Hanamichi Sakuragi followed Kawamoto Kazuki's instructions.
Dragging his utterly exhausted body along, he completed full-speed shuttle runs and repeated maximum-effort jumps.
Although a whole night's exertion had left him far from his best,
the burst of acceleration and astonishing jumping height he displayed
still brought a flash of approval to Kawamoto's eyes.
"That's enough."
Kawamoto motioned for Sakuragi to stop.
Sakuragi braced his hands on his knees and gulped for air.
He raised his head and looked at Kawamoto expectantly.
Kawamoto Kazuki looked at him and analyzed calmly, "Your initial acceleration, ability to jump repeatedly, and explosive power are all excellent.
"Your height and wingspan are also well above average."
"Your physical attributes already far exceed those of ordinary high school students. Even in college basketball, they'd be considered outstanding."
Sakuragi's eyes instantly lit up at that assessment.
He even felt much less exhausted.
"With scientific, systematic training, you have every potential to become a very dangerous scorer."
He paused, getting to the heart of the matter.
"You said you like offense. In terms of skill set and development, the position that suits you best should be small forward."
"Small forward?"
Sakuragi blinked, looking utterly lost.
"What does that do?"
Kawamoto realized he needed to start with the most basic concepts.
He picked up a basketball and dribbled it casually as he explained in the plainest terms:
"There are usually five main positions on a basketball court. The point guard organizes the offense and controls the tempo, acting as the team's brain."
"The shooting guard's main job is scoring, especially through outside shooting and off-ball cuts."
"The small forward is usually the team's most versatile scorer. He needs a well-rounded skill set and serves as the spearhead of the offense."
"The power forward mainly helps the center protect the basket and grab rebounds, but also needs some ability to score from midrange."
"The center is the anchor inside, mainly responsible for scoring near the basket, rebounding, and defense."
Kawamoto's explanation was concise and clear. Although Sakuragi only half understood it, the phrases "most versatile scorer" and "spearhead of the offense" deeply appealed to him.
He suddenly remembered the way Kaede Rukawa dominated on the court and blurted out, "So that stinking fox Kaede Rukawa plays small forward?"
"That's right."
Kawamoto nodded in confirmation.
"Small forwards usually get more shot opportunities and tactical freedom."
"Then this genius is playing small forward!"
Kawamoto Kazuki shook his head. "Given the Shohoku Basketball Team's current situation, I'm afraid you'll have a hard time getting minutes if you want to play small forward."
"Why?!"
Sakuragi immediately cried out indignantly.
"Because Shohoku already has Kaede Rukawa."
Kawamoto calmly stated the fact.
"Besides, Captain Akagi's approach to training is fairly traditional and rigid."
He chose his words carefully.
"He thinks more about what kind of players the team needs than which position each player personally enjoys most."
"So with Kaede Rukawa occupying the small forward position, you'll have very few opportunities."
Kawamoto sighed softly, the faint sound carrying a barely perceptible trace of helplessness.
"If someone doesn't genuinely love what he does, how can he draw out his fullest potential and give it everything he has?"
"But since we're on this team, we can only adapt to its rules and arrangements for now."
He looked at Sakuragi and pointed out the harsh reality. "More importantly, right now, you're still no match at all for Kaede Rukawa in skill, experience, or understanding of the game."
Then, drawing on his observations over the past few days, Kawamoto began analyzing Shohoku's lineup.
"Currently, Shohoku has Takenori Akagi at center, Kaede Rukawa at small forward, and our senior Kiminobu Kogure at point guard."
"The remaining substitutes play terribly."
"They're still missing the power forward and shooting guard of a standard lineup."
When it came to Akagi, Kawamoto offered his assessment. "I haven't spent much time with Captain Akagi, but I can tell his fundamentals are solid and his skills around the basket are good. However..."
"In terms of his ceiling, his talent might not be top-tier. Also, as the team's centerpiece and captain, he doesn't seem steady enough mentally. He lacks the nerves to settle the team and turn things around at critical moments."
"That's a fairly fatal weakness for a centerpiece center, especially one who's also the captain."
"That means he'll never become a truly top-class center."
His gaze returned to Sakuragi, and he said pointedly, "You, on the other hand, have that potential in certain respects, such as your refusal to lose and your courage at critical moments."
"But a team usually doesn't need, and would struggle to accommodate, two centers with similar roles."
"Captain Akagi has me practicing positioning under the basket and rebounding. I suspect he might want to develop me into a power forward to help him inside."
"So, following Shohoku's current, fairly rigid approach to its lineup, if you actually want to play in games, the only offensive position that might be left for you is shooting guard."
To Kawamoto, this rigid approach to team building, insisting on filling all five positions, was somewhat outdated.
Basketball tactics came in endless variations. Why be bound by fixed positional labels?
But he wasn't the captain, and his words carried little weight. He couldn't change the situation.
For now, he could only work within reality to map out a path for Sakuragi, who loved offense.
"Sakuragi..."
Kawamoto looked into his eyes and said seriously, "If you still want offensive opportunities within Shohoku's system, at this stage, you must first work hard to become capable of playing shooting guard."
"Shooting guard? What's the main job?"
Sakuragi pressed him.
"Basically, scoring."
Kawamoto kept it concise. "The core job of this position is to find opportunities through movement on offense and put the ball in the basket with midrange and long-range shots, or well-timed cuts and drives, providing the team with reliable outside firepower."
"Put simply, you need reliable shooting and some threat off the drive."
He further analyzed Sakuragi's attributes. "You're 188 centimeters tall and weigh 83 kilograms."
"At that weight, you might be at a disadvantage in physical contact as a shooting guard, especially when attacking the basket hard."
"So early on, you may have to rely mainly on shooting to score."
"But a shooting guard who's purely a shooter has limited offensive impact unless his shooting percentage stays at an absolutely terrifying level. He's also easy to target defensively."
"And given Shohoku's current situation, I'm afraid they won't give you an unlimited green light to practice and learn through trial and error."
Sakuragi only half understood what he heard, but the word "scoring" held his attention firmly.
"So my advice is that while you work hard on your shooting and try to bring your midrange and long-range percentages up to a certain level, you must also improve your ability to drive with the ball!"
"And you need to follow a plan to gain weight, build muscular strength, and improve your ability to handle contact!"
His tone held a hint of guidance and a vision of the future. "Imagine if you not only had a reliable shot, but could also use your speed and strength like a small forward to force your way through the defense and attack the basket..."
"Then you'd become a nightmare for every defender matched up against you!"
"A shooting guard who can both shoot and drive, with the qualities of a swingman, is the most threatening kind."