Skiles and Brian were stunned. They both looked at Chen Yu, waiting for an explanation.
Chen Yu said, "We need Sean’s help defense to cover for Dirk."
And the fee wasn’t cheap—a full two million US dollars.
Everyone ahead of him was a guard.
"Dirk, take a break."
"This isn’t working."
"And on his mid-range shots, his release angle is also very high. With his height, there’s absolutely no need to shoot like that, so I was quite curious."
To sum up the problem, he could score at will against average opponents and easily play at an All-Star level. However, as soon as he faced top-tier defenders like Duncan and Garnett, or teams with excellent overall defense, he struggled to perform like a superstar.
"Especially his free throws. His release angle is consistently between 47 and 48 degrees. That creates a very high arc."
It was also that year that he met the team’s assistant coach, Holger Geschwindner.
So Nowitzki’s free-throw percentage was clearly more significant.
"So, all things considered, Sean is still a better fit for us."
When asked about this, a smile suddenly appeared on Nowitzki’s face. He said a name, using the word "teacher" to describe the person.
Now that the problem was identified, the next step was to figure out how to solve it.
And what were Nowitzki’s advantages?
Chen Yu turned his head to Nelson.
With the Kings and the Pacers, Artest played like a core player. He needed the ball in his hands to be effective.
At the same time, Chen Yu also applied all the available training effects.
Clausen later became a teacher at the middle school Holger attended, and he became Holger’s mentor.
So he chose to shoot.
And he was the one who single-handedly discovered Nowitzki.
This was the go-to move for agile big men.
Before, he had Nash. Now he had Hardaway, so it wasn’t a huge problem.
After nearly a month of special training, Nowitzki’s shooting percentage on his back-down turnaround jumper was still below thirty-five percent.
He was very dependent on his teammates’ passes.
Besides, even if money weren’t involved, as a minority owner of the team, Chen Yu had to give it his all.
’This month was a short time, but I’ve used quite a few of the system’s training effects on Nowitzki. Combined with the customized training methods and all the auxiliary equipment, this one month of training is equivalent to a normal six months. To only get this far after half a year of progress means there’s a problem.’
He needed a reliable way to score in one-on-one or back-to-the-basket situations.
The turnaround jumper could make use of these talents, but Chen Yu felt it was a bit too convoluted.
Chen Yu’s team had been discussing this for a long time.
At first, Chen Yu also supported this suggestion, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt it wasn’t right.
He didn’t have the weight, which gave him the agility of a small forward. Expecting him to play like O’Neal, backing his man down under the basket and using a variety of hook shots—a classic center’s low-post game—was unrealistic.
His name was Holger Geschwindner.
But with the Phoenix Suns, he wouldn’t get that kind of treatment.
A percentage like that was nowhere near good enough for it to be used as a regular weapon in his arsenal.
The meeting ended without reaching a definitive conclusion.
"Mr. Holger is very famous. He even scored 102 points in a single game!" Speaking of Holger, Nowitzki’s eyes lit up as he proudly recounted his teacher’s life story.
After all, the Phoenix Suns had paid for Nowitzki’s adjustment and improvement.
"Also, his rebounding isn’t good enough. Sean is a better rebounder."
The only one ahead of Nowitzki was Austin Croshere of the Pacers.
At the training center, Chen Yu stopped Nowitzki.
Over the past month, Chen Yu’s team had, it was safe to say, analyzed Nowitzki down to the last detail.
After hearing Nowitzki’s story, Chen Yu suddenly became interested in this Holger.
This amounted to extra training, so Chen Yu also had to massage Nowitzki’s muscles after every session to help him recover and maintain his game condition.
So, with this successful example, Nowitzki could completely replicate it.
Every player has their own characteristics, but the most important thing is always finding the right fit.
"Oh? Tell me more."
That’s why a player like Marion, who scores off assists, was obviously a much better fit.
At this point, Chen Yu called Nowitzki over and asked him why his shooting arc was so high.
Normally, a big man’s shooting arc will be high because of their height, but not this high.
Chen Yu pressed, hearing the high regard in Nowitzki’s voice for this Holger Geschwindner.
As for Nowitzki’s release angle, Holger had calculated it through modeling and analysis, keeping it at 47.5 degrees.
At just 17, Holger achieved the incredible feat of scoring 102 points in a single game and later became a star player for the German Men’s Basketball Team.
The core of any star player who could establish himself and make a name for himself in the NBA was creating an advantage that others didn’t have.
His agility, his soft touch, and his excellent body coordination and balance.
His problem was clear: his back-to-the-basket game wasn’t good enough.
He didn’t have Nowitzki do weight training. Instead, he had him practice rowing to train full-body coordination, dribble to the sound of jazz music, practice fencing to train his footwork, and even learn to dance. During shooting practice, he would have him do all sorts of things like spinning in place and standing on one leg to train his shooting stability and coordination.
Shore up his weaknesses and enhance his strengths.
"His offensive tools are limited. He can shoot threes, and so can Sean. His mid-range shot is a bit better, but Sean’s cuts to the basket are more of a threat."
"This is a characteristic of his shot. And I also noticed that his free-throw percentage is extremely high. Based on last season’s data, he shot 87.3% from the free-throw line. Among big men, he was the second highest in the entire league."
It was for Garnett, and it was for Yao Ming too.
Chen Yu still shook his head.
Chen Yu pulled up some data on the computer.
The screen was replaying Nowitzki’s test videos.
Anyone who could master it in a single season would be considered a genius.
But when facing elite defenders, his advantage disappeared, and when forced to play with his back to the basket, his skills were insufficient.
"In one-on-one situations, Ron is a top-tier defender, but his help defense is relatively poor."
「The next day.」
Artest had his strengths, but Marion was definitely the better fit for the Phoenix Suns.
Nelson knew what Chen Yu meant. He thought for a moment and said, "Chen, don’t you think you’re being a little impatient? After all, we’ve only just started training. No player can develop a reliable shot in just one month."
At 16, he was playing for a local second-division basketball team, DJK Würzburg.
So they could give it a try first.
Beating the double-team was simple enough: pass the ball.
Or rather, it didn’t fit Nowitzki’s playing style.
Some of his training philosophies were strikingly similar to the "mad science" team Chen Yu had specially assembled.
「And just like that, it was December.」
Especially Garnett.
"Actually, I’ve been thinking about something. Dirk’s shooting arc is very high. Look at the data."
But when he couldn’t get an open look and had to go into isolation, his only option was to use his agility and speed to punish his opponent and muscle his way in for a score.
He could use his speed and face-up drives to punish slow-footed big men.
Garnett’s skills were more well-rounded, whereas Nowitzki was a purer shooter.
Truly unique.
Chen Yu also had plenty of training methods to simulate these situations and help him practice his passing.
It turned out that Nowitzki had played tennis as a child, but like many players, a sudden growth spurt forced him onto the path of basketball.
Right now, Nowitzki’s main offensive weapon was his shot—all kinds of shots, from all over the floor.
He started with his dominant hand and the different speeds of his turns to the left and right, adjusting and training step by step.
From his description, this Holger was truly extraordinary.
Holger had a teacher named Theo Clausen. He was a prisoner of war during World War II and was sent to Springfield, USA. There, he was influenced by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. After returning to Germany in the 1950s, he was the first to bring the sport to the country.
But Croshere only took 256 free throws, while Nowitzki’s number was 708.
That percentage ranked 11th in the entire league.
The Suns’ outside shooting and cuts to the basket were still very threatening. If he practiced passing out of the double-team, that problem could be solved.
"As for Bender, he’s very talented. If you really want him, just wait until his contract expires next summer and then try to get him."
All sorts of shots out of the triple threat, shots off screens, and turnaround jumpers after faking left and right from the post.
The key was how to improve his offensive skills.
Nelson and the others had discussed it back and forth, and their suggestion was the back-down turnaround jump shot.
He wasn’t fighting alone. He had teammates.
That’s why he was labeled as a player who couldn’t perform in high-stakes games and tended to choke in crucial moments.
It was very hard to defend.
"Alright, that’s my opinion."
Therefore, the focus of his improvement should be on maximizing his strengths.
After speaking, Chen Yu turned his attention back to his laptop.
This was especially true when opponents sent a help defender to double-team him; he had no way to break the trap or handle the ball.
During a break between games, Chen Yu began to schedule training for Nowitzki on his back-down turnaround jump shot.
Because he also loved math and physics.
However, making adjustments and improvements is a long process. Completing an adjustment within a single season would already be very fast.
And with his unique training methods, he developed Nowitzki into a tall shooter.
Chen Yu had specifically put a team together just to have them brainstorm and create all sorts of bizarre and novel training methods.

Comments

Loading...