One Year Left to Play-Chapter 170 - 54: When Talent Shines in the Game
Randy Whitman found there was nothing much to instruct Zhang Hao. He’s still a rookie—lacking experience and technique on defense—so they could only hope Zhang wouldn’t fall behind; any outstanding performance was a bonus.
On the offensive end, there was no need to give instructions. From a shooter’s perspective, Randy Whitman found that Zhang Hao’s "knows too much" issue that plagued them earlier was not a problem at all during the game!
During the match, Zhang Hao was able to find excellent opportunities from their overly simple Brooklyn Nets offensive tactics.
Although it was just a preseason game, one could glimpse the essence through observation.
Compared to ordinary shooters, Zhang Hao perhaps just chose to accelerate or suddenly stop and change direction at certain moments, sometimes running a few extra steps, or choosing slightly better routes, but one or two times is luck, a frequent occurrence or sometimes a combination of several factors demonstrate the difference between Zhang Hao and ordinary shooters.
Talent that shines in the game is the true talent!
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Coming back from halftime, Hornets coach Bristol saw the opposing lineup featuring Kenny Anderson, Edwards, Gilliam, Jason Williams, and PJ Brown and understood their rotation arrangement.
They really played the preseason game as if it were the regular season!
Would they play the regular season with the intensity of the playoffs?
A bottom-tier team could do anything, because they have less to lose.
But he couldn’t do that—starting the second half with a lineup clearly not as strong as the Nets’ starters.
In just over 3 minutes, several Hornets’ main players couldn’t sit still, Gilliam and Kenny Anderson joined forces to score 8 points, leading the team to a 12-6 run, extending the Nets’ lead to 12 points at 70-58!
Bristol had no choice but to send in the strongest lineup of Kendall Gill, Dale Curry, Glenn Rice, Larry Johnson, and Matt Gai Ge!
On the Nets’ side, Randy Whitman also made rotations, sending in Kenny Anderson, Graham, Gilliam, Zhang Hao, and PJ Brown on the court.
The situation became chaotic, Hornets players started to fight hard! A small mistake and they could really be overwhelmed by the Nets.
This time, Hornets players genuinely didn’t want to lose the preseason game.
It was clear that there was a difference in strength between the two teams. Once the Hornets began fighting hard, even if the Nets had a considerable lead earlier, their advantage began to be eaten away.
But the Nets were striving to counter the formidable strength displayed by the Hornets.
Kenny Anderson was actively organizing the offense.
Zhang Hao was doing his best to collaborate with Kenny Anderson in organizing the offense, actively searching for fast break opportunities, analyzing situations in half-court sets, trying to find personal chances and opportunities to assist teammates in scoring...
With the change in pace when Charles got on the court, Zhang Hao’s inclination shifted as well, focusing more on assisting Charles in linking up the half-court offense.
The Nets worked hard to maintain their lead until midway through the fourth quarter. During this period, Zhang Hao got 7 shots, made two mid-range shots, one driving dunk, a fast break layup, and went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, totaling 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 18 minutes!
Zhang Hao scored an impressive 20 points, with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 31 minutes, making solid stats despite two turnovers, which seemed insignificant compared to such impressive numbers.
Not only were his stats impressive, but the fans watching on site could also sense Zhang Hao’s exceptional presence.
An unconventional power forward!
Unlike other off-ball players who unexpectedly end up with high scores, Zhang Hao’s playing style is straightforward, almost as if he has "I’m going to shoot" written on his forehead.
Yet he’s always able to find shooting opportunities!
Zhang Hao’s ability to maneuver exceeds Hornets’ expectations for a player his age, and most importantly, Zhang Hao’s mid-range shot is extremely accurate. The Hornets had already paid more attention to Zhang Hao after their last encounter, but now they realize it still wasn’t enough!
Besides, Zhang Hao could also provide 3 assists in 31 minutes! The most unbelievable aspect was that they hardly saw Zhang Hao dribbling; all 3 assists came less than two seconds after receiving the ball with great skill in high-low pass and outstanding awareness in high-low pass!
Nevertheless, despite Zhang Hao’s superb performance, the Nets couldn’t stop the Hornets from closing the score gap.
With Zhang Hao performing so well, it frustrated them more!
At 9 minutes and 21 seconds into the final quarter, Hornets, with Dale Curry’s corner three, surpassed the Nets by one point at 106-105, leading to a Nets’ timeout!
Some of the fans watching on site even reproached the Hornets—a preseason game, after all, against a team with such an outstanding rookie, was it necessary to take it so seriously?
Whether leading or trailing, whether making impressive offensive plays or struggling defensively allowing opponents to score, Zhang Hao’s emotions seemed unchanged, as if after each round concluded, he immediately devoted himself wholly to the next.
From an observer’s perspective, Zhang Hao is very likable. A player so focused on the game with such talent, without any bias from the fans, how could he not be likable?
