“Can you help the team enter the playoffs in the new season?”

"What kind of player do you think Anthony Davis is?"

"What kind of performance do you expect to play in the new season?"

“Will there be any psychological difference from a championship team to a rebuilding team?”

...

The problem is one after another, this new aid meeting is more like Tang Tian’s personal meeting.

"Our training camp has started for more than a month, and the performance of the past more than a month gives me reason to believe that this is a playoff team."

"AD is AD, he is one of the most talented inside players, and he will become a real superstar in the next few years."

"My performance? You'll be shocked by the start of the season."

"No, man, the team has gotten me and Zhu this past summer. We are no longer a rebuilding team, we are also a championship team."

...

Tang Tian’s answer is steady when it should be stable, and he is weak when it should be weak. Moreover, his words reveal his confidence in himself and this team.

In addition to that day, the team's general manager Demps and boss Benson also expressed their optimism about Tang Tian's joining at the press conference.

"We believe he will be the next Ray Allen."

Demps put up a very good template for Tang Tian.

Most fans only remember Ray Allen's God-Certain three-pointer when he was in the Celtic era.

But in fact, at the peak of the Supersonics, he averaged nearly 25+5+5 per game every year, and had about 1.5 steals. He was a superstar who could break through, shoot, pass and defend.

Putting this template shows that Demps' expectations for Tang Tian's new season are quite high.

"He will be the best helper around AD. He has championship experience and he will help this team enter the playoffs."

Benson also gave high hopes for Tang Tian.

The meeting ended, and both Pelicans fans and local media in New Orleans are looking forward to the new season.

“AD is our Michael Jordan, and now we have our Scottie Pippen!”

"Haldey + Gordon + Don + Anderson + AD, this lineup cannot make the playoffs yet?! Let's rush!"

"I can't wait for the new season, let's start!"

...

Amid fans' expectations, the preseason officially started on October 6, and the Pelicans' first game was home against the Houston Rockets.

However, Tang Tian did not participate in this game, and he even appeared on the bench.

He suffered his first injury to New Orleans.

Perhaps because he was not used to coming from an inland city to a coastal city, he got influenza, and it was a bit serious.

Because he was afraid of contagious to his teammates, he hadn't come to training these two days.

Not only played against the Rockets, Tang Tian was recuperating throughout the preseason, and he was not getting better until the last two games of the preseason.

The Pelicans' strength has been significantly improved compared to last season, and their performance in the preseason was also very good. Williams did not arrange for Tang Tian to play in the last two games.

In this way, Tang Tian missed the first preseason of his Pelicans career because of a flu game.

Fans can only wait until the regular season starts before they can meet Tang Tian.

After the preseason, the Pelicans completed the final layoffs, and Lance Thomas, Josh Childris and Alinz Onuaku were cut one after another.

After this layoff, the team's 15-man roster was finally released.

Point guard: Holiday, Reeves Jr., Brian Roberts

Scoring guard: Gordon, Morrow

Small forward: Tang Tian, ​​Amino, Dalius Miller, Ci Shiping

Power Forward: Davis, Ryan Anderson

Center: Jason Smith, Steinsma, Akinsa, Jeff Weich

The team's first regular season game in the new season is the Rockets, which is the same opponent as the preseason opening game. The difference is that they are away games this time.

Both the Pelicans and the Texas top three are in the Southwest season and have to fight four times each season, which is a major reason why it is difficult for them to enter the playoffs.

On the morning of the game, the team flew to Houston.

The attendance rate of Toyota Center was surprisingly high, exceeding 80%, and a considerable number of Chinese fans came to the scene.

There was about an hour before the start of the game, and the players of both teams were in the locker room to prepare for the game.

In the Pelicans' locker room, Williams hasn't arrived yet, and the players are changing shoes and jerseys.

Tang Tian had just changed into a red away jersey when his phone suddenly shook.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from McGrady.

This is really strange. Will McGrady send him a message before the game?

He clicked and looked.

The content is very simple.

"Blow off that guy named James Harden."

As a Rockets celebrity, is this not against Harden?

But after watching for a while, he suddenly remembered.

Last year, the Spurs played the Rockets' first game in the playoffs, when McGrady scored 7 points.

During the post-match press conference, a reporter talked about this and asked him if McGrady would become a trouble for the Rockets.

Harden's answer at the time was: "T-Mac is no longer the protagonist of this league."

This sentence itself is fine, but as the core of the Rockets, Harden seems to be a bit inappropriate to say that the Rockets' celebrity is so blunt.

Moreover, McGrady's personality is actually quite sensitive.

In his previous life, JR Smith once tweeted that Durant at the peak could easily beat McGrady at the peak, and then Fournier of the Magic praised.

At that time, McGrady was already an ESPN special commentator, and he directly started to argue with Smith and Fournier.

Especially Fournier, you should know that the Magic is the team that McGrady scored two scoring champions.

McGrady is Durant’s idol, let alone the two of them have a bit similar personalities.

So from this point of view, it is really reasonable for McGrady to dislike Harden's words at the beginning.

"I will."

Tang Tian replied to the message.

In fact, McGrady would do this if he didn't send a message. This is his season to prove that he left the Spurs, and he will definitely have a good start in the first game.

As soon as Tang Tian replied to the text message, Williams took Borrego to the locker room.

"Zhu, you are the main defense of Harden and Don, you play more at the beginning, AD, you play more pick-and-roll."

After Williams came in, he picked up the tactical board and began to arrange the team's opening tactics.

Tang Tian missed the game due to the flu, and he lacked the opportunity to work with the team.

But this absence also has benefits. Tang Tian’s attempt has not been used in the official game. This is an opportunity to catch the Rockets off guard at the start.

"Guys, we have been training hard over the past month, so let's all repay ourselves with a victory!"

Williams finished setting up his tactics and shouted to the players before setting off.

"New Orleans!"

The players shouted slogans and then got up to go to the stadium.

The Pelicans' debut in the new season is coming soon!
Chapter completed!