The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1515 - 13: Invincible Loneliness

Fan Huo’en is called the "Second Bird" for another reason: his clutch shots are quite remarkable.

While playing NCAA games at the University of Utah, he often scored in crucial moments, helping the team to victory.

This big-hearted performance, exactly like Bird, has made people increasingly believe that Fan Huo’en could become the second white hope.

In the NCAA playing environment, players like him, who have the body of a power forward and the skills of a small forward, are very popular.

Because his shooting skills are excellent, when it comes to crucial moments, facing defenders who are half a head shorter and physically weaker, it’s easy for him to make shots.

But tonight, Fan Huo’en will experience NBA-level competition, and it’s in his career debut that he encounters full-level competition—a one-on-one defense from Ah Gan.

The two are similar in height, both listed as 6’10" on the records, but in reality, Gan Guoyang is 209 cm while Fan Huo’en is slightly shorter, around 207 cm.

However, there is a significant visual difference in their physiques. Gan Guoyang weighs 275 pounds, making him the strongest player in the league, bar none.

While Fan Huo’en only weighs 220 pounds, the 50-pound difference means Fan Huo’en is completely unable to compete physically with Gan Guoyang.

Fan Huo’en isn’t a fool; he’s not naïve enough to think he can stand up to Ah Gan in direct confrontations.

So from the start of the game, he decided to drift more on the perimeter, moving around to utilize his shooting skills to challenge Ah Gan.

He doesn’t plan to go for a big kill over Ah Gan; as long as he can make some shots and draw Ah Gan’s defensive attention, his task is accomplished.

Before the game, the coach arranged the task this way, and Fan Huo’en tries to lower his expectations as much as possible. He thinks if he can make three shots, it would be a perfect debut.

The opening tip-off, the Nets gained offensive ball possession, and they started their game from the inside.

After a series of trades and purges, the current Nets are entirely inside-centered.

This season is about nurturing Olajuwon’s condition and giving rookies some practice.

Sabonis in the low post solidly presses against Olajuwon. Facing the much taller and heavier Sabonis, Olajuwon missed his low post singles.

Since 1995, Olajuwon’s power in the low post has been gradually declining.

Without explosiveness and with his speed dropped, once facing tall and strong inside defenders, his offense becomes much harder.

He is always ultimately forced to rely on a step-back jumper and test his touch. In the past two seasons, his low post dream moves have become less common, and the number of step-back jumpers and hooks has increased.

When a player’s physical fitness declines severely, his reliance on basic skills like shooting and hooking becomes greater and greater.

Olajuwon is on this downhill path. This season, his decline is even more evident, with his turning speed much less than before.

Therefore, people are more impressed with players like Ah Gan and Jordan, who have such a slight decline at this age and maintain such excellent form.

Even slightly inferior players, even MVPs like Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, cannot withstand the ravages of time.

Olajuwon missed all three opening attempts. The Trail Blazers did not use any defensive strategies, just relied on Sabonis’s one-on-one defense.

The 2.21-meter Sabonis has a very strong ability to defend in the low post, and once Olajuwon loses his speed advantage, shooting becomes very difficult.

The Trail Blazers made consecutive shots, with Mu Lin scoring a mid-range shot, Gan Guoyang making a mid-range attempt, and Brellock hitting a three-pointer, starting the game with a 7:0.

The Nets urgently need a score, and at this time Olajuwon facilitated from the high post, passing the ball to Fan Huo’en at a 45-degree angle, giving him a chance to score with the ball.

Fan Huo’en, after a few fakes, wanted to shoot straight up. This is a frequently used offensive technique for him in the NCAA, where perimeter defenders usually find it hard to interfere with him.

If an inside defender comes out, Fan Huo’en would choose to drive, so opponents generally don’t dare to stick too close, giving him shooting opportunities.

Fan Huo’en wanted to use this NCAA technique against Ah Gan, but clearly, he was overthinking it.

Though Gan Guoyang appeared to have dull eyes, not staring at Fan Huo’en or the ball, but occasionally looking back, as if paying attention to something behind him.

Fan Huo’en saw this as an opportunity and seized the moment to shoot, but Ah Gan suddenly leaped forward, blocking the ball at the moment Fan Huo’en shot.

A simple, effective block that Fan Huo’en had not anticipated. Ah Gan, seeming unfocused, darted over so quickly.

Gan Guoyang seized possession, and the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack. Brellock made a bounce pass to Riddle, who caught the ball and stormed the basket, scoring a two-handed dunk.

This season, Riddle has been benefitting from fast-break opportunities, and his bull-like body holds a strong advantage in the open court. His tendency for interior finishes also allows him room for play in fast breaks.

Moreover, with backcourt playmakers like Brellock and Mu Lin, Riddle no longer has to worry about passing or organizing, focusing solely on attacking the basket and finishing.

Ah Gan has also ceded some low post offensive opportunities to Riddle, making this the year Riddle truly finds his footing in the NBA.

He deeply realizes how great it is to be with Ah Gan, with stats to show for it, focusing on what he’s good at, rather than losing stats and also doing grunt work.

No wonder being teammates with Ah Gan for two years increases a player’s value, and when the Trail Blazers can’t re-sign him, another team offers a big contract—last season’s PJ Brown is a perfect example of this.