One Thousand Two Hundred and Nine: The Humble Master Huo

Since his phone call with Link, Howard quickly contacted Grizzlies management.

As a result, trial training and interviews were quickly arranged.

Under normal circumstances, Howard does not need to report in advance. All he had to do was show up on time for workouts and interviews, and that would be polite enough.

However, what the Grizzlies management never expected was that Howard actually came for personal training one day in advance.

In his words: "I hope to adapt here in advance and perform better in the trial training."

Naturally, Link would not be too idle to go see Howard, but he was still a little surprised to learn that Howard showed up early.

Is this attitude really that of Howard?

If Howard had this attitude when he was with the Lakers, he and Kobe wouldn't have had a falling out.

That night, Howard also sent a text message to Link, asking him to participate in his interview and trial tomorrow.

Strictly speaking, Link is Howard's junior. When Link entered the league as an undrafted player, Howard was already a superstar.

In the NBA league, there is still a lot of emphasis on seniority. No matter how good you are, you generally have to be respectful when facing senior players. In most cases, the seniors will not be so groveling to their juniors.

For example, last season's Tony Allen and Randolph were no longer as strong as young players such as Jokic and Dinwiddie, but Jokic and Dinwiddie still had to listen to those two old guys.

But now, as a senior, Howard treats Link like an interviewer.

This is enough to show that Howard really kept his posture very low, even lower than in front of the media.

Has that guy really changed? We'll know the answer tomorrow.

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At noon the next day, Link drove to his home stadium.

At this time, several huge posters of new players have been hung outside the FedEx Arena.

Ross, JaMychal Green, and the Morris brothers, Link will fight alongside them next season.

Link still has expectations for the four people above. But for Howard, I don't know why,

Link just couldn't get interested.

After all, it’s really hard to imagine how a person could undergo such a big change all of a sudden.

When he parked his car and walked into the training hall, there were already several staff members on the court testing Howard's various data.

When Link saw Howard on the court, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Howard's figure is much slimmer than before!

"Are you surprised? I was also shocked. It is said that this summer he strictly controlled his diet and trained like crazy, losing 25 pounds in four weeks! His body shape has returned to the best condition in recent years, and of course, It gives him more mobility.”

Beside Link, Dave Jorge looked at Howard with a smile on his face.

In today's era, the standard requirement for a center is that he must be able to take advantage of the offense, be able to delay a lot on defense, move quickly, and be able to assist defense and protect the basket.

With Howard's style, large-scale delays are simply impossible. It is normal to squat at the basket and not come out. Once he changes defense out of position, he will be beaten into pieces in minutes.

After losing weight, Howard's shortcomings will be significantly improved.

25 pounds, that’s more than 20 kilograms of meat. It’s impossible to lose so much weight without improving flexibility.

Although this does not directly turn Howard into a top assist defense expert, it does not mean that he will be beaten wildly if he is caught.

It can be seen that Howard began to adapt to the times and began to actively seek changes. These were things he had never been able to do.

Throughout the trial, Howard showed his good competitive and physical condition.

Although he only played 9 games last season, it was almost equivalent to being reimbursed for the season. But it can be seen that he spent a lot of energy to maintain his condition.

"How's it going? He really meets our requirements." After watching Howard's trial training, Jorge turned to ask Link.

Howard wiped his sweat with a towel while looking at Link and Joger on the sidelines.

Although he and Link were once rivals, even mortal enemies.

But Howard knew that now he needed Link's nod to get a job.

With the Grizzlies, Chris Wallace's nod is useless, and Dave Joerger's nod is useless.

Only those with Link's approval can stay in Memphis.

"That depends on whether he can accept his role." Link did not make a conclusion so quickly. After all, it was not his ability that limited Howard, but his attitude.

After the trial, Link and Joger went to the head coach's office to wait for Howard to change clothes.

In less than ten minutes, Howard, who had been sweating profusely on the training field just now, appeared in front of Link and Joger cleanly.

"Hello, I'm glad you can come today, Link." Howard greeted him with a smile after entering the door. Link had not seen such a smile on Howard's face for a while.

"Let's ask you a few questions, Dwight." Joger went straight to the topic without making pleasantries.

Link said nothing, acting like a strict interviewer.

It’s really about doing what you do and loving what you do.

"I can answer any questions, coach!" Howard spread his hands and nodded slightly.

"Very good. Next season, are you willing to accept the tactical role assigned to you by the team? Specifically, the presence on the offensive end is relatively low. You are mainly responsible for defense, doing dirty work such as rebounding and protecting the penalty area."

After Qiao Geer asked this question, Link could already imagine Howard slamming the table and leaving.

If he could accept it, he wouldn't have been so miserable these years.

Howard has always regarded himself as a superstar over the years. He still doesn't like pick-and-rolls, and he often plays inside with great confidence. But the most important thing is that his shooting percentage when playing with his back is not very good, which seriously damages the team's offensive system.

However, faced with such an explicit question, Howard's smile did not diminish by half: "I am willing to do anything for the team. I have learned lessons from the past few seasons. I will focus on rebounding, defense, and blocking shots on the court. , pick-and-roll, finish shots around the basket. And only play when the coach asks."

Link:? ? ?

Howard's brain is so funny! ?

His answer was absolutely watertight. "I am willing to do anything for the team," he answered very simply.

"Can we trust you in the locker room?" This time, it was Link who spoke.

In addition to his on-field role, another shortcoming of Howard is his damage to the atmosphere in the locker room.

On Howard's resume, he has left his "misdeeds" in almost every team!

Applying for a trade during the Magic era, the conflict with Kobe and his undisciplined attitude during the Lakers F4 era, being inseparable from Harden during the Rockets era, and being dissatisfied with the ball...

The most exaggerated thing is that in the Hawks, a reporter revealed that some Hawks players celebrated after Howard was traded!

Newly appointed Wizards general manager Shepard said that laying off Howard was the fastest decision he has ever made in his career...

It is not difficult to see from these that he is absolutely a cancer in the locker room, and every team wants to get rid of him as soon as possible.

"Of course you can trust me, Link. It's true that I haven't been the kind of teammate that others need on any team in the past few seasons...but I have changed my mind and just want to be myself for once." A chance for redemption. Now I don’t think about anything, I don’t fight for anything, I just want to win.” Howard’s tone was very calm, as if he didn’t make a lot of determination, but thought he should be like this.

"I used to hate the way Draymond Green played, but then I noticed that in the playoffs he did everything for the team. He was everywhere, he got technical fouls, he drew offensive fouls, he Covering up defenses everywhere, he keeps calling, he does almost everything. These things will not be reflected in the technical statistics, but everyone watching the game will remember it in their hearts, and I want to be like this person at this time!"

After finishing speaking, Howard added himself.

Yes, you don't need a 34-year-old veteran to rebuild the team. As for the championship teams, the Grizzlies and Lakers are most in need of centers.

After the Lakers signed Cousins, Howard's only chance was in Memphis.

Therefore, he must seize the opportunity no matter what. If you can’t grasp it, it’s likely to be goodbye!

Looking at Howard who was almost begging for a job opportunity in front of him, Link and Qiaogel looked at each other.

Maybe he can really play his role well.

After that, Link didn't ask any more questions. Because no matter what he asked, Howard was very humble and answered convincingly.

The final piece of the Grizzlies puzzle might be this most unlikely guy.

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