Slam Dunk: I'm the Glasses Brother

Chapter 109 Preparations before the Battle with Shoyo

"Coach, without Akagi in the paint, what tactics will we use in the next game?" The next day, during training, Kusao Takeshi asked.

"Although Akagi will miss the joint finals, which will make us lose a major support in the interior, it does not mean that we have no countermeasures against Shoyo. The tactic against Shoyo is to counter speed with speed, and we can also play against Shohoku in the run-and-gun situation. Shoyo's interior players are of average height, and Mugure and Mitsui can break into the interior and cause damage."

"But coach, Shoyo's backcourt is not weak either. Even if Murasakibara and Mitsui can break through successfully, it will be a huge drain on their physical strength," Kusao Takeshi said with some concern.

"Basketball is not a one-on-one game. I don't mean that Murasakibara and Mitsui should be the initiators of the ball. They should use breakthroughs to disrupt Shoyo's defense and wait for opportunities to pass the ball to other players to finish. Murasakibara and Mitsui don't force breakthroughs, but need the help of inside players."

"Pick and roll?"

"Yes, it's the pick-and-roll." Coach Anzai took the paper and pen and started drawing. He said, "The pick-and-roll is indeed the simplest tactic, and it is also the one that can lead to various variations. With the strength of Mugure and Mitsui, I believe that even in the country there are few combinations that can completely block our backcourt. But if Mugure or Mitsui launch an attack by themselves, they are not actually bringing out our greatest firepower in Xiangbei. This requires you inside players to step up."

"Oh?" Xiangbei's inside players became interested.

"Use your bodies to block the players in front of Murasakibara or Mitsui. This will give Murasakibara or Mitsui the opportunity to break through or shoot. This is called blocking. Once Murasakibara or Mitsui get the opportunity to break through or score, the opponent's inside players will inevitably come to fill the position. At this time, you have two choices. One is to stay where you are and wait for Murasakibara or Mitsui to pass the ball and complete the shot. The second choice is to take the opportunity to cut to the basket and receive the pass from Murasakibara or Mitsui to complete the finish. Once your inside players reach the basket, most of the time they will attack in a mismatched position, because the big players have been attracted to the outside by Murasakibara or Mitsui, and the original defenders Murasakibara or Mitsui are short players. By using the big to play against the small, your chances of scoring are greater. This is a pick-and-roll." Coach Anzai drew an offensive route on paper. "You can choose to attack according to your own characteristics. Kusao Takeshi, Nakajima, you have a certain foundation in mid-range shooting, and your accuracy in open mid-range shooting is good, so you can choose to shoot from a high position. Horita and Fukuda, your shooting range is relatively short, so you can choose to cut to the basket to complete the offense. This is the basic principle of the pick-and-roll tactic. Of course, the pick-and-roll tactic is not a problem for two people. So I require that every two players must establish a tacit understanding of this pick-and-roll. This tactic is not only executed by Mitsui and Murasakibara, but every two players must cooperate with each other. Once the ball handler and a nearby companion start the pick-and-roll, the other three must judge the running route according to the situation at the time, and either stop or run. There is no fixed routine to speak of. Only in this way will your team's offense have more options, and the opponent will not be able to grasp the key points of defense. Do you understand?"

"This seems difficult." Kusao Takeshi said with a frown.

"Of course it's difficult." Coach Anxi put down the tactics and said to all the players with a smile: "But as long as you keep practicing and keep using your body to get familiar with it, you will remember these tactics in every cell. When the official game comes, you will be able to instinctively make the best judgment. You must have this confidence."

"Yes, Coach Anxi!" Everyone agreed in unison.

"Akagi's absence is a challenge for you. Usually, because Akagi is there under the basket, he gives you great support, and you can face your opponents easily. Even if you can't solve the problem, Akagi will be your second line of defense. Now, Akagi is absent from the game due to injury. It's time to exert your own subjective initiative. There are many unexpected things in the game, and you must learn to adapt. Remember one thing, only you are the most reliable, and it is better to rely on yourself than on anyone else. Do you understand?"

"I understand!" the Xiangbei players shouted in unison

"Mitsui, Kazushi, and Katsumi. In terms of three-point shooting percentage, the four of us can rank at the top of the team. Against the Shoyo team, three-pointers are also a powerful weapon against them. After all, the captain and his team's offense in the interior will be seen through sooner or later, so we have to be prepared. We need to practice three-pointers more in the next few days. Provide help to the inside from the outside," Murasakibara suggested.

"Yeah," Mitsui and others nodded.

"Afu, you haven't played before, and Xiangyang is not familiar with you. I will design some small tactics to cooperate with you and catch them off guard." After Akagi was injured, Xiangbei urgently submitted an application for roster adjustment to the competition committee and was approved by the competition committee. Fukuda will replace Akagi in the official roster. After all, what Xiangbei lacks at this time is inside players. Fukuda is 184cm tall at this time. Although his skills are a bit rough, his fighting spirit and physical fitness are also a great supplement to Xiangbei's inside line. You know, Fukuda is also one of the few players in the original work who can complete aerial relays. His quality can be seen. Moreover, a player who rarely plays official games has such an offensive awareness in the original work. Mugure believes that Fukuda will become Xiangbei's x factor.

"Yes, Mumu-senpai," Fukuda nodded, his eyes full of determination.

Soon it was the second round of the joint finals, and the first match was between Shohoku and Shoyo. It was a clash of old and new strengths in Kanagawa. If Shohoku won this match, then the initiative of the national competition would be firmly in their hands. For Shoyo, this match was also a must-win game. If they lost, they would only have to participate in the play-offs.

"Shohoku's record this year is very good. They have always won by a large margin and eliminated the veteran powerhouse Buri. Even though Akagi was absent from the last game, they still beat Ryonan."

"I still think that the Shoyo team is stronger. After all, it is a team that often enters the national competition and can win two or three games in the national competition. Its foundation is completely different from that of Xiangbei, which relies on one or two star players."

"What foundation do high school teams have? If we only talk about star players, Mitsui and Murasakibara from Shohoku are definitely better than Fujima and Sakata from Shoyo!"

"The two teams may be evenly matched in the backcourt, but in the interior, Akagi's absence has left a huge vacuum in Xiangbei's interior. And Xiangyang's interior is also experienced. The interior has an advantage, so Xiangyang will definitely win this game!

The audience started talking before the game even started.

"Although Shohoku is missing Akagi in the interior, it does not mean that Shoyo will definitely beat Shohoku. After all, Shoyo's interior strength is not very strong. Moreover, Shohoku's outside firepower is very fierce. Once Shohoku's outside line is opened, it will be difficult for Shoyo to control Shohoku. Don't underestimate Shohoku's resilience. Last year, they almost nailed us Hainan to the pillar of shame. This game will not be easily decided until the end." Hainan coach Gao Touli gave an early evaluation of the upcoming game.