Chapter 80: Facing Kobe, Challenging Myself

On the morning of the 4th, Alaric had an extra shooting practice, chilled in the afternoon, and hit up the team's open training session in the evening. He was all set to go full throttle and show off a bit in front of the fans.

But, plot twist! Phil didn't let him strut his stuff; instead, he put him through the wringer.

The Lakers let 1,200 season ticket holders watch the team's internal training. The next day, the "Los Angeles Daily News" summed it up with, "They came, they saw, they almost fell asleep," which pretty much nailed the boring vibe of the session.

Staff members introduced each training group to the fans, explaining the reasons for the drills, how to do them, and what counted as completion. It was all super tedious, and the fans were bored out of their minds. It wasn't until the end, during the scrimmage, that the fans finally started to cheer. That was one of the few highlights.

Alaric didn't get to go head-to-head with Derek; their playing times were staggered, and they were on the same team.

Phil had Alaric, Isaiah, Devean, Robert, and Stanislav go up against the OK combo, Ron, Horace, and Rick.

This was the bench against the starters, and Alaric's team didn't stand a chance. If he could lead his team to hold their own against the OK combo, he'd already be a superstar.

Phil even specifically set it up so Kobe would guard Alaric, with Ron guarding Isaiah, to keep Alaric in check.

Kobe was always super serious during training, laser-focused on defense. Without inside screens, it was tough for Alaric to shake off this defensive beast. Even if he did, Horace was no joke at defending pick-and-rolls, and the paint was locked down by Shaquille.

Because Horace had worn goggles for years during games, everyone called him "The Goggles." He was a very traditional inside player, accurate with mid-range shots but never shooting threes. His value was mainly in screens, defense, and rebounding. Although he was slow, his help defense awareness was top-notch, positioning himself in a way that made it hard for Alaric to drive. As long as he could block Alaric for a second, Kobe would get around the screen and keep up the defense.

Kobe started his career as a defensive player. When he first entered the league, he was overlooked by the coach, and Jerry West encouraged him to focus on defense, so he put in the work and even got tips from Gary Payton.

Last season, 21-year-old Kobe became one of the most well-rounded perimeter defenders in the league, with his defensive attitude, stamina, and pressure earning mad respect.

Alaric hadn't played such a frustrating game in a long time. Constantly harassed by Kobe, he could only look for quick shots or pass the ball. Even forcing a shot was tough, and once he passed, it was hard to get the ball back.

Alaric's highlight was his quick transition in offense and defense. During fast breaks, he assisted Isaiah twice and Devean once, and he forced a drive past Ron for a layup.

He also showed off from beyond the arc, hitting 2 out of 5 three-pointers, taking a quick step to the side after a pick-and-roll and shooting before Kobe could catch up.

In 20 minutes, Alaric scored 8 points and had 4 assists. He wasn't happy with his performance, not realizing that the coaching staff was already pleasantly surprised.

The defensive intensity between the NCAA and the NBA is worlds apart. Although NCAA games often end with teams scoring only 50 or 60 points, low scores don't mean strong defense but rather that most NCAA players have rough skills and poor scoring ability.

For example, in Alaric's previous life, Adam Morrison averaged 28.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in the 2005-2006 NCAA season, with a 50% shooting percentage and 43% three-point shooting percentage.

However, Adam played only 161 games in the NBA before retiring, averaging 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.4 minutes per game, with a 37.3% shooting percentage and 33.1% three-point shooting percentage, becoming a bricklayer under NBA defense.

Most NCAA rookies need time to get used to the NBA's speed, and some never do, ending up getting the boot.

With Horace and Rick in the starting lineup, the Lakers' defense was even tougher than last season. Even the big-name guards in the league would have a hard time. Alaric could steadily protect the ball and bring it to the frontcourt, daring to attack with the ball, showing he was ready to roll.

After that, Phil focused the training on running plays, with short scrimmage times, always matching Alaric against Kobe.

When there was no chance to match up in scrimmages, Derek often challenged Alaric one-on-one to show off his skills. He was stronger than Mateen and could shoot, making it tough for Alaric to defend him. But with his own advantages, Alaric could hold his own. Derek, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 209 pounds, had a nearly round physique. His straight-line speed was decent, but his lateral movement was slow, a weakness that stuck with him throughout his career.

Alaric was repeatedly overwhelmed when matched against Kobe. Kobe's defense was too tight, making it hard for him to get a shot off easily. He had to constantly look for screens to shake off Kobe, then either force a drive inside or pass to a teammate.

Defending Kobe on fast breaks was even harder for Alaric due to their size difference. He could defend face-up drives, but he couldn't handle Kobe's one-step spin moves or jump shots. Kobe's strength and high release point made it impossible for Alaric to even contest the shot, leaving him hoping Kobe would miss.

Against Ron and Brian Shaw, Alaric wasn't scared. Although both were 6.5 feet tall, their main strength was passing, and their one-on-one skills were average. As long as someone was closely guarding them, their shooting percentage would drop.

Seeing Alaric's forced drive get swatted away by Shaquille, assistant coach Kurt quietly asked Phil on the sidelines, "Phil, you want Alaric to be the sixth man, but isn't it too much to train him this hard right away? Aren't you afraid he'll lose confidence?"

Kurt knew Phil wanted to rely on Alaric, which is why he was putting pressure on him by matching him against Kobe. But with Alaric not even 19 yet, Kurt worried about the young player's mindset.

Phil hadn't shared his thoughts with Alaric, and Kurt feared Alaric might develop some negative emotions.

But Phil had great confidence in Alaric, smiling as he said, "Different players need different training methods. Kobe was just a bench player in his rookie season, but whenever he got on the court, he dared to challenge all the stars. Alaric isn't the type to settle for being a role player; he won't lose confidence easily. If you don't believe me, call him over and ask him how he feels about matching up against Kobe."

During a timeout, Kurt indeed called Alaric over and asked, "Alaric, we've been putting you on the bench side and having Kobe guard you. How do you feel about that?"

"Very happy, thank you. There's no better training than this. I've already learned a lot of new things in the past few days," Alaric said excitedly.

"Keep it up, and be quicker with your passes when you draw the defense," Kurt patted Alaric on the back, encouraging him.

This was indeed excellent training. If Alaric could perform well against Kobe's defense in practice, he would face much less pressure in games when guarded by ordinary players and would play more decisively.

If he were up against players like Ron or Derek, who were weaker at defending drives, scoring high in practice wouldn't give him a sense of accomplishment. He was the type who liked to challenge himself by playing on the highest difficulty level in video games.

Kurt was reassured, feeling that Alaric and Kobe were similar types of players who enjoyed matching up against strong opponents. If an average player were assigned to guard him, he would feel uncomfortable and think he was being underestimated.