The Legend of Small Steel Cannons in the NBA

Chapter 7 Teammates
As a Catholic Jesuit university in Philadelphia, St. Joseph's EMBA program is ranked 20th in the country.Marketing, accounting, finance graduate programs and management majors are ranked 20th, 23rd, 23rd and 24th in the country respectively. In 2011, the undergraduate marketing major ranked 19th.It is a famous school in the country and is very competitive.But basketball is another matter. For the first time in 32 years, it has not made it to the top 64 of the NCAA basketball league, and it is also in the bottom ranks in the Big East.

Now the situation has changed, because the school team has recruited a high school talent this time, and he is Kyle Lowry.There is also Kyle's high school teammate, nearly seven feet tall, a potential big man Smith Kawhi, in addition, the 6.6-foot pitcher Larry Bergratz is also very good, There is physicality, confrontation and defense.Coupled with the original team, Mattelly is confident that he will leave the position of deputy squad leader and move towards the middle or upper reaches.By next year, the lineup will be working together. With a good record and attracting a few good players, there is great hope to enter the NCAA tournament.

Today is the first day of the training camp, the day the school starts.Mattelly is in a good mood now. Looking at these young guys, he smiled, cleared his throat, and started his first speech of the new season.

"It's the beginning of a new season, we're back together again, let's forget the misfortunes of the past, we'll take on new challenges, and nothing will be the same, because we've added a few new looks with great potential, I need you guys Unite as one, do your best, work hard to improve, and play well in every game. Now, let me introduce our newcomers this year." Mattelly's voice is not high, but it has a different appeal. "Kyle Lowry, our new leader, I'm sure you've all heard his name, he's explosive, he's strong, he's tough, he's an elite defense, he can do anything, I'm sure he can lead us out Dilemma."

There was thunderous applause.The name of a man, the bark of a tree!As a gifted high school student in Philadelphia, everyone has heard about it for a long time. His fame shows that his strength has been honed repeatedly and his skills can stand the test.For this group of mediocre, half-baked teams, Kyle is their tranquilizer. His arrival has allowed them to regain their confidence and belief. He was the backbone of the league's vice squad leader last year. His reputation successfully helped him determine the leadership position. No one will be dissatisfied!At least there was no dissatisfaction written on their faces.

After introducing the freshmen, Mattelly delivered another impassioned speech. The boys responded neatly and with great momentum. The old man nodded secretly, and then disbanded for free activities, allowing the group of young people to get to know each other.

The first few days were just a simple warm-up, and the time passed quickly, and Kyle basically had an understanding of the strength of this group.There are now 12 players on the roster, and besides the three freshmen, only three of the old players have their strengths in his eyes.This year's senior captain Kelly, who serves as a power forward, is 6.7 feet tall, tall and mighty, with strong explosive power and fast speed. He was one of last year's starting five.But his offensive skills are rough, dunks are his only means of offense, and he is good at defense and blocking shots, especially chasing blocks.

Martin, last year's starting shooting guard, is a junior this year. He is 6.4 feet tall. He is also a defensive player. He has fast speed, excellent athletic ability, average ability to attack with the ball, and poor basic skills. Cutting dunks and layups are his strengths. Also did a good job.

Last year's point guard, 6.1 feet tall, with a desolate body and a weak body, Harsh is a white guy. He is a sophomore this year.The disadvantage is that he is extremely unstable, and his biting close defense often makes him at a loss, with poor confrontation, many mistakes, and difficult breakthroughs.This year, his starting position will be replaced by Kyle. Of course, the substitute status may be more suitable for him.

As for the rest, it seems ordinary.Rookie Larry Bergratz is a shooting player who can run, jump and defend. However, his ability to hold the ball is poor, he makes many mistakes, is unstable, and his mind is prone to heat. He is an emotional player.

Smith has a mid-range shot, but he has poor confrontation, poor athletic ability, poor strength, he can't dribble, he will make mistakes when he dribbles, and his footsteps are slow. There are a lot of shortcomings.But his height is there, a natural barrier for defense.

Overall, the strength of this group of teammates is very poor, and the top-notch starters are at an average level in the entire university, even comparable to the strength of the substitutes in those prestigious schools.He came to this conclusion because Kyle was very clear about his own strength. In high school, he didn't belong to the top group. In college, he could only be at the upper-middle level.

As the brain and leader of the team, he must do more and better. He must first be familiar with and observe the strengths, weaknesses and characteristics of each teammate, so as to facilitate tacit cooperation in the game and strive to win.Now this team will be led by him, and the NCAA championship is his lowest goal.In view of the limited strength of his teammates, he always has a sense of urgency. He arrives at the earliest and leaves at the latest every day to practice shooting, especially three-pointers.Kyle knows his shortcomings, the three-point range is outrageous, and the jump shot is unstable. It is time to realize the results of those two months of special training, but this requires a long time of thinking and practice.

In two months, he has cultivated a sense of breath and his wrists and fingers are no longer so stiff, but he still can't fully grasp the feel of the ball, and his shooting feels very awkward, and his unguarded three-point shooting percentage still stays at 50. %up and down.Of course, there are also many gains. He has greater strength, stronger explosive power, higher bounce, faster speed, better flexibility, longer endurance, etc. Although the changes are very small, he really feels it.The most important thing is that he has actually grown taller. Originally, he was 6.0 feet tall with shoes on, which is 1.83 meters. Now his net height is the same as before with shoes on. This change makes him very happy.

The cultivation cannot be stopped, the training must be strengthened, and the group competition will start tomorrow, it is time to show your strength.Everything seems normal. Since Kyle came to St. Joseph University, he has basically been in the arena, accompanied by basketball. The life of three points and one line is simple and fulfilling. He eats, sleeps and trains every day.But most of the school team are not so obedient, especially those old fritters, the usual training is already hard enough, they spend more of their spare time on women's bellies, as for extra training, there is no way, no It is a blessing to be late and not lazy.Kyle shook his head secretly in his heart. These bastards have poor talent and don't work hard, but want to enter the NBA to make a lot of money. How can there be such a good thing?But he can't control it, everyone has their own life choices, he can only be himself.

(End of this chapter)