The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 553 Don't Let Yourself Be Looked Down On

Drexler had a rather poor performance in the first quarter.

Last season, he delivered the best performance of his career, becoming the undisputed star player of Miami.

However, after the start of the new season, Drexler, lacking discipline and motivation, became noticeably lax under the influence of the warm climate and vibrant lifestyle on the South Coast.

Gan Guoyang almost cured Gan Guoyang's habit of sleeping in late in Portland, but it has relapsed this season, and he is now training on time every day.

I had a fight with Riley yesterday, but I managed to escape by bragging and exaggerating. I skipped training in the afternoon and went back to sleep.

The data from the new season shows that his average points per game have dropped from 27 points last season to 23 points so far, and his field goal percentage has dropped from 49% to 44%, which is quite a significant decline.

Although rebounding and assists have improved, in a weak team like the Heat, the leader must be able to score, and the output must keep up.

When Gan Guoyang led a group of talented and promising, young and inexperienced teammates to the championship, the foundation was Gan Guoyang's high scoring output, which gave his teammates a lot of room for error and growth.

Now that players like Porter, Hornacek, and Kessie have all developed, Gan Guoyang's scoring pressure has lessened considerably, and it doesn't matter if his average points per game drop.

The same applies to Jordan. When your teammates aren't good enough, as the team leader, scoring becomes your primary responsibility, because basketball, in the end, is all about scoring.

Miami media had hoped that Drexler could raise his scoring average to 30 points per game this season and drag the Heat into the playoffs.

As a result, 27 points per game was his limit; he not only couldn't go higher, but his average score dropped.

After the first quarter, under the Trail Blazers' tight defense and slow-paced pressure, Drexler only scored 3 points, making 1 of 5 field goals and 1 of 2 free throws.

Without a fast break or a hot comeback, the score remained 27-21, with the Heat trailing by 6 points in the quarter.

When Drexler was substituted in the first quarter, the fans in the arena booed slightly; the Glide's performance tonight was terrible.

Sitting on the bench, Drexler drank Gatorade, trying to calm himself down, but large beads of sweat dripped down his face, and a feeling of exhaustion welled up inside him.

Ultimately, it comes down to a training issue.

Because of the modest success achieved in the 89 season, Drexler was satisfied with his performance.

Having already won three rings, his desire for the championship is not as strong.

In his new team in Miami, no player can threaten Drexler's position.

He is the leader of the Heat. The whole team can't even find a second leader because the others are too inexperienced and lack the ability to qualify.

This "unrivaled" status caused Drexler to lose the motivation to fight desperately.

He knew he wouldn't win a championship anytime soon, so he was content to be the Heat's leader and didn't need any more championship rings. This "content with a little wealth" mentality took over his mind and body.

So in the summer of '89, instead of returning to Houston to train as he had in the past, he spent a lot of his energy on lawsuits, parties, and trips with his wife and daughter.

There's nothing wrong with doing this. You've won three championships, can't you enjoy yourself?
But professional sports are quite cruel. Even if you are exceptionally talented and have outstanding skills, your level will decline if you don't train.

Let alone not practicing, the lack of practice, inadequate practice, and unscientific practice will quickly show up on the field.

Many players train hard and maintain self-discipline, often not to improve, but to maintain their form.

The real world isn't like a game. In a game, if you painstakingly level up to 100, you stay at level 100. Your experience points won't decrease, your stats will remain at level 100, and you won't lose the skills you've learned.

In reality, for various reasons, a player's skill level will decline if they don't practice, and the less they practice, the faster they will decline.

Drexler still participates in regular training, but the training duration and intensity are no longer as high as they were during his time in Portland.

Riley had many arguments with Drexler over these issues, but Drexler wouldn't listen, believing he hadn't done anything wrong.

As a result, they lost to Jordan in the previous game, and in this game, they only managed 3 points in the first quarter and were targeted everywhere. Let alone 50 points, even 20 points would be a bit dangerous.

After the start of the second quarter, both teams substituted their reserves, with the Trail Blazers pairing Petrovic and Sabonis.

The two players constantly used pick-and-rolls and back-cuts from the top of the key to create a fluid style of European basketball.

Petrovic found his rhythm, hitting consecutive shots in the second quarter to help the Trail Blazers extend their lead to 11 points.

With the score at 33-22, the Heat only managed one point from Sherman Douglas' free throws, prompting Riley to call a timeout.

The Heat's management has a very good eye for the draft, arguably the best among the four teams that joined the league recently.

The quality of rookies in 88 and 89 was average. The expanded team didn't catch a big draft year; otherwise, they could have acquired a super rookie and quickly completed the team's rebuild.

With average rookie quality and relatively low draft picks, the Heat have been sifting through the sand, selecting players with good ability and potential in both the first and second rounds.

The starting lineup, including Sekkali, Grant Long, and Kevin Edwards, along with Douglas off the bench and Glen Rice, a first-round lottery pick in 89, were all capable players who had been able to work and survive in the league for over a decade.

The average career span of an NBA player is only three or four years. Many rookies disappear from the NBA after their first contract ends.

A player who can play in the NBA for ten years is considered successful from a professional player's perspective. He has established himself in this extremely competitive and brutal environment and become an insider.

This group of promising young players, under Riley's guidance and with a capable and experienced leader, could make a name for themselves. A championship is out of the question, but they could certainly become a disruptor in the Eastern Conference.

However, the leader's overly casual personality caused the Heat to lack a sense of energy and spirit.

During the timeout, Riley didn't even glance at Drexler, focusing instead on discussing tactics with the substitutes.

He placed the offensive burden on Douglas and Glen Rice, hoping that Douglas would use his speed to break through the Trail Blazers' defense, while Glen Rice would provide firepower from the perimeter.

Rice is a forward with excellent shooting skills, although he hasn't developed a three-point shot yet because he's not used to the NBA's three-point line.

But his long-range shooting skills are clearly excellent; his shooting form is standard, his movements are smooth, and he has the ability to shoot with the ball.

Riley selected him to pair with Drexler and make up for Drexler's weakness in long-range shooting.

After the timeout, the Heat launched a counterattack, with Rice hitting a long-range shot.

Douglas then accelerated on the counterattack, shook off Sabonis, drove into the paint, and scored with a layup!
Douglas was only 6 feet tall, theoretically 183 cm, but actually only 180 cm.

Because of his height, despite his outstanding performance in college, he was relegated to the second round of the draft.

On the court, he is nicknamed "General". His playing style is fast and sharp, like a small cannon, full of energy. He also has a good shooting ability and a good passing ability.

When Douglas left the NCAA in 1989, he was the all-time leader in assists in the entire NCAA, with a total of 960 assists.

This is an underrated player.

The Trail Blazers' backcourt exposed their problems: they lacked both speed and height.

In response, the Trail Blazers countered with their own offense, and Petrovic began firing away continuously.

His touch was unexpectedly good tonight.

Pick and roll, fire directly, hit.

He dribbles, drives to the basket, pulls up for a jump shot, and scores again.

During the counterattack, he pulled up for a quick three-pointer and made it!
Petrovic made 6 of 7 shots in the second quarter, scoring 13 points in a row!
Petrovic played better and better on this away trip.

When he comes off the bench and has the ball, he is very confident and his shots are clean and decisive, without any hesitation.

If you're in a good shooting streak, keep shooting; if you're not, give up on attacking and let your teammates handle the situation without hesitation.

Douglas and Petrovic, two attacking defenders, engaged in a duel, and the game was back and forth. Although it had the air of two amateurs fighting each other, it was still a very entertaining match.

Drexler sat on the bench from the second half of the first quarter until the middle of the second quarter. As the Trail Blazers' starters gradually returned, Riley still showed no intention of substituting Drexler into the game.

Gan Guoyang yelled at Riley, "Pat, if you don't bring Clyde back in, how is he going to score 70 points!"

Drexler is such a jerk, how come it's become 70 points in your mouth!

70 points? Why don't you say 81 points?

Drexler couldn't hold back any longer and said to Riley, "Coach, it's time for me to go on the court."

Riley said, "Don't you want to sleep a little longer? I'm afraid you haven't had enough sleep."

"..."

"Coach, I'll come to training earlier."

“Even if you play now, you won’t get 50 points tonight. You might as well just retire due to injury.”

"No... I have to win the game even if I don't get 50 points."

Riley, who had been facing away from Drexler, turned around and said, "If you're not fully prepared and have the ability to win with absolute certainty, don't brag! It's irresponsible to yourself and the team!"

Drexler remained silent, knowing Riley was right.

Boasting may feel good in the moment, but if you can't deliver, you'll not only embarrass yourself, but also disappoint your teammates and supporters, and become a laughing stock for your opponents.

At this moment, Drexler understood Forrest Gump even better, and realized why his boasts always came true.

Because behind every expression of confidence lies countless hours of sweat and hard work, not a single bit less.

At this point, Riley called a short timeout. The score was 47-38, with the Heat trailing by 9 points.

Riley put Drexler back in and said, "Play something that belongs to you. It's okay to lose, it's okay to not get 50 points, but you have to act like a leader, like a fighter. Don't let Forrest Gump look down on you."

Drexler nodded, took a deep breath; he had rested long enough.

(End of this chapter)