One Year Left to Play-Chapter 146 - 46: A Gentleman’s Revenge
Seeing Zhang Hao looking confused, Kenny Anderson raised his hand and patted Zhang Hao’s shoulder: "Brother, don’t worry about it, it’s just a training match."
Kenny Anderson could totally understand Zhang Hao’s current situation. He was the same when he first entered the NBA as a second overall pick. The early part of his rookie season was a mess, but by the end of the season, he played really well, securing a spot in the team’s main rotation. In his second year, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, becoming a top-tier point guard.
Kenny Anderson could see that Zhang Hao was working hard and wanted to perform well, but just like him back in the day, he was too anxious.
Zhang Hao had an advantage; he was good at listening to the guidance of his seniors. This was a social skill he learned in his "previous life" at work. When facing guidance from company seniors, as long as it wasn’t obviously wrong, he would temporarily follow their advice to avoid offending them. If it was right, he would flatter them a bit. If he made small mistakes, he would take responsibility himself, which sometimes prompted a bit of self-reflection from the seniors...
Clearly, Kenny Anderson was right. Zhang Hao had gotten anxious after being blocked, and luckily, Kenny Anderson called a timeout in time to calm him down.
During the timeout, Zhang Hao reviewed the past few minutes and realized that the opponents were really dead set on defending his mid-range shot. This team’s defense was like that; after splitting into two teams, Kenny Anderson and PJ Brown, who were better at defense, were on separate teams. The B team was definitely more wary of him because anyone could see who performed best in mid-range shooting during practice.
The mid-range shot seemed to have no chance, so Zhang Hao thought about the opponent’s defense and felt he might need to adjust his strategy... no, he must adjust his strategy! It’s not necessary to showcase his mid-range shooting. Now it seems there might be no need for that because his teammates probably acknowledged his mid-range ability; otherwise, they wouldn’t defend him like this!
Seeing Zhang Hao’s expression change from anxious to thoughtful and finally to rejuvenated, both Kenny Anderson and Randy Whitman, who was acting as Team A’s coach, were impressed by Zhang Hao’s ability to adjust his mindset. They also felt relieved.
Randy Whitman had initially planned to substitute Zhang Hao for a chat, but now it seemed unnecessary. The lineup should continue! As for fairness to the five substitute players... who cares?
Zhang Hao was the young talent most likely to become a star on the team, besides Kenny Anderson. If they could develop Zhang Hao, they were willing to give up all players except Kenny Anderson, especially frontcourt players. Their goal this year was Duncan! The sophomore with the top-level NBA inside skills.
After calming down, Zhang Hao was a bit worried about not having a chance to perform because the other side was changing players. They replaced Vaughn Fleming with Gerard Gersla. The veteran performed very well, with ample experience and solid skills, and didn’t need further evaluation. The B team began evaluating another substitute forward. However, Randy Whitman didn’t make any arrangements, as if he simply let the game stop momentarily for the players to catch their breath, which relieved Zhang Hao.
Back on the court, Jason Williams ran up to Zhang Hao and said, "Strong big guy, come on, let me see what you can do..."
After speaking, Jason Williams smugly ran to the other side.
Kenny Anderson noticed Zhang Hao’s eyes filled with anger and said, "Stay calm, don’t get provoked by him... Find an opportunity to dunk back, and next time you get the chance, take the shot decisively. Don’t rush, be patient."
Zhang Hao took a deep breath. He was briefly angered by Jason Williams’ taunt, but he quickly calmed down.
Being placed in the power forward position to compete with Jason Williams was unexpected for Zhang Hao, but it didn’t matter which position to compete for. Their team had no serious center except for Inka Dale. If the position automatically moved up, then he was indeed competing for the starting power forward position.
Originally, he was somewhat resistant to playing power forward, but now, he’s determined to fight for it!
He was prepared to compete with Almon Gilliam for the starting small forward, but now that he’s competing for power forward... let the battle begin!
Team A continued its offense, and when back on the court, Zhang Hao focused, continued roaming mid-range looking for catch-and-shoot opportunities, but he wasn’t impatient without a chance. The B team obviously didn’t let him off the hook because of his previous missed mid-range shot.
However, this time, while looking for mid-range opportunities, Zhang Hao broadened his horizons and also looked for other opportunities. Indeed, the chance came during the first attack after the pause! It was slightly different from what he expected, but Zhang Hao saw a driving lane and immediately charged into the paint!
On the side, Kenny Anderson had no choice but passed the ball to Graham, who hadn’t found a real opportunity. Graham’s three-point shot missed, the ball hit the ring neck and bounced high.
Jason Williams was about to box out PJ Brown for the rebound when he spotted an opponent, similar in height but frail, charging in. Jason Williams, unafraid, bent his knees preparing to jump, got ready for contact, reached for the ball, planning to grab the rebound amidst the clash, and pushed away Zhang Hao’s impact to secure the rebound, showcasing his strength.
