries, the answers are all positive. After the interviews are completed, the filming continues.
Zhang Hao pretended that there was no one around and said, "Have a good rest and prepare for the game tonight. Zhang Hao, this is the first game of your professional career, come on!"
Then I went to the lounge to take a nap. At three o'clock, I was woken up by Kenny Anderson. The others returned to the stadium and took a while to get there.
After being woken up, Zhang Hao stretched his body, performed another routine dialogue with Kenny Anderson, and then began to make preparations before the game.
Warming up, shooting warm-up, cutting practice, lateral movement training...the preseason has many benefits for Zhang Hao.
In addition to adapting to competitions with adults and learning to better control his greatly improved static confrontations... his warm-up sessions are becoming more and more diverse.
It’s okay to rest, be idle, watch TV or play games when you don’t want to do anything, but if you want to do something, you have to give it your all and strive to do it the best.
This is Zhang Hao’s current attitude towards his precious time. If you do something that takes a lot of time but don’t do it well, for Zhang Hao, this is a waste of time.
At first, veteran Vaughn Fleming was ashamed watching Zhang Hao's warm-up. At his age, he had never devoted himself to the warm-up as wholeheartedly as Zhang Hao. After playing two pre-season games, he also followed Zhang Hao to learn.
In fact, everything Zhang Hao did was very simple and anyone could do it. It's just that not many people have the patience to prepare for the competition. Vaughan Fleming learned from Zhang Hao to do every step as well as possible. After his body got used to it, he naturally reached the best state he could achieve at the moment.
After persevering, Vaughn Fleming discovered that sometimes things are not that difficult or complicated. The key is to persist. When he was at his peak five years ago, he was completely unwilling to warm up for more than two hours, but now he regrets it.
"Oh, it would have been nice to have met a teammate like Axel earlier. Maybe Reggie did the same thing, but he even warmed up by himself in a room..."
Of course, not everyone is as willing to learn from a rookie as Vaughn Fleming. Most people just warm up as they should. In addition to him and Kenny Anderson, there is another person who follows Zhang Hao to learn, and that person is Jason Williams...
While waiting to enter the court after warming up, Kenny Anderson came up to Zhang Hao and sighed, "Axel, you know, I'm so handsome, why did I only get selected once as an All-Star starter and never again? Hardaway is so ugly, why did he squeeze me out of the All-Star starter..."
There were a lot of media at the Palace of Auburn Hills today, and the Nets players all saw it.
However, there are only a handful of people who come to interview the Nets.
Seeing that the neighboring team had a notorious image and its talented new star was the most popular, Zhang Hao felt a little jealous.
No matter how little he cares about the media or public opinion, he will still feel envy, jealousy and hatred.
Who doesn’t want to be the All-Star vote winner in their rookie year?
At this time, Zhang Hao could fully understand why Grant Hill and Anfernee Hardaway were so hated.
Zhang Hao just had this thought in his mind, and the big guy next to him, who was squeezed out of the All-Star starting lineup by Anfernee Hardaway, was really unhappy to the extreme.
Last season, second-year player Anfernee Hardaway stole the All-Star start from Kenny Anderson.
In fact, this is not so accurate, but Kenny Anderson was an All-Star starter in the 93-94 season, and Anfernee Hardaway was selected as an All-Star starter in the 94-95 season, but Kenny Anderson did not. At the end of last season, the media naturally promoted the game between the Nets and the Magic in this way. This year, no one cares about the Nets, but Kenny Anderson still cares about this.
In addition, Zhang Hao understood one thing better - these days, mentioning either Grant Hill or Anfernee Hardaway will make people think of the other.
It’s just that what Kenny Anderson said today…
Zhang Hao touched Kenny Anderson's forehead, then touched his own forehead, and said puzzledly: "You don't have a fever, why are you talking nonsense?"
The knife was so cruel... Kenny Anderson, who was talking incessantly, was immediately injured internally.
I wanted to fight back against the question of appearance, but when I saw Zhang Hao's face...
You know what, he's quite handsome.
Kenny Anderson came to the corner to lick his wounds again - he was still young and didn't know what was handsome. Don't blame him, blame me, because I, as the boss, didn't teach him well.
Not long after, the staff notified us to enter.
He was the second player to appear in the starting lineup, standing at the entrance of the player tunnel. The first player to appear was the new second-in-command Almon Guillem.
Feeling the fanatical atmosphere on the scene, it was very different from the games played in the preseason.
The Nets' place was full for the first game, but the attendance for the next three games was sparse. This kind of thing cannot be used as a reference.
The three away opponents are all strong teams. Don’t even mention the Hornets. If it weren’t for the cheap preseason ticket prices, not so many people would go to watch. The Bulls and Pacers have very good attendance and the fans are enthusiastic. However, the atmosphere at the Pistons’ home court is even more terrifying than that of the Bulls and Pacers!
This was the first time Zhang Hao experienced such a scene, and he was indeed shocked at first.
Ever since the Bad Boys started to run rampant in the NBA, Detroit fans have gradually become one of the most fanatical fans in the NBA, because racial conflicts in Detroit reached a peak in that era, and the violent Bad Boys made the locals feel very identified.
Even though there are less than 100,000 white people now, the economy is in a downturn, and Joe Dumars is the only member of the Bad Boys team left and all the others have retired, Detroit fans still support this team.
After enduring for several years, they finally made it. They welcomed Grant Hill, who won the All-Star vote leader in his rookie year. The enthusiasm level reached its peak since the 1990s!
The shock that this enthusiasm brought to Zhang Hao soon faded away. He was about to start his first game in his professional career, and the excitement could easily suppress negative emotions.
This passion for the game was once again felt by teammates.
Kenny Anderson, who was about to play last, deliberately did not remind Zhang Hao how popular the Pistons' home court was. He wanted to scare Zhang Hao, and then go up to show his boss style and appease him.
But looking at Zhang Hao's high fighting spirit, this fighting spirit infected his teammates...even him, the boss, was infected.
Kenny Anderson felt a little sour in his heart - it's okay, it's okay, he's just my little brother, and his charm is the same as my charm.
Accompanied by the DJ's low introduction, the Nets substitutes ran out of the player tunnel and stood in a row, and immediately there was a barrage of boos from the scene.
The first to come out was Gilliam. He was so cool, as if he was at home. He rushed out amid the boos and excitedly high-fived his substitute teammates. At the end, he gave Jason Williams a complicated high-five as if they were meeting on the street.
No wonder he was so excited. It's been two years. Do you know how he got through it? He finally returned to the starting position.
But this was a provocation to the fans at the scene! They immediately started to curse.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Hao's mouth twitched. He shook his head and ran out following the DJ's introduction.
Zhang Hao left the player tunnel with a blank expression on his face, adhering to the principle of keeping a low profile.
However, when the fans at the scene saw him running out, the boos reached a boiling point!
After Zhang Hao high-fived his teammates, he stood aside. When he saw P.J. Brown and Graham coming out later, the boos became much quieter and the fans' voices became hoarse. When Kenny Anderson came out at the end, the boos became louder, but not particularly loud.
Zhang Hao was puzzled. Guillem was booed because he was too flamboyant, so why was he, Zhang, booed the loudest?
He has no recollection of any grudges between him and the Pistons, and it is even impossible for him to have grudges with other teams.
Too handsome?
Zhang Hao felt that this was the only reason.
After the Nets players came out, the boos from the fans turned into cheers. In the other player tunnel, Joe Dumars was joking with Grant Hill: "You see, ever since you entered the NBA, the geniuses who entered the NBA at the same time as you are booed when they come to our place. Even the Assassins can't match your popularity!"
Joe Dumars was the only outlier . He was the only player with grace and a positive reputation among the Bad Boys. He won two consecutive championships and a FMVP.
After Grant Hill entered the NBA, just as the Pistons management had expected, Joe Dumars' experience and ability brought great help to Grant Hill.
Grant Hill was quite proud when he heard this, but then he thought that he should be mature and steady, and replied: "This is a good thing and a bad thing. The atmosphere at home is good, and we will play harder, but we will also be targeted by more opponents."
Hearing the DJ calling Hill's name in a high-pitched voice, Joe Dumars smiled and said, "Get ready to go on stage! Our big star."
Watching Grant Hill walking out of the player tunnel, Joe Dumars shook his head helplessly - the team, the fans... everyone had too high expectations for this second-year player.
In Joe Dumars's opinion, it is too difficult for Grant Hill to shoulder the dream of reviving the Pistons alone. The players they had when they won two consecutive championships a few years ago were not comparable to those they have now.
But the fans have such high expectations.
When Grant Hill came on the court, the fans cheered loudly.
A super popular superstar who won the All-Star vote in his rookie year is indeed extraordinary.
At this time, the subtitle prompt came.
"Grant Hill, 23 years old, 203 cm tall, 102 kg in weight, ability rating 93, offense 92, defense 89, rebounding 88, passing 86, three-point shooting 47, mid-range shooting 88, layup 97, speed 91, strength 88, jumping 87, flexibility 90, ball control 91, crossover change of direction 92..."
"What the hell, this is two meters away!"
Grant Hill's evaluation of his ability made Zhang Hao stretch his neck.
Recalling the game video of Grant Hill's rookie year that I watched a few days ago, I just felt that Grant Hill's rookie year was full of spirit, beautiful playing style and strong strength.
Looking at the ability evaluation now, combined with the video footage I have watched, I really feel a bit like Liang Mi Ai.
These days it's not easy for NBA teams to find game videos of other teams. Fortunately, Grant Hill is very popular. Last season, the Pistons added 13 national live broadcasts, a total of 19 national live broadcasts, ranking first in the league.
When analyzing the Pistons' lineup and watching videos during the team's tactical meeting, Zhang Hao already understood the opponent's players' playing style, but looking at the ability evaluation, it is obviously more specific.
With his physical fitness bursting through the roof, Zhang was able to compete with Grant Hill only after his static confrontation ability improved. Their athletic abilities are almost the same, with Grant Hill being a little faster and Zhang having better jumping ability.
There is no need to compare their skills. Grant Hill has extremely comprehensive skills. He is good at shooting, passing and controlling the ball. He can also change direction and shake off the likes of Jordan and Pippen.
From the ability evaluation panel that can be seen, Zhang is only better than Grant Hill in a few aspects such as flexibility, catch-and-shoot, and mid-range shots.
This is the second strongest player Zhang Hao has seen since entering the NBA. The strongest one is naturally the superstar Michael Jordan who transcends his time. He has not seen the duo from the Magic team, but he estimates that Anfernee Hardaway will not be worse than Grant Hill, at least he is of a comparable level.
Nowadays, top talents become All-Stars as soon as they enter the NBA, and they show signs of their peak starting in their sophomore year. Almost every year's top three picks are those who have played for three or four years in college.
In other words, today's top talents are already mature when they enter the NBA. As long as they can adapt to the NBA, they may become the NBA's top combat force as soon as they enter the NBA.
Moreover, Grant Hill just turned 23 in October. Many players who will enter the NBA at the age of 19 or 20 will still be selling their potential when they are 23 or 24 years old.
In addition to Grant Hill, the Pistons also have a star, Alan Houston.
"Alan Houston, 24 years old, 198 cm tall, 93 kg in weight, ability rating 83, offense 90, defense 73, three-point shooting 90, mid-range shooting 94, layup 81, speed 88, strength 87, jumping 92..."
Zhang Hao found Alan Houston's ability evaluation simply bizarre. Zhang Hao didn't know how he achieved a layup success rate of 41% in the past two years. He couldn't score under the basket. However, Alan Houston's shooting talents were all lit up. His three-point shooting was top-notch and his mid-range shooting was almost top-notch.
In addition to these two players, the Pistons have two other outstanding players. One is former All-Star power forward Odis Thorpe, whom they acquired from the Trail Blazers with the 19th pick on the night of the draft. He is 33 years old and has an ability rating of 79.
The other is former FMVP Joe Dumars, who has an ability rating of 77.
Apart from these four players, the highest ability rating of other Pistons players is only 71, power forward Terry Mills who once played for the Nets.
After reading the ability evaluations of all the Pistons players, Zhang Hao felt a lot more at ease. Except for Grant Hill, the other players on the Pistons were not that strong.
Compared to last season, the improvement of the Pistons is the improvement of Grant Hill and Alan Houston, as well as the introduction of Odis Thorpe, and nothing else. Joe Dumars should have a drastic decline of one level per year.
But how much has Grant Hill improved compared to last season?
Last year, we didn't know how Grant Hill would perform, we just knew that the fans voted him as the All-Star.
They may not be able to beat the strongest one, but in other positions the Nets are not inferior to the Pistons.
In the final preparation time before the game, Randy Whitman emphasized the space play of the starting lineup. Finally, Butch Baird shouted to the players: "Go, kick those bastards, we are going to go back with the victory!"
