Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 39 A Difficult Stalemate

"Find a classroom." Chen Fang needed a quiet environment to arrange tactics for the second half.

"Let's go. The nearest classroom is just opposite the stadium." Yue Gang led the others outside. At this moment, people were coming and going in the stands, and everyone used this time to buy water or go to the bathroom.

Chen Fang glanced at Nan'an. They could only hold the meeting on the bench. He wondered whether he should arrange for someone to eavesdrop, but then he immediately gave up the idea.

A little dirty.

After walking through the garden path, they came to the classroom at the corner of the first floor, where several girls were studying. Yue Gang looked at Xue Chong, who walked confidently to the podium and coughed, causing several female classmates in the classroom to look up.

"Dear ladies, we are the school basketball team. We would like to borrow the classroom to hold a meeting. It will only take ten minutes. I will treat you to milk tea when you are free!" Xue Chong said while bowing with both hands.

Before he could finish, several girls blushed shyly, said nothing, and ran out through the back door holding hands.

Chen Fang looked at the class sign, which showed Class 15 of the first grade. Hu Fei next to him was shocked: "Damn, elementary school students who just started school half a month ago?"

"You're running so fast, do you think Lao Xue is a gangster?" Huang Jian laughed.

"Old Xue, do you have any humanity at all? You're still trying to seduce her at such a young age?" Huang Jian laughed.

Xue Chong also noticed this problem and was so embarrassed that he was speechless.

"Don't waste time, find a place to sit down." Chen Fang interrupted the others' opportunity to tease Xue Chong, walked to the blackboard, and roughly drew a half-time map with chalk.

"First of all, I want to say that the basic requirement of the small ball tactics is that all five strong points can control, dribble, shoot and defend, but at present we only have me as a strong point. When the opponent guards me throughout the court, the efficiency is greatly reduced."

"This can only be solved through training, but there is no other way at the moment. We can only switch tactics."

"Attack the position!"

"We're playing Niu Jiao. Yue Gang, Liu Feng, you all have to go to the free throw line," Chen Fang said as he drew. "Set a pick-and-roll for the ball handler, and then spread the defense."

"For forwards and guards, you should stand on the left and right wings and in the bottom corners. Yang Shan and Xue Chong, your interaction range should be inside and outside the left and right arcs."

"I will hold the ball and distribute the ball. Remember, we still have to play at a fast pace and shoot decisively when there is an open space."

"I know that no one has practiced this tactic before. It doesn't matter. Just remember one thing: the inside player sets a pick-and-roll for the outside player, from the outside to the inside, from the free throw line to the three-second zone. The forwards set screens for the guards, from the top of the arc to the wing." After clearly explaining the key sequence, Chen Fang began to repeatedly demonstrate how to run positions through diagrams.

"Captain Chen, the referee is urging us to play." Bai Long ran over and shouted at the classroom door.

"Let's go. I, Yue Gang, Xue Chong, Yang Shan, and He Lang will still be the starting lineup." Chen Fang instructed.

Back on the field, the noise level in the stands suddenly went up a level, especially in the south stands, where every player selected for the senior year was called out.

Among them, the voice shouting Yue Gang was the loudest.

Yue Gang was very excited and waved to the stands, who responded with even louder noises.

"This may be my last time playing here, I must perform well!" Yue Gang suddenly said to Chen Fang.

“For us seniors, we cherish today’s game.”

"So, don't worry, Chen Fang. You won't lose today!"

Chen Fang was stunned. When he turned around, he saw all his teammates standing there, forming a circle, looking at Chen Fang together.

"It's up to you!"

"Here I come!" Chen Fang ran over and stood in the center.

"What?"

"What do you want to say?"

"Win the game!" Chen Fang looked at everyone.

Everyone was looking at him in the same way, so they all shouted, "Get him!"

"Dongsheng!"

"Come on!"

Back on the court again, Nan'an's starting five were ready to go, and Yue Zang's sharp eyes never left Chen Fang.

According to the jump ball rules, Dongsheng has the ball.

Chen Fang just crossed the center line with the ball and passed it to Yang Shan on the side before Zhang Hansheng could get close to him.

He bypassed Zhang Hansheng and walked towards the top of the arc. He saw Yue Zang stepping out of the three-point line and confronting Yang Shan, so Chen Fang ran over to set a screen for Yang Shan.

Many people think that screens and pick-and-rolls are of the same nature, but in fact, the two are very different.

The pick-and-roll is just one type of screen.

There are three types of screens: front, back, and side. They can also be divided into off-ball and on-ball screens.

Providing screen for someone with the ball is called a pick-and-roll.

Usually when coaches make tactical arrangements for players, they say pick-and-roll means they want you to act as a wall block for the player with the ball, and they say screen means they want you to cooperate with the player without the ball.

So when the coach tells you the tactics, you can immediately understand the tactical meaning.

The most commonly used screen is the side screen, which can restrict the defender's movement direction for a short time, while the off-ball screen is the front and back screen, among which the back screen is also called the blind spot screen, which the defender cannot perceive and is easy to achieve the effect.

What Chen Fang is doing for Yang Shan now is a back-and-roll, which is highly concealed but has a low delay effect. Yang Shan immediately moves from the sideline. When Yue Zang retreats and hits Chen Fang, Yang Shan suddenly accelerates and moves down the sideline.

Zhang Hansheng reacted quickly and immediately switched defense, leaving Chen Fang behind to chase Yang Shan.

Yue Zang was obviously still keeping his eyes on Yang Shan, and after getting rid of Chen Fang, he chased after him from behind.

Chen Fang immediately moved sideways, and at this time, Yang Shan's cross pass hit the ground and passed the ball to Chen Fang.

He caught the ball, shot, but missed the rim and was rebounded by the Nan'an center.

Dongsheng retreated as a whole. On the way back, Chen Fang patted Yang Shan and said, "Just pass it like this."

This kind of pick-and-roll cooperation is the most effective. On the court, even well-trained players with perfect understanding cannot offset physiological problems.

During high-intensity anaerobic exercise, blood oxygen levels drop dramatically. The brain begins to suffer from severe oxygen depletion, impairing thinking ability. Consequently, players spend the majority of the game playing on instinct, and even a seemingly simple strategy can fool them.

So basketball, to a certain extent, is a game of sobriety.

The level of alertness depends on whether your anaerobic training is in place and whether it is close to actual combat. This is also the invisible gap between the current level of domestic basketball and Europe and the United States.

Maybe he could still compete with others in the first half, but in the second half, he collapsed, made mistakes one after another, and his scoring efficiency dropped sharply. The core reason was that he was short of oxygen, his IQ was reduced, and he played like a moron.

Nan'an's positional warfare was not actually that outstanding, but it won because of its sufficient height in the interior, and Yao Qiwei suppressed Yue Gang and He Lang and scored the ball.

43: 42.

Dongsheng's lead was reduced to just 1 point.

But the advantage returned to four points again. Chen Fang attracted a double-team with the ball and passed the ball to Yang Shan. Then Yue Gang moved up to the top of the arc to screen for him. Chen Fang received Yang Shan's pass on the wing and took a three-pointer.

This time, he did not miss and the ball hit the rim and went in.

46: 42.

Qian Yongda frowned. He couldn't believe the shooting ability of No. 21. How could such a talent exist in such a small place?

He has speed, good coordination with the ball, can break through and shoot, and has outstanding ability to tackle tough situations. Facing the defensive intensity of Yue Zang's level, he can score easily. It has to be said that Qian Yong was a little confused.

Players like this shouldn't appear in a competition of this level. It's too bullying.

But it is meaningless to blame others. The most urgent task is to curb No. 21. Qian Yong is very sure that as long as No. 21 is silenced, Dongsheng will definitely lose.

On the court, Yue Zang got an open jump shot under the pick-and-roll of his teammates, but he was too slow to pass the ball and was blocked by Xue Chong who came up. The referee immediately called a foul.

Xue Chong was furious and chased the referee to explain that he did not hit anyone. Several people tried to stop him. Chen Fang stepped forward to stand in front of him and said something to him. Xue Chong lost his anger and began to explain in a listless manner.

Chen Fang took advantage of the free throw opportunity to call the four players on the court and hold a small meeting.

Qian Yong, who was off the field, couldn't help but feel even more headache when he saw this scene.

No. 21’s prestige is too strong. Under his leadership, Dongsheng has become a team that is difficult to defeat.

Yue Zang made all of his free throws, and the score was once again only two points apart.

Qian Yong judged that the third quarter would be a stalemate. If they wanted to win, it would depend on who could suddenly break out and create a small climax.

As we all know, the scoring climax is based on solid defense, which is achieved by switching between offense and defense and obtaining high-attack rounds in a very short time.

You have to take a risk, double-team No. 21, and then achieve it through a steal.

Qian Yong blew a whistle, then pointed directly at No. 21 and made a concealed throat-slitting gesture.

This is one of Nan'an's three emergency tactics, a strangling tactic targeting a certain player.

When Qian Yong blew the whistle, Chen Fang heard it keenly, and then saw him pointing at him, and immediately realized that he might be targeting him.

Chen Fang was about to receive the ball from the baseline, but Zhang Hansheng pushed him with his body, so Yue Gang could only pass the ball to the second receiving point, Yang Shan.

Full court marking again?

Chen Fang walked to the front, and Zhang Hansheng followed him closely.

Xue rushed forward to cover Chen Fang, but Yue Zang, who he brought with him, went around and surrounded Chen Fang with Zhang Hansheng.

Chen Fang wanted to break free, but the two men always formed a triangle and sandwiched him in between.

Dongsheng's attack was finally completed by Xue Chong's jump shot.

Nan'an grabbed the rebound and quickly advanced. Yue Zang received a pass from his teammate and made a layup.

Nan'an tied the score again.

"Beautiful!" Qian Yong clenched his fists and waved them. That was it, cutting off the connection between No. 21 and his teammates, even if others scored.

The fact was just as he had judged, Chen Fang was double-teamed, making it extremely difficult for him to catch the ball.

"Yue Gang!" Chen Fang shouted, indicating that he would be in charge of organizing it.

4 vs 3, I don't believe it's impossible. Facing a double team, you can only rely on your teammates to resolve it. No matter how much you run, you can't completely escape.

After losing Chen Fang, Dongsheng fell into a brief period of offensive confusion, missing two consecutive shots and instead conceding a three-pointer from Nan'an's Xue Yi from the outside.

"Yeah!" There was a cheer from the Nan'an bench. Everyone stood up and roared in celebration to the captain.

46: 49.

Nanyang took the lead with a three-pointer.

"Timeout!" Chen Fang did not hesitate and immediately gestured to his teammates off the court to call for timeout.

On the way to the game, Chen Fang's mind started working quickly. How to solve this situation? He needed to find the answer from countless past games.

"I need three guys to break this double team."

"Yang Shan, you always stand slightly behind my level and serve as my final contact point."

"Xue Chong, you have to stand on my vertical line, not too far away, a few meters away."

"Yue Gang, play a pick-and-roll for me, a side pick-and-roll at the top of the arc."

"I'll serve the baseline, then pass the ball to me. Yue Gang, you go cover Yang Shan, Yang Shan will pass the ball to me and help me delay the one chasing me."

Chen Fang quickly thought of a strategy that he needed to test.

The timeout came soon, Chen Fang walked to the baseline, and Yang Shan and Yue Gang stood on each side.

Zhang Hansheng followed the coach's instructions, stood at the baseline and interfered with the serve.

Yang Shan pretended to move and pulled one person away. Yue Gang ran to Yang Shan's previous position and suddenly stepped forward to block the defender who was chasing Yang Shan. Chen Fang immediately passed the ball to Yang Shan and then crossed the baseline directly.

Yang Shan received the ball and dribbled to the baseline, passed it to Chen Fang, and then blocked Zhang Hansheng.

At this moment, Chen Fang was facing a smooth situation and quickly pushed the ball across half court.

Without waiting for double-teaming, Chen Fang stood outside the three-point line at the top of the arc and shot.

After making the move, Chen Fang half turned around and looked at Nan'an head coach, Qian Yong.

After seeing the ball go in, the latter subconsciously looked at Chen Fang and their eyes met.

Chen Fang showed a disdainful expression and gently wiped his shoulders with his hands, as if sweeping away dust.

Faced with the provocation, Qian Yong burst into laughter.

He had seen this kind of personality many times, but this was the first time he had seen someone who dared to challenge the opposing coach on the field.

"He is a talent!"

But I want to see how long you can be so arrogant.

The score was tied again, and the slightly depressed atmosphere in the stands became heated up. Many students began to cheer by clapping. This semi-enclosed high-platform design had a particularly loud echo, and when all 5,000 people in the audience applauded in unison, the effect was doubled.

I don’t know who started shouting first, but soon a closed loop was formed.

"Chen Fang!"

"Chen Fang, bang bang, come on!"

"Yue Gang!"

"Yue Gang, bang bang, come on!"

There was a special person leading the group in calling out names. Every time a person on the stage was called out, the students would shout together and applaud twice.

At the end of the third quarter, Dongsheng, who rarely watched basketball, finally had a proper way to cheer.

Nan'an's offense was also affected, missing twice in a row, but they retreated very quickly and Dongsheng's fast break failed.

Chen Fang dribbled the ball, and Zhang Hansheng didn't dare to cross the pool. He lowered his center of gravity and defended against the breakthrough but not the shot.

Chen Fang waved his hand to tell Xue Chong not to come up for screen and roll. He judged that Nan'an's strategy should be to take advantage of the situation. If Xue Chong came up for screen and roll, Yue Zang would come up for double-teaming. However, Xue Chong's independent offensive ability is within the three-point line, so there is not much point in giving him the ball.

But if he chooses to break through, Yue Zang or the one closest to him will also come forward.

The best way to break a double-team is to break two with one. It is effective if an individual breaks it. In his previous life, Chen Fang believed that James was the best at breaking a double-team because there are two specific points needed to break a double-team.

Height, agility.

His height determines his excellent passing vision, and his agility enables him to get rid of the opponent quickly.

Coupled with his basketball IQ, passing skills, and strong physique, the coach will not consider using double-teaming to limit James.

Harden, Kobe, and almost all big-name stars have this ability. This is not a coincidence. The basic conditions for becoming a superstar overlap with this.

In his previous life, Chen Fang could easily break through this by relying on his arm length and height, but now, the hardware does not support overclocking and the capacitors can easily explode.

With his height and strength, he would be doomed to death if faced with the double-team of Yue Zang, who is 187cm tall, and Zhang Hansheng, who weighs 93kg. He had no ability to resist.

Now there is only one option left, which is to challenge Zhang Hansheng one-on-one and beat him with shooting.

Zhang Hansheng's advantages lie in his strong physical confrontation and fast speed, but his weaknesses lie in his average ability to defend shots and his very short wingspan. Chen Fang estimates that he is less than 180cm tall.

When playing against such an opponent, you cannot lower your center of gravity, but instead raise it, and try to move the ball between your crotch and behind your back to prevent interference with cutting the ball.

Continuous crotch passes, pressure on defense, a back dribble and a sudden acceleration led to Zhang Hansheng's lateral movement, and he suddenly jumped up with the ball.

Zhang Hansheng was shocked and reached out quickly, but he could only reach Chen Fang's chest. He watched him make the move and turned his head to look.

There were only the rippling of the net and exclamations from the stands.

"You can get in with this?" Qian Yong's mouth twitched.

His plan was to have Yue Zang abandon his defender and double-team Chen once he was at the three-point line, but he hadn't expected Number 21 to dare to take a jump shot from just one meter outside the three-point line.

Should we make adjustments? Qian Yong looked at the time. There was only one minute left before the end of the third quarter.

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to wait and see.

But twenty seconds later, Qian Yong regretted it.

When Nan'an returned empty-handed, Dongsheng made a comeback. Chen Fang held the ball in the center circle, clearly intending to waste the last round. Qian Yong immediately sensed the danger.

"Yue Zang!" He called out his beloved disciple's name, signaling a change of defense.

Yue Zang rushed forward, pulled Zhang Hansheng down, and the two switched positions.

Counting the seconds and dribbling the ball, Chen Fang did not move when facing Yue Zang approaching through small debris. He did not move until Yue Zang touched him, then he used his ball-protecting hand to block it.

I don't know who started the countdown, but then they shouted out ten. When it came to nine, everyone in the audience shouted out quickly and in unison.

Eight.

Chen Fang dribbled the ball to one side and moved diagonally.

seven.

He shook off Yue Zang's hand on his waist and dribbled the ball behind his back.

six.

Suddenly lower your hips and take a small hop step to press forward to the left.

five.

He pushed off with his back foot and made the probing step of his front foot more solid. Chen Fang suddenly accelerated, causing Yue Zang to move along with him.

Fourth, the noise in the stands began to grow sharp and tense.

Chen Fang pulled the ball back and did a reverse hip-dip. After receiving the ball with his right hand, he made a low inside-outside dribble, then reset his steps so that he was facing Yue Zang again.

Third, many students couldn’t control their screaming, and the sound became extremely uneven.

The crouched body suddenly leaned forward, and he took an up and down step as if to break through. Yue Zang solemnly lowered his heart and changed his footsteps to an up and down step as well.

Two, three and two were shouted almost simultaneously. Even the school leaders on the rostrum stood up and stared at Chen Fang's back.

It's now!

Hold the ball, jump, and shoot.

This is a McGrady-style up-and-down pull-up jump shot.

"One!" Amid the deafening countdown shouts from the entire stadium, Chen Fang watched the basketball fly towards the basket.

"Ding ding!" The bell rang sharply, marking the end of the third quarter.

"It went in!" The old principal Qi Jianzhong clapped his hands like a child: "This kid is amazing!" The old man was generous with his praise.

The stands were filled with thunderous applause and screams, and Chen Fang once again stood with Yue Zang. This kind of scene had appeared many times in this match, and every time, Chen Fang won cleanly.

Dongsheng 55:49 Nan'an.

In the final stage of the third quarter, Chen Fang used his explosive three-point shooting ability to once again extend the score advantage to 6 points.

Yue Zang was silent, then turned and walked towards the bench. He thought Chen Fang was going to ridicule him as usual, but when he walked to the bench, he didn't hear anything. He didn't look back, not because he didn't dare to face him, but because he felt it was meaningless.

"It's not your fault!" A warm voice sounded in my ears. It was the coach.

Yue Zang's face was stiff and he didn't answer.

Xue Yi patted him on the shoulder and also said nothing.

"He won't be accurate all the time. We will definitely be able to wear him down in the fourth quarter." Qian Yong encouraged his disciples.

"Come around, let's upgrade the double-team tactics and get rid of No. 21, then we can win!" Qian Yong said firmly, holding the tactical board.

On the other side, Chen Fang drank water in gulps: "Take a good rest, the fourth quarter will be difficult for us."

(End of this chapter)