Chapter 833 - 260: The Emotionless Old Fox

However, from the perspective of a team’s head coach, Del Harris wouldn’t encourage it. After all, Zhang Hao is only 20 years old and has plenty of time in the future; enhancing his scoring ability is the most important now, and that’s what the team needs from Zhang Hao.

"I really am a ruthless old Silver Fox, only having eyes for profit, never giving people I dislike the chance to become more well-rounded, with no feelings!"

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The regular season has reached its halfway point, and the mood among the Lakers players has naturally changed a bit. By January 21st, when the Lakers visited the Spurs, the fluctuation in their form was evident again.

Even though Zhang Hao wildly attempted 31 shots, hitting 14 and scoring 36 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, he also tried to pass, with Kenny Anderson and Barkley in cooperation, but the entire Lakers team only scored 96 points.

On the Spurs’ side, tonight their three stars went off; All-Star level Sean Elliott hit 10 out of 16 shots for 28 points and 7 rebounds, while Little General Avery Johnson recorded 22 points and 13 assists, and veteran Dominique Wilkins, off the bench, scored 32 points and 12 rebounds.

The Spurs defeated the Lakers 105-96, handing the Lakers their ninth loss of the season.

The new Spurs head coach Greg Popovich frowned into a chrysanthemum when he saw Wilkins and Elliott making every shot.

The Grizzlies have a dominating record, and the Celtics are tanking without holding back. Popovich is still inexperienced, and by mistake, they won again!

In fact, even without David Robinson, the Spurs still have a 30-win caliber team, especially with an All-Star player like Elliott. Originally attempting to sign Wilkins also left Popovich desperate.

At 37, having retired and not played last season, with a torn Achilles... yet this season Wilkins surprisingly averages 20 points, even while coming off the bench he’s maintaining an 18+ average, and his health is excellent... even better than how he played in his final year with the Celtics before retiring!

If David Robinson hadn’t been out for the season, Popovich would be thrilled with Wilkins’ performance, but with Robinson out! He fired Bobo Hill and took over as head coach, aiming to tank for Bo Duncan!

Halfway through the season, they’ve won 11... oh, won another one, now 12 games...

What confuses Popovich is that since mid-season, Wilkins has clearly not been as effortful, but tonight, why so crazy? Particularly when switching defenses against that sophomore star as if his life depended on it...

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Starting on the wrong foot in the second half of the schedule, with a tinge of frustration, Zhang Hao followed the Lakers to another NBA city in Texas, Dallas.

After resting one night, on January 23rd, the Lakers faced the Mavericks as the away team.

Tonight, Van Exel couldn’t explode again, only 4 of 16 for 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. Eddie Jones returned tonight, scoring 26 points, but it was to no avail; the Mavericks, as a team, scored just 84 points.

The Lakers didn’t perform outstandingly either, scoring 104 points, below their season average. Zhang Hao scored 28, Barkley with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Doug Christie with a decent shooting streak got 15 points, and Kenny Anderson added 14 points and 9 assists...

to 84, the Lakers defeated the Mavericks by a 20-point margin, avoiding consecutive losses.

Mavericks head coach Jim Clemons heaved a sigh of relief; if they won again, he might be fired!

Tanking is truly a skilled task! They, too, want to tank for Bo Duncan, but despite their efforts, they’ve won 14 games so far. To lose more than 60 games in a season... it’s really tough!

After the All-Star weekend, during the postseason contention when playoff-bound and hopeful teams fight for every game, it’s normal for weaker teams to keep losing.

Yet in the early to middle season, even weak teams have the possibility of beating strong teams.

The Mavericks currently have 14 wins, their roster isn’t even as strong as the Spurs’, but they don’t understand how this neighbor has won only 12 games by now when dealing with injuries, they’ve secured 14 wins.

As for the Grizzlies and Celtics, Jim Clemons truly doesn’t know how these two managed it.

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The first three games of a 4-game road trip, with opponents not being strong, ideally the Lakers planned to win all three before challenging the SuperSonics in Seattle.

But even after losing one game, it doesn’t matter; with a 34-9 record, they still lead the SuperSonics by one at 33-10.

It’s just that last time, without O’Neal, they lost to the SuperSonics!

This season, the Lakers have already faced the SuperSonics twice, each winning one, and will face off two more times. The Lakers’ coaching staff and players all take this game seriously.

In the prior three away games, they dragged it out. O’Neal traveled with the team for this away trip but didn’t play, so he could focus on rehab training specifically for this upcoming game against the SuperSonics.

After the game with the Mavericks, the Lakers gained two days’ rest; on the 26th, they play the SuperSonics, but they didn’t return to Los Angeles to rest. On the morning of January 24th, the Lakers arrived in Seattle.

In the morning, the entire team went to a Seattle hospital for medical checks, which had already been scheduled before leaving Los Angeles.

Zhang Hao, after his afternoon medical check, went to the Schultz family for dinner.