Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 199 "Don't cry brother, you are home"

After a round of training with Livingston, Hansen understood why the fadeaway became his killer move.

Excellent core strength and air retention are the foundation, but more important are his technical details.

Especially his use of half turns and turn fakes, combined with his excellent turning speed, allows him to shoot with both hands.

This level of technical sophistication cannot be achieved without several years of training and actual combat experience.

This was of great help to Han Sen's training.

After the training was over, Han Sen also asked him to continue together tomorrow.

Livingston naturally had no reason to refuse, as there were not many opportunities to have a good relationship with the team boss.

Half a month later, the Grizzlies' season training camp officially opened.

On the first day, all the Grizzlies players arrived one after another.

Han Sen still paid attention to Randolph.

Unlike last season, or more accurately, the past two seasons, Randolph unexpectedly did not gain weight when he showed up at training camp.

Not only did he not gain weight, but he even looked thinner.

"Are you sick?" This abnormal situation made Guy couldn't help but come over and ask.

The result was that he was driven away by Randolph with a dark face.

After asking, I found out that Randolph rented a gym to train this summer.

"I'm going to see if the sun rises from the west." Guy's behavior made Hansen laugh. This guy would feel uncomfortable if he didn't diss Randolph.

However, Randolph's move was indeed somewhat unexpected.

But if you think about it carefully, you can understand it.

Although Randolph played well in the latter part of last season, considering his position in the team, being okay is definitely not enough.

If he doesn't get back to his form soon, the team's inside tactical core position will have to be given to Gasol Jr.

But this is only the current Randolph. If it were the previous Randolph, he would probably have a fight with the coaching staff.

But Randolph is much more mature now, and he will want to prove himself more on the court.

This also has a lot to do with the team atmosphere. When the team leader makes sacrifices, it is difficult for others to make trouble.

Of course, there is one point that cannot be ignored, and that is the salary structure of the Grizzlies.

What Wallace said before was correct. The Grizzlies are under great salary pressure after successively renewing long-term contracts with their main players. But from another perspective, since the main players have signed long-term contracts, there will be no situation of competing for data for new contracts.

Although the lineup is stable, what the team needs to worry about most is the lack of desire for the championship after winning it.

On the first day of training, the Grizzlies showed very high morale, and the players' enthusiasm was full at the beginning of the training camp.

This was completely different from what Hansen had felt from the Lakers before.

After all, there are still big differences between the Grizzlies and the Lakers.

Or to put it in a more straightforward comparison, the Lakers with Kobe and Gasol are like the Bulls from 1995 to 1998, while the Grizzlies are now more like the Bulls from 1990 to 1993.

One is old-fashioned, the other is full of vigor and vitality.

Well, and then there’s the Heat.

The appearance of the Lakers last season ignited the Mavericks' fighting spirit to defend the title. The appearance of the Heat this season also inspired the Grizzlies to defend the title.

Now the outside world is saying that the Heat have a sure win and the Grizzlies have little hope of defending their title, which will cause the Grizzlies to develop a rebellious mentality.

We are the defending champions. We still won the championship last season even though Randolph was not at his normal level. Why do you think we are no longer capable before we even start playing?
You say I can't do it? Well, I'll show you that I can do it!
Putting aside the question of whether we can successfully defend the title, at least our fighting spirit is high.

When the first day of training ended, Jamison couldn't help but express his feelings to Hansen.

"I felt like I had gone from being a librarian to an emergency room nurse. My body was overwhelmed."

Jamison's metaphor made Hansen laugh, it was very appropriate.

"It will take some time to get used to it." Han Sen smiled and patted Jamison's shoulder.

Although Jamison said that he couldn't adapt, the condition he showed in training was the best among the team's new players.

If nothing unexpected happens, Jamison will play the role of the team's sixth man in the new season.

Speaking of which, Jamison averaged 17.2 points per game for the Cavaliers last season. Although his shooting percentage of just over 40% was a bit low, he had a tactical position and ball possession, so his form was indeed maintained well.

The Grizzlies still have to thank the Cavaliers. They sent Hansen to them before and now Jamison. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are a subordinate team.

The time in the training camp passed quickly, and when it came to early October, the preseason of the new season was about to begin.

In the first two preseason games, the Grizzlies played the Trail Blazers and the Kings respectively, and only played the first half of the games, so the results were not very suspenseful.

Han Sen also successfully trained [God's Backward Lean] to a bottleneck at this time.

At the start of the third game, Joerger began to try rotations and fringe players.

Jones' condition is much worse than the coaching staff expected, especially his outside shooting is terrible.

Although the team replaced him with the purpose of intimidating the opponent, they replaced him with Allen because they wanted to use him in rotation.

In addition, Hill suffered an injury in the training camp, so Hansen suddenly had no substitute.

So in addition to asking the coaching staff to get Jones to practice three-pointers, Joerger also gave Livingston some opportunities.

Although Livingston mainly plays the point guard position, with his height he can actually play from one to three or four, and he can also hold his own if he encounters an opponent who is not the type to force a low-post attack.

Before coming to the Grizzlies, Livingston played as a backup small forward for the Bucks last season.

But Livingston's performance was not good either.

It is difficult for a power forward without outside shooting to adapt to the trend of the times.

After two games, his performance was very poor.

Han Sen looked for Jorgel.

His [God's Facing Back] was able to reach a bottleneck at this time, and Livingston helped a lot.

And after training, he knew that Livingston was capable.

Not to mention that as a time traveler, he knew that Livingston was someone who could help the team if given the opportunity.

He and Joerger talked about the use of Livingston.

Although they can play from one to three, in fact, this type of player, like Tyreke Evans, is best suited to the point guard position.

Because when you play the point guard position, you have an advantage in both height and body shape when facing opponents.

Moreover, as long as you can organize the team when playing the number one position, you can cover up the disadvantage of not having outside shooting.

Joerger didn't expect Hansen to be so concerned about a marginal player in the team. You know, this marginal player can be replaced at any time. Although it is October, there are still many people in the free market waiting for opportunities.

As for fame, there are many who are more famous than Livingston, such as Jerry Stackhouse, Gerald Green, Michael Reed and so on.

But since Han Sen had asked, Jorgel would certainly give him face.

The Grizzlies' next preseason opponent is the Clippers. Joerger used Livingston at the No. 1 position and Jordan Crawford at the No. 2 position when rotating in the first half.

Livingston made a pass error on his first possession.

He obviously didn't play well during this transition period as a substitute.

When he was finally replaced by Joerger, he stared blankly at the court, with an expression that was hard to tell whether it was regret or disappointment.

He should have known that he had missed his last chance.

Han Sen then remembered that Livingston made his debut with the Clippers.

Although things and people have changed, when we think about the video of the 90-degree broken leg that went viral on social media, it was so unbearable to watch. As the person involved, one can imagine what kind of psychological trauma it would leave.

This is just like post-traumatic stress disorder. Similar environments will cause people to have physiological reactions, such as buzzing in the ears and numbness in the body.

Han Sen then stood up and walked over to Livingston.

Sitting next to Livingston was Guy. When he saw Hansen, he wanted to say hello, but Battier, who was standing next to him, pulled him aside.

Hansen sat down and patted Livingston on the shoulder.

Livingston finally came to his senses and turned around to see Hansen with confusion and surprise.

"There's still a chance." Han Sen's tone was gentle, which made Guy curiously lean over.

"You should have a chance to play in the second half." Han Sen said affirmatively.

Livingston let out a long breath, like a drowning man who turns around and finds a piece of driftwood behind him.

"Don't think too much, just show who you are now. The team signed you because of who you are now, not who you were in the past." What Livingston needs now is psychological counseling.

Livingston nodded, looking visibly better.

"Han, okay? He is like this to everyone on the team." Guy said proudly at this time.

Han Sen looked at this guy speechlessly. If he can't speak, he doesn't have to say anything!
Livingston smiled: "I'm glad to be one of everyone."

Hearing this, Han Sen knew that his words had worked.

Hansen finally reached out and patted Livingston on the shoulder, then stood up and returned to his seat.

In the second half of the game, Livingston got another chance as a substitute in the third and fourth quarters.

This time Livingston finally showed his characteristics.

He first assisted Faried to complete an alley-oop, showing his excellent vision and passing ability as a tall point guard.

Then, when the team was unable to open up the situation, he received the ball in the high post on the weak side, pressed Gordon and completed a beautiful turnaround jump shot.

Such performance made the commentator on the sidelines begin to sigh about Livingston's past.

The No. 2004 pick in 4, the next Magic Johnson, broke his leg, spent two years recovering from the injury, wandered for many years, and it is a miracle that he can still appear in the NBA.

Livingston scored 4 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in this substitute transition period, which was very personal.

As he passed by Han Sen, Han Sen took the initiative to reach out and high-five him: "Well done, magician."

Livingston's eyes turned red for a moment. After sitting back on the bench, he wrapped his head with a towel.

Judging from the way his shoulders were shaking, he must have been crying.

Guy reached out and patted his shoulder, rubbing it hard:
"Don't cry bro, you're home."

……

The league's preseason has not yet ended, but a video has recently gone viral on social media.

After James arrived in Oklahoma City, his team began to promote him commercially.

Then you have to admire their business capabilities.

Although it is an agricultural city, they still manage to come up with some interesting things.

In the video, James holds a burrito filled with fresh fruits and vegetables from Oklahoma City. He takes a bite, shouts "taco tuesday" to the camera, and then lets out a giggigigigi devilish laugh.

That's right, this is a promotional advertisement that James made for a large agricultural company in Oklahoma City.

After the video went viral, the agricultural company's sales doubled within a few days.

Many people are curious about James' commercial value, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

You know, Hansen now has more than 5 million followers on Facebook, which is already a very good number, but in comparison, James has more than 30 million.

Why can Penguin succeed in anything? Because of its huge user base.

Nike started building James's Chosen Persona before he entered the league, and with the marketing costs invested each year, he himself has long been a huge billboard.

In fact, right after James transferred to the Thunder, the number of live broadcasts of the Thunder's national games increased directly from 10 games last season to 22 games this season.

Nike also invested heavily in advertising in Oklahoma City, which led to a significant increase in Thunder season ticket sales in the new season compared to last season.

Some brands, including those that have entered into strategic cooperation with James, have also begun to open branches in Oklahoma City to expand the market.

Even Chesapeake Energy, the largest energy company in Oklahoma City, announced that it would name the arena in the new season, and the Ford Center will be renamed Chesapeake Energy Arena.

This scene really means: The Kings are here, and Oklahoma City is saved! The Kings are here, and Oklahoma City has a future!
……

When it came to late October, the preseason officially ended.

The Heat and the Grizzlies are the two most watched teams in the new season, and they both have achieved a perfect record in the preseason.

In addition, the Thunder team, which has attracted more attention, also achieved a record of 6 wins and 1 loss in the preseason.

James didn't play much in the preseason, but the team's other new player, Lopez, performed very well.

After losing Perkins, the Thunder and the Suns reached a deal to trade Mike Miller and the 76ers' protected first-round pick that they had previously traded for Harden in exchange for Robin Lopez.

This was a sign-and-trade contract. Lopez first reached a three-year, $3 million contract with the Suns.

Although Robin is not as talented as his brother Brook, he is 2 meters tall, a large enough center, and has mid-range shooting ability, all of which are suitable for this Thunder team.

He is also particularly good at grabbing offensive rebounds, which are almost as good as backcourt rebounds, which is also very suitable for the Thunder.

Of course, the preseason is just the preseason. Whether he can defend the Thunder's penalty area in the new season will only be known after the regular season begins.

Or maybe we’ll know once the season starts.

Because the Thunder's opening opponent is the Grizzlies.

(End of this chapter)