The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 361 Simple and Efficient

The regular season opener between the two Western Conference Finals opponents has garnered a lot of attention. Even with Ralph Sampson on the bench due to injury, the Gan Guoyang vs. Olajuwon match is still a highly anticipated battle.

However, just three minutes into the game, the Rockets called their first timeout, as the Trail Blazers had gone on an 8-0 run. Bill Fitch said he was a little confused about the start of the game.

"Shit, is this Dr. Jack's team? How come the Trail Blazers started like this today?" Fitch was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

The Trail Blazers' first five offensive plays all involved Gan Guoyang posting up and attacking one-on-one.

He completed four of his offensive plays using a turnaround layup, a turnaround lean shot, a face-up drive, and a fake to draw a foul. He also passed the ball to Vandeweghe on the perimeter, but the three-point attempt missed.

Furthermore, during half-court offense, all the Trail Blazers players except Gan Guoyang stayed above the free-throw line, completely clearing the strong side of the low post and not giving others a chance to double-team in time.

Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the best low-post defenders in the league, but he couldn't guard Forrest Gump one-on-one.

Even if Ralph Sampson is on the court, you can't double-team him with this kind of ball-handling attack.

Because double-teaming in advance is illegal defense. Why wait until Gan Guoyang gets the ball before double-teaming him? It's such a long distance; by the time they rush over, it will be too late, and it will create a wide-open shot.

Such one-on-one plays are not uncommon in the league, but this is the first time Fitch has seen it so blatantly used for all five rounds.

They made four out of five crucial plays, achieving an astonishingly high success rate, which caused the Rockets to fall behind in the score from the very beginning.

The Trail Blazers started the game with a very tight defense, firmly protecting the area around the three-second zone, and their one-on-one defensive details were also very good.

The rotations were rapid and orderly. Gan Guoyang applied pressure, and there was always a vague, unseen ghost in front of the player with the ball, making it very uncomfortable.

Moreover, this guy reacted incredibly fast, keeping an eye on the outside while also keeping an eye on Olajuwon, and immediately blocked Olajuwon's shot.

Sitting on the bench during the timeout, Hakeem Olajuwon was frustrated. Damn it, this kid wasn't lying; he was definitely being targeted at him from the start!

The immense strain of one-on-one defense left Olajuwon slightly strained on offense. What was supposed to be a dunk after a cut was changed to a layup, which was then blocked.

Fitch called a timeout, but this kind of offense is really unsolvable under the current rules. Fitch can only start from the offensive end, letting Olajuwon also attack Gan Guoyang in the low post to open up the situation.

After a seven-game series, the players from both sides knew each other quite well, and after a short timeout, the Rockets gradually regained their offensive rhythm.

Hakeem Olajuwon made a turnaround fadeaway jumper in a one-on-one situation, followed by shots from Reed and McGrady.

The Trail Blazers couldn't keep letting Gan Guoyang attack in the low post indefinitely. When Gan Guoyang didn't have the ball, he started to come out and set screens for his teammates.

The Trail Blazers made two turnovers, giving the Rockets opportunities to counterattack—clearly, the new tactical approach is still a bit unfamiliar.

However, thanks to their tough defense and Vandeweghe's accurate long-range jump shots, the Trail Blazers maintained a 6-point lead at 21-27 in the first quarter.

Gan Guoyang scored 12 points in the first quarter. During the break, he kept reminding his teammates to run actively on offense and to be decisive and not hesitate in counterattacks.

At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang was resting on the bench. Berman asked Gan Guoyang how he was feeling, and Gan Guoyang replied, "Not bad. Akim's one-on-one defense is still quite strong; he actually made me fail once."

Bellman thought to himself, "You're really putting on an act. You're not satisfied with four out of five goals?" Anyway, Bellman was quite satisfied with his performance in the first quarter.

Although there are still many details that need to be refined, they have a whole season to slowly work together and find their chemistry.

When Gan Guoyang returned to the court in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers still maintained a 7-point lead. Ralph Sampson came on in the second quarter, but his performance was mediocre.

The knee injury affected his speed and jumping ability, which is very detrimental for an inside player.

You've gone from being taller and faster than your opponents to being taller but slower. This slight difference in speed has a very noticeable impact.

Sampson was unable to overpower his opponents on offense and defense. Even when facing veteran Jones, he couldn't beat him one-on-one and could only rely on passing and jump shots or fight for offensive rebounds under the basket to create opportunities.

When Gan Guoyang entered the game, the Trail Blazers once again completely spread out for him to isolate, with Sampson facing Gan Guoyang one-on-one in the low post.

Gan Guoyang used his powerful strength to force his way to the basket, and then made a light layup with his right hand.

Then, the Rockets missed a three-pointer, and Hornacek grabbed the rebound. Instead of pushing the fast break, he went back into half-court.

Gan Guoyang once again blocked Sampson's one-on-one attack in the low post. In the same position and with the same method, he forced his way to the basket and then made an easy layup with his right hand.

Bill Shawnley couldn't help but say, "Sampson was completely unable to stop Forrest's low-post offense. His height was useless, completely ineffective."

Having lost his explosive power and being weaker than Gan Guoyang, Sampson was unable to withstand this bulldozer-like low-post attack.

Fitch called a timeout and substituted Olajuwon for Sampson, who looked very frustrated. Last season, he also couldn't defend Gan Guoyang, but his height and speed could cause Gan Guoyang a lot of trouble. Gan Guoyang usually used the Sikma step to face the basket, using his speed and explosiveness to drive to the basket, so he wasn't beaten so easily like today.

Due to injuries, Sampson did not train systematically this summer, and he could feel that his body was very tired and sluggish.

He is increasingly relying on jump shots and hook shots on offense because his explosiveness and speed are not enough to break through the opponent's defense. If the Trail Blazers' Jones gives him a couple of steps, it becomes very difficult for Sampson to get into the paint.

When Hakeem Olajuwon returned to the court, Gan Guoyang said to him, "How about it, Akim? I didn't lie to you, did I? The coach told me to keep an eye on you."

Hakeem Olajuwon glared at Gan Guoyang and said, "I can stop you."

Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "I can score 40 points tonight. I can take on three of you one-on-one in a quarter, make two free throws, and then hit a mid-range shot, and I'll be all set."

Hakeem Olajuwon calmed himself down and then frantically demanded the ball in the low post during the next attack, trying to overpower Gan Guoyang.

He made two shots, but missed both, allowing the Trail Blazers to launch a fast break.

Drexler and Vandeweghe scored on two fast breaks, and Terry Porter also hit a three-pointer in a half-court set.

The Trail Blazers gradually widened the score gap, and then, during defense, Gan Guoyang drew an offensive foul on Olajuwon.

On the offensive end, he drew another defensive foul from Olajuwon, bringing his total to three fouls in the second quarter.

He yelled at the referee, while Gan Guoyang egged him on, "Hit him! Hit him!"

As a result, the referee gave Hakeem Olajuwon a technical foul, and then gave Gan Guoyang a technical foul as well.

Gan Guoyang could only shake his head helplessly, amidst a chorus of boos from the audience. Only the fans closest to the court knew that Gan Guoyang deserved the technical foul.

Fitch had no choice but to substitute Hakeem Olajuwon and bring on Jim Peterson, knowing it was like throwing a lamb to the slaughter, but he had no other option.

Peterson was unable to resist Gan Guoyang's low-post offense. Without timely double-teaming, Gan Guoyang didn't even need any skill; he could simply back down and force his way to the basket, then make a right-handed layup.

The huge difference in strength made it impossible for Peterson to interfere. His body was completely pushed aside, and he was practically left to train Gan Guoyang's low-post offense.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Rockets 51-64 by 13 points.

Gan Guoyang scored 26 points with extremely high efficiency. During halftime, Adelman said, "The game has never been this easy, it's fucking easy."

The Rockets couldn't stop Gan Guoyang from scoring easily in the low post, and they were lost on the defensive end. Olajuwon's fouls further dampened the team's morale.

After the start of the second half, Fitch gritted his teeth and ordered Reed and McGrady to double-team Gan Guoyang, even if they were far away, they still had to go to the basket to surround him.

At the same time, Olajuwon was asked to push Gan Guoyang outwards as much as possible, not to let him receive the ball in too deep a position, or to defend him in front of him to prevent him from receiving the ball.

This had some effect. The Rockets' relentless and tight defense prevented Gan Guoyang from scoring on two offensive plays in the third quarter. The Rockets then capitalized on their counter-attack opportunities and scored consecutively, closing the gap.

However, Gan Guoyang quickly adjusted his strategy. He received the ball on the outside and when McGrady came over to double-team, Drexler was wide open. Gan Guoyang made a behind-the-back pass to Drexler, who caught the ball and easily dunked it!
That was a beautiful pass, and the Rockets' double-teaming plan failed.

Gan Guoyang then continued to hold the ball in the low post, neither too far inside nor too far outside, and would pass the ball immediately if the Rockets double-teamed him.

Especially after Jim Paxson came on, he twice received passes from Gan Guoyang and made layups.

Many of Paxson's positioning skills were being forgotten by the mid-80s, but they still came in handy tonight.

While the Rockets can score, their offensive efficiency cannot compare to that of the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers don't even need to employ any specific defensive strategies; as long as they maintain solid one-on-one defense, the Rockets' efficiency will inevitably be lower than the Trail Blazers'.

The Trail Blazers scored 15 points in five minutes, while the Rockets could only score 12 points in five minutes. In the second half, there were about five five-minute stretches, and everyone played steadily like this, resulting in a 15-point difference.

This gap in offensive efficiency becomes increasingly apparent over time, which is the core of Bobby Bellman's tactical philosophy—I don't focus on the gains or losses of certain offensive and defensive rounds, but rather on the overall success rate.

I have the simplest and most efficient way to score, which you don't. My scoring efficiency is slightly higher than yours each round, and over a game, that adds up to a considerable difference.

At Gonzaga University, Bellman took the opposite approach, using extreme defense to suppress the opponent's offensive efficiency, while relying on his players' decisive shots and fast breaks to maintain a basic success rate, ultimately accumulating points to secure the victory.

Of course, this approach doesn't work as well in higher-level competitions, as the players' talent and individual abilities prevent them from going far in the national competitions.

Things are different now; the Portland Trail Blazers have the best talent in the entire league.

(End of this chapter)