"You see! Whether it's the setup of the competition system or the choice of tactics, physical fitness is the most crucial aspect of our current stage of competition! That's why I suggested to Sanye that we shift our training focus back to fundamental training! Only when the fundamentals are solid can we possibly execute our technical moves... Otherwise, if our stamina can't keep up, all technical moves are in vain..."
He Ximeng persuaded with reason on one hand and used Sanye's authority as head coach to pressure him on the other...
For the first physical fitness training, He Ximeng led all the players in running 35 laps around the basketball court! One lap of a standard court is 86 meters, so 35 laps cover a distance of approximately 3000 meters. This 3000-meter run served not only as physical training but also as a warm-up. After the run, they performed stretching exercises to fully open up their bodies and prevent sports injuries. These were the absolute basics.
The second exercise, fast break training, was the main event of the day.
He Ximeng was teaching them the "three-line fast break" today. As the name suggests, the 12 players were divided into three lines, with four players per line, positioned at the left baseline, the middle of the basket, and the right baseline.
When the training started, the players at the left and right baselines initiated the play. They ran forward while looking back, preparing to receive passes from the player in the middle. This initial move simulated a scenario where the opponent missed a shot, the center grabbed the rebound, passed it to the point guard to advance the ball, and the forwards on both sides immediately broke forward.
The player in the middle passed the basketball to the player breaking on the right. After receiving the ball, the player on the right dribbled towards the center. After passing, the player in the middle stayed close to the right lane, filling the right-side position, ensuring there were support players when they reached the frontcourt.
The teammate holding the ball in the middle advanced to the three-point line before passing to the player breaking on the left. The player on the left received the ball and completed a layup.
This full-court running and layup drill required three players to break forward simultaneously, incorporating tactical positioning and coordination during the advance.
It essentially trained players' stamina, passing and ball-handling, dribbling, and finally, layups all at once.
In the NBA league, especially for teams that favor fast breaks, three-line fast break training was essentially a daily mandatory exercise.
Players formed groups of three and repeated the running and layup drills until someone actively begged the coaching staff for mercy, stating they couldn't run anymore...
Generally, the big men on the inside were the first to give up. This drill was relatively friendlier for the forwards and guards.
Being able to run fast breaks was basically a required skill for all forwards and guards.
However, He Ximeng insisted that some of the big players participate as well, partly to improve their stamina and partly to increase their passing and cutting coordination with other players.
When Qin Rui and Feng Chen were the first to voice their inability to run and their suffering, He Ximeng agreed to let them rest on the sidelines and perform basic inside footwork training.
After Qin Rui and Feng Chen left, it was Yan Hui and Zhu Ningzhen's turn. These four were essentially the "Big Four" inside players of Zhuji Middle School.
On the court, the remaining 8 players consisted of Wang Xian, Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, and Fu Xinyuan, who tended to play forward, and He Ximeng, Tang Chenfeng, Chen Feng, and Ming Hanfei, who primarily played guard.
He Ximeng imposed even stricter demands on the forwards and guards, making them run five more sets than the inside players before finally calling a halt to everyone.
While the players stopped, the ball kept moving. During the rest period, He Ximeng had each player hold a ball and perform the simplest dribbling exercises, adjusting their breathing, and preparing for the next, and final, training session of the day: live scrimmage!
For the live scrimmage, He Ximeng did not divide the teams into starters and reserves. Instead, he mixed all the players, striving to balance the strength of the two teams as much as possible.
Yan Hui led one group, and He Ximeng himself led the other.
Zhang Zhenpeng was placed in Yan Hui's group.
Yan Hui, Zhu Ningzhen, Zhang Zhenpeng, Ming Hanfei, and Chen Feng formed one team.
Qin Rui, Feng Chen, Wang Xian, Tang Chenfeng, and He Ximeng formed the other team.
Huangfu Yanlin and Fu Xinyuan were positioned on either side, ready to substitute in at any time.
During the original practice scrimmages, most of the time was spent laughing and joking, fully "enjoying" the fun of basketball.
But now that He Ximeng was determined to pursue the national competition route, it was obviously impossible to let them continue goofing around.
"Run, run! Speed up the fast break..."
"Tang Chenfeng, receive the pass..."
"Beautiful! Good play, just like that!"
"Come on, fast break back! Don't relax after scoring; you must always be vigilant against the opponent's counter-attack..."
Huangfu Yanlin and Fu Xinyuan had initially thought they would spend this half-hour on the sidelines, near the water cooler. However, within five minutes, a teammate on the court requested to come off for a break.
The 30-minute full-court scrimmage saw frequent lineup changes.
Since each team only had one reserve player, only one person could rest at a time. When one person left the court, another had to come on. Some players, after resting for just two minutes, had to grit their teeth and return to the game when someone else couldn't take it anymore.