bookbashuk Chapter 53 The National Team Establishes its Prestige
Chapter 53 The National Team Establishes its Prestige
Jiang Xingquan called the entire coaching staff to the video room and had Lin Hao explain the NBA's training system and game philosophy in detail. Lin Hao took out his training log from the Warriors and broke it down for everyone, from warm-up procedures and strength training to shooting standards and defensive footwork.
"When we were with the Warriors, our daily shooting practice wasn't just about shooting 100 times; it was about making 100 three-pointers in 15 minutes, and there had to be a defender interfering with our shots," Lin Hao said, pointing to the training schedule on the whiteboard. "We also did defensive drills, focusing on footwork and anticipation, rather than trying to steal the ball with our hands. This reduces fouls and increases our steal success rate."
Assistant coach Adijiang nodded and said with emotion, "No wonder your defense is so good; the training intensity is so different. Our previous defensive training relied more on brute force and lacked scientific methods."
"And then there's the fast break," Lin Hao continued. "In the NBA, the fast break requires completing the attack within 7 seconds. After getting the rebound, you have to pass the ball out immediately. We can take advantage of Yao Ming and Yao Ming's rebounding strength to run more transition offense, which is exactly our strength."
Jiang Xingquan listened intently, occasionally jotting things down in his notebook. Finally, he closed the notebook and said solemnly, "Lin Hao, what you said makes perfect sense. From today onwards, the national team's training plan will be adjusted according to your suggestions. You are not only a player, but also our tactical advisor."
For the next two days, Lin Hao led the team in training. He personally demonstrated defensive footwork, corrected everyone's shooting form, and taught them how to run off-ball screens and how to execute pick-and-roll plays. The veteran players were initially somewhat unconvinced, but after two days of training, they all had to admit that what Lin Hao taught was indeed effective.
"I used to think that defense was all about hustle, but now I realize how important footwork is," Zhang Jinsong said with a sigh, wiping his sweat. "After training with Lin Hao for two days, I feel my defense has improved a lot."
Even the usually stubborn Fan Bin privately asked Lin Hao for advice on passing techniques.
At 7:00 a.m. sharp, the indoor basketball court at the Harbin training base was already brightly lit.
Besides the national team coaching staff and all the players, reporters from eight domestic sports media outlets were also allowed to be present to film – everyone was there for this highly anticipated intra-squad scrimmage. Somehow, the doubts that had been circulating in the locker room yesterday had spread, and everyone wanted to see for themselves whether this Chinese guard, who had an epic rookie season in the NBA, could truly prove himself.
On the tactics board beside the court, Jiang Xingquan clearly wrote the lineups of the two teams in white chalk:
Main players: Fan Bin, Zhang Jinsong, Li Nan, Du Feng, Yao Ming
Reserves: Lin Hao, Liu Wei, Zhu Fangyu, Yi Jianlian, Battier
"Listen up, everyone," Jiang Xingquan blew his whistle, gathering everyone around him. His dark face was devoid of any smile. "Today's scrimmage will be conducted according to official standards. There will be four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes. Fouls and free throws will be handled according to FIBA rules. Whoever can play will start, and that will all depend on their performance on the court."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Fan Bin and Lin Hao: "Basketball is about skill, not words. Understand?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
Before the match started, Lin Hao called the reserve team players to his side, squatted down, and drew the tactics with his fingers:
"We definitely won't get the jump ball later. Yi Jianlian, you go around Yao Ming and guard him. Don't let him get the ball easily. Big Brother, you're in charge of help defense and protecting the rebounds."
"On offense, we mainly use pick-and-roll. I run high pick-and-rolls with Blake. Fan Bin likes to steal the ball, so I'll pass it to Blake who's cutting to the basket, or to Yi Jianlian who's popping out to the outside."
"Zhu Fangyu, you lie in the corner and shoot a three-pointer when I draw a double team. Liu Wei, you and I will advance the fast break together, and watch out for open spaces."
"Remember, our strengths are speed and outside shooting. Don't play half-court sets against the starters; focus on transition offense and passing the ball more. Are you confident?"
"Yes!" the substitutes answered in unison, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.
On the other side, Jiang Xingquan and the coaching staff sat on the sidelines, discussing in hushed tones.
"Do you think Lin Hao can win?" Adijiang asked.
"It's hard to say," Jiang Xingquan shook his head. "The main team is clearly stronger, especially in the paint. But Lin Hao is no ordinary player. His tactical awareness and playmaking ability are the best I've ever seen. Let's see if he's the kind of player to be the core in today's game."
"beep--"
The referee's whistle blew, and Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian jumped simultaneously. Yao Ming, with his absolute height advantage of 226cm, easily passed the ball to Fan Bin at the top of the key.
Fan Bin caught the ball and looked up to see Lin Hao standing outside the three-point line, arms hanging down, feet unsteady. He immediately felt a surge of energy—he would take on Lin Hao one-on-one on the first possession and give him a taste of his own medicine.
Fan Bin executed two consecutive crossover dribbles, then suddenly feinted a drive to the left. Just when everyone thought he was going to move to the left, he flipped his wrist, pulled the ball to his right hand, and broke through at full speed down the right flank.
But the ball in his hand disappeared the next second.
As if he had seen through all of Lin Hao's movements in advance, Lin Hao moved his feet the instant Lin Hao lowered his shoulders and precisely sliced the ball with his right hand.
With a crisp "snap!", the basketball was intercepted.
"What a quick prediction!" A'dijiang sat bolt upright, exclaiming in surprise, "He didn't even fall for Fan Bin's feint!"
Jiang Xingquan nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "This kid's defensive awareness is indeed world-class."
Without pausing after stealing the ball, Lin Hao dribbled like a whirlwind towards the frontcourt. Fan Bin and Zhang Jinsong chased desperately behind him, but could only see his back. Reaching the free-throw line, Lin Hao suddenly slowed down, executed a behind-the-back dribble to shake off Du Feng's help defense, and then soared into the air, completing a clean and powerful tomahawk dunk!
"Clang!"
2 is better than 0!
Fan Bin stood there, his face flushing red and then pale. He gritted his teeth and served the ball to Zhang Jingsong at the baseline, no longer daring to go one-on-one.
The main team slowly advanced to the frontcourt and lobbed the ball to Yao Ming in the paint. Yao Ming received the ball, backed down Battier, and with a nimble turn and hook shot, the basketball flew into the basket, grazing his fingertips.
2 is better than 2!
But the rest of the match turned into a complete show of Lin Hao's command.
He's like the brain on the court, always anticipating every change. On offense, he constantly runs high pick-and-rolls with Battier. Whenever Fan Bin goes for the ball, he immediately passes it to Battier cutting to the basket. Whenever Yao Ming comes to help defend, he passes the ball to Zhu Fangyu on the perimeter for a three-pointer.
With six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Lin Hao used Yi Jianlian's screen to shake off Fan Bin, drawing a double team from Yao Ming and Du Feng. Just when everyone thought he was going to force a shot, he flicked his wrist and made a no-look pass, slipping the ball through the gap between the two defenders to the cutting Battier.
After receiving the ball, Battier slammed it home with both hands for a score!
14 is better than 6!
"My God! That pass was incredible!" the reporters in the stands exclaimed.
Adijiang slapped his thigh excitedly: "That vision! That passing accuracy! It's even better than Nash's!"
Jiang Xingquan leaned back in his chair, a rare smile on his face: "I finally understand why the Warriors are willing to build their team around him. With him on the court, the whole team comes alive."
On the defensive end, Lin Hao caused the starting team's backcourt a lot of trouble. His footwork is extremely fast, and his anticipation ability is phenomenal; he could predict every passing route from Fan Bin and Zhang Jinsong. In the first quarter alone, he made 3 steals, which directly translated into 8 fast break points.
With 20 seconds left in the first quarter, Zhang Jinsong passed the ball to Li Nan, and Lin Hao suddenly burst out from the side, stealing the ball and driving straight to the basket. Facing Fan Bin, who was recovering on defense, he used a beautiful Euro step to shake off his opponent, scoring a layup while also drawing a foul.
"2+1!"
Lin Hao made the free throw, ending the first quarter.
26 is better than 10!
The substitutes led by a full 16 points.
林昊单节砍下9分7助攻3抢断，投篮4投全中。而被他全程盯防的范斌，5投1中只得到2分，还有4次失误。
During the break, Jiang Xingquan called the coaching staff together and excitedly said, "Did you see that? Lin Hao's playmaking ability is even stronger than we imagined. He can not only score himself, but also make his teammates better. This is a true core player."
"Yes," Adijiang nodded, "Our offense used to be very rigid, relying solely on Yao Ming to force his way into the paint. Now, with Lin Hao, our offense has become much more diverse."
On the other side, Lin Hao was giving instructions to the substitutes for the second quarter:
"They'll definitely use a full-court press in the second quarter to disrupt our rhythm. Liu Wei, come over and support me then, we'll play a two-man game. Zhu Fangyu and Yi Jianlian, you two hurry up and get off the bench, don't wait for me, run straight to open spots."
"Big Bus, you stay behind to protect the rebounds. Once you get the ball, make a long pass to me immediately. Remember, don't hold onto the ball; make sure to pass it quickly."
At the start of the second quarter, Zhang Jinsong indeed adopted a full-court press tactic, sticking to Lin Hao like glue.
But Lin Hao was prepared. He remained calm and composed, using Liu Wei's screens to keep moving, and immediately passing the ball after shaking off the defense. His passing speed was extremely fast, and the main team's defense simply couldn't keep up with the rotation.
With nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, Lin Hao received the ball beyond the three-point line, and Zhang Jinsong immediately rushed towards him. Lin Hao faked a shot, knocking Zhang Jinsong away, and then dribbled into the paint. Yao Ming quickly came to help defend, spreading his arms like a wall in front of him.
Everyone thought Lin Hao would pass the ball.
But the next second, Lin Hao suddenly tossed the ball into the air.
Yi Jianlian burst out from the side, leaped high, and scored with an alley-oop dunk!
34 is better than 16!
The crowd erupted in cheers once again!
"Beautiful!" Jiang Xingquan slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "That tactic was executed flawlessly! Lin Hao's pass was perfectly timed!"
Adijiang also said excitedly, "Yi Jianlian never had so many opportunities before. Now, with Lin Hao's pass, his talent has been fully brought into play."
Fan Bin's mentality completely collapsed. He started blindly attacking one-on-one, resulting in three consecutive missed shots and two turnovers. Lin Hao seized the opportunity, launching a series of fast breaks and extending the lead to 22 points.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, the most classic moment occurred.
Lin Hao dribbled past Fan Bin with a burst of speed and drove straight to the basket. Yao Ming stood in the paint, arms raised above his head, waiting for him to walk right into his trap. The entire arena fell silent; everyone's eyes were on Lin Hao.
Jiang Xingquan sat up straight and muttered, "What is he going to do? Is he trying to dunk on Yao Ming?"
Just when everyone thought he would pass the ball again, Lin Hao suddenly pushed off the ground and soared into the air like a spring.
Facing Yao Ming's block, he slightly turned his body in mid-air and slammed the basketball into the basket with his right hand!
A dunk over Yao Ming!
The entire training hall fell silent for three seconds, then erupted in deafening cheers.
"My God! A dunk over Yao Ming! That's the most amazing dunk I've ever seen in my life!"
"Lin Hao has gone mad! He actually dared to dunk over Yao Ming!"
Yao Ming stood there, staring at Lin Hao hanging on the rim, a look of disbelief on his face. Then, he smiled and patted Lin Hao's butt: "Good lad, you've got it."
Jiang Xingquan was so excited his hands were trembling. He said to A Dijiang beside him, "See that? That's leadership! Daring to fight and struggle in crucial moments, showing no mercy! Our Chinese men's basketball team has finally produced a true outside core!"
"Yes," Adijiang's eyes were a little moist, "After waiting for so many years, we've finally waited for it."
Seeing this, Jiang Xingquan substituted Lin Hao early. At this point, the point difference had widened to 28 points, and the game was no longer in doubt.
Ultimately, the reserve team defeated the starters 92-77 by 15 points.
林昊全场出战27分钟，12投8中，砍下28分13助攻4抢断2盖帽，投篮命中率高达66.7%。而被他全程盯防的范斌，11投2中，只得到4分，还有6次失误。
After the match, the main team players all lowered their heads, not daring to look at Lin Hao.
Fan Bin walked up to Lin Hao, his face full of remorse and admiration. He extended his hand and said solemnly, "Lin Hao, I'm sorry, I was blind to your abilities before. Your strength is indeed far superior to mine, I admit it. From now on, you're in charge of the national team's defense."
"Yes, Lin Hao, we're all impressed." Zhang Jingsong quickly stepped forward as well. "The training methods and tactical approaches you taught us are so much more advanced than what we learned before."
Other veteran team members also stepped forward to apologize to Lin Hao.
Lin Hao smiled, grasped Fan Bin's hand, and waved it off: "It's alright, Coach Fan. We're teammates, let bygones be bygones. We're all working towards the same goal: winning the Asian Championships and securing a ticket to the Athens Olympics. From now on, we'll work together and fight side by side."
After saying that, he took out a whole box of canned yellow peaches from the box next to him and handed them to everyone: "Come on, everyone, have a taste. Once we've eaten our Northeastern canned yellow peaches, we're all one family."
The players took the canned yellow peaches and started eating them.
"Wow, this is so delicious!"
"From now on, our national team will eat canned yellow peaches before matches; we'll definitely win!"
"That's right! May the canned yellow peaches bless us to win the championship!"
Seeing everyone enjoying themselves, Jiang Xingquan nodded in satisfaction. He walked over to Lin Hao, patted him on the shoulder, and said in an extremely solemn tone, "Lin Hao, you did a great job. You not only won over your teammates with your skills, but also resolved the conflict. Now, you are the true core and leader of the national team."
"Thank you, Coach Jiang," Lin Hao said with a smile. "I will definitely lead everyone to win the Asian Championships."
Just then, a system notification sounded in Lin Hao's mind:
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for exceeding the mission target of "Establishing Prestige with the National Team"!]
[Mission Reward: Temporarily increase all attributes by 15% in international competitions! Unlock the prototype of the [International Competition Demon King] passive skill!]
[International Arena Demon King (Prototype): Increases scoring efficiency by 10% in international competitions, boosts teammate morale by 20%, and increases opponent's error rate by 10%!]
A warm current instantly flowed through his body. Lin Hao could clearly feel that his ability to adapt to FIBA rules had become stronger, and his tacit understanding with his teammates had also improved a lot.
He looked at his teammates chatting and laughing around him, and a determined smile appeared on his face.
The Asian Championships are getting closer and closer.
This time, he will lead the Chinese men's basketball team to the top of Asia.
This time, he wants to show the world that Chinese defenders can also dominate the field.