The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1562 - 28: Blood Ties

Jalen Rose was one of the famed Michigan Five during his college years.

He is an excellent backcourt scorer, with precise shooting and well-rounded abilities, demonstrating strong organization and assist skills alongside decent defense.

He was selected by the Nuggets in the draft, and after two seasons, he was traded to the Pacers. Under Adelman’s leadership, he made quick progress and became a crucial part of the team’s bench.

Because of his versatility, every time he came off the bench, he could immediately impact either end of the court, which made him a vital asset for Adelman, serving as the team’s go-to relief player. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Whenever the situation shifted or problems arose, Adelman would call Jalen Rose, telling him, "Go score," "Take care of so-and-so," or "Organize the offense properly."

This type of all-around player is well-received by coaches, and Adelman excels at utilizing such players.

Adelman noticed a remarkable turnaround in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt after subbing in Kobe.

Kobe’s harassment of Mark Jackson and his disruptive abilities on offense were things Riddle could not match.

Therefore, Adelman specifically instructed Rose to match up well against Kobe and to create trouble for Kobe.

From its earliest days, the NBA did not allow zone defense, only man-to-man.

Over the years, although coaches have invented many borderline illegal defensive methods, man-to-man has remained mainstream.

When a player on the court has the ability to single-handedly break through, the opposing team must find someone who can respond on both ends, or else they will be tormented to the point of despair.

This is what makes the NBA exciting, as it highlights the importance of individual player abilities.

By the mid to late 1990s, with the NBA’s star-making movement growing, defense became stronger, and this phenomenon became increasingly evident.

Kobe became one of the most popular young players in the league for a reason; his disruptive capabilities are indeed strong.

The format of NBA games, to some extent, masked his shortcomings in tactical understanding.

Jalen Rose, standing six feet eight with an outstanding wingspan and youthful quick feet, could cover Kobe on the court.

After he took to the court, Kobe indeed could no longer play with the same freedom on offense.

Both sides were in a stalemate, with the Trail Blazers entirely centered around Gan Guoyang, playing steadily from the low post.

Facing his former subordinate Antonio Davis, Gan Guoyang always found a way to get the ball into the basket.

The Pacers, facing a more agile Trail Blazers lineup, also started to shift their offensive strategy.

The previous extra step was no longer useful as the Trail Blazers could keep up, so the Pacers began relying on individual player abilities.

Miller and Jalen Rose, with their precise shooting skills, constantly used simple coordination to find space to take shots.

They completely gave up fighting for offensive rebounds, setting up numerous inside screens to create shooting space for the outside snipers.

For Miller and Rose, as long as they found a little bit of space, they had the ability to take and make the shot.

Gan Guoyang sat firmly in the three-second zone, protecting the frame and collecting rebounds, clearly testing the Pacers’ outside shooting.

If you can keep making shots, I’m at a loss, but if you think you can drive into the basket for a high percentage or grab offensive rebounds, no way.

This was the basic strategy the Trail Blazers used last season when they lacked personnel. It seemed helpless, but it was actually quite effective.

However, the Pacers, playing at home, were in great form tonight, with the entire team determined to crush the Trail Blazers.

Thus, on the outside, Miller and Rose both hit consecutive three-pointers—under Adelman’s leadership, the Pacers are a team that highly values threes.

Adelman, having worked with the Trail Blazers for so many years, knew well the importance of three-pointers and brought some essence of the Princeton Offense to Indiana.

This year’s Pacers truly cannot be underestimated.

Dale Davis received the ball down low, turned around, and hit the shot, scoring two points against AC Green.

As the first quarter came to a close, the Pacers still led the Trail Blazers by four points, 21 to 17; the Pacers’ form tonight was indeed impressive.

The inexperienced Kobe was locked in a battle with Jalen Rose. Rose’s defensive skills were arguably not stronger than Mario Ely’s.

However, Ely, being a 34-year-old veteran, struggled to keep up with Kobe’s speed, making the matchup appear challenging.

But Rose, being young, had the advantage in height and wingspan, and his experience surpassed Kobe’s, making Kobe very uncomfortable.

With Kobe, the backcourt’s ace, unable to perform, the Trail Blazers’ offensive impact decreased significantly.

Bird subbed off Brellock and brought in Terry Porter, then took down Chris Mullin to bring in Little O’Neal.

Seeing this substitution, Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Larry’s gone mad? What kind of nonsensical substitution is this?"

"What does the coach want you up for?" Gan Guoyang asked Little O’Neal.

"Um... the coach wants me to play inside..." Little O’Neal stammered.

"What? Does that mean I have to play small forward?"

"Yes, that should be what it means."

"My God, in the first quarter, and you want me at small forward? Have you run out of other options in your head?"

Lately, Gan Guoyang has been spending more time at the small forward position, playing more and more as a small forward.

Although playing small forward has numerous advantages, Gan Guoyang still feels that he should complete his tasks more inside.

When it comes to the final stage where he needs to control the situation, he will move to the small forward position to finish off the opponent.

However, Gan Guoyang knows that the Pacers are in excellent form tonight. If they don’t seize the momentum at the start, it will be very difficult in the final quarter.