The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 125 Unevenness
As soon as the game started, Ramsey habitually knelt on one knee on the sidelines to watch the game.

He likes to observe the situation on the field from this angle, which is a very unique perspective.

Viewers watch games from a god-like perspective, seeing players as mere chess pieces on a board. Therefore, they often find it difficult to understand some of the choices players make on the field.

For example, why not pass the ball when there's clearly an open space in the corner? Why break through from the right side when there's clearly an open space on the left?

If you switch to the player's perspective, you'll understand that coming from high above to a flat surface, ten giants on the field would block your view like a forest.

Moreover, players have a limited field of vision when standing on the field, and their brains have to process many things at the same time, making choices on the field is not an easy task.

The coach's perspective lies between that of the spectators and the players; they can see aspects that the players cannot, while also experiencing how the players feel on the field.

However, Ramsey went a step further, kneeling on one knee and observing the players' every move from a unique angle of looking up at them.

This perspective allows him to overlook the player's hairstyle, appearance, waving limbs, and the ball being thrown—which are often the most noticeable aspects of the player.

He focuses more on the lower body, observing the players' positioning on the field, their leg movements, their running posture, and those details that are most easily overlooked.

Not to mention the spectators, sometimes even the referees are more attracted to the players' upper bodies. After all, this is basketball, not football, and hand movements are the key to determining whether a foul has occurred.

Therefore, some experienced players on the court will secretly trip up their opponents by using their legs and feet, thus illegally interfering with their opponents while avoiding the referee's sight.

Ramsey saw all of this.

Five minutes earlier, he warned Gan Guoyang to be careful of the Suns' high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, as tonight's game would definitely be different from the last game against the SuperSonics.

If Gan Guoyang gets carried away with the easy way of scoring on fast breaks, he will definitely suffer and learn a lesson tonight, just like the Trail Blazers learned last season.

Five minutes into the game, Ramsey thought to himself, "How can this kid be so smart on the court? He's practically born for basketball."

After Gan Guoyang won the jump ball at the start of the game, he called for the ball in the low post with his back to the basket. After using a spin move to fake Edwards out, he went up for a layup and drew a foul from Edwards.

This opening offensive foul immediately put the Suns' interior defense on the back foot. Ramsey couldn't understand why a veteran as experienced as Edwards would make such a basic mistake.

Because Ramsey was unaware that Gan Guoyang had been commenting on Edwards's Manchu-style mustache ever since he stepped onto the field, insisting that Edwards was being racist and that he shouldn't use the nickname "Buddha" because he looked more like Zhu Bajie than Buddha.

Although Edwards didn't understand what "Pigsy" meant, it certainly wasn't a good word, and Gan Guoyang angered this tall inside player in a very short time.

Americans' understanding of "Buddha" is obviously very different from that of the Chinese, and Edwards' personality is by no means that of a Buddhist player.

As a center who came from the 70s, a tough personality and playing style are essential. In the 80s, with the league cracking down on such issues, player conflicts decreased relatively.

Edwards still warned Gan Guoyang to tone it down on the court, reminding him that this was Phoenix.

Gan Guoyang immediately responded with a fake move and drew a foul, making both free throws. Edwards then attempted to respond on offense.

Before the ball could be received, it was stolen by Gan Guoyang, who had moved in front of the defense. Possession returned to the Trail Blazers, and Vandeweghe made a shot on the fast break.

Gan Guoyang blocked Alvan Adams' layup again. Then, on the fast break, Gan Guoyang did not use Move-hook, but slowed down and landed back in the game.

Receiving the ball in the same low post, he backed down Edwards, then made a spin move and cut inside. Edwards didn't dare to take the shot, and Gan Guoyang scored two points with a left-handed layup.

Then Gan Guoyang went around to defend again, and the strong Edwards found that he couldn't shake off Gan Guoyang's entanglement and couldn't receive the ball.

With their three big men on the court, the Suns lost ball movement and tried to play high-ball, throwing the ball into the paint to attack the Trail Blazers' basket.

Nance's layup was interfered with by Gan Guoyang and missed. On the counterattack, Gan Guoyang used a very deceptive movement to receive a pass from Paxson and made a 12-foot jump shot.

开局一波8:0，把太阳打停，甘国阳6分2篮板1封盖1抢断，轻描淡写就将太阳所谓的三高打得没脾气。

No, he's got a temper. Edwards went back to the bench, threw away the towel a staff member handed him, and complained to the coach, "That kid is much stronger than I thought!"

At that time, NBA players generally did not work out and relied on their natural skeletal structure and muscles to win the game. Gan Guoyang, despite not being very heavy, already had exceptional strength.

During the timeout, Ramsey didn't have much to say. He simply asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, briefly explain your thinking. Why are you good at dealing with high-flying lineups?"

Ramsey thought Gan Guoyang would talk about speed, agility, or his ability to shoot from a distance, but Gan Guoyang simply said one word: "positioning."

One movement encapsulates Gan Guoyang's essence when facing tall lineups, which aligns with Ramsey's observations from the sidelines.

But Ramsey was still very curious about how Gan Guoyang set his opening strategy, because he didn't play like that at the start of the first two games.

With the timeout about to end, Ramsey didn't give the players any tactical instructions. Instead, he pulled Gan Guoyang aside and asked, "What are your thoughts, Gan? How are we going to deal with those three tall guys?"

Gan Guoyang stood up, wondering why Dr. Jack was being so humble today. He said, "I don't care how many of them are tall; I'll just focus on one. Also, they're not evenly matched."

Gan Guoyang had been exposed to more advanced basketball concepts, and he knew the importance of spacing. Moreover, throughout NBA history, there have been very few successful tall-tower lineups.

The truly effective high-level lineup is not about the center forward, but the forward line, especially the small forward. Even in the early 50s and 60s, there was no precedent for achieving success by stacking tall center forwards.

The most successful Celtics team was actually a flexible, short center, plus a group of guards and forwards with excellent shooting and high energy.

The biggest problem with having too many tall inside players is the uneven distribution of space on both offense and defense. Basketball is a game of shooting and scoring, but it is also a game of contesting space. Once you occupy space unevenly, you give your opponents too much room to maneuver.

Gan Guoyang's positioning utilizes these spaces to create relatively easy scoring opportunities. His sensitivity to court space is even stronger than some shooting guards.

The timeout ended, and the players made some adjustments before returning to the field. The game had only just begun.

Suns head coach McLeod realized that the three big men were not performing well, so he replaced veteran Adams with Kyle Messi.

With their star shooting guard Davis absent, McLeod tried to compensate by using a trio of tall players.

The first three games went very well, with easy wins against the Warriors, SuperSonics, and Clippers, and all three players scoring over 50 points in each game.

However, the start of the game was clearly not good. Gan Guoyang's playing style made McLeod feel that the three big men on the court were like three stupid donkeys going around a millstone.

Alvan Adams, who is only 30 years old this year, looks old and slow in front of Gan Guoyang, as if he is already 50 years old.

Although he can shoot from mid-range, Gan Guoyang's timely help defense prevents him from making accurate shots.

Indeed, on the defensive end, Gan Guoyang had to single out Edwards and also help defend Larry Nance and Adams. It seemed impossible, but he did it.

This newcomer was like a newborn foal, full of energy and quick to cover for his teammates. No one in this era had ever seen such an inside player. It wasn't until more than a decade later that two players wearing number 21 were considered to have inherited his mantle.

The Suns' offense was stiff due to the lack of a defender who could move the ball around and break through defenses. It was only after Messi came on that the Suns' offense came alive again.

Scott received a pass from Messi on the perimeter and made a shot, breaking the Suns' scoring drought. Edwards then received a pass and made a fadeaway jumper.

However, the Trail Blazers, who had already gained the upper hand, suppressed the Suns on both offense and defense, with Paxson using his agile movement to make consecutive cuts to the basket and score.

The Suns continued to make shots, and Suns coach McLeod kept making substitutions. In order to maintain the team's energy on the court, he insisted on a 10-man rotation, and this number of players would be even greater in the regular season.

But McLeod soon discovered, with a sense of despair, that no matter how he rotated the lineup, the Trail Blazers' 11th rookie remained as solid as ever in the paint.

He disrupts every Suns attack near the three-second zone to the maximum extent possible, and even outside the three-second zone, he tries to grab a chance, making it uncomfortable for you to shoot or pass.

This kind of solid defensive interference is deadly. It can reduce your field goal percentage by three or four percentage points in a quarter, and by four quarters, that's four fewer field goals, or eight points, enough to decide the outcome of a game.

"Fuck, how can this guy defend from the inside out? He's everywhere!" McLeod was very troubled. At this moment, he especially missed Davis. If only he had a scoring expert to blow up Forrest Gump.

In the 80s, most defensive centers were relatively "lazy." They would stay in the paint to protect the rim, secure rebounds, and pass the ball to the guards without making a mistake after winning the shot. This was considered adequate defense.

Gan Guoyang's wide-range coverage is practically nonexistent; it requires a keen defensive instinct, excellent positioning, and a constant supply of stamina.

These kinds of hard and dirty work are usually done by the power forward, but Gan Guoyang is clearly better at it.

He played the entire first quarter and held the Suns to just 19 points in the quarter, giving the Trail Blazers a 24-19 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, McLeod, refusing to accept defeat, continued to field his three tall players, specifically instructing Adams to play as a small forward.

"I know you're very agile, Alvan. Stay on the perimeter and put pressure on them with your shots!"

McLeod knew that Vandeweghe's defense was poor and wanted to use Adams to punish him.

As a result, Vandeweghe used a tactic of allowing drives but not shots, and defending closely, thinking, "I can't stop you from driving anyway, so I'll just let you get past me."

Gan Guoyang guarded the three-second zone like a beast, and after being blocked twice, Alvan Adams gave up on his drive to the basket.

On the counterattack, Drexler soared into the air, dunked, and then flicked the ball with his fingertips after a hand switch, further widening the gap for the Trail Blazers.

When the Trail Blazers led 44-31 by 13 points, McLeod finally realized his mistake and substituted Alvan Adams.

He did not allow three inside players to be on the court at the same time during this game.

When only two or one of the three big men are on the court, the Suns' offense immediately resumes its fluidity.

By halftime, they had narrowed the gap to 9 points, 51-42.

McLeod was in the locker room at halftime, yelling at the players while holding the statistics compiled by the data clerk.

"16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 steals—that's his stat line for the first half!"

"If you didn't know better, you'd think he'd been playing for 10 years and was a veteran of the NBA!"

"Nance, Lucas, you two get him in the second half!"

McLeod did not give up on the idea of ​​using his inside game to shut down Gan Guoyang.

After all, he had a lot of inside players in his hand, and these were originally intended for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Now, we need to give this newcomer a taste of the NBA, since he probably won't have enough stamina in the second half.

That's what McLeod thought.

(End of this chapter)