The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 954 He's still too kind to you.

Gan Guoyang is an absolute nemesis of the twin towers, both on and off the field.

Gan Guoyang gets excited every time he faces a team with two towers, knowing that his chance to shine has come.

Regardless of the skill level of the opposing twin towers, it's certain that they're investing more resources in the paint.

Gan Guoyang enjoys the feeling of dominating the opponent's heavily fortified areas. He can fully utilize his all-around abilities, switching between the power forward and center positions, using unpredictable offensive methods and superior physical qualities to manipulate the opponent's interior defense and ultimately crush the opposing team.

Of course, as time went by, and with age and weight loss, Gan Guoyang's ability declined.

However, Tomjanovich followed Gan Guoyang's advice and put him at the center position. Anyway, Brad Miller could also play the power forward position, as he has a mid-to-long-range shot.

On the other hand, Popovich was well aware of Forrest Gump's strength against the Twin Towers, but he couldn't afford to cripple himself by not letting Robinson and Pau Gasol take the field.

In a game like this, Gasol absolutely had to play. In fact, before the game started, young international players like Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili were trembling with excitement and nervousness.

Yes, who wouldn't be excited to see Forrest Gump?

International players, in particular, regard him as the god of basketball.

In football-loving nations like Spain and Argentina, only basketball players like Gan Guoyang can surpass the fame of numerous football stars; he is truly dazzling.

Before the game, Popovich reminded the young players that it was okay to tremble with excitement and nervousness, but after the game, they shouldn't tremble with fear.

David Robinson, who was standing nearby, almost asked Popovich, "How did you know I was shaking with fear?"

Fortunately, I held back and saved face.

However, as the game was about to start, when Robinson saw Forrest standing in the center circle, he shook his head slightly and said, "Sonny, why are you playing center again?"

Gan Guoyang said, "Let's entertain our old friend. Come on, David, the match is about to begin."

After Gan Guoyang resigned from the players' union, David Robinson took over as chairman.

The two are very close friends off the court, and Robinson supports Gan Guoyang's comeback.

Gan Guoyang also tried to recruit Robinson, saying that he could not only give him a championship, but also give him shares.

However, Robinson refused, deciding to stay in San Antonio and remain loyal to the city.

Robinson, with his shoulders slumped, reluctantly walked to the center circle, ready to begin a full-fledged confrontation with Gan Guoyang.

Last season, Robinson was still an All-Star reserve center, but his stats had dropped to 12+8. His selection to the All-Star team was entirely due to the fans' love for him and the lack of successors at the center position.

When Forrest Gump retired, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and others aged, Alonzo Mourning suffered kidney damage, and the NBA only had Shaquille O'Neal as a super center of the middle generation, with no top-tier center to succeed him in the younger generation.

Since the 1993 draft, no young superstar center has entered the league. The 1998 number one pick, Olowokandi, was a notorious bust. Many other big men no longer play center, but instead choose to play the more flexible power forward position. They are indeed very different from traditional center players in terms of physique, playing style, and technical characteristics.

Before the All-Star Game, players like Webber, Garnett, Wallace, O'Neal, Duncan, and Nowitzki will all be eligible for fan voting in the "Forward" category.

Pau Gasol, the young Spanish player who just entered the league this year, is definitely center material in terms of height and wingspan. He's a solid 7 feet tall, much taller than those 7-footers in the league who are often overstated.

However, Popovich still recommends Gasol play the power forward position. Firstly, he is not strong enough, and secondly, if he gets dominated by Forrest Gump at the center position, it would be bad if he were traumatized.

Thinking about this, Robinson thought, "If I don't go to hell, who will?"

Moreover, Forrest Gump looks old and thin, so it's unlikely he'll be as ferocious as he was in his prime.

Gan Guoyang faced Robinson, and David's muscles were as well-built and muscular as ever, and his physique was impeccable.

However, as people age, their legs are the first to show signs of aging. Just like himself, Robinson's explosiveness and jumping ability have definitely declined significantly.

A player with his technical style will drop in skill very quickly if he loses his explosiveness.

Ultimately, David Robinson's technique was somewhat monotonous; he relied more on his terrifying physical attributes.

Even at his peak, Gan Guoyang had to be careful when facing Robinson, otherwise he would inevitably get blocked.

The jump ball begins, and during the collision, Robinson senses that Gan Guoyang's strength is indeed weaker than before, but he's not sure if he can withstand it.

Terry Porter got the ball first, and Gan Guoyang quickly dropped into the low post, boxed out Robinson, and started the first offensive play of the game with a strong back-to-the-basket move.

The Spurs' playing style is the complete opposite of the Mavericks' in the previous game.

Popovich is Larry Brown's protégé, and he slows down the pace of the game extremely.

All attacks originate from low post possession, with numerous positional attacks and a lot of high post possession by the power forward to facilitate the offense.

The arrival of a European-style player like Pau Gasol is a huge boost for Popovich's Spurs.

Because Gasol can execute every offensive task Popovich gives him.

Of course, his defense is slightly weaker, but his height and wingspan are still considerable, so it's not too bad.

At the start, Gan Guoyang quickly scored points with strong attacks from the low post, giving his old friend a "greeting gift".

On the defensive end, Gan Guoyang took the initiative to guard Gasol. When the two were matched up, Gan Guoyang remarked that the young man was really tall and had really long arms.

Gan Guoyang has excellent physical attributes; his height of 6 feet 10 inches is genuine, and his wingspan is outstanding.

Gasol is noticeably taller than Gan Guoyang, and his wingspan is equally impressive. When he backs down Gan Guoyang, he creates a sense of coverage.

However, when Gasol tried to back down Gan Guoyang and get into position on the first ball of the game, he found that he couldn't move him, he couldn't move him at all.

Gasol wiggled against Gan Guoyang like a noodle, but after twisting and turning for a long time, his position didn't change at all.

"Idiot, he turned his back and attacked Forrest Gump right from the start, who does he think he is?"

The veterans from the Spurs and the Glorious were secretly complaining as they watched Gasol try so hard to push his way in.

They're like newborn calves, unafraid of tigers. They went up and tried it, and once they tasted it, they knew what it felt like.

Billups actually passed the ball to Gasol, and the Spurs fans in the arena stood up to cheer for Gasol.

Gasol caught the ball in front of him, almost getting pushed out of position, but after getting the ball, he quickly turned around and actually managed to drive into the paint, relying on Gan Guoyang.

With a beautiful back turn, Gasol raised his hand to lay up, but halfway there, he found that Gan Guoyang had already come up and blocked Gasol's layup.

Although Gasol turned his back and got out of position, it was actually a deliberate opening left by Gan Guoyang to give Gasol a chance to turn around. Then, Gan Guoyang immediately closed in, used the contact to suppress Gasol, and blocked the ball.

This is Gan Guoyang's old trick of bullying young players, and it always works.

Young players lack experience and attack at the slightest opening, unaware that it might be a trap.

Gasol not only got blocked, but he also couldn't withstand Gan Guoyang's immense strength during the intense confrontation and fell to the ground.

The difference in strength remains decisive; even with his weight reduced to 245 pounds, Gan Guoyang's physical strength is still among the best in the league.

After winning the ball and initiating a counterattack, Gan Guoyang said to Robinson, "The physical strength is a bit lacking. I can't even imagine how he would have been able to hit me in the low post if I weighed 280 pounds."

While keeping an eye on Gan Guoyang's return to defense, Robinson said, "Young people always have to try. He admires you a lot, so don't go too hard on him, Sonny."

"I haven't hit anyone in a long time."

"..."

Gan Guoyang faced Robinson on offense and then dealt with Pau Gasol on defense, showcasing his power on both ends of the court.

The Spurs' tactics centered around low-post offense quickly failed due to their inefficiency.

The first principle of a low-post system is that your attacking axis can score goals efficiently in the low post.

This is the prerequisite for launching any tactical routine. If your offensive axis is easily blocked by one-on-one defense, then don't even think about related tactics anymore.

Pau Gasol played exceptionally well in his opening game, scoring 20 points against the Houston Rockets' relatively weak interior defense, with frequent successes in low-post offense.

In the second game against the Clippers, he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, quickly becoming the Spurs' offensive axis.

Tonight's game is arguably Pau Gasol's biggest test since entering the NBA. How will he face the greatest interior defender in history?

Although he is 37 years old, Gan Guoyang's defense is still full of details, precise positioning, a lot of small movements, and so-called flaws that you don't know if they are traps.

The Spurs quickly shifted their offensive focus to the perimeter, with Chauncey Billups as the playmaker. Porter Jr., facing the young and strong Billups, didn't suffer defensively at the start; instead, he used his experience to force Billups into making mistakes in their playmaking.

The pace of the game was quite slow at the start, with a lot of defensive confrontations, many low-post possessions, and a lot of ball movement.

When the game reached its first official timeout, the score was 8-6, with the Radiant team leading the Spurs by only 2 points.

After scoring 4 points in the low post at the start of the game, Gan Guoyang stopped attacking aggressively. This was partly to conserve his energy, and partly because the Spurs' defense, double-teaming, and rotations were really effective.

The Glory tried to speed up their pace and launch counterattacks, but the Spurs always managed to slow them down with timely defensive transitions, excellent lead defense, and pressure on the ball handler.

The Glory team was never a fast-break specialist; they relied on brute force to play fast, lacking a true backcourt playmaker.

There are no players like Drexler or Kobe who can single-handedly take on a thousand men, so when the Spurs tell them to slow down, they can only slow down.

Slowing down is good, it doesn't mean we can't play. Tomjanovich said during a timeout, "If we can't take control of the game, we might as well try to catch up with our opponents first."

Young players do need to learn how to adapt to the different game rhythms in the NBA.

They haven't reached the point where they can take the lead and make their opponents play at their own pace.

Being able to keep up with the different match styles of opponents and make good responses is already a great improvement.

After the timeout, Arenas came on. The point guard position has the most to learn.

There are no shortcuts. We have to fight one game at a time and learn from each lesson.

As soon as Arenas entered the game, he was fouled by Billups and immediately suffered a setback.

The Spurs patiently built up their offense in the half-court, and Stephen Jackson hit a mid-range shot to tie the game.

In the first quarter, the two teams battled slowly and gruelingly to a score of 21-23. The Spurs then rallied to take a 2-point lead over the Glory.

Pau Gasol played the entire first quarter, constantly battling with Forrest Gump on offense.

When he was resting on the bench, his teammate Manu Ginobili asked Gasol, "Hey, how was it? Playing against Forrest Gump."

"It hurts to death."

"The first time is always more painful."

"Fuck you, my whole body hurts from being hit."

In the first quarter, Gasol had 0 points and 2 rebounds, taking 3 shots, getting blocked twice, and missing one shot.

He finally understood what level the greatest interior defender in NBA history was at—a level he simply couldn't beat.

However, in the second quarter, Gan Guoyang began to give on-site instruction, teaching Gasol how to play.

"You need to cooperate more with your teammates, get moving, and use your athleticism and height and wingspan advantage. You must be the finisher in the offense. How can you force your way through the low post? Even Shaq might not be able to beat me, how can you?"

"That's how the coach told me to play."

"Popovich is an idiot. Listening to him will lead nowhere. You should listen to me."

Gan Guoyang makes no secret of his criticism; he can criticize any coach in the league, let alone Popovich, who has achieved nothing.

Gasol followed Gan Guoyang's advice and stopped standing still and backing down to attack. Instead, he moved around more, cooperated more with the perimeter players, ran more, and reached down to the basket to retrieve the ball.

Sure enough, Gasol quickly broke his scoring drought, receiving a pass from Ginobili in the paint and easily dunking with one hand.

Gan Guoyang used to be able to block such close-range dunks when he was younger, but he can't now. His reaction time is slow and his explosiveness is poor, so he can only defend with his eyes.

If the opponent continues to use a stationary, forceful attack, Gan Guoyang can still rely on his static skills to defend against each attack.

Gasol, having found his offensive rhythm, is playing better and better. He can form excellent screen-and-roll plays with Billups and Ginobili, a result of years of training under the European basketball system and an advantage for European players.

The second quarter was a close contest, with both teams gradually increasing their scores and the point difference remaining no more than 3 points.

As the first half was about to end, Arenas received a backcourt inbound pass from Brad Miller, quickly sprinted across half-court, and launched a long-range three-pointer after a sudden stop.

The ball arced high and, as the halftime buzzer sounded, bounced off the backboard and into the basket!
This goal tied the first half at 44-44, and Arenas was extremely excited after scoring.

His teammates came over to give him high-fives and hugs. In fact, his performance in the first half was still average, and he did not perform well as a point guard.

However, he plays a bold style, makes decisive shots, and is quite courageous in games.

Gan Guoyang came over and patted his head, saying, "Be careful next time, this kind of shot will lower your shooting percentage."

"I do not care."

"It's already very low, you're inefficient every time."

"But I made it."

"Very good. Next time, please make that easy open shot too."

Gan Guoyang is teaching the young players from both sides in his own way.

He doesn't hold back knowledge just because someone is an opponent, nor does he claim ignorance simply because of a difference in position.

With his rich experience, he nurtured the league's young players, leaving his mark on their growth.

In the second half, the competition between the two sides finally became less dull, and Gan Guoyang began to exert his strength in the third quarter.

Shortly after the start of the second half, he found his rhythm with the mid-range jump shot and began to dominate the Spurs from both 45-degree angles.

At this point, neither David Robinson nor Pau Gasol could defend.

Popovich put Malik Rose and Stephen Jackson in lane, which proved to be a feeding strategy.

Gan Guoyang really resembled Larry Bird, setting up a mortar and, just inside the three-point line, ignoring all defense, bombarding the Spurs' basket.

The 7 points and 5 rebounds in the first half seemed like a joke, but the mid-range sniping in the third quarter really got the game going.

The Spurs tried various methods to counter the play on both offense and defense, but their defensive strategy was primarily focused on defending the three-point line and the paint.

The combination of two towers is also the worst lineup for dealing with mid-range positions, and they have learned this lesson many times in the past.

But there's nothing we can do; it's a fatal flaw in our lineup and tactics that's hard to change. We can only hope that Agan doesn't have an explosive shooting night.

Unfortunately, Gan Guoyang found his rhythm. After a year of rest, he was in great form at the start of the new season, both physically and mentally.

He easily entered his best form. The Spurs didn't do any targeted defense during the regular season, neither double-teaming nor wearing him down. They could only watch helplessly as Gan Guoyang made 10 of 13 mid-range shots in the third quarter, scoring 22 points in that quarter alone.

Aside from mid-range shots, there were no drives, no three-pointers, plus two free throws.

With a swift and decisive technique, like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, the spurs were completely removed.

95-89, the Glory team took advantage of the lead established by Gan Guoyang in the third quarter and won by 6 points.

Gan Guoyang easily scored 35 points, controlling the game's momentum and preventing a losing streak with his own rhythm and offensive style, even when the whole team was exhausted.

Young players like Gasol and Ginobili still have too little impact on the game.

It will take them several more years to grow into a force to be reckoned with.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang hugged Pau Gasol and said, "I told you, your coach is an idiot, and he's also a drunkard. He has no idea how to defend me."

Gasol gave an awkward laugh, unsure how to respond. Why did Coach Popovich, whom he considered exceptionally talented, seem to be nothing in Forrest Gump's eyes?

On the way back to the locker room, Gasol couldn't help but say to Popovich, "Coach, Forrest...Forrest called you an idiot."

Popovich glanced at Gasol disdainfully, then said self-deprecatingly, "I'm an idiot, and who isn't an idiot when facing him? Aren't you?"

"I really am not."

"...He's still too kind to you," Popovich sighed.

(End of this chapter)