Li Ao, after returning to Los Angeles, continued to practice in the afternoon.
After he learned that there was no serious problem with Odom's injury, he didn't take it seriously. He was not a doctor and could not treat illnesses.
Against Nowitzki, he defended well.
But the team lost, and it was useless for him to restrict the opponent.
His biggest gain from this game was that he learned a little bit about running, catching and shooting from Nowitzki.
Nowitzki doesn't have a wide running range and isn't fast, but he always gets opportunities to catch and shoot.
When they played against each other before, he felt that Nowitzki's movement was very distinctive, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
The movement of inside pitchers on the outside is completely different from that of outside pitchers.
The purpose of inside players is not to throw away opponents, but to find misplacements and gaps to reduce confrontation when making shooting movements.
This time he faced Nowitzki head-on, and he became interested.
If the goal is to catch and shoot long two-pointers and three-pointers, he feels that his physical advantage is no less than Nowitzki!
Although he plays as an outside shooter, there is no rule that he cannot move like an inside shooter.
At present, his three-point score has reached 73. If he improves by two points, he will reach a good mid-range level. If he catches and shoots three-pointers, he can reach an excellent level of 80 with the help of his "catch and shoot expert".
He is not a pure shooter. He runs long distances and in a wide range, which has an impact on his coordination of ball distribution. Moreover, there is also a difference between the three-point running of outside players and the running of mid-range shots.
He thought about it, and maybe he could learn Nowitzki's inside running style from three-point running, which would be more suitable for his style of play.
He tried decisively. How would he know if his idea was right if he didn't try it?
He didn't figure it out on his own, firstly because he had no experience in this area, and secondly, to save time, he shook Xavier Johnson over in the same venue.
Xavier Johnson was already willing to help Li Ao, and Li Ao also wanted to pay for personal training, which made him even happier. Who doesn't want to take on a private job?
It's not that he thinks Li Ao has made so much money, it's not bad, but that work is work and friendship is friendship, so that we can get along with each other for a longer time.
Professionals are professionals. Li Ao just told Xavier Johnson the details of Nowitzki's footsteps when he ran. The latter quickly learned about Nowitzki's running style and short distance. The details of lateral movement, turning and footsteps, etc. are analyzed.
Li Ao didn't have to follow Nowitzki's running habits. He followed Xavier Johnson's suggestion. The latter first observed his current running habits in the game for a period of time and tailored an inside long shot suitable for him. Throwing and running methods.
In addition, Xavier Johnson also promised Li Ao that he would communicate with Henry Bibby and Gentry about time and let the young men of the Trojans help Li Ao train.
Regarding this, he laughed and said: "Henry complained several times, saying that if you don't find the school team to be your sparring partner, his promise will not count. He is going crazy."
Li Ao heard this and complained: "Henry, please take the coach to the hospital for a check-up. I suspect that he is suffering from Chi Feichi disease."
"What disease is that?"
"Time Perception Disorder."
"Hahahaha... I will definitely take him to see a doctor."
It's been a long time since I saw Li Ao and Henry Bibby dislike each other, and Xavier Johnson began to miss that wonderful year again.
Li Ao complained, he was really happy.
He felt the benefits of having connections at the university.
…
It's a new year again. On January 1, 2001, the Clippers faced the challenge of the Lakers at home on the first game day of the new year.
At 6:40 in the evening, players from the Lakers and Clippers entered the stadium at Staples Center.
The last time they played the Lakers at home, Li Ao didn't come to the scene.
This time, he personally felt a huge change in their team.
Once upon a time, the Clippers played against the Lakers at home, and there was no home atmosphere at all. Most of the fans who came to the scene were Lakers fans.
Because whenever Sterling plays the Lakers at home, he sets the ticket price very high. Clippers fans, who are mainly working-class people, are reluctant to buy the tickets. Even die-hard Clippers fans feel they are not worthy of such a price. s price.
It’s not that all Lakers fans are rich, but there are countless people in Yingjiang who “see expensive games to gain face.” The more expensive the Lakers-related games are, the more fun they will buy.
Moreover, Clippers fans do not buy tickets. Lakers fans can buy tickets more easily. In the past, tickets for the Clippers' home game against the Lakers could still be purchased before the game started.
Things are different now. Ballmer, who rarely interferes in team affairs, ordered that prices for other games can be increased. After all, their Spider-Man appeal is strong, but the price for the Lakers game is not allowed to increase. It must be lower than the price for the Magic and Bengals games. Prices for games with popular teams such as the Dragons and 76ers.
So, the last time the Clippers played the Lakers at home, there were almost no Lakers fans present.
Lakers fans who are used to being able to buy tickets at any time didn't go to buy tickets until the same day, but they were already sold out by Clippers fans.
It was the same this time. Although the Lakers fans were prepared, they still couldn't beat the enthusiastic Clippers fans.
Li Ao didn't care at all how much money Ballmer made from this operation. It wasn't his money. He liked this operation and the fans' loyalty increased greatly!
Looking at the red, white and blue Clippers jerseys or team T-shirts, it feels like playing a home game!
After entering the court, Li Ao looked at Kobe who was wearing a suit again on the sidelines. When Kobe saw Li Ao looking at him, he snorted and turned his head.
Afro was injured again.
Yesterday, Li Ao called Kobe more than a dozen times and was rejected more than a dozen times. Finally, after Kobe vented his grievances about Li Ao asking Vanessa for Brandy's phone number, he took the initiative to call Li Ao back and said he was injured. , cannot be trained.
At first, Li Ao was quite puzzled, where was the Iron Man that he had promised? Why is it so crispy!
Unlike his impression of Kobe's toughness, Kobe has missed 10 games this season.
He remembered that Kobe missed more than a dozen games last season.
Confused, he checked Kobe's game records in the past few years.
Originally, he wanted to see Kobe's attendance in the first few years of his career, but another data allowed him to analyze the reason why Kobe had so many injuries in the past two years - his sudden weight gain.
Kobe's health was excellent in the first two years of his career. At that time, he played on the bench. He was too weak in his rookie year and his playing time was inconsistent. Sometimes he was not always available. He played 71 games. He played 79 games in his second year and was absent once. He was suspended for a conflict with an opponent, once because of illness, and only once because of a sprained ankle, but he came back after only one game of rest.
The watershed came in the 1998-99 season. During the two years he was on the bench, Kobe's registered weight was always 190 pounds, which is less than 87 kilograms.
It is true that Kobe looked lanky in those two years.
But in the shortened season of the 1998-99 season, the initial registered weight was 194 pounds, 88 kilograms, but by the playoffs, Kobe's weight increased to 203 pounds, which is 92 kilograms.
By last season's training camp, his registered weight had reached 95 kilograms and 210 pounds.
Seeing this change, Li Ao recalled that when he was chatting with Maggette at the beginning of last month, Maggette complained that he hated playing against Kobe. Every time he broke through Kobe, he felt like he was facing a wall and couldn't hit it. When he was on defense, Kobe turned around and gave him an elbow. It was as if Malone had given him an elbow. It hurt so much that the referee couldn't see it.
He also remembered that when he and Kobe were sparring, he couldn't get any advantage from the close confrontation.
Little Malone version 1.0?
In fact, there is no problem with gaining weight. If you gain weight reasonably, Kobe's strength will also be improved.
But he saw Kobe's playing time soar from 26 minutes per game to 38 minutes per game, and more than 40 minutes this season.
Now Kobe is only 22 years old. He has gained weight, practiced defense, and practiced offensive skills. Last season, he was on the second team and the first defense... If he does this, it is a miracle that he does not get injured.
Li Ao felt sad when he thought about it. Both Jordan and Kobe were injured. It was really difficult to become stronger. He could only develop his back play.
…
At 7 o'clock in the evening, the Clippers' home game against the Lakers started.
O'Neal is looking forward to tonight's game, where he can see Spider-Man's cool and reasonable style of play again.
Then...he saw Spider-Man throw 25 times in 31 minutes.
Li Ao made 10 of 25 shots, including 2 of 8 three-pointers, plus 2 of 3 free throws. Li Ao scored 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks.
After three quarters, Li Ao was forced to clock out.
Although it was another match against the Lakers led by O'Neal alone, the situation this time was completely different. In the first quarter, the Clippers trailed 15 to 31 by 16 points. Gentry did not need to make special arrangements. Li Ao took the initiative to increase the acceleration. A strong catch and throw.
The scores in the next two quarters were 26-28 and 21-27. After three quarters, the Clippers trailed the Lakers by 24 points, 62-86.
Li Ao's overall shooting performance was actually quite acceptable. He made 5 of 12 mid-range shots and 2 of 3 counterattacks, which were both pretty good. In positional battles, he made 1 of 2 attacks on the frame. With O'Neal at the basket, it was acceptable.
However, 2 of 8 three-pointers failed to contain space, and 2 of 3 free throws were ineffective. His shortcomings were fully exposed in this game.
But Gentry didn't care whether Li Ao played well or not, he only cared about whether Li Ao played well or not.
Gentry was very satisfied when he saw that Li Ao was not shooting blindly. He was trying his best to find a good opportunity every time he took a shot and adjusted the force and angle of the shot. He also took the initiative to give him more shooting opportunities.
In addition to Li Ao, there is another player on the Clippers who shoots more tonight.
McGinnis made 11 shots in the first three quarters, but contrary to Gentry's expectations, McGinnis, who started the game, faced the aging Ron Harper and the thin Tyronn Lue. He made 5 of 11 shots in the three quarters, including a three-pointer. 1 of 3, plus 2 of 2 free throws, a very efficient score of 13 points plus 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.
In this performance, Gentry allowed McGinnis to continue playing during the garbage time in the final quarter.
After turning his attention to McGinnis, Gentry understood the reason. First of all, in the Lakers' game, the defensive focus was on unlimited defense changes against Li Ao, and there was almost no defense against McGinnis.
More importantly, Ron Harper is about to be 37 years old. By the middle of the season, his physical strength has declined significantly. He can switch defenses to block the ball and stick to people. He really can't guard the young and strong McGinnis alone; Tyronn -Although Lu Ze was born in the 1998 class and is in good physical condition, he has only played 26 games in the past two seasons in the regular season + playoffs. He is not strong enough and has a thin body. He cannot defend McGinnis alone. The side effects are no different.
McGinnis also played very hard when he had the opportunity, risking his life on every ball.
Gentry thought that the current stage was the middle of the season, the veterans were entering the fatigue stage, and McGinnis was 26 years old and at the peak of his physical strength... things might go more smoothly than he imagined!
You have to plan the order of appearances carefully...
As for McGinnis, who played 27 minutes in the first three quarters tonight and had the second-highest playing time on the team in the first three quarters, no one else on the Clippers felt anything was wrong.
Without Odom, the starting lineup lacks the ability to hold the ball and attack. Maggette's style of play is single. Although the talent is obvious, the current strength is just that.
McGinnis, who is good at attacking with the ball, should have more playing time.
The main reason is that Li Ao, Jr. O'Neal, Big Q, Piakowsky and others are all players with a strong sense of teamwork. The head coach arranged for McGinnis to focus on the attack. They all actively cooperated. Although McGinnis was not good at playing, There are problems with the law, but the attitude towards the game is positive.
Although the team's offense did not play well, this seemed to be something the head coach had no choice over, and it did not affect the team's positive atmosphere of seeking victory.
McGinnis dared to play hard in garbage time, scoring 14 points and 6 assists. Facing the Lakers' pure bench lineup, he led the team to a final score of 32-20... In the end, the Clippers lost to the Lakers 94-106.
…
The Clippers have lost three games in a row, but McGinnis is on fire.
With 27 points, 3 rebounds and 10 assists in a single game, a columnist commented that the Clippers delayed McGinnis.
This view has won the favor of Li Ao's black fans.
McGinnis scored 27 points on 11 of 21 shots, while Li Ao only scored 24 points on 25 shots. It's a real cancer!
The next morning, when he saw this topic, Li Ao felt that he had nothing to say. This teammate did play well in this game and he took advantage of the opportunity.
However, he felt strange that there was so much media hype about this topic, but he didn't have time to think too much about it.
Continue to develop the back attack!
But after he arrived at the blacksmith room to meet with James Worthy in the morning, the other party did not arrange to continue to develop his post-up play today, but arranged for him to strengthen his finishing ability under the basket.
James Worthy explained: "Leo, playing in the high post is not just a mid-range shot. If you play in the high post and the only option is a mid-range shot, it is easy to be defended. You need to enhance the offensive threat at the basket. You are so good." Physical conditions, if you are not so strong inside, you can dunk directly, but apart from dunking, you have no other ability to break into the offensive frame, which is an obstacle for you to become a post-up master."
"I understand. I just learned the basics for a few days and jumped here. Well, I wasn't ready." Li Aoqi responded in a tone of voice.
"Yes, I only studied for a few days..."
James Worthy was also very messy. Not to mention Li Ao, he was not mentally prepared.
His original plan was to practice every other day, or every two days, but now that the season is in progress, theoretically there is not that much training time.
It takes 2-3 weeks for the body to memorize the basic movements, and about a month to polish the details of the movements. Before the All-Star Weekend, teach the most basic techniques and continue to polish the details of the movements...
It’s not that James Worthy is over-teaching. He has personal experience that the most basic things determine the upper limit of the final technology.
The better Li Ao's talent, the more he pays attention to this aspect.
But things turned out beyond his expectations!
It has only been less than two weeks, and Li Ao has learned what he originally needed to learn in two months!
The 100% training result bonus of Li Ao's 'Experience Bracelet' is not only useful during training, but also during learning.
Yesterday afternoon, he had completed the development of the 'High Back Kick Basic Level 1 Training Method' and started the task, which can obtain up to 40% additional training results.
It doesn’t matter if you learn it. These basics are not difficult in the first place. What is difficult is the details of the movements. Li Ao only practiced it a few times and was able to reproduce it almost exactly in the training. James Worthy felt that he The salary for this second job will be reduced a lot. If I had known better, I wouldn't have charged per day.
He thought so, but he did not deliberately delay the teaching progress. Otherwise, based on his understanding of Li Ao's learning attitude, as long as he taught well, this talented rookie would definitely train hard and steadily.
The time of such a genius cannot be wasted casually!
He thought of his old club's super genius who went from high school rookie to second team first defense in just 4 seasons. The guy in front of him might progress even faster!
After a moment of heartache, James Worthy continued: "Your learning ability is far beyond my imagination. You can't follow the pace of ordinary people. When you really master the basics of back play, your ability to attack the frame will be delayed. On the contrary, Affecting the further development of post-up play..."
Li Ao nodded when he heard this, and he agreed with this.
His three points are that he polished the basics early and developed level 3 training methods, but his supporting skills and running ability were insufficient, which indeed affected his progress in further enhancing his abilities in this area.
"...I have adjusted the development plan. Next, I will attack the frame, turn around with a post, and pull up a jump shot with a post...I will teach you many techniques one by one. After you learn these, every training after that will be a high post shot." You have to be mentally prepared for a full set of training, which is much more difficult than the basics of back-up exercises."
James Worthy is also furious. Aren't you a genius? Let’s see how talented you can be!
Although he didn't deliberately try to embarrass Li Ao, he always had the intention of competing.
However, he regretted it after saying this.
When he saw Li Ao, his eyes lit up, as if to say - teach me! Come on, teach me them all!
…
Li Ao's daily training schedule has become busier now, and the competition has also become busier.
After playing the Lakers, I trained for one day, and then we had back-to-back home games against the Hornets and Raptors.
In the game against the Hornets, the Clippers lost 93 to 106.
The defense did a little bad, but Gentry and his players worked hard.
But with the current lineup rotation, even if the Clippers players work hard, they can't play good defense.
Li Ao felt that he had received "differential treatment" tonight. When the opponent's main lineup was on, he was the main attacker.
When it came to the rotation lineup, the opponent's players became weaker and he was replaced to rest. McGinnis, who was replaced after 3 minutes of starting, dared to play hard during the rotation lineup stage.
Gentry explained to him: "Leo, the opponent's strongest player, only you can defend, the opponent's best defensive player, only you can score more stably, we need you to stand up at this time, and this is also You are honing your personal abilities. The back shot you did just now was very beautiful. Although you were blocked when you rushed in, your turn was great..."
If he didn't say this, Li Ao wouldn't think too much. The other party explained it this way. He always felt that the head coach with less and less hair was planning something.
But from this arrangement, there was nothing disadvantageous for him, so he didn't care.
He shot well tonight, making 10 of 22 shots, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, plus 5 of 6 free throws. He scored 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks.
The next day, January 5, the Clippers faced back-to-back challenges from the Raptors.
In this game, Li Ao had a very Buddhist mentality.
Looking at Maurice Peterson, his college rival, he just wanted to prevent this guy tonight.
As for Mark Jackson, Carter, Charles Oakley, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis, Geon Clark, Dell Curry, Collis Williams, Jerome Williams ...Love so and so.
But sometimes luck is so good that you can’t stop it!
The Raptors' shooting experience was extremely poor from the beginning. Carter took the lead and started to hit the iron. It was so iron-clad that Li Ao suddenly thought that Carter's jersey number was -1.
Carter played 29 minutes, making 8 of 24 shots, plus 3 of 6 free throws, and scored 19 points.
The worst one was Maurice Peterson, who was targeted by Li Ao. He scored 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block on 1 of 9 shots.
The best performance of the Raptors team was Kevin Willis, who came off the bench and was ignored. He made 8 of 12 shots, plus 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 20 points.
The Clippers' counterattack is flying!
Li Ao counterattacked and scored 6 goals, plus a physical foul by the opponent, two free throws and one throw. Both free throws were scored. In the positional battle attack, he caught the ball at close range and scored against Carter's defensive hook. If this time he made two free throws and one All throws count as counterattacks, and he scored 16 points just by counterattacks.
Not only was the offensive performance sluggish, the Raptors' defense was also poor.
Li Ao made 14 of 25 shots in the game, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 6 of 6 free throws to score 35 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks!
Maggette scored 17 points and Big Q scored 16 points.
McGinnis had the opportunity to continue to fight bravely. Facing Mark Jackson's defense, he made 6 of 11 shots and scored 15 points and 11 assists.
The Clippers team worked together to beat the Raptors 107-88, ending their 4-game losing streak and bringing their record to 17-16, stabilizing their winning rate to 50%!
After getting 760 achievement points, Li Ao was finally relieved.
After losing 4 games in a row, I finally vented my anger tonight.
I just didn't have the chance to defend Carter, which is a bit regretful.
If Carter gets high, it will definitely be his turn to defend, but the coaching staff's arrangement is to let Maggette try it first. If Maggette can't do it, they will let Big Q, who comes on the bench, try it, but he can't guard it either. I just let him go and let him focus on offense and defense, but tonight when Carter went to the back to shoot in the open space, it was naturally not his turn.
But he was very surprised by Carter. He didn't guard Carter tonight, but Carter guarded him for a few rounds. His defense was... very poor and not active. It was different from what he remembered about Carter during his time with the Mavericks and Grizzlies. great!
(End of chapter)
