The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 485 - 102: Fortress

Pistons players feeling nervous was perfectly normal, as their progression to the NBA Finals had been unexpected.

Everyone sensed the rise of the Pistons, but no one thought they could overthrow the Celtics’ reign as early as 1987.

The trade for James Donaldson after the All-Star Game was a crucial move, as it addressed the Pistons’ final weakness: rim protection.

While Lan Bi’er was an excellent center, his natural talent was insufficient. His shot-blocking ability ranked among the worst for centers, averaging 0.8 blocks per game.

His strengths lay in defensive rebounding, single coverage, and drawing offensive fouls through help defense. The lack of leaping ability and shot-blocking forced the Pistons to compensate with physicality and fouling.

Standing at 7’2", James Donaldson averaged 2.1 blocks per game with the Clippers, making him a formidable presence in the paint.

Upon Donaldson’s arrival, Melvin Turpin willingly returned to a sixth-man role off the bench.

With the combination of these three strong and tall interior players, paired with the young and energetic defensive spiders, Dennis Rodman and John Salley, the Pistons’ frontcourt defense reached a formidable level.

This terrifying combination was yet to reach its peak, as Dennis Rodman and John Salley were still rapidly improving.

This intimidating frontcourt ensemble choked the Celtics’ frontcourt trio, a perennial issue for Eastern teams, in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But whether this still-developing frontcourt defense could withstand Gan Guoyang’s onslaught was something Chuck Daly was uncertain of.

Gan’s offense was comprehensive, without any weaknesses, and backed by formidable power, making the Pistons’ most fearsome weapon somewhat ineffective.

As Lan Bi’er faced off with Gan Guoyang at center court for the ball, Gan said nothing, merely chewing his gum with focused eyes.

Lan Bi’er secretly hoped Gan Guoyang would hurl a few threats his way; he relished being threatened, as it signified the opponent’s weakness.

It’s similar to how weaker animals bluff to intimidate and threaten adversaries, essentially because they fear conflict and wish to dissolve it prematurely.

In contrast, true predators lie in wait, silently seizing the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to their prey.

Besides congratulating the Pistons on their runner-up finish, Gan didn’t say anything else, not even blinking an extra time.

Only when the ball was tossed into the air did Gan suddenly leap, winning possession, and the Trail Blazers commenced the first offensive play of the Finals.

The challenging task of defending Gan Guoyang fell on the shoulders of James Donaldson, with Lan Bi’er ready to help and keep an eye on Mychal Thompson.

The Trail Blazers started off with a clear intent, isolating Gan Guoyang in the low post to go one-on-one, while the Pistons allowed Gan to play one-on-one at the start.

Donaldson was a competent low-post defender. Initially wearing jersey number 40, he switched to 52 from his college days after joining the Pistons, as Lan Bi’er also wore number 40.

In terms of height and wingspan, Donaldson surpassed Jabbar and, weighing in at 275 pounds, was a substantial heavyweight in the post. It wouldn’t be easy for Gan to overpower him with strength alone.

Thus, Gan did not immediately attack but instead briefly observed, drawing the Pistons’ double team before quickly passing the ball out and squeezing toward the basket.

Vandeweghe deftly passed the ball under the hoop, where Gan used his powerful force to pin down Donaldson, turning for a hook shot that dropped smoothly through the net for two points.

The Trail Blazers scored the very first points of the Finals.

The Pistons weren’t overly concerned; series play is protracted, and each of them was prepared for a drawn-out battle.

From the first offensive play, Gan could tell that the Pistons had solid defensive positions and severely constricted the play.

Almost all of them revolved around the three-second area, executing what seemed like a deceptive zone defense.

There would be plenty of opportunities for outside shots, but undoubtedly, this was a defensive trap by the Pistons, forcing long-distance shots.

The entire Pistons defense was constrictive on the inside and loose on the outside, with backcourt and forward players heavily involved in helping the interior play, backside blocking, and disrupting passes.

As a defensive team, the Detroit Pistons were unique. They had few blocks and steals, even ranking last in the league for steals.

Not because the Pistons couldn’t steal, but because their style was to stick together, not extending their reach or taking defensive risks, yet they had the league’s best defensive rebounding, ranking first in the backcourt.

This set them apart from the Seattle SuperSonics’ aggressive defense; their defense was more passive, but their defensive style was very aggressive.

Their defense involved a lot of minor actions, escalating to more non-basketball moves as the game went deeper. When emotions ran high at the most intense points of the game, all sorts of exaggerated movements would come into play.

If the opponents lost their composure and retaliated, incurring technical fouls or ejections, the game dynamics could tilt in favor.

Put simply, they made it difficult for you to play properly, while the Pistons kept playing their game without issue.

In the first quarter, the Pistons played relatively restrained, and Gan didn’t press aggressively either, but balanced playing one-on-one with creating chances for teammates.

Donaldson was indeed a challenging low-post opponent, tall, heavy, and long-armed, so playing him physically wasn’t a wise strategy.

Moreover, the Pistons’ defense was tight, with quick double-teams and disruptions. Their defensive tactics weren’t as aggressive as the SuperSonics’, but their system was tactically mature, with a clear division of roles.

If Gan Guoyang simply tried to force his way through, the efficiency wouldn’t be too high. After a tentative first quarter, the score was 26:27, with the Trail Blazers leading the Pistons by one point at home.

Gan Guoyang courteously scored 6 points. Both teams seemed to be holding back a bit, leaving both the live audience and the viewers at home feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

"Why haven’t they started fighting yet?"

This was the question on many viewers’ minds.

The first quarter was played too civilly. Lan Bi’er, raise your legs! Melvin Turpin, where’s that energy from when you trampled McHale in the Eastern Finals?

A considerable portion of the fans came for the expected clashes between the two teams. But the tepid performance in the first quarter bored the spectators and fans.

During the break, Gan Guoyang went off the court, with Bill Walton and Jim Paxson coming on as substitutes. On the Pistons side, Chuck Daly brought in Dennis Rodman, Melvin Turpin, and John Salley.

Just looking at the height, the Pistons’ frontcourt was quite formidable. With Donaldson at 7-foot-2, Lan Bi’er and Turpin both at 6-foot-11, as well as Salley at 6-foot-11, the Pistons were able to play such tight group defense because they had so many tall players, each with a wide defensive range.

Especially Salley, who, despite having the height of a center, could freely switch between small forward and power forward positions, a true Spider-Man.

Known defensively as the "Eastern Little Forrest Gump," he is considered a counterpart to Charles Barkley, the offensive "Eastern Little Forrest Gump" – both are extensions of Forrest Gump in the Eastern Conference.

Contrary to what one might think, although the Pistons were known for their small and dirty defensive plays, their defensive pressure was only average across the whole League.

Their defense was not the suffocating type of pressure, but rather a solid fortress feel.

When attacking the Pistons defense, ball handlers didn’t have to worry too much about being suddenly double-teamed and losing the ball, or having someone unexpectedly steal the ball, or being blocked when driving to the basket.

The Pistons’ ability to force turnovers and make steals and blocks was at the lower end or even bottom of the League, further confirming that their defensive model wasn’t aggressive.

But they were very solid. With the likes of Salley and Turpin, they built their defense as tight as a drum, greatly reducing their opponents’ shooting percentage and using rough physical play to intimidate them, making ball handlers hesitant to venture into the paint.

Therefore, the Pistons’ overall defensive efficiency was high, effectively suppressing opponents’ shooting percentages, especially for the interior players who were greatly disturbed.

As the second quarter began, Vinnie Johnson made a breakthrough jump shot. The Pistons then successfully defended against the Blazers’ offense, and took the lead.

In the counterattack, Johnson took another shot that missed, but Salley grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled by Bill Walton during the layup. He made both of his free throws.

The Pistons captured the lead, putting the Trail Blazers at a disadvantage.

In the next defensive play, Turpin used his body to hold off Mychal Thompson. When Paxson tried to cut inside off a pick and roll with Thompson, Turpin suddenly tripped Thompson with a leg sweep, sending him to the ground.

The move was sneaky and was not called as a foul. By the time Paxson’s pass was out, Thompson, lying on the ground, obviously couldn’t catch it, and Turpin stole the ball.

The ball was passed to Johnson, and the Pistons broke away. Turpin rushed to the paint first, received Johnson’s pass, leaped, and dunked with both hands!

Boos filled the stadium, and some agitated fans cursed at the referees, asking if they were blind. Thompson struggled to get up from the floor and re-engage in the offense.

The Pistons went on a 6:0 run against the Blazers, gradually finding their groove and, more importantly, their confidence in defense. They were no longer tense.

The Trail Blazers used clever passing to breach the Pistons’ defense. Bill Walton acted as a pivot at the high post, sending a direct pass down low.

Jerome Kossie received the ball for a layup, and Salley promptly came over to help, raising his arms to block Kossie. Kossie dribbled and nudged Salley to continue his layup.

Dennis Rodman swung his hand from behind, striking Kossie on the head. Kossie crouched down, holding his head in pain.

The referee immediately called the foul on Rodman. Rodman raised his hand with an indifferent look, signaling that stirring trouble and committing fouls were part of his job.

While Rodman was relishing the boos from the crowd, he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his head, and a sense of danger washed over him.

Before he could turn around, a large hand gripped the back of his head, holding him firmly in place. Rodman looked up to see Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang gave the back of his head a harsh shove, like some teachers do when reprimanding a student—not hitting or throwing, but still pushing Rodman several steps backwards.

The young Rodman’s temper flared immediately, and he charged forward wanting to fight with Gan Guoyang, who stood still, waiting for him.

Pistons teammates hurried over to hold back Rodman, as players and referees from both teams converged around them.

Rodman writhed like a worm in the grip of his teammates, while Gan Guoyang stood motionless amid the crowd.

He pointed at Rodman and said, "Don’t rush, Dennis, I have at least four games to play with you."

With that, Gan Guoyang was given a technical foul and slowly made his way back to the bench. He took off his warmup jacket and prepared to enter the game.

The fortification of Portland was about to be deployed.