Volume 1: A rookie who breaks into the basketball world Chapter 30 He tried hard?!
"Hey, I seem to be focusing on something wrong..."
Liu Xiu shook his head to adjust his thoughts and thought carefully. He felt that the situation in this game was actually normal.
As men, the opposing players may feel more jealous when they hear the cheers of female fans, but their emotions are relatively few and far between with basketball, so it seems that their emotions fluctuate more. However, their emotional fluctuations about basketball are not as great as those when the smaller number of male fans cheer behind them.
There is a certain bias, but it is definitely the majority - male fans are more professional than female fans.
The players also have this understanding, so this situation occurs.
After Liu Xiu figured out why the cheers of the smaller number of male fans gave the opponents more basketball-related excitement than those of the larger number of female fans... he felt that this was a point that could be exploited.
"But it seems to be useless. I can't control the fans' reactions!"
Like tonight, the male fans were there to join in the fun and their cheers were just to follow the crowd, but in the end, some of them genuinely cheered and clapped and shouted "Gudebo"... He really didn't expect this situation.
Also, the increase in healing value tonight was beyond Liu Xiu's expectations.
"The excitement brought by the cheers of female fans is not entirely related to basketball. The amount of healing value provided is less, but the range is wider..."
Liu Xiu saw that during the period when the female fans were most excited, her teammates would also provide some healing value.
When male fans bring healing value, it is basically given by their opponents.
" Let's not worry about that for now. The most important thing for me right now is to use my opponent's skills to accumulate healing points and adjust my back-to-the-basket skills during the game!"
"This game increased the healing value by more than 600, which is much more than the Orlando Summer League, but the game score reward is a bit small..."
Liu Xiu looked at the game score after the victory in the first game of the Rocky Mountain Summer League. The A-level score and the 50% basic reward bonus added up to a total of 120 healing values, which means that the basic healing value bonus was only 80.
"I thought the base rewards for the Orlando Summer League were already low enough, but I didn't expect it to be considered high in the summer league! It still depends on the overall level of the participating players..."
After thinking about it for a while, Liu Xiu's attention was focused on the upper right corner of the system's main interface - the remaining healing value was 5772.
During the break between the Orlando Summer League and the Rocky Mountain Summer League, Liu Xiu did simulation training every day. The physical strength distribution ratio was one-quarter for practicing dribbling basics, one-quarter for practicing shooting basics, and half for practicing back-to-the-basics. The healing value consumed every day was also a little more than before when he only practiced the two basic skills of dribbling and shooting. At more than 200 healing points per day, after 9 days, more than 2,000 healing points were consumed.
In just three days, the healing points that were consumed have almost recovered!
The teammates give less and less, and there is no one like Randolph who is easy to tease...but the opponents change every other day!
"Is it possible to collect 9,000 healing points and upgrade the system by the end of this summer league?"
…
After Travis Outlaw finished the interview and returned to the locker room, he saw Liu Xiu resting with his eyes closed while receiving physical therapy. He was envious and admired her!
They are all players of the Trail Blazers, why does this guy have so many female fans?
It is true that he just went for an interview, but the questions he was asked were also about Liu Xiu.
But he didn't feel much jealousy.
He sat next to Liu Xiu and asked, "Jess, I played well tonight, didn't I? How does it compare to Woods?"
Liu Xiu opened his eyes and looked at Travis Outlaw, and responded, "His performance in the Orlando Summer League was much better than your performance tonight."
“…”
Was it so direct? Travis Outlaw didn't know what to say next.
Travis Outlaw didn't expect that he would admire a teammate like Liu Xiu, but after spending time together, he found that Liu Xiu's advantages far outweighed his disadvantages.
For example, he had never heard Liu Xiu say bad things about people behind their backs...he always said it to their faces.
"Healing value +23, from Travis Outlaw."
Liu Xiu looked at the new healing value and was very satisfied.
No matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat...
Liu Xiu continued, "Me, you, and Matt, we were not as strong as Woods in the summer league, but if we only look at talent, I think you are better than him. Although you are not as strong as him, you have a higher basketball IQ and are more active in off-ball movement. He has more game experience and has played in the NCAA. Although he did not have much playing time in the NBA, he watched a lot and spent more time as a sparring partner. His more mature body is also more advantageous for amateur competitions. During the Orlando Summer League, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade did not perform as well as him. But in the NBA, I think you will have a greater advantage. His style of play is that of a core offensive point, but you are not. You have a shortcoming now..."
Travis Outlaw was a little depressed after hearing Liu Xiu's first words, but after hearing Liu Xiu's second words, his mood gradually improved. After hearing the last words, he asked curiously, "What are the shortcomings?"
"The disadvantage is that you are really weak, weaker than me."
"Uh... Jace, is this a shortcoming? Isn't it normal that I'm weaker than you? You're a genius!"
Travis Outlaw's eyes were sincere and his tone was indignant. This time it was Liu Xiu's turn to not know what to say.
Ignoring this matter, Liu Xiu talked about the serious matter: "Actually, you have a big disadvantage compared to Woods."
"What disadvantage?" Travis Outlaw listened attentively.
"Although his strength cannot support his playing style in the NBA, his playing style as a core offensive point, with good vision and the ability to pass the ball from the wing, is really excellent when the game intensity is not so high..."
"Jace, do you want me to practice passing the ball?" Travis Outlaw felt that he had found the direction of development!
As a high school rookie, not everyone has a clear plan for his future like Kobe, Garnett, and James. Travis Outlaw just has a criminal name, and his body and mind are still immature.
Such a rookie needs someone to lead him...
"No, I mean you don't have talent in this area. I mentioned Woods just to let you think more about his current situation in the NBA. Don't follow his old path. Do what you are good at, scoring, counterattack, defense. There are some things you can think about, but just think about them."
“…”
Travis Outlaw really wants to commit a crime now!
He was still planning to recognize Liu Xiu as the boss, but now he felt that he could nip this idea in the bud.
Chatting with this guy, although he will most likely give a good-intentioned final answer in the end, the process is so infuriating!
…
While healing Travis Outlaw and finishing physical therapy, Liu Xiu went to talk to the trainer about lower back training.
In the game against the Lakers, Liu Xiu clearly felt that he had consumed more physical energy than during the Orlando Summer League game!
Before, he was just organizing the offense, but now he is one of the main attacking points.
Basketball consumes more physical energy, which means there is less time available for simulation training tonight... but Liu Xiu is actually happier now.
Through actual combat, he understood more clearly the back-to-back play he needed and the differences between it and the back-to-back play he learned from Randolph.
It fits well, but there are definitely differences.
And as I learn more, I feel different differences.
The difference I felt when I first got started, the difference I discovered when I reached the qualified stage in the Orlando Summer League, and the difference I found through actual combat now that I am close to a good level... they are all different.
Liu Xiu and the trainer made an appointment to adjust the training details through actual training during tomorrow's team training.
At different stages, adjusting the training methods according to actual conditions...Liu Xiu thinks it is necessary!
Even if you continue to practice without any adjustments, you can still train to an excellent level of back-to-the-basket play without much trouble. However, if you make adjustments now, the time it takes to train to an excellent level may be delayed.
but!
He believes that this will definitely be of greater help in the development of his back-to-the-basket technique in the future!
…
…
The game against the Lakers kicked off the Trail Blazers' campaign in the Rocky Mountain Summer League.
Unlike the Orlando Summer League, which is just "starting" now, the Rocky Mountain Summer League has a complete system and multiple formats, which are selected according to the number of participating teams in each competition.
The details are a bit complicated, and Liu Xiu only saw the competition system of their competition.
To put it simply - 11 teams will first have preliminaries, 5 rounds in 9 days, each team will play 4 games during the preliminaries, each round lasts 2 days, there are 5 games, 2 or 3 games are played every day, and 1 team will have a bye in each round, which means two extra days of rest.
The opponents of the game are selected by drawing lots after each round. The Trail Blazers drew the Lakers in the first round.
The team that had a bye in the previous round will be the first to draw in the next round to ensure that it will be selected.
If a team draws a team it has played against before, and the drawn team has never had a bye, it will enter the bye pending stage.
The teams that are waiting for the bye will be assigned matches based on the principle that there are no back-to-back matches in the preliminaries...
Winning a game earns 10 points, losing a game earns 5 points. After the preliminaries, the top eight teams will be ranked according to their points. In the knockout rounds, if the points are the same, it will depend on whether they have played against each other directly. If they have played against each other directly, they will be ranked according to the results of the head-to-head matches. If they have not played against each other directly, they will be ranked according to the net points...
Like Liu Xiu, not many people have the leisure to study the rules. Most players have only one idea - play when there is a game, and it's over when it's over.
On the 23rd, Liu Xiu discussed with his trainer how to improve the details of his back-to-the-basket play. The coaching staff was very excited as their genius was finally working hard!
On the 24th, after a day of rest, the Trail Blazers faced the Suns in the summer league.
The Suns, like the Trail Blazers, have two first-round picks.
One is the Brazilian Lightning Leonard Barbosa, and the other is the Serbian inside player, Zako Kabakapa.
Barbosa played like Marbury in the previous Boston Summer League. He was fast, had strong breakthroughs, could use either hand to complete attacks under the basket, and had excellent explosive power... In the Rocky Mountain Summer League, the Suns completely centered around him, and he looked as sharp as Iverson.
Liu Xiu noticed one thing—Barbosa was selected by the Spurs.
The defending champion Spurs wanted to get Turkoglu from the Kings after the free market opened. The Kings had no interest in keeping Turkoglu, as Turkoglu's contract will expire next season. They did not want to lose such a high-quality organizing forward, but were not interested in the chips in the Spurs' hands.
The Kings were interested in Timberwolves guard Anthony Peeler, but after the free market opened, the Timberwolves sent Anthony Peeler to the Suns for free in order to free up salary space. They had no intention of signing the Kings player at all...
Finally, the Spurs completed deals with the Suns and Kings, using Barbosa to get Turkoglu.
The Spurs are determined to defend their title but are short of breath. Their management is exhausted every summer when they defend their title...
Barbosa, the Suns got this genius for free.
Their own mid-first-round pick, Zacko Kabakapa, was much worse.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, the game between the Trail Blazers and the Suns started at the Pepsi Center in Salt Lake City.
In a game like this, it is obvious that Barbosa is stronger than every player on the Trail Blazers. His sharp personal offense is very advantageous in a game like this.
The Suns had the upper hand for a while.
However, as the game progressed, the Trail Blazers came from behind and gained the advantage in the final quarter, eventually turning the tide and narrowly defeating the Suns 107 to 101!
Barbosa scored 25 points and 9 assists, and his performance was very sharp, but he lacked stamina. 8 of the 9 assists were obtained in the first three quarters, and he only had 1 assist in the final quarter.
When he organizes the offense, he just rushes and passes the ball. If his teammates can make the shot, they make it. If they can't make the shot, then it's nothing. When he can't rush and can't shoot accurately from the outside, he can't organize the offense at all.
As for the Trail Blazers, they did not play as well as the Suns in the early stages. The players were constantly under pressure and showed some impetuous emotions.
At this time, Liu Xiu’s role was reflected - stability!
Since he didn't have the ability to take any chances, he didn't try to gamble. He played steadily, organized the offense, and waited for the Suns' offensive efficiency to decline, then he further slowed down the tempo and staged a beautiful comeback.
Liu Xiu scored 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Matt Carroll scored 22 points, and Travis Outlaw scored 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
Travis Outlaw passed several balls to the wing shooter tonight. When Liu Xiu saw it, a smile appeared on his face, causing the fans at the scene to scream.
As for Travis Outlaw, although he was hit by Liu Xiu the day before yesterday, he really calmed down.
He was a little frustrated at the time, but after waking up from a good sleep, he thought about it carefully and found that although what Liu Xiu said was irritating, it was really reasonable. He went to talk to the coaching staff... and finally understood what Liu Xiu meant - don't aim to be an all-around striker, but continue to develop existing advantages and do better.
First of all, you need to develop your athletic ability, awareness of attacking the basket, awareness of teamwork, etc. Only when these abilities are developed can you truly have the opportunity to pass the ball to the wing.
However, if it is the summer league, the ability to do so is already there.
Travis Outlaw figured it out and realized that what Liu Xiu said was what he should pay attention to after entering the NBA.
…
After the games against the Lakers and the Suns, Liu Xiu confirmed one thing that he had misunderstood before...
They have the strength to make a splash in this Rocky Mountain Summer League!
With him organizing the offense, Travis Outlaw leading the attack, and Matt Carroll providing support, and with the role players being of similar strength, it is difficult to compare with the other participating teams in this Rocky Mountain Summer League!
Playing against the Lakers was just testing the waters; playing against the Suns, we have to suppress first and then rise to win.
July 25th was another day off. Liu Xiu once again discussed with the trainer about the adjustment of post-up technique details, layups and close-range shooting related to post-up. Maurice Cheeks and Kevin Pritchard were in tears! Finally, they saw their rookie working hard!
On July 26, the Trail Blazers faced the 76ers at the Salt Lake City Memorial Coliseum.
The 76ers do not have a first-round rookie this year as they sold all their draft picks long ago, but they still have four rookies. Three of them are undrafted players and one is Willie Green, who was selected in the middle of the second round after being traded back from the SuperSonics. Liu Xiu had met him once, but was not familiar with him and did not have much impression of him. He just remembered that he came from a non-Division I university and his style of play... was very good in one-on-one situations.
When it came to the game, Willie Green only wanted to solve the problem through singles.
Against the 76ers, the trio of Liu Xiu, Travis Outlaw and Matt Carroll showed super dominance!
With the three players combining for 51 points and 15 assists, the Trail Blazers slaughtered the 76ers 103-81 and won three consecutive victories!
With 15 points and 11 assists, Liu Xiu got his first double-double in the summer league!
On July 27th, which was another rest day, Liu Xiu continued to study post-up play with the training staff. This time, they were studying some details about passing the ball. Post-up passing is different from regular passing. The timing of catching the ball, the angle of passing, the ability to analyze space under different fields of view... there are all differences.
The two old men in the coaching team were originally a little skeptical, worried that Liu Xiu was just trying hard on a whim and would soon return to his old ways.
But during the few rest days, Liu Xiu has been working very hard!
Whenever they have the chance, the two of them communicate with the trainer and learnt that Liu Xiu has been working really hard recently. Every time when adjustments were needed, the points raised and problems found were very targeted!
Moreover, after each discussion, Liu Xiu would incorporate the results into the training the next day and began to adjust the details of his playing style... This made Maurice Cheeks and Kevin Pritchard once again realize Liu Xiu's talent!
The most important thing is that Liu Xiu, who is so talented, finally works hard!
…
On July 28, the fourth round of the Rocky Mountain Summer League preliminaries arrived.
The Trail Blazers are really lucky. They have not had a bye for four consecutive rounds, which means they will have a bye in the next round. They will get three days of rest and will start the knockout round to compete for the championship on August 1st.
Having won 3 games, they have already secured a spot in the top 8, so this game is not that important.
But the players still wanted to win and played very hard!
They were lucky enough that the opponent they drew in the last game was the Pacers, a team whose strength was almost as weak as that of the 76ers.
The Pacers did not have a first-round rookie this year, so they selected James Jones with their first-round pick.
Liu Xiu scored 22 points and 4 assists, scoring over 20 points for the first time , and led the Trail Blazers to an easy 98-83 victory over the Pacers. The team won all four preliminaries and advanced to the quarterfinals!