Almighty Coach Chapter 600 - All-Star Strategy

Chapter 600: All-Star Strategy

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the NBA preseason, each team has a warm-up match.

At the end of each season, each team made considerable changes to their lineup. So teams even changed their coaches. So the NBA held preseasons to let the teams have a chance to try out their lineups. It allowed them to get familiar with the how every player and team played. It helped with determining the actual lineups in the regular season. It also helped increase the communication between the players and the coaches. It helped them get into the mindset that was needed for the arduous regular season.

Typically, the preseason lasted two weeks. In those two weeks, a team played about eight gas. In recent years, the NBA increased its internationalization efforts to cater to the tastes of overseas fans. It sent teams to play preseason gas overseas, in addition to inviting overseas teams to co to the United States to participate in the NBA preseason.

The Los Angeles Clippers were selected by the NBA to play a preseason ga in China this year. After all, the Clippers were owned by the Dingtian Group. Being sent to China was no surprise.

The Clippers were playing the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks signed a preseason contract with a Chinese player. That ant that the Chinese player could participate in the preseason on behalf of the Mavericks. The NBA officials would naturally not give up this opportunity to cater to Chinese fans, so they arranged for the Mavericks to go to China in the preseason.

Going to China for the preseason was an opportunity for the NBA to expand overseas. It benefited both the NBA and the teams. The players, however, had to travel long and far. They had to travel half a globe, from the United States to China. After they got used to the ti difference, they had to compete in two different cities and, at the sa ti, partake in promotional activities. So players also had to participate in sponsored activities. Their schedules were full. Under such conditions, they did not feel the positive effects of the warm-up gas.

Da Li took the team on a vacation in China. As for the preseason, he treated it as a performance.

The Clippers had been called a “shelter for the old and weak,” but the current team of “old and weak” was filled with star players who knew how to play. They were still very popular in the hearts of the fans. They could easily get fans to cheer for them simply by returning to the court.

When the Clippers returned to the United States, the preseason was half over. After they got used to the ti difference and resud their training, the Clippers only played two preseason gas in the U.S. By then, the NBA preseason was already coming to an end.

For the Clippers, this was an obvious loss. Other teams had played eight preseason gas. They had ti to get used to and adjust their lineups to achieve an optimum result. However, the Clippers went all around the world. They were not in a condition that was fit for competition.

...

Cassel went to Dai Li with a form in his hands.

“Coach, from the preseason stats, Wood has played the best. It seems that he has restored 70-80% of his peak skill. As the season progresses, he should get better and better. As long as he doesn’t get injured again, he may be playing like an MVP again soon.

“Hall’s situation is much worse than Wood’s. He hasn’t played for a long ti. His speed and explosive power are recovering. The most important thing is his handle of the ball. You know, although Hall is able to make three-pointers, he’s best at scoring pull-up jumpers. Although Hall’s current scoring rate in training is very good, during actual gas, his scoring rate pull-up jumpers is just over 30%. This is a failing score. Getting a feel for the ball is sothing that needs ti. I think Hall needs more ti to find the rhythm of the ga.

“The worst is Raymond. In fact, his situation is similar to that of Hall. Although his body has recovered, he has not yet gotten used to competing. Raymond hasn’t played the ga for a long ti. It will take so ti for his body and spirit to get used to the tension. He is a superstar so, in the preseason gas, the opponents put more pressure on him. His field goal percentage was the worst amongst them.

“Gray is recovering very well. He is indeed a brilliant man with a large physique, but his problem is that he has too many fouls. He has only played about 100 NBA gas. As far as experience is concerned, he is really a second-year rookie. His lack of experience is a major disadvantage on the court. He might receive six fouls within 30 minutes. In this respect, there aren’t many ways to help him. Any inexperienced guy with a large physique playing inside the three-point line will get fouls. It is the only way he can learn. This is the price that he has to pay.

“Fortunately, we still have Karaby in the three-point line. When Gray gets into trouble with the fouls, Karaby can prop up our defense in the free-throw lane. From his performance at the preseason, Karaby did not seem like a 35-year-old veteran at all. I think he is just as good as he was five years ago.

“In addition, Kumar’s performance surprised . During the NBA Sumr League, he was strong and adaptable. In the preseason, he scored the most points for the team other than Wood. He has begun to adapt to the rhythm of an NBA ga.”

Cassel gave this simple report on the players’ performances in the preseason. Osef had not been able to get on the court yet because of his history of drug abuse. As for Noel, he would not be able to get a six-month dical report until January, so he did not play in the preseason.

Cassel said, “Coach, the regular season is about to begin. We have only briefly practiced a few tactics. We have not yet made it clear what kind of tactics we’re using this season.”

“Our strategy will be simple. Just pass the ball to soone,” Dai Li said with a smile.

“What do you an?” Cassel asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t it a very common tactic in the NBA? Passing the ball to soone...” Dai Li left his words hanging.

“And then what?” Cassel asked.

“And then? Nothing.” Dai Li shook his head. “Soone will score. The Lakers and the Cavaliers, didn’t they used to have superstars who did this all the ti?”

Cassel gave laughed drily. His expression was clearly asking, Are you telling a joke?

Dai Li continued. “Strategy in the NBA has been constantly developing. Many coaches have their own systems. These are what I am worst at. We can still learn and apply tactics that are simple. Complicated tactical systems can’t be learned by watching a video. We are far worse than the other teams tactically!”

“So you want the players to play solo?” Cassel shook his head. “I don’t agree with this. We can’t give up on tactics just because you haven’t mastered them.”

Dai Li explained. “What I am best at is physical training. I can let athletes play at their best while they are out competing. Our team is unique. We have gathered a group of all-stars...”

“They were all-stars,” Cassel corrected.

“Well, if I can get them back to their previous states, we will have a group of all-stars. Do you think we need to teach a group of all-stars how to play?” Dai Li did not wait for Cassel to answer. “They could beco star players before. That not only ans that they have excellent skills, but also that they have an extraordinary ability to read the ga. They can lead a team and win.”

“That doesn’t an we don’t need to plan a strategy.” Cassel shook his head.

“Of course we need a strategy, but there is no way that we will be able to create a complex tactical system like the Spurs. We need so simple, effective tactics to increase the chemistry between the players. Then, we need to give the players more freedom when playing. They were once leaders, they know better than how to lead a team to victory,” Dai Li replied.

Cassel expressed disbelief. “You want to let the players decide what to do? What’s the use of us coaches? Do we just sit on the sidelines and watch the show?”

“We can give advice, as well as make so adjustnts to the players. When it cos to the court, we should trust the players. They are all-star players, they have enough experience in the ga. They know when they need to do what they need to do. The ga is always changing and the player’s judgnts are based on experience. Sotis their decisions are better than ours,” Dai Li explained.

“I still can’t agree with you. We are coaches, so we should provide players with a tactical plan. That is what we do.” Cassel was stubborn.

Dai Li shook his head helplessly. “Please tell , what kind of strategy should we arrange for the players? The complicated cooperation of the Spurs? The Warriors ‘death lineup’? The Rockets’ magic style of play? These are popular tactics, but they require a deep tactical understanding of basketball. With my level of knowledge, I am can’t understand them. Do you have such a deep understanding? Can you make our players like the Spurs? Will the ball go through the hands of each individual and then reach the basket? Can you make our players like the Warriors? Can they pass rapidly between players and then shoot very difficult three-pointers? Can you make our players like the Rockets? Will they only score outside the free-throw lane and the three-point line? Do you have the ability to create a new, better tactical system?”

Cassel was left speechless. If he could, he would not be an assistant coach.

“So you are saying that it’s not that we don’t want to plan a strategy, but we don’t have the ability to do so? We are not ‘tactical masters.’ Therefore, we can only use one type of play style.” Dai Li extended a finger and then said, “We can only hope that the players’ personal abilities are strong enough. We can only use the ‘all-star’ strategy!”

After listening to Dai Li, Cassel wanted to refute him, but he could not do so.

Dai Li continued. “What’s strange about expecting star players to succeed? During the early days, a single superstar could dominate a ga. Later on, it was standard to have one superstar outside the three-point line and one inside the three-point line if a team wanted to win the championship. Even later, the ‘Big Three’ model won championships. Today, the Warriors have the so-called ‘Big Four’. Why can’t we build a ‘Big Five,’ ‘Big Six,’ or ‘Big Seven’? Other teams are putting out their star players in the starting lineup. I think we should even have star players as substitutes! We have no tactics. We can only rely on the stars to play. That is the ‘all-star’ strategy!”