novelODS Chapter 77: The Challenge Has Arrived!
Chapter 77: The Challenge Has Arrived!
"Two wins in a row so easily? Damn, the Thunder look different."
"Don't underestimate Zeng Zhen. A team with Zeng Zhen is awesome."
"A rookie who came off the bench has recorded two double-doubles in a row. I'll see when this coach will promote Zeng Zhen to the starting lineup."
"Zeng Zhenmo looks like a Gundam version of Nash, his passing in fast breaks is very smooth."
"Haha, Zeng Zhen's defense is much better than Nash's."
Two games, two double-doubles – more and more fans are recognizing Zeng Zhen's ability.
Chinese fans watching on TV were even more excited, witnessing the rise of a Chinese guard. Zeng Zhen made a name for himself on the college and international stages, and now he has brought that talent to the NBA.
After the game, Zeng Zhen first hugged and high-fived Love, and then Westbrook came over and put his arm around Zeng Zhen's neck.
"Zeng, well done! To celebrate winning the game, dinner tomorrow night is on you," Westbrook shouted excitedly.
"You dead turtle, let go of me right now, I... I can't breathe." Zeng Zhen pried Westbrook's hands off his neck with both hands: "I fed you three assists tonight, I won't feed you any more next game."
"Hey, hey, don't do this, it's my treat." Westbrook casually put his arm around Zeng Zhen's shoulder and walked towards the player tunnel.
Just after shaking hands with the opposing head coach, Carlesimo ran into Zeng Zhen and Westbrook, but for some reason, he quickly turned around and spoke to assistant coach Brooks to avoid bumping into Zeng Zhen directly.
Carlesimo didn't understand why he was avoiding Zeng Zhen's gaze; he felt that as a head coach, he was having trouble controlling this young man.
"Zeng Zhen!"
"Zeng Zhen!"
"Zeng Zhen!"
On both sides of the away tunnel, fans chanted Zeng Zhen's name.
Zeng Zhen's female fans have an extremely large number of fans.
Zeng Zhen went over to sign autographs for the fans, while his bodyguard, Marcus Coleman, stood guard beside him wearing sunglasses, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Zeng, I'm your fan. I followed you all the way from Oklahoma City!" a white female fan shouted.
"Ah Zhen, please sign my chest!" shouted a Chinese female fan with a great figure.
Zeng Zhen didn't sign the female fan's chest, but instead signed her clothes.
"Ah Zhen, is Liu Yifei your girlfriend?" the fiery female fan pressed.
"No." Zeng Zhen responded briefly to some gossip about himself. He had Liu Yifei's contact information and would occasionally send her a text message, but that was all.
"Do you have a girlfriend now?"
"without."
"Would you mind having it now?" the female fan asked excitedly.
"I don't mind, haha."
Zeng Zhen dealt with the situation and then quickly slipped away.
..........
"Zeng, will you start in the next game?" a reporter asked quickly as he passed by in the players' tunnel.
"You have to ask the coach," Zeng Zhen said before running into the locker room.
At the post-match press conference.
Carlesimo was also asked by reporters when Zeng Zhen would start.
Carlesimo replied, "We're in a winning rhythm right now, and we don't need to make any major changes."
Carlesimo's answer seemed impeccable, and the reporters didn't press him for details.
After all, the Thunder do look pretty good right now.
.....
ESPN: The 8th overall pick dominates the bench!
Sina NBA Column – Thunder defeat Timberwolves, securing two consecutive wins in the new season; Zeng Zhen records double-doubles in two consecutive games, averaging 30+10!
In addition to Sina NBA, Titan Sports also published a column to evaluate Zeng Zhen's performance in the last two games.
"Zeng Zhen is adapting to the pace of the NBA game, and the Thunder have brought out his playmaking talent."
"The scouting report at the time of the draft made a mistake in identifying Zeng Zhen's role model; Zeng Zhen is not a one-dimensional scorer."
"Zeng Zhen's playing style is well-suited to be a core player, but the Thunder's management and coaching staff value Kevin Durant more, so they can only put Zeng Zhen on the bench."
...
Zeng Zhen's understanding of his All-Star level ability as assessed by the system is becoming increasingly clear.
Even though the coaching staff positioned him as a substitute, believing that he needed time to adapt to the pace of the NBA and integrate into the team's system.
As it turned out, they were wrong; they underestimated their own strength.
Like Luka Doncic, he entered the NBA with that core ability.
So despite the speculation that he would be moved to the starting lineup, Zeng Zhen was very patient and not in a hurry.
......
On November 6th, the Thunder (home) will face the Celtics.
On November 7th, the Thunder (away) will face the Jazz.
In the training hall, PJ Carlesimo was staring blankly at the match schedule on the table.
Carlesimo is currently experiencing a great deal of inner turmoil.
Carlesimo is a very rigid and stubborn coach. He was somewhat disappointed that the team selected two guards with high draft picks this summer instead of strengthening the frontcourt. He even considered leaving at one point.
However, after playing only two games at the beginning of the season, Carlesimo changed his mind. The Thunder are very young and energetic, and they might be able to make the playoffs.
He's just too young, which makes the tactics on the field different from what he thinks. The game often starts inexplicably chaotic and turns into a showcase of individual player abilities.
"Fuck!!"
The key point is that, even without following his tactical approach, the team still managed to win two straight games. Last season, the Thunder rarely had two-game winning streaks; most of the time, they were on two-game losing streaks.
Carlesimo thought of the Pistons' Brown's tactical philosophy: "Play seriously, play smart, cooperate as a team, share the ball, play hard on defense, reject individual heroism, each player has a clear role and executes efficiently, and let the whole team, not the individual, determine the course of the game."
This is the rule of those who have experienced championships, a creed that Carlesimo has always upheld.
However, Carlesimo frowned, and Zeng Zhen's image involuntarily came to mind.
Exaggerated ability to attack from misplaced positions, precise ability to deliver fast break ammunition, and defensive ability to defend positions 1 through 3.
call....
Carlesimo took a deep breath: "Only this guy is an exception!"
Compared to the Timberwolves, the Celtics will be a better litmus test for the Thunder, which will be a challenge for Carlesimo and the young Thunder team.
......
"What's this guy's name again?" Paul Pierce asked.
The Celtics were strategizing against the Thunder in the hotel conference room. Rivers was explaining the player matchups, and Thunder's number 8 was on the screen!
"Zeng Zhen, the Thunder's 8th overall pick this year, is a guy you need to take seriously tomorrow night," Rivers said, tapping the table with his tactical pen and looking at Pierce.
"Take it seriously? I think KD is the one who deserves my serious attention." Paul Pierce grinned at his teammates with his mouth wide open.
Since the Big Three won the championship last season, Pierce has been speaking with a hint of arrogance, not taking a rookie seriously.
"Paul, I'm not kidding you. That guy scored 40+10 against Ron. If you want to be his stepping stone to fame, then you can ignore him," Rivers said, frowning.
Pierce has a long and distinguished career with the Celtics, so Rivers can't be too forceful when speaking to him.
Pierce didn't argue with Rivers any further, but his attitude showed that he didn't care.