"Thank you, brother!" Jordan, after his game-winning shot against He Xi Meng, whispered his thanks as they embraced.
Well, who was Jordan? He immediately realized that He Xi Meng had seemed to go easy on his last shot.
He Xi Meng gave him a smile that said it all. He neither admitted nor denied it.
The warm-up ended, and it was time for fundamental training and basic tactical drills.
Training as a group versus training alone was a completely different experience. To use a less-than-perfect analogy, it was like, "It's more fun to share happiness than to enjoy it alone."
After the fundamental training, the last item was simulated play. This was what Jordan valued most. Before returning, Jordan wanted to determine his current competitive level within the league. He never doubted his ability to continue playing in the professional league; his only uncertainty was whether he still had the strength to sweep the league!
He hadn't come back to be beaten, nor to humiliate himself. He had proven himself a god in the basketball world over 13 seasons with the Bulls! He didn't want to lose the title of "god" in just one or two seasons with the Wizards. After all, even gods have their pride!
But in reality, Jordan's choice to return at this age was destined to be a tough one. "Fists fear the young, sticks fear the old wolf."
Jordan's attempt to face the league's youngsters with his old playing style was bound to not yield the desired results. The only solution, which He Xi Meng had already provided, was to transform! Enhancing and relying on the uniqueness of three-point shooting was Jordan's best, and only, way to maintain his formidable offensive power while staying healthy!
In today's practice scrimmage, Jordan didn't use the method of dividing teams into veterans and rookies like yesterday. Instead, he mixed everyone up.
On Jordan's team: center Brad Miller, power forward Artest, small forward Hamilton, shooting guard Jordan, point guard He Xi Meng, and reserve scorer Stackhouse.
In this lineup, Jordan had essentially gathered the core players of the Wizards and added a few young players he favored: He Xi Meng, Stackhouse, and Artest!
The purpose of this grouping was clear: Jordan wanted to see how the Wizards' core players for the new season would perform under He Xi Meng's direction.
He Xi Meng, of course, understood Jordan's intentions. Therefore, during today's practice, he continuously created shooting opportunities for Brad Miller and Hamilton.
Brad Miller's main scoring opportunities were concentrated beyond the three-point line, while Hamilton's were in the mid-range!
"Since you advocate so strongly for three-point shooting, why don't you also have Richard expand his shooting range and take shots from the perimeter?" Jordan asked He Xi Meng at the end of a game, puzzled.
"Of course, he can! If Richard were with the Spurs, I would have no hesitation in making him practice three-pointers and extend his range. But for the Wizards, having Richard pull out isn't ideal! Because it would mean you'd be pulled away from the basket. A team can't have everyone drifting to the perimeter to shoot. Because then, the opponent could spread their defense freely and make your three-point shots uncomfortable. So, someone has to take on the task of driving, of pulling the opponent's defense inwards! For the Wizards next season, either you personally take on this role, or it has to be Richard! To put it bluntly, this is a role that draws opponent's attention and engages in physical battles, akin to a commando unit in the army! My suggestion is to give it to the younger players! Because this role is extremely physically demanding and carries a high risk of injury. Your role should be the team's commander, the perimeter firepower, and the game-closer..."
He Xi Meng spared no effort in brainwashing Jordan, making him experience the thrill of being an outside organizer and scorer.
Jordan was very satisfied with the outside organizer role. Compared to the restricted vision and limited passing range from the post, this position offered a significant advantage in observing the entire court and reading the game.
However, he was still gradually adapting to being the perimeter firepower. Without the physical confrontation of the post-up, Jordan always felt something was missing when shooting, leading to inconsistent accuracy.
In the following days, the older players gradually departed. Ewing was the first to leave, followed by Pippen and Payton. After all, these veterans were now leaders in their own right and had their own affairs to manage. They couldn't be sparring partners for Jordan like the younger players, who had fewer commitments.
It was already a great honor for them to rush to Jordan's side at his call!
Oakley, nearing retirement and with free time, stayed. And Kerr, having been traded from the Spurs to Washington at Jordan's request this summer, had already moved his family and considered sparring with Jordan his most important task for the summer.
Among the younger players, Carter was the first to leave, Rasheed Wallace was second, and Stackhouse was third!
These three were all "juniors" from Jordan's North Carolina fraternity, sharing a deep connection with him. However, their reasons for leaving were similar to those of the older players who had already departed. Carter was now the star player for the Raptors, Rasheed Wallace for the Trail Blazers, and Stackhouse for the Pistons. Although young, all three were no longer rookies. They had their own group of younger players to train and couldn't continuously accompany Jordan...
Thus, after a week, only Oakley, Kerr, He Xi Meng, Artest, Brad Miller, and Hamilton remained.
He Xi Meng wasn't inclined to leave, but he dared not leave as long as Artest was still there!
Having finally managed to control Artest's "beastliness" within a reasonable range through motivational talks, Jordan had trained happily for a week without any fractures. He Xi Meng didn't want all his efforts over the week to go to waste.
"Ron, when are you heading back to Chicago?"
"No rush! I feel the training here is much more effective than training on my own! It's even more effective than training with the Bulls! I can already feel my defensive stamina awakening. I have a premonition that if I keep training here, I'll become the best defensive player in the league next season. The DPOY is coming my way..." Artest said, flexing his biceps, his eyes shining with hope.
"Uh... this kid seems to have been drinking too much 'chicken soup' lately and is a bit too immersed in it..."
He Xi Meng felt that if he wanted to extricate himself as quickly as possible while ensuring Jordan's safety, he needed to reduce the amount of "chicken soup" he fed Artest. He shouldn't be too obsessed with defense; scoring could also be a lot of fun.