[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-golden-age-of-basketball":3,"chapter-the-golden-age-of-basketball-the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1315":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Golden Age of Basketball",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1444698,1896,"Chapter 1315 - 15: Quitting Gambling_3","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1315",1315,"\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had no mood to toy with Rivers at this moment; he could gauge the opponent’s prowess in just a couple of rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a somewhat capable, but overall mediocre big white center on the inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Gan Guoyang’s basketball career, this kind of center posed the least threat to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From college to the NBA, he doesn’t know how many big white centers of this type he has crushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He has literally wiped out the market value and draft prospects of many big white centers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rivers being selected sixth was simply because the Grizzlies had no one else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A newly established team with nothing to lose just grabbed an inside player from a Final Four team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was observing his teammates’ positions, directing their moves at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grizzlies’ defense wasn’t fancy; it was just one-on-one man marking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang instructed PJ Brown to cut inside, then saw Riddle run to the baseline, overlapping with PJ’s movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon Magee hesitated at a 45-degree angle, unsure of what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang wanted to pass the ball but found no good passing opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Porter was squatting at the top of the arc after passing the ball to Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang passed the ball back to Porter, who feigned a breakthrough and then distributed the ball to the cutting Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang used a fake move to shake off Rivers; by this time, even the dense Grizzlies players knew to come over for a double-team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three formed a surround, forcing Gan Guoyang to the baseline, leaving him with no choice but to pass again to cutting Porter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porter went for a layup but was blocked by Rashim, with the Grizzlies completing a solid defensive play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ultimately, it was the Trail Blazers’ offensive play that was too poor, with their positioning completely failing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong side held the ball, the weak side didn’t produce any corresponding tactics, and the players’ tacit understanding and state didn’t emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no time for extensive communication, the Grizzlies launched a counterattack, prompting Gan Guoyang to swiftly run back to guard the three-second zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first rushed out to interfere with Greg Anthony’s breakthrough, followed by a big block to swat away Rashim’s shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gaining control of the ball, Gan Guoyang dribbled past the midcourt himself, thinking and observing the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After experiencing the excitement of two spectacular opening dunks, the real issue materialized: the Trail Blazers needed a stable offensive and defensive routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The regular season and preseason are markedly different; in the preseason, one can play freely, relying on experience and feeling for freeform play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the regular season, the objective is not only to win, but also for good teams to find their rhythm and cultivate tacit understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the starting five, Porter was a seasoned veteran, rich in experience, yet his overall capability was greatly diminished, unable to carry the offensive burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PJ Brown was a typical defensive role player, akin to Mychal Thompson by Gan Guoyang’s side back then, making him a reliable supporting power forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet compared to Mychal Thompson, his offensive talent and potential were much weaker, with second-chance opportunities and easy shots being his main scoring means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, his shooting percentage under the basket was not very high, failing to hit 45% for two-point shots as an inside player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, it wasn’t worth designing offensive tactics for him, nor expecting him to handle portions of ball possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang, as the other inside player, would have to shoulder an increasingly greater offensive load.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the outside, Alon Magee had average offensive potential, whereas Riddle, with a lone wolf style, liked to post up for the ball as a shooting guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the game, Bird outlined one requirement during the offensive setup: everyone should leverage their specialties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang said, \"What if I specialize in every aspect?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird replied, \"Those who are capable do more, so you should handle every aspect. It’d be best if you could even coach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Gan Guoyang gestured to Riddle, signaling him to post up on the right side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That UNLV punk Riddle quickly became a good kid after coming to the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warning that Gan Guoyang issued was just one facet; on another, Gan Guoyang would lead teammates to attend events, endorsing Portland’s brands and stores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time, Riddle had a share, earning quite a bit of money from it, allowing Riddle to quickly taste the benefits of being Ah Gan’s teammate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone else gained benefits too, like Little O’neal getting a new car, Chris Dudley being introduced to Oregon’s big shots in the political circles, and the media’s criticism and attacks on Van Exel disappearing entirely in September and October.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just verbal warnings and threats wouldn’t be enough to manage being a boss successfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ah Gan’s gesture, Riddle promptly went to the right low post, and Gan Guoyang’s pass reached smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite Riddle’s bad temperament, his skills and physicality were indisputable; he was very robust, with broad shoulders and excellent physical elasticity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defending him, Anthony Piller was slender and couldn’t withstand Riddle’s back impact; Riddle spun and charged inside, laying the ball in successfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scoring, Riddle high-fived Gan Guoyang, and the Trail Blazers quickly acquired the lead in the first quarter, leading 31 to 25 at the end of the quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers had no major issues offensively, easily piercing through the feeble Grizzlies defense relying purely on individual ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they also had multiple problems defensively, letting a team as weak as the Grizzlies score 25 points in the first quarter, quite a bit indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang fully showcased his versatility in the first quarter, scoring 10 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, providing 4 assists, plus one block—there was nothing he couldn’t do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the break, Bird expressed discontent with the team’s defense, but he restrained himself from yelling at the players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a player, he most despised coaches shouting at players, yet upon becoming a coach himself, he found it really difficult not to yell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At various intervals and stretches, especially defensively, Bird’s shouts would almost leap out, yet he suppressed them in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only satisfaction was Gan Guoyang, whose performance remained perfect, not missing a single shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As much as he disliked him as a player, he adored him as a coach, Bird hardly wanted Gan to be benched for a rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were still in the period of adjustment, needing a flag-bearer and leader like him on the court, his ball control reassuring everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gan Guoyang was dissatisfied with Bird, saying, \"Are you a coach or just someone who came in without a ticket? I didn’t even hear you shout!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird replied, \"I said I hate shouting, I try not to shout at you guys.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must shout! If you don’t, I’ll think you’re not seriously invested.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m invested alright, but I’m not Beelman, I don’t want to curse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just wait, Larry, I bet you’ll shout later, maybe even tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t believe it, I can’t guarantee later games, but tonight I’ll stay composed, bet 20 US Dollars.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem, remember, Larry, you already owe me 20.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, after coaching the Trail Blazers for three seasons, Bird completely quit gambling.\u003C\u002Fp>",1207,"2026-06-06T01:41:52.877Z",1,"novelbin.me","97ce5d932727d585a0b225a2c6a0eda5c3f2274a27eea69c3068c1f46180a557","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1167","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1166",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]