The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 629 - 24 Best Friends_3

The Bullets no longer played their "flesh-grinding" style of 1988, which was too taxing for the players, and nobody wanted to keep playing that way.

Basketball, essentially, is an offensive game, and while defense is important, players find it easier to put their energy into offense.

Most people play to find ways to get the ball into the basket, and simply scoring more than the opponent is enough.

Few find pleasure solely in playing defense and preventing the opponent from scoring.

Maybe a player or two would feel that way, but it’s difficult for an entire team.

In a particular series or during the playoffs, a team could devote all their energy to defense.

But over time, they still need offense, as scoring provides a positive motivation.

Professional players need scoring stats to negotiate big contracts; no one wants to be a workhorse forever.

Thus, the Bullets transitioned from a defensive team to one with balanced offense and defense, revolving entirely around Charles Barkley, supported by Bernard King, Moncrief, John Williams, and Donaldson, making the team stronger overall than in 1988.

Tonight’s game saw Mychal Thompson absent due to knee soreness, not making the big roster.

Sabonis made his first start for the Trail Blazers.

In just five games, Sabonis had already earned Bobby Berman’s trust.

He was indeed a talented center with excellent physical attributes—height, strength, wingspan, flexibility—all top-notch in the NBA, making him a very reliable giant in the three-second zone.

Before the game started, Barkley, standing in front of Sabonis, looked up and said, "Fuck, you’re so tall... Hey! How’s the air up there? Too thin, having any trouble breathing?"

Gan Guoyang said from the side, "You’d better speak Russian."

Barkley shouted, "Ura!"

Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "Charles, do you know what Sabonis starting means?"

Barkley replied, "It means your starting lineup is the tallest in the league."

"Wrong, it means I get to go one-on-one with you all game."

Barkley made a disdainful face and said, "I’m not afraid of you, Sonny, not at all."

While Barkley said that, he turned his back to Guoyang, took a deep breath, and exhaled long.

For Barkley, facing Guoyang one-on-one in a game was always a tough problem.

His strengths were completely overshadowed by Guoyang, and his weaknesses magnified.

During summer training together, Barkley had asked Guoyang for advice on how he should handle himself.

Guoyang’s suggestion was, "Reincarnate, start over. I have a funeral home, I’ll give you a 60% discount."

The number of "fucks" Barkley had thrown at Guoyang could fill an Oxford dictionary.

Of course, joking aside, Guoyang still advised Barkley to enhance his perimeter shooting abilities.

Especially the three-pointer.

So, Barkley practiced his long shots like crazy during the summer.

Last season, Barkley’s attempts at three-pointers averaged 2.1 per game.

The hit rate was lamentable, only 28%.

This season, in the first five games, Barkley’s three-point attempts rose to 2.6 per game.

Out of 13 three-point shots, he made 5, a significant improvement in accuracy.

Of course, the season was long, and many players start with amazing accuracy but deteriorate as the season progresses, fluctuating wildly.

Starting Sabonis indeed freed Guoyang from the heavy duties of the center.

From 85-87, playing as a center was relatively easy for Guoyang, not as demanding.

Because the Trail Blazers had rich resources on the wings, Thompson was in his prime, Drexler was half a forward and even better than most league forwards, and Vandeweghe was also fiery.

Now, as the Trail Blazers’ frontline dwindled, Kossie was just enough, transitioning the team to a center-guard setup.

Most of the heavy responsibilities of a forward fell to Guoyang, and then he also had to shoulder the center’s burdens.

With Sabonis starting, Guoyang completely moved to the power forward position, sometimes not having to manage the three-second zone affairs, as Sabonis was quite reliable.

However, in tonight’s game, Guoyang was in average form, facing Barkley one-on-one at the start, missing several consecutive shots.

On the other hand, Barkley made two three-pointers in the first quarter, helping the Bullets lead 31:26, a 5-point advantage at the end of the quarter.

Barkley was quite pleased, Guoyang had performed poorly in the first quarter, making only 4 points from 5 attempts, without a single free throw.

Guoyang, however, didn’t fuss over Barkley, knowing he just had an off night, a common occurrence each season.

In the second quarter, Berman told Guoyang, "You’re not in good form, take a longer rest on the bench."

Thus, as the second quarter began, Berman brought on Divac, Petrović, teaming up Divac with Cliff-Robinson and Mark Bryant.

Divac played his most spectacular quarter since arriving in the NBA.

He showcased the comprehensive, slick capabilities of a Yugoslavian center.

Defensively, he consecutively blocked shots, then helped his teammates launch counterattacks.

Offensively, he could play with his back to the basket while not confining himself underneath it.

He often drifted beyond the three-point line, ensuring the Trail Blazers’ offensive space remained unaffected.

Additionally, he could catch passes from the guards and drive directly to attack the basket.

Sabonis could do this too, and Guoyang perfected it.