Billups dribbled at the top of the key to slow down the pace, Rasheed Wallace immediately moved up to set a high screen.
Gary Payton lowered his center of gravity, his eyes locked on the ball handler. In this league, there were very few screens he couldn't get past. He quickly glanced at Rasheed's positioning... he could easily get around him.
"No way! I'll do it myself!"
Gary Payton gave a low shout and squeezed his body against Rasheed's shoulder, forcing his way to the side.
But they were ultimately delayed by half a step. Billups seized this fleeting opening and suddenly accelerated into the paint. Seeing this, Garnett decisively rushed out from the inside to cover and delay the move, while at the same time, Big Ben also put pressure on the outside.
The paint was suddenly wide open.
Billups flicked his wrist, delivering a clean, crisp bounce pass that pierced the defense and landed precisely in the hands of Rasheed, who cut to the basket. Rasheed caught the ball and drove straight to the basket for a powerful two-handed dunk.
The whistle then sounded.
"Stop!" Rick Carlisle strode onto the court. He didn't get angry; his tone was calm and stern.
" Gary, your judgment is sound." Rick Carlisle looked at Gary Payton. "You have the ability to squeeze through. But everyone needs to understand one thing..."
Rick Carlisle surveyed the entire court. "The new defensive system isn't a rigid 'switch on every screen' approach. Gary's ability to squeeze through screens is top-notch; forcing him to switch mindlessly is self-defeating."
Gary Payton's tense expression relaxed slightly.
"But the problem lies in communication." Rick Carlisle turned to the Twin Towers in the paint. "KG, your move to delay was decisive, but did you call for Ben to help? Ben, KG has started moving, why are you still standing there?"
Rick Carlisle grabbed the clipboard and tapped it twice. "Defense needs to be flexible; the decision-making is up to you. First, defensive ability is paramount! Gary, if you think you can get past them, yell 'No trade' or 'I can get around them!' That's called defensive autonomy—use your best methods to win the game!"
"If you judge that the opponent's cover is too tight and you can't get around it, you must immediately and loudly shout 'Change!'"
"KG, Ben, you two are the backbone of the team's interior defense. When the perimeter players call 'switch,' you must quickly establish your roles! If you don't hear any calls from the perimeter, then automatically switch on defense!"
On the sidelines in his wheelchair, Grant Hill seemed lost in thought. He wrote in his notebook, "Flexible switching on defense based on individual ability is key to real-time communication."
The whistle blew again, and the competition continued.
Billups called for a screen again, this time Brad Miller stepped up. Miller's broad frame completely blocked Gary Payton's pursuit route.
Gary Payton anticipated this the moment he hit the screen... a forced push would inevitably result in him losing his position.
"Change!" Gary Payton shouted decisively.
"I'll handle this!" Garnett spread his long arms and moved sideways to cover Billups.
"I'll retrieve it!" Big Ben quickly retreated to the basket to guard the restricted area.
Gary Payton turned and blocked Miller' run down the court. Billups 'Garnett big defense forced Billups to make it impossible for him to pass the ball, so he could only make a wide pass to Artest on the weak side, who was already in position. Pierce jumped and made a strong interference, and the ball bounced off the rim. Big Ben easily grabbed the rebound.
"Good shot!" Rick Carlisle clapped on the sidelines. "Keep communicating, rotate effectively, keep playing like this."
In the third possession, Billups dribbled the ball forward, Rasheed once again stepped up to set a screen.
Rasheed hesitated slightly this time.
"No trade!"
Gary Payton gave the order in a deep voice, forcefully squeezing past Billups from the side and putting pressure on him again. Garnett, hearing the instruction, guarded the paint. Big Ben Wallace was positioned at the high post, ready to cut off passing lanes at any moment.
Under intense pressure, Billups' dribbling was thwarted, and he hastily passed the ball to Rasheed. Rasheed managed a shot under defensive pressure but missed, and Garnett grabbed the rebound.
"Very good." Rick Carlisle stopped the training and called everyone together.
"Remember the rhythm we just discussed. The system is dynamic; it's built on your defensive capabilities, but the principle is to always let your teammates know your decisions. Maintain communication."
Hill closed his notebook on the sidelines, watching the top defenders on the court gradually develop a tacit understanding, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
In the following half hour, the intensity of the competition escalated further. Both sides constantly adjusted their rotations according to commands, and the defensive lines tightened even more. The starting lineup gradually developed a tacit understanding as they explored the game, while the substitutes' attacks were repeatedly thwarted. After the first half ended, the two groups switched roles, and the substitutes also turned the tide with their strong defense.
At noon, Rick Carlisle blew the long whistle to signal the end of training.
Everyone collapsed onto the floor, looking completely disheveled, their chests heaving violently.
"You've exceeded my expectations today." Rick Carlisle's tone finally softened as he looked at the exhausted but unusually excited thugs. "Go back and thoroughly understand the principles, and we'll continue tomorrow."
The players headed towards the locker room. The physiotherapist, pushing Hill towards the medical room, joked, "So many pages of notes, even while recovering, you're not idle?"
"Because I don't want to waste even a second." Hill closed his notebook. "When I return to the court, I want everyone to see that I've not only recovered my health, but my understanding of the game has also improved."
A few minutes later, Hill lay down in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
With a soft hum from inside the cockpit, he slowly closed his eyes. He mentally rehearsed the defensive logic: switching, rotation, rim protection, and fast break. This system, emphasizing mobility and judgment, seemed tailor-made for a top-tier forward like him, who possessed speed, height, and basketball IQ.
Over the course of more than a year, he realized that he needed to do more than just recover from his injuries; he also needed to thoroughly understand this defensive logic.