After Li Liang threw this three-pointer in front of Stephenson, Stephenson never mentioned that he wanted to compare three-pointers with Li Liang.

Of course, Stephenson later added an item to his training — shooting long-range threes.

After each normal shooting drill, he would practice the ultra-long three-pointer and shoot near the halfway line.

However, until he left the NBA, he didn't dare to challenge Li Liang again.

Aside from Stephenson's provocations, the Pacers' training camp is a bit duller than that of the Lakers and Clippers.

It also has to do with the team's style and tactical system.

The Pacers have always pursued a defense-oriented strategy, and they were the best defensive team in the league in the first half of last season.

After Li Liang arrived, the Pacers coaching staff carried out strategic planning, and Bird was hoping to take the route of a quick offense.

But Mike Brown, who knows Li Liang better, believes that he should stick to the style of the Pacers and strengthen Li Liang's core position on the defensive end.

As for offense, Mike Brown said, "Just leave it to Bruce Lee to figure it out, trust him." ”

Does Bird believe? Of course I believe it, Bird is already all-in, and I have to believe it if I don't believe it.

Mike Brown is selfish because he wants Li Liang to win the best defensive player this season!

If he can get this, Li Liang will really achieve the grand slam of honor.

If you still want to take it, you can only take the initiative to sit on the bench and go to get the best sixth man.

And Li Liang's performance in training is indeed impressive.

Defensively active and commanding (and swearing) were able to establish themselves as the core of the team in just two days, much to the surprise of both Bird and Vogel.

The Pacers' locker room leader is David West, a No. 4 player with a traditional style of play and a tough personality.

West's temper has always been tough, he rarely talks on and off the court, and focuses on playing.

And Li Liang "surrendered" him in two days, and it is said that the method used was "Black Paul Together", which quickly brought the relationship between the two closer.

As for whether it is true or not, only Li Liang and West know.

After taking out Stephenson and David West, respectively, Li Liang's central position in the Pacers was quickly established.

Pacers players and staff soon discovered that this city man from Los Angeles was very different from Li Liang in media reports.

Although he is very aggressive when training and playing, he is gentle and easy-going off the field.

And he's not high-profile at all, very low-key.

It's completely incomprehensible why this product can make a big news from time to time to scare people.

And Li Liang still maintains the same style of play in training and games as he did during the Clippers.

Three-point, defense-based, arc-top organization, fast advancement.

It's just that he feels more relaxed, and he's really gotten stronger.

After a few days of training, Bird has been observing from the sidelines, and he feels that Li Liang must have something hidden.

He's definitely improved from last season, but he's been playing hard in team training.

Will this thing hide its strength? I like it.

Bird sees through it and doesn't say anything, anyway, he sits on the sidelines with a stool every day of training, hangs a whistle around his neck, and blows it when he has nothing to do.

At the end of the training, there is a summary and finally a whistle is blown, announcing the end of the training and going back to their respective homes.

Li Liang once doubted, this TM is the best coach?

If you find a monkey to sit on the sidelines, as long as it can blow a whistle, it can have this effect.

Of course, this doesn't mean that walkers are training inefficiently.

On the contrary, Vogel and Mike Brown are both experienced coaches, and they are just overkill as assistant coaches.

Vogel sees the big picture, but Brown still focuses on defense.

Their main target this year is the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brown will have to devise a strategy that works against the Cavaliers.

Every time the Pacers play against James' team, they use the interior to take advantage.

This season, the Pacers have retained the combination of West and Hibbert on the inside, and West is still in good shape, while Hibbert is only 29 years old and in the prime of life.

In addition, Li Liang was added...... No, it's a guy who can be three or four, and the inside line has been further strengthened.

Theoretically, the Pacers should have an advantage against the Cavaliers.

But theory is theory, and how it actually depends on the effect.

Last season, until April, Hibbert was always able to play well against the Heat.

But in a game on March 27 against the Pacers against the Heat, James elbowed Hibbert in the face during a breakaway layup, causing Hibbert to faint.

James was adjudged for a first-degree malicious foul.

Then the league changed the rules on April 1.

The new rule is that if a defender jumps vertically to the side or turns around in the air to block the attacker, it will be considered an illegal defense and the referee will need to blow for a blocking foul.

Hibbert must have been stunned when he saw such a rule.

Because according to the new rules, the moment he was elbowed by James on March 27, it was not James who fouled, but Hibbert!

It is equivalent to being beaten when you go out, you think there will be a law that will be issued and you will be punished for beating people, but after two days, you will see the new regulations, and it is illegal to go out!

You see, as long as you don't go out, won't you not be beaten?

As long as you don't go to the sides or turn around to block the attacking player when you're defending, won't you be elbowed?

The way of thinking of the alliance is really strange and unique.

Since the rule was issued, Hibbert was indeed not elbowed, and he was whistled for a foul.

As a result, Hibbert went from being an excellent big center to a timid defender, and his defensive efficiency plummeted.

In the later games, there are often 0 points and 0 boards, 0 points and 1 board, and the decline is shocking.

Mike Brown is aware of these situations and, based on observations in training, believes that Hibbert's form is not very consistent.

Whether he will be able to play the role of a defensive gatekeeper in the new season as he has done before really needs to be a question mark.

But Mike Brown has another plan in mind.

Hibbert can't play center, but Li Liang can!

Thinking of this, Brown suddenly became excited and excited.

How can a player who wants to be the core of the defense not play center?

Mike Brown silently designed two sets of "infinite defense" defensive systems for Li Liang in his heart, with him as the core of the No. 5 position, and took out this system to communicate with Bird and Vogel.

"Can Bruce play center?" When Bird heard about this plan, he still had some doubts in his heart.

"Don't worry, Bruce can even play as a coach." Mike Brown is a hundred reassuring to Li Liang.

"As long as Bruce wants to, I think the small lineup is worth trying, and the league is pushing the small ball." Vogel smelled that the league winds were shifting rapidly.

Although the championship in '13 and '14, the Lakers and Clippers both have a proud interior line.

But their inner line is no longer the core of the inner line in the traditional sense.

Howard and Jordan Jr. are both functionalizing defensively, and the offensive end is becoming more and more degraded.

By the 14-15 season, there will definitely be a new atmosphere in the league, and it will be very comprehensive small-ball.

Larry Bird is also thinking about this.

There are some teams that are favored before the start of the season because the squad feels good and balanced.

But as soon as the new season began, it collapsed.

A large part of the reason is that the team's founding ideas are stuck in the past, and the wind direction of the league has completely changed.

The 13th and 14th years can be regarded as a transition period, and the 15th year will be the first full season of Xiao Hua's rule, and the league will definitely change.

"Okay, just do what you say, take these two systems out for training, as our secret weapons."

Bird nodded in agreement with Mike Brown's proposal.

On October 8th, the pre-season season will finally begin.

The Pacers will host their first opponent of the new season, the Minnesota Timberwolves, at Conseco Arena.

Li Liang is on the team's roster, and it will be his first appearance on the Pacers' home court.

Pacers fans are ready to welcome their new, true king.