Two advantages 36: 35.
Two advantages Amazed by the student’s “shamelessness,” but Johnson did not stop him.
Zhang Yang had indeed made significant progress in ball-handling compared to last week.
The key was his audacity!
Having improved, he dared to apply his skills on the court.
Tatum thought Zhang Yang would practice for another week or two before daring to handle the ball in a match, but Zhang Yang was not afraid of embarrassment—if he learned something, he used it.
Johnson found this praiseworthy; the opponent in front of them was weak, providing a perfect opportunity for Zhang Yang to gain experience, so he let him go ahead.
Once Tatum replaced DeRozan on the court, Johnson’s idea of giving Zhang Yang a knock on the head was extinguished.
After Tatum entered the game, Zhang Yang immediately switched back to a tactical supporting role, allowing the stronger-receiving Kanter, the better-close-range shooter Miller, and the team’s best three-point shooter Keith to perform, while he himself energetically engaged in running drills.
Johnson discovered two more of Zhang Yang’s strengths—”shamelessness” and a sense of measure.
During this match, Zhang Yang played continuously until the game ended.
Johnson increased the time DeRozan and Tatum played together to let them build chemistry.
With both of them on at the same time, the similarly tall Zhang Yang had to be substituted off naturally.
Although Zhang Yang was very talented, for now, those two were considered by the coaching staff to be the future dual cores of the main team.
The playing styles of the two were compatible; Tatum was good at breaking through, and although DeRozan was also good at penetration, he excelled more at shooting.
There were conditions for them to make the game easier for each other—they just lacked understanding.
Therefore, they needed to play together more to develop that chemistry.
As for the competition between them, main team players Afflalo and Hip had been competing since the 9th grade and had risen together into the national top hundred, getting stronger continuously—healthy competition within the team was beneficial.
The match wasn’t suspenseful; Compton High School’s junior varsity team defeated St.
George High School’s varsity team with a score of 111 to 69, winning this warm-up match.
Today Zhang Yang only played for 23 minutes, but he scored more points than the previous game, scoring 21 points with 2 field goals, 3 layups in set plays, 4 counter-attack points, and 3 free throws, plus 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, showcasing his physical abilities.
Today, fewer people came to watch the game at Allen Sports Arena; only about half of the seats were filled.
After the previous game, the performance of the “Number One Junior High Student” disappointed many, and the school newspaper questioned the decision of the basketball coaching staff to let the junior varsity team participate in the Southern California League, resulting in a significant drop in the enthusiasm of the students to watch the junior varsity team’s games.
They did not expect today’s victory to be so effortless!
Those who watched the last game could clearly see the improvement in the players’ teamwork!
Moreover, they discovered that a genius suddenly emerged on the junior varsity team!
Tatum, Miller, and Keith had already made a name for themselves among the school’s basketball enthusiasts when they played in the freshman team competitions in the 9th grade.
DeRozan was already well-known as the top junior high school player in Southern California.
Zhang Yang, who scored 21 points, seemed to have popped out of nowhere.
Many students wanted to know who this mysterious Eastern boy was… especially the female students…
The next day, a new week began, and Zhang Yang had another 6 days of leveling up time.
He deeply realized the accuracy of the phrase, “actual combat plus training is the best way to improve one’s skills.”
For a player like him, whose basics were not solid, training was the main thing.
He had learned counterattack advancement from Tatum over the weekend and had also put it into practice during the game; he knew where he needed to focus on improving.
Because of his shaky fundamentals, he needed a lot of patient training.
If, like the freshman and varsity teams, he had two matches a week, he truly felt that there wouldn’t be enough time.
The deficiencies discovered in the last game might not even have begun to be addressed before the next game arrived, and then other issues would be discovered, continually accumulating.
Problems didn’t just arise from playing in matches; they were always there, but being exposed brought pressure.
When issues built up to a certain level, one might feel like giving up.
Moderate pressure is best.
That’s why high school coaches constantly complain about the reform of the first-division league schedule, which doesn’t allow players any chance to rest once the league starts, with a game every two or three days.
However, a tight schedule for the freshman team is reasonable.
These days, Zhang Yang had noticed that among the 9th-grade freshman players, there were only one or two who, like DeRozan, would seriously practice their fundamentals every day.
There was a white power forward named Alfred Aboya who had successfully caught the attention of the coaching staff, and Zhang Yang often saw Thomas watching the younger student’s training.
Most freshmen, thinking highly of themselves because they were the stars of their middle schools, did not realize their actual level.
These players could only be trained through games and be shown that they aren’t as good as they think, unless they are exceptional like DeRozan, who could skip the freshman team phase directly.
After a year, the dozen or so who performed well would be selected for the junior varsity team, recognizing their shortcomings and willing to seriously practice fundamentals and tactics.
At the same time, it prepares them for playing supporting roles…
even in high school, it’s quite merciless.
Of course, if someone shows traits fitting the junior varsity team’s needs early on, the coaching staff would move them up ahead of time.
Classes, practicing ball control, shooting, counter-attacks…
Several “clangs” and days pass, and the date is August 29th, Friday.
Today is a day off for the whole of Compton High School as it’s the school’s anniversary.
Being a century-old high school, the 111th anniversary celebration is bustling.
Performing and such was unrelated to Zhang Yang; girls in his class had invited him to perform with them, but he declined, considering it a waste of time to practice.
During the first week of school, Zhang Yang could only talk to the girls in his class since the boys were rather cold to him, this transfer student.
Those in his class had been competing from a young age, and relations would have been easier to establish if he had entered high school at the same time as them.
But for someone joining midway, it would take more time to build rapport.
Therefore, it was the more superficial girls who took the initiative to talk to him, but this only caused the boys to be colder to him…
until they found out he was a member of the school’s junior varsity team.
For high school students, the three biggest hobbies are gaming, chasing celebrities, and sports.
For Zhang Yang’s classmates, gaming was a poison, they restrained themselves from celebrity-worship, but sports were different.
Parents, teachers, and even the students themselves thought it was healthy and beneficial, and having a formal team member from classes A and B was a rare feat.
When the second week’s school newspaper reported that someone from the ‘top class’ had joined the basketball junior varsity team, his male classmates became curious about him and started contacting this rare ‘top class’ sports talent.
Zhang Yang wasn’t the aloof type like DeRozan; he was good at conversing and enjoyed making friends.
Though not yet close with his classmates, he could chat away with them.
Although he didn’t participate in the performance, on such a festive day, he still went to join the fun.
The school anniversary performance was in the afternoon, and Zhang Yang first went to the practice court to play ball after arriving at school in the morning.
As expected, DeRozan was also at the practice court.
And unexpectedly, he saw a spherical guy!
Seeing Zhang Yang look over, Harden enthusiastically greeted him, “Hi, Jack, heard you made the junior varsity team?
Haha, we can play against each other the day after tomorrow!”
“Long time no see, James,” Zhang Yang greeted back and asked curiously, “Aren’t you supposed to arrive the morning after tomorrow?
How come you’re here today?”
Compton High School’s junior varsity team is set to play against Harden’s Lynwood High School junior varsity team this weekend.
This season, Lynwood High School, like Compton High School, had its junior varsity team signed up for the Southern California league.
Before Harden could reply, DeRozan answered, “This guy heard about our school anniversary performance and took today off.
He ran back yesterday afternoon and got a spanking from his mom.”
Asking for monthly tickets!
Asking for recommendation tickets!