Bob Weiss is a responsible coach. He took good care of Yang Jian during training, guided him in dribbling and defense, and also taught him a practical breakthrough technique called "jump step."

Weiss is severely bald and looks unattractive with glasses. Who would have thought that he was a famous "Iron Man" on the outside in the NBA. He played as a point guard for 12 seasons with the 76ers, SuperSonics and other teams, with an attendance rate of over 100,000.

Gao. In his five seasons with the Bulls, he only missed three games.

Simply put, the jump step is an upgraded version of the three-step layup, which combines the second and third steps of the layup into one, making it impossible for defensive players to keep up with this big step.

When jumping, you need to speed up appropriately. When using the jump step, you are close to the defense, so you need to protect the ball and grasp the ball steadily. When starting the jump step, you must use force on the ground, collect the ball quickly, and use both feet.

Don't hesitate to pass or shoot after landing.

Both feet land on the ground at the same time, and both feet are pivot feet. The player cannot move either foot. Taking off, shooting or passing the ball, this is actually a variation of the three-step layup.

After watching Yang Jian's training, Weiss suggested that he practice this move often. It may not be effective when used by ordinary people, but it is extremely powerful when Yang Jian uses it. Because his first step is too fast, his feet take off after the jump.

He is tall and far away and can dunk or pull up for a layup, making it difficult for opponents to block shots.

This move does not require high dribbling skills. After receiving the ball, Yang Jian only needs one step to pull the ball. When he rushes up, he can attack the basket and pass the ball if he is blocked.

Kemp is good at this move when facing the frame, and many dunks are done this way. The power accumulated by the player when he lands on both feet will be stronger, and the final jump will be higher. If he lands on one foot, the player needs to have strong coordination, and then

Taking a step can easily lead to a step violation.

In addition to practicing shooting, Yang Jian also practiced jumping and breaking through. In three days, his basketball technical attributes increased from 43 to 45. Although the system still rated him as "rough brother", he enriched his arsenal.

On July 6, head coach George Karl went to the arena to watch the training and warned Weiss again. "Arrange Yang to play without the ball as much as possible, let him adapt to the tactics he will play in the new season in advance, and give Scherer unlimited shooting rights."

.”

"I have already arranged the tactics. In addition to fast breaks, he will wait for opportunities outside the three-point line to catch the ball and make cuts. He is very suitable for our tactical system and does not need a lot of ball rights."

Karl asked: "How is his endurance? Under the premise of ensuring efficiency, how long do you estimate he can play?"

"I think he can play the entire game. He must have undergone systematic physical training for many years. His endurance is stronger than Payton's and he is the fastest on the team." Weiss sighed.

"I can't believe that such a young man lost the election. If Sean had worked so hard... ugh." Carl sighed.

"It's impossible. Thank God Sean is not late for training."

Sonics coaches have a love-hate relationship with Kemp. They love him for his talent but hate that he never works hard enough.

Kemp didn't like to train when he was in high school. He was often dragged to the training facility by the coach. His academic performance was also a mess. He never went to college and was expelled for stealing when he first entered school. Kemp became NBA history.

The first high school player to participate in the draft, he was selected by the SuperSonics with the 17th overall pick in 1989.

If Kemp trains hard, he will definitely become better. Unfortunately, Kemp only worked hard for a few years when he first entered the league, and then he got too excited and created a group of illegitimate children. He is fully capable of becoming a superstar averaging 2,510 points per game, but he is satisfied with the status quo.

There will be no further progress.

The summer league gave Scherer unlimited shooting rights because George Karl had already agreed with the manager that the team had no room for him. The SuperSonics planned to use Scherer as a bargaining chip to replace him with a cheap and experienced substitute.

Come.

Talents will be treated differently. Developing Yang Jian's potential as soon as possible is the top priority of the Sonics coaching staff. Weiss made many requests to him. He told him all the tasks he wanted him to complete on the court in the new season. The most important one was

It's a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.

Yang Jianlian was very serious and knew that it was a good thing for the coach to be strict with him. The other three newcomers wanted this kind of treatment, but Weiss didn't bother to talk to them.

In the NBA, the physical fitness of young players is definitely more important than technology.

A player's basketball skills are software and added value. A player's body is hardware and the foundation. Good skills can make up for the shortcomings of a player's body, but a good body can allow players to better display their skills.

Players with poor physical fitness will not be able to play in the NBA no matter how good their skills are. Of course there will be some exceptions, and they are rare.

The fight between Scherer and Yang Jian is an example. Scherer's body is not as good as Yang Jian's, and his technique basically doesn't work. He makes various fake moves on the spot, and finally takes action under interference.

On that day, Yang Jian successfully signed a contract with the SuperSonics. He chose No. 21, which was no longer used by the team, and took the first step in his career. He felt that this number was very auspicious. He could maintain competitive status even as he got older and become a forever player.

21st overall pick.

The SuperSonics did not announce his signing to the public and planned to have him hold a press conference with other new players after the summer league.

On July 7, Yang Jian and other players and coaching staff flew to Salt Lake City, Utah.

In the 1995 NBA Summer League, both the accommodation level and the training venue were very improvised. Each team would train in the high school arena, and the game would be held at the Jazz training facility. There would be spectators on site, and there would be no television broadcast.

Even so, the Salt Lake City League is currently the NBA's largest summer league, attracting many teams to participate, suitable for rookies and players eager to get contracts to showcase their abilities.

The Salt Lake City Summer League was first called the Rocky Mountain Summer League and began in 1984. The original purpose of the game was just to promote the Jazz in the Utah area, and the participating teams were also formed by alumni of various universities. Since 1990, the Jazz

Inviting the Trail Blazers, Suns and Kings to participate in this event, the scale is getting bigger and bigger.

This year, there are a total of 12 teams participating in the competition, which can attract many local fans to watch the game. The level of the competition is certainly incomparable with the NBA, and the advantage is that the tickets are cheap.

Players participating in the summer league do not receive a salary, they only strive to win and prove their strength. During the process, the players have "meal allowance", accommodation, travel expenses and jerseys are all borne by the team, and the players prepare their own sneakers.

Twelve players representing the Sonics stayed in a hotel not far from the arena, sharing a room. Yang Jian and Eric Snow became roommates. The coach deliberately arranged this to facilitate more communication between them.

The players practiced together the next morning, and it ended in an hour and a half. The players needed to conserve their energy. The summer league schedule was very tight, and they could only rest for one day at most.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the SuperSonics faced their first opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves have many rookies coming to compete, the biggest one being the fifth pick, forward Kevin Garnett. Garnett graduated from high school and participated in the draft, and his birthday is the same day as Yang Jian, May 19, 1976.

Japan. In addition, they all chose the No. 21 jersey.

In a parallel world, Garnett is recognized as a superstar.

He played for 22 years in his career and won a regular season MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and an NBA championship. He was also selected to the All-Defensive Team 12 times, including 9 times in the first defense and 3 times in the second defense. His

The number of defensive lineup selections is second only to Tim Duncan's 15 times, tied with Kobe Bryant for second in history.

Yang Jian is very excited. Defeating Garnett will be a memorable first game in his career!

The Sonics players stayed in the locker room for a while, changed into their traditional green jerseys and came out, receiving some applause. There were already thousands of spectators in the stands, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

The Jazz's training arena is also good, and its facilities can be compared with those of many elite NCAA schools. There was no appearance ceremony for the players in this game, and there were no must-win slogans. Everything was as simple as a college basketball game.

In this environment, Yang Jian was both nervous and excited.

What makes him nervous is that he has never had an audience when he played before. When he was in college, he could only play on the class team, and he couldn't even think about joining the school team. What makes him excited is that he has the strength of an NBA player, no doubt!

Even the worst NBA players can thrive in foreign professional leagues. If they go to China's CBA league, they can almost become the core of the team.

Yang Jian believes that becoming an NBA player is a great career, because it is the best basketball league in the world. Before time travel, he never made a dime playing basketball but still enjoyed playing. Now that he has a salary, how can he not go all out?
Chapter completed!