The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 616 Sweating a Little
Barkley and Gan Guoyang have known each other for many years, from the Olympic selection training camp to today. He knows Gan Guoyang's skill level very well, which is one or two levels higher than other stars.

In Barkley's view, there are only two people in the league who can come close to Forrest Gump.

One is Michael Jordan, half is Hakeem Olajuwon, and the other half is himself.

One complete person, plus two and a half people, makes exactly two people, all of whom were elites from the 1984 draft.

After being outscored 7-0 by Gan Guoyang, the Suns called a timeout to make adjustments in the second half of the second quarter.

With the key players back on the court, Kevin Johnson began using his speed and jump shot to attack the Trail Blazers' backcourt.

Because it was a regular season game, neither side had a strong defensive strategy, focusing mainly on normal one-on-one defense with occasional double-teaming.

Bobby Bellman has always been a proponent of man-to-man defense. He doesn't like to use too much fake zone defense or zone defense, especially when you have a Defensive Player of the Year like Forrest Gump and a tower like Sabonis in the paint, and above-average defenders like Reggie Lewis and Porter on the perimeter.

Back then, the joint defense between Beiqiao Middle School and Gonzaga University was a last resort, as everyone except Forrest Gump was simply not very talented.

We must use Forrest Gump's overflowing defense to fill the gaps in everyone else's weaknesses.

Things are different now. He has excellent defensive resources, and man-to-man defense can maximize a player's individual defensive ability and weaken the effectiveness of the opponent's tactics.

In theory, if you have five players who are very good at one-on-one defense, who can always keep up with the person they are supposed to defend, and who are still not at a disadvantage when switching after a pick-and-roll or screen, such a defense can render any tactic ineffective.

The opponent has no openings to exploit in positional warfare.

This is an idealized man-to-man defense; in practice, due to various reasons, loopholes will inevitably appear.

The Trail Blazers' current starting lineup uses man-to-man defense, which has very few weaknesses.

The Suns, who seemed to be scoring relatively easily in the first and first half of the second quarter, found themselves feeling the intensity of the Trail Blazers' defense in the latter half of the second quarter.

The Trail Blazers' tenacious and close man-to-man defense made it difficult for the Suns to find suitable shooting opportunities no matter how they ran.

The Suns have only two options: go it alone or launch a fast counterattack.

The Trail Blazers gradually slowed down the pace of the game, demonstrating the Princeton offense's ability to do so.

Charles Barkley tried to accelerate and launch a fast break after securing the rebound, but Reggie Lewis always rushed over to block and disrupt his efforts.

Excellent defensive teams are highly disruptive and will never allow the opponent's playmaker to pass the ball comfortably.

When you're dribbling up the court, you have to focus on protecting the ball, which reduces your opportunities to observe your teammates and open shots.

After several back-and-forth possessions, the Trail Blazers widened the gap, with Porter and Reggie Lewis hitting consecutive jump shots on offense.

The Suns repeatedly coordinated their half-court offense, but failed to find good opportunities and forced shots that missed, allowing Gan Guoyang to firmly control the rebounds in the paint.

The point difference began to approach double digits, and the Suns' true star player was Charles Barkley.

He continued to dribble and isolate on the wing, making a pull-up mid-range jumper once, and then using his speed to break through to the middle and unleash a difficult fadeaway jumper.

The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling into the net.

Sabonis is really good at defending against fast, short forwards like Barkley.

Barkley's fadeaway jumper tonight was no less impressive than Michael Jordan's; his hard work this summer paid off.

However, he dared not be arrogant this time, fearing that Forrest Gump might unleash another 7-0 run. He just wanted to get through the first half.

Sabonis missed a three-pointer, Barkley grabbed the long rebound, and immediately launched a fast break.

Finally seizing a fast break opportunity, he shook off his defender, drove the length of the court, and slammed home a powerful dunk!

Barkley helped the Suns close the gap at the end of the second quarter, and at halftime, the Suns trailed the Trail Blazers 61-67 by 6 points.

Barkley scored 21 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists in the first half, delivering an outstanding performance.

Gan Guoyang scored 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, slightly less than Barkley.

However, it was clear that Gan Guoyang played with ease, while Barkley had given his all; otherwise, the Suns would have lost by even more in the first half.

Kevin Johnson's performance remained mediocre, shooting 4-for-11 in the first half and scoring only 10 points with 4 assists.

Johnson's speed advantage was never utilized when facing the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers have tall, strong perimeter players and are anchored inside by Forrest Gump and Domantas Sabonis, making them very difficult to attack.

There's no way around it; being short really puts you at a huge disadvantage on the basketball court.

If Kevin Johnson were over 190cm tall and maintained his current speed, he would definitely be a top-three pick in the draft.

A small player like Isaiah Thomas needs to rely on toughness and physicality, along with a group of strong forwards and attacking players, to form a championship-caliber team.

Currently, the Suns seem to be lacking in their roster; they lack a tall and tough enough big man in the frontcourt to help Barkley and Kevin Johnson.

Mark West is an excellent center with a high level of rim protection and defense. In more than 20 minutes of playing time, he can contribute 2 blocks per game.

He is very strong at intercepting attacks from backcourt and forward players who penetrate the paint, and is a defensive pillar of the Suns' three-second zone.

Judging from his height and physique, he is more suitable for the power forward position. It is only out of necessity that he is played as the 5th position, as the Suns really have no better options.

Mark West was adequate against other teams in the regular season and playoffs, but against the Trail Blazers, he couldn't carry the team alone.

Whether it was Forrest Gump or Sabonis, Mark West's back-to-the-basket defense was no match for them when they tried to dominate the Suns' interior defense in the low post.

After the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang and Sabonis began their low-post offensive onslaught at the start of the third quarter.

The two players took turns attacking the Suns' tough but short inside game from the horns and flanks.

When Charles Barkley had to forcefully defend Sabonis in the low post, and then Sabonis turned and hooked a shot that prevented him from even jumping, the fat man's face was full of helplessness.

Mark West was unable to withstand Gan Guoyang's low-post onslaught. After returning to the center position, Gan Guoyang increased his low-post attacking percentage and no longer took a large number of mid-range shots like he did last season.

Every season brings its own changes, and after adopting the Princeton offense, the proportion of mid-range shots has been declining across the entire Trail Blazers team.

Efficient three-pointers and layups are better options; mid-range shots should only be used in crucial moments.

Therefore, the Trail Blazers' high scoring average this season is due to their offensive efficiency gradually reaching historical peaks.

Of course, the increase in three-pointers has also brought instability. Coupled with their unfamiliarity with the Princeton offense, the Trail Blazers experienced more offensive lapses than last season.

In the third quarter, after regaining a 12-point lead through low-post offense, the Trail Blazers immediately went into a three-minute scoring drought—missing several outside shots.

The Suns seized the opportunity to close the gap, with Eddie Johnson and Danny Ainge hitting consecutive shots.

After the second unit rotation began, the Trail Blazers' defensive intensity dropped further, and they started playing a back-and-forth game with the Suns.

The score went back and forth, and Bobby Bellman brought in center Antonio Davis for the first time this season.

Young Davis committed two fouls after entering the game, giving the Suns free throw opportunities.

Midway through the third quarter, the Suns slowly caught up again—they were quite tenacious.

Berman was very patient and gave Antonio Davis 5 minutes of playing time.

Even if he makes a series of mistakes after coming on the court, such as leaving his man open on defense, committing fouls and giving away free throws, and making positioning errors on offense.

This allowed the Suns to close the gap to just 3 points at one point.

Then Bellman called a timeout to let Antonio Davis rest.

After leaving the court, Davis kept drinking water and apologized to Berman, saying he had played terribly.

Berman didn't blame Davis, saying, "You've been doing well in training, but you need to bring that training performance to the game. You need to be ready at any time!"

Antonio Davis nodded; he hadn't expected to be suddenly sent onto the court.

After Anthony Mason was poached by the Heat, Antonio Davis became the team's new muscleman.

In terms of talent, Antonio Davis is better than Mason; he is taller, can jump higher, and has great blue-collar potential.

Compared to Ed Pinckney, who was acquired from the Celtics, Pinckney is more offensively oriented, while Davis is more defensively oriented.

He has a good rebounding awareness, is physically strong, young, and energetic.

In the 80s, the biggest problem for the Trail Blazers every offseason was finding a suitable backup for Forrest Gump.

With the arrival of Sabonis in the 90s, the team had a twin-tower lineup in the paint, and the issue of substitutes became less urgent.

The management and Bellman are now most concerned about developing a third center to replace the aging number one draft pick, Mitchell Thompson, who may retire at any time.

Thompson is 36 years old this year. He communicated with the management in the summer and he will most likely choose to retire after this season.

Aside from the first few games this season, Thompson's performance was decent, but as the season progressed, fatigue and injuries gradually accumulated, and Thompson's condition became increasingly worse.

Last season, he was able to consistently contribute 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. This season, however, he has struggled to score in double digits and his rebounding ability has declined significantly.

With five championship rings in hand, Mitchell Thompson's career is complete, and his personal life is equally fulfilling. He married a beautiful wife, and in February of this year, their second son, named Klay Thompson, was born. Against a strong team like the Suns, giving young players five minutes of playing time is more effective and meaningful than letting them play ten minutes in garbage time.

As Berman said, role players must always be ready so that they can seize opportunities when they arise.

Although the score was once close, the Trail Blazers still maintained control of the game. After Sabonis returned to the court after the timeout, he immediately received a pass from Gan Guoyang and made a three-pointer.

A 5-point difference stabilized the situation.

This season, Sabonis and Gan Guoyang have been playing together more and more frequently.

Last season, Sabonis was more like a support role player alongside Gan Guoyang.

This season, with the implementation of the Princeton offense, Sabonis has increasingly become a tactical core.

The Suns continued their relentless pursuit, playing with great tenacity, keeping the score close, and looking for an opportunity to turn the tide and deliver the decisive blow.

Against such an opponent, any lapse or slip-up by the Trail Blazers will be seized upon by the Suns, leading to their defeat.

Entering the fourth quarter, Ainge and Eddie Johnson hit consecutive three-pointers—three-pointers are now the Suns' weapon against the Trail Blazers.

The score was quickly narrowed to just one point. A seven-point lead turned into a one-point lead in just over a minute because you failed to defend your three-pointer in one possession, missed your own shot, and then the opponent hit another three-pointer.

So far, the Trail Blazers and the Suns are the two teams with the most three-point attempts in the league.

The game was a rollercoaster ride, with the Trail Blazers taking the lead and the Suns close behind.

The Trail Blazers pulled away, the Suns closed in; the Trail Blazers pulled away again, the Suns closed in again.

When the Suns closed the gap to just one point in the fourth quarter, all the pressure fell on the Trail Blazers.

The Suns knew they would definitely let Gan Guoyang have the ball and play one-on-one, so Barkley intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to Gan Guoyang.

When Sabonis passed the ball to Gan Guoyang in the corner, Barkley suddenly rushed over and stole the ball from Gan's hands!
This was Gan Guoyang's first mistake of the game, but it was also a fatal one. Barkley, who had intercepted the ball, dribbled and launched a counterattack.

Like a wild boar that knows how to dribble, he lowered his head and charged forward, making a beautiful turn to get past Reggie Lewis who was harassing him.

He leaped high into the paint and dunked with both hands!

But Forrest Gump appeared from behind like a ghost, swung his arm in mid-air, and knocked the ball out of Barkley's hands!

Barkley hung on the rim without the ball, failing to dunk.

The ball went out of bounds, and the Suns still had possession.

Gan Guoyang, who had been dispossessed, chased back like a madman and finally caught up.

After making the block, he chewed his gum and said to Barkley, "Nice steal for Charles, but my block was pretty good too."

Barkley shoved Forrest Gump and said, "You're so stingy, what's wrong with dunking on me!"

Although the shot didn't go in, Barkley's pre-game boast about defeating the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump was no exaggeration.

His skills have improved significantly compared to the 80s, which is reflected in every detail of his offense and defense.

True superstars are not only reflected in statistics, but also in their control and influence over the game.

Data is just the surface; the ultimate goal of playing a game is to win.

Focusing on data can win you data points, but it often leads to losing the game.

Basketball is not like baseball. In baseball, you can deduce how a game goes just by relying on data.

Even a hundred years later, if you take out a baseball game data sheet from the 19th century, fans can still imagine how the game went, who performed well, and who decided the outcome.

Basketball is not good. Statistics can reflect some aspects, but in many cases, a player with outstanding statistics may not perform very well if you watch the game.

A player with mediocre statistics might make a significant contribution to winning the game, achieving many unseen feats.

Barkley's statistical abilities have improved compared to the past, but not by much; his rebounding has even declined.

But Barkley's intangible contributions to the game have increased, even though he still doesn't like defense and his mouth is still as foul as ever.

Barkley received the pass from the baseline and faced Forrest one-on-one on the baseline. He forced his way through with his left hand and launched another difficult step-back fadeaway jumper.

hit!

After scoring, Barkley raised his arms and shouted, and the Suns took the lead.

The Suns' tenacity left fans at Memorial Stadium somewhat disheartened: Can we get past the Suns this year?
All the pressure fell on the Trail Blazers players, but Agan remained very calm, circling out to receive the ball at the high post.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis executed another high-post play. This time, Reggie Lewis used Sabonis' screen to slip to the baseline, and Gan Guoyang made a direct pass to the basket, where Lewis received the ball and scored a layup.

Gan Guoyang knew that his "hatred value" was very high at this time, making it easy for him to attract the defense, thus giving his teammates more opportunities.

He must be able to feint and shoot, keeping the Suns' defense guessing.

Subsequently, when Barkley tried to take on Forrest Gump one-on-one again, Gan Guoyang did not give him another chance.

He knocked the ball out of Barkley's hands and stole it.

He then quickly moved to the basket, positioned himself in the low post against Barkley, created a mismatch, received the ball, turned, and easily scored with a hook shot.

Barkley, frustrated by the loss in both offense and defense, slammed the ball down hard. Despite having taken the lead, they were overturned again in just two rounds.

The Suns' relatively weak interior defense became a vulnerability in crucial moments.

Aside from Mark West and Kurt Rambis, the Suns no longer have a reliable defensive interior presence.

In the Barkley trade, they sent away Andrew Long, losing their only 6-foot-11 center.

The Trail Blazers had a huge advantage in the paint, although Barkley once again missed when facing Agan's one-on-one defense.

His strong three-point attempt missed, and Gan Guoyang received the ball again in the low post, used his strength to drive to the basket, and easily scored with a hook shot.

Barkley got angry and used his signature move of backing down and dribbling into the low post.

Sometimes, in crucial moments, Barkley can hold the ball, stick his butt out, and dribble all the way from the three-point line to the basket to score.

This almost shameless low-post offensive tactic was completely ineffective against the Trail Blazers.

Because Barkley couldn't move Forrest Gump.

As the game reached a crucial moment, Barkley finally couldn't hold back any longer. He received the ball inside the three-point line and began to back down and drive towards Forrest Gump.

As a result, Barkley pushed him so hard he started to wobble, but Gan Guoyang still didn't move much.

"Charles, haven't you eaten?" Gan Guoyang didn't forget to inquire about Barkley's diet.

Finally, Barkley, unable to keep up, could only pass the ball to Kevin Johnson. Johnson drove to the basket, passed to Ainge, who then drove to the basket and passed to Eddie Johnson, who took a jump shot but missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, his 14th rebound of the game, and then dribbled the ball on a fast break. He didn't even accelerate, but relied purely on his strength to push his way through, driving past Mark West to the basket for a layup and drawing a foul from West.

The Suns' interior players could only stand with their hands on their hips in frustration, watching as Agam made the free throw.

The Suns called a timeout, but it was too late. The Trail Blazers were leading by 8 points with little time remaining in the game.

After the timeout, Barkley missed a three-pointer, and the score was now 114-122, with the Trail Blazers securing an 8-point victory.

The Suns played exceptionally well, but their fatal weakness in the paint left them unable to compete with the powerful Trail Blazers in crucial moments.

Barkley had 36 points and 11 rebounds, a performance no worse than Forrest Gump's 34 points and 14 rebounds.

In some rounds, he almost overpowered Forrest Gump, helping the Suns to the brink of victory.

However, the slight difference in talent allowed Gan Guoyang to still secure the victory.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang praised Barkley, saying, "You've really improved a lot this year, Charles. I was sweating."

Barkley punched Gan Guoyang and said, "You're just a teammate, Sonny. You're nothing special... Can I come over for a late-night snack tonight? I want a hamburger."

Barkley has become smarter now; he goes to Gan Guoyang's place for dinner after the game, instead of before, to avoid getting an upset stomach.

"welcome any time."

The Suns realized their weaknesses after losing the game.

They quickly made adjustments, and on December 5th, they made a transaction.

They sent Eddie Johnson and a draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center Sam Bowie.

The 4th and 6th picks of the 1984 draft were combined, and then the Suns signed Joe Barry Carroll in free agency to further strengthen their frontcourt, attempting to overthrow the Trail Blazers' dominance in the West.

(End of this chapter)