ocean-life Chapter 356 Chapter 355 Opening the Journey
Chapter 356 Chapter 355 Opening the Journey
Chapter 356 Chapter 355 Opening the Journey
To Xu Hao's surprise, Rubio didn't think too long, and before the training started the next morning, he pulled Xu Hao aside.Although Rubio had dark circles under his eyes, his eyes were full of hope and anticipation.
He deliberately lowered his voice and said: "I have already decided. From today onwards, I will practice shooting with you. After the start of the season, I will also try to play off the ball. The two of us will discuss the possession of the ball. What do you think?" How about it?"
Xu Hao smiled and patted his shoulder and said, "You won't regret today's decision, I promise!"
When the two of them were chatting on the sidelines, McHale just walked in with a tactical board, and at a glance, he saw the two guys muttering, with a happy smile on their faces.Now he didn't need to ask Xu Hao the cause and effect. It was obvious that his outside core had already taken care of his new partner. It seemed that it was completely appropriate to entrust him with such a task.
Sure enough, in the morning training, McHale clearly saw the change in Rubio.He no longer controls the ball in his own hands from the beginning to the end as before. If he encounters strict defense, he will give the ball to Xu Hao immediately, and then run around the screen by himself.While most of his catch-and-shoot shots have been ironed out, it's definitely changing for the better, and despite the sacrifices made by both men, the team seems to be running more smoothly.
Of course, the other players on the same team feel the deepest. Whenever they appear in the open space, the basketball will always be passed to their hands in a very timely manner. All they have to do is seize the opportunity and throw the ball into the basket. OK.
The advantage of having two ball-holding points is that even if the opponent can prevent one of them, the other will get more room to move.Originally, Xu Hao was not something that most outside players in the league could defend one-on-one. With the addition of Rubio, who passed the ball unconstrainedly, three or four players might be needed to block the two of them at the same time. How can the game be played?
McHale nodded repeatedly from the sidelines. This is what he wants to see. Although it is only a prototype, as long as there is enough time, it will definitely continue to improve. It can be said that the Timberwolves' backcourt combination can already rank among the best in the league.
After training in the afternoon, McHale was about to leave, but noticed that Rubio did not rest, but walked straight towards Xu Hao.He couldn't help but stop, and looked at it with great interest. Maybe this is the key to Xu Hao's concession to Rubio?If it benefits the team, of course he will support it, but if it hurts the team, he will also intervene.
However, McHale's worry was obviously superfluous. Xu Hao picked up a basketball casually, gestured at Rubio, and then made a shooting action very slowly, so slow that everyone could see clearly His power path.McHale also noticed that Xu Hao moved his lips slightly while making movements, obviously explaining the precautions to Rubio.Before the basketball left his hand, McHale left the court with a smile. He felt that there was no need to watch it anymore.
Xu Hao didn't know that he was being spied on by the head coach, he just helped Rubio adjust his shooting movements strictly.Rubio also listened very carefully, and touched a basketball to start making gestures. Obviously, he still hopes to improve his shooting ability.And he is indeed very talented, and he can do it decently just by watching it once, but he doesn't know how effective it will be.
After trying a few times, Rubio frowned and said: "Chris, why do I feel that the shooting posture is a bit awkward? Obviously I feel beautiful when you shoot, and your shooting percentage also shows that such shots are effective. .”
Xu Hao patted his head and said apologetically: "Sorry, there is something I forgot to tell you. For any player, the action that suits him is the best. I only intend to help you change some bad habits in the shooting process. Get used to it. As for the final action, you still have to follow the method that is most comfortable for you. I can't help you in this regard."
It was only then that Rubio suddenly realized that he took the ball to the side to study and experience. Looking at his back, Xu Hao grinned, if he could practice shooting, it would not be considered as fooling him into giving up the ball.Of course, if Rubio is really incompetent and unable to improve his shooting level, then for the sake of the team's prospects, he has no choice but to switch to off-ball tactics.
Two weeks have passed quickly, the Timberwolves' tactical system has been initially established, and the backcourt combination of Xu Hao and Rubio has become more and more harmonious.Although Rubio has not been able to achieve a stable firepower output, his shooting percentage has improved a lot compared to before. McHale believes that he will soon surpass the league's average shooting level.
In order to verify the power of the backcourt combination, McHale simply let them play an average of 30 minutes per game in the preseason. The team's new starting small forward Wesley also received the same treatment. upper limit.
The two new guards came out, and the Timberwolves naturally dominated the preseason and ended the game with a record of undefeated. They are also the only team in the entire Western Conference to maintain a undefeated victory. The defending champion Mavericks lost. one game.
To McHale's relief, the team's new backcourt combination performed well.Xu Hao averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game, while Rubio scored 15.2 points, 5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Even the Timberwolves averaged more than 110 points per game. Preseason, but it's scary enough.
Compared with them, Wesley's performance can only be considered tepid. His averages of 10.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game look mediocre, and his shooting percentage is less than 40%.Although he also practiced shooting with Xu Hao during the training camp, he obviously did not put in more effort. The dismal shooting rate fully demonstrated this.
Fortunately, Wesley averaged 2.5 steals per game, which shows that he is still useful on the defensive end, but this has not yet met McHale's requirements.After the preseason, he specifically called Wesley to the office and clearly instructed him to practice shooting more. If he didn't improve his shooting percentage to above 2012% before 48, he would lose his starting position.
Such a threat forced Wesley to prioritize shooting as his top priority in training. He didn't want to lose the starting position he finally got.When the news was spread by interested people, Xu Hao just smiled: It seems that the team has great expectations for this season. If he is no longer so unlucky, he should be able to go further, right?
(End of this chapter)