The Golden Age of Basketball

( ) John Stockton finally came off the bench near the end of the first quarter.

But this is just a normal rotation, and Stockton's playing did not change the Jazz's disadvantaged situation.

At that time, the Jazz had a relatively thick overall style of play, with a set of positional warfare and insufficient impact.

The Blazers came and went like the wind, dragging the Jazz all over the court at full speed, minimizing the impact of the Jazz twin towers on the team.

"Why don't you shoot John." Gan Guoyang said to Stockton.

The Blazers defended just now, and Drexler hit the ball out of the baseline, causing a dead ball.

Gan Guoyang took this opportunity to tell Stockton that Stockton actually had a chance to fire from the outside, but he still chose to pass the ball.

"That's not the coach's request." Stockton replied, and the two were still communicating like teammates on the court.

In the NBA at that time, the tactical position of the point guard was the lower position among the five positions. In the eyes of most coaches, the first duty of the point guard was to organize the offense.

Unless it is a last resort, the point guard can't shoot casually, even Magic Johnson.

When Stockton was in Gonzaga, he was the team's second scoring point and a very stable perimeter finisher, but in the NBA he can only be a ball transfer station.

"Beep!" The referee whistled, and the Jazz served outside.

Stockton received the ball, but no longer organized the team's offense as before, but handed the ball to Dantley at 45 degrees. Dantley is the absolute core of the Jazz's offense.

The Jazz mainly relied on Dantley's singles to firmly bite the score in the first quarter.

Dantley is nicknamed the "Singles King". His singles ability is really not covered. From the three-point line to the three-second zone, he is extremely efficient in attacking with the ball.

Let him take a step and he will shoot, and he will use his back to squeeze in when it is pasted. There is really no chance that he can still draw a foul.

After the timeout, Ramsey brought on Drexler to guard Dantley.

Drexler has advantages in strength, speed, and height, and he is defensively active, but he still lacks experience.

After Dantley took the ball at 45 degrees, he suddenly turned inside and cut to the middle.

At this time, Mark Eaton has been pulled to the outside to clear space for the inside line, and it is impossible for Gan Guoyang to completely empty Eaton.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Dantley leaned against Drexler and squeezed in. At the same time, he pushed Drexler away with his left hand, and even used a hook with his right hand. With a light hook, the ball was released.

Gan Guoyang rushed to the basket to grab a rebound, but saw the basketball collapsed a few times on the basket, and still fell into it.

"Aren't you the only one who can hook?" Dantley said to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang also felt that this 6-foot-4 small forward is a kaleidoscope of offense and can do everything.

If there is anything he can't say, it's probably passing the ball. As long as he got the ball in the first quarter, he never passed it.

"But I think you should learn to pass the ball." Gan Guoyang shot back.

Before he finished speaking, Gan Guoyang took the ball and stood behind the baseline to serve. Instead of sending the ball to Valentine, he swung his arms and threw the ball to the frontcourt with a super long pass.

This pass caught the Jazz off guard, and even the Blazers players didn't react.

Fortunately, the Trail Blazers have Drexler, who has excellent running and jumping ability, took off and got the ball in the pinch of two Jazz players.

As soon as he landed, Drexler turned over and broke through from the baseline to the basket. This time Mark Eaton had already arrived.

Drexler didn't flinch, he jumped up to meet Eaton's giant palm and rushed to the basket.

The scary thing about Eaton is that his shoulders are extremely broad, which makes his lateral control range also extremely large. If Drexler goes hard, he will inevitably suffer.

But Drexler did not choose to dunk, but a pull basket, gliding from the right side of the basket to the left side, dodged Eaton's block, made a reverse basket, and scored the ball!

"Yeah~~" The memorial stadium was boiling again, and the Blazers dedicated two wonderful goals in the first quarter alone.

"Beautiful Clyde." Gan Guoyang and Drexler, who ran back, clapped hands in celebration.

"If you pass such a ball in the future, I can't guarantee that you can always catch it." Drexler said, Gan Guoyang's pass was too sudden.

"If I pass such a ball again, Ramsey will kill me." Gan Guoyang said.

But Ramsey next to the fact couldn't help but roar, but fortunately the goal was scored in the end.

At this time, the Blazers had already led the Jazz by 29 points with 16:13. The Jazz still had no good way to attack.

Bailey did nothing under Sampson's defense, and Eaton was almost emptied by Gan Guoyang.

Now the Jazz's main attack point is their top scorer Dantley.

Gan Guoyang decided to help Drexler and strangle Dantley to death.

Sure enough, Stockton passed the ball to Dantley again, and Gan Guoyang immediately stepped forward to double-team, not giving Dantley a chance to start.

Once Dantley, a striker like a small armored car, is activated, it is likely to cause fouls by defensive players, and Gan Guoyang is also the first to act.

But Dantley didn't hit hard this time, but passed the ball back to Stockton.

This is Stockton standing at the top of the arc to catch the ball. Gan Guoyang immediately gave up double-teaming Dantley. He knew that the ball was passed back to the outside point guard, and he would definitely find the loopholes after the double-teaming.

It’s just that it’s over for Gan Guoyang to go back, or Stockton’s pass was too fast. He didn’t pause after receiving the ball at the top of the arc, and passed the ball directly with one hand. The ball tore through the Blazers’ defense and passed to the In the hands of Mark Eaton on the inside.

Eaton got the ball under the basket, and no one could stop him. Eaton dunked with one hand.

A very nice pass, a great strong-side turn and weak-side transfer.

Dantley took the ball at 45 degrees and attracted the Blazers defense. On the weak side, Eaton and Stockton made a pick-and-roll. After Stockton got the ball, Eaton just went down, and Gan Guoyang had been pulled to the strong side. Clip, not enough time for a return visit.

Gan Guoyang didn't see this, he didn't see the Jazz's tactical arrangement clearly, and he also ignored the ability of Stockton, an old teammate, to seize opportunities.

"Beep!" The referee blew his whistle, and the Blazers requested a timeout.

"Don't double-team casually! As a center, how can you give up the protection of the three-second zone to double-team the outside players! You must protect the penalty area! From the first second to the end of the game, you must protect the penalty area!" Back to the bench Gan Guoyang Ramsay was sprayed wildly.

Gan Guoyang could only listen to the training with his head bowed. Now that he made any small mistake on the court, Ramsay would scold him, but Gan Guoyang knew that Ramsay was doing it for his own good.

So at this time, he would always obediently listen to Ramsay spit at himself, and learn from it.

Ramsey didn't rearrange his tactics, but just called a timeout to let the players relax. The continuous offensive success made the players' defense relax again, and it was time for substitutions.

"Also, Gan, you'd better not pass such a mindless long pass, especially in the last quarter, I can bear it in the first quarter." Ramsey mentioned Gan Guoyang's pass again , although he asked the team to play fast, it can't be so fast.

Fortunately, it was still the first quarter. If Gan Guoyang made such a move at the critical moment of the fourth quarter, Ramsey would definitely have a heart attack.

"I just don't want to run." Gan Guoyang said standing beside him with his arms crossed.

What Gan Guoyang said almost drove Ramsay to death, "Then you sit on the bench for me!" Ramsay yelled at him.

Ramsey obediently sat on the bench. Anyway, he was about to be replaced, and Vandeweghe was also replaced.

"Are you okay, kiki?" Gan Guoyang looked at Vandeweghe next to him, and found that he didn't seem very comfortable.

"It's okay, it's just that my back is not very comfortable. Your pass is great." Vandeweghe said with a smile.

"Keep your voice down, Ramsey will go crazy when he hears it." Gan Guoyang glanced at Ramsey who was standing on the sidelines and paying close attention to the situation on the field.

"Ramsey really values ​​you, and sometimes his timeouts are just for you," Vandeweghe said.

Gan Guoyang smiled when he heard this, and he also felt that Ramsey was becoming more and more harsh on him, but in fact he was paying more and more attention to his training.

"I understand. I will try to make him less angry in the future."

The game continued, and the Blazers still controlled the situation on the court.

Sitting on the sidelines, Gan Guoyang watched Stockton's performance, feeling that he was really restrained too much, and basically had to hand over the ball after halftime.

Although Stockton's ability is not top-notch, and his passing awareness also needs to be tempered for a long time in the NBA, but the coach of the Jazz obviously did not realize Stockton's talent and just regarded him as an ordinary player. The point guard who dribbles across the court.

If Stockton wants to be fully developed, he needs a Bole who understands him, and this Bole is sitting on the Jazz's bench at this time.

Gan Guoyang couldn't help being thankful that he met a coach like Ramsey who appreciated him, although when he first met him, he thought this guy was an old-fashioned old man who didn't know how to adapt.

There was not much suspense in the whole game. Although the Jazz relied on Dantley and Griffith to support them, they couldn't withstand the strong firepower of the Blazers and were still defeated.

Dantley made 19 of 14 shots and scored 39 points efficiently, which still exposed the Blazers' weakness in forward defense; but Vandeweghe also scored 30 points, Gan Guoyang scored 19 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists. Surprisingly good on the rebounds.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Utah Jazz 130:119 and achieved a good record of 7 wins and 3 losses in the beginning.

Gan Guoyang feels that his condition is getting better and better, and he has begun to slowly adapt to life in the NBA.

In the selection of the best of the week in the first week of the NBA season, Gan Guoyang was even nominated for his amazing performance against the Lakers.

After the game, Gan Guoyang took Stockton to a famous French restaurant in Portland for dinner together with Mark Eaton.

Because Gan Guoyang is already a famous person in Portland, the restaurant owner decided to give Gan Guoyang and his party free of charge today.

It takes a lot of courage to give free to several basketball players, especially giants like Eaton and Gan Guoyang.

But because of the results of tonight's game, the boss is still willing to provide a free supper to Portland's new idols and challengers who failed today.

"I performed really badly today, and I only scored one point." While eating, Stockton was still reminiscing about the evening's game.

He came off the bench for 14 minutes in the whole game, only relying on free throws to get one point, but he still had 4 assists.

"You did a good job, don't be so worried all the time, John." Eaton next to him said while stuffing food into his mouth.

Gan Guoyang also comforted him, saying that Stockton's personality was just like his appearance, reserved and gloomy. His drooping eyebrows and retracted lips made people feel that he was always sad.

"I don't know how long I can stay in this league." Stockton still hasn't come out of his inner self-doubt.

"20 years, I bet you will stay in that ghostly place for 20 years until you can't move." Gan Guoyang once again predicted based on the experience of later generations.

Even Eaton didn't quite believe this, but Stockton was a little moved, because he remembered that Gan Guoyang told him before that he might stay in Salt Lake City in the future.

The three of them didn't drink alcohol, and after a full meal in the restaurant, they went back to their residences and waited for the next meeting.

In the next four days, the Portland Trail Blazers went to Seattle to fight the Supersonics again. Gan Guoyang returned to the familiar Seattle Dome, where he scored a lore and won the NCAA championship.

Until now, he can still recall the day when he hugged Wang Fuxi in the crowd and accepted the feeling of cheers from all directions.

It was a great feeling.

It's just that he came to Seattle this time, but he was the enemy of the Seattle fans. Even so, he still got applause and cheers from the fans at the opening introduction.

However, Gan Guoyang did not show mercy. Supersonics center Sikma scored 11 points against him. The deadly quasi-lore helped the Blazers beat the Sonics by one point at 24:14 in the away game.

Immediately afterwards, the Blazers returned to Portland to meet Portland's former hero, Bill Walton, and his Los Angeles Clippers.

But Wharton is really no longer the courage of the past, and the Clippers are also mediocre, with 4 wins and 8 losses. They are obviously the underdogs in the West.

The Blazers did not let go of the opportunity to win three consecutive victories. They beat the Clippers 118:105 and improved their record to 9 wins and 3 losses, already ranking first in the Western Conference.

With his outstanding performance in 12 games, Gan Guoyang firmly secured his position as the starting center and gradually adapted to the rhythm of NBA games.

Early the next morning after the game against the Clippers, Gan Guoyang still got up early as usual.

Usually, he would eat the breakfast prepared by Gan Youwei, and then run to the training center to start training for the day.

Today, he had packed his suitcase and dressed neatly, while Gan Youwei was also packing his things.

"Dad, why don't you stay here for a while?" Gan Guoyang said.

"No, it just so happens that you're going away to play a game this time, and I've stayed long enough, and it's time to go back to San Francisco. Your cousin called a few times, and I guess they're to blame. I'm fine here I can do things, so I'd better go back and be a cook." Gan Youwei didn't stop to clean up.

Gan Guoyang knew that according to his father's temper, if he wanted to leave, there would be no way to stop him.

Gan Youwei originally said that Gan Guoyang would go back to San Francisco to continue cooking at the beginning of the season, but because Gan Guoyang played most of his previous games in Portland, even if he went away, he usually returned within three or four days.

But now, the Blazers are finally about to start a long road trip. They will go to the far east coast to withstand the test of the Eastern team.

This time, I will not be able to return to Portland until December, so Gan Youwei thinks it is time to go to San Francisco.

"Then you have to be careful on the road, your English is okay?" Gan Guoyang asked.

"I'm fine, but you, don't play too hard and be careful of injuries. I heard that the eastern team plays brutally and likes to hit people. Be careful!" Gan Youwei didn't know where he heard it from. Something about basketball.

Gan Guoyang didn't care either. He told Gan Youwei not to worry, and then the two drove to Portland Airport together.

Gan Guoyang's trip to the Eastern Conference is about to begin, and what awaits him will be a different basketball.