"Also, I plan to make targeted reinforcements to the team. In the past two months, the team has chosen Patterson and Morris Jr. for the third and fourth positions.
In addition, give Motel and Jones more playing time, and focus more on tactical tendencies. "
Xu Xin paused, worried that McHale wouldn't take it seriously, and emphasized:
"This is about the team's championship plan."
McHale looked stunned, understanding that Xu Xin was planning to trade with these people, and nodded in agreement.
The next morning, the Rockets held their last training session before the game.
Xu Xin was the first to come to the arena and high-fived every player and team staff member.
Jeremy Lin was the first player to come to the arena.
"You're so early, Manager Xu."
Jeremy Lin greeted Xu Xin in Chinese.
Although he grew up in the United States, his family consciously cultivated Jeremy's Chinese since he was a child, so Jeremy Lin's Chinese is very fluent.
"morning."
Xu Xin smiled and nodded.
"How does it feel to play your first game after signing a big contract?"
Although the war was about to begin, Xu Xin still did not forget to joke.
"It feels good. After I don't have to sleep on the sofa, I feel more energetic. I won't feel tired even if I play for 48 minutes."
Jeremy Lin joked.
"Coach McHale will make pre-game tactical arrangements later, and let me tell you in advance that you will be the main ball-handler during regular time.
Harden definitely wants to prove himself, but your task is not only to pass the ball to Harden, but also to initiate as many pick-and-rolls at positions 3 and 4 as possible to create opportunities for Patterson and Mohamed. "
"Isn't Parsons starting?"
Jeremy Lin was a little surprised.
"He won't for the time being. The team needs reinforcements, and you and Harden are not for sale. Parsons will depend on the situation.
Therefore, you have to pass the ball more on the offensive end. If you play too well and score too many points, another general manager will offer me an offer that is difficult to refuse, and I will have no choice but to give up. "
Jeremy Lin couldn't help laughing when he heard this.
"Okay, manager, I'll do it."
Players arrived at the arena one after another, began to warm up, and then conducted dribbling, passing and shooting training.
At the end of training, McHale called everyone together to explain tactics and pre-game arrangements.
For more than two hours, Xu Xin has been sitting on the sidelines, watching the players sweating profusely on the court.
He was waiting for someone, yes, it was James Harden who was looking serious on the court.
After the training, he greeted everyone and called Harden over who was replenishing water.
"Relax, don't be so serious, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Xu Xin patted Harden on the shoulder. With his height of 1.87cm, there was not much pressure facing Harden.
Harden in the arena is a bit shy, completely different from the one in the nightclub.
"To tell you the truth, I have been frustrated all summer. I want to prove with actions that Presti made the stupidest decision in his life."
"It's a pity that the first game is not against the Thunder. The Pistons will be wronged."
It has to be said that the 23-year-old Harden is still somewhat childish, but his simple and innocent heart is also the reason why he is loved by the majority of fans.
"What you have to do is not only prove yourself. In my heart, you will be the cornerstone of the team and the well-deserved boss. The Rockets will win the championship under your leadership!"
Xu Xin stared at Harden's clear big eyes and spoke word by word.
This was like a word that woke up someone from a dream. The next second, the eyes of the two young people who were still childish seemed to have a ball of fire.
As the afternoon approached, Xu Xin browsed the discussions on the game on ESPN's official website and fan forums.
Beautiful international footballer Yang Yi and A. Smith poured cold water on them:
"The Rockets have won the lottery for three consecutive years and are only one step away from the playoffs. In other words, if placed in the Eastern Conference, the Rockets have already entered the playoffs.
However, the team actually chose to tear it down and start over in the summer. Giving up the team's top six scorers is quite explosive when looking at the entire history of the league. "
"The oldest player on the team is actually the third-year rookie, Patrick Patterson."
"Although the team welcomed Harden, he has never proven that he has the ability to lead the team to victory on his own.
In addition to Harden, Jeremy Lin and Asik, who the Rockets locked up with two poisonous contracts in the summer, are also players with obvious advantages and disadvantages.
Judging from the paper strength of such a lineup, it has declined significantly compared with last year. "
"The overall age structure of the Rockets is too young, so rebuilding is not a bad thing.
But the current group of young people, except for Harden, are completely lacking in talent and there is no hope.
I wouldn't be surprised if they finish last in the West this season. "
"As for the Pistons, although they have had a poor record like the Rockets in recent years, the team structure is clear.
The inside and outside stars Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight continue to grow, and supplemented by the team's senior veterans Prince, Rodney Stuckey, and Jose Calderon, the team's starting lineup is full of combat effectiveness. .
Also on the bench are this year's No. 9 pick, Andre Drummond, and Duke University's fourth-leading scorer in history, Kyle Singler. "
"This Pistons team has every chance of making the playoffs this year."
"In this opening game, the Pistons will control the game and win."
Xu Xin smiled contemptuously. At first glance, A. Smith's words sounded reasonable, but upon closer analysis, they were all nonsense. If we really can rely on paper strength to determine victory or defeat, then we don't have to play any games this season and just give awards to the Lakers.
The Rockets fan community is also very lively.
"This game is a litmus test for the Rockets. If they can't beat the Pistons, we might as well fight for the No. 1 pick. I think Bennett is good. He can solve the Rockets' power forward problem."
"On this team, Harden and Jeremy Lin are worth looking forward to. The others are really hard to say."
"Can Harden be able to play well? The Rockets paid too much for him."
Fans still pay a lot of attention to the Rockets, but they are also uneasy about their team's summer operations.
As for Xu Xin, he is much more calm.
In the last life, the Rockets used this lineup to defeat the Pistons. Deng, who had been frustrated all summer, scored 37 points and 12 assists, becoming the first player to score 30+10 in the team's debut.
Even if there are any unexpected situations in this game, Xu Xin still has "Hot Condition" to use. Anyway, he is determined to win this game.
On November 1st, Beijing time, the new season officially kicked off at the Auburn Hills Palace Arena.
On the live broadcast platform, teachers Su Kui and Yang Jian were guest commentators analyzing the game.
"Hello, viewers, welcome to watch the live broadcast of the game, the game between the Rockets and the Pistons."
"Teacher Su Kui, what do you think the trend of this game will be?"
Yang Jian asked.
"The Rockets can be said to have changed their appearance this season. In the post-Yao and Mai era, the team's veterans were not competitive enough in the past few years, so it would be a wise move to start over this summer."
“But the team is not competitive enough in the free agent market and cannot attract stars, and even second-rate stars are not willing to come to the Rockets.
The team can only sign Jeremy Lin and Asik with two poisonous contracts. But whether it is poisoning others or poisoning oneself is still a matter of debate. "
"Indeed, the Rockets' record in recent years has been neither good nor bad. They have won the lottery for three consecutive years. No star is willing to waste time in rebuilding the team."
Yang Jian echoed.
