51. Chapter 51 In what era are you still using traditional centers?

Author: Xiaoshu Xiaoshu Xiaoshu

Chapter 51: In what era are we still using traditional centers?

November 21st, one day before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jokic forced himself to arrive at the training base an hour early. For this reason, he specially prepared a large bottle of ice Coke for himself to refresh himself.

When you come to a new team, you naturally have to be more positive.

"So they'll look at me and say, Oh my gosh, Nicola, you arrived at seven in the morning, your professionalism is amazing."

Jokic murmured to himself, showing a proud expression.

Then, he pushed open the gym door and saw a scene that was beyond his expectation. One, two, three, four, there were actually four new teammates, already sweating profusely on the court.

Jokic was stunned for a second.

"I'm so crazy, I'm hallucinating. How about I go sleep for a while?"

Just when Jokic took out his mobile phone to confirm the time, Zheng Long happened to run over to pick up the ball and said hello to him.

"Good morning Jokic, why are you here?"

Jokic:???

"You just came? I was already an hour early. Did you sleep in the arena yesterday?"

"No, we're only going to leave you an hour early."

Listen, is this human language?

Jokic was silent, silently carrying a large bottle of Coke, walked into the arena, and sat down on the sidelines.

At this time, Ingram was taking a breather in his seat and greeted Jokic equally enthusiastically.

Compared to the bald guy wearing jersey No. 23, Jokic has a better impression of this honest-looking, somewhat handsome teammate.

Because it seems easier to get along with.

"I heard that No. 23 said you would be here at six o'clock. Is that true? Did you make an appointment?"

Ingram shook his head and said, "Brother Long and I come so early every day, but Jimmy and Victor arrived not long after Zheng Long and I arrived."

"every day?"

"Yes, we arrive at around six o'clock every day."

Ingram didn't realize that Jokic's facial expression froze. After the break, he came on the court again and started shooting training.

"Why do these people work so hard when they are seriously ill?"

Jokic took a sip of iced Coke to calm down.

The arena at the training base is very large and has several courts. Except for Zheng Long and Ingram who train together, the other two people occupy one court each.

Just when Jokic was hesitating whether to train alone or find someone to join him, Jimmy Butler came over.

The impression of Jimmy and Jokic is also average. This black man with a black haircut always has no expression and a fierce look on his face like Zheng Long.

The two had played against each other when they were with the Nuggets last season. This man always rushed inside with the ball in hand, like a cheetah.

And when he is attacking, he will keep talking trash.

"Little fat man, would you like to practice with me? I just want to practice small and big."

"I'm not fat."

"Oh, really? Then what should I call you, big skinny guy?"

Butler smiled and Jokic curled his lips. In order to build a good relationship with his new teammates, he stood up and started a simple warm-up.

Soon, after more than 40 minutes, Jokic was so tired that he collapsed on the court.

Butler was like an idiot, dragging him to play one-on-one all the time, and he kept spewing trash talk, which made Jokic have to cheer up.

Such a high-intensity duel consumes the most physical energy.

"It's time for you to lose weight and stay away from high-calorie foods, like the stuff you brought here."

Butler's forehead was sweating a little. He took the ball and looked at Jokic who was lying on the ground. He raised his head and gestured towards Coke.

"Coke is my life, and I am now increasing my tonnage and strength, which is part of my plan."

Jokic argued with some guilt.

Butler shook his head and hesitated to speak. Now that he has come to the Lakers, what Butler hopes for is of course results.

But the big fat man in front of him will actually be the team's starting center.

Although he does have flexibility that belies his appearance, Butler is worried that Jokic will slow down the team's offensive rhythm.

I really don’t know what the lake management thinks.

This kid doesn't look like he's here to play ball, but more like a comedian in a TV series.

Jokic also couldn't understand the situation at this time.

When he was with the Nuggets, no one would come to the gym to practice more than two hours before official practice started.

These new teammates seem to be working a little too hard.

This gave Jokic a sense of crisis.

After resting for a while, Jokic immediately stood up, took the initiative to find Butler, and asked to continue the matchup training.

This surprised Butler, but he accepted it happily, and his eyes towards Jokic also changed somewhat.

This time, Jokic became serious.

Soon, Butler's trash talk sounded here.

"Little fat man, you are too slow, I will break through from your left now!"

Bang! An unexpected layup to block the shot.

Jokic looked at Butler with a stunned expression and laughed.

Butler didn't believe in evil, but found that Jokic's defensive steps were completely different from before.

Originally, Jokic had a large area of ​​ground, and Butler could only use speed and rhythm to break through and pass his shots.

But Jokic didn't falter at all. He seemed to have read his own thoughts and was able to quickly move laterally and get stuck.

He's different from other big men in the NBA.

Jokic was very happy when he saw Butler's troubled expression and said: "Your fake moves are too fake and you can't fool me anymore."

This aroused Butler's competitive spirit, and he focused even more. This time, after passing Jokic with difficulty, he sent the basketball into the basket before Jokic blocked the ball.

When it was Jokic's turn to attack, Butler seemed a little helpless. Jokic turned his back and pushed his big butt against himself, so that he could not touch the ball at all.

And his steps are very flexible and varied.

He was literally spinning around the basket.

Then, he could only watch as this kid suddenly turned around in the penalty area and hooked the basketball into the basket.

Even if he misses, this kid will accurately find the landing point of the basketball and make a second tip-in.

This little fat guy.

What a ghost!

At this time, Zheng Long was training Ingram's baseline three-pointer.

Naturally, he was also silently paying attention to the situation in the arena.

Seeing the one-on-one duel between Butler and Jokic, my eyes couldn't help but shine. He is worthy of being the future two-consecutive MVP. He played so smartly.

Perfectly taking advantage of his size and footsteps, Butler has nowhere to use his strength.

Although the current Jokic does not have future MVP-level dominance, he has already taken a prototype.

And that's just his offensive ability

To a certain extent, compared to Butler, Zheng Long knew that Jokic was the "big prize lottery ticket" he helped the Lakers get!

As for the other side, Oladipo is like an orphan, training alone, holding the ball on the court and practicing tirelessly on the ball.

When Zheng Long asked if they could train together, he was rejected.

Oladipo showed his big white teeth and said, "I enjoy training alone."

Zheng Long nodded and did not force it, because he knew that since the first day he came to the Lakers, Oladipo had been practicing alone every day.

He often practices until late at night, but the next morning, you can still see him in the gym on time.

Even Ingram complained to Zheng Long, "Long, where did the team find such a lunatic?"

"I originally thought that our training intensity was unmatched by anyone."

"But in front of Victor, it's like the two of us are giving ourselves a day off every day."
To be continued...