The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 226 - 112: Child Labor on Tape

The Trail Blazers achieved a five-game winning streak after the All-Star game, but the subsequent trip through the Southwest Division was not smooth sailing.

From the moment the players boarded the plane leaving Portland, Jack Ramsay could sense their poor condition.

Nobody wanted to leave Portland. A break during the All-Star weekend, coupled with five straight home games, was simply too comfortable.

As they embarked on yet another long road trip, everyone was sullen, and the atmosphere inside the cabin was not as lively as before.

Even the usually energetic Gan Guoyang took a nap on the plane to recuperate and prepare for the upcoming away games.

Having just engaged in a grueling triple-overtime battle with the Bulls, the players felt incredibly weary.

In Ramsay’s view, sometimes in the regular season, it’s better to lose early than win these kinds of exhausting games.

Especially when a playoff spot was no longer a concern, the players’ condition and health were far more important.

When February rolled around, it meant more than half of the season had already passed.

"More than half" sounded good, but there were still about 30 games left in the "less than half" of the schedule.

It was like completing the swimming and cycling portions of a triathlon, only to face the most exhausting and brutal long-distance run at the end.

When Ramsay participated in triathlons, sheer willpower was what got him through that final run.

Perhaps they put running last to avoid the risk of drowning or crashing while swimming or cycling at the end when you’re most fatigued.

The NBA regular season had now entered a stage where you had to rely solely on running, without the undulating water to carry you or a bicycle with two wheels.

Ramsay had endured seasons like this for over a decade. In the 1960s, the league had only 10 teams, each playing 82 games, and two teams had to face each other eight or nine times in a season.

Even teams from the East and West conferences had to play many games against each other. For example, when Ramsay was with the Philadelphia 76ers, they played the Lakers nine times in one season, with five of those games in Los Angeles.

Back then, the NBA, aiming to increase the game’s popularity and break into new markets, often held games in third-party cities.

For instance, they played in Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Hartford, and others. As markets developed, some of these cities established their own NBA teams, like Cleveland, Seattle, including Portland.

By the 1980s, after merging with the ABA and expanding, the number of NBA teams increased to over 20, and teams from the East and West only had to play one home and one away game against each other.

Within the Western Conference, teams from the same division played six games against each other, and those from different divisions played four to five games depending on the yearly schedule.

The Trail Blazers and the Lakers were both in the Pacific Division, and six games against each other were unavoidable in a season.

Teams from the neighboring Midwest Division, like the Rockets and the Jazz, also had to play four or five games. Over time, the teams became very familiar with each other.

For the Trail Blazers, this Southwest Division road trip began in Texas, through the future famous Texas Triangle—Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs.

All three teams were strong, each with their unique characteristics, and all capable of making the playoffs, having had mixed results in their previous games against the Trail Blazers.

The first game was in Houston against the Rockets. The Houston Twin Towers, vexed by Gan Guoyang’s explosive performance and last-second game-winner in previous encounters, were determined to fight hard against the Trail Blazers.

Coming off the All-Star break, the Rockets had also been in great form, securing four consecutive wins, and they were fully prepared for their home game against the Trail Blazers.

Tonight, Olajuwon and Sampson strictly followed the instructions of head coach Bill Fitch. Sampson took on the main defense against Gan Guoyang, with Olajuwon providing help defense.

With both first overall draft pick big men closely guarding Gan Guoyang all game, especially Olajuwon who had a burning desire within.

Frustrated by the fadeaway shots that once humiliated him against Gan, Olajuwon, regardless of having invited Gan and Drexler to dine at a Mexican restaurant in Houston the night before, was intent on settling the score on the court, determined to prove whether the fadeaway truly had any merit.

On the Trail Blazers’ side, Vandeweghe was still absent due to injury, not joining the road trip and staying in Portland to recover.

Without Vandeweghe, an important outside scorer, fast-break option, and an offensive rebound machine, Gan Guoyang found it quite uncomfortable to play.

The Glider was great at fast breaks and organization, but his poor shooting couldn’t create space, and the guy was also competing for rebounds with Gan.

Throughout the entire game, the Trail Blazers were firmly suppressed by the Rockets. In the third quarter, Gan had to pull off a miracle again, hitting two consecutive three-pointers and scoring a quick 8 points, giving Fitch a scare.

Afterward, the Rockets secured the victory with their relentless offensive rebounding and defensive trapping on Gan, and they won 115 to 110. While achieving their own five-game winning streak, they ended the Trail Blazers’ streak.

Facing the combined defense of Sampson and Olajuwon, Gan still managed to get 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks. However, he was isolated from his team by the opponent.

This was a tactic conceived by Riley called the "Ah Gan Rule," which other teams also followed when facing the Trail Blazers: 1. Do not provoke Ah Gan, and 2. Separate Ah Gan from his teammates.

When playing the Lakers or the Celtics, it was impossible to separate Magic or Bird from their teammates because of their exceptional playmaking skills and strong teammates. Any attempt to isolate them usually resulted in an explosion from their teammates.

Although the Trail Blazers were second in the Western Conference last season, the team was quite weak in reality, or else they wouldn’t have been eliminated by the Suns in the first round.

They had significant flaws in crucial areas like height, toughness, and defense—all critical aspects—and although they could win games with speed and fluid cooperation, they struggled in tough matches, especially in the playoffs.

Gan single-handedly filled all those gaps. While that was good, it led to a problem: if you isolate Ah Gan, no one else on the team can provide those physical attributes.

For example, when scoring is crucial, Ah Gan can handle the ball, but the opponent will double-team him, leaving no one else with the ability to handle the key plays.

The Trail Blazers have many times relied on others to make clutch shots and failed, leading to Gan Guoyang charging up and grabbing the offensive rebound, then finishing the play himself or assisting a teammate to score. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

After numerous occurrences, the opponents got wise to this, putting two or three people on him to prevent him from getting the ball or going for the offensive rebound, causing trouble for the Trail Blazers.

Drexler is showing his ability to handle the ball and resolve issues in crucial moments, especially in the game against the Celtics, where Drexler showed hints of superstar quality.

However, he still needs more experience and growth. His playmaking and attacking skills could change the predicament where opponents only need to target Gan Guoyang, leaving the rest bewildered.

Such experiences can’t be gained in just one or two games, and it’s unrealistic to expect it for this season. In the next game against the Mavericks, Drexler had a big lesson.

On defense, he was completely outplayed by Rolando Blackman. Blackman finished the game with 15 out of 22 shots, scoring 36 points with a shooting percentage over sixty, while Drexler only managed to get 11 points.

Gan Guoyang scored 28 points, but tonight Sam Bowie gave him quite a bit of trouble. This guy’s physical attributes are truly exceptional—height, wingspan, all very impressive. When he settled down and earnestly contested shots under the basket, giving up frivolous outside shooting, he could do a lot.

And right from the first minute of the game, Bowie began playing mind games with Gan Guoyang.

"Ah Gan, your dunk in the All-Star game was really beautiful."

"That was a great hook shot, I simply can’t guard it."

"I’ve watched your ’Rock the baby’ dunk countless times, it might be one of the best in history."

"Nice block, I never try to score in front of you."

"Shut up!"

"Okay, Ah Gan."

"..."

"That’s a good play!"

While verbally praising Ah Gan, Bowie managed to get 14 rebounds and 3 blocks throughout the game, successfully executing his role in protecting the paint.

Dick Motta’s relationship with Mark Aguirre has been good lately; he won’t make the mistake of forcing the team’s strongest spear to clash against the opponent’s strongest shield again.

The Trail Blazers have only one strong shield in Gan Guoyang. If only they had two, one inside and one outside, it would be very difficult for the opponents to avoid them.

But with just one, the opponents can easily move the ball around to bypass the monster in the three-second zone.

102:107, another 5-point loss, a type of defeat that is frustrating because it shows that it isn’t a matter of poor form but of being tactically outplayed by the opponent.

Although the Trail Blazers managed to win their next game in San Antonio against the Spurs, avoiding a three-game losing streak, the victory mainly stemmed from the Spurs’ poor shooting, which led to their "ugly girl’s night," not because the Trail Blazers played particularly well.

The constant targeting by opponents left Gan Guoyang feeling frustrated, like he was unable to apply his strength. On the flight to the next stop in Washington, Gan Guoyang discussed strategies with Adelman.

Adelman told Gan Guoyang, "The coaching staff will find a solution, but we might not use it during the regular season. Letting the opponents take advantage of this weakness isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We’ll address the issue during the playoffs, where the crucial wins and losses happen."

Gan Guoyang asked, "Are you saying you haven’t found a solution at all? Are you just placating me?"

"Not at all, I’ve been earnestly watching the tapes."

"Don’t lie to me, Rick. Are you watching game tapes?"

"..."

Even coaching staff can have their moments of negligence.

The Trail Blazers have only one assistant coach, Adelman, who has to manage many things.

Expecting him to sit in front of a computer every day editing and splicing videos, thoroughly studying all strategies, is frankly unrealistic.

Some issues would have to wait until the off-season to be resolved.

"I’m not lying to you, Ah Gan, honestly. Although the team doesn’t have a video editor, and I’m really not familiar with using those gadgets, I hardly know how to work them, Spoelstra, the president’s son, who’s about to go to college from high school, loves basketball and is really good at this stuff. I’ve asked him to help edit and arrange the tapes. We’ll definitely study them thoroughly, so don’t worry, Ah Gan."

"Spoelstra, the president’s son? The little Filipino boy?"

"Yeah, that’s him, he’s a huge fan of yours. His high school basketball jersey number is 11."

"F*ck, you guys are so cheap you can’t even pay for a video editor, and instead you’re using the president’s son for child labor."

"He’s doing it voluntarily, and his skills are even better than some professionals. He’s very proficient. Trust him."