The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 624 - 23: The Friendship Years

After the game, Beelman gave a rating to each player in the locker room.

Peterlovic had only one assist in the second half, but after he came on, the Trail Blazers did not lose any points, and he tightly contested the score on the defensive end.

After some calculations, his rating was still a D, but Beelman specifically told Peterlovic, "Your performance in the second half was clearly better than in the first half. Although the data doesn’t show it, I noticed."

Peterlovic was somewhat encouraged, but he was far from satisfied internally.

He had been thinking about surpassing Gan Guoyang, yet Gan Guoyang scored 41 points throughout the game, performing flawlessly.

After the game, he didn’t forget to encourage Peterlovic, "I told you, I’m still an A, with no room for improvement. You, Pete, are full of hope."

Peterlovic was so agitated that he couldn’t sleep well at night, tossing and turning, thinking about how to improve himself.

Through this match against the Spurs, Peterlovic realized his shortcomings.

Poor physical confrontations, slow shooting speed, not fast enough reactions, not tough enough in contact, and so on.

However, now in the middle of the season, after this game, the Trail Blazers were immediately heading to Dallas.

The whole season involved a lot of traveling, with no solid chunk of time to quiet down and enhance physical fitness.

Not to mention building muscle. The substantial exertion from games and training meant that some players would finish the season several kilograms lighter, and it was a bonus just not to lose muscle.

Peterlovic felt lost, recognizing the tremendous gap between him and Ah Gan. He had previously been determined to surpass Ah Gan, but in reality, his desire was entirely impractical.

The next day, while the team was flying to Dallas, Peterlovic approached Beelman, wanting to hear the coach’s advice on how he should adjust going forward.

Beelman greatly appreciated Peterlovic’s attitude, wholly devoted to basketball, always thinking about improving himself.

Many NBA players just treat playing as a job, earning some money in the league while young, and if they can’t make it in the league one day, they could still go to Europe or play in the minor leagues.

They lack the urgent motivation to improve and explore their abilities; relying on talent and some diligence, maintaining a good professional attitude is enough to keep them going.

Peterlovic was clearly different; he was a person who truly delved into basketball, Beelman could see that because he was the same.

"How’s your back injury?" Beelman first inquired about Peterlovic’s injury.

"It’s recovering well. After returning to Portland, the doctor wants to do another check."

"Good, you must first take care of your health; it’s the foundation of everything. Also, you should stop training with Ah Gan; his intensity is too much for you. Rest is as important as training, and your current physical condition is average."

Peterlovic nodded. He’d always tried to keep up with Gan Guoyang’s rhythm while competing with him.

Now he understood that they were not in the same league; if he forced it, he would only harm himself.

"You need to strengthen your power and aggressiveness, but it’s difficult to build muscle during the season; we can talk about that during the off-season. Your primary task now is to familiarize yourself with the team’s system, find your position, and make sure you play a role whenever you’re on the court. As the season progresses, rotations will get shorter, and you’ll have to earn your playing time based on performance. You can’t just immerse yourself in technical and physical training; you also need to think more, observe more, learn more, and make sure to shine in every game."

Beelman knew that Peterlovic was a key player in Europe, taking charge as soon as he got the ball.

In offense, others revolved around him, he held the baton, having the most right to shoot.

At the Trail Blazers, Gan Guoyang was the only core player, and Peterlovic had to adapt and cooperate with Ah Gan.

Saying this, Beelman took out a thick stack of booklets from his briefcase and handed them to Peterlovic, saying, "Here are over three hundred sets of tactics. Memorize them when you have time, I’ll quiz you."

Peterlovic was taken aback—over three hundred sets of tactics to remember?

Seeing Peterlovic’s surprised look, Beelman asked, "Don’t you guys memorize tactics in Europe?"

Peterlovic replied, "We do practice tactics, but... not so many."

"You think it’s a lot? Ah Gan memorized all these tactics back in college, knew them like the back of his hand."

The mention of Ah Gan dissipated the surprise in Peterlovic’s eyes, and he nodded, "I can do it too."

Beelman wasn’t exaggerating; when at Gonzaga, Gan Guoyang and Stockton had memorized some of the commonly used, more advanced basketball tactics Beelman provided.

Of course, Beelman later asked them to forget everything, which actually meant to integrate and understand the tactics thoroughly, not to be restricted by them.

Peterlovic had grown up in the European basketball environment. Although the sport of basketball doesn’t vary much in essence, the NBA and FIBA do differ significantly in rules and tactics.

European basketball tactics are developed against zone defense, while NBA offensive tactics are against man-to-man defense.

If Beelman only wanted Peterlovic to be a catch-and-shoot player, an outside shooter, then a simple adjustment would probably suffice for quick adaptation.

But if he wanted to cultivate Peterlovic into a skillful ball-handler, a playmaker, he must master those hundreds of tactics.

Every pass on the court, every movement, had to be precise.

Physical fitness couldn’t be rushed; he should start by training his mind.