no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 145 The new season of strong soldiers and strong horses

When Grover and Xu Yong said they wanted to accompany their family, they actually wanted to observe whether Xu Yong was worth cooperating with.

Now that he took the initiative to come to Tempe, it shows that he has made a decision in his heart.

However, after the two actually met, Grover said that he would conduct a two-day test on Xu Yong. Only if Xu Yong passed the test would he decide to come out.

You are the master trainer, you have the final say.

Xu Yongyi should cooperate.

And this so-called test is actually training.

Practice three times a day, 90 minutes each time, the earliest one is before breakfast, then two in the afternoon and ten in the evening.

In terms of time, it is relatively close to Xu Yong's before, and 90 minutes of the 30 minutes are shooting training, and the intensity of the remaining hour is very high.

Even during training, Grover kept a medical kit next to him. After the training, he would come over to test Xu Yong's heart rate and other physical indicators.

If there is no problem, then the next training, the training intensity will continue to increase.

This is a very special training method that Xu Yong has never experienced even if he is a reborn person.

The training intensity continued to increase, and on the second night, he also felt that the intensity had reached the limit of his body.

When practice was over, he put his hands on his knees, panting.

He felt that Grover would not be a trainer, and it would be good to be a prison guard.

"Don't do that, the weight of your upper body will press on your knees, which will hurt your knees too much, and your arms will be pinched inward, which will press on your lungs and make it harder to breathe," Grover said. walking towards him.

Xu Yong straightened up after hearing this. He didn't care if it would hurt his knee joints, but he felt it when Grover said it was difficult to breathe.

Such a small detail, this guy is really beyond the reach of ordinary trainers.

"If you're really tired, grab the bottom edge of your gym shorts with both hands as you bend down, so you can rest without obstructing your breathing," Grover went on to demonstrate.

Xu Yong nodded, although he knew that what Grover said should be right, but this action was too young, he still had difficulty breathing and let it go.

"So you have decided to be my personal trainer?" Xu Yong asked, if not, there is no need for the other party to waste these words.

Grover nodded with a smile, then put away his smile and said with emotion: "You are the best performer among all the players I have tested."

Xu Yong smiled, this Grover's speech is strangely nice.

"I'm not flattering. I never try to please my clients. I tell the truth." Grover said seriously after seeing Xu Yong's reaction.

His words are full of gold. You must know that the objects he has worked with, from Jordan to Hill, to Kobe, McGrady, and Wade, are all super giants.

"So I will also ask you with a high intensity that I have never had before. You have a chance to become a better basketball player than anyone." Grover continued.

Xu Yong also put away his smile and nodded.

Regardless of whether this was Grover's words or it was true, he was ready to make himself stronger.

Because Xu Yong had just finished training, Grover motioned for the two of them to sit on the bench and chat.

When Kobe taught puppy gait, it was more of a kind of experience, but the trainers were different, they would have their own theoretical basis.

Grover is no exception, but his theory is quite different from others.

Because in his set of theories, he will first distinguish athletes according to certain types, from low to high: passive, controller and ruler.

Grover did not define them precisely, but he gave some examples to distinguish them.

For example, a passive player can have a good game now and then, a dominant player can maintain a great performance all season, and a dominant player has a career that is always at the top.

For another example, the passive person relies on others to evaluate whether he is successful, the controller thinks that completing the task itself is the best reward for his efforts, and the ruler is never satisfied and feels that he can do better.

"That's why I'm testing you, to see if you have the potential to be a controller, or even a ruler," Grover continued.

Judging from the results, Xu Yong obviously has that potential.

After talking about the theory, the next step is the specific practical training.

Grover will make a strict training plan for Xu Yong.

The intensity of the training plan is the same as that of Xu Yong's previous training limit, because Grover's training goal is to help people break their physical limits.

As for the specific training content, he does not generally talk about training lower body or upper body strength, but will be precise to muscle groups.

For example, the calf triceps, which are closely related to breakthroughs, and the biceps, which are closely related to shooting.

He believes that only by strengthening these muscle groups can he perform more simply and efficiently in the game.

Of course Xu Yong also has doubts, such as the biceps, specifically for this training will greatly affect the shooting feel.

But Grover's explanation is that the touch can be maintained through other balance training, and the explosive power of the biceps training will not only make shooting easier, but also greatly improve the finishing ability.

Even including shooting drills, he is different from others.

Generally speaking, trainers will simulate the way teammates pass the ball to pass the ball to customers, so that customers can perfectly connect with team training.

But Grover is not like this. The ball he passes is very difficult to catch, and even requires the client to move to catch the ball.

His reason is simple. In a real game, you cannot receive too many comfortable passes. Most of them are interfered with or destroyed.

Once you get used to this in training, you will be able to perform as you want in the game.

These are brand new to Xu Yong, and a little shocking, but he knows that it must be useful to him.

Finally, regarding the weight gain plan, Grover said that Xu Yong does not need to worry, because he will not only arrange Xu Yong's training, but also have a strict diet plan.

Gaining weight is part of the plan, but it will be gradual throughout the season, not explosive.

Xu Yong: You have the final say, let's sign the contract soon!
The two finally signed a 3-year 200 million contract.

Generally speaking, the price of top trainers in this era is only 45 a year, and Grover's price is half as expensive as them.

But people are worth the price, not only in terms of ability, but also a general trainer will have several clients, but Grover is one-on-one, and the mobile phone is turned on 24 hours a day, and he is always on call.

So the money is definitely worth it.

……

Time flies, and it is mid-September in a blink of an eye. The training camps of each team will start one after another, and several people in Tempe are also preparing to start their new season separately.

When Xu Yong returned to Chicago, Yao Ming had already arrived and had already found a house in the suburbs.

Then, he couldn't help complaining to Xu Yong.

"I originally thought Houston was already congested enough, but after living here for a few days, I realized that I am still young."

Xu Yong couldn't help laughing, otherwise why do you think I chose the city center?

Los Angeles is congested, and Kobe uses helicopters as a means of transportation in order to train in a hurry, but Chicago is the most congested city in the United States.

The two met to reminisce about the past, and Xu Yong acted as a tour guide and took Yao Ming around Chicago.

After waiting for two days, on the day when the team training camp officially started, the two of them went there early.

When they arrived, someone was already training inside.

Go in and take a look. Who else is it that is not Rose who is throwing three-pointers like crazy?
"Derek, you just threw it here for a summer?" After watching Rose's shooting percentage for a while, Xu Yong couldn't help but ask.

Rose's three-point practice is good enough, among other things, it must be more accurate than in the same period.

Rose smiled and put down the ball in his hand, asked the trainer to wait for him, and then came over to say hello to Xu Yong and Yao Ming.

Although he didn't say much, you could tell he was very excited.

But everyone is excited about this change. Last season was a playoff-level team. This season, they will directly compete for the championship and are full of energy.

After a while, other team members came one after another.

Artest was the first one to arrive besides them. Seeing Yao Ming was like meeting his own brother, and he laughed while hugging Yao Ming.

At this time, Artest had not yet won a championship. His coming so early shows that he is also extremely eager for the new season.

After Artest, the next one to come was "Shark" O'Neal.

O'Neill first had a bear hug with Yao Ming, and then smiled and bumped fists with Xu Yong.

This is different from when Xu Yong saw him on the court last season. O'Neal's smile is a heartfelt joy.

For him at this stage of his career, happiness is already the first priority. As for him, do you mind playing as a substitute?He's not Allen Iverson.

While chatting, Allen from the team came, Tony Allen.

Allen looks much more low-key and humble, but he looks more like Rose.

However, with James Johnson in front, Xu Yong knew that this kind of person was generally not too harsh.

Then there is O'Neal, who is very big but also relatively introverted.

At this time, the three big men stood together, and these three were on the same team. It was really a scene that was unimaginable before.

In less than an hour, all the members of the Bulls arrived one after another. In addition to those with formal contracts, there were also some veterans who came to hug their thighs, as well as some young players and undrafted players.

Basically, Xu Yong has been able to see the team's 15-man roster for the new season.

Point guard: Rose, Hinrich, Ralph Alston

Shooting Guards: Tony Allen, Kyle Korver, Bill Walker

Small forwards: Xu Yong, James Johnson, Jerry Stackhouse
Power forwards: Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Taj Gibson

Center: Yao Ming, O'Neal, Asik
What stands out in this lineup is a strong soldier.

Of course, there are actually many problems they may face.

For example, in the rotation of the inside, there are at most two inside substitutes in a game, but all three of them need playing time.

Kwame Brown's status last season was based on playing time. If there is no playing time, regardless of O'Neal or Jr., they can only be reduced to a mascot on the bench in the end.

Another example is the tactical issue, is it really determined to play the first and fourth juniors, or let O'Neal play the starting fourth position.

Also, Tony Allen has no shooting ability at all, and how to fight positional warfare is also a big problem.

No matter how good your defense is, you can't have a defensive counterattack every round, and Thibodeau is not a coach who is good at offense.

The team members were still getting familiar with it, and Thibodeau was late after a while.

Xu Yong was taken aback when he saw it.

It's not because of Thibodeau, but the one who is closest to Thibodeau among the assistants following Thibodeau.

Isn't that Mike Malone?

Malone is no small figure. Although he is not well-known in the NBA, he became a coach in college as soon as he graduated. He has been an official assistant coach in the NBA for seven years.

He had been an assistant coach for the Cavaliers before.

But if you look at it this way, it makes sense. James is gone, Brown is unemployed, and Malone must find another way out.

Now it seems that his professional ability is indeed good, and Thibodeau was directly recruited as the chief assistant.

With Malone, the problems encountered by the Bulls should be much less.

On the first day of the training session, Thibodeau did not arrange tactical things, but asked the players to do some regular training to find their status.

And he, like his former boss Jeff Van Gundy, held a small notebook in his hand, observed the players and recorded what.

Ma Long was talking to him from time to time.

After the day's training was over, the players went back to rest one after another.

Xu Yong said that there will be extra practice at ten o'clock in the evening.

He stopped the car just in time to find that Ross was also coming.

Rose is really going all out for the new season.

The two entered the elevator while chatting, and then went to the locker room to change their training clothes together and went to the training hall.

Training is a very boring thing, and it is much more interesting to have teammates as companions.

They talked and laughed and pushed open the door of the training hall.

The training hall was extremely quiet at this time, but when they opened the door and went in, they saw someone sitting on the sidelines busy with something, and they didn't notice them.

The bald forehead reflected the light like a mirror, clearly it was Thibodeau.

The two made eye contact for a while, then walked over.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Thibodeau raised his head.

"Are you here to practice more?" Seeing the outfits of the two, Thibodeau asked.

The two nodded one after another.

"You are busy with your work, I will not disturb you." Thibodeau said with a smile.

He looks so gentle.

"Coach, why are you still busy so late?" Xu Yong couldn't help poking his head curiously.

Ross also leaned over like a curious baby.

"I wanted to cut some pick-and-roll material, but there was a short circuit in the office, so I moved here." Thibodeau said and continued to work.

Seeing this, Ross and Xu Yong didn't ask any more questions, but went to train on their own.

More than an hour later, the two ended the training, and Thibodeau was almost done with it and was packing up his computer.

After seeing it, the two went over to help.

After helping to move the computer back to the office, Thibodeau asked with a smile: "Have you had dinner? If you haven't eaten, I'll treat you to it."

dinner?

Xu Yong and Ross were all stunned when they heard it.

Co-author Thibodeau has been cutting material here after the afternoon training session? !
Even Xu Yong was a little shocked after realizing this.

Thibodeau is simply a social animal among social animals.

And he suddenly remembered that Thibodeau is already in his fifties, and he is not married yet. This is because he is really focused on work.

It's hard not to be in awe of such a head coach!

(End of this chapter)