Chapter Twenty: Lucky Bastard

  Divac's assessment of Ye will directly affect his playing time with the Lakers. Ye, following Divac's requirements, has been training hard and is eager to show off his skills, but must rely on outside shooting to score, resulting in frequent misses.

  After training ended, he still had to practice 500 high-post mid-range shots.

  The devil training lasted for five days, and Ye Feng began to learn how to use jump shots to solve problems in the game. The key to shooting is to relax the body, grasp the rhythm, and use the feeling of the whole body, rather than just paying attention to the wrist. After shooting more and opening up, the hit rate naturally improved. Divac was very satisfied with his progress, and if he was left empty, he already had some confidence in shooting from a high position after blocking.

  After Diwata combined Ye Feng's characteristics, he suggested that he practice turning and shooting with one hand at the two bottom corners, using a hook or throwing method. His forearm is very long, his hands are also very big, can steadily hold the basketball, single-handed shooting does not need assistance, the shot is extremely fast, the action is similar to jumping up and putting the ball into the basket at the highest point, and does not require the wrist to be particularly flexible. "The Great Shark" O'Neal is good at this kind of shooting.

  O'Neal is the only one of the four centers who can only mix and eat in a low position, with some single-handed attack methods, but he is also the strongest among the four centers, unstoppable at his peak. Ye Feng is 2 meters tall, his body is not as against-the-sky as O'Neal's, but his turning speed is fast, his bounce is good, and as long as he practices O'Neal's moves, it won't be easy to cover his shots either.

  Low-post single-handed shots, high-post mid-range shots will become Ye Feng's regular weapons. After finding the key, Ye Feng can also make a turn-around jump shot, unfortunately this attack can only be performed occasionally, and even if he shoots 10 times, he might only make two.

  Defensive end Ye Feng has also made progress, mainly in terms of competing for rebounds. DiVats believed that Ye Feng could grab rebounds as long as he mastered the skills, and at least wouldn't be worse than him.

  The secret of grabbing rebounds is known to those who have played basketball seriously. The first is to occupy a favorable position. Boxing out is the key to grabbing rebounds, it's about getting your body closer to the basket than your opponent before the ball bounces out and boxing them out behind you. Boxing out requires a strong physical foundation, which Ye Feng has.

  The second is to predict the trajectory of the basketball bounce, which Ye Feng did very poorly. To explain to him, Divac shot from various angles and missed, letting him judge.

  Generally speaking, the direction of a ball's bounce is related to the angle of shooting. Divac is a good assistant coach and he summarized a complete set of experiences like a data expert. When shooting at a 45-degree angle, most balls bounce out at an opposite 45-degree angle or rebound back to the same side area. When shooting in the middle area, almost all land on the front face of the basket. When shooting at a zero-degree angle, some bounce towards the opposite zero-degree angle, while others rebound back to the same area or middle zone. The higher the arc of the shot, the higher the ball bounces and the closer it falls. Shooting with a high arc results in less power on the rebound and the ball falling closer.

  The third key point of rebounding is the reasonable use of jumping technology. The goal is to create conditions for timely jumping by carefully observing and accurately judging. In the game, there are three methods of jumping: single-foot jump, run-up jump, and double-foot jump. The allocation of jumping time will seriously affect the grasp of the timing of the rebounding ball. Divac told Ye Feng to try his best to use double-foot jump and land with both feet. Rushing for rebounds is exciting and beautiful, but it's also easier to get injured. If you land on one foot, stepping on someone's foot can be fatal.

  In addition, a good rebounder must also have a strong sense of timing. When the player's body is in mid-air at its highest point, they must maintain balance and stability while overcoming the opposing forces of the ball and their opponent. They should use their fingertips to grip the ball firmly, swing their arm back and quickly bend their elbow to pull the ball back to their chest, controlling the ball. Protecting the ball after a rebound is also crucial. After landing on the ground, they must maintain balance, wrap both hands around the ball, hold it tightly with force, and use their body to protect the ball while observing and searching for teammates to choose whether to pass or shoot themselves.

  Finally, there is the poke, prod and pick-up. When in a disadvantageous position on the rebounding board, rely on judgment to run flexibly, rush to the rebounding board, and use the poke, prod and pick-up method to get the ball into your own control range.

  During Lakers training, Divac thought that Yefeng's ability to grab rebounds was not bad, and now it has improved. In the defensive team's training game, as long as he doesn't get sent out for extra defense, he can control a large number of backcourt rebounds. Divac believes that if he gets enough playing time, his rebounding numbers may be among the best in the league.

  The first game of the NBDL is about to begin, and the whole team has a day off. The training volume here is not large, and whether to add more practice depends on the player's self-awareness, and the coach will not supervise. In order to play in the NBA as soon as possible, young players often choose to add practice and apply to live in the team's dormitory.

  Ye Feng also applied for the Defender's dormitory for special training, eating and living in the ballroom, and getting familiar with his teammates. Since joining the Defender team, Ye Feng has been in a closed state, only occasionally calling Gabriela. The Lakers' teammates were busy flying to play away games and didn't have time to contact him. Ye Feng took the initiative to call his teammates to congratulate them on their victory.

  Since the start of the season, the Lakers have a record of 4-1, with their only loss coming on the road to the Magic. Dwight Howard roughed up Bynum and nearly got him to cry after the game.

  Although on vacation, many people are practicing, and Ye Feng also goes to the stadium to practice shooting. After leaving the development league, he has plenty of time to rest, usually getting a few minutes of playing time, which doesn't consume physical strength at all.

  Today, Ye Feng's hand feeling was not bad, and he consecutively made 13 high-position jump shots, which was his record for consecutive scoring. After finishing his practice of shooting 500 balls, he wiped the sweat with a towel and found a familiar figure standing beside the court. Ailier wore a black leather jacket, black leather boots with high heels, and sunglasses, waving at him, looking like a spy in a movie.

  "How did you get here?" Ye Feng almost didn't recognize her, he thought Gabriella should learn from Aria how to dress up, this style seemed suitable for acting in an American action movie.

  Ariel smiled: "It's rare that you can still recognize me, I've called you several times, and you said you were training. If I didn't come this time, would you care about me?"

  Ye Feng was recognizable because he had few friends of the opposite sex, and awkwardly said: "Sorry, in order to return to the Lakers as soon as possible, I really need a lot of practice. Recently, I finally practiced some mid-range shooting ability... Several times I didn't go out to see you, are you angry? Are you here to find me to ask for punishment?"

  Ellie shook her head and smiled: "To be honest, I was a bit annoyed at first, feeling that you were too arrogant. But after coming here and watching you practice for a while, I decided to forgive you. Does this guy only have basketball in his eyes? I stood under the basket for a while, and you didn't even see me."

  Ye Feng really didn't see it, he was always thinking about how to throw more accurately, how to make the action of turning around with the ball and jumping shot more smooth.

  "Ariel continued, 'You don't have to keep practicing, do you? I need to discuss something with you. Go take a shower and change your clothes, then come out with me. I've already asked around, the team has the day off today, and you're here voluntarily.'"

  "Okay." The beautiful woman took the initiative to run to the ballroom to find him, Ye Feng couldn't refuse again. He changed his clothes and went out of the ballroom with Ailier, asking: "Where are we going?"

  "Let's go shopping first, and after we're done, I'll tell you something important." Eriel smiled: "I need your help, ask a question, do you like that British girl who lives with you?"

  "How did you know I was living with someone? Did you investigate me?" In the United States, private detectives are a common profession and wealthy people can hire them to investigate information they want, secretly take photos, etc.

  Airi smiled and said: "Hmm, I didn't expect you to live with a beauty. I know she's not your girlfriend yet. Do you like her?"

  "It's just a roommate, I don't plan on developing anything further with her for now." Ye Feng sighed, in his past life he always followed behind others to take pictures, and now the consequences have come. "If you want to know something, there's no need to investigate me, just ask directly, sneaking around behind someone's back isn't what friends should do."

  Ellie took off her sunglasses and gazed into his eyes, smiling: "Sorry, I was worried that if I asked you, you might hide something from me. It's better to clarify some things. I have to make sure you're the right person to help me. I also had someone investigate your past situation. It's really strange, before being struck by lightning, you were an introverted person, never had a girlfriend, often got into fights and was cold and uncommunicative, with almost no friends, and not even good relationships with teammates. After being struck by lightning, your personality changed greatly, becoming cheerful and good at communicating with people, relying on becoming friends with Bynum to get a trial opportunity, then finding an apartment near Los Angeles, moving in on the same day as Gabriela. You're also very popular within the team, often interacting with USC students, but still haven't found a girlfriend, is that about right?"

  "You've said too much. Can I ask, what do you want me to help with? Why are you still investigating my past?" Ye Feng said with a bitter smile.

  "Let's go shopping first, then get on the bus."

  Ellie fired up her silver-blue Audi R8 and peeled out of the arena quickly.

  The two entered a nearby mall, but Aili didn't buy anything for herself. Instead, she took Yefeng to the men's department and carefully helped him pick out clothes, letting him try them on.

  The waiters looked at Ye Feng, their faces all with strange expressions, and a man even whispered "this lucky bastard". Ye Feng felt like he was being treated like a gigolo by a rich woman, and looking at Aili, he smiled wryly: "What do you want to do?"

  "I won't harm you either, that's how I am with friends, don't be polite." Aili sat on one side, propping up her second leg and smiling.

  Ye Feng had no choice but to try on a few sets of clothes. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with a great figure, and the effect was good in every set he wore. Aili'er clapped her hands in satisfaction and said to the salesperson beside her, "Great, wrap up all these clothes."

  Yefeng stopped Aili before she swiped her card, pulling her aside and saying softly: "I'm an athlete, I have no interest in wearing these clothes. Tell me what you want to do now, or else I'll leave."

  Airi looked at him with a serious expression and said: "Okay, listen carefully... I want you to be my boyfriend!"

  "What?!"

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