Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 77 - 72: Taking Office, Director of the Medical Department (Part 3)

Chapter 77: Chapter 72: Taking Office, Director of the Medical Department (Part 3)

For example, the *Su Wen* says that when qi is in rebellion, if the ailment is high, you treat it low; if the ailment is low, you treat it high; and if it’s in the middle, you treat it from the sides.

If you’ve lost a foot, you can still treat it using acupoints on the hands.

Seeing that everyone was still baffled, Chen Yu gave another example: "Take Hill, for instance. He had a sprained ankle, but when I performed acupuncture on him, I started by needling the Yangchi Acupoint on his hand. The reasoning is quite complex and relates to the meridians. I’ll explain it to you all in detail when I have more time."

The Yangchi Acupoint is on the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, while the ankle is associated with the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. These are considered meridians of the same name.

"So, during acupuncture, you can select points on the foot, but you can also select points on the hand. That means if you were to lose a leg, it could be treated using your hand. Of course, if you lost your hand too, or even your whole body... well, I don’t think treatment would make much of a difference at that point."

That got a laugh out of everyone.

Byron immediately gave Chen Yu a thumbs-up, showing that he had learned something new.

Chen Yu continued, "Byron, about that Yangchi Acupoint I just mentioned—massaging it can greatly alleviate the pain from an acute ankle sprain and speed up blood circulation in the ankle for a faster recovery. I’ll put together some information for you to look over later."

"Oh, and after practice ends today, I’ll be giving the players their massages. I can teach you then how to use acupressure to relieve post-exercise pain."

’Now that I’m the team doctor, how could I miss an opportunity to farm some experience like this?’

"Okay, boss." Byron nodded. He had unconsciously used the word "boss," a clear sign that their conversation had earned his respect for Chen Yu.

The others exchanged silent glances. It seemed, at least for now, that Chen Yu was the real deal.

Seeing it was about time, Chen Yu called everyone over to the practice court to prepare for the day’s training.

Chen Yu wasn’t in a hurry to adjust the training plan.

His main goal for the day was observation—to observe each player’s condition and to observe the training plan itself.

First observe, then identify problems, and finally, make changes according to his own ideas.

When they arrived at the practice court, some of the more diligent players were already there.

For example, the strangely-built Shawn Marion.

He was a rookie from the ’99 draft class and had made the All-Rookie Second Team last season. After Danny Ainge resigned and Scott Skiles took over as head coach, he was given a major role and had been the Suns’ starting small forward all season.

Chen Yu’s gaze swept over his body. He was built like a young bull, and his arms were ridiculously long. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Just as he was thinking, Skiles walked over to speak with him.

Skiles was the head coach, and Chen Yu was the head of the medical department; they would need to work closely together.

Skiles’s playing career hadn’t been spectacular, but he did hold the single-game assist record: a whopping 30.

It was hard to get a read on his personality from their first meeting. After a bit of polite small talk, he asked about Hardaway’s condition.

"The surgery was a success. Now comes the rehabilitation phase, but I’m very confident. By next season, I can give you back a fully healthy Penny." After seeing the miraculous results of the surgery, Chen Yu was brimming with confidence about Hardaway’s recovery.

A smile spread across Skiles’s face. "If that’s the case, then that’s fantastic."

In the West, the Suns were a playoff-caliber team, but that was all. They consistently failed to make it past the first round.

They had made it to the second round last year, only to be sent packing by the Lakers in a gentleman’s sweep.

Meanwhile, the team had spent a fortune to assemble the "Backcourt 2000" duo, paying tens of millions in luxury tax for two consecutive years. Jerry Colangelo wasn’t some mega-billionaire; he had expectations for the team’s performance.

He then pulled Chen Yu along to meet the other members of the coaching staff.

He had four assistant coaches.

The lead assistant coach, Jim Boylan, was a middle-aged man who was starting to go bald and had messy hair, but he spoke with a great sense of humor and seemed like an easy person to get along with.

’That made sense.’

’Back in Orlando, Chen Yu had noticed that the head coach of a team doesn’t actually interact with the players all that much. The person who has the most contact with them is the lead assistant coach.’

’So they need to have a good personality and be skilled at communication.’

The offensive coach, Frank Johnson, was a former point guard. He was a Black man with a pencil mustache and a serious expression.

The tactics coach, Phil Weber, was thin-lipped, tall, and not very old. He had the suave demeanor of a movie star.

Finally, there was Roger Reed, who was in his fifties with graying temples, in charge of video analysis.

After some brief introductions, Chen Yu sat down on the sidelines to observe the team’s practice.

J Kidd had also arrived.

Being a man of high EQ, he proactively came over to chat with Chen Yu for a bit, asking about Hardaway’s condition.

Chen Yu didn’t bring up the domestic violence incident.

’It was best not to pry into such private matters.’

Under Nelson’s direction, the dozen or so players on the team went about their respective training routines.

There were tactical drills as a group, as well as individual workouts.

Every season, Nelson would create different training plans for each player based on Skiles’s requirements.

For example, who needed to improve their shooting or who needed to work on their defense—it was all meticulously planned.

After watching for a while, Chen Yu frowned.

’The training intensity for the Suns under Skiles is really high.’

Chen Yu thought for a moment.

’The previous head coach, Ainge, was known for his focus on defense. Skiles was his assistant coach, so after taking over, he must have inherited that philosophy, focusing on defense.’

’And to build a good defense, a high volume of conditioning drills is unavoidable.’

There was nothing wrong with this approach in itself. If you want results, you obviously have to train hard.

’But this Suns roster has a lot of old and banged-up guys.’

Fully half of the players were over thirty. For instance, the starting shooting guard, Mario Elie, was a whole 38 years old!

But that veteran was surprisingly fine; his body was incredibly healthy.

In a way, that was a kind of talent in itself.

Just as he was thinking this, Chris Dudley, the 36-year-old starting center, suddenly let out a pained cry during a team drill and fell to the ground, hopping on one foot in agony.

The player defending him was Jack Chakalidis, a center the Suns had just signed from Greece this year. The young man didn’t speak the language and was now staring at Dudley, completely bewildered and a little frightened.

Nelson had already rushed over like a firefighter responding to a call.

Practice was halted, and everyone quickly gathered around.

Skiles’s expression soured. He immediately looked toward Chen Yu, shooting him a questioning glance.

Chen Yu, with his arms crossed, didn’t even flinch. He said casually, "It’s nothing, just a cramp."

Nelson, who was crouched in front of Dudley, reached out and felt the muscle. His expression changed slightly.

’It really is just a cramp.’

He turned his head to look at Chen Yu. ’Damn, he’s good!’