McHale nodded and added:
"I looked at the data from the Lakers' first nine games. Artest averaged 6 three-pointers per game, but only made 1.8. That's exactly 30% of his field goal percentage. Kobe was about the same."
"So, the more shots they shoot, the better it is for us. As long as we protect the rebounds, we will have opportunities to counterattack. Our counterattack speed is difficult for them to deal with."
Xu Xin looked like you know it.
"The team's defensive training has been somewhat effective during this period. Depending on the situation tomorrow, we can change to zone defense for some periods of time."
McHale rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"I think it's better to focus on four players. If you choose to focus on Nash or Kobe, it depends on the situation on the court."
Xu Xin thought for a while and replied.
"OK!"
McHale is very satisfied with such a partnership. The manager understands the game and there is no barrier to communication between the two.
On the morning of November 19, Xu Xin was the first to arrive at the arena, waiting for the players to conduct pre-match training.
Of course, he wasn't just here to watch, there was something more important.
2 minutes after Xu Xin arrived, Butler came to the gym. He is indeed the most diligent one. Every time he trains, he has to practice alone an hour earlier than the scheduled time.
"The manager came too early!"
Butler greeted Xu Xin with a smile.
"I'm here to watch your training. It's going to be a tough battle against the Lakers tonight."
Xu Xin responded.
"I'll do my best."
Butler showed determination.
"Jimmy, I believe hard work can make up for failure. Besides, your talent is so outstanding. If you keep practicing like this, you will become a superstar in the league. Believe me, that day is very close."
Xu Xin said seriously.
Butler was stunned for a moment, confused by Xu Xin's encouragement. The manager said I could become a superstar?
They think too highly of me. My goal is just to be selected as an All-Star and get a big contract.
But superficial work still had to be done. Looking at Xu Xin's fiery eyes, Butler grinned shyly:
"I also believe I can do it, thank you, manager."
"Let's go train."
"OK!"
Looking at Butler's back practicing strength alone, Xu Xin calmly exchanged a "Talent Cash" and used it on Butler.
A beam of light invisible to the naked eye flew towards Butler in an instant, and then disappeared from his body.
Butler only felt that his strength increased instantly. Is it so easy to weigh 150 kilograms?
he muttered.
Ten minutes later, Harden also came to the arena.
He sees Butler's diligence. As the self-proclaimed boss of the team, Harden cannot fall behind.
Xu Xin was very satisfied with this. In his previous life, Harden was still very high-spirited when he came out of the Rockets.
But after he signed a big contract, he began to indulge in a life of extravagance and wealth, transforming into a little nightclub prince. Basketball almost became his side job.
This is one of the reasons why Xu Xin traded to Butler. With such a strong, hard-working, and desperate guy playing, Harden will work harder.
"Good morning, manager, it seems I'm the first one to come to training."
Harden said with a playful smile, his personality more cheerful.
"I'd love to say yes, but I can't lie. Well, Jimmy has started working on his strength training. He arrived ten minutes ago."
"Hey, this guy is always such a spoiler. Why are you here so early? Why don't you want to sleep?"
Harden looked furious, but the smile on his face remained undiminished. This is what the so-called heroes cherish each other.
"I'm going to train too, see you later!"
Harden trotted away, entered the gym and started practicing.
Xu Xin was very pleased, but there was also a hint of worry in his heart. Butler wanted to be the boss. He hoped that the two could coexist harmoniously and work together to win the next dynasty for the Rockets.
Xu Xin shook his head. It was still early to think about this. We should first win this year's championship.
I exchanged another "Talent Cash" and used it on Harden.
Harden was squatting deeply, and the next second he felt that his whole body was full of strength, and the weight seemed much lighter.
He was a little confused, stopped, and checked around the barbell. Was the weight added correctly? Is that why I'm excited?
Harden scratched his beard, puzzled.
After a moment, he stopped thinking about it and added weight. Butler, who was doing bench press next to him, was also holding a barbell and adding weight.
Others in the team also arrived at the arena one after another.
Asik was the first to come to the gym. After warming up, he saw Butler who had just finished bench pressing and said jokingly:
"Thank you for adding the warm-up weights for me."
Then he lay down and started bench pressing. He lifted it with 80% of his strength. He used to do it easily, but today he didn't even lift it.
This didn't bother Asik. He turned to look at Butler and saw a playful smile on Butler's face.
"Today is different, brother."
Butler raised his eyebrows.
Asik used all his strength to lift the barbell. After pushing it more than twenty times, he reached the limit.
Panting, he stood up and said to Butler:
"What's going on? Why has your bench press weight increased so much? You're now the same as me!"
"I don't know, maybe I'm too handsome."
Butler spread his hands and said in a sultry voice.
After the strength training, the players began training with the ball.
The league's training methods are indeed advanced. After practicing strength, training on shooting, dribbling, passing and other events can effectively improve the players' endurance, allowing the players to maintain their movements without deformation after intense physical confrontation.
Since there is a game tonight, the training intensity will not be high and there will be no intra-team training matches.
The players spontaneously organized a three-point shooting contest after ball training and defensive training.
The rules are slightly different from the All-Star Three-Point Contest. There are 5 points, namely the bottom corners on both sides, 45 degrees on both sides and the top of the arc. In the absence of flowers, 6 balls are shot for a total of 30 points and one and a half minutes of shooting time.
The champion will receive a bonus of 10,000 yuan, which will be shared by the players participating in the game.
In the past, the champions of the team's three-point contest were often produced among Ariza, Parsons and Delfino. They are also the three people with the highest three-point shooting percentage according to the Rockets' statistics.
But things seem to have changed today.
Parsons shot 23 points and Delfino scored 22 points. When Ariza shot 25 points and thought he was sure of victory, Butler also shot 25 points.
You know, before this, Butler's best performance was only 20 points.
This is not over yet. Harden, who played in the finale, hit 26 consecutive goals and scored a record 28 points!
Harden smiled from ear to ear and naturally received the 10,000 bonus.
Everyone looked at each other, could it be that extra practice in advance is so effective?
I immediately made up my mind to arrive earlier for the next training session.
Xu Xin didn't know that his actions had a positive impact on the entire team, and the best team in the league was born.
