Li Feng's shooting ability has reached 90, which is already at the level of a top shooter.
Li Feng's strength value has reached 92, also at a top level, comparable to the centers in the league.
Li Feng's speed value is still 90, which is something Li Feng is not entirely satisfied with.
Although a speed value of 90 was sufficient in the Olympic and NCAA games, it is really not enough in the NBA.
Therefore, Li Feng's next training plan is to continue to improve his speed.
He sought advice from trainer Mike, who provided specific training content.
Just as Li Feng was full of confidence about the future, Yi Jianlian called him.
In the first two games, Yi Jianlian started for the Nets and performed averagely.
In the first game, the Nets played against the Atlanta Hawks, and Yi Jianlian played 24 minutes, scoring 17 points.
However, the Nets lost to the opponent on the road.
In the second game, the Nets hosted the Toronto Raptors, and Yi Jianlian played 28 minutes, scoring 21 points.
The Nets finally secured a victory with a strong run in the fourth quarter.
Although Yi Jianlian performed well, he was not satisfied with himself.
"Li Feng, I want to talk to you, I'm very agitated right now," Yi Jianlian's voice was low, as if he had been suppressing it for a long time.
This is Yi Jianlian's personality; he is always inexplicably agitated.
Li Feng advised, "Brother Yi, I haven't watched your games, but I just checked the stats, and they're not bad. What do you have to worry about?"
Yi Lian sighed, "My scores are not important points. The coach doesn't draw up plays for me during timeouts. I'm not even the second scoring option."
On the Nets, the team's first scoring option is Lopez, the second is Harris, and the third is Courtney Lee.
Li Feng understood Yi Lian's situation, which was indeed a bit awkward.
In the system, Li Feng has the skill [Awaken Yi Di]. As long as Yi Jianlian is motivated and plays well, Li Feng's honor points and durability will increase significantly.
"Brother Yi, you don't need to overthink it. As long as you give your all and play to your full potential, your status on the Nets will only grow higher!"
As he spoke, Li Feng also saw several numerical values next to the system's [Awaken Yi Di] function.
These values were not his own, but Yi Jianlian's.
In other words, by enlightening and comforting Yi Jianlian, he could improve Yi Jianlian's various ability values.
Yi Jianlian didn't know what Li Feng was doing at the moment and continued, "Maybe it's my introverted personality, but during training, my teammates don't seem to like passing to me."
Li Feng remained silent and quickly boosted several of Yi Jianlian's stats in the system.
[Communication Ability +15]
[Proactiveness +10]
[Chemistry +12]
[Stability +15]
After adding the stats, Li Feng said, "Brother Yi, trust me, as long as you work hard, you will definitely become the star player for the Nets. I predict you will become an All-Star player this season!"
What Yi Jianlian needed most was encouragement and affirmation. Hearing Li Feng's words, his frustration vanished.
"Brother Li Feng, thank you so much. Every time I chat with you, I feel much clearer in my mind!"
"Don't worry, Brother Yi, Brother Yao and I are both optimistic about you. Keep it up!"
"Okay, I will!"
After finishing the call with Yi Jianlian, Li Feng shook his head with a smile. He realized that although Yi Jianlian was a few years older than him, he was actually just a big boy.
He needed friends to help him solve his psychological problems.
The next day, Li Feng flew to San Antonio with the entire Knicks team.
Playing away games presented many inconveniences, such as less freedom in training.
Li Feng and the entire team watched over an hour of Spurs game footage.
After watching, Coach D'Antoni asked the players for brief comments.
Li Feng spoke first, "The Spurs have a well-balanced roster, with organized offense and defense. Therefore, we need to use our speed to break through their defense."
D'Antoni nodded. He was well aware of Duncan's strength.
If the Knicks played a half-court offense against the Spurs, Duncan would still be himself.
However, if the Knicks ran their uptempo offense, Duncan would struggle because his mobility had significantly decreased after his injury.
After a few back-and-forth runs, his speed would not be able to keep up.
Gallinari said, "I think the Knicks need to increase our three-point attempts, which can force the Spurs to make difficult choices."
D'Antoni nodded, "That's right. Our next training content will focus on fast breaks, defensive counter-attacks, and pick-and-rolls!"
The entire team began targeted training.
This game attracted the attention of many media outlets, with numerous reporters present to interview players from both sides.
Unlike other teams, the Spurs are a very low-key team.
The GDP trio are not arrogant individuals.
Therefore, there is always little news about the Spurs, which leaves the media frustrated.
The Knicks players also do not have any arrogant individuals, so despite the game being highly anticipated by many media outlets and fans, the players from both sides did not make any outrageous remarks.
Not only were there no outlandish comments, but the players were also engaging in mutual praise.
During his interview, Duncan spoke highly of Li Feng, calling him a future superstar guard.
Ginobili, who had faced Li Feng in the Olympics, praised Li Feng even more.
He said Li Feng's achievements would surpass Yao Ming's and his future was limitless.
Parker admitted that Li Feng's speed was faster than his own, and defending Li Feng would be a challenge for the Spurs.
When interviewed, Li Feng also expressed great respect for the Spurs.
This harmonious atmosphere reduced the amount of verbal sparring between the media and fans, but it also increased the suspense of the game.
Would the seasoned powerhouse emerge victorious, or would the top draft pick reign supreme? Only time would tell after the match.
November 4th.
At the AT&T Center, the home of the San Antonio Spurs, the two teams officially clashed!
The Knicks' starting lineup had a slight adjustment, with Jeffries replacing Baron at center.
Therefore, the Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, David Lee, Gallinari, Jeffries, and Duhon.
The Spurs' starting five were Duncan, Tony Parker, Jefferson, George Hill, and McDyce.
The game began with the Knicks securing the first possession.
Li Feng dribbled the ball from the backcourt, and George Hill stepped up to defend closely.
George Hill is a player highly favored by Coach Popovich. He plays shooting guard but possesses strong organizational skills.
He is also accurate from the open three-point line, and most importantly, he is very familiar with the Spurs' tactics and rarely makes mistakes.
His defense was aggressive, and Li Feng felt the pressure.
However, Li Feng's dribbling and control abilities were too strong. With two change-of-direction dribbles, he successfully crossed half-court.
The Spurs were also well-prepared and would not give Li Feng easy shooting opportunities. Parker came to double-team from near the half-court line.
Parker's offensive ability is unique; he is very fast, and his "carousel" spin move in the paint is difficult to defend.
However, his defense is indeed quite average, and any guard can exploit it.