The Golden Age of Basketball

This kind of training lasted for three days. Sabonis participated in various individual training of the team, but he never got the opportunity to participate in confrontational training. Instead, he was always pulled aside by Adelman to talk about sex.

Slowly, Sabonis felt that Adelman's main task was to help him practice English, rather than coaching him to play basketball?

Sabonis feels a little anxious about this, because the preseason will start soon. In the preseason, Sabonis still hopes to get a certain amount of playing time to adapt to the NBA game in advance, but now he is in the team. Did not participate in joint training.

Gan Guoyang advised Sabonis not to be impatient, and asked him to wait patiently. At the same time, he should do a good job in basic training, especially to supplement the knowledge of NBA rules.

Although the NBA didn't have a three-second defensive rule that restricted big centers at that time, Sabonis still felt a little uncomfortable not allowing zone defense. At the same time, the penalties for some small moves would also differ from FIBA ​​rules.

In addition, the NBA's three-point line is much farther than that of Fiba. In international competitions, the three-pointer is also one of Sabonis' important weapons. Now if he wants to have this special weapon, he must adapt to the new three point line.

Gan Guoyang taught Sabonis his own set of training methods. After the normal training every day, Gan Guoyang, Sabonis and Duckworth will stay for additional training.

Duckworth and Sabonis can also be regarded as direct competitors, but both of them have gentle personalities, just like many Giants centers, they are relatively introverted, humble, and have a good relationship with their teammates.

These two people, one is an underrated second-round pick, and the other is a freshman from overseas. They both have an eager heart to improve their own strength and make a name for themselves in the league.

Therefore, under the leadership of the league's strongest center, the University of Portland's gymnasium does not turn off the lights until late every day.

On the fourth day, the day before the start of the preseason, Sabonis finally got the chance to participate in the team practice.

"Hey, Avidas, come on, divide into groups, you join the second team, center forward, but I hope you are in a high position in offense, and you have to go to the penalty area in defense. Of course, it depends on your own observation and performance." Adel Man simply gave Sabonis a few words and pushed him onto the stage.

At this time, the battle between the first team and the second team was in full swing. Gan Guoyang led the main lineup, and the second team consisted of Paxson, Duckworth, Caldwell-Jones, Danny Young and Adrian Blanche.

If it is a normal match day, the second team can still fight against the first team by virtue of their physical strength, and sometimes they can have the upper hand, but now it is not a match day, everyone is physically strong, and the second team is basically beaten by the strong first team .

Anyway, the main role of the second team is to accompany the prince to study and help the first team to conduct offensive and defensive tactical drills.

Sabonis finally got a chance to play to replace Caldwell-Jones, and Duckworth formed the inside twin towers.

"Perform Avedas well, I won't let you down, you have to go all out." Gan Guoyang reminded Sabonis.

However, the two are not directly facing each other on the court, and Buck Williams is going to defend Sabonis, although the height gap between the two is really big.

The score at this time was 45:22, the first team had a brutal lead of 23 points, and the match had only lasted more than ten minutes.

After Sabonis came on the court, he was not so nervous, but calmed down. After all, he is not a rookie who has just started his professional basketball career. He has been working hard in European basketball for several years anyway.

"Go in Sabonis! Go in and get the ball inside!" Point guard Danny Young saw Sabonis so tall and hoped that he would go to the low post to feed him the ball.

Sabonis shook his head, and started to block Williams with his back directly at the horns, and opened his hands to ask for the ball.

"This guy doesn't seem timid at all, he's starting to ask for the ball." Adelman saw Sabonis taking the initiative to ask for the ball, and he was less worried about him being too nervous.

Danny Yang hesitated for a moment, and still passed the ball to Sabonis, but Sabonis didn't catch the ball at all. He only felt a figure flash by, and the ball in his hand "swish" and disappeared!

It was Gan Guoyang, he inserted from behind and directly cut off the pass!

After Gan Guoyang stole the ball, he dribbled the ball straight to the frontcourt without any hesitation. Danny Young and Blanche had already given up their defense and watched Gan Guoyang score an easy layup.

"Be careful with the back of your head, don't distract yourself before you get the ball." Gan Guoyang turned around and reminded Sabonis.

He knows that Sabonis has a strong observation ability, and he has already started to observe the movement of the players of the second team before he catches the ball, but he is a little too relaxed in the link with the ball, and the defensive speed here is faster than in the international arena. Go up a notch.

"Give him a little more chance!" Adelman shouted from the sidelines. He didn't want such a ball to let Sabonis' teammates give up feeding him the ball.

The players of the first team did not relax their defense at all. Gan Guoyang was still watching from behind, and Drexler might step forward to grab the ball at any time. All of a sudden, Sabonis felt that the surroundings were in danger. Gan Guoyang's attack just now was too fast.

It was still Danny Young dribbling, but this time Sabonis didn't ask for the ball anymore, but stepped forward and made a pick-and-roll for Danny Young. His tall and thick side provided a very good cover.

However, Yang did not choose to break through, but dribbled the ball to pretend to break through, and then passed the ball back to Sabonis.

Obviously the ball was not handled well, a breakthrough is a better choice, but Yang was disturbed by Adelman's shouting, and subconsciously fed the ball king Sabonis here.

Sabonis receives the ball high at the top of the arc, which is really not a good offensive position for a center.

But after Sabonis received the ball, there was no delay. His right wrist holding the ball flicked, and his fingers flicked, like pushing Tai Chi, and he hit the ground and flew straight to the inside.

After Yang passed the ball, he cut in as usual, but he never expected that Sabonis would pass the ball back.

Yang was slightly underprepared, but he still took a step forward, got the ball, and then at the baseline, facing Gan Guoyang who was covering him, he forced a layup and was slapped away.

But Bellman, who was the referee on the sidelines, blew his whistle. Gan Guoyang used too much force to press the ball down.

"Avedas made a beautiful pass." Although it was a foul, Gan Guoyang also admired Sabonis in his heart. In fact, he had expected that Sabonis would pass the ball, but it was still a step too late.

Gan Guoyang can pass this kind of ball in normal games, but it is a flash of inspiration. The two hands that passed it and scored successfully in a season can be counted.

But for Sabonis, this is an ordinary in-cut pass. From his technique and eyes, it can be seen that he can pass such a fast "no-look-pass" at any time.

Adelman also nodded at the side. As the data and videos show, Sabonis does have a superior passing ability. This ability is possessed by himself and can be displayed no matter where he plays.

However, just relying on this, can not make Adelman satisfied, he also hopes to be able to see more things from Sabonis.

The confrontation continues, the second team is still not the opponent of the first team, and the first team obviously did not try their best. Gan Guoyang's main task on the court is to grab rebounds and make up defenses. If you get in, just laugh at Drexler, saying that he is not as good as a center with three-pointers.

The main advantage of the second team is the interior. Sabonis and Duckworth, two heavy centers who are over 7 feet and weigh more than 250 pounds, are combined, and the interior is almost full.

In comparison, the small and flexible advantages of the first team are fully utilized. Once they play a fast break, it can be said that the second team has suffered a lot.

However, the score was never widened until the second half. The second team, like a tortoise and the hare, slowly caught up with some points and narrowed the point difference to less than 20 points.

All of this cannot be said to be the credit of Sabonis, but in Adelman's eyes, many of Sabonis's characteristics are as he expected, and they are displayed little by little on the court.

First of all, on the defensive end, although Sabonis is tall and heavy, Sabonis still had a pair of good legs in 1988. After being treated by the Trail Blazers team doctor in 1986, his knee condition has improved a lot.

Therefore, there is no problem with his movement, and his tall stature and super long wingspan allow him to have relatively good coverage and defensive capabilities in the three-second zone. , The whole team shrinks and puts the first team's shot strategy.

In the case of Gan Guoyang not attacking vigorously, the second team can barely hold their own defense line and will not be defeated.

More talent of Sabonis is still reflected in the offensive end. What impressed Adelman the most about Sabonis was not his passing skills and passing awareness, which Adelman had seen in the previous trial training and video, and he was very impressed. Not surprised.

The reason why Adelman did not allow Sabonis to participate in the confrontation for three days, but kept chatting with him on the sidelines, was to instill in Sabonis the ideas of the Trail Blazers' style and playing system, and at the same time asked Sabonis to go Pay attention to the characteristics of each player on the team.

In three days, on the court, Adelman quickly discovered that Sabonis was almost well integrated into the team system. Although this integration still lacks the test of high-intensity official games, at least it seems that he has become a It became the hub and core of the second team's offense.

For a passer, techniques and skills are actually secondary. The most important thing is to understand his teammates. Sabonis obviously has talent in this area. In just three days, under constant observation, Sabo Nice already has a basic picture of the team's operation in his mind, and this ability is hard to come by.

"Avidas! Come down and take a rest, you have to play and perform tomorrow."