Chapter 641: Chapter 198: Am I Suffering from Amnesia or Dementia? (2)
The warm-up is done, ready to continue strengthening shooting training. Now he wants to practice catching the ball and shooting based on tactics, focusing on the nearly first-class level turnaround fadeaway training.
Just as he was about to practice, Zhang Hao saw that O’Neal was already practicing low-post moves in the three-second zone with the help of the trainer, turning around for a hook shot.
The training subject is quite interesting. The trainer’s physique is really quite lacking. Their Lakers center is already 100 kilograms and two meters tall. When Mr. Zhang practices post moves, the trainer is more than enough. But in front of O’Neal’s 132 kilograms and 216 centimeters, he’s too small. So they found a 150-kilogram, 203-centimeter security brother from their training facility to help spar.
"Give him a little tip later..."
Zhang Hao didn’t bother with the poor security brother. The work looked pitiful, but he seemed to enjoy it.
And indeed, being a sparring partner for O’Neal is something quite brag-worthy.
Zhang Hao didn’t assign any training for O’Neal but kept praising how awesome O’Neal was, and there’s a reason—fear that O’Neal might over-train and get injured.
He remembered, in the original timeline, O’Neal seemed to have missed more than 30 games in his first season with the Lakers.
He didn’t investigate the reasons at that time, but in the current situation, after Zhang Hao’s analysis, it’s very likely that O’Neal wanted to prove himself because the Magic said he wasn’t worth that much money and that the Lakers gave him the worst contract ever... and so on. This big guy, one of the heaviest in the league, wanted to prove himself.
Zhang Hao recalled, in the original timeline, during O’Neal’s initial two or three seasons with the Lakers, he trained very hard, maintained his physique well.
But he wasn’t healthy at all; later on, when he didn’t train much, became a 140-kilogram big fatty, yet could play more than 70 games in a season.
O’Neal’s weight changes or not, Zhang Hao doesn’t care. No matter what, he is strong. When he gets fatter, he becomes even more dominant defensively, with a ruling power that required the league to add the defensive three-second rule to limit his time in the paint; if he doesn’t gain weight, his athletic ability is even better. There are benefits to both.
Anyway, he is strong.
Zhang Hao hopes O’Neal can be healthier and play more games, that’s enough.
In this Lakers team, besides O’Neal, Van Exel has upgraded to a better passer, with stronger organization skills as Kenny Anderson; Doug Christie is no less than Eddie Jones, though his shooting isn’t as good, he’s stronger at one-on-one plays, more comprehensive in defense; Barkley is a superstar forward that O’Neal has never partnered with, plus Mr. Zhang himself... O’Neal doesn’t need to work hard to get stronger, just naturally getting fatter is fine.
There’s a saying—"The most romantic thing I can think of is watching you slowly get fatter..."
However, if O’Neal wants to train, Zhang Hao will not stop him.
Besides dunking two or three times a game, O’Neal’s one-on-one moves are two tricks: pushing through for a layup, and turnaround hook shot. His touch is much finer than his physique looks. The turnaround hook shot is O’Neal’s main scoring method. This is what O’Neal needs to practice, and Zhang Hao certainly won’t stop him. Practicing in an area he’s good at is always beneficial.
...
Originally, the Magician planned for everyone to meet on the 15th, then spend a few days getting to know each other and start training. Starting effective training eight or nine, ten days early would be pretty good.
However, under Zhang Hao’s leadership, the first day was familiarizing with the training content; by the second day, they entered an effective training mode...
In training, if some players had not yet recovered physically, the focus was on losing weight quickly helping their bodies find the right state, and with so many outer players, they could draw from other training groups to fill in.
After not playing for months, the Lakers players were still very active in starting training. Plus, this roster, along with Zhang Hao directly setting the new season’s goal as the championship, just thinking about it makes one excited. Moreover, Zhang Hao’s thoughtful consideration when analyzing and screening for small-scale cooperation, not making everyone try every tactic, but considering their characteristics. Although Zhang Hao made some assumptions in some tactics, most cooperation practices were quite effective. Effective training naturally makes one more motivated to practice.
Days flew by, and by September 21, when Del Harris and Kurt Rambis returned to the team and came to the training facility at the agreed time with the Magician, they saw the scene of players training diligently...
Even when they arrived at the training facility, the players just greeted them and continued to focus on training, with a look of "Don’t bother us, we can practice on our own."
Is this stealing the rice bowl?
What’s going on!
This image in front of them is definitely not some casual training between players, not just self-directed training, but disciplined, organized, premeditated...
Del Harris, with confusion and a tinge of unease, carefully observed... Huh?
"Isn’t this my tactic? What’s going on?
This... oh oh oh, well done, I’ve been mulling over how to adjust this point. Just let Barkley go hard here, I actually forgot Barkley’s power play ability. Sometimes the simplest and most direct strategy is the best... but...
When did I arrange this training? Have I lost my memory?
I’m not even 60 yet! Dementia? Surely not!"
Just as Del Harris was crashing, falling into self-doubt, the Magician appeared: "How’s it going, Del, we did pretty well, right? Just wait, when the training camp starts, you can directly enter the tactical framework layout and detailed adjustment stage!"
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