The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 511 - 14 Iโm Not Investing Anymore
"Donโt worry about where it comes from, are you in or not? Next time, weโll bet on dunks."
"I...Iโm in, Iโll put down 20 US dollars!" ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐ธ๐ซ๐ฎ๐.๐๐๐ถ
Drexler had never figured out where Gan Guoyang got those buckets he always brought out.
But Drexler still generously took out 20 US dollars and joined the betting game.
To players, money isnโt important. A few dozen or a hundred dollars is just petty cash, just a little extra fun for the game.
Drexler had his own ulterior motive for joining these betting games, as it was the only opportunity to "oppose" Gan Guoyang.
Normally, no one on the Trail Blazers could oppose Ah Gan, as it had already been proven that opposing him didnโt lead to anything good.
Only in such small betting games could you stand against Ah GanโHe chooses high, you go low; he picks low, you stand high.
It gave Drexler a psychological thrill, as if he could challenge Gan Guoyang.
This psychological suggestion was important to Drexler.
He was a proud man, but now he found that not only was he drifting further away from Ah Gan, but even the gap with Jordan was growing wider.
This trip to the Eastern Conference included a stop in Chicago.
The media had already started hyping the new seasonโs "Gan vs. Jordan" storyline.
As for Drexler, he had been forgotten in a corner.
He was just a supporting player at the same position as Jordan, similar to Jordanโs sidekick Oakley.
But Drexler wasnโt Oakley; he had the potential to be a superstar.
With Gan Guoyang around, Drexler knew he would always be a supporting player.
He could only counter Gan Guoyang in these betting game stakes.
Gan Guoyang seemed to sense Drexlerโs emotions.
For example, in the finals, Gan asked Drexler, "Do you want to win FMVP?" which gave Drexler quite a shock.
Gan Guoyang gathered up the money-filled bucket and stashed it in his locker.
He put his arm around Drexler and said, "Clyde, how about next time we bet on who scores more points?"
Drexler gave a wry smile and said, "Thatโs just giving you money."
"What about assists then?"
"The ball is in your court."
"Do you want it? I can share some with you."
Drexler didnโt say anything else. He always felt like Gan Guoyang could see right through him, and the feeling made him break out in a cold sweat.
However, since December, Gan Guoyang had indeed shared some of the ball-handling responsibilities with Drexler.
His average points per game fell from the peak of the last seasonโs 38 to an average of 31 points.
Most of those 7 points went to Drexler, who improved his average to 24 points per game and contributed 5 rebounds and 5 assists, which put him into the leagueโs top-tier of stars.
The teamโs lineup and tactical arrangements gradually developed a dual-core, inside-out driving mode.
Their pick-and-roll plays were quite powerful.
But no one thought of this as the Ah Gan-Drexler team.
The Trail Blazers were Gan Guoyangโs team.
Tonightโs game started at seven oโclock, and the stadium had a good turnout.
For some Eastern teams, Jordan and Ah Gan were like gods of wealth. Their games always sold tickets.
By his fourth year in the league, Gan Guoyang had witnessed the transformation of the Cavaliers.
Before Lenny Wilkens took over, the Cavaliers had been in disarray for a long time.
From 1980 to 1986, in a span of six seasons, the Cavaliers changed coaches eight times, with one coach even making a second roundโleaving and then coming back.
The arrival of Lenny Wilkens ended such chaos, and the Cavaliers gradually got back on track.
In the summer of 1986, the Cavaliers underwent a management change, and Wayne Embry was appointed as the new general manager of the team.
He had played for the Cincinnati Royals and worked with Oscar Robertson.
Later, he became Bill Russellโs backup for two years on the Celtics, proving to be a very savvy black manager (Russellโs backups had a knack for managing and coaching).
In the 1986 draft, Wayne Embry used the No. 1 pick to select Daugherty and also picked promising rookies such as Ron Harper, Mark Price, and Johnny Newman.
In 1985, they picked the exceptionally talented forward John Williams, but he was banned from play for a year due to a game-fixing scandal and officially returned to the game last year.
At the โ87 draft, they picked Kevin Johnson.
This Cavaliers team is young and full of talent, led by a coach with a strong will and rich experience, and naturally its fighting power is stronger than the past chaos.
Currently, their record is 12 wins and 12 losses, a 50% winning rate, which is already enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Even if it werenโt for Ah Gan and Jordanโs visit, the attendance at Richfield Coliseum wouldnโt be bad, and it wouldnโt be called "the worldโs largest graveyard" anymore.
Jack Ramsay still remembers the past when visiting Cleveland to play, during the game you could hear the echo of the ball hitting the floor.
Of course, when compared to the Portland Trail Blazers, the difference in strength is apparent.
Gan Guoyangโs pre-game blocking bet was actually to take advantage of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The reason for bringing up blocks was that the Trail Blazersโ defensive efficiency had notably declined recently.
When a team is deteriorating, its defense collapses faster than its offense.
A championship-caliber team often begins to falter by having problems with their defense.
Last season, the Trail Blazers often kept their opponentโs scores around or below 100 points.
This season, opponents scoring over 100 has become easy, and games where they score 110 are increasing.
The Lakers even scored over 140 points on them, indicating that the playersโ defensive determination is slipping away.
This is an unsolvable problem because defense is exhausting and doesnโt offer much in terms of statistics, which role players need.
With such a long season, not every player can maintain relentless defensive enthusiasm like Gan Guoyang.
Even Guoyang gets tired, distracted, and lets down in some games.
By the end of December, Guoyang felt it necessary to tighten up the team and wind up the defense.
Make a push for a good record in December and January, then loosen up appropriately before the All-Star game, rest well during the All-Star break, and gradually enter the playoff state after it.
After playing for several years, Guoyang has gained experience.
During the lengthy regular season, rhythm is important. Seizing the right moments to push for victories and when to adjust ensures the best form for the playoffs.
Pushing too hard in the beginning can lead to running out of steam, and poor early results can lead to desperate catch-up efforts, which can spell a lack of energy reserves and declining form in the playoffs.
Only by managing load properly can a team fully gather energy.
With Christmas over, now itโs time to draw the bow and shoot.
The Cavaliersโ starting lineup is Daugherty, Price, John Williams, Tyrone Corbin, and Craig Ehlo.
This lineup, like Lenny Wilkensโ coaching style, is stable and traditional.
A 7-foot center, a 6-foot-11 power forward, a 6-foot-6 small forward, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, plus a white point guard of shorter stature.
Kevin Johnson is backing up Price, sitting on the bench.
When Daugherty stood at center court to jump ball with Gan Guoyang, Guoyang turned to Daugherty and said, "Brad, you know youโre going to shoot more tonight?"
Scratching his ear, Daugherty asked, "Why?"
"Iโve made a bet tonight to rack up blocks; you could help out."
Daugherty felt choked up, โBig bro, donโt play me like that!โ
During the summers of โ86 and โ87, Guoyang and Daugherty had both attended Newellโs Big-man training camp and had developed a private friendship.
Daugherty, much like Joe Barry Carroll, wasnโt overly passionate about basketball; certainly, he was no basketball fanatic like Guoyang.
While Carroll was such due to his personality, Daughertyโs reason was that his favorite sport was not basketball but auto racing.
He was born into a family that loved racing, and his childhood dream was to become a race car driver.
But his height made it impossible, forcing him to switch to basketball, where he unintentionally became the NBAโs top draft pick.
Daugherty, having trained with Guoyang, knew just how terrifying Ah Gan could be, more frightening than even Kermit Washington.
If he said heโs going to block your shots, then you need to be extra careful with every shot you take today.
So Daugherty made a decision: Iโm not shooting today; Iโm passing the ball.
