Gan Guoyang offered him so advice, "Use more tricks and craftiness on defense. You’re too straightforward, and that puts you at a disadvantage."
Mutombo, regardless of his personality or playing style, is indeed very straightforward. His physical condition is right there—he’s a top-tier defensive prodigy.
So he disdains drawing fouls, sneaky moves, or psychological tactics. He has always been about direct confrontation—if he can block you, he absolutely won’t resort to anything else.
On the other hand, Rodman, a defender whose physical condition isn’t as great, compensates with other unconventional thods, using all kinds of odd tricks to enhance his defensive ability and disturb opponents as much as possible.
As for Gan Guoyang and Bill Russell, historical-level defensive masters who could singlehandedly change a team’s defensive dynamics, they have always mastered both internal and external strategies, blending technique with craftiness.
If Mutombo wants to leap from being an excellent defender to a great one, he must grasp this principle: defense isn’t just a technical skill; it’s also a psychological battle—a ga of breaking through decision-making dilemmas.
Of course, Mutombo is still too young now. He rely nodded in a vague and uncertain manner, not entirely comprehending what Gan Guoyang was trying to convey.
Gan Guoyang silently thought to himself, "These Georgetown guys, one after another, are all inflexible-minded. They excel in brashness but lack strategy. They can rely on talent in college, but that won’t be nearly enough in the NBA."
The Trail Blazers had a perfect Christmas night, giving Portland fans the joy they had been anticipating.
anwhile, the Chicago Bulls likewise easily defeated the Bird-less Boston Celtics.
This season so far, the Chicago Bulls have been utterly dominant in the regular season. In November and December, they only lost four gas in total.
Whether in offense or defense, the Bulls have showcased their overwhelming control over other teams—except for the Trail Blazers.
The late-November loss to the Trail Blazers remains a sore spot for the Bulls, but it also propels them forward with imnse motivation, relentlessly pursuing their ultimate goal.
In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons are rapidly declining, and this decline is happening fast. In reality, the Pistons’ players haven’t even aged that much.
Dumars is 28, Thomas is 30, Rodman is 30, Salley is 27, Aguirre is 32, Turpin is 31—they’re all still in their pri years.
But 1991-1992 is no longer the Pistons’ golden era. Their style of play has already lost its edge, and their intimidation factor across the league has vanished.
No one fears them anymore, no one dreads facing them. Everyone dares to challenge them, particularly after Thomas lost his Olympic qualification—his stature within the league is on shaky ground.
On November 15, during a ho ga against the Utah Jazz, Thomas was eager to prove to everyone that he was much better than John Stockton and that Stockton’s selection for the Olympics was absolutely corrupt.
He unleashed an insane offensive display, scoring 44 points right over Stockton to humiliate him.
But by December 14, when the Pistons visited Salt Lake City, the ga hadn’t even progressed past the first quarter when Thomas, during an offensive play, was hit in the temple by a brutal elbow from Karl Malone and imdiately collapsed unconscious.
This was the second ti Thomas’s head suffered major trauma—the first was during the 1990 Finals when Ah Gan elbowed and broke his face.
Malone’s elbow strike was undoubtedly motivated by revenge. Chuck Daly and Mark Aguirre lost their tempers imdiately, with Aguirre charging at Malone ready to go all out, only to be restrained by staff mbers.
Afterward, Thomas was carried off and sent to the hospital. Upon examination and treatnt, he was found to be mostly fine but needed several days of rest before returning to the court.
Although Malone’s infamous dirty elbows have long been notorious, when it ca to Thomas being hit this ti, the dia showed little support for him, and even the league rely handed Malone a one-ga suspension as punishnt, which was laughably lenient.
From this, it’s clear how poor Thomas’s rapport is in the NBA. Back when Ah Gan elbowed him, the entire league—indeed, the entire country—was pleading for leniency for Ah Gan. As for Thomas, the victim, the sympathy he received was far less than that extended to his aggressor.
A series of blows—the league pushing him to the margins, rivalries with Bird, the retirent of close friend Johnson—all drove Thomas to a state of disheartennt.
Though 30 should be the peak age for a guard, Thomas was already showing signs of decline, spiraling out of control.
Across the entire Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls appear to have no competitors. The Knicks are not yet a real threat, the Celtics and Pistons have already faded, the Heat still seem a little too weak, and the Knights remain perpetually restrained by the Bulls.
Their focus is solely on the Finals—and on the Portland Trail Blazers.
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