Chapter 373: Training class

In the history of the NBA, as of the 2013 season, three of the 15 teams currently in the West have not reached the division finals.
These are the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans (Wasps) and Memphis Grizzlies.
In fact, if it weren't for Li Liang's arrival to change the historical trajectory, the Grizzlies would also make history in the 2013 Western Conference.
There were only two teams that really didn't make the Western Conference, the Clippers and the Pelicans.
Coincidentally, the bosses of the two teams were Chris Paul.
He once led the team to the Western Conference semifinals, but in the end they all came back, and luck was really bad.
However, Paul is still young and is at the pinnacle of a player. There are still infinite possibilities.
After the media day, the Clippers team took a bus to the stadium of the University of San Diego.
On the way, Chris Paul finally felt a little bossy, standing at the forefront to address the players.
"...A brand new season, from the first training, we started from the University of San Diego. This season, we will make a breakthrough and get what we want, definitely!"
Paul is small, but he has a big heart.
On the basketball court, he has a strong sense of victory and often resorts to any means to win.
Therefore, although Paul is very popular on the court, his comments about his dirty playing are endless.
At this point, Li Liang had some experience. This little guy really dared to defend himself.
Hearing Paul encourage the team and looking forward to the new season, Li Liang directly said: "This season, our goal is to win the championship, not to go further. One step is not enough."
Li Liang's words are simple, far less passionate than Paul said.
But his words are more shocking, the sword refers to the championship, this is not every player has the courage to say it.
Li Liang has this courage because he already has a championship trophy.
For the members who have won the championship, everyone can keep this trophy for a week.
Li Liang put this trophy in his home for a week.
Neither took home to show off, nor took him everywhere to participate in activities.
Because Li Liang feels that the trophy that has been won loses the most significance as a trophy.
Just like my wife is always...no, as Bailey said, the best goal is always the next one.
Li Liang's goal is to be the next championship, not to recall the previous one.
Paul heard Li Liang's words and joked: "We will get the championship, but you won't get FMVP anymore."
Paul meant that to win the championship, the most valuable player is mine.
This self-confidence is really unparalleled, it really looks like Kobe.
Li Liang just chuckled and said, "Are you better than Kobe?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Paul was speechless.
Paul is great, but can he be as good as Kobe?
In the direct dialogue between the two regular season MVPs in 2008, Paul lost to Kobe.
Now Kobe has performed well in the finals. Although he lost the opportunity to take FMVP because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, to be honest, Li Liang's 60-point performance in a single game, Kobe can't grab it.
The car drove for a while and arrived at the University of San Diego in the afternoon.
San Diego, also known as San Diego, is the home of the Clippers in the past.
The Clippers used to be called the Buffalo Braves. After moving to San Diego, because this is California's famous seaside resort, in the bay here, there are a lot of yachts moored all year round, so it is named the Clippers.
In 1981, after Sterling bought the Clippers, the team moved to Los Angeles.
But this did not bring any good luck to the Clippers.
Instead, the Clippers decided to go to San Diego for training, hoping to get the blessing of the former home city.
The University of San Diego is located in the northwest area of ​​San Diego, close to San Diego Ocean Park.
There is a large sports center in the school. From a height, this sports center is shaped like a swept-back airplane.
There is also a large swimming pool, four tennis courts, and a large football field outside the sports center.
Here, the Clippers players can conduct more comprehensive and rich training to prepare for the new season.
After arriving, the players changed their clothes and began to warm up on the court.
This was not only Li Liang's first training session with the Clippers, but also the first training session for coach Rivers to the new team.
Compared with Li Liang's mouthful of the championship, fighting with Paul on the first day, Rivers was much more nervous.
Along the way, he was silent, knowing that he still talks a lot.
As a player coach, Rivers has always been known as a "player coach" in the league.
The so-called player coach is to coach in the team, to be able to play with the players, and gain the respect and love of the players.
In contrast to player coaches, they are management coaches, which are more like the managers of players.
Of course, some great coaches in the NBA are both.
Rivers himself is a player, he has no particularly high attainments in terms of tactics.
But Rivers is a good player in kneading players, gaining players' love, and condensing the team's confidence.
Leading the Celtics to the championship in 2008 is a masterpiece of his career.
This is also one of the reasons that attracts Paul and hopes that the team must get Rivers.
As early as June, Paul contacted Rivers, hoping he could come to the Clippers.
Rivers is very emotional, because the Celtics are about to enter the reconstruction period, Rivers does not want to accompany the Celtics to rebuild.
The Clippers are undoubtedly a good place for him to show his strength.
There is no heavy history here, no strong management, and he will have more power when he comes.
More importantly, the Clippers lineup is very good, with great potential.
The arrival of Rivers can just give the Clippers an upgrade.
Therefore, Rivers was full of confidence before coming, but the result did not expect Li Liang to join suddenly.
Li Liang's joining is of course a good thing. When he was in the Celtics, Rivers was very impressed with Li Liang. I thought this kid was really useful.
The result of the finals operation, shocked Rivers chin.
Then he came to the Clippers, Rivers was pleasantly surprised, and then fell into trouble.
Originally, Rivers thought about it, the Clippers built the team's tactics exactly based on Paul.
This is what any normal-minded coach will do.
But Li Liang joined, Rivers was hesitating all summer, what tactical position would Li Liang be given?
According to common sense, Paul continues to be the core and Li Liang is the second head, which is an obvious reasonable configuration.
Although Griffin is the number one champion and has a longer playing time, he and Li Liang are stronger and weaker, and the playoffs have already been seen.
Moreover, Li Liang has no ball in the game, and he is quite versatile on the defensive end, which is a perfect match with Paul's game of holding the ball.
However, in several exchanges with Li Liang, Rivers vaguely noticed-well, no need to vaguely perceive, Li Liang said clearly that he hoped to gain the power to hold the ball.
"I developed my own ball-holding offense in the summer, hoping to get some possession."
Li Liang was so simple and straightforward to say to Rivers.
Rivers, he’s not Mike Brown. If Mike Brown heard it, he would have believed it.
Rivers did not quite believe that last season there was almost no offensive ability to hold the ball. Later, Li Liang, who had a little emergency stop jumper ability, could practice the offense of the ball in one summer.
But Rivers didn't dare to say no, the player coach, to coax the players.
Besides, you have to coax Li Liang. The owner of the team is a fan of Li Liang. Li Liang said that he wants to play holding the ball. Do you dare to design tactics for him?
So, this is where Rivers feels a headache.
Judging from the morning media day and the situation on the bus, Li Liang and Paul are tough guys, and they are not very convinced.
After all, the Lakers and the Clippers were still dead or alive last season, and the playoffs are even rivals.
Li Liang is a special player. He is not black or white. He is a Chinese.
If it is a black brother, no matter what hatreds were there before, as long as it is not a contradiction on the field, the new season arrives at a team, there is a left "brother", there is a "Niger", and then go to the night to play and play, it is like a family .
However, Li Liang is completely different from black players in culture and is not a system.
Therefore, if there is a gap, it can't be eliminated in a few words.
You have to fight side by side on the court to slowly become a comrade in arms.
Rivers is worried that in the past Paul as an absolute boss, came a culturally out of place, very shallow in qualifications, but very strong, and the honor is more than everyone else, how should the team build.
Thinking of these problems, Rivers was not a small head, and suddenly became bigger.
Rivers watched the players warm up on the field while discussing the team's training guidelines with assistant coaches Gentry and Hill.
In fact, specific guidelines have been worked out long ago, but there are still some problems in details.
Gentry has been the head coach of the Suns from 2009-2013. He has a strong offense and once led the Suns to the 2010 Western Conference finals.
It would be rather extravagant for him to be the chief assistant of Rivers.
Of course, Gentry is mainly responsible for offense, and defense is currently in charge of Amond Hill.
Hill graduated from Princeton University~EbookFREE.me~ is a disciple of Pete Carrel.
But what he is good at is not Princeton offense, but defense.
When he was the head coach of Columbia University, he led the team to limit the opponent's average points to 57 points, the strongest in the United States.
After entering the NBA, he worked as an assistant coach with the Celtics, and he followed Rivers to the Clippers this season.
With such two powerful left and right arms, Rivers will work a lot easier for the Clippers.
The premise is that he must first handle the relationship between Paul and Li Liang.
Now that the other players are in a wait-and-see state, who is the team leader and who should listen to it?
"Beep!"
Rivers blew his whistle, beckoning the players to gather.
The first tactical lesson is about to begin.