With a 21-45 record, O'Brien has been cornered. The reason why Bird hasn't changed him now is because of the three-year commitment, and second, because even if he is replaced now, it will no longer help. Because even if the Pacers win all the remaining games, it will be difficult to catch the last train to the playoffs. What's more, the Pacers can't win all the games that follow.

Last season, O'Brien led the team to 36 wins. This season, instead of advancing and retreating. The team has won less than 50% for four consecutive years.

In fact, Bird is now in the process of finding a new head coach. He didn't want to recruit anymore, but wanted to pick one from someone who knew the team well. So, Frank. Vogel and Henson are the two most likely options.

"Henson. Joe? He had only been an assistant coach for one season. I know that guy has the ability, but no experience. I suggest that we can straighten Frank first. Vogel. In Bird's office, Pritchard was discussing the choice of manager.

"Frank is a good candidate, he did a good job in the summer league and preseason last year. But I always felt ...... I always felt that he could only do a good job. You know, I can't just be satisfied with doing a good job, I need someone who has the drive and can make a game-changer. How long has it been since we've played in the playoffs? You can wait, I can't wait! Bird had a lot of wrinkles on his face, he thought that the team's results last season were shameful enough, but he didn't expect O'Brien to bring him a lot of "surprises" this year.

"So, did you really decide to use Henson? Crazy, you're a madman! You know Jeff. How many years did it take Van Gundy to become a manager? Do you know how many years Frank has been with O'Brien? How many years did O'Brien follow Pitino in the first place? And Henson, oh God, he is not yet 31 years old! And the previous resume, only three years of scouting and one year of assistant coaching! You're going to ruin the team, Bird! "Pritchard is a conservative man, he doesn't have anything to do with Henson, he just thinks more rationally.

The fact is that throughout the NBA circle, no one has risen as fast as Henson.

"Haven't I decided yet? Besides," Bird picked up Paul. George's final report, smiling slightly, "I'm crazy too!" ”

※※※

O'Brien didn't know anything about Bird's conversation with Pritchard, otherwise he would have given up struggling. Because in any case, his departure after this season is a foregone conclusion in Bird's eyes.

But O'Brien is still trying to salvage the situation, and he wants to show some value in the last dozen games! Although it is only now revealed, it is a little too late.

O'Brien's solution was to ask Henson, the Chinese-American assistant coach he did everything he could to defend, the idiot scout he once looked down on, but now he became O'Brien's last straw.

"I always thought you weren't interested in my training program." The day after the loss to the Bucks, Henson walked into O'Brien's office with the training plan he had made.

"It's clear that we need some change." O'Brien's face flushed, but he still took the file bag from Henson's hand.

"With more than a dozen games left in the regular season, don't you think it's too late to change your training schedule?" It's not that Henson doesn't want to help O'Brien, but now even Henson can't save him.

"In the last 10 games, we can experiment and experiment. If it does, we'll listen to you next season! O'Brien hurriedly opened the file bag, this plan was still so detailed and perfect.

"It's useless to train alone, if you train the players according to my plan, then the tactical style of play will have to change accordingly. IMHO, Jim, last season we were a mess defensively, but this season, our offense is a piece of. "Henson wasn't trying to disparage his team, he was telling the truth.

This season, the Pacers rank third from the bottom in the league in offensive efficiency, with the Nets and Timberwolves in the bottom and second-to-last, respectively, competing for the top pick.

"So, during the game, you will be my tactical advisor!" Obrahn's messy hair accentuated his anxiety, and Henson nodded slightly, no more complaining. Because he was really afraid that this guy with gray temples would go crazy.

Before the start of training, there was still a dead air on the pitch. The Pacers are set to be a loser this season, and everyone wants to wait to finish the last month so they can start their vacation.

But Daniel. Granger breathed a sigh of relief, people said he was a weak team brush, and no one ever regarded him as a real star. He wanted to win, but he didn't know how. Because Jim. O'Brien only taught people how to defend, but never cared about the team's offense.

So Granger scored high points again and again, but he could only watch the team lose again and again.

Just as everyone was ready for a boring defensive drill, Henson walked out of O'Brien's office and clapped his hands vigorously.

"Alright, guys, come here! This morning, let's practice attacking! ”

Henson's voice echoed through the training ground, and the players seemed to be reduced to stone statues, one by one, frozen in place.

Training offense?

"Hey, are you all stupid!? Get moving, move your ass and thighs! Come together, I'm going to arrange a training assignment soon! Seeing that no one responded to him, Henson immediately yelled. Unlike O'Brien, Henson has never been a "coach of the players". Rotten good guy, Henson can't be a good person.

Although Henson doesn't yell at the players every day, maybe because of his cold temperament, maybe because of his tough style, in short, the players are still a little afraid of Henson. In terms of prestige, Henson's prestige among the players is even stronger than that of O'Brien as a manager.

It is rare to train an attack once in a season, but the players have shown a different level of enthusiasm. Since the training plan was formulated by Henson, the entire training was also led by Henson.

O'Brien and the rest of the coaching staff were surprised to find that Henson was able to do a good job of leading the team in training for the first time. As everyone knows, as early as when he was at Butler University, Henson was already very familiar with this set.

Daniel. Granger and Holiday were in great form during the afternoon of confrontational practice, and Henson was well aware that when an offensive player is freed up, his defense will become more aggressive as a result.

After a day of training, the results are quite good. While Henson can't completely change the team in just over ten days, it's good to familiarize them with the new attacking style of play. If you don't start a new training session because you can't see results quickly, you'll never see results.

"Well, everyone's training is in good shape! I know the media has taken us flat, and after losing to Milwaukee in the last game, one newspaper even said that we were going to fight the Nets for the bottom of the league! Fuck it! ”

The players were stunned again, this was the first time they had heard the coach explode on the training ground. O'Brien, the old man, never swears. Vogel, too, is a very soft-spoken guy. Henson, the only one, always seems to be open-mouthed.

"Tomorrow's game, our opponent is Charlotte Bobcats. Charlotte Bobcat. Damn, Frank, what are the Bobcats in the East right now? Henson asked deliberately.

"Seventh in the East." Vogel didn't know what Henson was trying to do, so he had to answer.

"Seventh in the East? Damn, now even the Charlotte lynx can ride on our heads? Well, it's sad. I know we've had a bad season. I also know that some people are already thinking about finding another place in the summer. But I would say that no one wants to spend money on a piece of shit! ”

As soon as Henson's words came out, everyone on the coaching staff gasped, and O'Brien, the head coach, couldn't even speak, he had never seen such a scene at all. Henson: What is this trying to do!? Does he want to tear down this team!?

"Of course, I'm just an assistant coach and I won't and can't stop you from leaving. But you must understand that what the future holds for you depends on your own performance! Who do you think you're playing for? Fans? Larry. Bird? Or the coaching staff? No, you're playing for yourself! So I hope you can bring your training form from today to the next game. I'm sure no one wants to be treated like shit by others. ”

The players were all standing in place, clearly restrained by Henson. I used to be just a little afraid of Henson for some reason, but I didn't expect this guy to be so strong.

Henson also breathed a sigh of relief, he thought he would be beaten out of the training gym today. In fact, it's also because none of the Pacers players are thorns in the pan that Henson dares to say such things. If these Pacers have one of those Pacers on the lineup. With someone like Rodman, or Artest still on the team, Henson is expected to really get a hammer shot. Another reason is that Henson actually used a team spirit to increase the trust of all the players in himself. This reward has been useless for him, and now it comes in handy.

These Pacers players are actually very obedient, but O'Brien has worn out their toughness. And now, Henson has made the group nervous again.

"Okay, that's the end of today's training, let's go back and rest. Tomorrow's game, I hope to see your determination! ”

With that, Henson confidently turned and walked back to his office. At that moment, O'Brien felt like he was the assistant coach who couldn't speak.