Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 173 The list of five members of the National Congress is confirmed!Genius remodel plan! !

The next day, Lu Yong received a call from Presti with good news.

Both Juwan Howard and Jerome James are willing to join the Sonics with a basic salary. The former hopes to get a championship ring before retiring, while the latter values ​​the magic of Lu Yong's resurrection and hopes to be able to play in the Supersonics. Usher in a new life, try the free market next year and pursue a long-term contract.

As for Channing Frye, it was no surprise that he rejected the invitation of the Supersonics and turned around to accept the offer from the Suns.Lu Yong was not surprised by this. After clearing away the "big shark" O'Neal, the Suns have plenty of salary space, and they provided Frye with a four-year $4 million contract, which is very tempting.

On the other hand, the Sonics, whose salary space has been continuously compressed, can only provide him with 3 million for three years at most. For young players who have no championship pursuit, this is not a multiple-choice question at all.

Juwan Howard and Jerome both signed with a one-year minimum salary. The Sonics still have a lot of room to operate next summer, so don't worry about renewing Durant's resistance.

So far, the Sonics' lineup for the new season has been basically determined, and the 15-man roster is full.

Center: Noah, Gasol Jr., Jerome James.

Power Forward: Boozer, Tucker, Juwan Howard.

Small forwards: Durant, Batum, Chase Budinger.

Shooting guard: "Martial Saint" Jackson, Gerald Green, Matthews.

Point guard: Dragic, Neal, Beverly.

More than half of these fifteen players can play two positions, and even "Martial Saint" Jackson can play as a guest guard without worrying about large-scale injuries.

Lu Yong is quite satisfied with the team's lineup for the new season. Although a few champions have left in the summer, they have not gained nothing in the free market, and they still have the strength to compete for the championship.

The three rookies acquired this year are all capable of playing a role without training. The healthy Budinger and the young Beverly and Matthews are all very capable and perfectly fit the Supersonic tactical system.

After a year of training, Dragic has improved his personal strength. Playing the starting point guard can help the team, and he is very aggressive with Beverly on offense and defense.

The only downside is that once Taylor Tovic left, the Sonics lost a three-pointer on the front line. The new aid Boozer is a stronger star, but he does not have the ability to shoot three-pointers. to weaken.

In addition, Boozer's health problems are also a hidden danger. Although he has recovered well after being checked by the Sonics team doctor, it is uncertain when the shoulder injury will recur. Boozer must be used cautiously in the new season.

Budinger, Juwan - Howard and others also have potential injuries. It can be said that the biggest enemy of the Sonics in the new season is not the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics, but the health of the players.

This year is the last year of Lu Yong's three-year contract. He is not sure whether he will leave Seattle after the contract expires. He can only try to save some money for the Sonics. After all, he has a good relationship with his boss Bennett and manager Presti. , You can't leave a bunch of rubbish contracts before you leave, that would be too unkind.

Uncle Huo and Jerome James passed the physical examination after arriving in Seattle, officially signed with the team, and held a press conference at the entrance of the arena to display their jerseys.

In addition to "Howard" and "James" attending the press conference, there were also several newcomers who just joined the team this year.

Juwan Howard said: "I am very happy to receive the invitation of the defending champion and become a member of the Sonics. As a veteran, I have rich experience in the playoffs and know what role I should play in the team. In the new season, I will Help the team with practical actions, both on and off the field."

Jerome James' huge physique sat there like a mountain, and smiled at the camera: "I am very happy to be back in Seattle. This is the real starting point of my career. I have been controlling my weight during the offseason. , the fans must not be disappointed in the new season, and we will do our best to defend the team's title."

Budinger, a talented swingman who was as famous as Durant, was the third person to be interviewed. He grew up in the spotlight as early as in high school, but Budinger was still very excited to be able to play for the championship team as soon as he entered the league. .

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines and watched the entire interview. Apart from defending his title, what he is most looking forward to in the new season is whether Budinger can realize his talent and grow into an All-Star player under his command.

There is no doubt about Budinger's talent and physical fitness. What he lacks is a system suitable for him to play and a healthy body.Lu Yong has high expectations for him, and it is also a challenge for him as a time traveler.

A reporter asked him a question: "As a rookie who became famous all over the United States in high school, he was picked in the second round of the draft this year. How did you feel at that time?"

Budinger raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "I was very happy at the time, and I was even glad that I was taken away after falling to the second round, because the team I joined was the best in the league and I could play for the Sonics. It's my dream."

The reporter asked again: "Lu Shuai's ability to train new players is recognized by the league as strong. Playing under him in the new season, do you have the confidence to continue to catch up with your former opponent and current teammate Kevin Durant?"

Budinger scratched his head and said honestly: "I haven't thought about this problem yet. In the new season, I will play as the coach arranges. I am very satisfied to play under Lu Shuai."

Next, Beverly and Matthews were also interviewed successively. One of them was almost reduced to playing in Europe, and the other was an abandoned child in the draft. They were very grateful for being selected by the Sonics. From the management to the coach Lu Yongdu sincerely thank you all over the place.

He said that he will train hard this summer and strive to contribute to the team earlier in the new season.

Lu Yong was the last to be interviewed. Facing this young champion coach, the reporter wanted to ask him a lot of questions.

The reporter asked: "Lu, the Supersonics only brought in one star-level player Carlos Boozer in the summer. The other signings were either rookies or fringe players without the ball. The strength on paper has declined. Do you feel that? Frustrated? Do you think the Sonics will be able to defend their title next season?"

"Of course, I have always been very confident in the team. The Sonics did lose a lot of good players this summer, but our goal of fighting for the championship remains the same. You can't use paper strength to measure the strength of a team , Just like the Green Army of the Big Three, didn’t they even reach the threshold of the finals last year?”

Lu Yong's answer is full of domineering, but for the Green Army coach Doug Rivers, it is murderous.He can get shot while lying down. I don't know if the two teams meet next season, will he fight the Sonics to his death.

The reporter asked again: "Everyone knows that you are very good at training rookies. This year's draft conference, the Supersonics have harvested three rookies. Among them, whose future do you most like?"

"I am very optimistic about their talents, and they will definitely become qualified team starters in the future. As for the most optimistic about Chase Budinger, of course, his talent and resume needless to say, I hope he can match his popularity under my team The data."

The main reason why Budinger fell to the second round of the draft is because the college is full. As an older rookie, unless he has Duncan's dominance, few teams will choose to gamble.

Lu Yong saw the shadow of the Mavericks "famous" Mark Aguirre from Budinger, and firmly believed that he could play better in the Sonics.

Another reporter asked: "The Lakers introduced former MVP star Pau Gasol this summer to form a combination of Kobe and "Paul". What do you think?"

"I'm very happy that Paul can go to the city he likes, but I don't think the Lakers are stronger than the Sonics. We are the ones who sit on the throne and accept the challenge." Lu Yong laughed: "Who is strong and who is weak? Everyone knows it, and it's going to be a fun game."

The reporters were very satisfied with Lu Yong's answer, and responded to all doubts. This is the domineering that the defending champion should have.Regardless of how this year ends, the Sonics will be remembered for their scrappy squad.

The Lakers have also been interviewed before, but both the head coach "Zen Master" Jackson and the star Kobe Bryant kept a low profile, and they didn't dare to shout the slogan of slinging the Supersonics.

Years of continuous hip-pull results have taught the Lakers to keep a low profile. Before defeating the Supersonics, no one wanted to be the first bird.

Compared with the silent Lakers, the reporters still prefer a coach like Lu Yong, who overcomes mountains and builds bridges, and is always full of confidence in himself and the players under his hands.

After the press conference, Lu Yong took everyone to dinner together, and told each one the skills that Xia Tian needed to practice.

Juwan Howard has the most experience in the Sonics. He only needs to focus on mid-range shots on both sides of the free throw line during the offseason, and he doesn't have to worry about not having a chance to play in regular time.

The tasks of Beverly and Matthews are also very simple. They focus on practicing three-pointers and defense, and they still follow the path of their original 3D players. They don't need to break through with the ball as the core.

At the dinner table, Lu Yong told Chase Budinger the most. In addition to letting him focus on practicing 45-degree catch three-pointers on both sides, he also had the opportunity to practice breakthroughs and shoot in and out in the direction of an all-around player. develop.

After the game ended, Budinger found coach Lu Yong alone: ​​"Coach, in addition to focusing on practicing 45-degree three-point shots and breakthroughs on both sides during the offseason, is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"

Lu Yong thought for a while, and reminded: "The core of the team's offense will definitely be Kevin, so you'd better use this summer to practice off-ball offense, such as catch and shoot and off-ball cuts, and try to use it Complete the finish in the shortest time. I know your athletic talent is great, make good use of your body, this will be your weapon to create scoring opportunities, as long as you can become a stable outside shooter in the new season, even if you hit the best rookie Chance."

"Don't worry, coach, I will train hard this summer!"

Budinger is full of expectations for the future, just as the Supersonics have always created miracles along the way.

"I need you to practice breakthroughs because when you encounter an opponent close to you, you can rely on your athleticism to pass the defender and add an offensive method. But in regular time, you must play more off the ball, do a good job of catch and shoot and fast break counterattack Your preparation, your talent, and your ability to create opportunities are much easier than those of Gary Neal and Taylor, you can watch their training content when you have time, maybe it will help you.”

"Okay, coach, I promise not to let you down." Budinger smiled in a good mood.

There is nothing more exciting for a rookie than hearing a commitment to developing yourself from a head coach.

That night, Budinger shared his joy with his family after returning home. The whole family couldn't sleep all night, and they were proud of their son's "successful transformation".

Budinger was born in a volleyball family, his sister Brittany played in the European Volleyball League, and his brother Duncan Budinger is also a professional volleyball player.In this environment, Budinger has shown a strong volleyball talent since he was a child. His mother even thinks that Budinger's volleyball talent is better than that of his elder brothers and sisters, and he is a natural volleyball player.

Someone once commented on Budinger: This child was born for volleyball!Natural volleyball player.If he doesn't play volleyball, who will?
Budinger's talent is beyond doubt.At a young age, he shined in the volleyball circle and became a leader in the American volleyball world. Budinger ranked first in the ranking of volleyball players under the age of 18 in the United States at that time.

Until 2006, the 18-year-old Budinger was elected as the National Volleyball Player of the Year, and he was one of the best players in his age group. If Budinger continued to engage in volleyball, he might really become a volleyball star.

In their local area, when it comes to volleyball, people will associate the Budinger family with volleyball.

However, in 2006, Budinger had new ideas and new goals.

He has seen the world of volleyball before, and he is very familiar with it.And he developed a strong interest in another sport.He wants to challenge it, conquer it.The sport that makes Budinger "obsessed" is basketball.

Later, Budinger began to practice basketball skills and play basketball games.

In the same year, Budinger, who was still in high school, participated in the National McDonald's Basketball Competition. He performed very well and was finally elected as the MVP together with Kevin Durant. It can be said that Budinger was as famous as "Reaper" Durant at that time .

Although volleyball and basketball are played differently and the rules are very different, Budinger has reached a very high level in both sports, which shows how talented he is.

巴丁格大学时期与乔丹-希尔曾是队友，06-07赛季，还是大一新秀的巴丁格场均就能得到15.6分5.8篮板2助攻的出色数据，当选Pac-10联盟年度最佳新秀。

In terms of draft opinions, the scouts summed up many shortcomings for Budinger, such as poor defensive habits, potential knee injuries, and even a series of weird reasons such as the possibility of changing jobs to volleyball leagues in the future, but but Only no one said that his poor talent was a rookie.

In Lu Yong's previous life, Budinger became a substitute when he first joined the Rockets.

He has strong explosive power, good touch, excellent mid-range shots and three-pointers, and soon became an important rotation for the team. He averaged 20.1 minutes per game, scored 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists, and shot 44.1% from the field. The hit rate is 36.9%, which is an excellent performance overall.

Budinger is impressive not only for his three-pointers, but also for his dunks, especially in the 2012 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. Budinger is unforgettable.

After learning that Budinger was going to participate in the slam dunk contest, his teammate Yao Ming once tweeted: "I am looking forward to him participating in the slam dunk contest. He can fly. I have seen it."

Sure enough, Budinger showed some strength in the slam dunk contest, and staged difficult dunks such as blindfolded dunks and windmill dunks, which made "white people can fly" become a topic of discussion again, although Budinger did not win the dunk in the end The champion of the competition, but showed his physical fitness to the fullest.

Lu Yong felt that Budinger's continuous recurrence of old diseases was due to the fact that he did not meet a good coach, and his injuries were actually avoidable.

Players with bursting athletic talent don't necessarily have to develop in the direction of a ball-handling big core like Carter. Gerald Green is a good example.

As the "nine-finger slam dunk king" who can easily pass the basket with his head, Green's career peak is actually after joining the Rockets and transforming into a shooter, off-ball offense is extremely threatening.

With ready-made answers in front of him, even if Lu Yong copied them, he would definitely be better than those trained by the Rockets.

He will let Budinger play in a way that is not easy to get injured, focusing on catching and shooting off the ball, supplemented by using his physical fitness to break through with the ball, so that he will be more suitable for the Supersonic system and is expected to become Lu Yong's headwind comeback excellent case.

(End of this chapter)