章節 56: New Team
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Butler's defense had become significantly tougher, and he knew how to use his body to overpower Curry on offense, making Curry—who had a disadvantage in size—struggle in the one-on-one duels. Curry still managed to win by relying on his improving shooting and greatly enhanced dribbling ability.
Liam watched the two players interacting from the sidelines and smiled with satisfaction.
He pointed at the two of them on the court and said confidently, "Brad, do you see this? With these two players, we don't need to worry about accomplishing our great mission!"
Stevens, standing next to him with his arms crossed, glanced at Liam and replied, "I'm starting to wonder if the scouts from other schools just watch NBA games all day. They missed such a promising player, and you managed to find him."
Liam laughed. "What do you know? I've just got an eye for talent."
That evening, after training, Liam didn't head to the restaurant but instead ordered takeout and returned to the office with Stevens to discuss tactics.
The Bulldogs were about to begin tactical training, and the coaching staff needed to develop strategies based on the strengths the players had shown during practice.
Especially on defense, with the addition of Butler, the Bulldogs finally had a strong defensive point at the forward-guard swingman position, greatly improving the lineup's flexibility. This required Liam and Stevens to think through the details.
"Brad, do you remember the lineup we used in the second half against Florida University last season?" Liam asked.
"You mean when we pulled Pete off and went with Julian's small lineup of one big and four small players?" Stevens asked, uncertainly.
Liam nodded. "Exactly. Back then, I used it to lure Horford into a low-post attack. Now I think it could become a regular tactic."
Stevens pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "You want Jimmy to play power forward? Sure, the perimeter defense would be strong, but what about the inside defense?"
Liam shook his head. "Why do we need to focus so much on defending the inside? Florida University has broken up, Oden's gone to the Trail Blazers, and the NCAA doesn't have many strong inside players left. Except for Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, and Brook Lopez, there's no one to be worried about."
"That makes sense… So what's the purpose of this lineup? We're not setting traps anymore, right?" Stevens was still trying to catch up to Liam's thinking.
Since Stevens started playing basketball, he'd always heard the saying, "He who controls the inside controls the game." How could they solve the problem of weak inside defense?
Liam grinned. "We'll borrow from the Suns and play a modified version of 'run-and-gun'!"
"Run and gun?"
"Exactly. Stephen's power in the NCAA is even stronger than Nash's. His offensive skills are exceptional. With him leading the charge, we can field three shooters and one finisher, push the speed to the limit, and instead of playing static, positional basketball, we'll play blitzkrieg!" Liam explained enthusiastically.
"And how do we address the defensive end?"
"That's easy. We'll shrink the defense. The NCAA's three-point line is short, and most teams don't value three-pointers as much as we do. There's not much space on the court. We can let Jimmy guard their weak shooter and have him look for chances to help with the defense boldly. The number of quality point guards in the NCAA is low."
Stevens thought about it, nodded slowly, and began to agree with Liam's idea.
Most NCAA forwards weren't much taller than 2.03 meters. Although Butler was a bit short for the inside, with help from his teammates, he could handle it just fine.
On offense, adding another shooter would significantly enhance their attack. The opposing defense would have to be cautious because with Curry's court vision, any lapse in defense would be exploited.
When the defense focuses on the three-point line, the inside opens up, making it easier for Curry to drive to the basket.
Curry wasn't the kind of explosive point guard like Rose or Westbrook, who relied on sheer athleticism and speed. He needed rhythm changes to create space for his shots and drives, and for that, the team had to provide more spacing on the court.
The game against Florida University last season had proven that the Bulldogs were not a defense-first team. Against a powerhouse like Florida, defensive gaps emerged everywhere. Even with Butler's addition, the defense wouldn't take a huge leap. It was more important to leverage Butler's defensive skills to unlock their offensive potential.
After reaching a consensus, Liam and Stevens began working out the specifics of the tactical plan.
It wasn't just a matter of swapping Butler for Campbell; there were countless details to consider.
The small-ball lineup wouldn't necessarily stay on the floor for the entire game. They had to think about when to use the traditional two-big lineup, when Butler should start, and whether they'd need to switch to the smaller lineup at critical moments. All of this required careful planning and targeted practice.
That's the life of a coach: watching game tapes, thinking through tactics, setting up lineups, studying opponents...
While the players worked hard on the court, the coaches were pushing their minds to the limit.
After stepping into the coaching role, Liam finally understood why so many coaches always seemed to carry a weight of worry.
There's an immense pressure in this profession. When the team loses, the coach bears the blame—this holds true no matter what the sport.
In the following two months, with the combined efforts of Liam and the coaching staff, a new tactical approach took shape.
After repeated practice, the five-man lineup of Butler, AJ Graves, Curry, Mike Green, and Drew began to come together.
This lineup emphasized collapsing the defense, rotating quickly, and forcing turnovers on the defensive end.
Though only Butler and Drew were standout defenders, the rest of the team could compensate with discipline, executing tight, fast rotations that would limit teams that lacked proper spacing.
On offense, Curry transformed into the primary ball-handler and playmaker. His dribbling skills had improved, his range extended even further, and he now combined shooting, drives, and passes into a complete offensive package. In the NCAA, under such intense competition, Curry was becoming an unstoppable force.
After growing taller and focusing on strength training, Curry's ability to handle physical play also improved, allowing him to play through an entire game as the main ball handler without wearing down.
The NCAA's 35-second shot clock and 40-minute games were much less intense than the NBA, so he wouldn't tire easily.
The rest of the team received specialized training on how to screen for Curry, using a mix of fake screens, back screens, cross screens, and double screens to keep opponents guessing.
Liam put the weight of the team's offense on Curry's shoulders.
A season ago, he wouldn't have dared to rely so heavily on Curry. But after a year of development, Curry's dominance in the NCAA was unmatched, and he was more than capable of taking on the responsibility.
As Liam watched his players train, he was filled with confidence for the Bulldogs' new season.
End of this chapter
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