After defeating the Celtics, the fully-assembled Trail Blazers continued to secure two more victories.
They were very formidable at ho and, importantly, the Princeton System was becoming more and more proficient.
Bobby Beelman originally estimated that it would take at least one or even two seasons to fully grasp this strategy, but unexpectedly, in just half a season, the players had already learned very well.
On one hand, this was inseparable from Pete Carrell’s ticulous assistance. He generously shared his knowledge with the Trail Blazers’ coaching staff and players, often taking ti out to offer guidance during team training.
The Trail Blazers’ coaching staff put a lot of effort into simplifying the system, removing overly complicated parts, and refining so key routines for repeated practice.
It was like cramming in the three months before an exam, skipping the off-topic, difficult, and odd questions, focusing solely on topics that would score well, the main outline questions.
This significantly reduced the learning and application costs for the players, allowing them to showcase a different style of play before the All-Star Ga.
Now all teams knew that the Portland Trail Blazers were using a very special tactical system, which gave everyone a considerable headache.
Coaches of various teams began studying Princeton, analyzing the Trail Blazers’ positioning and routines.
The second reason is that the Trail Blazers’ players are indeed very well-suited for the Princeton Offense; they are extrely intelligent with a solid tactical foundation.
Especially for Sabonis and Petrović, much of the Princeton System felt like it was tailor-made for them.
They played in European clubs and national teams, where the core spirit aligned with that of Princeton, unlike the NBA’s star isolation style.
Hence, this year, both Sabonis and Petrović have made significant improvents in both their on-court performance and statistical contributions compared to last year.
Compared to the 1990 season, they were no longer just a luxury but beca crucial forces on both ends of the court.
NBA players though they may be, there’s a considerable difference in business acun and basketball IQ.
The Trail Blazers’ players are "high-level students", with a solid foundation of knowledge and a strong capacity to learn.
So, not so high on the IQ scale, such as the Utah Jazz, from top to bottom, are rely diocre.
Thus, when learning and employing the UCLA system brought in by Jerry Sloan, the whole team struggled quite a bit.
Since taking over midway through the 1988-1989 season, Jerry Sloan had been trying to remodel the entire Jazz with the UCLA system.
However, the Jazz team was not exactly a team of geniuses, and the original UCLA system was very complex, making true mastery quite difficult.
So, up to this season thus far, almost two seasons in, the Jazz has finally appeared to have the UCLA system’s frawork, making their distinctiveness felt by opponents—they have a habit of using a 1-4 set to execute half-court tactics.
But when facing stronger opponents in high-intensity challenges, the Jazz’s system is not so apparent.
One can tell from the playoffs where they are repeatedly upset by lower-seeded teams that the players and coach’s execution and understanding of tactics needs to go deeper.
Trail Blazers players may not necessarily be more adept at their system than the Jazz players, but their understanding of the ga is undoubtedly more profound.
"Our system is about who gets the ball during regular ti, and in critical monts, we give the ball to Ah Gan to solve the problems,"
Reggie Lewis, in a recent interview with an Oregon dia outlet, honestly stated when asked about his understanding of the Trail Blazers’ tactical system.
This blunt simplification doesn’t tell the whole story, but upon closer examination, it’s not entirely wrong.
The so-called system is about Ah Gan sharing ball-handling opportunities with everyone until the last monts when he takes control of the ga.
Most of the Trail Blazers’ gas follow this process, with so not even needing to wait until the final monts, as they destroy the opponents during regular ti.
There are a few gas where they play with fire and self-destruct, overrunning the system, where opponents seize the chance and exploit weaknesses, making it impossible to recover.
Therefore, looking at the record, the Trail Blazers’ performance before the All-Star break isn’t as good as it was at the sa period last season, due to various factors such as morale, injuries, schedule, etc.
But the application of the new system is definitely one of the reasons, which inevitably raises the question: is the adoption and execution of the Princeton System an unnecessary addition for the team?
Gan Guoyang defended the coaching staff and the team’s new tactical system in a pre-ga interview, saying, "This keeps in the best condition, the regular season record isn’t everything."
"Last season was last season, which had its uniqueness. The new season presents new problems and new goals. Besides, the system is geared towards the long-term, focusing on this and the next seasons. We have started preparations early, which is the Trail Blazers’ long-standing tradition; we are well-prepared."
Behind closed doors in the locker room, Gan Guoyang reminded Reggie Lewis, "So things shouldn’t be said recklessly, Reggie, I won’t be pleased either, it’s not comprehensive."
Reggie Lewis looked innocent, shrugging, "But what I said is true."
"Even if it’s true, you can’t just say it anywhere!"
Reggie Lewis could only agree, feeling helpless. In his view, Ah Gan was a strange, special leader.
He wasn’t like the typical Arican sports top dogs but more like an Eastern monarch, deeply concerned with the team’s harmony and balance.
Within the Bulls, Bulls players call Michael Jordan "The General" because Jordan, on and off the court, is as irascible, domineering, and rude as a general.
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