Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 4 The first step in Zhengxia, the chicken soup has to be poured in!
The venue for the Grizzlies game is set in Salt Lake City, and the management has booked a hotel in advance.

The Salt Lake City Summer League, first known as the Rocky Mountain Summer League, began in 1984 and is one of the three major summer leagues with the largest number of NBA teams.

The team led by Lu Yong and Tony Brown has salary subsidies, full board and lodging, and meal subsidies for every meal.

The only difference from the regular season is that there is no special plane, so you have to buy your own ticket to go there.

On July 7, Lu Yong received good news that Barea, Trevor Ariza, and Reggie Evans all accepted the invitation and will represent the Grizzlies in the summer league.

Some of the people selected by Tony Brown were rejected, so they had to recruit a few people to make up for them after arriving at the place.

The Grizzlies are the weakest playoff team among the 30 teams in the league. Representing the Grizzlies in the summer league makes it easier to get a chance to stay in the team.

Both Ariza and Reggie Evans have had some NBA experience, but they are limited by their personal strength and have not been able to get a contract renewal for a long time, so their enthusiasm for playing on behalf of the Grizzlies is higher than other rookies.

The Grizzlies finally gathered 13 people to play, many of whom were marginal people who could not be named.

General manager Chris Wallace suggested that Lu Yong should choose a few more, preferably a few well-known players, so as to avoid losing too badly in the summer league.

Lu Yong thought it was unnecessary, so he refused.

In this lineup, Fratello felt that his hips were stretched. In addition to the three rookies of the Grizzlies themselves, the most famous one turned out to be Reggie Evans, who was not good at scoring and could only grab rebounds.

He averaged 4 points and 7 rebounds per game in his career, and shot 46.6% from the field.

Fratello believes that even if he leads this lineup to the Summer League, it will be difficult to get a 50% winning rate, and there is a high probability of being swept out by other teams.

Fratello couldn't help but said: "Lu, I know you are very capable and want to prove yourself in this way. But the NBA is different from the NCAA. Tactics often only play a supporting role, and the fate of the game is determined on the court. They must be football stars. The people you selected are not well-known at all, are you planning to lose all five games?"

Lu Yong smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mike, I will use practical actions to prove that your original decision was correct. I am very confident in this year's summer league."

Fratello froze for a moment, nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for your good news in Memphis."

Early the next morning, Lu Yong and Tony Brown got off the plane in Salt Lake City, took a taxi from the airport to the hotel they booked for a rest.

The hotel configuration is not luxurious, but the win is that the coaching staff lives in a single room with a big bed, so they don't have to squeeze together with the players.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, the players invited to participate in the summer league arrived at the hotel one after another.

Lu Yong saw Ariza whose youthful aura had not come off his face. His figure looked a little thin, but the muscles on his calf proved that he possessed a strong instantaneous explosive power.

Barea, the undrafted short-cut crew-cut, came here wearing a pair of half-sleeves that had been washed until they turned white. His honest and honest face was full of tension. He obviously cherished the opportunity to represent the Grizzlies in the summer league.

Barea, who had the lowest starting point, greeted everyone after entering the house, looking like a bag boy.

If it wasn't for traveling with his memory, Lu Yong wouldn't have believed that this guy would have been able to single-handedly defend against the Heat Zhan's back-up in the finals.

The impressions of Reggie Evans and Lu Yong have not changed. The muscles on their arms are thick like barbells, their faces are full of fierce looks, and they have full beards covering half of their faces.

No one took the initiative to say hello to Reggie Evans, and this guy made people feel that he was not a good person at first glance.

The word violence is almost written on the face, and it must be very developed to take orders and scare children without playing basketball.

At noon, the coaching staff arranged for the players to adapt to the field.

The time for the summer league is very tight, and there is very little time for everyone to train together. If you want to achieve results in a short period of time, you must cherish every second of your time.

It is difficult for a makeshift team to play a tacit teamwork. In addition, the Grizzlies' best talent is Rudy Gay, the No. 8 pick in the first round. It is even more difficult to achieve good results.

After warming up, Lu Yong stood on the sidelines and blew his whistle, slapping his hands vigorously to signal the players to assemble.

He smiled and said: "Let me introduce myself, I am your head coach for the summer league, Lu Yong. I will adjust your playing time and order throughout the process. The Grizzlies are a very inclusive team. Here you can all get a chance to prove yourself, the premise is to work hard after playing, not to do things that damage the team for the sake of stats."

"So, everyone must implement the tactics I emphasized, if you want to stay in the NBA." Lu Yong paused, and suddenly roared: "This summer is your chance to prove yourself, and the door to stay in the Grizzlies is just around the corner. , tell me, are you willing to push open this door with your own hands?"

"Yes!"

The loud voices of the players sounded, and Lu Yong noticed that Reggie Evans, Barea, Ariza and Rudy Gay were the most passionate, and the excitement that could not wait appeared on their faces.

Of the six players Lu Yong named, only Lowry and Warrick did not speak.

Warrick is a sophomore who entered the league last season. He already has a stable playing time in the Grizzlies, and he is even expected to become a starter in the new season.

Playing in the summer league is more about sharpening your skills, and the enthusiasm is naturally not as good as others.

"Small Steel Cannon" Lowry is purely due to his personality. He has always been low-key in his career and is not good at expressing.

If he is full of passion all the time like Reggie Evans, Lu Yong will be very uncomfortable.

Lu Yong asked by name: "Reggie, you are the person with the most NBA experience in the team. What is your goal for the new season?"

"Become a top rebounder, help the team with defense, coach." Reggie Evans has been inactive for four seasons in the league, and he is still worrying about his livelihood until this year.

He is more eager to succeed than anyone else on the field, and he knows his position on the court better than this group of new melon eggs.

Lu Yong asked: "You work very hard. If I let you play center, do you have the confidence to protect the rebound?"

"Of course! Rebounds are my life, and no one can take them away from me!" Reggie Evans clenched his fists and shouted.

The current Reggie Evans has not yet entered the peak of his career, but his ability to grab rebounds is also terrifying enough.

Although he is only 2 meters tall, he is a bit short as a center, but with his excellent lower body strength and positioning skills, it is difficult for Garnett, the league's rebounding leader last season, to take advantage of him.

Reggie Evans' lower body strength is much stronger, which is why he was able to get a basic salary contract from the Sonics back then.

"Okay, I believe you will become a top rebounder. Your strength and positioning can be used as a center forward. As long as you train hard and strengthen your sense of pick-and-roll in positional battles, I am optimistic that you will be the starter of NBA teams in the future." Lu Yong Zheng said.

Recognized and valued by the head coach before the summer league, the tough guy Evans shouted excitedly: "Thank you coach!"

It is his dream to become the NBA starter. Lu Yong's words ignited the passion of Reggie Evans, and he can't wait to play the game.

Tony Brown stood aside and was a little surprised. Both of them were assistant coaches who came out of the NCAA, but Lu Yong's empathy (chicken soup) ability was much better than him.

No wonder he was able to defeat many opponents in the interview to become the chief assistant coach of the Grizzlies in the new season, and get the opportunity to coach the summer league as an acting head coach.

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(End of this chapter)