Chapter 1103: Chapter 1103

Now, our team doesn’t have many players who can play the pick-and-roll. Inside, we have only Jordan (Hill) and Ed (Davis). When you need a screen for your ball-handling offense, you must be clear about who your teammates on the court are. If it’s Paul (Gasol) or Chris (Kaman), shooting directly is the better option."

Zhang Yang nodded repeatedly at these words.

Seeing Zhang San diligently remember every word, Coach Nash was very satisfied.

As for Zhang Yang always asking questions like "Can I focus on shooting here, can I focus on shooting there?" Nash didn’t find it inappropriate and said he would think it over before giving him an answer.

Zhang Yang’s development of the ’ball-handling pick-and-roll offensive initiation’ ability is based on making shooting his primary goal, and Nash felt this was right; they are not the same type of player, and Zhang Yang is definitely more focused on scoring.

Not to mention, considering Zhang Yang’s basic passing skills, although top-notch for a scoring player and at a first-class level among point guards, they are quite ordinary in Nash’s eyes.

However, Zhang Yang’s dribbling has improved significantly over the past year. Nash never expected that the out-of-the-box idea he had last year of ’learning all the breakthrough methods of top dribblers’ as a specialized training method would actually work...

With his first ability learned during this training stint, Zhang Yang chose to initiate offense through ball-handling pick-and-roll. This was a long-considered decision, mainly based on his current team’s lineup.

The Bobcats’ inside players can play the pick-and-roll well. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

Okafor is called Little Duncan for a reason. His abilities as both a ball-handling and off-ball screener are above par, very reliable.

Millsap and Ibaka have a high pick-and-roll talent.

Brad Miller was a top pick-and-roll performer in his first two years with the Kings, excelling in long two-point responses at the top arc area after pick-and-rolls and transitions. At the time, only Garnett could rival him, and not even Webber after his major injury was as good.

It’s a pity that he is too old now. Even in his youth, his mobility was just adequate, and now when he performs pick-and-rolls, the separation speed amounts to handing his team’s ball-handler for the opponents to double-team. He doesn’t even perform off-ball screens on the wing anymore, at most, he helps screen players under the basket.

Even though Brad Miller’s physical abilities aren’t there anymore, his experience and awareness remain, frequently assisting the coaching staff in guiding younger teammates in pick-and-roll training. Okafor has shown significant improvement with his help.

By making good use of this team resource, he can enrich his scoring methods.

After practicing until 11:30 AM, they rested until past noon. After lunch, at 1 PM, Zhang Yang and Nash drove to the Toyota Center Training Facility to join the team’s practice.

Tonight, the Thunder Team faces the Clippers in Oklahoma City for Game Seven, and it’s hard to say who will win or lose. The Clippers have a more luxurious lineup, with Paul being in phenomenal form this series; whereas the Thunder Team has the two superstars Harden and Durant, and inside they have Ibaka. Although the bench is a bit weak, the three main stars in their five to six-year peak are ferociously strong, possibly turning the game around against the Clippers with a hot streak.

Since the opponent isn’t confirmed yet, today the Lakers’ team practice consisted of a few sets of shooting drills, followed by an intra-squad scrimmage, mainly to maintain their condition and consume the half-day break time.

Before 4 PM, the team’s practice ended, and after a short rest, Zhang Yang and Nash returned to the training court to resume training work.

Kobe was just getting ready to head home. Now, he’s no longer the one who has to carry the team forward. Although he remains diligent and disciplined, last year’s almost disastrous stress on his shoulder, back, knees, and Achilles served as a warning. Sure, he wants to push himself, but without his health, he won’t even have the chance to push. With the playoffs’ intensity being so high, resting when needed is important.

But upon stepping out of the locker room, he saw Zhang Yang and Nash putting in extra practice...

Zhang San is about to expand his skills again? The old Ironsmith’s body shivered! He turned around, went back to the locker room, changed into training clothes, and returned to the training court, hiding in a corner.

After last year’s first-round observation of the Son of the Wind teaching Zhang San, the old Ironsmith began preparing, longing for this day.

If he’s the old Ironsmith’s successor, he should have a bit of his shadow, right? He can’t just resemble the Son of the Wind, the Phantom, the Stone Buddha (the slow-paced offense in the high post was mistakenly thought by old Kobe as being learned from old Duncan)... but not resemble the old Ironsmith?

During one of the intervals in Nash’s teaching, Kobe quickly moved out of the corner to Zhang Yang and said, "Jack, your ability to jump and avoid defensive interference isn’t good enough yet; let me teach you how to reduce interference!"

Just as Nash was drinking water, he spat it out immediately.

The Son of the Wind: Wow, is the old Ironsmith trying to steal the student?

Not that it’s impossible, but shouldn’t there be some order of precedence at least?

Nash didn’t wait for Zhang Yang to react and pulled Kobe aside for a discussion, eventually reaching a consensus.

On odd days, if Zhang Yang wants to learn something, Nash would teach; on even days, it would be Kobe’s turn.

After reaching an agreement, the two couldn’t wait to start discussing how to cooperate in their teaching. In terms of skills, they greatly respected each other, feeling mutual admiration. Since they were about to team up for instruction, they surely wanted to do their best; otherwise, if they taught it wrong, it would be their reputation on the line.

Watching from the side, Zhang Yang heard his break time being divided that way by the two and felt... it was just wonderful. Bearing the name of a ’learning genius’ certainly has its advantages! Everyone knows he loves to learn and learns quickly, so they are all willing to teach!

As for the decreased interference that the old Ironsmith mentioned from jumping... is it the fadeaway jump shot?

With mixed feelings, Zhang San thought: the Son of the Wind, the Phantom, even the Big Bird and the Legend have their own ideas on how to jump and shoot to avoid defensive interference when it comes to shooting skills, but with old Ironsmith, the focus is on how to reduce interference after jumping... just very Kobe-like!