warrior godfather

Chapter 623
For the Warriors, defeating the Pelicans is just a trivial matter.

The Warriors have always been the sufferer of the Pelicans. This time Holiday was also absent due to injury, so it is reasonable to win.

But the process of the game was quite surprising. Curry often played well against the Pelicans, but Leonard faced the thick eyebrows' help defense several times, and he was able to complete the finish stably. The process of the teams playing against each other in the past is not very consistent.

In the playoffs last season, Leonard also crushed the Pelicans striker, but as long as the thick eyebrow came to help defend, he would pass the ball, and the success rate of strong play was also very low. This time, his self-confidence and success in finishing Rates have gone up a lot.

As long as Clay ran out of opportunities, he would shoot three-pointers, but today, he wasted a lot of good opportunities. Although this did not prevent the Warriors from winning, it was still surprising.

In the post-match interview, the reporter asked Clay why he felt so bad today. Clay said casually:
"I haven't found the touch yet, that's all... Of course, I will continue to shoot. This is the shooter's job. No matter how many three-pointers I miss, my confidence will not be shaken."

Leonard was asked why he played so well today, he replied:

"This summer, I have been honing my mid-range shooting and offensive skills, and it seems to be very effective now...The boss arranged for me to attack with the ball. I will continue to maintain aggressiveness and provide the team with scoring. more help……"

The reporter also asked Zhang Yu about the status of the two, and Zhang Yu said with a smile:
"I'm happy to see Kawhi's progress, he's a very hardworking player and this kind of good performance will become the norm for him in the future ... I'm not worried about Klay's form at all, he will find his form Yes, he's a natural marksman..."

In front of reporters, Zhang Yu never blames his players, and he is not hesitant to praise Antetokounmpo, Wiggins, Green and others.

Only in the locker room will he reveal his true thoughts.

Zhang Yu didn't pour cold water on this big victory. Looking at the rookies competing to appreciate the championship rings in the hands of veteran players, he even made a few jokes, and the atmosphere in the locker room was extremely relaxed.

But when everyone was about to leave the arena and go home to rest, he kept Green like the day before yesterday's training.

The players didn't know what Zhang Yu was going to say to Green, and Green himself was at a loss.

When Zhang Yu asked Green to stay, his expression was calm, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes did not shine as sharply as when he was angry, as if he wanted to say something private to Green that no one else could hear.

The rookies were a little envious of Green, who was valued so much by Zhang Yu. Before leaving, they couldn't stop looking at Green, guessing what Zhang Yu wanted to say to him.

After everyone else was gone, Green asked curiously:
"Boss, what do you want from me?"

Only then did Zhang Yu suppress the smile on the corner of his mouth, and his peaceful voice gradually became deeper, revealing a heavy feeling of oppression:

"How is your defense today? Davis scored a lot of points on you!"

Green was taken aback, then said in a nonchalant tone:
"Oh, I didn't feel right today, I didn't find the rhythm of the game, and I got the championship ring today, I was a little distracted, the next game will be fine."

He didn't understand the meaning of Zhang Yu's words. He thought that Zhang Yu was only concerned about his state, and he was a little proud.

"So you don't even shoot three-pointers? Did you listen to what I told you before?" Zhang Yu looked at Green, his voice getting deeper and deeper.

In today's game, Green had a few open three-pointers, but he didn't make any shots. He only made one three-pointer, which was pretty biased.

Green finally heard the dissatisfaction in Zhang Yu's words, and he didn't dare to put on a casual attitude, but he didn't understand why Zhang Yu took three points to make a point, so he explained:

"Stephen and Kawhi are more confident. I want to leave opportunities to them, so I don't shoot three-pointers."

This is what Green thinks in his mind. He thinks that Curry and Leonard have a higher percentage of shooting against people than his own open shots, so why not pass the ball to them?
The most important thing is that after Green Xia won the championship, he was full of personal honors, team honors, and big contracts. , he dared not tell Zhang Yu.

"You're right, they're really in good shape today." Zhang Yu nodded, but then his expression turned serious, "Even during most of the regular season, you don't have to shoot three-pointers, Stephen, Kawhi, Ke Lay can solve the offensive problem, but what about the playoffs? What about the Finals?"

"The opponent we will face at that time is not a team like the Pelicans. Can we still rely on the three of them? You can paddle in this kind of game, but in a high-intensity confrontation, Giannis didn't shoot. , you don't have three points anymore, and only three of the five small lineups can shoot, how do you attack? You forgot how we beat the bulls in June? Your three points are very important to the team, Dela Mond, you gotta hit those open [-]s!"

Zhang Yu questioned him continuously, speaking very fast, as if a torrential rain had drenched Green's head and face. He was a little dazed and stood there in a daze. It took a while before he came back to his senses.

Green's first reaction was pride. The scene of last season's finals came to his mind. When Curry was flanked, the Warriors beat the Bulls with his open three-pointer. In the crucial game of G4, he scored He scored 7 three-pointers and helped the team win the away game, which also established the Warriors' victory.

Because of this, Green spontaneously agreed with Zhang Yu's words, yes, his three-pointers are very important, and they are of great help to the team.

But then, a sense of embarrassment surged into Green's heart. Zhang Yu's questioning made him very uncomfortable. Although there was no one else here, Zhang Yu was his head coach, and he also bluntly said that he valued him, but he just had a kind of embarrassment. a feeling of.

I am the team's three-time champion, and I have been a thug for you twice. I have made so many contributions to the team. Even if I have a problem with my game, you can't talk to me like that, can you?
Green's unruly nature, which had been suppressed in the past few years, began to recover. He raised his head and opened his mouth, planning to say something to defend his dignity as a team player.

But facing Zhang Yu's sharp gaze, the anger on Green's face disappeared immediately, and the rebuttal that was about to be blurted out was also swallowed back.

He thought of Zhang Yu's identity, the owner and head coach of the Warriors, Curry's obedience to Zhang Yu, and Antetokounmpo's growing biceps.

The remaining rationality defeated the bursting shame and anger, and Green changed from a beast on the verge of eruption to the most intelligent person who can judge the situation.

The Warriors were created by Zhang Yu. The top star Curry is Zhang Yu's closest disciple. Behind Green is the talented and fast-growing Antetokounmpo. How dare he fight against the angry Zhang Yu?

Green calmed down, and suddenly noticed a chill on his back, and realized that he was in a cold sweat. The lining of the newly put on sweater was soaked, and it was sticky to his back, which was very uncomfortable.

But he has no time to take care of these trivial matters, and assured Zhang Yu:
"Boss, I'm sorry, I didn't think about it so deeply. I will practice three-pointers and never waste open opportunities!"

Green's tone was very sincere, with a sincere expression, the same as his expression in the interview, as if speaking from his heart.

But the resentment in Green's heart has not dissipated. He thinks that he has made great contributions to the team and has won everything. Why should he practice three-pointers that he has never liked?
He wants to paddle on the court. Anyway, there are still three full years in the contract. No matter how good the game is, no matter how many championships the Warriors win, the salary will not be much, and all the glory belongs to Curry. He is a blue collar. Why so desperately?
But it is precisely because there are still three years in the contract that Green dare not express this attitude.

Green is afraid that Zhang Yu will reduce his playing time, and even more afraid that Zhang Yu will DNP him and let him rot on the bench.

If it were any other head coach, Green would not be afraid. He would use the toughest attitude to defend his dignity, because this is a league where stars are king, and the head coach must rely on the breath of the stars to survive.

But Zhang Yu is the only exception. He can do anything in the Warriors. No one can interfere with his decision-making, and he also has the courage to do so.

He is the owner of the Warriors. He can cultivate players who make other teams jealous every year. He never worries about good players. Green doesn't think he is special, so he can only hide his dissatisfaction deeply in his heart.

After Green finished speaking, Zhang Yu stared at Green for a long time, and Green felt a little terrified. After a while, Zhang Yu said:

"Very well, since you have figured it out, then practice three-pointers well and get back to your form as soon as possible. You also know that our goal has always been to win the championship. This road requires everyone's dedication. I don't want anyone to fall behind. Do you understand? ?”

Zhang Yu's tone was light and seemed a little casual, but when it reached Green's ears, it sounded like a roar of thunder, making him tremble all over, and hurriedly said:

"I know I was wrong, boss!"

"Okay, go back and rest early..." Zhang Yu finally showed a smile on his face, but he seemed to remember something suddenly, and asked, "By the way, what do you think of Giannis' performance today?"

"...very good!" Green squeezed out two words from between his teeth.

"It's a pity that the defense is a bit poor, and the three-pointer has never been practiced..." Zhang Yu shook his head regretfully, "This is your strong point. If you have time, teach him some experience."

"...Okay, boss." Green agreed, but made up his mind in his heart that he would never give Antetokounmpo any pointers!
Now is not the time for the whole team to unite sincerely and fight for the championship unanimously. He has to think more about himself.

"Boss, if there is nothing else, I'll go first?" Green asked.

"Let's go, don't forget to practice three-pointers well."

"No problem, boss, see you tomorrow!"

Green bent slightly, said goodbye to Zhang Yu, walked out of the locker room, and slowly walked away along the empty player tunnel.

……

On October 10, the Warriors challenged the Rockets away.

The Rockets got off to a bad start, losing 85:105 to the Nuggets in the first game of the season, and there is no sign of improvement today, losing 92:112 to the Warriors by 20 points.

上一场21投6中，砍下22分的哈登，这一场18投6中，怒砍16分。

This is still in the case of averaging 8.5 free throws per game, otherwise Harden's performance will fall to the ground.

In this game, the Warriors were the same as the last game against the Pelicans. Curry and Leonard played well, scoring 25 points and 23 points respectively. The rest of the players performed well and ushered in two consecutive victories.

Under Zhang Yu's beating, Green did not dare not shoot an open three-pointer, but the three-pointer feeling cannot be recovered overnight. After 3 of 0 shots, Green asked Zhang Yu for instructions. With Zhang Yu's consent, he changed the shooting to a pass .

Green's game attitude has also been corrected a lot. Although his physical condition has not fully recovered, he defended hard and passed cautiously. He scored 7 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

In the post-match interview, Zhang Yu praised the performance of all the players in the team, but he only mentioned Curry and Leonard, and praised Green, which was very surprising.

Only Green knows that this is Zhang Yu's affirmation of his game attitude and let him continue to work hard.

No matter what he thinks in his heart, in the next month, Green trained very hard and defended hard in the game, but he didn't shoot many three-pointers.

He doesn't have much talent in shooting. He didn't practice three-pointers well in the summer, and it will take a long time to get back his touch. It's better to reduce his three-pointers, so as not to be seen by his opponents as inaccurate.

Zhang Yu also agreed with Green's approach, asking him to focus on defense and passing, and then shoot three-pointers after he feels warmer.

But this also means that what Green can do, Antetokounmpo can also do.

Antetokounmpo has always been defensive-oriented, and his single defense is stronger than Green. He has slowly practiced the defense, and his vision is quite wide. He has gradually practiced one-handed passing, but he is not as experienced as Green and is inferior. .

But his impact on the inside is something that Green does not have, especially when he gained weight in the summer, practiced hard on dribbling and footwork, made great progress in face-to-frame breakthroughs and low-post attack, and his shooting percentage at the basket increased a lot , The offensive threat is far stronger than Green.

Zhang Yu gave Antetokounmpo more playing time, plus the time period when he and Green played at the same time, the playing time of the two was almost equal, both around 28 minutes.

Green felt the threat brought by Antetokounmpo, and he dared not slack off. His talent is far inferior to Antetokounmpo. His only advantages are accurate passing and one-handed three-pointers. Even the starting position is not guaranteed.

And Antetokounmpo was reused by Zhang Yu, so he was naturally extremely excited. He trained harder and harder, trying to get more playing time for himself.

In the strong competitive atmosphere between the two, although Green has not yet returned to his peak form, the Warriors can sit back and relax at the fourth position.

In other positions, Curry and Leonard continued their excellent form in the first two games.

Curry is always a big killer in the regular season, and his technical characteristics of combining off-ball and off-ball make him feel like a fish in water when he abuses food, and scoring 30 points is like getting something out of a bag.

Leonard has completely stepped into the ranks of the top strikers. The success rate of singles with the ball in the middle distance of the face frame is very high, but there is still something lacking in the back, but the precise three-pointer makes up for this, and the score has also entered the ranks of 20+ , among the top scorers in the league.

Relying on the excellent performance of Curry and Leonard, the Warriors achieved a record of 11 wins and 16 losses in November. In addition to the two consecutive victories against the Pelicans and Rockets in October, the record came to 3 wins and 10 losses, holding high the first place in the Western Conference. , The first in the league.

Among the three games lost, one was due to the last back-to-back game of the Eastern Conference's four consecutive visitors. Zhang Yu rested the four main players and lost to the Raptors. The other two were due to Clay's poor state. Dropped the game.

Clay's state in November fluctuated a lot, and there were fewer ups and downs. On average, he played five games in one game, and finally made a few more three-pointers. Iron again.

The Warriors lost to the Clippers and the Mavericks because of Clay's bad touch, and he insisted on shooting three-pointers to find his touch, wasting too many opportunities, and finally lost the game.

In fact, if Zhang Yu makes adjustments in time to let Clay reduce his shots and let Curry and Leonard focus on the main attack, he can win these two games.

But he didn't do this. Instead, he arranged tactics for Clay, allowing him to shoot three-pointers and giving him a touch.

Although the Warriors lost the game in the end, the outcome of the regular season is no longer on Zhang Yu's mind. It is most important for Clay to use the game as a substitute to find his hand as soon as possible and prepare for the playoffs.

And Clay, like Green, is also a meritorious service to the team. Just as he beat Green in private and would not embarrass Green in public, he also has to give Clay face, give him the right to fire, and maintain Clay's face as a super shooter. If Lai strikes too much, he won't be allowed to vote.

This is much better than Green's treatment. In the final analysis, Clay and Green are different.

Clay is one of the few super shooters in the league. Only under Curry, Zhang Yu has a much higher tolerance for him.

Even if Clay neglects training in the summer, Zhang Yu is willing to let him practice in games, even if he loses a few regular season games.

And no matter how good the defense is and how accurate the pass is, Green is still a blue-collar player who lacks the ability to attack independently, and Antetokounmpo can replace it.

Therefore, as long as Green's attitude is a little lazy, Zhang Yu will not tolerate it and beat him immediately. If he does not repent, his starting position will be lost.

Fortunately, Green is a smart person, so he immediately came to his senses and corrected his attitude.

Of course, Zhang Yu didn't know what Green was thinking, but he didn't care either. He knew better than anyone else that Green could do anything for his own benefit.

In 2020 and 2021, he swam on the field and switched to Rich Paul. In order to enter the media industry after retiring, he crazily showed his favor to James, and even belittled Curry for this. He is a smart man, a man very similar to James. basketball businessman.

Zhang Yu will not tolerate these things happening, but as long as Green is aware of current affairs, can perform well on the court, help the Warriors win, and obey management, then Zhang Yu will give Green the status of meritorious service.

Unless Green himself insists on causing trouble, or the day when the dissatisfaction accumulated in his heart explodes.

(End of this chapter)