From sparring to superstar

Chapter 105 103. The first batch of parallel importers?
Big Q was selected by the Clippers with the 18th overall pick in the first round, and he couldn't wait to sign the contract the next day. Before the contract came into effect on June 6, he went to the Clippers training hall to report, and his attitude was very positive. Looking forward to the future life.

Two days later, the teammates who played the summer league together came to report, and Big Q took the initiative to make friends with the teammates.

Then, he was bullied by Olowokandi.

Olowokandi asked him to treat him and took him to a restaurant, but when the meal was over, Olowokandi suddenly took out a packet of peanut butter and poured it on his pants, and yelled: "Why do you pull your pants? Are you incontinent? It's disgusting!"

At that time, the voices of people in the restaurant talking, their eyes, and the movement of the waiter holding his nose and taking a step back when he came up to check... For Big Q, this is his psychological shadow for the rest of his life!
But he didn't dare to say anything other than hugging the pillow when he went home and crying, cursing a few words behind his back.

But forbearance did not help him get rid of the teasing, but the other party intensified. Olowokandi bullied him every day in those few days.

So Li Ao beat Olowokandi on the ground that day. For Big Q, instead of feeling scared, he became Li Ao's fanboy on the spot.

But before he paid a visit to the pier, Li Ao's fist was broken by Olowokandi's face, and he went to the infirmary for treatment.

At that time, he was worried that Li Ao would be traded away, but he didn't expect that it was Olowokandi who was sent away!
What this means is self-evident.

He was very much looking forward to meeting Li Ao again. After waiting for a long time, he finally met him!
However, he has already passed the most exciting moment at the beginning. Instead of kissing Li Ao's leather shoes like in the movie, he first established a good relationship.

When taking Li Ao to the room, Big Q introduced the situation of the summer league.

There are 10 participating teams in the Southern California Summer League.

The other 9 teams are the Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Sonics, Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Raptors, and the Canadian national team.

Their Clippers currently have a 5-game winning streak, ranking first.

Li Ao thought, they have Odom, Jermaine O'Neal, and Corey Maggette. If they can't even get the first place in the summer league, their Clippers should really play in the CBA.

Adding him, Big Q, Chris Mihm, and Kenyon Dooling are 4 rookies, and they have a total of 7 players who are sure to play in the NBA next season.

Kenyon Dooling, the rookie point guard selected by the Clippers with the team's scoring champion Maurice Taylor and Troy Hudson in exchange for the No. 10 pick of the Magic last season.

With this transaction, why does Li Ao feel that Baylor is helping the man with the logo to pay off the debt owed to the Magic?
97年14顺位的大前锋莫里斯-泰勒，刚打出了场均17分6.5板的赛季，还加了个场均8.8分3.9助攻的优质替补控卫，居然只从魔术队那里换到了10号签？

If it weren't for the Magic team's extra salary to keep the 3 maximum salary space, the Clippers would be at a loss in this deal. Kenyon Dooling probably won't be able to average 17+6 per game in his lifetime. .

The addition of this equal salary is Corey Maggette, who killed the Quartet and dreamed of returning to college in the summer league.

Chris Mihm, the center selected by the Clippers with the 15th pick in the first round, this draft pick was also exchanged for good players.

At the end of the 98-99 season, the 94 Ramond Murray had the last year left on his six-year, $6 million rookie contract. The pick protects the pick, and the Bucks just made the playoffs last season.

And Ramond Murray was sold by the Bucks to the Cavaliers. Last season, this high-quality small forward with a strong body and balanced offense and defense averaged 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Thinking of this, Li Ao was numb.

What does the Lakers legend do? This is it!

When we got to the room, Big Q introduced Li Ao about the location of bathrooms, restaurants, gyms, nearby convenience stores, etc.

Li Ao looked at Big Q's fat and chubby appearance, and he was in a good mood, and said, "Thank you, Quentin."

name!

He called my name!
Big Q is about to burst into tears.

It’s been a long time since anyone called him by his real name. He was called Big Q since he was a child. After he showed his basketball talent in junior high school, no one seemed to remember his original name.

Now someone asked why he was called 'Big Q', and he said it was because the first letter of his name was Q, and his name was difficult to pronounce, so people called him that.

But in fact, this is what others laughed at him when he was a child.

His skull has been oval since he was a child, and he lost a tooth when he changed his teeth in primary school. At that time, he was darker than now, and his face was flawed. He didn't shut up deliberately, and kept his mouth open, with a single front tooth exposed all the time. The classmates made fun of him for having a Q or a big Q on his head.

Later, he showed his talent on the basketball court, and the nickname Big Q couldn't get rid of it.

Over the past ten years, he has become accustomed to being called that by others.

But suddenly someone called him 'Quentin' instead of 'Big Q' and he broke the defense...

...

After putting away his luggage, Li Ao went to choose his jersey. No one used the number 0, so he continued to use it. Near noon, the nutritionist Jack and his girlfriend came to live in a nearby B&B and prepared a nutritious meal for Li Ao. .

When Gentry came to ask Li Ao to have lunch, he saw that he had brought a nutritionist...their team only had one nutritionist, and they had a holiday after the season! Only resume work in October!
After lunch, it was time for Gentry to test Li Ao.

Thinking about it, he felt miserable. The players selected with the No. [-] pick, three weeks after the draft, and their Clippers didn't even have a chance to try out the opponent.

Gentry is full of anticipation, which is the genius that allowed the Lakers to risk the morale of the team to negotiate a draft pick trade with the Magic during the Finals.

Although there are commercial reasons, but only commercial reasons are not enough for the Lakers to take such a big risk.

Just the static physical fitness makes Gentry's eyes shine!
With a height of 201 centimeters and a wingspan of 218 centimeters, the weight of 94 kilograms is too light. Gentry estimates that confrontation is a problem, and he has to find a way this summer.

When it was time to test speed, strength, etc., Gentry quietly found a corner where no one was around, and slapped himself.

In the strength test of equipment, although Li Ao can't compare with Maggette and Odom, one of them is a muscle monster, and the other is a body that can stand up to a center forward, but compared with the team's big Q and Piakowski who are similar in height , Li Ao, who was more than ten pounds lighter, had even better test results!
And the speed is also in the same gear as Maggette and Big Q. You must know that the athletic ability of these two is considered outstanding among blacks.

When it came to the technical test, Gentry took Li Ao and the trainer to the small square.

That's right, it's so cool, their Clippers' summer league training is in the open air.

The first is the shot test.

The teammates who were practicing in the square stepped forward to watch.

They were afraid of returning home, but they were very curious about the strength of this Tanhuaxiu.

Especially the newcomer O'Neal, whose 4-year garbage time career has not extinguished the flame in his heart.

Now he finally has a chance to make his mark, and in a team like the Clippers, his goal is to be the boss!

He has two competitors in his mind. One is Odom. In his rookie season just ended, Odom averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He is an all-around player like Grant Hill.

The other is the Tanhuaxiu in front of me.

In view of Li Ao's excellent mid-range shooting performance in the third stage of the madness, Gentry arranged a mid-range shot test with a large group of 100 shots, a distance of one step inside and outside the free throw line, five fixed angles, and 10 shots per point.

Then, the teammates heard the non-stop sound of "shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua, shua"...

The trainer next to him is counting every hit.

When he made 99 shots, Li Ao had hit 89 shots, and the last ball hit the basket with a "clang", and he let out a "屮" in annoyance.

This performance exceeded the expectations of his teammates!

Is this the mid-range shot that an 18-year-old player should have?They heard that Li Ao will turn 19 next month!
But the one who killed a thousand swords actually had a very dissatisfied expression.

But they felt that this guy was really dissatisfied with his training performance.

Gentry was ecstatic, he stepped forward and said, "Leo, you did well."

"It's still a bit short. I sometimes scored 90 shots the other day."

Gentry completely forgot the opponent's brutal appearance before, patted Li Ao on the shoulder and said: "Haha, by the end of this summer, you will definitely be able to score 90 goals stably, or even more, and you are already a mid-range shooter in our team." The best player ever."

Li Ao questioned: "Isn't it?"

Gentry was a little embarrassed to ask this question.

The teammates cursed in unison, but they dared not speak out.

Despite the embarrassment, Gentry still had to let the players know the reality of the team. He replied: "That's right."

Li Ao's mood at the moment is very embarrassing!
Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he asked Gentry: "That means our team doesn't even have an excellent mid-range scorer, so I can get many opportunities?"

Gentry swallowed.

The thing is such a thing, but it doesn't have to be said directly, it hurts.

He replied: "That's right, according to your playing style and performance in college, I plan to let you be our first choice in the middle distance.

Your CIC is even better than I imagined.

Lamar is the best all-around fighter in the entire world.

Jermaine, God, I've never seen a center with such talent, it's a shame he wasted 4 years, but it's okay, he is still young, not yet 22, there is still time to improve.

I have already discussed with other coaches and management. You, Leo, Lamar, and Jermaine are our future core trio. In my opinion, you may become the strongest frontcourt combination in the league! "

In front of everyone, confirm who the team's most important players are, and clarify the training goals. Li Ao likes Gentry's operation.

It will dampen the enthusiasm of some players who aspire to become the core of the team, but at least there will be no outrageous things like Poole asking the team to use the best player in team history as a bargaining chip.

But Li Ao found a point: "Coach, if Duncan goes to the Magic, they can send McGrady, Hill, and Duncan to the frontcourt."

Gentry snorted with his mouth closed, his nostrils dilated, and roared, "I just think the three of you will be better than the three of them in the future!"

Teammates: Happy birthday!Their head coach yelled at the violent handsome guy!Will he be beaten?
what to do?There is still a little expectation!

Li Ao pricked his ears and replied: "Yes, yes, yes, I know you are optimistic about us, what is the fierceness, hurry up and continue the test, isn't there still team training later? Hurry up! Is the next three-point test?"

His reaction greatly exceeded the expectations of his teammates.

"Henry gave me all the video clips of your college games. I have watched them all. I remember you can't make three-pointers, right? New practice?" Gentry inquired about Li Ao's training with the Lakers and knew This genius is unwilling to test what he doesn't know.

"Yes, for the draft trial training, I specially developed the three-pointer, but I didn't expect it to be useless."

Gentry: (￣┏_┓￣)
The teammates have different ideas at this time, the talent is considered average in the NBA, and they just want to scold;
Odom is the kind of heartless person who doesn't care about other people's talents;
Like Jermaine O'Neal, he doesn't believe that someone can develop a three-pointer in two months. If it is a three-pointer in preparation for the trial training, the NCAA season will end on April 4th, and it will take two months to participate in the NBA trial training in early June. ;
There is also worship - big Q.

Soon, the three-point test began.

Li Ao caught the ball for the first time and shot a three-pointer, which made Gentry stunned and his eyes lit up at the same time!
Why is the three-point shooting action different from the mid-range shot?

Oh, it must be because the CIC always needs to face the defense, so it needs a higher release point; and the catch three-pointer is often an open three-pointer, so I practiced a faster shooting action?
Oh shit!Is this something that ordinary people can do?

However, this action is perfect for catching three-pointers!
For a while, Gentry couldn't think of any shooting action that was more suitable for catching and three-pointers.

Watching Li Ao's catching and three-point shooting action, he feels it is a kind of enjoyment!
As far as the disadvantage is, this action is not suitable for singles three-pointers.

Li Ao plays without the ball, at least at the age of 18, he still plays without the ball, and there is no need to consider singles with the ball for three-pointers for the time being.

Gentry put away his distracting thoughts and focused on Li Ao's three-point shooting.

100 out of 72, Li Ao scored the last ball, the joy on his face was visible to the naked eye, it was better than usual, breaking 7% of his shots.

Gentry recalled that Li Ao missed a single three-pointer in the crazy third final on April 4th, so it’s been three months since he played a full game, right?
Figure out a new shooting action, and practice to develop a smooth and complete force and release.

The 100 out of 72 training three-pointers are definitely not very accurate, and there are many more in the team who are more accurate than this.

But it's only been 3 months!Now the foundation has been laid, from zero to being able to shoot is one of the most difficult stages of developing shooting!It's time to grow up!
Gentry has only one thought now: Leo, who else do you want to fight?Go ahead!If you hit me, I will immediately ask the general manager to ask the boss to drive him away!

...

Physical condition and shooting talent can be displayed very intuitively.

In terms of pass control and technical testing, Li Ao's performance was mediocre. In terms of singles, there was almost no back hook when facing shorter players under the basket. The supporting talent shown in the game.

Next came the time for the team's joint training. The content of the joint training was an intra-team training match. They were divided into two teams. Kenyon Dooling, Big Q, Li Ao, Odom, and undrafted Darko Anderson were assigned to the first team.

After the game started, the teammates frantically passed the ball to Li Ao, and passed when they saw Li Ao was free.

After playing for a while, Li Ao called to stop the game.

He was just wondering at first, but later he realized something was wrong, but he chose to endure it first, and he couldn't bear to stop the game.

He yelled at the three teammates: "Lamar, you shouldn't have passed to me just now. I moved to the high post, and the defense followed me. Darko has already reached that position. If you pass to him, he can shoot with one step.

Kenyon, why did you give me the ball that round earlier?Lamar draws Jermaine's attention on the baseline, Chriss can't get it back, me and Quentin pull people apart on the perimeter, and you go in from the free throw line and score straight away.

You two should have this sense of competition!
Quentin, stop holding the ball, pass blindly, break through is not as good as me, long-range running shots and air-cut counterattacks are more suitable for you..."

Suddenly, the teammates came up with a thought: this new violent man, doesn't he really want to cooperate well with his teammates?

Especially the three teammates who were accused by Li Ao felt very complicated.

They pass the ball without thinking, and their ideas are actually different.

Odom has a ghost in his heart. He is worried that Li Ao will know that he is the one who hit the water and let him go one-way, so he wants to pass more passes to Li Ao to improve the relationship, but the pass selection is not good.

Kenyon Dooling, who is also a rookie in the lottery, is not convinced. The team values ​​you so much, so I will give you the ball and see what you can do.

Big Q is - give the ball to the boss!

They didn't expect Li Ao to react like this.

After Big Q calmed down, he was a little bit wronged. He felt that his breakthrough was better than Li Ao's, but he still responded, "I see."

The other two did not speak, but after Gentry signaled to continue training, they also focused and devoted themselves to this team training game.

After a few more rounds, the teammates without those distracting thoughts had different views on Li Ao.

Run diligently, pass the ball first, always appear at the right receiving point, the person with the ball wants to pass the ball, and can always find someone...

In the team training match, and it was the first time to participate in the team training match, their Tanhua Lang didn't care at all whether he had a chance to make a move!

Is this highly powerful self-confidence?Or is it just that selfless?Or both?
Gentry, who was onlookers, also lamented that he is indeed a super genius who can enter the NCAA and lead the team to win the championship.

When he had a dinner date with Henry Bibby, what the other party said, and what he analyzed when he watched the video, were all correct!
Li Ao's court awareness is too good!
Give full play to your strengths and avoid weaknesses.

There is also passing. How did Gentry feel that in the game, their genius Tanhualang passed the ball more accurately than in the test just now?

They are all point guards!

His thoughts have changed now: Leo, do you want to hit me?Hit as much as you want, just be a little gentler, but don't drive me away...

When this idea came up, Gentry was taken aback, and quickly got rid of his distracting thoughts. He has no tendency to be masochistic.

However, Gentry was mentally prepared for Li Ao's performance on the offensive end. He was delighted, but not surprised.

Li Ao's performance on the defensive end surprised him!

The target of Li Ao's defense was Maggette. Li Ao couldn't handle Maggette's brutal breakthrough, but his confrontation performance was not as bad as that of other college students in the summer league against Maggette, and it could even play some necessary restrictions.

The most eye-catching thing is that Li Ao can guide Maggette to the breakthrough line that he is not good at, and create defensive opportunities for his teammates on the inside, but Darko Anderson is not capable enough to use it well. When he swaps the centers of the two sides, the situation It's different, with the help of meme, Li Ao can restrain Maggette!

The choice of confrontation timing, the awareness of occupying positions, and defensive steps in single defense... Li Ao's performance in this aspect, in Gentry's view, is even more impressive than his offensive end!
...

In just one day, the teammates' perception of Li Ao has undergone some subtle changes.

His violent image is deeply engraved in the minds of his teammates.

But today, Li Ao's attitude towards the game and the way he played made his teammates appreciate it very much.

After the team's training, when everyone else was going to have fun, Li Ao stayed and practiced three-pointers and mid-range shots for half an hour, so that his teammates could see his hard work.

Based on the above, the attitude of the teammates towards Li Ao has somewhat changed.

Like Odom, he thinks Li Ao is very violent, but it’s fine not to provoke him. He is really afraid, and it’s fine not to contact him outside of games and training.

On the next morning, Li Ao followed the team to an open-air stadium on the outskirts of Santa Ana.

Although it is open-air, the specification is also a formal stadium. The stadium is surrounded by stepped auditoriums, forming a circle, with more than 3000 seats. There are many drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru convenience stores, etc. outside the stadium.

The Clippers players are very excited today!
A lot of reporters are here!
And the auditorium is full!Played 5 games and this is the first time!
Almost all the reporters came for Li Ao.

Kenyon Martin and Swift, the top three rookies, are disappointing.

Kenyon Martin's athletic ability, defensive awareness, and offensive rebound rush are remarkable, but in the 6 games of the Boston Summer League, he averaged only 8.5 points per game. Jan Martin has almost no autonomous offensive performance.

Swift couldn't even start in the summer league. Kenyon Martin got 11.7 rebounds per game anyway, and Swift only averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game except for the block dunks.

At this time of the summer league, the best performer is Jamal Crawford, who played 7 games in the Rocky Mountain Summer League in Salt Lake City, averaging 25 points per game in singles, like a superstar, But the 40 percent hit rate is dismal.

The Bulls selected DeMar Johnson with the seventh overall pick and sent him to the Cavaliers for Jamal Crawford, a future second-round pick, and some cash.

Another high-profile rookie, Mike Miller, is in a similar situation to Kenyon Martin, with no one feeding the ball and unable to show his ability.

Both of their teammates are similar to Crawford, and they can do it alone if they can.

At present, the performance of the rookies of the 00 class in the summer league can be described as annihilation. The media thought that the rookies of this class would be poor, but they did not expect that the summer league would be pulled to this level.

Now only Li Ao is left alone, and the media are looking forward to Li Ao's performance.

It doesn't matter whether it's a standout or all the staff are trash, it will be a hot topic!
(End of this chapter)