Sam Young worked very hard when he warmed up today, and he knew very well what the Grizzlies meant to sign Link.

As a sophomore player, Sam Young averaged 16 minutes per game in the rookie season and scored 7.3 points. Although his three-point shooting percentage was only a slim 19.6%, Sam Young was still loved by fans and the team with his occasional dunk performance.

After all, as a second round pick, it was already a surprise that he could occasionally exert force during rotation time in the first year. People believe that he should be able to grow into a qualified role player.

But this year, Sam Young, a second-year student, has not made much progress compared to last year. Although his three-point shooting percentage soared to 34%, his average of only 0.6 three-pointers per game and the sample is too small, so the improvement in the three-point shooting percentage is meaningless.

With the increase in playing time per game by 4 minutes, Sam Young's average score per game this year has not changed. He averaged 7.3 points per game last year, but this year he averaged only 7.2 points per game.

For rookie players, no progress is the fatal disadvantage. As a senior player, Sam Young is an instant combat power, and his potential has been almost fully tapped.

This year, the Grizzlies hope to equip a 3D small forward on the bench. Therefore, Sam Young, who was not stable enough, gradually lost Hollins' trust.

The Grizzlies originally had the perfect candidate Xavier Henry this year, but it was a pity that the Kentucky rookie forward was reimbursed for the season, so the Grizzlies had to find someone elsewhere.

Now, with the big enemy in front of her, Sam Young knows very well that he must defend his playing time and order of play with his performance. If Link rises and Henry returns next season, Sam Young's Memphis career will end.

As a second round pick, Sam Yang knew very well what the result was to be abandoned. At the least, he was traded, and at the worst, he was fired directly. This is a matter of job, and he would not let Link score at all.

While Sam Young was preparing carefully, Grizzlies assistant coach Elston Turner also began to explain the Grizzlies' basic tactics to Link.

"Your task is to play as a 3D player when Rudy Guy or O.J. Mayo is resting. So, the tactics assigned by the head coach are not complicated. First, open up space outside the three-point line. If we want to play inside tactics, you need to run back and forth in two bottom corners to gain attack space for Zach and Mark. Second, the position in the fast break. If your teammates are in the middle, you need to choose whether to stand at the three-point line or cut into the basket according to different situations."

As a undraft, no coach specifically formulates tactics for you or holds a tactical meeting for you. On the training ground, listen to the assistant coach's arrangements for you. If you can understand, you can go as soon as you don't understand, but you can fight a mess. The result of a mess is to get out of here with $50,000 in ten days.

At the beginning, Link was really a little uncomfortable. After all, in the Development League, the game tactics are far less complicated. The focus of the Development League is personal performance, and every player fights for his own future.

But in the NBA, the focus of the game is the team. Every seemingly ordinary offense has complex tactics to support it. Today Link truly experienced that there are no players in the NBA who are not easy to use.

Because players who can remember so many complex tactics and execute them must be extremely smart. This is especially true for role players. Stars can also allow the team to adapt to themselves, while role players can only adapt to the team themselves.

Although the Grizzlies' tactics are more than ten times more complicated than the Blues, thanks to Link's four years of basketball education at the University, it is not difficult for him to understand and remember these tactics. And don't forget that Link now has more than ten years of basketball experience and basketball understanding ability in Grant Hill.

His tactical cultivation is several times stronger than rookies of the same level. Grant Hill has used most of his life to accumulate experience, and ordinary people can't get it even if they want it.

Link now just feels thankfully that without those four years of experience and system, he would not have been able to have learned the tactics that Turner said so thoroughly.

"Do you roughly understand what I said?" After Elston Turner finished speaking, the tactical board in his hand was already densely drawn.

"Yeah, it's probably clear."

"Very good, now, go and play tactics with the trainers and adapt. I'll tell Coach Hollins that if everything goes well, you can go up and practice your hands later in the confrontational training. By the way, we've prepared your No. 0 jersey for you. Don't wear your black vest in the training match later."

As soon as he heard the No. 0 jersey, Link was full of energy. For himself and Upshaw, no matter who he was later, he would not stop him!

※※※

The Grizzlies' confrontational training has one similarity with the Blues, that is, Hollins also likes to use substitutes and mixed teams.

This will not only help cultivate tacit understanding of the whole team, but also make the confrontation closer to actual combat. Because both sides have similar strengths, there will be no one-sided situation.

Before today's confrontational training began, Hollins gathered everyone to allocate the matchup list. Sam Yang was on high alert. He was a player with one and a half years of experience in NBA and could not lose to a undraft!

"Tabbitt, Randolph, Sam, Mayo and Vasquis, you are in the group. Mark Gasol, Darrell Arthur, Link, Tony Allen and Conley, you are in the group. The others are ready to play on the bench at any time."

As soon as Hollins announced the list, everyone was instantly excited. They all knew that Link's appearance would make today's confrontational training extremely interesting.

After hearing that he was assigned to the opposite side of Link, Randolph was ready to go. In fact, Randolph is no longer a villain now. After coming to Memphis, he has become a typical case of a prodigal son turning back.

But Randolph doesn't want his teammate to be a soft guy, and the Grizzlies don't welcome weak players. So, he will test how much Link is today.

"Don't be nervous, follow the tactics and there will always be opportunities!" Before the game started, Tony Allen patted Link on the shoulder.

Elston Turner blew the whistle as the referee of the trainer and the game officially began!

Since it was a training match, he was exempted from jumping balls, and Randolph's side directly served the bottom line ball.

Sam Young is very active. He keeps interspersing on the offensive end, hoping to get a chance to cut into the basket.

Randolph received a pass from Venezuela defender Vasquis at a low post. He actually had the ability to singles to defend his younger brother Darrell Arthur. But Randolph did not deliberately not play singles by himself, but instead supported him at a high post and hit the ball to Sam Yang who cut into the basket!

Sam Young is a "spring man" striker, and his favorite aerial work is his favorite. If he can snatch one on Link's head on the training ground, it will definitely greatly deepen Hollins' trust in himself.

Thinking of this, Sam Young took off directly without completely getting rid of Link! Seeing this scene, Hollins was not happy, but instead shook his head.

"Sam is too anxious."

As soon as Hollins finished speaking to himself, Sam Young dropped the ball. As soon as he started to jump, Link seized the opportunity to attack everything and ruined Young's dunk.

Link was experienced and calm, clean and neat. He didn't look like a rookie at all.

But this is Link's characteristic. His maturity that is inconsistent with his age has long become his mark.

After cutting Sam Young's basketball off, Link immediately gave the ball to Conley and pulled it to the right bottom corner himself.

Hollins was very surprised about Link's tactical running. This was his first time playing in the Grizzlies' system, but his thinking was very clear. Link could know when to hand the ball to whom and where to run.

For a role player, this performance can actually impress the coach more.

Conley was in possession of the ball from the outside, while Link encountered Sam Young's entanglement in the right corner.

Sam Young had a strong confrontation, and this level of confrontation undoubtedly exceeded the scope of the training match. But he knew that for Link and himself, this was not a training match, but a duel with Liu.

Yang originally wanted to use strong resistance to intimidate Link, but as a Development League player, Link is least afraid of is competition! The cruelty of the Development League is sometimes even more serious than the NBA!

Sam Young's strong confrontation did not lock Link. After Conley passed the ball to Darrell Arthur outside the three-point line on the right, Link immediately ran to the right bottom corner according to the tactics!

He pushed Sam Young away, crossing the crowded bottom line, and the running route was very clear!

Sam Young was delayed at the crowded basket, allowing Link to get out of the right time.

Arthur passed the ball, Link just jumped out of the three-point line and shot as soon as he received the ball!

Although the ball has not been scored yet, Hollins has already laughed. At least Link has implemented this tactic perfectly. I don’t know, I thought Link had played with the Grizzlies for several years.

The next second, the Nets showed "white waves". Link not only ran out of the tactics, but also seized the scoring opportunity. The Grizzlies finally played this refined three-pointer tactic, which was not available on the Grizzlies' bench. And this steady three-pointer was also something Sam Young could not provide for the Grizzlies.

Three-pointers and defense, Link showed his value in the clearest way. Don’t you just need three-pointers and defense? I have them!
Chapter completed!