What? The trainer is warming up.

Chapter 28 Intra-team Scrimmage

After a round of physical tests, head coach McKinnon II's impression of Qin Yu changed drastically, almost to the point of being arrogant at first and then obsequious.

However, the group of players did not give up their feelings of exclusion.

Although we saw Qin Yu's excellent performance in the physical fitness test, the physical fitness test is one thing, and whether he can perform well on the competition field is another.

That makes sense.

Many NBA rookies show amazing talent during physical tests, but after entering the NBA, they suffer from various problems adapting to the environment, such as injuries or other reasons, and ultimately fail to develop and become just another ordinary person over time.

Physical fitness tests and competitions are not entirely equivalent!

Head coach McKinnon II was aware of this, so he tentatively asked, "Qin, are you in a hurry to return to Portland? If not, you can practice with your teammates and get familiar with them."

Qin Yu thought that since he was already here, it wouldn't hurt to get to know the place a bit.

As it turned out, assistant coach Mike told him that the so-called joint practice was actually an intra-team scrimmages.

What?

They immediately put me in a competition. Is this a warning shot, or a deliberate test?

Qin Yu was a little annoyed, mainly because he had already asked the system, and goals scored in team training and scrimmages were considered training, not matches, and therefore did not earn points.

This is worse than a one-on-one fight!

Since there were no points to be earned, Qin Yu was naturally uninterested, but since he had already agreed, he had no choice but to play.

"Qin, you and Lenny Smith (PG, point guard), Robert Bergson (SF, small forward), Bryson McKenzie (PF, power forward), and Lance Alred (C, center) are in a group." McKinnon II directly assigned Qin Yu to the substitute group, and the other people with him were all substitute players as well.

The other group consisted entirely of key players.

The team includes Andre Barrett (PG), Donnell Taylor (SG), Milden Umbres (SF), Lance Aldridge (PF), and Joe Dabert (C).

"Wow, they're all substitutes." Qin Yu had researched this team beforehand and knew about the players, but he didn't care. "Whether someone is a substitute or a starter isn't defined by that; it's about their own ability."

They came onto the field.

Qin Yu greeted his teammates. Their attitude wasn't as cold as it had been at first, but they weren't particularly enthusiastic either; they just nodded.

Qin Yu didn't care. He didn't discuss any tactics with his teammates, nor did he make any boastful remarks like "Give me the ball later"—no need for further words, his performance on the field would speak for itself!

"beep!"

The whistle blew, and the competition began.

First, there was a jump ball, and the substitute team got possession. Lenny Smith, who was responsible for advancing the ball, was the team's "sixth man" with outstanding scoring ability. After arriving at the frontcourt, he didn't look at Qin Yu, but called for a screen and then accelerated to break through, heading straight for the basket.

He is fast and strong. After taking a step through a screen, he quickly gathers the ball, drives into the paint, and actively contests against the opposing center before taking a layup.

"Whoosh!"

Goal! Score 2-0.

However, the main team responded in kind. With Donnell Taylor (21.9 points per game) as the tactical core, the team cooperated well and executed the tactics smoothly. They got open shots with almost no effort, and finally Andre Barrett hit a three-pointer.

Possession changes, the substitute team attacks.

This time, the ball still didn't reach Qin Yu's hands; after several passes, it returned to Lenny Smith's hands.

After reviewing Qin Yu's physical test results, Lenny Smith felt a sense of crisis. Qin Yu wasn't a regular player for the Trail Blazers, but his physical test stats were outstanding. He was unlikely to take away several starting positions, but he could potentially take away Lenny Smith's "sixth man" role.

So he wanted to demonstrate his strength and tell Qin Yu in this way that he was the core of the substitute lineup.

Lenny Smith attempted a three-pointer despite the strong defense, but it bounced off the rim with a "bang," and the starting team grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break...

......

In the blink of an eye, several rounds passed, and the score became 9:2. The main team had scored 9 points, while the substitute team still only had 2 points.

In these few rounds, Qin Yu only touched the ball once and didn't shoot, but he wasn't idle. He kept observing his opponents and his teammates.

"Previously, the team was centered around Patty Mills and Centiat Gaines, with Donnell Taylor filling in at the small forward position. After Mills and Cairns left, we had to rely on Taylor as the core. The team's overall strength is not as good as before, but it is still not comparable to the reserve team."

"Moreover, the team worked together seamlessly and executed the tactics flawlessly."

"In a few rounds, Taylor only attacked one person, while the rest of the attacks were launched by others. The effect was quite good, and it can be considered that multiple points of attack were launched."

"On the reserve team's side, the players' individual abilities are not as good as the starters', and they haven't been able to execute the tactics. Lenny Smith... that guy is too selfish."

Qin Yu shook his head secretly.

That's not how you play the sixth man. Even if you're the core of the bench lineup, you still need to get others involved in the offense. Otherwise, it's like playing 1 against 5, which is just an intra-team scrimmages. In a real game, the opponent can easily double-team you and you're done for.

Even without double-teaming, Lenny Smith didn't play well. He was too impatient, and his offensive choices became poor due to his unbalanced mentality. His shooting became inconsistent, and despite taking a lot of shots, his efficiency was very low.

"What's wrong with Lenny Smith?"

Coach McKinnon frowned, dissatisfied with his performance. Just as he was about to stop the game, the situation on the court suddenly changed. With a "smack," Smith's shot was blocked by Taylor, and the basketball flew right towards Qin Yu.

Qin Yu grinned, caught the ball, adjusted slightly, and raised his hand to shoot a three-pointer. He wasn't going to pass the ball back to Smith.

I found this by my own skill!

"Whoosh!"

With a soft thud, the basketball pierced the net, hitting the target precisely.

The ball went in by accident, and no one expected it to land right in Qin Yu's hands. However, Qin Yu's first shot was accurate, which made the players raise their eyebrows.

Smith looked rather grim. His shot was blocked, but Qin Yu picked up the ball and made a three-pointer. This didn't count as an assist.

"Damn it!" Smith cursed under his breath, somewhat annoyed.

On the other hand, Qin Yu remained calm, casually turning around to retreat on defense. It was just a three-pointer, and there were no points awarded for it.

To others, this reaction made them think he wasn't satisfied with the ball, and they couldn't help but think to themselves—this guy is such a show-off!

On the sidelines, Coach McKinnon, who was about to call a timeout, stopped his actions.

He wanted to see how Qin Yu would break the deadlock when Smith monopolized the ball and his teammates were unfamiliar with him.