Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 193: Keep going and the future is promising
A team's daily training session can reflect the team's tactical concepts and team style. Sometimes, you don't even need to watch the game to get a glimpse of the team's tactics and style from a training session.

At the same time, the arrangement and intensity of the training content, the first and the last item, can also reveal a lot.

The training sessions at USC allowed Chen Fang to experience an advanced basketball philosophy that was not so evident even in the national team.

After careful recollection, Chen Fang has indeed not received a formal training class in the past two years since he started playing basketball.

Simply put, the training content includes warm-up, physical fitness, skills and tactics, semi-actual combat confrontation, rehabilitation, review, etc., covering most of the content of basketball. It is a great fusion of team technology and theory plus personal technology and ideas.

Generally speaking, a training session lasts 240 minutes, or 4 hours.

First of all, the USC training session begins with a warm-up session for all members, starting with moving joints, activating muscles, and improving cardiopulmonary function. Then it is about incorporating physical training into technical and tactical training.

For example, a three-man fast break without dribbling, a two-man offense-defense transition with one dribble, and a one-on-one or two-man one-on-one attack on the basket.

These are all close to actual combat. With the end of these, the team started three-on-three offense and defense training, which included one person going to the bottom corner for an open three-pointer, one person shooting after a high screen, and one person attacking with the ball. Each variation was activated randomly according to the changes in the court defense to improve the players' ability to read the game.

All these alone are not something that a lazy person can endure, because if the goal is not achieved, the team will punish them collectively. The pressure of collective responsibility requires every player on the team to try their best to complete these trainings.

If a player makes repeated mistakes during these training sessions, he will be notified of being demoted to the second team.

Whether a team can become professional actually depends on a training session that starts small and expands to radiate the daily life of the entire team.

The players will spontaneously practice extra training, stay focused, and focus on teamwork, all of which will be maintained throughout his career.

Even in the NBA, the team's requirements for training sessions are more stringent, and they hate players who are late or slack. Even big-name stars will be treated harshly. If they do not repent, they will be directly traded or sent to the sidelines and banned from participating in team training.

Only with methods and execution can you achieve results. This is the underlying logic behind professionalism.

Any team sports event starts with a training session, without exception.

As time went by, the content of the training sessions began to extend towards five-on-five and technical and tactical aspects.

USC's team style is transition and positional warfare, with a 10- split. Andy explicitly requires that this ratio cannot fluctuate by %.

Don't be surprised. Only with clear numbers, so strict that the number of shots needs to be regulated, can the team's execution be greatly enhanced.

(For example, the Celtics in 24 required three-pointers to account for more than 50% of their overall offense, meaning they were required to take outside shots every 50 possessions. So now, if the Celtics take more than 3 three-pointers and make more than 50 of them in a game, it's not surprising, given that they have a minimum score of 60 points.)
The top four three-point shot percentage in the league in the 24th season.

1. Boston Celtics - 50.3 of 19.1, 38.1%
2. Charlotte Hornets - 44.5 of 17.5, 39.5%
3. Chicago Bulls – 43.8 of 16.8, 38.1%
4. Golden State Warriors - 42.8 of 17.2, 40.1%
Andy's idea is the same. He requires the whole team to make strict plans in terms of skills and tactics, because the NCAA's 30-second offensive time is too abundant and the efficiency of positional warfare is actually very low.

This is the simplest logic. Scoring through patient transmission, cutting, screens and other coordination has become an outdated concept.

Shooting after three or four passes has gradually become the mainstream. The NCAA is the highest temple of tactics, and it studies tactical theories far more deeply than the NBA, so the head coach has more time to do this.

To use a not-so-appropriate analogy, NCAA coaches make art films and literary films, while NBA coaches make commercial films.

You pay to go to an NBA stadium to see the excitement, while you go to an NCAA stadium to see the feelings.

Therefore, from the perspective of artistic attainment, there is no doubt that NCAA coaches are all heading in this direction.

But Andy is not like that. His philosophy is very straightforward. I want to cultivate people who will go to the NBA. Adding popcorn to art can also be very exciting.

Therefore, his training sessions focus more on efficient coordination rather than round-by-round battles that last for 30 seconds.

Chen Fang recalled that when he was reborn, the ball he played with Dongsheng and Sun Lexian seemed very childish. They simply wanted to speed up and shoot decisively, without any corresponding training content to support it.

For example, the three passes Andy required had a routine.

No. 1 holds the ball, No. 2 passes the ball to the receiver, No. 1 sets a pick-and-roll for No. 2 and then goes to the bottom corner, forming a situation with 3-4 people on the strong side and 1 person on the weak side.

No. 4 goes to the weak side to provide off-ball screen for No. 3, No. 3 is open, No. 2 passes the ball to No. 3, who takes a shot.

If No. 3 does not have a good open opportunity, No. 5 will, under the cover of No. 1-2, go around from the strong side to the weak side to form a cross cut, receive the pass from No. 3, and attack the basket.

This process, carried out simultaneously, involves 3-4 passes, takes 12 seconds, and is an efficient scoring tactic.

Using this as the template, various tactical combinations combining inside and outside are derived to create opportunities for open shots.

Andy called this tactic: Butter Knife, which means to quickly cut through the defense line.

From this tactic, Chen Fang also realized his own value and the core reason why Andy needed him.

Obviously, No. 3 on the weak side is the core.

This person is the axis. We need a player with strong independent offensive and conducting abilities, who can read the game, change tactics according to the situation on the field, and implement four extended substitute tactics.

In other words, Andy wants a small forward on the wing, and this small forward needs to have the ability to be tough and connect the ball.

Looking at the entire team, Troy doesn't have the right person. Jordan McLaughlin is a qualified No. 1, but his height of 185 cm can't do it.

Elijah Stewart is a good 198, but he has no playmaking ability.

Don't even consider Shaqquin Aaron, with his height of 204 and his inside skills.

The rest are all 185-190cm or 204-210cm tall. Without considering anything else, Chen Fang is the only one who is 201cm tall and has a true point guard background. (In the previous chapter, I listed the heights of all 12 players on the team in detail, you can check it out.)
It was not until now that Chen Fang realized that USC recruited him because it had its own needs.

And the fact is just as Chen Fang predicted. As the No. 3 position on the weak side, he has been practicing this tactic, while Andy and Tony on the sidelines have been whispering to each other.

"In fact, your choice is correct." As the deputy head coach, Tony is responsible for the execution and planning of tactics, while Andy is responsible for conception and expansion.

"It's really hard to find a point guard who is 201cm tall nowadays. I finally met one and I definitely won't let him go." On the court, Andy turned back into a serious and rigid head coach. His face was calm and his eyes were always fixed on the court.

"He's a great passer, but how can he shoot?" Tony asked.

"Don't worry, his one-on-one ability is unparalleled and beyond our imagination." Andy was very confident.

Afterwards, the training session moved on to 5-on-5 attack and defense exercises, which allowed Chen Fang to learn something new.

Not all five players are playing, but 3 in front and 2 in the back, and each one has a different division of labor.

No. 13 plus any inside player, No. 2 and the remaining inside players lag behind in the middle circle, and the first choice is to attack the basket by the inside players, creating the most effective scoring probability.

Center fast break has always been the most efficient scoring method, because height and weight will greatly increase the difficulty of defense, and the 13 positions are more about advancing and attracting, and providing high-quality assists to the center.

What Andy emphasizes is not the speed of offense and defense, but the order and rationality to improve the scoring rate of offense and defense.

It also reduced the probability of injury during unnecessary fast breaks. All of this brought great benefits to Chen Fang.

He was actually clear about what he felt today, but when put together, it became a very high level of tactical literacy. Chen Fang also put away the complacency deep in his heart and honestly performed his duties.

In fast breaks, he serves as the No. 1 receiving point, making the final decision on whether to pass the ball to the center or to break through himself and then pass the ball or score.

When all the offensive drills were completed, defensive drills began.

Start with training on personal defensive skills, including defensive stance, retreat, pursuit and defense, calling for help and double-teaming, and keeping distance from each other.

The assistant coach would constantly correct a player's movements, and Tony would also be in the middle of the court, constantly reminding everyone what they needed to pay attention to on defense.

When the team has finished warming up in individual and coordinated defense training, they will start team confrontation.

USC's defensive strategy emphasizes protecting the center, which once again refreshed Chen Fang's cognition.

Andy emphasized concentrating heavy troops to protect the area from the top of the arc to the center circle, using positions 3, 4, and 5 to perform ladder-shaped delay blocking, driving the ball handler and outside shooters to the sidelines on both sides.

This formed a pre-buried encirclement on the front, back and sides. Whether it was positional warfare or attack, defense and retreat, it was extended and developed with this tactical defensive strategy as the core.

The 345 in the middle will squeeze anyone who tries to go to the middle through off-ball physical confrontation, while positions 1 and 2 will tear at the opponent's ball handler and block his connection with others.

This is a high-pressure defense with ball-holding and half-court defense. It is obvious that Andy pays great attention to the team's defense.

To be honest, while Chen was adapting, it was the first time in his life that he felt the theoretical and practical level of a training class was so high.

I feel that if the Chinese national team were given three months of training at this level, they could easily defeat Asia and compete with Europe.

Of course, Chen Fang also knew that it was difficult, because this was a system, a tactical thinking and foundation passed down by generations of USC coaches through hundreds of games every year and thousands of games accumulated over decades.

As long as you are in it, you become a part of this team and go all out to win for the team. When Chen Fang thought of the 346 other schools, all of which were like this, he suddenly felt that the D1 League was really a scary monster. He also suddenly realized that the so-called NBA, the highest palace in the world, was actually owned by D1, a ball valve made up of 346 universities.

And these 346 universities hold a game every year where 64 teams compete to decide the champion of the year, which makes Chen Fang feel excited.

No matter how much news and videos he watched before, Chen Fang didn't have much feeling about the NCAA. But halfway through a training session, he already felt his blood boiling.

Such a competitive environment really pushes you forward from the inside out.

The role played by Chen Fang is also very important. He is the key figure in judging whether to double-team. He is needed in the middle to bring two players from the inside to drive away the opponents, and he is needed on the wing to judge whether the time is ripe for double-teaming.

Tony kept interrupting training to communicate with him and let him know when the time was.

"Don't hesitate. Once you find a blind spot in the vision of the player with the ball, immediately step forward and form a double-team. Benny and Shaqquin will immediately block the opponent's receiver." Tony's words made Chen Fang nod continuously.

The training continued. This training session started at eight in the morning and ended at twelve o'clock.

When Chen Fang heard the announcement of the end, he sat down on the court, but was soon called by the assistant coach. Without knowing why, he followed the entire team through the player tunnel to the adjacent annex building.

There is a large rehabilitation center here. After waiting for a long time, the staff began to provide physical therapy rehabilitation for each player. They first performed a slow warm-up to maintain the body's muscle temperature. When the temperature dropped to a certain level, the whole body was quickly frozen to stimulate the recovery of body functions. After returning to normal body temperature, they began to comb the fascia of the whole body and continue to apply cold compresses to the joints.

These are all standard D1 teams, with the necessary supporting hardware and software.

After inquiring, Chen found out that this rehabilitation center serves the four major sports of USC: football, baseball, ice hockey, and basketball.

Except for the stadium, all logistical support is shared by the entire school.

When all this was over, it was lunch time. The team stipulated that the meal after the training session must be eaten at school. The corresponding diet was strictly in accordance with scientific recovery to replenish the lost energy.

After completing all the tasks, it is personal free time. Some players will go for personal training, some players will go out, and at this time, the coach will not be in charge.

But it is usually also the busiest time. The coaching staff will find individual players according to their respective tasks and provide psychological and physical counseling, which in Chinese means having a conversation.

Andy is talking to Chen Fang.

"How does it feel?"

"Great, I realized that my choice was right." Chen Fang replied.

"You integrated into today's training session very quickly, which was beyond my expectation. I originally expected it to take a month, but now it seems that maybe a week will be enough." Andy smiled.

"Have we always trained like this?" Chen Fang took the opportunity to ask.

"Three training sessions and two competitions per week are currently the weekly routine."

"Coach, I also have a special training team serving me, and I want to allocate the training on both sides." Chen Fangzhi said.

Andy was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Have you always had a team?"

"Yes, it has been a year. This is my third special training and I have benefited a lot from it."

"This is a very good phenomenon. The team has been looking forward to this situation. You can allocate your time in the afternoon and evening freely. 135 minutes in the morning belong to the team, and 46 minutes in the evening are for playing games." Andy was very happy. Of course, he was happy to see the improvement of the players.

"I understand." Chen Fang also felt relieved.

"At the same time, you can't neglect your studies. The Disciplinary Committee will check the credits of all players regularly, and those who fail will be banned from playing." Andy reminded.

"Well, please rest assured, coach. I won't lag behind in this regard." Chen Fang assured.

The conversation ended and Andy didn't say anything more. After the two separated, Chen Fang walked towards the parking lot.

This is the good thing about American universities: there are parking lots exclusively for students. It’s a bit expensive, but for display, it is a necessity.

It is needed both to go home and to go somewhere else.

Driving the Grand Cherokee, Chen Fang spent a lot of money to transport this car from St. Louis to Los Angeles. There was no other way, he was used to driving it, and besides, Chen Fang was nostalgic and definitely didn't want to sell it.

Lu Yun jokingly asked, "Will you not change your car even if you enter the NBA?"

Chen Fang said as a matter of course: "Of course, to support a family, we should be frugal where necessary."

When I arrived at the special training gym, I saw Ding and Guo Ailun sitting by the court, resting and chatting, so I asked, "Why, training hasn't started yet?"

Xiao Ding smiled bitterly: "I'm almost exhausted this morning, can't you be considerate?"

Chen Fang said, "You're not here to enjoy yourself. Please excuse me. I get up at six o'clock every day. It's like this, training and eating. I'm considerate of you, but will your opponent be considerate of you? They'll only hit you from behind!"

Both of them were shocked, and Guo Ailun was still skeptical: "No tricks?"

"Ask any of your trainers and see if it's the same for everyone. Have you got your physical examination reports?"

As Chen Fang changed the topic, the expressions of the two people suddenly became complicated.

"Luckily I came to the United States with you." Xiao Ding felt like he had escaped a disaster. "The report said that both of my knees have problems. There are inflammation, wear and tear, and tiny tears in my thigh muscles. If I don't get rehabilitation soon, I will suffer irreversible damage sooner or later."

"My ankles and thighs are in the groin." Guo Ailun is optimistic and feels lucky. He said, "I found it early. The trainer said that I don't have muscles in my buttocks. When the flare-ups occur, it is the thighs and ankles that compensate. Over time, inflammation occurs and strain occurs."

"My training now is to strengthen my hip muscles while recovering," Guo Ailun said proudly. "When I'm fully recovered, I'll dominate the CBA!"

Chen Fang said, "It's not that exciting. The CBA is too irregular. I think you won't be able to play for long before you fall into a vicious cycle of injuries and stoppages."

"Don't curse me!" Guo Ailun was unhappy.

"In short, you need to be more down-to-earth in the future, improve your shooting, and don't play games with injuries," Chen Fang reminded.

"Isn't that unmanly? Not playing just because I'm injured? I can't do that!" Guo Ailun immediately shook his head. (Guo Ailun's several serious injuries were caused by playing through injuries. Honestly, the way Chinese players think about playing is too old-fashioned and completely brainless!)
It's hard to persuade a damn ghost with kind words. Seeing that Guo Ailun was so stubborn, Chen Fang didn't say much. He knew that sooner or later he would see him crying.

Turning to look at Xiao Ding: "What are you going to do?"

Xiao Ding didn't quite understand. Seeing this, Chen Fang said, "I think you shouldn't go back. Talk to the club and buy yourself out. You can make money in the NBA."

"Really?" Xiao Ding stood up in surprise.

"Brother, you are 200cm tall, a heavy small forward, and you have explosiveness and skills. Can you be more confident?" Chen Fang said, "Talk to the club and ask them to support you in your pursuit of the NBA."

"First, get into the Development League, hone your skills and adapt to the intensity. Half a year in the United States is better than years of training behind closed doors in China."

"You are not kidding him." Guo Ailun was also tempted, but when he thought of the club, he knew there was no hope.

"Let's have a good chat. This is the best way out for you. Don't quit the club. Come back to your country when you can't play anymore. You will be treated better there!" Chen Fang said.

Xiao Ding fell into deep thought. He said, "I need to think about this carefully."

Chen Fang suddenly thought of Sui Ran and wanted to say something but held back.

Their relationship is so close, I just hope this matter won't be messed up by this person.

Drew came, Chen Fang went up to chat with him, and then came to his own private gym.

Carl, Wick, and Hannon were already waiting for him.

"Brother, start training me." Chen Fang shouted with full fighting spirit.

After the morning training session, he felt an urgent desire to improve. This year was crucial and he didn't want to waste it.

No one listens to me now. I will only be respected when my status is raised.

If the road is long and obstructed, the journey will come; if the journey does not stop, the future can be expected.

Every bit of light comes from one's own efforts.

　There aren't many words, but it represents the hard work of many years of my life. There are some public training sessions about the NCAA, but I'm not stupid enough to reveal all the essentials. You can understand this without any information. It took me a long time of thinking and research to figure something out.

　　I can only say that what I wrote is real and effective. The intensity and theory of D1 training courses are only above this level. I can only limit myself to my level and write some superficial things.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)