The longest river

Chapter 54 First Media Day Experience
The one who reprimanded was, of course, Brown.

Johnson's approach at this moment was very different from Yang Shuai's previous one. Yang Shuai would look for scoring opportunities in the final moments when the tactics failed, while Johnson would directly abandon the tactics and demand the ball for a one-on-one attack.

Brown, who has extremely high requirements for tactical positioning, could hardly tolerate such behavior from his players on the court.

Scott then looked at Yang Shuai and was even more impressed by Yang Shuai's intelligence.

This tactic of provoking someone was used perfectly.

However, he really misunderstood Yang Shuai at this moment. Yang Shuai didn't think that much; he just wanted to get some points from Johnson.

Although Brown reprimanded Johnson, he still gave the veteran some face and did not immediately substitute him off the court.

The game resumed after a brief pause.

Although Johnson was unwilling, he could only pass the ball back to Best to continue the tactic.

Scott's mid-range shot helped the bench team score again.

Despite his age, Scott still averaged 10 points per game last season, making him the Pacers' leading scorer off the bench.

As the game transitioned from offense to defense, Johnson crouched down and assumed a defensive stance.

The team couldn't salvage their reputation on offense, so they had to make up for it on defense.

"You won't score another goal." He clapped his hands in front of him, delivering another piece of trash talk.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but laugh this time.

The last time he heard that phrase was more than two years ago when he fought Luther one-on-one.

Seeing Yang Shuai's reaction, Johnson gritted his teeth. He really wanted to punch Yang Shuai, but having just been scolded by Brown, he knew how serious the consequences would be.

He endured.

It was at this moment that Hoiberg gestured for a new tactic.

This is a pin-down tactic.

The Pacers' offensive core is Miller, which is also the Pacers' most frequently used off-ball finishing tactic at the shooting guard position.

More importantly, after the first two rounds, it's clear who the key player on the bench is.

Johnson's defense was still very experienced; he wasn't blocked by the bench's screens.

When Yang Shuai received the ball, Johnson was already right in front of him.

Instead of going one-on-one, Yang Shuai quickly passed the ball back to Hoiberg and then cut rapidly towards the basket without the ball.

One of the key reasons he was able to quickly become familiar with the team's tactics after understanding those tactical terms is that the Pacers play team basketball, a style that emphasizes off-ball movement and ball sharing, which was also the style he played when he first started at Cleveland High School.

Hoiberg finally got the ball into position this time.

However, Johnson was not completely shaken off, and he continued to engage in physical contact while closely following Yang Shuai.

Having played in the league for so many years, he has a wealth of defensive experience.

Yang Shuai's final shot slid out after going around the rim.

Although he quickly became familiar with the tactics and had an advantage in speed, it would still take time for him to adapt to the scale of the confrontation.

Johnson was delighted when he saw Yang Shuai's shot miss, and reached out to grab the defensive rebound.

However, before he could jump, he felt a figure leap up beside him.

"Oh!"

Yang Shuai jumped a second time and completed a one-handed putback dunk over Johnson!

After the putback dunk, Yang Shuai did not land immediately. Instead, he hung on the rim with one hand, looked down at Johnson, and smiled.

"Negative energy from Eddie Johnson +444".

Johnson looked extremely grim, but he had nowhere to vent his anger.

The other players on the field stared wide-eyed: Is this what a high school student is like? Is this what talent is?

Moreover, including the first two rounds, Yang Shuai has scored 7 points in three rounds!
At this moment, the starting team players on the sidelines also started whispering to each other.

Just as Yang Shuai thought, they dared not and could not vent their anger over the Jackson trade on the management, so they could only use him as a punching bag.

But that anger stemmed from their belief that the trade was not good for the team.

The Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive seasons and are just one step away from the NBA Finals.

However, the team chose to replace their starting point guard at this time, and what they got in return was a high school student.

They weren't questioning the management's judgment; Yang Shuai's ability to be selected at that draft position as a high school player certainly indicates his talent. However, you can't expect a high school player to immediately contribute to the team.

However, Yang Shuai's performance just now made them waver in their minds.

You should know that this is only the sixth day since Yang Shuai joined the team.

At the end of the first quarter, the substitutes defeated the bench team 22-18. Scott scored a team-high 10 points, while Davis added 8 points.

However, the player who scored the most points on the court was Yang Shuai from the bench team, who scored 16 points, accounting for almost all of the bench team's points.

Anyone can see that although Yang Shuai is just a high school student, he has a strong scoring ability.

Yang Shuai was in a very good mood, not because of how many points he scored, nor because he had blown Johnson out of the game, but because he had gained nearly 2000 points in one go.

The sixth day of the competition was a good start for Yang Shuai, and he continued to maintain this good momentum.

Moreover, because Johnson caused trouble for Yang Shuai and got himself into a mess, Yang Shuai didn't encounter any further problems in the rest of the training camp.

Time flies, and it's already mid-October. The short training camps for the shortened seasons of various teams are coming to an end, and the preseason is about to begin.

Before the preseason officially began, each team held its media day for the new season.

Media Day was established by Stern in 1989 to enhance the connection between the team and the media.

On media day, players first had to take official photos, record promotional videos for the team's new season, and then take turns being interviewed by the media. All of this was new and exciting for Yang Shuai.

During the photoshoot, he also took a group photo with Scott.

However, when he was interviewed by the media, he seemed somewhat uneasy.

While waiting, he noticed that there weren't many reporters below, but when he went on stage, the number of reporters suddenly surged to a massive crowd.

Moreover, the reporters' questions were very varied, ranging from his reasons for skipping college to his experience at the training camp, and even his personal preferences and emotional state.

The media seems to be very interested in his every move.

Yang Shuai was also struggling to cope, as experiencing such a situation for the first time was not an easy thing for him.

However, he was so focused on dealing with the reporters that he didn't notice how many envious and even jealous glances his teammates were getting.

It's worth noting that previously, only Miller on the Pacers received this kind of treatment.

How can anyone not be envious when a rookie receives so much media attention?
Following the conclusion of Media Day, various media outlets reported on the day's events.

The Chicago Bulls dominated the headlines of major media outlets.

Jordan's condition and Rodman's integration with the Bulls are the most closely watched aspects.

Secondly, there's the Rockets, who have already won two consecutive championships.

Although Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler are a year older and the Rockets' roster hasn't changed much, last season's experience has taught us not to underestimate the heart of a champion.

Moreover, for fans of this era, the biggest regret is not being able to see two historical superstars from the same draft class, Jordan and Olajuwon, face off in the Finals.

The new season may be their best chance.

In these media sections, the media outlets unanimously gave Yang Shuai a page.

Even this year's number one draft pick, Joe Smith, didn't receive this kind of treatment.

"The first lottery high school perimeter player and the first lottery Asian player in NBA history, what kind of performance will he bring to the game in his debut?"

The media are trendsetters; they know what fans want to see, and naturally they will report on it accordingly.

The preseason has begun, and the Pacers' first preseason opponent is the Pistons.

The Pistons' "Bad Boys" era is over; only Joe Dumars remains on the roster.

The current king of Detroit is Grant Hill, the "second Jordan successor".

Although Hill is only a sophomore, he became the All-Star vote leader in his rookie season last year, and his popularity is booming.

In addition, the Pistons also have the outstanding third-year player Allan Houston, making their roster a force to be reckoned with.

Although it was a preseason game, both teams started with their full starting lineups.

The first half was also a highly competitive match between the two teams.

This was the first time Yang Shuai had experienced the real competition of an NBA game up close, and it was a level above the team's training sessions.

It's no exaggeration to say that this looks like a fight involving a ball.

This is a completely different kind of NBA game from the one I watched in my previous life. It's not about whether you can shoot accurately or not; it's about how difficult it is to even get a shot off.

At halftime, the Pacers led 43-33.

Although the Pistons are strong on paper, they are clearly a level below the Pacers in terms of maturity.

In the second half, both teams started to bring on their substitutes more often, and the preseason's focus on team cohesion became apparent at this point.

In the fourth quarter, neither team's starters played, and the substitutes played the entire quarter.

The Pacers ultimately defeated the Pistons 93-81.

Yang Shuai met Dumars before the match, but he did not get a chance to play in the game.

This is the first time I've ever spent the entire game sitting on the bench since I gained weight and got a chance to play.

He was somewhat confused, considering that his performance in team training was no worse than that of the substitutes.

Take Johnson for example, he was almost completely dominated by him.

The Pacers' second game is against the Heat.

This is Riley's first season as head coach of Miami.

This godfather, who created the "New York mob," quickly instilled a tough, gritty mentality into the Heat.

The intensity of the first half was even greater than that of the first game.

However, both sides started rotating their players earlier in the second half.

Yang Shuai still did not get a chance to play.

This time, Yang Shuai's emotions changed from doubt to dissatisfaction.

Of course, the media was also dissatisfied.

Reporters caught up with Brown after the game and asked about Yang Shuai's appearance.

"This year's preseason schedule is more packed than usual, and we need to ensure the cohesion of the team's rotation. I will put him on the court when the time is right."

Not only Yang Shuai, but all three of the Pacers' rookies this year have yet to make their debut, and Brown seems to have his own plans.

After their first two home games, the Pacers flew to Cleveland, where they will face the Cavaliers in their third preseason game.

-Dividing line-

①: Before the start of the season, the Cavaliers made trades, sending away starting players Mark Price and Holt Rod Williams in exchange for Dan Mali from the Suns. Mali is known for his accurate three-point shooting and tough defense.

(End of this chapter)