allendalepharm Chapter 478 Rukawa Fate
Chapter 478 Rukawa Fate
Chapter 478 River Fate
After seeing Sakuragi Hanamichi off, everyone in the team laughed and teased Sakuragi.
"Does this kid know that he has to buy diapers first?"
"The confinement center has been prepared for a long time. Do you think you are the guy who got pregnant out of wedlock in high school and dared to take his wife to the hospital to give birth to the baby with $23 in his pocket?" McMillan teased Payton in turn.
"I had 23.5 at that time, okay!"
"Hahaha, do you think after the child is pushed out, Sakuragi will look at Haruko or the child first?"
"Look at each other with one eye! This kid asked Yuya to learn how to knit socks some time ago. His wife and children each have a pair."
"Does he still have time to play socks? Hasn't he been practicing with Rukawa until very late during this period?"
"...He also plays during practice." Rukawa Kaede is the one who talks the least in the team, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't talk. In fact, after more than a year in the SuperSonics, he has become a lot more talkative. , although he never interrupts others, when his teammates are chatting, he will still listen carefully and occasionally laugh along, or if the topic comes to him, he will finally say a few words.
"Farke, playing with you while wearing socks?" Iguodala hooked Rukawa Kaede's shoulders angrily: "This is looking down on you, this is a naked insult! Rukawa, I don't know what your character is, but If I were you, I wouldn't be able to bear it. I'll fuck them when I get back from defeating the Lakers!"
Rukawa Kaede didn't explain, "Sakuragi took advantage of the break next to him to hit his socks", he just smiled. He had long been used to hearing these guys' jokes. The more you explain, these guys will immediately Let you understand what content means.
"Kill the Lakers." Chandler became melancholy. He was so powerful when he promised Sakuragi just now, but now he has to face Dayao alone. Chandler thinks he knows it without even trying. The result must be tragic: "I will definitely be teased severely by that guy when I come back... But, coach, who will fill Sakuragi's vacancy tomorrow?"
Everyone who was still laughing suddenly became quiet. Everyone turned to look at McMillan, only to see a wry smile and helplessness on his face. His eyes swept over all the players in the arena. One lap.
The league has been targeting players since last year. There are basically no cost-effective players for the Sonics to take advantage of. In addition, they have to start considering reserving salary space for Lin Dong and Sakuragi, and they cannot sign big contracts. This makes the Sonics Currently, most of the substitutes are just new players under training, basically second-round picks from this year and last year.
There are only three players who can play the main rotation, No. 11 Rukawa Kaede, No. 8 Luke Ridnour, and No. 22 Ronald Murray.
The strength of the three players is now similar to McMillan, but they all have their own characteristics and focus. Luke Ridnour has organizational skills and good ball control skills. He can match Payton to Lin Dong. Freed from the swingman position, focus on the offense at the 3rd position, which is the Sonics' offensive formation.
Ronald Murray is better at defense. Under McMillan's training, his close-fitting death coil has reached a certain level. Although it is not yet at the All-Star level, he can deal with some not-so-tall defenders. Even the No. 3 position can be played. More importantly, Ronald Murray's understanding of rotation defense is the best among the several substitutes, even better than the main players like Chandler. , he basically plays the Sonics' defensive formation when he's on the court.
As for Rukawa Kaede...
McMillan fixed his gaze on Rukawa Kaede, while Rukawa Kaede was slightly startled, and then infinite desire suddenly surged in his eyes.
His heart was pounding, and the look he looked back at McMillan immediately became fiery.
His defensive rotations are not yet fully understood, and his basic defensive skills are not enough. Every time he partners with Sakuragi on second defense and first defense against Lin Dong, he is the most likely to become a loophole for Lin Dong to break through.
McMillan once said that he would not be allowed to start until his defensive strength improved. This sentence has now become Rukawa Kaede's own understanding, "The coach is for my own good" and "The coach is pushing." Me', 'The coach has more expectations for me'.
But, but... who doesn't long for that stage?
Looking at Rukawa Kaede's fiery gaze, McMillan actually laughed.
Frankly speaking, what McMillan is most optimistic about this year is this boy from Japan, who is from Japan like Sakuragi Hanamichi.
This guy's outside ability is now a hidden card of the Sonics. He is quite accurate and quick in shooting. Unless he is a defender at the level of Lin Dong and Sakuragi, even Payton has become a bit weak now that his strength has declined. He couldn't keep up with Rukawa Kaede's shooting speed.
But the problem is that this guy's defense still has a huge loophole after all. However, the SuperSonics' rotation defense is a whole. Once Rukawa Kaede's rotation defense cannot keep up, it will not only be a problem of missing his own opponent, but also the whole problem. The team's defensive system will continue to have problems.
Before he is fully familiar with and adapted to the real rotation defense, frankly speaking, McMillan has absolutely no intention of letting Rukawa Kaede start. This is not only responsible for the team, but also a spur for Rukawa Kaede to continue to improve. McMillan has no intention of letting Rukawa Kaede start. Maple's biggest expectation is that he can meet the requirements of normal rotation defense before this year's playoffs, and then become the best sixth man of the Sonics. By then, he will be allowed to become the main rotation, and even let him play in some games. Go to the starting lineup.
But things will be different tomorrow.
After all, without Hanamichi Sakuragi, facing tomorrow's Lakers, Yao Ming is already an unstoppable target for the Sonics at the basket, whether you rotate or not, it doesn't matter.
And without Hanamichi Sakuragi, it would be impossible for the Sonics to maintain their defensive rotation.
When the time comes, no one can guard Yao Ming on the inside, and with Nash's deployment on the outside, it's definitely not something the Sonics can do without Sakuragi Hanamichi and rotating defense.
So if the Sonics really want to win tomorrow, they have only one chance, and that is to play against the Lakers.
"Rukawa Kaede." McMillan finally said, "Come on!"
Rukawa Kaede trembled involuntarily.
First start, SuperSonics first start!
He has been waiting for this day for too long...
"Hahaha, Rukawa, it's okay!" Iguodala patted Rukawa Feng on the shoulder and said in surprise: "Lao Mai finally recognizes you!"
"You're such a jealous guy!" Luke and Murray said enviously.
"That's because they work hard enough. If you two stay and practice for five more hours after training every day, I think you will be the ones playing now!" Payton lost no time in taking the opportunity to drink some chicken soup.
Luke and Murray opened their mouths and smiled bitterly: "We can't compete, we can't compete, the Asians here are too fierce..."
"Haha, come on Fox, perform well!" Chandler patted him on the shoulder. Sakuragi was the first to call him the nickname Fox in the team, but to the Sonics, this word did not exist. What a derogatory meaning.
After all, Easterners hate foxes because of body odor and vixen, but in the West, there is no term for vixen, and they have never had the concept of body odor...
In their eyes, the fox is a cute animal, just like Rukawa Kaede's little face that looks white and childlike.
Rukawa Kaede's face showed endless joy, and he nodded vigorously: "Thank you, coach!"
Seeing this guy's face full of excitement, but still deliberately suppressing his inner excitement, everyone laughed, and Lin Dong gave the excited Rukawa Kaede a meaningful look.
This guy's hard work and Sakuragi's dedication to him can be seen by everyone this season. Frankly speaking, McMillan underestimates him in some aspects...
Defense?
Rukawa Kaede's single defense ability is not weak, thanks to the various sparring sessions with him over the past year, and also thanks to Sakuragi's teachings to him.
When defending against Sakuragi, he is often chosen as the breakthrough side. This is just because Sakuragi is stronger than him, and because he is deliberately trying to train him... Besides, it is normal for him to be unable to defend himself, and he can't. I hope Rukawa Kaede can compare with the defense of Sakuragi, Kobe, Wade, LeBron and other super giants after more than a year of hard training.
Facing most of the back lines in this league, Rukawa Kaede can guard against him. The only thing that is bad is that this guy has poor intuition about rotation defense. After all, his special training last year was more based on single training, so he integrated into it. Not included in the team's defensive system.
It's a matter of tactical understanding, and it just takes time to solve.
Lin Dong originally thought that this guy would have to wait until the playoffs before he could barely integrate into the team. It would be nice to give the league a hidden surprise then. But now because of Sakuragi's absence and the important reputation point against the Lakers, he was taken out by McMillan. When you come out, it will be considered an early inspection.
However, this test is not as easy to pass as imagined.
Instead of worrying about his defense, McMillan should worry about Rukawa Kaede's outside three-point ability.
Rukawa Kaede's "accuracy" has always been based on the intensity during training and the intensity of defense against substitutes in garbage time, but tomorrow will be different.
Doug Christie?
This extra player from the Lakers will allow Rukawa Kaede to experience the true top-level defense in the NBA. For him, offense is the biggest difficulty in this battle.
Different from the history he is familiar with, in another world, although Doug Christie was also selected by the SuperSonics in 1992 and then traded to the Lakers, and also experienced the Knicks and Raptors careers, but in that world Doug Christie... Christie didn't go to the Nets, but to the Kings.
And Doug Christie, who has taken two different paths, is undoubtedly a stronger threat to the current SuperSonics.
Because he had a career with the Nets for more than four years, he and Kidd had already formed a tacit understanding, and he was also one of the absolute core members of the Nets that once dominated the Eastern Conference.
Now that he has joined the Lakers, not only is he strong enough to fill the Lakers' biggest fifth man vacancy, but his offensive ability developed under Kidd's training has made up for his shortcomings on the perimeter in another world, which is enough for him to play offensively. He provided enough help to the team and made the Lakers' offensive and defensive ends monolithic!
It will be fine if Kaede Rukawa's touch is average tomorrow. Once he is really accurate, Doug Collins will immediately focus on him. Facing this veteran who was once the best team and has extremely rich experience...
Rukawa Kaede has indeed accumulated enough. He is different from Sakuragi's pure talent type. His talent is hard work.
But just like a silkworm transforming into a cocoon, no matter how tightly you wrap yourself up and how fully prepared you are, you still have to work hard to get through the final hurdle.
Is it the transformation of breaking out of the cocoon?
Or is it the depression of a huge blow that makes you suffocate to death in a cocoon? There will be an answer tomorrow!