The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 894 A Strong Desire to Teach
The Trail Blazers secured an easy victory in Toronto, but Toronto fans weren't disappointed by the loss; they had plenty of fun.

Vince Carter delivered several spectacular dunks during the game, including a classic dunk that paid homage to Gan Guoyang, enough to keep the fans in attendance entertained for a long, long time.

These scenes will be played repeatedly for some time to come, and will be imitated by some players on the street, but they cannot be replicated.

Kobe was equally impressive. As the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest champion, he also seized the opportunity to bombard the Raptors' rim, demonstrating his high level of dunking skills in actual games.

Gan Guoyang, who used to be extremely strong at dunking, has dunked much less as he gets older. He ended the game in the third quarter with a precise mid-range shot.

At the age of 36, Gan Guoyang truly began to adjust the proportion of his offensive methods and started to significantly increase his mid-range shot attempts.

For more than a decade, Gan Guoyang's mid-range shot has been among the best in the league, a mid-range god comparable to Michael Jordan.

However, in terms of shot attempts, Gan Guoyang's mid-range shots have consistently accounted for about 2-3%, with the majority of his shots coming from three-pointers and close-range attacks.

In this respect, Jordan had more mid-range shots than Gan Guoyang, especially in the mid-to-late 90s when Jordan's mid-range output was much higher.

Gan Guoyang had fewer three-pointers in the early stages, but his three-pointers increased later on, while his mid-range shooting remained balanced. His core scoring method has always been attacking near the basket.

In particular, Gan Guoyang's close-range shooting, including his hook shot around the three-second zone and his turnaround jump shot, are the most important components of his scoring output.

This is a key reason why he was able to maintain a shooting percentage of around 60% during his peak. His close-to-the-basket hook shot and turnaround jump shot were too accurate, had too high a shooting percentage, and were too lethal.

Especially in the 90s, these two moves had been lost, and no one but him knew how to use them. Defenders couldn't even find someone to practice with, and if they tried to defend against them in a game, they would get beaten badly. This was the cornerstone of Gan Guoyang's strong firepower and super output.

However, with his physical condition declining and his form becoming unstable, Gan Guoyang has once again adjusted his shot selection this season, and for the first time, he has shifted his focus to mid-range shots.

He began to reduce his shots near the basket. Low-post hook shots and turnaround jump shots were no longer his main offensive methods. Instead, he switched to mid-range shots, which were less efficient but less strenuous and had a wider range.

As a mid-range offensive tactic, he added a face-up attack, using his strength and footwork to drive directly to the basket, which also had a high success rate.

This is Gan Guoyang's latest adjustment to the traditional and simplified styles. However, this time it's not about using a heavy sword without an edge, or being able to do whatever he wants without overstepping the bounds. Rather, it's because he's getting old and it's time to make some changes and shifts.

After the game against the Raptors, Gan Guoyang did not leave the Air Canada Centre immediately, but stayed to practice his mid-range shooting.

Due to the weather, the flight was unable to take off from Toronto tonight and was rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Some of his teammates went out drinking, going to bars, or having fun, while Gan Guoyang made the most of his time to train.

He wants to seize every minute to make up for the training time wasted in the summer and gradually lose weight.

On the sidelines, Charles Barkley ate a hamburger while doing extra training with Gan Guoyang.

Barkley greatly admired Gan Guoyang's hard work, but couldn't understand it: "Your mid-range shot is already so accurate, why do you need to practice more? Rest is also very important!"

"You'll have time to rest after you die, Charles. Come here and pass me the ball. I'm going to score 30 in a row, count for me. Stop eating!"

"Okay, okay! Anyway, it's my last year... I might as well play a little longer."

Barkley put down his hamburger and came onto the court to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang and count the points.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in different positions and shot, adjusting his footwork and shooting technique, imagining different scenarios in his mind.

At this age, even with such strong abilities and high achievements, continuous practice and reflection are still essential.

There is no end to the pursuit of excellence. As Gan Guoyang threw the ball, he also used his brain to analyze his shot and footwork.

Gan Guoyang's shooting style is different from many other players. He has extremely strong wrist strength, so his upper arm and forearm move little when he shoots, relying heavily on his wrist strength.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang has a very good touch and consistency. His straight-arm shot has a high release point, making it difficult to block. Whether it goes in or not depends entirely on him.

This is why he has always disdained using fadeaway jump shots. Whether he fades or not, his opponents can't block him, so there's no need for him to fade.

It's better to lean forward and lean against someone else; not only will you be closer to the basket, but you can also draw a foul, making you very dangerous.

However, that was a close-range shot. If it were a mid-range or long-range shot, it would be difficult to lean forward to shoot.

At this point, the rhythm of the shot is more important than leaning forward to find a confrontation. Mid-range shots require a high degree of overall rhythm.

If you can't find a good shooting rhythm using dribbling and skills when facing defense, your shooting percentage will drop significantly.

A good mid-range shooter will always find the perfect opening to throw the ball and deliver the decisive blow.

In terms of efficiency, the mid-range shot is the worst. It doesn't score as many points as the three-pointer, nor does it have a high shooting percentage near the basket. It's also less offensive and requires more skill.

However, because of the skill involved in mid-range shooting and the wide range it covers, once you fully master this technique, you hold the key to winning the game.

In the past, Gan Guoyang regarded mid-range as an important weapon. Now he needs to increase production through mid-range, which requires a higher level of control over rhythm and positioning.

He still remembers learning the secrets of close-range turnaround shooting from Bernard King. Bernard King told Gan Guoyang all the best offensive techniques for every point near the basket.

This gave Gan Guoyang unparalleled speed in receiving and attacking the ball under the basket. The moment he received the ball, he had already calculated how to launch an attack. He had several fixed reaction programs engraved in his mind and made choices quickly.

Gan Guoyang and Jordan are both players with extremely fast offensive reaction speeds. Once they decide to attack, they never hold onto the ball and finish the game in three seconds, making it decisive and efficient.

Now, Gan Guoyang is trying to extend this trick to the entire three-point line, making all the points inside the three-point line his best attack zone, so that he can immediately react to how to get the best effect from mid-range shots.

This is a huge project. In the past, Gan Guoyang had a vague idea of ​​what this meant. But with experience, he knows exactly where and how to fight.

However, he started systematic training this season because Gan Guoyang has placed mid-range shooting in the most important position. With his mid-range shooting skills, he can open up a new world for himself.

Especially in the face of the current league's tactics against Gan Guoyang's forwards, Gan Guoyang needs to shift his offensive resources towards the forwards and specifically target those forward defenders.

In this respect, Gan Guoyang is indeed the first person in history. While others avoided him and focused on allocating resources, he tried every means to attack the best part of others' resources, destroying and breaking through that part, and the opponent naturally failed.

Instead of seeing where the opponent has abundant resources and then avoiding attacking their weak points, allowing the opponent's valuable resources to be fully utilized, or leaving them for teammates to handle, the game will become much more difficult.

Now, Gan Guoyang needs to target the swingmen on the front line and use his mid-range game to crush them, which requires careful preparation and hard training.

Barkley ate 11 McDonald's Big Macs in one go to fill his stomach, while Gan Guoyang completed his extra mid-range training, advancing his training while playing games as planned.

The next day, the team traveled to the second stop of their away trip, Minnesota.

Here, the Trail Blazers once again secured an easy victory. Kevin Garnett's significant weakness against Agan rendered the Timberwolves' system completely ineffective.

This led to criticism from local media after the game, who felt he didn't deserve such a large contract—which was actually smaller than expected.

Gan Guoyang can be said to have effectively reduced the contract amounts of a number of players both on and off the court, thereby indirectly maintaining the stability of the NBA.

David Stern's statement, "With you here, the NBA is more stable and prosperous," was not just flattery.

After the game, Kevin Garnett began extra practice on mid-range and long-range shots at the Target Center.

That night, he was completely overwhelmed by Gan Guoyang's combination of mid-range shots and breakthroughs, and couldn't defend against him at all.

He himself repeatedly missed shots from beyond the arc, and Gan Guoyang even let him shoot, but Garnett still couldn't make the shots.

Those outside shooting skills that can be freely displayed in training are all useless in the game.

Especially against Forrest Gump, his crossovers and drives were clumsy, like a beginner, and he couldn't break through Garnett's defense at all. He only had a few opportunities to score from mid-range and long-range, but unfortunately, he couldn't capitalize on them.

Conversely, Gan Guoyang is incredibly accurate from mid-range; he is currently the only one in the NBA who can combine a straight-arm shot with a high-arc trajectory.

This makes Gan Guoyang's shots very entertaining; his shots are small, the trajectory is large, his body is straight, his rhythm is perfect, and his movements are swift and decisive.

Even the sound of the ball swishing through the net was particularly crisp and powerful. Kevin Garnett shook his head in despair several times after being shot at, as there was simply no way to defend him one-on-one.

If you rush in, he'll break through; if you don't, he'll score with a swift, decisive strike. Minnesota is already cold; this kind of strike will only make it colder.

Therefore, Garnett needs to train, train like crazy, to get his mid-range shooting to that level or close to it, so that he can truly adapt to the defense and intensity of high-level games.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang said to Garnett, "Kevin, you need to improve your shooting. Get your free throw percentage to 80% first. It's your fifth season, kid. I'm in my fifth season, and I've already won three consecutive championships."

These words deeply stung Garnett, who hadn't even made it past the first round of the playoffs in his fifth season.

In fact, Garnett's performance this season has already been All-Star caliber, averaging 22.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

His free throw percentage was 76%, an improvement from 73% last season, indicating that his shooting is getting better.

However, in Gan Guoyang's view, if the free throw percentage is less than 80%, the mid-range shot is not up to par and cannot cope with high-intensity offense and defense.

In his rookie season, he had a free throw percentage close to 90%, and he maintained a consistent percentage of around 90% in subsequent seasons, making him the best free throw shooter among interior players.

Leaving Minnesota, the Trail Blazers headed south for a road trip in the southeast, playing against the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets.

Before the game against the Hawks, Gan Guoyang received a warm invitation from Wang Zhizhi to visit his home in Atlanta, which Gan Guoyang gladly accepted.

Wang Zhizhi rented an apartment near the Hawks' training facility, large enough for him to live in. The furnishings and decorations were very simple, unlike what one would expect from an NBA player earning millions a year.

When Gan Guoyang saw how simply Wang Zhizhi lived, he couldn't help but recall visiting Stockton's house in Salt Lake City during his rookie season. Good heavens, his living conditions were worse than those of Mexicans working illegally. He couldn't even afford to turn on the heating and had to mooch off his neighbor. His refrigerator was full of frozen food made by his mother.

Wang Zhizhi wasn't as stingy as Stockton; he still spent what he needed to spend, saving most of the money and then sending it back to his parents in China.

"When it comes to playing basketball, as long as there are basic guarantees, that's enough," Wang Zhizhi explained.

Because of his position and talent, coupled with guidance from Gan Guoyang and the patience of the Hawks, Wang Zhizhi's NBA journey was much smoother than Hu Weidong's.

Even with Bobby Bellman's support, Hu Weidong, playing for the Celtics, only gets 5-10 minutes of playing time per game at the end of the bench.

As a functional three-point shooter, Hu Weidong's range of play in the NBA is indeed very narrow. Apart from catch-and-shoot long-range shots, his other skills are not particularly competitive.

Hu Weidong might get more playing time on a weaker team, but on a strong team like the Celtics, 5-10 minutes is already considered quite good.

Other weaker NBA teams are not very interested in Asian players like Hu Weidong. They prefer local Black players with similar abilities, as personal connections are very important in the NBA.

In comparison, Wang Zhizhi's path was better. He was younger than Hu Weidong when he entered the league, at 22 years old, which is equivalent to graduating from college, and he was worth cultivating.

As an inside player, he faces few competitors of his caliber. A 7-foot player with such a soft touch and excellent footwork is rare anywhere.

At the same time, Gan Guoyang's plan for him was correct: to take the offensive route, not to rush to gain weight and muscle, but to focus on improving his scoring, which is the most important thing.

Wang Zhizhi has excellent shooting talent; his free throw percentage can reach 80%. Although he makes fewer free throws than Garnett, this level is very good for a center.

With Gan Guoyang as a role model, Wang Zhizhi trained very hard, but he also didn't feel as much pressure because everyone knew he couldn't achieve what Forrest Gump did.

No one would be foolish enough to expect Wang Zhizhi to become "Forrest Gump 2.0". Without the burden of such an original sin-like expectation, and with the path already paved by predecessors, Wang Zhizhi naturally has a much easier time.

He has now secured a starting position with the Hawks, averaging 12 points per game. His scoring ability is quite good, and many of his points come from ball-handling attacks rather than easy baskets, making him an important offensive force for the team.

Of course, due to his defensive and rebounding issues, the Hawks' record naturally won't be very good.

Mutombo single-handedly guarded the paint, but a group of young players who loved to attack outside made the African mountain feel overwhelmed.

Mutombo reached the peak of his career in rebounding and blocks, but the team's overall defensive efficiency was in the lower half.

The team allows over 100 points per game on average, making them one of only 10 teams in the league this season to do so, which speaks volumes about the team's porous defense.

On the second day of the game, Gan Guoyang used his flexible outside shooting skills to break through Mutombo's defense.

Gan Guoyang could clearly sense that Mutombo was frustrated. His personal statistics were at their highest, but the team's defense lacked a system.

Moreover, the team was riddled with turnovers, fouls, nonsensical offensive choices, and many foolish mistakes.

The Trail Blazers easily secured a victory in Atlanta, with Gan Guoyang scoring 31 points and Wang Zhizhi contributing 15 points, both performing well.

With this loss, the Hawks have now won less than 15 games, essentially ending their playoff run.

Lenny Wilkens' coaching career with the Hawks has come to an end.

After the game, Gan Guoyang also said something to Wang Zhizhi: "You performed well, but don't get complacent. Scoring continuously on a bad team is not a good way to improve. Either do more, or find a way to leave."

Wang Zhizhi nodded, but it was unclear whether he understood or not.

After that, the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Hornets, completing their road trip relatively successfully and returning to Portland.

Time flies, and half of the first month of 2000 has already passed.

The NBA schedule remains relentless, with game after game tormenting the veterans' backsides and knees.

After only two days of rest back home, work came knocking again, with the Dallas Mavericks coming from afar to challenge the Rose Garden.

Before the game, Don Nelson called Gan Guoyang and said, "Sonny, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Okay, but it's definitely not okay for me not to play."

"Don't worry, that's impossible. I was thinking, could you help coach our German lad a bit, so he can play a little more aggressively against him in the match?"

"What? You want him dead?"

"No, Sonny, I want him to live a better life. On the basketball court."

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "I've never heard of such a request in my life, but it's not surprising since it's old Nelson on the other end."

"Okay, German, you mean Dirk? No problem, I can give him a pointer. You can have him guard me one-on-one. I'm really eager to teach right now, so I'll take this opportunity to teach a few more."

Perhaps sensing that his days were numbered, Gan Guoyang began to give more and more guidance to the younger generation on the field.

This is actually a tradition in the NBA, especially among the frontcourt players, where there is a tradition passed down among them, even among opponents.

Because the world of giants is more lonely, the giants will also be more united.

Dirk Nowitzki was unaware that the first major challenge of his NBA career was about to begin.

(End of this chapter)