warrior godfather

Cole was silent for a moment when he heard Zhang Yu's question, and then said solemnly:
"I believe Stephen can understand. Before he entered the league, I have been paying attention to the Butler University game. At that time, Ronan, you let him play off the ball, and then you played pass and cut in the Warriors. His Off the ball has also become better, I believe that he will be able to accept such a sacrifice, which will lead to a more harmonious team, a more active and tough defense, as well as championships and dynasties!"

"Dynasty..." Zhang Yu whispered, then smiled, "You have confidence in Stephen."

Cole said very seriously:
"Stephen is a very tough person. I saw a trait in him, a trait that is exactly the same as Michael's, and that is the paranoid desire to win!"

"In order to compete for the championship, Michael voluntarily gave up a lot of the ball, allowing Scottie, Tony, Luke and even Dennis to support him with the ball, while he ran without the ball. He would also attract pincers in the finals. To shoot key shots, because he understands that the ball-handling style of play can bring statistics, but you can only win championships if you trust your teammates."

"We played next to Michael, very involved, all motivated, because we all felt that winning was closely related to us. Michael is a superstar, but he is also a member of the team. What we do, he will do the same. And it's better, defense, screens, rebounds, running positions...Michael has always led by example on the court, he has never had other privileges except shooting the game-winner, and he can do anything to win."

"I think Steph is the same. I have commented so many Warriors games, and I can always see him defending hard on the court, setting screens for his teammates, and blocking the rebound. Although his defense is far from Michael, he He is also a person who can give everything for victory. He has no data and possession in his eyes, only the desire for the championship. I firmly believe that he will definitely accept the most beneficial style of play for the team, not for the data. He must Hold the ball in your hands!"

clap clap.

After Cole finished speaking, Zhang Yu applauded and said with a smile:

"well said!"

The three of Ron Adams also nodded frequently, and Larry Riley sighed:

"I didn't expect you to have such a clear understanding of Stephen. I have also thought about why Stephen is so selfless. I always thought that it was because of his belief in Ronan that he would not have the airs of a superstar, but now I listen to you like this. First of all, I underestimated Stephen, even without Ronan, he would never become domineering and demand privileges, he is the best team player, bar none."

Seeing that several people agreed with his statement, Cole couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, looked at Zhang Yu, and said:

"This is also the conclusion I drew from the way you coached Stephen. Presumably you saw Stephen's character clearly earlier than me, right?"

When Larry and Riley heard the words, they all turned their heads and looked at Zhang Yu with inquiring eyes. Zhang Yu nodded with a smile:
"Of course, he has been playing for me for the past six years, from a high school student to today's MVP, and won a championship. If I didn't understand him, how could I spend so much time cultivating him? I want Not just a superstar, but a real cornerstone who can play for the Warriors for 20 or [-] years!"

His voice was very peaceful, but what he said shocked everyone.Where are superstars not being entrusted by the team, enjoying many privileges, and having an extremely high status, for fear of making them dissatisfied, only Zhang Yu dares to say "I don't just want a superstar", right?
This sounds very arrogant, but when you think about it carefully, it is completely in line with the facts. Zhang Yu spent three years turning the Warriors from a belly to a champion. Curry became a superstar and promised that he would never leave the Warriors voluntarily. Cultivated a true cornerstone for the Warriors, a truly selfless superstar.

Fraser exclaimed:

"Hearing what you said, I suddenly found that I was lucky to be able to come to the Warriors. As long as Stephen is around, wouldn't the team always have the strength to compete for the championship?"

Ron Adams said:
"Bruce, Ronan is what we should be most grateful for. If he hadn't acquired the Warriors, we wouldn't know where we would be living as assistant coaches!"

Zhang Yu waved his hand:

"This is Steve's interview. Why are you still bragging about me? It's not time to sign the contract, is it? Even if I want to give you a raise, I can't!"

"Hahaha……"

Both Fraser and Ron Adams laughed, and Cole also laughed:
"It seems that Ronan and I have the same coincidence. Stephen is far from being a superstar. His rookie contract has not yet ended, and he has achieved such brilliant achievements. Michael only won the first prize in the eighth year. Guan, if Stephen can have the mentality of the Michael dynasty now, then the Warriors dynasty is not far away!"

The three of Larry Riley were heartbroken, and Zhang Yu nodded and said:
"Don't worry about this. Steph has always been selfless. He may prefer to play with the ball in his hands, but in order to win, he will definitely accept this change. And reducing the ball does not mean reducing his shots. More The off-ball running can create easier scoring opportunities for Stephen, and his efficiency will be higher."

"That's right, Stephen's stats won't be greatly affected, but he will be more tired from playing, but his off-the-ball skills are already very strong, and adding some off-the-ball offenses is not a difficult task." Cole agreed. .

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said:

"Well, you think about how to increase Stephen's off-the-ball ratio, and how to better use his containment power to create opportunities for others to score with air cuts. I will communicate with Stephen about this, etc. After the start of the training camp, we will focus on rehearsing the new offensive system, but you must also pay attention, this does not mean that Stephen must not play with the ball, no matter how much he has the ball, he cannot exceed 50%.”

"No problem, I have been thinking about how to improve the efficiency of passing and cutting. After I go back, I will submit a plan. Speaking of which, it is Ronan who inspired me. Many of your passing and cutting tactics It’s all quite new and inspired me a lot.”

Cole was beaming. Passing and cutting is a basketball concept he admired so much. Zhang Yu asked him to design a new passing and cutting tactic, which he wished for.

But at this moment, Larry Riley glanced at Zhang Yu, and after receiving Zhang Yu's signal, he said:

"Steve, you don't need to rush to design new tactics. Before that, you still have a job."

"What job?" Cole wondered.

"According to the team's practice, this summer league needs you to lead the team. After the summer league is over, it's not too late for you to consider passing and cutting tactics." Larry Riley explained.

"No problem, let's talk about it after the summer league. I didn't expect that I became the head coach before I became an assistant coach. I'm still a rookie!" Cole laughed at himself.

"Hahaha……"

Everyone laughed, and Zhang Yu joked:

"This head coach is very good. There is no requirement on the record. You just need to test the strength of the players. You will definitely be able to do it. It's just better to win two more games, so as not to let others say that the Warriors just won the championship. Can't beat it."

Why does Cole:
"After all, I have no experience in coaching a team, and I really can't guarantee that I can win..."

Larry Riley laughed and said:

"Don't worry, Isiah Thomas and Chandler Parsons will play in the summer league. The team's newly drafted Khris Middleton and Jamichael Green are also very good. It shouldn't be difficult to win. .”

Cole breathed a sigh of relief:

"Then I have a solid foundation in my heart. Since Ronan selected them, although they are all second-round picks, they must be capable players. I will definitely make good use of them."

Zhang Yu nodded and said with a smile:
"I'll talk about the summer league later. Larry will hand it over to you. Let's take a look at the contract first. If you have any opinions, you can raise them and we'll discuss them later."

Larry Riley handed a contract to Cole. Cole looked through it, then raised his head, and said in surprise:

"Three years, $3 million... Is that the maximum annual salary for an assistant coach? I have no problem."

He has communicated with Zhang Yu before, and the longest contract period he can accept is 3 years, but he has not asked for an annual salary.

However, Cole has been the general manager and knows that the annual salary of assistant coaches generally fluctuates between 10 and 100 million US dollars, and there are some assistant coaches with very junior qualifications who can only get tens of thousands of dollars in annual salary.

Cole does not have any experience as an assistant coach, but Zhang Yu offered him the highest salary, which can be said to be full of sincerity.

Subsequently, Cole signed his name on the contract and officially became the first assistant coach of the Warriors.

Zhang Yu personally sent Cole out of the Oracle Arena. When the two were walking on the road, Cole suddenly said sincerely:

"Ronan, thank you for agreeing with my basketball philosophy. I know very well that it is very difficult to let the core star play a lot of off-ball tactics. If you don't agree, even if Stephen is willing, it will be useless."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu waved his hand and said with a smile:

"It's good for the team, why should I disagree?"

"Many people believe in the basketball philosophy that the core stars should have a lot of balls, and this is the mainstream thinking." Kerr said.

Zhang Yu shook his head and said softly:

"The mainstream is not necessarily right, otherwise the champions will not be the Warriors, but them. I have had this idea before. I scolded a head coach who believes in pass and cut. I think it is best to keep the star in every round. For the ball, it’s best to let the stars let go of the ball every game, and the others are only responsible for screens, defense, and catch and shoot. Role players can ignore the frame without looking at the frame, and don’t touch the ball without touching the ball.”

"But later when I became the head coach, I realized that players are not robots, the game is not a 2K game, every player has his own ideas, they are not tool people, stars eat meat, they also have to drink soup, otherwise why would they be on the court Go all out? Tool guys will play hard for the contract, but they won't give it their all every possession, and that's the difference between a really good team and an average team."

"And as you said, the passing and cutting system allows everyone to continuously participate in the team's offense, in order to establish a team culture of tactical supremacy and command and stop tactical literacy, the most important thing, this can allow Players enjoy the fun of the game, instead of simply treating the game as a job. This is the real happy basketball, instead of telling a few jokes off the court or playing around during training, they can play happily on the court. Only in this way Only by doing this can we remain competitive throughout the long season, from October to June, to compete for the championship."

"It's just that the fans will definitely have opinions. After all, Stephen plays more without the ball, and he will hold the ball less..."

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said with a smile:
"This is not a problem. What the fans value most is the championship. The gains and losses in a few regular season games are nothing. In the playoffs, finals, and when Stephen needs to hold the ball, he will stand up and play with the ball. The whole team will also cultivate. With excellent tactical quality and discipline, it is enough for everyone to do their own thing well, unite as one, and win the most important game. As for the momentary infamy... so what if I carry it?"

Cole looked at the free and easy Zhang Yu and was amazed:

"Ronan, no wonder you are a champion coach. With such a mind, why not win the championship!"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said:
"These are trivial matters. In the end, it depends on whether you can win the championship. If you win the championship, then everything you do is right. If you can't win the championship, then everything you do is wrong."

"Not necessarily. There are 82 games in the regular season. The championship will be forgotten soon. As long as you pass and play enough, you will definitely be scolded, whether you win or not." Cole said.

Zhang Yu spread his hands and said:

"Then I can't control so much. What I want to consider is the gains and losses in one year, three years, five years or even ten years. I can't take into account the momentary mood of the fans. Let them scold you."

"You can think about it..." Cole smiled, then seemed to think of something, and asked suspiciously, "You said just now that you scolded a head coach who believed in passing on? Besides us, which other team played? Chuanche?"

The smile on Zhang Yu's face froze, and he said vaguely:
"It's a long story. At that time, I didn't understand the ball. Now I know that what he did was right, but it was too much. Passing and cutting are good, but they are not omnipotent. You must rely on the stars to solve the problem at critical moments. .”

"Going too far? How can Chuanche such a good tactic go too far?"

"The benevolent sees benevolence, and the wise see wisdom..."

……

On July 7, the NBA Summer League kicked off in Las Vegas.

The number of teams participating in this summer league has reached 24, creating a historical record, of which 11 are playoff teams, and one is an NBDL selection team. Cox-Pavelian Arena at the University of Las Vegas.

Cole served as the head coach of the Warriors and brought Leonard, Thomas Jr., Parsons, Middleton, Bazemore, and JaMychal Green to Las Vegas to participate in the game.

Leonard wasn't supposed to use it, but he caught up with the lockout last summer and missed the summer league, so he took the initiative to ask Zhang Yu to come to Las Vegas to practice, and Zhang Yu naturally had no reason not to agree. So Leonard became the biggest player in this summer league.

After all, he was an important rotation for the Warriors to win the championship last season. He also appeared as a starter in the last few games of the finals, breaking the deadlock. Even the new champion Anthony Davis was inferior to Leonard.

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon that day, the Warriors started a contest with the Lakers. There was no suspense in this game. The Warriors beat the Lakers 124:103 by 21 points and got off to a good start.

Leonard changed his position as a 3D player and frequently launched offensives with the ball. His skills in this area are still not proficient, and he looks a bit clumsy, but it is enough for the summer league. He scored 21 points and his mid-range singles are quite impressive. Effective, this is the only skill he has practiced outside of three-pointers and defense.

But the best performance of the Warriors is not Leonard, but Thomas Jr., his technical characteristics are very suitable for the summer league. The ability to suddenly and be good at casting has been vividly demonstrated.

Parsons' performance is also very good. After a season of training, he has matured a lot. He showed a very versatile skill in the summer league, scoring 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Achievements.

Middleton, JaMychal Green, and Bazemore are still somewhat restrained, and the data is not obvious. This is also related to the tactics arranged by Cole. He let the players relax in the first game, and first understand the strength and characteristics of everyone. , Leonard, Thomas Jr., and Parsons are the most famous, holding the ball, Cole didn't interfere much, and the three didn't get too many shots.

The next day, when the Warriors played against the Nuggets, Cole, who knew what to expect, changed his tactics and cut the possession of the three Thomas Jr., but evenly distributed the ball. Although it was still mainly singles, everyone got a chance.

Middleton and Bazemore immediately showed impressive strength. Middleton was tall and thin, and he was quite puzzled in the mid-range shot after dribbling with one hand. He scored 22 points in the game. Bazemore's ability The shooting ability is sudden, there is a kind of gangster spirit that is not stingy, dare to fight and fight hard, and scored 16 points.

JaMychal Green's performance was relatively average, but he also scored 10 points. He made full use of his body advantage, and his touch was very soft, and he frequently succeeded in the penalty area.

The three of Thomas Jr. continued their outstanding performance in the previous game, all scoring more than 15 points.

The Warriors finally beat the Nuggets 126:92 and won a 30-point victory.

而这只是一个开始，7月18日，勇士以116:95大胜热火；7月20日，勇士以124:101大胜公牛；7月21日，勇士以135:114狂胜黄蜂，结束了在夏季联赛的征程。

The Warriors played a total of 5 games, all of which were bloodbaths of more than 20 points.

Cole did not arrange complicated tactics. He just used Leonard, Thomas Jr., and Parsons as the tactical fulcrum to play some simple passing and cutting offenses, but this is already a dimensionality reduction for other teams. hit.

In every game, the Warriors quickly established a big lead, and then maintained the advantage until the end. Other teams could not pose a threat to the Warriors.

That is, in the last game against the Hornets, Anthony Davis overwhelmed the Warriors inside and scored 29 points, slightly biting the score.

But it was also because Cole was experimenting with small-ball lineups, allowing JaMychal Green and Leonard to partner inside, which gave him the opportunity to wreak havoc in the penalty area, but the Warriors still relied on their sharp and unparalleled offense to defeat the Hornets.

Thomas Jr. averaged 24.5 points, 7.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, and was co-elected as the Summer League MVP with Lillard of the Trail Blazers and Josh Selby of the Grizzlies.

It's not a coincidence that all three of them are point guards. Summer league is a place where whoever has the ball can put up numbers, and no one is focused on defense here.

When Curry was injured last season, he played well as a backup point guard, and he made a big splash in the summer league, attracting the attention of several teams, and asked Larry Riley for an inquiry. But they were all rejected.

伦纳德的表现也很不错，场均能得到17.5分11.2篮板3.2助攻3.6抢断1.2封盖，非常全能。

He is not just a 3D player in the summer league, he has shown the ability to play mid-range singles, but he is not stable enough, and he also intends to pass the ball to his teammates, but he makes a lot of mistakes, averaging 4.2 per game, which is higher than assists.

Between games, Leonard trained very hard, and his perseverance impressed Cole. When communicating with Zhang Yu, he suggested that the team must focus on training Leonard. Although he is only a 3D player now, Cole I believe that Leonard's upper limit in the future will not be low. He is really hardworking. In addition to basketball in his life, he does not even have social media.

Parsons is very versatile, averaging 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He also attracted the attention of one or two teams. After all, the Warriors are the championship team, and they were invincible in the summer league. The performance has attracted the attention of the outside world.

Larry Riley rejected all of them. Zhang Yu clearly told him that the Warriors would not trade a single player this summer. He released the news, which finally prevented other teams from inquiring about Warriors players.

Middleton, JaMychal Green, and Bazemore also performed very well, all scoring more than 10 points per game, and Middleton was particularly outstanding, averaging 16.7 points per game, which is more than a year in the NBA. Parsons in [-] was taller.

His dry mid-range shot is very suitable for scoring points in the chaos of the summer league. His singles efficiency is very high. In the game against the Hornets, he felt hot and scored 27 points.

JaMychal Green and Bazemore are a bit worse, but one of them is a rookie with the 60th pick and the other is an undrafted pick. They score more than 10 points per game efficiently, and their defense is also good. They are already worthy of their worth, at least on the bench Look at the water dispenser is very qualified.

Leonard, Thomas Jr., Parsons and Middleton were selected to the Las Vegas Summer League All-NBA Team, and the Warriors had four selected, the most among participating teams.

After the summer league ended, the media said in reports:

"The defending champion dominates the summer league, the Heat failed to get revenge, and the Warriors' lineup depth will increase again in the new season!"

"Coach Z has a discerning eye. The Warriors picked a mid-range shooter with the 30th overall pick in the first round. Khris Middleton may join the Warriors' forward rotation in the new season!"

The fans also lamented that the Warriors are the first in the league in the regular season, the championship in the playoffs, and the massacre in the summer league. Is there any way for other teams to survive?