The principal put on a stern face again and said, “Eric Turner, I’ve told you, for the revival of the team, I’m willing to do a lot of outrageous things. In this matter, I will fully support you. However, I need you to give me results in terms of performance. I can ignore these complaints, but I will not ignore the team’s achievements. I hope you understand this.”

The principal’s words sent a chill down Eric Turner’s spine.

After leaving the principal’s office, Eric Turner felt the pressure ease a bit, but he couldn’t help but bitterly smile at encountering such unspoken rules here.

During the second training session after school in the afternoon, Mark Allen and Bill Lambeau clearly noticed that Eric Turner’s demands had become even stricter. The gym was filled with Eric Turner’s hysterical shouts and the exhausted gasps of the players.

“Raja, has this maniac been triggered by something again? Today’s even tougher than yesterday,” James Posey muttered quietly.

“James, don’t talk, or you’ll get punished,” Raja Bell replied in a low voice.

“James, Raja, what are you two whispering about? After today’s training, stay behind for extra individual drills,” Eric Turner shouted at James Posey and Raja Bell.

Instantly, Raja Bell and James Posey’s faces turned ashen.

Chapter 10: Setbacks

In the Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach’s office, Eric Turner, Mark Allen, and Bill Lambeau, the three coaches of the Demon Deacons, were sitting together again. It was already mid-October, and the Demon Deacons’ grueling training had been going on for over a month. The three of them gathered almost every day to discuss the players’ progress and how to implement the triangle offense. This had become routine.

“The players’ current performance really worries me,” said Bill Lambeau, who was directly responsible for player training and knew their condition best. The current state of the Demon Deacons left him very concerned. Although the players were working hard according to his training plan, the overall results were far from satisfactory.

“Tim is the player who’s improved the most so far. I think we can let him handle the ball more this season. Carter and James Posey have also made obvious progress, but the others are just not up to par. Especially Wally Szczerbiak, his footwork is very slow, but after catching the ball, he always wants to dribble instead of passing immediately. No matter how we try to change this, it doesn’t work. Raja Bell is okay—his passing is decent, but his court vision is terrible. If you give him a set passing target, he can deliver the ball well, but if you let him choose the target himself, it’s a disaster. And then there’s Stephen Green—I don’t think he has any talent in this area at all. He really doesn’t need to participate in this kind of training; it’s a waste of time,” Bill Lambeau said, clearly frustrated.

Eric Turner nodded without speaking, but the worry on his face was obvious. According to the Dynasty System’s data, Bill Lambeau’s analysis was completely accurate. Duncan was the fastest-improving player, with his offense jumping from 73 to 80 and his overall rating rising from 86 to 88 in just a month. Duncan’s rocket-like progress was simply astonishing. From what Eric Turner had recently learned, Duncan had trained as a swimmer before the age of fifteen and had only been playing basketball for five years. Such basketball talent left Eric Turner at a loss for words. Comparing oneself to others is truly infuriating. In his previous life, Eric Turner started playing basketball at age seven and considered himself hardworking, but in the end, he achieved nothing. Basketball demands too much natural talent. Carter had also improved, with his offense rising from 85 to 89 and his overall rating from 75 to 76. Although not as dramatic as Duncan, it was still impressive. James Posey too, with his offense increasing from 63 to 67, and his ball-handling and control had improved a lot. As for Raja Bell, Wally Szczerbiak, and Stephen Green, the data showed no progress at all.

Even an average person would show some improvement after a month of intense training, so why had these three made zero progress? Could the system have some hidden stats? This was what puzzled Eric Turner the most.

“Eric Turner, according to the plan, we should start triangle offense drills now. But looking at the players’ current state, should we postpone the tactical training? Their fundamentals are still too weak,” Mark Allen said, then looked quietly at Eric Turner. Bill Lambeau was also waiting for Eric Turner’s decision.

But Eric Turner was lightly tapping the table in front of him with his right index finger, making his final decision. Mark Allen and Bill Lambeau waited for about five minutes before Eric Turner finally sighed and spoke.

“No need to delay, let’s stick to the original plan,” Eric Turner said helplessly.

“But… will this really work? The triangle offense is built on the players’ individual abilities. If they’re not up to standard, the training will be pointless, like drawing water with a bamboo basket,” Mark Allen said, still preferring to have the players work on their skills before starting tactical drills.