I'm not really a role player

Chapter 13 Strength or Single Defense?

Time flies, and a week later, Rick Barnes decided to end the pre-season free, chaotic and even a little sloppy training state.

"Judging from the half-month of training, the departure of PJ, LaMarcus and Daniel, KD, DJ, Damien... and Shelton, their joining, the team's ecology has completely changed..."

In the NCAA last season, Tucker, Aldridge and Daniel Gibson formed the core trio of the Longhorns. Tucker was in the middle and had excellent offense and defense. Aldridge and Gibson were one inside and one outside.

In the new season, the departure of the core trio means that Rick Barnes must establish a new core.

"Last year, we used LaMarcus as the core of the team's offense, and the entire team played inside. But this year, KD plays outside, and DJ and Damien are even more so. Obviously, we have to change our play."

From the inside to the outside, the configuration of the entire team also needs to be reset.

"For the guard combination, AJ needs to occupy a main position, but his organizational attributes are not enough, so we have to use DJ for another position."

AJ Abrams was the 05rd star high school student in the United States in 83. When he chose Deda University, he got some promises. He played as a substitute in the first season. This season, Rick Barnes must fulfill his promises.

He occupies a main position, no one will object.

Abrams' style of play tends to be individual offense, and he has no ability to organize passes. In this way, the position of another main guard can only be DJ Augustin.

"KD can play the two forward positions. We are short of inside this year, so my idea is that he will play the fourth position."

"At the center position, Dexter is still too young. I'm afraid we can only use Aqili for the time being."

"Now, the only question is, at the three, do we use Damien, or Sheldon?"

Four of the five spots were confirmed, and for the remaining one, Rick Barnes oscillated between Li Ke and Damien James.

Both Li Ke and Damien James were recruited by Russell Spleman, and he has no preference for these two.

Rick Barnes also knew this, so he asked Russell Spleman about the main candidate for this position.

"In the past half month, the strengths and weaknesses of Sheldon and Damien, don't you understand?"

Russell Spreeman rolled his eyes.

"Sheldon's defense is better than Damien's, and Damien's offense is better than Shelton's. It depends on what else the main lineup needs."

The Longhorn's main lineup already has three major scorers, Du, Abrams and Augustin. The offense is already a bit overflowing, but the defense, the inside can be handed over to the center, and the outside can't really let Xiao Du attack and defend.
"It can only be Sheldon..."

……

On the practice field at the Frank Irving Center, another Longhorns assistant, Deandouville, rallied everyone.

"The first-year freshmen choose jersey numbers. Note that in the NCAA, numbers ending in 6, 7, 8, and 9 cannot be selected."

It's time to choose a jersey, which means that the real pre-season training is about to begin.

"The one-on-one that has been going on every day during this period of time, I'm afraid it will end here..."

6, 7, 8, and 9 cannot be selected because these four numbers conflict with the referee's gestures.

"So, even if I still want to choose No. 88, it's impossible."

Among the remaining numbers, Li Ke chose number 20 after much deliberation.

"I'm here from 2020, on the 20th, that's what it means."

Xiao Du chose No. 35 because his first coach, Charles Craig, was shot and died at the age of 35.

Augustin picks No. 14, Damien James picks No. 5, Dexter Pittman picks No. 34, Justin Mason picks No. 24…

Everyone has already chosen their jersey numbers, and there is no conflict. Everyone has chosen their favorite numbers.

Rick Barnes also appeared on the training ground after the jersey was selected.

Sure enough, as Li Ke expected, the free training was over.

Next, everyone will get a position they want or don't want from the coaching staff, and then carry out systematic training according to this position.

"Now, we're going to divide the teams into two groups..."

Two groups, one group wears orange, which is the color of the Longhorns, and the other group wears white, which is the main color of the Longhorns jersey.

"The Orange Team: KD, AJ, DJ, Connor Achley, and Sheldon Lee."

"White Team: Damien, Justin Mason, Dexter, Matt Hill and Craig Wendell."

The orange team and the white team, although there is no mention of the main substitute, but anyone who cares understands that the team Durant is in must be the main team.

Such a grouping, only Damien James frowned slightly.

But in the past half month of training, Damien James has faced Li Ke twice, and he was locked by Li Ke's defense twice.

Although dissatisfied with such a grouping, Damien James was a little helpless.

"It's also a freshman, KD, DJ and Sheldon are already the main players of the team..."

"KD and DJ are okay, Sheldon? Why is he?"

"Damien, you are No. 15 in the United States. I think you should start more than Sheldon."

For more than half a month, the Longhorns, like most sports teams, have several small groups with clear distinctions.

Damien James mixed with fellow freshmen Justin Mason and Matt Hill.

Although his little friend was aggrieved for him in front of him, Damien James just shook his head.

The grouping was confirmed and Li Ke became the main force, but he was not so excited.

After half a month of free training, he had already expected to become the main force.

Competing with him is Damien James. Damien James is strong offensively and weak defensively, but the Longhorns have no shortage of scorers. Whether it is the first-year Du Xiao and Augustin, or the second-year Abrams, they are all excellent scorers.

On the contrary, after Tucker left, the Longhorns lacked a player who could defend opponents alone on the outside and do the dirty work of wiping their ass.

And Li Ke is such a player.

Of course, it is the current Li Ke, the temporary Li Ke.

"The future Li Ke will definitely not be doing the job of wiping people's butts!"

The grouping of the training camp was thus determined, and the daily training process was greatly changed as a result.

A long-distance run every day, followed by back and forth passing training, passing and shooting training, running training...

After lunch, it was a high-intensity team training game, and finally watched the video tape prepared by the coaching staff.

The schedule is full, and there is no one-on-one opportunity.

Tucker and Daniel Gibson also left the Frank Owen Center shortly after the start of the training camp.

"Actually, at the beginning, I just wanted to help Rick train the new players in the team... But later, I must admit that you also helped me in some ways, just like you used McGrady's collection as a collection of wrong questions for defense. That is an idea that many people would not have thought of..."

Before leaving, Tucker found Li Ke, chatted a few words, and said goodbye.

"See you next offseason, Sheldon."

Tucker left like this. Before he left, Li Ke watched the single defense of the video intensively. Although it seemed that there was a tendency to upgrade, he failed to upgrade in the end.

On the contrary, in the system, the friendship between him and Tucker broke through 80 points at the moment Tucker left.

"Is it strength or single defense?"

(End of this chapter)