In terms of pure strength, the acquisition of Sabonis, Brellock, and Mu Lin last sumr was only above average, not the kind of sudden addition of a top-tier All-Star.
But the arrival of the three triggered a magical chemical reaction, achieving unbelievable accomplishnts, and as the journey nears its end, Carl doesn’t want everything to fall apart.
Although there’s enough tolerance for error in the finals, who wants to falter at ho in the high-profile first ga?
Gan Guoyang drank water without arguing with Carl. Carl was still young and couldn’t understand his intentions, but Gan Guoyang didn’t bla him.
After the tiout, the players returned to the court. Bird patted Carl and said, "Trust Ah Gan. He is well-prepared, and his heart is steadfast. He’s not just trying to show off or simply win a ga."
"Then what’s it for?"
"To destroy Jordan, to destroy the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won’t just lose this ga, this series, they will also disband."
Bird saw through everything, while Carl, engrossed in tactics, didn’t quite understand the psychological and emotional aspects.
The ga continued, with the Bulls relentlessly chasing back, but after checking the scoreboard, they were still 5 points behind.
With Jordan’s style of play, his stamina consumption was significant. Jordan was slightly panting, occasionally resting with his hands on his knees.
Looking at Gan Guoyang on the other side, this kid was chewing gum as if nothing had happened, his endurance was astonishing, it seed he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
"Damn guy, how is his stamina so good? Resting for two seasons really preserves your body. If I had known, I would have retired to rest for two years too. Ah Gan is so sly."
Jordan thought to himself, believing that Gan Guoyang’s two-year retirent was actually recuperation, reducing wear and prolonging his career lifespan.
Jordan had been playing continuously since 1984, and after the 1986 season, he hadn’t suffered a major injury. Not taking rest days, he played a lot of gas.
Since 1990, the Bulls had reached the Eastern Conference finals for nine consecutive seasons, except for 1995 when he was hindered by knee inflammation, playing about 100 gas each season. By 1998, at 35 years old, being able to perform at an MVP level was already a miracle of human physical structure.
However, Ah Gan seed to have cheats, playing more gas in the conference finals than Jordan, yet having a better physical condition.
After the tiout, Gan Guoyang began appearing frequently in the low post, which was his best fallback skill. Jackson expected this.
Lang Li, Rodman, Pippen, and Kukoc took turns, along with Jordan and Harper’s double-teaming, applying the tightest defense on Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang’s response was not passing or relying on teammates for team tactics but speeding up his shot.
Positioning, receiving the ball, turning to attack without any observation or pause, like a ruthless low-post offensive machine, bombarding the Bulls’ basket.
"Ah Gan catches the ball in the low post, imdiately turns, bypasses Lang Li, and dunks! Dunk after the tiout, his speed is like a hunting crocodile!"
"Ah Gan is still in the low post, on the left, turns, and hook shot! It’s in again, a beautiful hook shot, the reason I keep watching Ah Gan’s gas. You can see this almost lost skill that brings back to the beautiful 80s."
"Right low post, the double team cos, turn-around shot, it’s in! And draws a foul from Kukoc, a beautiful forward-leaning shot. Currently, no one in the league uses this shooting style, full of aggression. He ensures he isn’t blocked while causing significant damage."
Bill Walton passionately comntated on Gan Guoyang’s low post offensive skills.
After adjustnts at the start of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang’s touch returned.
Anyone who has played knows that a touch often cos in waves. For a period, a player makes consecutive shots, hard to defend against.
The best counterasure isn’t double-teaming but for the coach to call a tiout to disrupt the player’s rhythm and shooting touch.
After the tiout, back on the court, the player is likely to lose their touch. If they insist on continuing to shoot, even without defense, they might miss.
This is a characteristic of basketball. A player’s shooting percentage graph shows regular fluctuations. Excellent players keep the peaks quick and the valleys short.
Ordinary players might have one peak per ga and then remain down; as a coach, utilizing the player’s good touch by letting him play more is the greatest contribution to the team.
Gan Guoyang is clearly more than an excellent player. Once his touch cos, it’s long-lasting, with frequent bursts, and extrely lethal.
Furthermore, Gan Guoyang’s offensive thods are unique. Outside, he shoots threes, considered beyond his ti, with precise three-pointers.
Inside, he’s a retro enthusiast, using the almost extinct hook and turn-around forward-leaning jump shot technique, puzzling defenders who don’t adapt quickly.
The hook shot doesn’t need ntioning. The Jabbar-style skyhook, currently, besides Gan Guoyang, no player extensively uses it.
Furthermore, the quick turn-around forward-leaning jump shot technique inherited from Bernard King has also been "eliminated."
Because if not mastered well, the forward-leaning shot is a gift for the opponent’s block.
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