ctnovel Chapter 67, the opening battle, is here!
Chapter 67, the opening battle, is here!
The main reason why Zeng Zhen's preseason stats are not as good as those of the national team is that the Thunder's playing style is not centered around him.
Even PJ Carlesimo's tactical system positioned Zeng Zhen as a shooting guard, with his role mostly limited to assisting shots and defense.
In addition, the team rotates nearly twelve players in every game, making everyone's schedule very chaotic.
The outside world expects Zeng Zhen to lead the team forward like a superstar.
Zeng Zhen's stats, coupled with the SuperSonics' numerous preseason losses, fell short of expectations, leading to dissatisfaction among some fans. Some voices believe that Zeng Zhen's fit with the Thunder is not ideal.
Zeng Zhen needs the ball, and so do Durant and Westbrook; one ball simply isn't enough for them to share.
The Thunder aren't worried about this issue. They all know Zeng Zhen's abilities and just need to wait for him to find his rhythm and grow with the Thunder. The same goes for Westbrook and Durant; they are also in the early stages of their development, and the management is very patient.
However, after a series of losses, fans and the media will inevitably find some problems.
In the blink of an eye, Zeng Zhen's regular season debut is getting closer and closer.
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Oklahoma is located in the heart of the famous tornado corridor in the United States and is one of the areas in the country most prone to thunderstorms.
"Thunder" directly reflects the severe thunderstorms that occur frequently in the area, becoming a distinctive symbol of the region.
When the team first moved, a fan vote determined that "Thunder" beat out popular options such as "Baron," "Cowboy," and "Whirlwind" to win by a landslide and was named the current "Thunder Team."
With a new city, a new team logo, and new jerseys, the people of Oklahoma City hope that the Thunder can bring a fresh new look to the new season.
However, it will be very difficult for the Thunder to get their first win, as they are facing the Houston Rockets, one of the four strongest teams in Texas.
Last season, the Rockets made it to the playoffs. Although they were eliminated in the first round, making it to the playoffs in the Western Conference is itself a testament to their strength.
This summer, Artest signed with the Rockets as a free agent, allowing the Rockets to successfully form a "Big Three". The Rockets' strength has been further enhanced. With Yao Ming and McGrady both back to health, their goal this season is to win the championship.
in the country, this match is known as the "Chinese Derby"!
The fans eagerly awaited their arrival.
........
The atmosphere in the Ford Center locker room was quiet, with everyone quietly putting on their gear and getting ready.
As a rookie, Zeng Zhen was also sitting in front of his locker, preparing. He didn't have a sneaker endorsement yet, and he was wearing Kobe's Nike Zoom Kobe 3!
The locker room was newly built and very luxurious. The equipment manager had his shoes and jerseys neatly arranged in the locker.
Zeng Zhen's wardrobe is between Westbrook and Collison.
"Hey Zeng, don't mind the coach making you a substitute. We all went through this during our rookie season." Collison, who had just put on his jersey, came over and patted Zeng Zhen on the shoulder.
Head coach PJ Carlesimo is a demanding and direct critic of young players. He uses a high-pressure management style not only for rookies like Zeng Zhen and Westbrook, but also for Durant.
Both Zeng Zhen and Westbrook, two high draft picks, were relegated to the bench in the opening game.
"I didn't care. It's not like I haven't experienced those days before," Zeng Zhen smiled.
"Nick, why don't you comfort me?" Westbrook said casually.
"When your three-point shooting percentage surpasses mine, you should be able to start," Collison laughed. As a guard, Westbrook's three-point shooting percentage was extremely poor.
"Hmph, I'll master my three-point shot soon," Westbrook said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
"Then it will be faster if the sun rises in the west," Zeng Zhen said with a smile.
"Don't underestimate me," Westbrook said sullenly.
"Alright, alright, chat time is over, everyone come over here." Assistant coach Scott Brooks clapped his hands, and everyone stopped chatting.
"Are you all ready?" Collison, the veteran, stood in the middle and gestured for everyone to gather around.
Everyone formed a circle around Collison and shouted in unison, "Ready!!"
"Let's take them down tonight!!"
"Victory is certain!!"
"Victory is certain!!"
Most of the Thunder's players are young and energetic, and they can easily stir up the atmosphere, with each of them shouting passionately.
"Let's go, guys, let's show them the power of the Thunder." Brooks pushed open the locker room door with great enthusiasm.
Durant, Watson, and Wilcox ran out one after another, and Zeng Zhen followed Collison into the player tunnel. Before they even got on the court, the enthusiastic atmosphere was already there, and Zeng Zhen's heart was burning with excitement.
After experiencing the NCAA March Madness and the Olympics, the atmosphere of the NBA game is a different feeling, especially since this is the opening game of the new season and the new city.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder!!" The DJ's voice reached its climax the moment Zeng Zhen ran out of the locker room, and the nearly 20,000 fans at the Ford Center roared.
OKC!
OKC!
OKC!
"Let's welcome Kevin Durant..."
"Earle Watson!!"
...
"Rookie No. 4, Russell Westbrook."
"Rookie No. 8, NCAA March Madness scoring champion, Most Outstanding Player, this year's Olympic scoring champion, Zeng Zhen!!"
Somewhat unexpectedly, Zeng Zhen received the loudest cheers upon his appearance.
This is related to Zeng Zhen's dominance in the NCAA and his 30+ points per game average in the Olympics. Thunder fans generally have very high expectations for Zeng Zhen.
"There are so many highlights in today's game. Kevin Durant needs to prove he can be the leader of this team. It's also the NBA debut of the 4th and 8th overall picks. And, notably, it's the 'Chinese Derby' between Zeng Zhen and Yao Ming. These two just played side-by-side in the Olympics, and now they're going to face off as opponents. It's sure to be very exciting," said Kenny Smith, the commentator at TNT, with a smile.
Although the Thunder's record was different last season, the number of nationally televised games they had increased compared to last season was due to the simultaneous addition of Zeng Zhen and Westbrook.
"Speaking of these two rookies, compared to Russell's low-key approach, I'm really looking forward to Zeng's performance. This guy almost wiped out the Dream Team. T-MAC and Ron will take good care of him," Sir Charles Barkley said with his mouth wide open.
Westbrook averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game in the preseason, a mediocre performance that people instinctively overlooked.
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