One Year Left to Play-Chapter 261 - 93: The Counterattack Army, Pacers
Warcraft II, huh!
Finally, a game with a "futuristic feel". Nowadays, it's still okay if you play games with others—you can discuss plots and how to clear the levels—but playing alone, it's really not engaging.
As for Warcraft II, it can basically be seen as an inferior version of the Frozen Throne in terms of graphics!
It's a lot more playable! This was probably the earliest real-time strategy game, even though it was just on a local area network.
Returning to the apartment, Zhang Hao opened the computer that hadn't been used in a few days. Kenny Anderson's laptop had the game CD installed yesterday, so once Zhang Hao installed it, they could play on the LAN together.
The installation process... slow...
"Aix, are you developing the Turnaround Fadeaway lately?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll have to take your time. Coleman took two to three years to really master this move. You're more diligent than him, and your learning ability should be better too, but it probably won't be something you can master in a short time."
"I know, but the later you start practicing, the later you'll master it."
"Oh, man, you have to remember that as your skillset increases, there's still a focus. The techniques you're currently most proficient in and suited to should be your main focus. Like when you encounter opponents like Thomas, you can initiate with a post-up, but if your post-up isn't practiced enough to handle certain opponents, don't force it. You need to watch videos of post-up masters, find the styles that suit you, and don't practice blindly without understanding anything..."
Kenny Anderson kicked back into chattering mode once again...
After Kenny Anderson finished his long speech, Zhang Hao responded, "I got it."
After such a lengthy talk, all he got in return was the short phrase "I got it," but Kenny Anderson was used to it.
As long as he understands, it's good!
If the younger guy understands so easily, it's almost like saying he, the leader, was teaching well!
...
Played games for the entire morning, ordered pizza with Kenny Anderson at noon, played games for the afternoon until 4 PM, and ended a relaxed, pleasant day.
Kenny Anderson went home, and Zhang Hao resumed training after dinner...
Occasional relaxation is fine, but now that a decision is made to develop a new skill, one must seriously develop it, making the most of the time.
Standing on the shoulders of the basketball world giant, Jordan, learning the Turnaround Fadeaway ensures there's always something to practice.
When learning a new skill, the hardest part is really the entry.
Some players never get the chance to even start learning certain techniques; they're completely unfit for them. Zhang Hao is well aware of this.
However, he entered the Turnaround Fadeaway quickly; his entry into the post-up Turnaround Fadeaway was also quick. That's why he decided to diligently practice it, starting with catching the ball and executing a Turnaround Fadeaway from the beginning. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Two more nights passed, reaching November 16, the game day for the Brooklyn Nets' seventh match of the season, welcoming the Indiana Pacers' challenge.
Pacers are currently 4 wins and 2 losses, temporarily ranking fourth in the East. Zhang Hao doesn't have a deep understanding of the Pacers.
In the past, he used to boast with basketball enthusiast friends about the 90s, speaking with confidence, but now he finds more familiarity mixed with strangeness.
He knows who's there, knows what major events will happen, but apart from that, he's clueless.
He previously played a preseason game against the Pacers, but didn't understand much. Today, during the preparation phase, Zhang Hao gained a deeper understanding of the Pacers.
This team can be considered a representation of a comeback!
Reggie Miller, what a flamboyant presence during college, second only to Jabbar in all-time scoring in NCAA's prestigious history, and even surpassing Jabbar in season-high scoring average.
But in the draft, he fell to the 11th pick, which wasn't a lottery pick back then.
In his first NBA season, he wasn't valued, until his second year, during a game between the Pacers and the Bulls, Reggie Miller faced Jordan with an impressive performance of 14-for-8 shooting, 3-for-5 from three-point range, 3-for-3 free throws, scoring 22 points in the game, including two crucial late-game three-pointers, helping the Pacers beat the playoff-capable Bulls 100 to 95. Only then did his abilities catch attention.
Then starting from his third year, Reggie Miller became a strong contender for the league's third best shooting guard.
Mark Jackson, similarly glamorous in college, but fell to the 18th pick in the draft because he was slow. In the NCAA with zone defense, it wasn't a problem, but he was rated as not suitable for the NBA, more suited to European basketball.
But once he entered the NBA, he began his journey of rising above expectations, averaging 13 points and 10.6 assists in his rookie season, earning the Rookie of the Year award, and he remains the lowest draft pick to win Rookie of the Year in NBA history.
Dutch center Rick Schmitz, the second tallest player in the league today, selected second in the first round in 1988, but criticized harshly from the start as an overrated pick, and after his rookie season with only average 11 points and 6 rebounds, the criticism became relentless, with many rookies performing better and not receiving any votes for Rookie of the Year.
But his circumstances are unpredictable. Schmitz played at a mediocre level for a few years, yet as he continued to play, the Pacers got stronger, securing 52 wins last season. He himself was gradually improving, averaging 17.9 points and 7.7 rebounds last season, and in the second round, he averaged 22 points at a 60% shooting rate in 7 games, completely overshadowing Patrick Ewing!
