One Year Left to Play

Chapter 558 - 170: Death Five Away Games_3

But the Lakers will.

He’s been quietly doing a few things, but the effect really isn’t as good as Zhang Hao’s glance, a trash talk, a smile... they’re more effective.

Originally, if the team had a true superstar, like the Magician being five years younger, it would be simple.

But now, the task of changing the team’s mentality mostly falls to him as the coach.

However, seeing Zhang Hao’s strong influence...

"Are we really going to rely on this damn kid? Seems like I really don’t have any other options..."

Del Harris is somewhat depressed, then starts thinking about how to expand Zhang Hao’s influence in the remaining games and the playoffs.

At this time, Del Harris realizes that moving the Magician from the starting lineup to the bench might not be to enhance the mobility and defense of the starting lineup. Instead, it’s a proactive move by the Magician to strengthen Zhang Hao’s influence on the team.

"Even the Magician has made room for this damn kid..."

Del Harris really wants to see what’s special about Zhang Hao. He hasn’t noticed anything special, just that he’s annoyingly handsome, annoyingly pretentious, annoyingly popular, annoyingly talented...

"Isn’t he just an annoying kid?"

Zhang Hao is there training with Jason Williams on off-ball pick and roll moves to deal with Larry Johnson, regarded as the next Flying Pig top power forward.

Suddenly feeling a strange gaze, he quietly searches around...

"What’s our coach up to again? Is he planning some weird adjustments to my play or matchups? Please no... Wait, I’ve already defended against point guards and taken shots as a shooting guard, what strange adjustments could there be?"

...

In the following tactical meetings, training, and even during the warm-up, the final pre-game preparations, Zhang Hao stays wary of Del Harris’s eccentric thought processes.

Zhang Hao has deep-rooted impressions of Del Harris mostly from a rookie season in playoffs where a certain 8th player missed a clutch shot, only for the coach to have that rookie try again in the next game... reasoning that the Utah Jazz would never expect him to have a rookie take clutch shots in two consecutive games.

Coincidentally, Mr. Zhang himself also wears the number 8 jersey, and his sense of crisis is quite strong!

At the same time, there’s still a tiny bit of expectation, wondering what other bizarre moves the old fox will make?

But for a whole day, Del Harris made no strange moves, instead unusually praising Mr. Zhang’s preparations... leaving Zhang Hao feeling uneasy; did the old fox take the wrong medicine?

"Hey... why does it feel a bit disappointing?"

Putting aside these strange feelings, Zhang Hao focuses his attention on the upcoming match.

Fate really is a wonderful thing; anyway, players expected to be at starter level leaving the Hornets always feel they had bad luck during their time with the Hornets.

For instance, Moning, Kendall Gill, and Jose Hawkins, these top players, feel so happy after leaving the Hornets.

Kenny Anderson, once happy about joining the Hornets thinking he had a high chance of making the playoffs, expressed relief after being traded to the 76ers, feeling like escaping from hell.

Originally, in previous years, this feeling wasn’t very noticeable for players with the Hornets; it became apparent only after leaving.

But this season is different; Moning left the Hornets for the Heat, immediately clicked with the new Heat coach Pat Riley, even gaining teammates like Tim Hardaway, Chris Gatling, and surged against all odds to the Eastern Conference seventh place.

Jose Hawkins went to the SuperSonics, currently contending for the top spot in the West.

Kendall Gill went with the Brooklyn Nets, landed a five-year, $25 million contract, the performance isn’t great, but the salary exceeds the Hornets’ highest salary of Larry Johnson.

And Larry Johnson, wanting a renewal contract starting at $5 million, was rejected by the Hornets owner.

Kenny Anderson, after going to the 76ers, though the performance isn’t good, has a remarkable average of 17.1 points and 8.3 assists per game.

Previously there was no comparison, but now there’s comparison, the feeling has changed...

Seeing that memorable face from before the regular season... only makes some Hornets’ stars go crazy!

That guy, supposedly enduring the same ordeal, being in a team ignored by local basketball fans, struggling at the playoff fringes, actually went to Los Angeles! Moreover, with support from Van Exel, the Magician, and others, performing so well, with good records and high popularity...

Dale Curry and Glenn Rice are okay, sometimes speak kindly in media interviews about Zhang Hao, well, those reporters share a skin tone with Zhang Hao.

But Larry Johnson, ever since the first confrontation, has disliked Zhang Hao!

No other reason, just the grudges from their game outcomes and matchups.

At 4:58 PM, the players of both teams are set to hit the court.

Zhang Hao senses the opponent’s strong desire to win... and intense hostility towards Mr. Zhang himself.

The Lakers aren’t lax about this game after losses to the Cavaliers and Heat; they know they’re not strong enough to easily crush lower-ranking playoff teams.

Moreover, the Hornets recently defeated the Bulls and currently have 35 wins, 34 losses, standing at ninth in the East, just one win shy of eighth-place Hawks with 36 wins, 33 losses; it won’t be easy.

By 5 PM in the evening, the game starts, Zhang Hao wins the jump ball against Matt Geiger, regrettably, they didn’t start with a fast-break; Matt Geiger’s retreat defense, Larry Johnson, and Glenn Rice’s blockades effectively stopped Zhang Hao and George Lynch’s opening fast-break.

However, Van Exel’s trait of going crazy after losing a game shows once more!

No long pass, quickly pushes forward and takes a direct shot from the top arc for a three-pointer... Dale Curry is once again used as a cannon fodder, and Van the Madman hits a three right at the start!