Chapter 164 Testing Grounds

The Pelicans' first game after the All-Star break was against the Suns.

The Suns had basically given up on the season, now focusing on developing Porzingis.

They didn't cause the Pelicans much trouble in this game either.

With a 20-point gap at the end of the third quarter, the entire last quarter became garbage time.

The outcome of the game was never in doubt, but some fans noticed that Tang Tian had a double-double of 20 points and 11 assists in just three quarters.

Tang Tian's passing was decent, but he wasn't exactly a passing expert. His previous assists were mostly passes after attracting double-teams with his strong individual offense.

Some sharp-eyed fans on the forum noticed that Tang Tian's court vision and passing accuracy were better than before in this game.

But these were only a few fans. After all, getting an assist double-double wasn't a big deal for Tang Tian, ​​let alone against the weak Suns.

However, compared to those fans, the Pelicans' players were the ones who were truly surprised.

After an easy victory, a game he checked out of after three quarters, Tang Tian stayed in the arena alone after the game, doing passing drills with Nash's help.

Stevens was also surprised, but more than anything, he was gratified.

He got a double-double in three quarters, led the team to a big win, and still demanded so much of himself after the game.

With the team's core doing this, it would be difficult for this team not to win.

But this time they misunderstood Tang Tian.

Tang Tian got a new skill and was using the game as practice, and he still found a lot of problems after a game.

Because Nash was in Phoenix, Tang Tian seized the time to have him help improve his passing skills.

Focused and precise, Nash's understanding of passing was much deeper than Procopio's.

"You need to control your wrist, that's the key to passing. It's like shooting, it can guarantee you have a passing angle..."

Nash was imparting his passing experience at this moment.

The skill provided by the system only provided ability. To truly let him exert his strength, he needed to add his own understanding.

In basketball skills, its creativity was much greater than scoring.

Tang Tian was training according to the method requested by Nash, and because the ability was there, he mastered many movements very quickly.

Nash was stunned by this.

"God, you're a genius!"

Nash couldn't help but exclaim.

He was a historic point guard, and his understanding of passing was the best.

This was a skill that required time to accumulate, which was also the origin of the saying that point guards get better with age.

"Yes, I am a genius."

Tang Tian said jokingly.

Of course, he couldn't talk about the skill.

Nash was amused by Tang Tian and laughed.

Although Tang Tian was joking, there was nothing wrong with what he said.

Although Tang Tian wasn't a chosen one like James or Magic when he entered the league.

But his rate of improvement every year was quite amazing, which was also a type of genius.

The day after the game, the Pelicans returned to New Orleans.

And on the first training class after returning, they saw Stephenson who had completed the medical examination.

With a face full of stubble, born in 1990, he was only 26 years old, and he entered the league in the same year as Tang Tian.

But perhaps because of the ups and downs of the past few years, he looked like a veteran.

After he came in, he greeted his teammates one by one, and his black face and white teeth were quite funny.

"Boss, I'm here to win the championship."

Stephenson finally greeted Tang Tian, calling him boss as soon as he opened his mouth, and what he said caused a burst of laughter from his teammates.

Tang Tian couldn't help but laugh too.

After laughing, he turned to look at Bojan, Bojan had a competitor!

Stephenson was here to fill Morrow's rotation spot.

But because of the great difference in technical characteristics, Stevens positioned him as the second point guard in the substitute lineup.

This was the result of the coaching staff's joint discussion.

Stephenson and Dinwiddie were both ball-handling players, but he was obviously not as stable as Dinwiddie.

Letting him hold the ball for a short time could give full play to his advantages without causing chaos.

In terms of knowing people and being good at using them, Stevens really had the flavor of Popovich.

And this was proven to be effective.

In the following week, the Pelicans continued their winning streak, defeating the Nuggets, Lakers, and Pistons one after another.

Including the ones before the All-Star Game, they ushered in their third 12-game winning streak of the season.

Stephenson's stats in these three games were 7 points, 2 assists and 1 turnover, 9 points, 3 assists and 2 turnovers, and 8 points, 2 assists and 0 turnovers.

It could be seen from the data that he integrated very well.

The team started a new winning streak, and Stephenson integrated well. The Pelicans' performance after the All-Star Game was as stable as ever.

But the fans were already used to these. What really made them happy was Tang Tian's passing, which was a visible improvement.

It was no longer just the accuracy and stability of the passing, he even started playing fancy passes.

In the recent game against the Pistons, he had a between-the-legs pass while moving, which directly ignited the emotions of the fans.

The three most visually appealing skills in basketball games were the ultra-long three-pointer, the poster dunk, and the flashy pass.

Dazzling passes could also make people's adrenaline soar.

Tang Tian, who could score and pass, made the fans even more crazy.

"Calm down, guys, they're just bullying the weak!"

But Barkley was still calm, shouting on TNT's program.

Although he was a loudmouth, what he said made sense.

The Pelicans had a devilish schedule before the All-Star Game, and the schedule after the All-Star Game became easier again.

The weaker the opponent, the worse the defense, so these skills weren't that eye-catching.

"The next game is the main event."

Barkley continued to shout.

The Pelicans' next game was against the Rockets.

The current Rockets were no longer the same team as the Rockets they played last time.

I don't know what method Morey used in private, but the conflict between Paul and Cousins had been resolved, and Cousins was playing very focused again.

And with the addition of Morris, their strength had reached a new level.

Like the Pelicans, their record since the All-Star Game was also a four-game winning streak.

After Morris came to the Rockets, he became the starting power forward, averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. It was a bit good to be able to play this data around the Big Three.

It was no exaggeration to say that the current Rockets' strength had increased by at least 20% compared to before.

It would be difficult for the Pelicans to win as easily as last time.

This was the main event that Barkley was talking about.

This game was played at the Toyota Center, and the Rockets players were eager to try.

They hadn't won against the Warriors and the Pelicans this season. This game was their chance, and they couldn't wait.

But what they might not have expected was that Tang Tian on the Pelicans' side had the same idea.

After four games, he had a full grasp of his passing ability, and now he wanted to find a strong team to test it out.