The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 879 Urgent Need for Change
At 7:30 p.m., at the Rose Garden Arena, the Trail Blazers and Lakers will play their first regular season game.

The Lakers won all four of their previous games, and after Phil Jackson took over as head coach of the Lakers in June, he immediately began to transform the team.

The Lakers, built by "Silver Fox" Harris, performed well in the regular season, but their performance faltered in the crucial playoffs.

They tend to falter at crucial moments, often underperforming in key, tough matches.

This is why the Lakers have been swept or swept by the gentlemen in recent seasons, losing easily and collapsing quickly.

Phil Jackson didn't try to be mysterious in addressing this issue with the Lakers, saying things like he would use his triangle offense or Eastern philosophy to boost the team's fighting spirit.

Jackson pragmatically pointed out that the Lakers need some strong and experienced veterans to anchor the team, especially those who have played tough and difficult games in the playoffs. They are the valuable assets that the Lakers desperately need.

While O'Neal, Kidd, and McGrady are undoubtedly exceptionally talented, they are all relatively young players who haven't played in truly tough games. They have repeatedly suffered against seasoned teams like the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and SuperSonics, so the team needs veterans.

So, through Jackson's connections, the Lakers signed former Bulls players Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman in the summer, and added veteran players like Brian Shaw and John Salley.

The arrival of former players and veterans not only strengthened the Lakers' overall strength but also gave Phil Jackson, the new head coach, the confidence to lead the team and enhanced his influence in the locker room.

In fact, Phil Jackson also strongly suggested to Jerry West that they use Tracy McGrady as the core of the Lakers' roster and trade for Scottie Pippen from the Nets. This would make the Lakers' roster more solid and Jackson would be more comfortable using Pippen.

However, the trade proposal was rejected by owner Jerry Buss, who still hoped that the team could retain more young talent rather than gamble everything on the 2000 championship and give up all future assets.

After all, McGrady is only 20 years old, while Pippen is already 34. Jerry Buss wants to look further ahead.

Of course, Buss wasn't entirely undeterred, after all, the Lakers still had O'Neal and Jason Kidd, and McGrady was a relatively late option.

Moreover, Bass was not particularly satisfied with McGrady's attitude on the court. It wasn't that McGrady didn't take training and games seriously, but rather that he lacked a certain sharpness.

Buss doesn't care if players act like jerks on and off the court, but you can't be a coward. McGrady remains to be seen in this regard.

Furthermore, Phil Jackson said something that struck a chord with Buss: "How long have you been suppressed by Forrest Gump? Are you going to continue like this?"

Yes, since defeating the Trail Blazers to reach the Finals and win the championship in 1985, the Lakers have never tasted the joy of winning a championship again. Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Forrest Gump is still sitting on everyone's head.

So Jerry Buss and Jerry West discussed privately that they would observe McGrady for another season, which would coincide with the expiration of McGrady's rookie contract. If they still couldn't beat the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, they would consider trading McGrady for veterans like Pippen to compete for the championship.

It's clear that Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers left a very deep shadow on the Lakers' owner and management, who are constantly looking for a way out.

Jerry Buss, among the NBA owners, strongly suggested that Forrest Gump should retire next season, believing that his influence in the espionage case was too negative and that he could no longer serve as the face of the NBA.

Anyone could see how much self-interest was involved, after all, the Lakers had been suppressed by the Trail Blazers for more than a decade, and their number of championships had been surpassed.

The fear of the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang among Western Conference teams is deeply ingrained in their souls, and an entire generation of players, coaches, and owners cannot erase it.

The Lakers' starting lineup tonight is O'Neal, Dennis Rodman, McGrady, Kidd, and Ron Harper.

Jackson moved Robert Horry to the bench to bolster the depth of the bench and increase rotation flexibility.

In the backcourt, Harper and Kidd formed a tall and defensively strong backcourt duo that was a nightmare for any team's backcourt in positional play.

At the power forward position, Dennis Rodman replaced Audis Thorpe as the starter. Jackson is one of the very few head coaches in the league, besides Daly, who can control Rodman. His arrival can relieve O'Neal's pressure on the defensive end.

The main problem for Harper and Rodman is their age; Harper is 36 and Rodman is 37, making it difficult for them to maintain a high level of performance.

Therefore, Jackson changed the Lakers' tactical system, shifting from the previous Del Harris offensive system to a slower, more defensive system.

This system is more advantageous to veteran players.

On the other hand, Jackson also focused on developing the Lakers' core players and young players.

Besides O'Neal, Kidd, and McGrady, the Lakers drafted Devin George and have young players in their 20s like Tyronn Lue and Fisher on the bench.

Unlike most coaches, he didn't focus all his attention on things like the field, technique, and physical fitness.

Instead, he continues to focus on the psychology of superstars, hoping to let them play in their comfort zones.

"Fun, remember what you said, fun, our game will be full of fun."

Before the game, Phil Jackson repeatedly gave O'Neal some advice, hoping to help him relax.

In the summer, after learning that Jackson had become the Lakers' head coach, O'Neal made a special trip to visit Jackson at his home.

Then they started having a great time playing on the trampoline in Jackson's yard.

A fat man weighing over 300 pounds was playing on a trampoline, and the vibrations could be felt for several kilometers around.

Neighbors gathered around to watch as O'Neal ate at Jackson's house and the two had a long talk.

In his vision for the next season, O'Neal said most often, "Next season will definitely be a lot of fun."

From then on, Jackson grasped the core of O'Neal's spirit: he needed fun, he needed to have fun, and he needed someone to play with him.

Such star players must be pampered and supported; never try to suppress them, just encourage them appropriately.

In the previous four games, O'Neal delivered a dominant performance, especially in the game against the Dallas Mavericks, where he scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, completely destroying the Mavericks' interior defense.

Jackson set a goal for O'Neal, hoping he could win the regular season MVP this season, which should be O'Neal's season.

Therefore, O'Neal's attitude has been much more serious than in the past, from summer training camp to the start of the new season.

After listening to Jackson's words, he nodded vigorously and stood in the center circle, ready to jump for the ball with Sabonis.

Having been tormented by Gan Guoyang for years, O'Neal's mentality has been honed. When asked, he would just lie to himself, "I fought with Gan Guoyang," making him the best player in the NBA today.

With Rodman's assistance, O'Neal can focus more on offense. Before the season started, his weight reached 350 pounds, but now it has returned to a more normal level.

Judging from his size, he definitely weighs 330 pounds, which is absolutely unprecedented.

During the jump ball, O'Neal pushed past Sabonis, and Ron Harper got the ball and started their first attack.

The Lakers started cautiously, adhering to the slow-paced style of play that the Chicago Bulls used to employ, taking their time and not rushing.

Jackson believed that his approach could defeat the Trail Blazers, but the problem was that the Bulls' system, which was mainly composed of guards and forwards, was no match for the Trail Blazers' interior system.

After joining the Lakers, with O'Neal as the absolute core, Jackson believed that the situation could be reversed, and Forrest Gump's decline was imminent.

The Trail Blazers started by using their old tactics against O'Neal – one-on-one defense against Sabonis, without double-teaming or helping, preventing O'Neal from connecting with his perimeter teammates.

However, O'Neal has improved significantly this season compared to before, while Sabonis's one-on-one defensive ability has declined significantly.

With one being 27 and the other 35, Sabonis's ability to limit O'Neal one-on-one was greatly reduced.

So, in the first few possessions of the first quarter, O'Neal made 3 of 4 shots over Sabonis, scoring 6 points and quickly opening up the game.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang gave up the main offensive role to Kobe in order to conserve his energy for the crucial later stages.

However, Kobe's game was not smooth against the double-lock defense of Kidd and Harper. He missed shots and committed two turnovers.

Halfway through the quarter, the Lakers had taken an 11-5 lead, while the Trail Blazers only managed 5 points thanks to Sabonis's isolation play and Gan Guoyang's three-pointer.

This level of offensive efficiency reflects the current state of the Trail Blazers; they simply cannot replicate the devastating offense of the 1997-1998 season.

First of all, your inability to make three-pointers is a fatal flaw. In the 1997-1998 season, Chris Mullin's fast break three-pointers were incredibly accurate.

And now? Mullin, who shaved his head and drank beer all summer, is sitting on the bench, quietly watching the game, probably thinking about where to go for a drink after the match.

Replacing Mullin in the starting lineup is Alan Henderson, who is younger, taller, and has better physical attributes than Mullin, but he is a more traditional swingman at the three and four positions.

His three-point shooting ability is zero; he didn't attempt any three-pointers last season, meaning he's a player who can't shoot threes at all. In fact, Bird's trade of Riddell for Henderson wasn't necessarily a good deal, as Henderson's inability to shoot threes puts him in an awkward position.

Moreover, during his time with the Hawks, Henderson played more at power forward, excelling at one-on-one plays at the 45-degree angle and cutting to the basket for layups.

After joining the Trail Blazers, his role as the starting small forward was not significant, and he seemed unclear about Carlisle's offensive system.

With his offense faltering and his defense unable to contain O'Neal, Carlisle called a timeout to make adjustments.

After the timeout, it was the same routine: Gan Guoyang stepped up and scored repeatedly in the low post, stabilizing the situation.

But the Lakers' offensive and defensive systems were already in motion. O'Neal was on fire, and Kidd was starting to orchestrate the offense, using his playmaking skills to find openings.

Phil Jackson did not mechanically apply the triangle offense entirely to the Lakers; he knew that Kidd was an unavoidable point.

In the Bulls' triangle offense, the point guard's role was simple: dribble the ball up to half-court, defend, and shoot from the apex.

However, the Lakers' offense cannot allow Kidd to be a functional point guard; Kidd will inevitably have to handle the ball a lot and consume possessions.

Phil Jackson once again demonstrated his ability to be the league's best persuader, engaging in extensive communication with Kidd and persuading him to abandon his fast-paced style of play and instead focus on positional warfare.

Furthermore, Jackson displayed his genius-level tactical imagination, telling Kidd, "You can still organize the offense even without the ball in your hands," euphemistically calling it "off-ball organization"!
Even without the ball in his hands, he can still organize an attack; is he directing traffic?

However, unlike point guards who need the ball in their hands, Kidd actually has the ability to organize the offense off the ball.

He is tall and fast in positional play, and can quickly find key points in positional play and pass the ball to them even with limited ball control.

Therefore, a common scene in the Lakers' previous games was Ron Harper dribbling the ball up half-court, passing it to McGrady, with Kidd lurking on the wing.

After receiving the ball, Kidd would think for a moment and then immediately pass it to the player who had a good attacking opportunity to complete the attack. He fully understood the essence of the triangle offense.

Harper received the ball and hit a three-pointer. Then McGrady cut to the basket and made a layup, but Gan Guoyang blocked it. However, O'Neal followed up, grabbed the offensive rebound, and dunked it!
Gan Guoyang no longer has the ability to turn around and defend against two opponents. The decline in his explosiveness and turning speed, even if it is only 0.1 seconds slower, will turn your defense from a successful block into a self-humiliating defeat.

Carlisle saw that timeouts were not effective on offense, and in the end, he still had to rely on Gan Guoyang's isolation plays, Kobe's isolation plays, or Blake's pick-and-roll breakthroughs to open up the game.

Indeed, in the NBA, a good tactical system still needs good players to support it. Once a player's form declines and one or two key players are missing, the effect is quite different.

Fortunately, the Trail Blazers held up on the defensive end, with Blaylock making two consecutive steals. Harper was getting old when facing Blaylock.

Relying on Brelock's counterattack, the Trail Blazers scored consecutive points to narrow the gap slightly. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 25-20, with the Trail Blazers trailing by 5 points.

Scoring 20 points in a single quarter, the Trail Blazers have recently been struggling offensively when facing strong opponents, drawing criticism from fans in the arena.

Even veteran Bill Shawnley complained, "Our offense has rarely been this bad since 1984."

Carlisle was under immense pressure, and in the second quarter he made substitutions, bringing in Barkley and Dell Curry in the hope that these two veterans could turn the tide.

Years later, Curry returned to Portland, where he gradually developed into one of the league's best three-point shooters and won the Sixth Man of the Year award.

During his time with the Trail Blazers, he often made crucial shots in certain games, leaving a lasting impression on fans.

Last season, Curry's three-point shooting percentage reached an astonishing 47%, leading the league and making him the most accurate shooter in the entire league.

Returning to Portland with his wife and children, the 36-year-old Curry has been in good form since the start of the season, consistently contributing three points in every game.

At the start of the second quarter, Curry hit a three-pointer off a pass from Barkley, bringing the Trail Blazers closer to victory.

However, Lakers' Derek Fisher also caught the ball and hit a three-pointer, showing that the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense was too slow.

Returning to the offensive end, the Trail Blazers still didn't have many options. They gave Barkley a chance to post up, but he was double-teamed by Thorpe and Horry.

The ball is passed to the outside, Mullin receives it, hesitates to shoot, drives, passes again to Curry, who takes another three-pointer, but misses this time.

Barkley and O'Neal tried hard to grab the offensive rebound, but McGrady got the rebound and launched a fast break, unstoppable, driving the length of the court to the basket for a dunk!

The point difference has widened to 7 points again. In these few rounds, the Trail Blazers look old and lack offensive power and are unable to keep up on defense.

Carlisle was pacing anxiously on the sidelines; he hadn't sat on the bench for even a second since the start of the game.

He's under a lot of pressure these past few games. Facing strong teams, he's lost as soon as the intensity picks up, and the doubts surrounding Carlisle will only increase.

If Carlisle loses tonight against the Lakers, he will face the wrath of the Portland media: they have been a top team in the West for over a decade.

The media and fans don't care if the stars are old or in good form. Barkley is here, Curry is back, the original lineup is retained, how can you not cook well?

The immense pressure even made Carlisle forget to call a timeout, and as a result, in just five minutes, the Trail Blazers were outscored 12-4 by the Lakers, widening the gap to as much as 13 points.

"It's time for a timeout, Rick! We can't afford not to call a timeout now!"

Gan Guoyang finally reminded Carlisle that the guy was a bit confused.

Carlisle snapped out of his daze and quickly called a pause to make adjustments.

But how can I adjust it? It seems I've tried all sorts of combinations, but the results are unsatisfactory.

Most importantly, before the season started, it was decided to focus more on defense and improve it.

However, the strategies developed during training are often compromised in actual competitions.

Carlisle realized that it was too difficult to change the playing habits of these veterans.

They achieved amazing success with offensive basketball, and now that they're old, you want to talk about defense?
Even if we have a good relationship, even if we've won two championships together, it's impossible to change anything.

There are now two paths to take: either follow the veterans' habits and return to offensive basketball.

However, with that kind of outside shooting percentage and that aggressive, tactical movement, things can't go back to the way they were.

Another approach is to give more opportunities to energetic young people.

Let key players like Ben Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal go up and fight against the opponent.

The second path should be the right one, but with so many veterans and accomplished players weighing on him, how could Carlisle possibly withstand it?
The timeout was just a brief pause; it couldn't stop the team's helplessness against the Lakers.

This year's Lakers are indeed very strong, extremely strong. From the starters to the bench, it's obvious they're aiming for 60 wins.

Phil Jackson was indeed a master at coaching teams; Shaquille O'Neal ran tirelessly across the court under his guidance and played with tremendous effort.

The Trail Blazers' key players returned to the game, but only temporarily slowed down the Lakers' momentum. Gan Guoyang and Kobe's baskets seemed somewhat weak.

Sabonis showed signs of fatigue when facing O'Neal on both offense and defense, and in the end, he had no choice but to let Gan Guoyang guard O'Neal.

However, once Gan Guoyang defended him one-on-one, O'Neal would cleverly choose to cooperate and support with his teammates. The triangle offense does have some merit in slow-paced half-court games.

When the Trail Blazers defeated the Bulls three times, none of the wins were achieved by stopping the Bulls' offense with defense, but by overwhelming the Bulls with their unstoppable offense.

The triangle offense has a unique advantage in "avoiding Forrest Gump's rim protection," which is why Gan Guoyang always goes all out on offense in every finals game against the Bulls.

At halftime, the Lakers led 60-45, extending their lead to 15 points, and the fans at the Rose Garden were quite silent.

As the dejected Trail Blazers players walked back to the locker room in their tracksuits, the fans still applauded, hoping they could bounce back in the second half.

They still believed in the Trail Blazers and in Forrest Gump, but this time, their belief didn't seem as strong.

The Trail Blazers urgently need to make some changes, otherwise they will be torn apart by the rising new power.

(End of this chapter)