33: 32.
Tool Man Jack 33: 32.
Tool Man Jack Miller, Keith, and Monroe once again confird that their movents were effective, they ran more aggressively on offense, and their execution had improved.
In the reserve team, they were clear about what they had to do, two things—improve strength and learn tactics.
There are two concepts to learning tactics, one is like Zhang Yang’s, understanding the tactics and knowing what each movent intends to do.
The other is simply morizing effective movent patterns, not fully understanding the tactics, but able to make qualified in-ga decisions through the experience accumulated over long gas.
If acting as role players, learning tactics the second way is not much different from the first, except that it would be slower in learning new tactics, and many system players are of the second type.
The three of them were the latter type; they were not aware of the difference between the two, feeling that their movent was effective was enough for them to start learning how to play tactically, which imdiately motivated them.
Zhang Yang was also seizing the opportunity, moving actively to ensure the threat on the offensive basket.
At the sa ti, he observed the changes in the opponent’s defense and promptly instructed his three teammates to adjust their movents.
Given his teammates’ tactical awareness, the adjustnts he instructed were made as simple as possible, ensuring his teammates needed to move only “once”.
With the help of his teammates, DeRozan finally had normal one-on-one scoring conditions, able to lead the team to score properly!
Although they were still at a disadvantage in the match, at least they were no longer helpless like in the earlier half of the session, being dominated by Freedom Park College.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 19 to 28, with Compton High School keeping the gap close.
Going into the break between quarters, Johnson substituted DeRozan, who had been the main attack for half the quarter, with Tatum and replaced Charlie Monroe with Allen Kanter on the field.
Johnson saw that having Tatum, who excels at breaking through and counterattacking, and DeRozan, who excels at fixed-point mid-range shooting, together was a better dual-core combination, which could cover both positional battles and counterattacks, and their playing styles did not clash.
However, currently there weren’t conditions to let both display their strengths simultaneously, so it was better to make good use of that young player.
Johnson kept both Keith and Miller on the court, leaving two team mbers who would follow Zhang Yang’s instructions, along with Zhang Yang, creating a 3 to 2 ratio with the new substitutes to ensure Zhang Yang’s authority on the field.
“Allen, your strength is interior scoring technique, and you have a height advantage, be sure to seize the opportunity.
Carlo, you are quick with breakthroughs and pushing forward, capitalize on your strengths.”
After the substitutions, Johnson discussed the strengths of the two newly substituted team mbers, then left the rest of the ti to Zhang Yang.
After Johnson finished setting up, both Miller and Keith consciously gathered around Zhang Yang, waiting for the arrangent.
Both had shown talent back in 9th grade and were considered ‘big shots’ among their peers, and Kanter also joined in upon noticing this.
Tatum had been re-substituted and wanted to demonstrate his leadership charm, although he didn’t actually have much idea about how to lead the team, but he just wanted to show it, guided purely by sincerity… Yet before he could greet his teammates, they had already gathered around Zhang Yang.
He followed them annoyed and asked loudly, “Jack, how do you think I should play?”
“You play in the way you are accustod to,” Zhang Yang replied after turning his head, then told the other teammates, “When we play a positional ga, Jas, you go to the left at 45 degrees, Kevin, you try to spread out as far as possible at the baseline in the direction of Carlo’s breakthrough… Regardless of whether the opponent scores or not, we need to get the ball to Carlo imdiately, our next focus is on counterattacks, Jas you move quickly from this side, Kevin, you follow up behind Carlo…
His arrangents were based on the principle that the simpler, the better.
The teammates were very satisfied with such arrangents, three role-player teammates had simple movents, no need for thinking, and Tatum, initially quite annoyed, was imdiately pleased when he heard that all attacks were revolving around him.
Before going on the field, Zhang Yang glanced at Johnson, feeling like he was being used as a tool…
Soon, the second quarter of the ga started.
In the beginning, Compton High School’s offense was not smooth, as Freedom Park College scored several consecutive rounds, and Compton High School’s attempt to counterattack was not successful, falling back into positional battles, but their synergy in the positional offense was far less effective than when DeRozan was present.
Tatum, as a core player who only knows how to score by driving, actually occupies a lot of space on the court during set plays.
His teammates need to clear out the entire paint as well as the spaces on both sides of it.
The most suitable lineup for him would consist of a bunch of three-point shooters, ideally with the big n also able to shoot from the outside.
However, of the four teammates partnering with him, Zhang Yang actively moved towards the free-throw line but his catch-and-shoot attempts failed to score; Miller spread out too wide baseline, and his shots did not go in either; Keith was heavily guarded by the opponents and couldn’t receive the ball, instead, it was Kanter who followed up with a catch and score high, making one basket.
Fortunately, there were monts in the ga that went even worse.
Their offenses in set plays being blocked didn’t affect their spirits, at least they played with tactics, were able to create open shot opportunities, and could see hope!
When the shooters of Freedom Park College began to lose their touch, Tatum started to lead the team successfully on the counterattack, boosting the morale of the Compton High School players, who began to push back with full force.
His teammates beca excited, and Zhang Yang got more involved in the ga as it went on.
With a simple cooperation with the two core players, he had figured it out and no longer needed to divide his attention between observing the opponents and his teammates; he focused completely on the ga itself.
His role in the cooperation was simple and he couldn’t provide much support, but precisely because of this, he wanted to perform as well as he could.
On the sidelines, watching his players increasingly play better, Thomas was thrilled.
It had co!
What he had been expecting finally happened!
Zhang Yang displayed his talent as a basketball commander!
This kind of talent isn’t about being strong or weak; you either have it or you don’t.
But he noticed sothing slightly amiss — why wasn’t Jack coordinating anymore?
He saw that each of Zhang Yang’s movents seed designed only to create opportunities for Fixed-Point Mid-Range Shots or drives to the basket, and even the counterattacks targeted scoring through drives, not showing the passing ability he had during the previous streetball ga.
Was it because the difficulty of distributing the ball in a 5-on-5 full-court ga is higher and he did not try easily without certainty?
Worthy of the genius he had scouted, he was truly mature!
Little did he know, soone on the court was muttering “Mid-range 40, layups 20” to himself…
…
In the end, Compton High School’s junior varsity team still lost to Freedom Park College, 102 to 115.
The overall strength disparity was quite apparent.
The basketball team of Freedom Park College was, after all, a mid-tier team in California’s second division; the players of Compton High School’s junior varsity may have been more talented, possibly each having more potential than Ron Rod, the strongest on the opposing team, but they were younger by two to three years, and the gaps in skills, match experience, and tactical coordination were significant.
Compton High School managed to keep the score within just over 10 points, largely thanks to Freedom Park College easing up a lot in the latter part of the ga.
If Freedom Park College had maintained its focus as in the first half of the first quarter, Zhang Yang might not have been able to help his teammates coordinate so effortlessly.
Compton High School suddenly being able to execute plays caught Freedom Park College off guard for a while… Otherwise, the points difference might have been exaggerated.
DeRozan, Tatum, Keith, and others, seeing the cocky deanor of Freedom Park College players led by Ron Rod, were unwilling to accept the loss; they were determined to strive harder!
However, they had found sothing to be confident about — the tactical direction from leader Jack!
Of course, there were still so who felt annoyed by this.
A certain “Black Charcoal” felt like he was being overshadowed, and he secretly resolved to study tactics on his own… but for now, listening to Jack’s arrangents was still okay.
Zhang Yang gave a slight smile; he had won his teammates’ trust… Well, he couldn’t really smile now; he too was quite unwilling to accept the loss.
Before being substituted in, Zhang Yang’s view of the ga — just kids’ basketball.
After being substituted in — I am that kid, and a rather weak one at that.
Reviews
All reviews (0)