One Year Left to Play-Chapter 237 - 81: Lifespan Received From Afar

So, when the rookie showdown happened, the media had something to hype up again.

The Pistons didn't talk trash like they did 10 years ago after being blown out by a certain someone. Grant Hill and Joe Dumars both gave high praise for his performance last night.

But no one cared. Although Grant Hill was very popular, he hadn't achieved anything significant yet and couldn't change the public's impression of the Bad Boys.

...

"Aix actually analyzed the game thoroughly already, this memory..."

In the afternoon, Zhang Hao went to the arena to learn from Chris Owen, Randy Whitman, and Alvan Adams. First, the three of them reviewed and analyzed last night's game with him.

Soon, they discovered Zhang Hao had already analyzed it himself.

Zhang Hao didn't refuse to analyze the game footage again. First, he played the game as an insider, and then analyzed it from an outsider's perspective. This probably allowed him to understand the situation better than others. After all, no one knew his own abilities better than he did, but he also wanted to understand others' perspectives.

During the discussion and analysis, the coaches naturally could feel that Zhang Hao had already done a comprehensive analysis.

Zhang Hao definitely didn't have the video materials yet; they only got them after lunch from the staff who had just returned to the arena. The staff got back later than the team, staying in Detroit to wait and get the American Cable TV Station's video copies.

They could only understand it as Zhang Hao having a good memory, but they weren't too surprised. Zhang Hao's "memory" was well-known.

Because of this, the discussion on analyzing the video footage became more valuable. Zhang Hao, the player, already had a very targeted analysis, so the discussion was more focused, and the analysis based on his feelings as the person involved was also more valuable.

Seizing the momentum, in the afternoon, they each conducted 30 minutes of enhanced training in shooting, passing, and footwork movement defense under the basket.

Then came Zhang Hao's passing accuracy training again.

The benefits of the learning mode were evident. The previous day's game left him completely exhausted, but today he felt almost unaffected after waking up, although the afternoon training wasn't too much.

Recovery also has its limits. If you push yourself to exhaustion every day, over time, accumulated fatigue will become a risk for injuries.

The key is moderation, allowing your body to maintain a good state throughout the long season to stay healthy.

Being healthy allows you to play and live longer.

The day's training was productive. Some aspects needing improvement have to wait for tomorrow's team training, and the day after tomorrow, they'll face the challenge of the Toronto Raptors.

Training ended at 5:30 in the afternoon. While taking a shower, Zhang Hao received a prompt!

"Contract player Wang Zhizhi played 29 minutes representing the Hoya Dog Team against the Texas Mustangs, scoring 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks, helping the Hoya Dog Team defeat the Texas Mustangs 79 to 61. Congratulations to the host for gaining two days of life. Since Wang Zhizhi is the host's first official contract player, the reward is doubled; congratulations, host, for gaining 4 days of life."

Remaining life: 434 days, available life: 433 days.

Seeing this notification, Zhang Hao was initially stunned, then incredibly happy: "Oh right, today is Da Zhi's college debut!"

"He played 29 minutes... Right, he's adjusting his playing style, but there won't be an immediate fluctuation in ability. Initially, he's still the best center from the World Youth Championship. There might be stronger college centers, but he's definitely one of the best. This performance is pretty good..."

After taking a shower, he used a cell phone to call Xinhuanet's Washington station to have them convey a message to Wang Zhizhi to offer congratulations.

For now, there's nothing much to instruct, mainly because he doesn't have the capability. The direction for a center to adjust his playing style can be suggested, but specific details should be handled by a famous coach, so he shouldn't interfere.

There are over 30 NCAA games a year; if they make it to March Madness, there might be 5 more games. Zhang Hao calculated an average of 3 days of life per game... Wang Zhizhi would at least give him an additional 100 days of life!

With Georgetown University's ability, they certainly won't win only half of their games in a year; they have Iverson, a sophomore!

"Very beautiful, very beautiful..."

...

...

Rookie showdowns have always been a major highlight.

Zhang Hao just broke Chamberlain's rookie debut scoring record; he will face the top favorite for the 1995 Rookie of the Year.

Actually, whether in terms of ability or talent, Damon Stoudamire isn't acknowledged as the strongest in the 1995 class.

But Damon Stoudamire has a huge advantage over others— the Raptors just officially joined the NBA on April 25 this year and chose 13 players from other teams on June 25 to establish a team.

Like the Magic a few years ago, the Raptors' projected record suggests a 20-win season if everything goes well, making them one of the favorite teams for a top draft pick.

A talented, immediately impactful rookie joining such a team doesn't need to worry about ball possession or shot opportunities, enjoying better treatment than Garnett early on. High ball possession and shot opportunities naturally lead to good stats, which is what determines the Rookie of the Year.

Compared to the Grizzlies' pick, Bryant Reeves, Damon Stoudamire, being a point guard, naturally has an advantage.

On November 2, during the Raptors' regular season opener against the Pacers, although the Raptors got beaten badly by the Pacers 117-89, Damon Stoudamire exploded for 26 points, 11 assists, and 4 steals.

The shooting percentage wasn't pretty, just 7 out of 23, but his playmaking ability was impressive.

Despite being less than 180 cm tall, his vision for passing was indeed outstanding.

On November 3, the day after the Raptors played the Pacers, Damon Stoudamire followed the Raptors to Rutherford Town.

Breathing in the fresh air of the urban-rural interface, Damon Stoudamire felt very comfortable.

The hotel here is average, and the living conditions are average... But as long as it's not six months of ice and snow, Damon Stoudamire likes it.

Looking at Zhang Hao's billboard being installed by the roadside, Damon Stoudamire felt quite jealous.

To become a superstar, the first step is to dominate his class.

Yesterday he was crushed by Mark Jackson... his personal offense almost got defended to tears.

Today, he plans to bounce back. After all, being a college graduate, he understands how significant a few more years of playing can be at their age. Not to mention comparing it to entering college, he feels that his senior season was a leap ahead of his junior season.

It doesn't matter if the veterans can beat him or not; he's confident against rookie peers!

His first target for the new season was set on the night of November 1, after watching the Brooklyn Nets and Pistons game—Zhang Hao!

...

November 4, the day of the Brooklyn Nets' second game of the new season, arrived.

In the morning, Zhang Hao woke up on time. His biological clock was fully established; as long as he could sleep before midnight and enter study mode, he could wake up on time.

The key is not suffering from insomnia. As long as he's in bed before midnight and initiates study mode, even if he has insomnia, he can fall asleep by midnight.

Thinking about how in the future he'd suffer from insomnia, play on his phone until three or four in the morning before sleeping, and only get his energy focused in the afternoon... Zhang Hao really appreciated how he felt now.

Last night, after the first three days of the new season, a total of 15 games were played; all 29 teams' opening games were completed.

Currently, he, Mr. Zhang, is at the top of the scoring list!

Being in this spot for three days, Zhang Hao found it invigorating.

Unfortunately, back then, the internet and computers were underdeveloped, and the NBA website was overly simple, with almost non-existent traffic. Otherwise, hanging on the top of the scoring list and seeing it when opening the website...

The second-highest scorer was Michael Jordan, who in the opener against the Hornets, attempted 29 shots, managing to secure 42 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, with his prowess shattering the rumors of him being too old and ineffective.

However, the hottest topic currently wasn't Zhang Hao's record or Jordan's sustained glory; it was Magician starting to accept the league's tests.