God's hand behind the scenes

Chapter 179
The time of the training camp is neither short nor long, and the level the team has reached can only be known by pulling mules or horses out for a walk.But before the start of the preseason, there is another important category of games, and that is the summer league.

In fact, the summer league is just a general term, referring to a series of competitions played by NBA teams during the NBA offseason.Generally, NBA teams will try a summer league lineup different from the regular season at this time, which will generally contain a large number of rookies and second-year students, as well as unsigned free agents that the team will investigate.Of course, big-name free agents are not included. What they enjoy is star treatment, and they only need to sit on the sidelines and eat popcorn.

To Chang Wei's surprise, the Utah, Orlando, and Las Vegas summer leagues that were officially recognized by the NBA in his previous life have not yet been born. Currently, NBA teams can only participate in the Rocky Mountain Summer League and the Southern California Summer League.What Chang Wei didn’t know was that the Rocky Mountain Summer League was actually the predecessor of the Utah Summer League. In 2009, due to too few participating teams, the Rocky Mountain Summer League was officially suspended. In 2015, the Jazz re-hosted the league and renamed it Utah. summer league.

This time the 76ers are going to compete in the Rocky Mountain Summer League. The main purpose is to examine the two rookies selected this year, Mason and Reid.Of course, as the head coach, Brown will not lead the team in person. This is also the practice of all teams participating in the summer league. He sent Kate, his number one assistant coach, and told him to give more playing time to the two rookies.

However, Chang Wei also asked to join the team in the summer league. He wanted to see the training results of Mason and Reed in advance.Although they have shown certain strength in the training camp, they dare not to fight with such intensity is not at the same level as the official competition.Although there will be no top stars in the summer league, the participating players all hope to impress the head coach and win a formal contract or more playing time. They will work hard on the field.

Brown readily agreed to Chang Wei's request, and Kate couldn't have wished for it even more. In his opinion, with such a big player in player training, the summer league is even more guaranteed.Of course, for any team, the summer league record is not worth mentioning. They care more about the performance of the players themselves, but Kate also wants to prove her ability to lead the team and lay a solid foundation for coaching other teams in the future. This is also the promotion mechanism for many head coaches in the league in their careers.

There are not many teams participating in the Rocky Mountain Summer League, only 10 teams at full count, and the 76ers are not the only ones flying all the way from the East to participate.In fact, there were 16 teams participating in the Rocky Mountain Summer League in the past two years, but now it has gradually declined, and 10 teams is not a small number.

Kate and Chang Wei didn't delay, they quickly organized the team's rookies, fringe players and some players who had only signed training camp contracts, and boarded the plane to Utah.After arriving in the competition city, they rested for a while, and then they devoted themselves to the summer league. Although the record is not important, the tactics still need to be well arranged.

Chang Wei didn't know Kate's level of coaching, but at least he listened to Brown, and Mason and Reid were put into the starting lineup without hesitation.Others also know that these two are rookies selected this year, and they must be the team's key training targets, so they are naturally willing to help them. Of course, they will work hard in their limited playing time.

The other 9 participating teams also sent their rookies selected this year. They have almost the same idea as Brown, and want to see the strength of the rookies.But they were soon surprised to find that the overall strength of the two rookies of the 76ers was much higher than that of other rookies. Although they were a little immature due to their experience, they at least showed their own style.

It would be fine if it was Mason who performed strongly, but he was also the 15th pick in the first round, not a high pick in the draft, but he was also the best player after the lottery. He performed better, that is, Reed was selected with the 76th overall pick in the second round, which has to make others feel depressed.

Missing Mason, at most, is a pity for more than a dozen teams, but missing Reid, then the remaining 28 teams in the league will cry.In fact, Reid himself is not that tough, but the training plan Chang Wei gave him was completely aimed at his shooting, and he brought his characteristics and strengths to the extreme, which blinded the onlookers.

In all games played for the 76ers, Reid averaged 27.4 points and 3.2 assists per game, and his three-point shooting percentage was as high as 39.4%, making him the top shooter in the summer league.Especially in the finals, Reid scored 13 points on 9 of 44 shots from beyond the three-point line, helping the 76ers win the Summer League championship in one fell swoop, and he himself was awarded the MVP.

Although Mason's statistics are not as strong as Reed's, they are not far behind, averaging 16.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, which made Kate shine.However, Chang Wei still expressed his composure. In his previous life, Mason was able to become one of Reed's most important helpers.

The only thing that makes Chang Wei feel a little regretful is that Mason's desire to score is still too strong. Originally, he planned to make Mason into a flank defensive gate.However, Mason's average contributions of 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game have met Chang Wei's expectations. Although this has something to do with the overall strength of the opponent, it is not bad to be able to play such data on the defensive end.

Overall, Chang Wei is quite satisfied with Reed and Mason's performance, presumably they have also earned themselves a lot of impression points.Brown really doesn't like to use young players, but this is because he doesn't believe in the strength of rookies. As long as the players show good strength, he will give them enough playing time. After all, no one will refuse immediate combat power.

After the summer league ended, it was time for the preseason. Chang Wei wanted to see if there was any chemical reaction in this brand new 76ers team.What makes him regret is that there are no props in the Miracle Mall that can improve the team's running-in. Otherwise, Chang Wei must exchange one for the team. Although he is not the head coach, he can also contribute to the team. .

Of course the team doesn't care about the preseason record, but Chang Wei does. In his opinion, the only goal of the 76ers is the championship. If they can't even win the preseason, what's the point?

(End of this chapter)