From the personnel configuration, it is a typical strong offense, weak defense team.
The Nuggets’ overall strength in the league is at the bottom, you could say they lack talent and any system.
The team doesn’t seem to build around anyone, nor does it appear to have a future core player with significant talent.
This is why Nuggets fans were not very pleased when they selected Zeng Xingyang with the 7th pick.
The roster is already in such poor shape, if they don’t select a team core, how will they survive in the West?
Confusion, how should the future be approached? Currently, they don’t see much direction.
This is the problem facing Nuggets fans and the coaching staff.
Besides these core rotations, there are so training camp contract players and fringe players whom Zeng Xingyang doesn’t have a deep impression of.
After everyone arrived, the head coach Mike Malone also ca over.
Mike Malone stood in the center of the field, scanned everyone, and frowned.
After a sumr, the weight of the Nuggets’ rotation players had noticeably increased.
Mike Malone sternly said, "Today marks the official start of the new season training camp. Everyone must end their vacation state and quickly adjust their body to the ga rhythm. Soon, everyone will have a fitness test!"
"If you don’t et the team’s standards, then wait until you do before you play."
The NBA doesn’t have a fitness test barrier like the CBA, it’s just that Mike Malone can’t bear the players’ physical managent, so he has to give them so trouble.
The Nuggets players who had too wild a sumr secretly grumbled, of course, Zeng Xingyang didn’t have such concerns.
Zeng Xingyang’s physique and appearance looked like a player who has undergone special training.
Mike Malone then glanced at Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, clapped his hands, and said, "Let introduce you to two rookies from our team."
"This is Zeng Xingyang from China, NCAA’s MOP, I think everyone knows him."
"This one is the big guy from Serbia, Nikola Jokic."
After Mike Malone finished speaking, Zeng Xingyang and Jokic waved and greeted everyone.
"Hey, Zeng, you played great in the Final Four."
"Welco to the NBA!"
"Welco, rookie."
Although most people made welcoming gestures on the surface, Zeng Xingyang noticed so people didn’t look pleased.
Mainly, they were competitors of the two.
Zeng Xingyang’s main competitors are Gary Harris and Will Barton, Jokic’s main competitors are Nurkic and Lavine.
These people didn’t look too happy, in their eyes, there was even a playful sense of mocking the rookies.
Internal competition within the team is also very fierce, having one more player in the sa position ans playing ti will be divided.
Reduced playing ti ans a drop in stats, which further affects the size of contracts; these are all matters of personal interest.
In the sumr after Nuggets drafted Zeng Xingyang, Barton specifically sought out managent to stir up trouble.
Barton has high expectations for himself, he’s always wanted to beco an All-Star-level player, he wants more ti and a big contract, Barton doesn’t understand why the team, clearly lacking a point guard, chose a shooting guard.
Managent pacified Barton after a lengthy persuasion, but expecting Barton to show a good face to Zeng Xingyang clearly isn’t possible.
Zeng Xingyang ignored the unusual gazes, he’s long been used to being questioned by teammates and facing fierce internal competition.
To change this situation, words are not very effective, what’s more needed is a strong ability!
The atmosphere in the locker room was generally normal, Mike Malone organized everyone to go out for fitness tests, he needed to grasp the team’s current physical condition.
....
....
Fitness Test Report:
Na: Zeng Xingyang.
Height: 203CM
Weight: 96KG
Wingspan: 220CM
Body Fat Percentage: 6%
Standing Vertical: 67CM
Max Vertical: 80CM
Max Bench Press Reps (84 kg): 16 reps
Average Speed: 17.4 miles/hour
Seeing Zeng Xingyang’s fitness data, Mike Malone was very satisfied.
It was clear that Zeng Xingyang’s static talent was impressive, his height even grew a little bit, with such wingspan and height, plus speed, no wonder his defense is so good, it was apparent that he trained hard during the sumr, his body fat percentage is excellent.
Although his jumping isn’t great, he’s a guard, so it doesn’t affect him much.
Mike Malone had a good initial impression of Zeng Xingyang for the new season.
However, seeing Jokic’s fitness test was a headache, his height and weight are typical of an interior player, but his body fat percentage...
21% body fat!
Mike Malone was sowhat doubtful if Jokic was a professional player, his gaze towards Jokic grew increasingly unfriendly!!
Jokic, having finished the fitness test, was gulping water and dodged Mike Malone’s gaze....
"Zeng, I shouldn’t have been tested after you, the coach is probably going to give special training." Jokic said to Zeng Xingyang.
"You’re a player who plays with intelligence. Fitness tests don’t an much for you, just be more disciplined in the future." Zeng Xingyang said.
Zeng Xingyang’s words were candid; Jokic has excellent passing, ball control, court vision, post techniques, help defense awareness, etc., these are qualities that the fitness test doesn’t show.
If you really base selection on the fitness test, Jokic wouldn’t even beco the core of the Nuggets, playing would be difficult.
As Zeng Xingyang judged, apart from reminding Jokic to lower his body fat and control his body’s size, Mike Malone didn’t make too many demands.
Mike Malone knows this stuff is only for reference, not to decide who can really play; what he said before was mostly to threaten the players to be self-disciplined.
After the fitness test ended, Zeng Xingyang glanced at his current attribute status, these are his trump cards.
[Defense: LV4]
[Experience: 15241/20000]
[Remark: Reached NBA elite level! Max Level LV5]
....
[Dribbling: LV6]
[Experience: 21202/30000]
[Remark: Reached NBA small forward level, Max Level LV10]
.....
[Power: LV4]
[Experience: 1512/30000]
[Remark: Power reached NBA small forward average level, Max Level LV5]
[Shooting: LV7]
[Experience: 21803/50000]
[Remark: Reached NBA elite shooter level, Max Level LV10]
....
[Positioning: LV4]
[Experience: 1320/30000]
[Remark: Positioning ability reached NBA elite level, Max Level LV5]
...
[Speed: LV7]
[Experience: 1121/30000]
[Remark: Speed has reached the NBA point guard average level, Max Level LV10]
....
[Inner Cut: LV4]
[Experience: 8751/10000]
[Remark: Inner Cut ability reached NBA elite level, Max Level LV5]
....
[Dunk: LV2]
[Experience: 201/500]
[Remark: Can easily complete a dunk with mild defense, Max Level LV5]
....
[Breakthrough: LV2]
[Experience: 101/1000]
[Remark: Can complete a one-on-one ball breakthrough against weaker defense, Max Level LV5]
....
[Layup: LV3]
[Experience: 122/3000]
[Remark: Has certain stability under low confrontation to lay the ball in, Max Level LV5]
....
[Stamina: LV4]
[Experience: 112/10000]
[Remark: Possesses stamina to play full-ti in NBA, Max Level LV5]
This sumr, Zeng Xingyang developed several new attributes, then raised his shooting, which he’s good at, to LV7, and defense to nearly the maximum level.
Simultaneously, he improved his originally weak dribbling to LV6, which gives him a little bit of ball-handling offensive ability.
Dribbling ability isn’t entirely equivalent to breakthrough ability.
Dribbling ability refers to the skill of controlling and maneuvering the basketball during a ga, including basic dribbling, changing direction, and changing speed techniques.
Breakthrough ability refers to the player’s ability to escape defenders and create shot opportunities using footwork, fake moves, dribbling, etc.
Although both are important offensive skills, their focus is different.
With this strength as his backing, Zeng Xingyang becos very confident.
Isn’t there soone who is unconvinced?
Then, beat them until they are!
He will prove with his strength that they really need him!
"Zeng, Nikola, follow to the press conference." Mike Malone’s voice broke Zeng Xingyang’s thoughts, bringing him back to reality.
When Zeng Xingyang and Jokic arrived at the press conference venue, many dia journalists were already waiting.
The Nuggets don’t have an absolute leader, nor do they have popular veterans, so for the new season’s first press conference, they chose the two newcors.
After all, Zeng Xingyang’s popularity is higher than all of the team’s veterans, and Jokic also received a good assessnt in the sumr league, allowing a certain topic for these two to attend.
Otherwise, when the new season starts, having nothing to report would be quite ridiculous.
Small market weak team, quite miserable.
Reviews
All reviews (0)