First in scoring

Chapter 75 74. High school competitions can no longer accommodate this pair!

After finishing their dinner, Zhang Yang, DeRozan and Harden went to the river for a walk to digest their food.

Although Ronaldinho and Zhang San invited him to have dinner together, Erha still made a harsh statement after taking the money. He swore that he would take revenge for this game!
(Add a handsome photo of Harden with a middle part)
Looking at Harden's fierce look, DeRozan said he understood.

DeRozan envied Harden's optimistic and cheerful personality.

This little friend is either carefree or, if he has a goal, he will charge forward with all his strength and not be afraid of anything.

Zhang Yang was not worried about Harden getting angry, as he could coax him into submission with a meal, and they could go Dutch.

He is reviewing today's game.

In the previous six games, he did not help adjust the tactics like this, but only directed his teammates to run according to his or DeRozan's scoring needs in the tactics.

Although some of those games were quite difficult, they were not to the point where they needed to be targeted tactically. He and DeRozan were able to solve the problems with their personal abilities and also improve their strength.

Today we met the Ryanwood High School team, which has Tatum and Miller as its most talented player. If we don't think about tactics, we will have no chance to beat them.

After adjusting the tactics on the spot, he found that the opposing coach was almost unable to make effective adjustments in response.

Judging from the fact that the opposing coach was able to bring together Harden, Jefferson and other top-notch role players to create such beautiful team cooperation, the ability of the opposing coach to create tactics should be qualified, and at least he knows how to utilize Harden's talents.

That means the opponent has no ability to respond on the spot... It seems that Thomas doesn't adjust the tactics on the spot. At most, he adjusts them at the end of a quarter or half a game, and they are not micro-management.

He didn't notice this before, but now he thinks that high school coaches probably don't have the ability to fine-tune tactics and give on-the-spot commands.

However, the coach's on-the-spot command ability does not play a big role in high school competitions.

If a timeout is called suddenly to arrange a new style of play, the players will most likely not be able to play it, unless there is a player like Jack Zhang who can correctly direct his teammates' positioning on the court.

The ability to develop players > the ability to create appropriate tactics > ... > the ability to command on the spot, if all high school coaches are like this...

No wonder, after adapting to high school games for a year, Farmar and James were able to lead a group of mediocre teammates to win more than ten or twenty consecutive games in the 10th grade.

Farmar led his team to 10 consecutive wins in the second half of his 15th grade, winning a spot in the District tournament.

James's situation was even more exaggerated. In his 10th grade, 00-01 season, he led the team to a record of 26 wins and 1 loss, and won the championship as a single core player.

The star players have both personal abilities and the ability to make tactical changes, and can basically dominate the top high school leagues.

Not to mention players who have both, there are not many players who have the strength of Farmar and James, and those who have that kind of brains are even rarer.

Farmar was incredibly strong in high school and was known as the best point guard in the United States.

James is even more exaggerated. Judging from the fact that he was able to average 18+ points per game using a tank style when he entered the NBA at the age of 20, he may have had NBA-level physical fitness when he was only or years old.

Zhang Yang feels that there is still a gap between him and DeRozan compared to two players of the same period.

As for teammates, it is not so easy to have a group of 'mediocre' teammates.

Like their Compton High School, the three 3th grade seniors, Monroe, and Kanter, these five teammates are considered to be relatively bad, but they are already the best players in the 12th and 5th grades except for the five main players.

If these five players can be replaced with players of average CIF Division I level, the strength of their team will immediately rise by half a level.

But, he is on the same team as DeRozan!
Zhang Yang stopped and said, "DeMar."

DeRozan also stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Yang: "Let's win the championship this season and dominate the high school!"

DeRozan was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and replied, "Okay."

Harden: "Hey hey hey! I'm still here! Even if we lose today, we're still second in District 3. If you want to win the championship, you have to ask us first!"

DeRozan: "You can't beat both of us."

Harden covered his chest and took a step back: "You are bullying me, Jack, I was here first!"

Zhang Yang was speechless, this acting genius.

DeRozan: "How about you transfer back? We can dominate high school together?"

Harden: "No! I'm going to beat you! From today on, we are enemies..."

Zhang Yang: "James, would you like some dessert?"

"Come with me, the strawberry cake over there is delicious!"

...

As Thomas expected, the battle for the top spot in District 3 was reported by many media outlets. With the spread of information on the Internet, all the teams in the division that were paying attention to Lanewood High School soon found out. Three days later, on Sunday, Lanewood High School, which ranked second in the division, was unexpectedly defeated by Long Beach High School, which ranked eighth in the division.

Thomas felt that Harden was really miserable, being "backstabbed" by his two brothers, but he thought that this was also a good exercise for Harden. After all, the lineup of Lanewood High School was too good. Harden's playing style in the first 6 games was simple and easy. He could lead the team to defeat the opponent with just his brain. There were very few opportunities for him to exercise his personal abilities, but now he finally had the conditions.

If anything, Harden should thank his two brothers.

Although he failed to get Harden, Thomas still hopes that Harden can fully develop his talents.

Thomas' attention to Harden did not last long, because the two geniuses on their side caused trouble again!
Although the topics of "geniuses on par with Farmar, James, and Mayo" and "we'll beat whoever comes" have gradually faded, they have not lost since the start of the season and are still in the limelight, and are still a thorn in the eyes of their opponents.

These two guys still don’t seem to think it’s enough!

11月10号，康普敦高中主场以96比89险胜由全美第23名高中生肖恩-威廉姆斯率领的南加州高中，拿下9连胜。

张杨拿到15分6板2助攻4抢断2盖帽，防守表现暴躁。

DeRozan scored 41 points. Zhang Yang was closely guarded and had to play defense. DeRozan carried the team's offense on his own.

Tatum had 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, his first triple-double in his career as a main player. He fed DeRozan a lot of good balls and also withstood the pressure of rebounding.

The three players who performed well were interviewed by Los Angeles media after the game.

When the reporter asked how long their winning streak could last, Zhang Yang raised his index finger.

The reporter asked: "Is your goal to start with 10 consecutive wins?"

Zhang Yang didn't answer. DeRozan shook his head and said, "Just keep winning."

Thomas didn't understand what raising the index finger had to do with 'always winning', but he had the same reaction as the reporter - My God, you guys are really confident.

Thomas doesn't think it's a bad thing to have confidence and ambition, but can't we discuss such a goal in private? Saying it in front of reporters, especially those in Los Angeles, doesn't that just increase the difficulty? Is it necessary to create difficulty even if there is no difficulty?

However, Thomas thought about the fact that they were currently at the top of the division, and they had already defeated two of the second to fourth ranked teams: Ryanwood High School, Southern California High School, and Inglewood High School.

Based on his understanding of the two brothers, they might really be actively creating difficulties!
What can he do? He should mobilize more scouting resources, get more intelligence on the opponents, and help the two as much as he can.

Having two players like this is really a headache, but it’s so fun to win all the time!

He found that he had to readjust his season expectations again, but this time he didn't want to adjust them. He just wanted Zhang Yang and DeRozan to do their best!

...

Thomas guessed correctly, Zhang Yang and DeRozan were actively creating difficulty and creating conditions for training.

When the warm-up matches just started in September, they were able to get training in every game, but when the warm-up match stage was about to end, they already felt that the difficulty of the game had 'decreased'.

After the league started, with the 'help' of the Los Angeles Herald, opponents were hostile to them and played very hard, which gave them training again, but they soon began to feel that their opponents were no match for them.

After playing against Southern California high schools, they found that only the top teams in District 3 could give them training.

It's not that the opponents are not good enough. California high school basketball ranks among the best in the United States, and District 3 is the strongest division in CIF Class I. Five out of ten years, the division champion has come from District 3.

At the end of the team selection process, Thomas raised his expectations to a tournament berth, which seemed a reasonable goal at the time.

The main reason is that Zhang Yang and DeRozan have just passed the rapid growth stage at the age of 14 or 15, and have reached the stage where their bodies are starting to become stronger and their skills and playing experience are developing rapidly.

In addition, both of them had a solid foundation in basic skills, and their growth speed was beyond their expectations, so their opponents gradually became less capable than them.

The two of them discussed it and decided to create the difficulty themselves!
This was not enough. On November 11, when Compton High School challenged Pasadena Vincent High School, a weak team at the bottom of the division, DeRozan took the initiative to let Tatum take the lead in attacking.

DeRozan can easily beat such an opponent, and it is impossible to train his ability to score calmly under pressure.

Yes, if there are no conditions, he will create them!
After Zhang Yang knew DeRozan's idea, he complained, "You are becoming more and more like your idol," and then did the same.

科比在宾夕法尼亚州念高中的时候，9年级就能打出场均25+5+5+3+3级别数据，宾州高中篮球整体水平一般，在全美常年排在30到40名之间，于是科比从10年级开始就上半场划水下半场玩儿逆转。

Zhang Yang does not need to be as deliberate as DeRozan. He can create difficulty by actively using techniques that he is not good at and that did not work well in high school games.

Unfortunately, Vincent High School was not a strong opponent. Both of them played so well that the opponent only had an 8-point lead after three quarters. DeRozan overtook the score with a fierce attack in the final quarter.

DeRozan did not give up. He decided to stick with it and he will definitely get enough training opportunities in the next game!
...

As the weeks went by and the games went by, Compton High School continued to win and attracted media attention.

However, the media found that Compton High School's games had changed, and almost every game became a "comeback game."

At first, the media thought that it was Zhang Yang and DeRozan's "always winning" words that inspired their opponents to go crazy when they met them, and that was why Compton High School had such a hard time playing, and they were still teasing them for being too proud.

But every game was a 'comeback game' and an 'adverse game', and the same was true when playing against the bottom team. Reporters found something wrong.

After watching the game carefully, they discovered that the two brothers were using their opponents for practice!
After the reporter's report, the California basketball world was swept by a wave of "kill Compton", "kill the top junior high school student", and "kill the mysterious oriental genius", which brought another wave of intensity to Compton High School.

Zhang Yang and DeRozan were both very happy. As I said, whoever comes to beat whom!
As head coach, Thomas did not do anything to stop this situation.

This was the first time he coached talented players like Zhang Yang and DeRozan. He kept raising his expectations for their progress, but they continued to surpass his expectations. His training plan had long been unable to keep up with their progress.

When the two had their own game plans, he felt that it would be best for him not to interfere and just provide the two with the greatest help in terms of personal training, team training, tactical preparation, etc.

On the bright side, if these two brothers let up, Tatum and Miller will get more training opportunities, which is a good thing!

Moreover, when the two brothers faced Inglewood High School, Southern California High School, and West Hollywood High School, the top four teams in District 3, they played very focused and without any waste.

After being stabbed in the back, Ryanwood High School's performance declined and it fell out of the top four.

A certain bearded guy with a middle-parted hairline even tried to sew suspenders on his shorts but it didn’t work. He thought that the problem wasn’t with the middle-parted suspenders, but that it was less than a year since he started practicing his skills. If he practiced for another year and a half, he would definitely be able to beat all his opponents!
The fall semester of the 04-05 academic year is quickly coming to an end.

12月22号，康普敦高中以103比98逆转击败长滩中学，以21连胜收官赛季前半程。

So far this season, Compton High School has not lost a single game, continues to attract attention, and its influence has expanded beyond California.

In fact, if it is just a simple undefeated team, it is not so surprising. California has produced teams that have won the championship with an undefeated record. There are also leagues in other states that have not lost a game this season, such as Lennel High School led by Monta Ellis, Christian High School led by Mayo, Memphis High School led by Mario Chalmers...all of them have won more than 20 consecutive games.

But even Mayo, who is known as the "next Jordan", has been overshadowed by Zhang Yang and DeRozan this season.

Because Compton High School was a "dark horse comeback", there was not a single player in the 12th grade who could play, and the five main players were all 5th and 10th grade players. Before the start of the season, they were not predicted to be at the bottom of the third district, but still relied on DeRozan's title as the "former No. 11 junior high school student in California."

It turns out that DeRozan's talent is better than people thought. Not only that, a former baseball player named Zhang Yang, whose talent is as good as DeRozan, has emerged, which has become a hot topic.

Moreover, these two people also like to stir up trouble and constantly create new topics.

Half a season has passed, and now people and followers in this niche circle of high school basketball have more or less heard of the names of Zhang Yang and DeRozan.

Winter vacation is coming, and the CIF Division I league will also enter the off-season. One month later, on Sunday, January 1, the second half of the league will begin.

The reason for the long break is to allow the players to digest the game experience of half a season, strengthen training and improve their shortcomings, and also to consider the academic performance of the 12th grade players. Often, players cannot enter college due to poor grades when they graduate from high school. If they are talented players like Garnett, it is not a big deal, they can just go to the NBA directly, but most players do not have the ability to play in the NBA when they graduate from high school, so they can only go to college for a year of preparatory courses, such as a certain cheek man who does not give 10 points...

On December 12, Compton High School held a Christmas performance before winter break.

Zhang Yang and DeRozan sat in the last row of the tiered seats in the playground and chatted.

After agreeing to train together after Christmas, DeRozan fell silent.

Zhang Yang talked for a long time but didn't hear DeRozan's response. He asked curiously, "DeMar, what's wrong with you? Are you worried that there won't be Santa Claus giving you a present on Christmas? Don't worry, you won't get any presents from Santa Claus. I'll tell you a secret, Santa Claus is fake! There is no Santa Claus!"

"..."

DeRozan's tangled emotions were suddenly gone. Forget it, he said, "Jack, after this season, I don't plan to continue playing in the first-level league. I want to discuss with the coach and take the team to the Moore League."

Zhang Yang's eyes widened. What a coincidence. He wanted to say the same thing. He replied, "I was just about to tell you that I don't plan to continue my studies in the 12th grade."

……

……

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(End of this chapter)