no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 232 "I'm Pregnant"

Chicago, United Center.

The players in the training hall cheered one after another.

On the first day of training camp, the Bulls were all here, and each one was more excited than the last.

The old members of the Bulls last season are all determined to avenge their humiliation in the new season, and the new players are also eager to try. After all, the basketball god they joined once played for them and is also the No. 1 team in the league.

"Boom! Boom!"

After the confrontation between Xu Yong and Ennis, he turned around and hit the ball cleanly with a fadeaway shot, which also ended the confrontation between the starting group and the substitute group.

NBA full-court training, a 12-minute quarter, the starters, substitutes and benches will take turns to compete.

In the game that just ended, Xu Yong led the starting team to a 30-10 score.

It's not that the bench group is too weak, but that the strength of the starting group has improved too much.

Especially Butler and Adams, both of whom improved significantly over the summer.

Adams has been able to suppress Hawes very well, and Butler has a stable step-back jumper. Combined with his "Excellent Common People's Breakthrough", he can be regarded as able to stand alone in the game. This is not an injury. Ross is coming back.

Ross.

When Xu Yong took a break, his eyes focused on Rose on the court.

Rose had just started with the starting group, and Thibodeau placed him on the bench.

"Derrick just came back, why did the coach start again?" Artest also left the game at this time, and couldn't help but turned to Xu Yong and asked.

Xu Yong smiled and said nothing, but he could feel that Thibodeau's use of Rose was similar to last season, and he would be used to lead the substitute lineup more time.

Traveling during off-peak hours puts less pressure on both offense and defense, which actually protects Rose.

And Rose is really different this year. He even seems to be a little bit organized.

For this comeback, he must have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

But at this moment, Rose's breakthrough was intercepted by Justin Holiday.

Rose's breakthrough method is changing, which is also the biggest change in his adjustment to his playing style. He no longer seeks absolute speed, but uses his first step to grab position, and then plays with rhythm. This is a bit like Butler's direction. , the only difference is that he pays more attention to rhythm rather than confrontation.

However, this change does not happen overnight, and he still needs to adapt during the game.

Xu Yong looked around again and saw that the Bulls were indeed strong this season.

At the point guard position, Rose starts, Hinrich comes on the bench, and there is also the old Miller.

If Rose can stay healthy this season, even if he changes his style of play and is no longer so lethal, this configuration can still rank among the top ten or even top five in the league.

At the shooting guard position, Butler starts and Foye comes on the bench. The top ten are not a big problem.

At the small forward position, he starts, James Ennis comes on the bench, and there is Artest on the bench. There is a big difference in strength between the starter and the substitute at this position, but it is foreseeable that Butler will play this position in a swing, and he is said to be in the top five. It’s not an exaggeration.

At the power forward position, West starts, Johnson comes on the bench, and there is rookie Kyle Anderson. This configuration barely makes it into the top fifteen, but in terms of hardness, it is definitely the best in the league.

At the center position, Adams starts, Hawes comes on the bench, and veteran Mohammed is renewed. This is the weakest of the five positions, but it was definitely enough after last season. The main thing depends on Adams' performance in the new season. Performance.

After the training, a group of people returned to the locker room to take a shower and rest.

Not long after, Butler came in holding several pink schoolbags.

This immediately caused a burst of whistles from everyone in the locker room.

One of the rookie options, Anderson and the others are in luck today.

At Butler's request, Anderson and several other newcomers were asked to put on their backpacks for photos and had to carry them out of the arena.

Anderson was very relaxed, not only posing on his back, but this character is quite good.

When the training was almost over and the team members left one after another, Xu Yong was about to get up when he saw a pink schoolbag coming into view.

"Boss, can I train with you?" Anderson asked.

Xu Yong looked confused.

"Steven said that you will have a training every morning before breakfast. I wonder if I can join in." Anderson said and scratched his head. It was a bit too much for a rookie to make such a request to the team boss.

Xu Yong looked at Anderson. He had a blunt jaw and a flat face. Although he was only one-eighth of Chinese descent, he looked very Asian in appearance.jpg.

"We would have breakfast in the same place, but there are no more rooms there."

Perhaps because of the blood relationship, Xu Yong has a natural affection for Anderson. Coupled with Anderson's free-spirited character, he did not interfere with Anderson's joining the breakfast club. However, he told the truth. There were only two rooms. Now Adams and Butler live.

"Is there a sofa? I can sleep on the sofa," Anderson said immediately.

Xu Yong was slightly surprised. Although Anderson was only a late first-round pick, he still had the ability to rent a good house and was willing to sleep on the sofa.

This reminded him of Jeremy Lin, who slept on Landry Fields' sofa for a long time when he first arrived in New York as a temporary worker.

But this shows that Anderson really wants to make progress.

He nodded, but sleeping on the sofa was not an easy task. When he and Harden returned to Tempe, their backs ached even when they slept on a soft bed, let alone a sofa, so wanting to sleep and being able to persist were two different things.

In the blink of an eye and half a month later.

Before breakfast that day, Xu Yong and the others conducted strength training on the first floor as usual.

Anderson still seems very energetic, and sleeping on the sofa for half a month doesn't seem to have sapped his motivation at all.

After training for the day, several people had breakfast together.

"Kyle, you can move to my first floor tomorrow." Xu Yong said.

Anderson was stunned for a moment, unable to react.

"But no one lives there, so you have to clean up the room yourself." Xu Yong continued.

Only now did Anderson confirm that what he heard was true, and he immediately nodded vigorously.

This is not only about not having to sleep on the sofa anymore, but also being able to live in the same room as the team boss when you first arrive, which is a rare opportunity.

After Anderson moved to the first floor of Xu Yong's house, he also became Xu Yong's driver.

Xu Yongde admitted that Anderson's driving skills are better than his basketball skills.

At this time, the season training camp is coming to an end, and the preseason begins.

The Bulls' game strategy has not changed much from previous seasons. They always play the first half as the main player and then play the second half as a substitute.

But the biggest change after the game is that the Bulls have established a huge advantage in the first half of several games, which allows the substitutes to work hard in the second half.

Then after all, the Bulls still won seven games in the preseason.

Although the preseason record is not included in the statistics, the team's strength is already evident.

Not only did the main force and rotation perform well, the Bulls also found a 15th man in the preseason who met the team's expectations, Justin Holiday.

Justin is the eldest of the three Holiday brothers, but is only fourteen months older than his younger brother Jrue Holiday.

Although he is 1 meters tall and has an elite wingspan of 98 meters, his overall talent is much worse than Holiday. He did not participate in the draft until 2 after finishing college and was ultimately defeated.

The main reason for losing the draft is that he can't score as a shooting guard.

他大学四年打下来场均5.3分3.7板1.5助攻，唯一值得称道的是2009~10赛季入选过太平洋十二校联盟的最佳防守阵容。

After that, he played in overseas leagues, NBDL and NBA, and was a typical tramp.

However, he played impressive defense in the preseason, and in Thibodeau's team, defense will have a chance to establish itself.

After the preseason, the regular season is about to begin. As a popular team, the Bulls have also received great attention from the outside world.

As soon as the public training ended that day, reporters swarmed in and Xu Yong was surrounded.

"What are your box office expectations for the release of "Space Jam 2"?" The first reporter asked about the movie. Warner had previously released a preview video of the movie, which caused a violent response. The movie is expected to be released next year. Released in July.

"What day is today?" Xu Yong asked the reporter.

"December 10."

"which year?"

"2014."

"So you asked a little too early?"

His answer also drew laughter from other reporters.

"I think I can answer you if you ask this question before it is released next year, but now, I am only focusing on the next opening game." Xu Yong replied with a smile. The current situation of the team makes him in a good mood.

"ESPN conducted a season strength prediction before, and the Bulls were ranked first. Before the Pacers and Thunder, what do you think of this?" Another reporter asked.

"Are they lined up like this this year?" Xu Yong asked before he had time to pay attention to this.

"This shows that they understand football." After seeing the reporter's affirmative nod, he nodded calmly.

This immediately caused the reporters to become restless.

"The last time the Bulls were ranked first was in the 2011-2012 season." At this moment, a local Chicago reporter said.

"Were we the champions that season?" Xu Yong asked after hearing this.

The other party nodded, and Xu Yong also laughed.

Now the other reporters were completely speechless. What else could they say?Just tell me if ESPN understands football!

"The Bulls' opponent in the opening game is Miami. You have lost to them in the past two seasons. Will it be any different this year?" Another reporter asked.

"I said, no one wants to meet us in the new season."

"Are you saying the Bulls are going to win the opener?"

"Of course." Xu Yong nodded firmly.

On the opening day of the NBA, the number of games scheduled this year was the most in the past five years, reaching 12 games, with only 6 teams not playing.

Among these 12 games, there are many battles that are the focus of fans' attention.

For example, Heat VS Bulls, Pacers VS Cavaliers, Mavericks VS Thunder, Warriors VS Spurs, etc.

The game between the Heat and the Bulls was the earliest one. The two teams have become rivals since 2010, and from a season perspective, the two sides have played each other four times in the past four seasons and won twice each. This year has been a bit of a battle. That taste.

This game was held at the home court of the Bulls and attracted a large number of celebrities to watch.

Among them, Kendall Jenner is very eye-catching. Jenner, who was only 19 years old at the time, has officially reached the peak of her beauty. Her biggest feature is that her looks have something in common with Eastern and Western aesthetics, and as a member of the Kardashian family As a member, at such a young age, her buttocks have already developed to a certain extent.

The only flaw is that her front is too flat. For experienced drivers, there are no headlights, which makes driving somewhat lacking in passion.

The person sitting next to her is just the opposite. He is only 28 years old, but his pair of headlights are already very eye-catching, and he also has a delicate face. He can be called the representative of [angel face, devil figure]. Alexandra Daddario is three-quarters Italian and one-quarter Irish.

She is the heroine of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and has also appeared on the cover of GQ (American men's fashion magazine) with her proud figure.jpg.

When the players from both sides entered the arena, Xu Yong's appearance invariably attracted their attention.

Just like when reporters interviewed Xu Yong before, they would be the first to mention "Space Jam 2". The filming of this movie attracted a lot of attention from people in the entertainment industry for Xu Yong, especially since he has had scandals and even relationships with many women before. With his past, it is difficult not to be noticed.

During the warm-up before the game, Deng came over to say hello to Xu Yong.

This past summer, there were rumors between Deng and Noah, two former Bulls players, and the Bulls, especially Noah. In fact, Forman also considered making another deal similar to the one involving Yao Ming.

However, in the end, they were unable to return to the Bulls due to salary pressure.

Xu Yong also hugged Deng. Tonight, they were not only reminiscing with former teammates, but also facing each other directly on the court.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony, and the starters from both sides appeared one after another.

"Now! Five-time NBA All-Star voting champion, two-time scoring champion, two-time MVP, two-time FMVP, two-time championship winner, 6 feet 9 inches from Arizona State University, No. 6, Satan~~Xu Yong!"

When "Sirius" came to the guitar solo and Edwards' classic introduction sounded, the United Center went into a boil.

The deafening decibels showed the expectations of Chicago fans for the new season.

And this is also the first time Edwards has put Seo Yong Satan's nickname into a formal introduction.

Xu Yong also waved on the stage amid cheers, and made a fist gesture at the end, sending the United Center into complete madness.

Feeling the madness at the scene, Wade couldn't help but raise his head. It felt like the coming of a new era to him.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lists of both sides were released one after another.

Heat: Chalmers, Wade, Luol Deng, Bosh, Hibbert;

Bulls: Rose, Butler, Xu Yong, West, Adams.

Hibbert jumped to get the ball for the Heat, and Wade held the ball in the frontcourt for the first attack.

The Bulls' strategy was to shrink, and Deng got a shot from the outside, but he failed to hit the shot.

Although Deng is not necessarily weaker than Granger, and even Granger is injured now, Deng is much better, but the basketball game pays attention to adaptability. In terms of adaptability, Granger, as a 3D star, is better than Deng. Much higher.

Adams caught Hibbert, and Xu Yong turned around to collect the defensive rebound and threw the ball directly to Rose.

However, the Heat retreated very quickly. Except for Hibbert, no one else made any move to grab offensive rebounds. It can be seen that Rose's return has made them much more vigilant against the Bulls' fast break.

The two sides moved to the frontcourt, and the ball was in Butler's hands.

For Thibodeau, the first thing he has to consider after Rose returns is the issue of ball possession, and this opening round is also his answer.

The Bulls started with a relatively simple pindown tactic.

Adams' solid screen blocked Deng directly, and Butler's pass was safely delivered to Xu Yong.

The Heat showed excellent defensive rotation ability, and Wade worked hard to help defend.

Xu Yong did not pause, and directly faced Wade, who was assisting in defense, and completed a high-altitude shot above Wade's head.The basketball barely touched the net and fell into the bag.

The fans at the scene were stunned. This was a shot against the defense, but it looked like a shooting practice.

Wade's eyes widened as well.

Xu Yong's reaction rate from receiving the ball to taking the shot is obviously faster and more decisive than last season.

This is a sign of absolute confidence in your own shooting.

When Xu Yong retreated, he pointed at Butler and signaled him to pass a good ball.

In the past summer, in addition to training on the new technology of step-back jump shot, Butler was practicing passing.

Compared with last season, his passing accuracy has improved significantly.

The Bulls took the lead, but looking back, Bosh immediately picked up Wade and then returned the pass and hit from mid-range.

The Heat's overall strength has not declined much compared to the previous two seasons.

Moreover, after the Bulls used the same tactics in the frontcourt, Xu Yong caught the ball and was defended by Wade in advance, without a chance to make a direct shot.

But before Wade could react, Xu Yong quickly turned his back, and then turned around and shot after a series of hard cuts.

"Shh!"

This time when the basketball entered the net, it made a crisp sound when it hit the net bag.

The sound reached the ears of fans at the scene through the loudspeaker, and the scene instantly burst into overwhelming cheers.

Xu Yong's offensive state at the beginning was also very good.

On the sidelines, Spoelstra held his chin in his hands and frowned.

What he feels is naturally different from what the fans feel. It is not a matter of status, but a kind of oppression.

Xu Yong scored too easily, as if Wade's defense was air.

But it's obvious that Wade's defense is not bad, but Xu Yong's scoring stability has been greatly improved.

Moreover, the Heat's offense failed to continue.

After Deng missed his first three-pointer, Xu Yong consciously let him go to the basket, and his help defense successfully interfered with Wade's shot.

Hibbert was so stuck by Adams that he couldn't jump up. West protected the defensive rebound and then gave it to Xu Yong.

The Bulls once again played a fast break, and the Heat retreated quickly, but Xu Yong was faster.

When the fast break reached the three-second zone in the frontcourt, Xu Yong jumped up against Wade's defense. After a confrontation, he used a one-handed lever in the air to avoid Wade's block and sent the ball steadily into the basket.

(Wade: Why is it always me?)

The venue was once again filled with cheers from the audience.

The Bulls opened with a 6-2 lead, and these 6 points all came from Xu Yong!
"Honestly, I don't think the Heat's defense is that bad. They are still one of the best defensive teams in the league." From the commentary box, Barkley was a little stunned when he saw this.

"But Xu's scoring made them look like they can't defend." He then said.

"Man, although this sounds strange to say, I think Xu has officially entered his peak period this season." O'Neal sighed from the side.

This time it was really not him who was bragging, but Xu Yong scoring too easily. It felt like he was obviously not playing at the same level.

And he only had this feeling when facing the returning Jordan.

Although this does sound a bit strange as what he said, after all, Xu Yong already has a lot of honors, which will make many people think that he has already reached the peak.

"I feel that Xu's era is coming." At this moment, Kenny Smith on the side used a more accurate description.

While they were talking, Xu Yong suddenly pressed Deng, who was receiving the ball, and quickly completed the chip shot to Deng.

After stealing the ball, he threw the ball to Rose immediately and then followed up from the wing.

This reaction was too fast. Only Chalmers on the outermost side of the Heat had time to retreat. He was in a dilemma in the situation of one defense and two defenses.

Rose finally passed the ball to Xu Yong. Xu Yong rose into the air after receiving the ball. Chalmers mustered up the courage to jump up to interfere.

"Oh!"

Chalmers and Xu Yong had a physical confrontation in the air, and then flew out of the baseline like falling leaves. However, Xu Yong remained motionless in the air and easily smashed the ball into the basket with one hand.

This time, Spoelstra directly called a timeout.

At this time, the Bulls fans at the scene were already standing on their heads with excitement.

Originally, their expectations for the Bulls were more based on Rose's comeback and the progress of young people like Butler and Adams.

Unexpectedly, it was Xu Yong who shocked them first at the beginning.

And after so many rounds, even they could really feel Xu Yong's... dominance.

Yes, this word describes Xu Yong's opening performance very appropriately.

You must know that the Bulls are facing the Heat who have blocked them from the finals for two consecutive seasons, and they are a Heat whose strength has not changed much.

"No team wants to meet us next season."

The words at the end of last season are still in my ears. Xu Yong, as the person who said these words, makes people really feel the oppression of these words.

However, Xu Yong acted very calmly on the court. He did not celebrate after dunking, but took the initiative to walk to Rose's side.

"Nice.pass." Then he immediately confirmed Rose's pass.

It felt like he didn't care too much about his own performance, but paid more attention to the performance of his teammates.

At this time, Spoelstra, who picked up the tactical board on the sidelines, was stunned. He looked at Xu Yong's back walking towards the half court with a strange look.

At this time, Jenna and Daddario were also looking at Xu Yong's back.

Although they don’t know that much about basketball, it’s just like someone who doesn’t watch football and sees someone scoring consecutive goals and knows that person is very strong. For players who dominate the court, that feeling is very strong. of.

Not to mention, Xu Yong is now so famous in his own right.

After returning from the timeout, the Heat obviously tightened their defense on Xu Yong, but this time it felt like they were playing into their heart.

Because as they were doing that, Butler started to attack using the pick-and-roll with Adams.

The [vertical take-off rule] greatly weakened the frame-protecting ability of a center like Hibbert, forcing him to shrink to the basket, while Butler showed off his improved jump shooting ability during the offseason.

After hitting two consecutive mid-range shots, the Heat had to devote the remaining defensive resources to him, and this is exactly what Butler wanted.

You must know that Thibodeau's positioning and requirements for him are to dilute the ball and organize offense.

He sent assists to West and Rose one after another, and the Bulls' offense was somewhat unstoppable.

Spoelstra couldn't help but start pulling at his hair.

On paper, the Bulls only have one more Rose. The core players are still the same as last season. Even Butler and Adams are still young, but the offensive pressure they are given is completely different.

Now the Heat's defense has made up for it once and leaked on the other side, and it can no longer stop it.

In the end, he had no choice but to replace Hibbert with Brewer and play a smaller lineup to increase the rotation speed.

This can indeed help with defense better, but the disadvantage is that rebounds are lost, and they are lost wildly.

Adams is already good at grabbing offensive rebounds, and if you ask Bosh to face him, he shouldn't be too comfortable.

And knowing that the Heat have no center on the field, the two strikers Xu Yong and West are also very fierce in rushing to the frontcourt.

On the scene, the Bulls continued to suppress the Heat after Xu Yong played a personal wave in the opening game and allowed Spoelstra to change his formation.

About nine minutes into the first quarter, the score on the field was already 9 to 32, and the Bulls were already leading by as much as 18 points.

At this time, the two sides entered the rotation, and Thibodeau replaced the three main players Xu Yong, West and Adams in one go. This scene is also very rare.

At this time, the Bulls are on the field. In the backcourt are Rose, who was substituted early and then replaced, and then Hinrich. On the front are Butler, who does not need to come off, and Johnson, who comes on the bench. The center is Hawes. .

Then just when the Heat felt they could take a breather, Rose used a pick-and-roll with Hawes and made a beautiful layup on Joel Anthony to score 2+1.

A glimpse of the leopard can be seen from this round, and the Bulls' offensive changes can be seen.

Although Butler is still on the court, he plays more of a 3D wing role, and the ball control is transferred to Rose.

This change of ball rights is very clever, because simply choosing between Butler or Rose can easily cause conflicts within the team. After all, no matter who is deprived of the ball rights, it will cause dissatisfaction among the players.

But now Thibodeau cleverly chooses to want it all, but he is inconsistent in controlling the time.

In fact, some clues can be seen from the field configuration, because except for Johnson's relatively weak three-point ability, the other three points, including center Hawes, all have stable three-point ability.

And this distribution is also very reasonable. After all, even if Butler is durable, holding the ball for so long will consume a lot of physical energy.

Rose's performance in this period was also wonderful. His sudden change of offensive method made the Heat very uncomfortable. He and Hawes' pick-and-roll style of grabbing the first step was also somewhat unsolvable for a while.

By the time the first quarter was over, the score on the field was 40 to 23, and the point difference between the two teams was almost 20 points!
The fans at the scene were in disbelief.

This is the Heat!
Even though it was the season opener and I was somewhat unprepared for the changes in the Bulls' style of play and strength, Spoelstra's subsequent adjustments failed to work, which is hard to explain.

This year's Bulls team is a step up in strength compared to last season, and it's a big step up.

Or Xu Yong's words couldn't be more appropriate at this time. The Bulls will be an opponent that no other team wants to encounter this season.

At the end of the game, the score on the court was fixed at 116 to 98. The Bulls opened the game with a big victory over their opponents in the past two seasons.

According to statistics, Xu Yong scored a game-high 30 points in three quarters, plus 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Although he scored a lot, he felt like he hadn't exerted much power yet.

巴特勒有17分7板6助攻进账，如果不是只打了三节的话，他今晚20+5+5的数据妥妥的。

Rose also scored 15 points and 4 assists. Although he was a starter, he actually played the role of the team's sixth man.

除此之外，韦斯特11分10板，亚当斯8分8板2盖帽。

Adams' 8 rebounds are worth talking about, because 5 of them are frontcourt rebounds. When the Heat used a large and four small lineup, his frontcourt rebounds were crazy.

At this time, some people will definitely wonder if he has grabbed 5 frontcourt boards, why only 3 backcourt boards?
This can be seen by looking at the rebounds of other Bulls players. Adams often does not close the rebounds because he is stuck, and all the rebounds go to his teammates.

After the handshake ceremony, the Bulls players returned to the locker room yelling.

It was so satisfying to have such a hearty victory, and to face the master of suffering.

Especially Anderson, although he did not play tonight, the feeling of winning without hesitation is still very good.

However, compared to others, Xu Yong's expression at this time was very calm.

"Boss, why don't you look very happy?" Anderson yelled and turned around to see Xu Yong sitting there. He couldn't help but come over and ask.

"This is just the beginning."

Xu Yong's answer was calm, but it made Anderson even more excited.

If this is just the beginning, what kind of record will the Bulls have this season?
I can't even think about it!

At this moment, the team's equipment manager entered the locker room, and when changing Xu Yong's shoes, he handed over a note. 【Note 21】

After Xu Yong opened it, he saw a contact information on it.

He looked at the equipment manager suspiciously.

"Ms. Jenna asked me to send this." The equipment manager explained in a low voice.

Xu Yong handed the note back to the equipment manager and said calmly: "Next time you send a note like this, you will lose your job."

The equipment manager broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this. Although in theory, his job was not under Xu Yong's control, but with Xu Yong's status in the Bulls, it was just a matter of opening his mouth to do this.

"I'm sorry, I understand." The other party took the note and stood up and left.

After the equipment manager left, Xu Yong also got up and went to take a shower.

He was not interested in Jenna at all, because the other party said she was a socialite, but in fact she was just a high-end gun mount.

He doesn't want to be printed on a T-shirt with the future and other players, and then be worn to the game site, and then greet him on the court. That is really too low.

If it's Daddario, he can still consider it.

Of course, in fact, he would refuse it if he handed me a note.

After all, it was a precedent. From now on, the other party would send notes every day, and he would take the trouble.

He is not the college student he was when he was with the Devils.

After the press conference, Xu Yong returned to the locker room to take a rest.

I didn’t sweat much today, so I won’t rest. I’ll train more later.

But at this moment, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID and was a little surprised, because it was Theron calling.

It wasn't a text message, it was a direct call, which surprised him.

After their last encounter in Paris, they had no further contact.

That's normal, because essentially, theirs can only be considered one.night.love.

And Theron handled it in a very adult and appropriate way.

When the phone was picked up, there was silence.

He thought something had happened to Theron.

After a while, he was about to hang up the phone and go back, when Theron's tangled voice came from over there:

"I am pregnant."

(End of this chapter)