[{"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-1492":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},1444909,1896,"Chapter 1492 - 7: Smooth","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1492",1492,"\u003Cp>The return of Sabonis and the addition of Chris Mullin instantly provided Larry Bird with two pivots for his ball-handling strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither of them has a career marked by a high number of assists—Sabonis’s best season only had an average of 3.5 assists per game, while Mullin’s was 5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of raw numbers, even the best seasons of both combined don’t match the assist numbers from Gan Guoyang’s season as the assist leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the statistic of assists can be somewhat misleading and deceptive, as an assist essentially is just the final pass before a score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strategy, from initiation to execution and finally conclusion, involves much more than just the last pass. Yet, only the last pass is counted statistically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, in a set offense, the first pass and second pass often play a more critical role than the final pass that results in an assist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first pass determines the trajectory of a tactical play: low post, high post, flank, or center—it plays the decision-making role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second pass embodies tactical adjustments: if the first pass goes low post, does it go back out to connect the inside and outside, switch from strong to weak side, or pass to a cutting player?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a successful team tactical execution, the first two passes must penetrate the opponent’s defensive gaps, establishing a clear tactical path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the first and second passes fail, with most of the time consumed, the failure rate of the tactic will soar, necessitating the test of individual player skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s high assist numbers mainly rely on his strong individual offensive power that attracts defenses and allows him to timely distribute the ball under double-teams, creating opportunities for teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a rule were to be set prohibiting Gan Guoyang from shooting during a game, his assist numbers would surely plummet—similar to Jordan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some players, like Stockton, also pose an offensive threat, but their passing often does not rely on their defensive attraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before an offensive tactic initiates, they quickly think through the next move, decide which tactic to start, and then pass the ball to the right person to initiate the tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other players, like Bird and Pippen, are strong in the first pass and can quickly judge the next trend post-tactic initiation, using the second pass to adjust accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Plan A fails, they can swiftly switch to Plan B, even finding unseen Plan C and D options amidst players, ultimately achieving Plan E with a stroke of genius to help teammates score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This requires more than just accumulated experience and skill training; the critical element is that spark of talent, which cannot be learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Gan Guoyang’s talent, his passing vision at best extends to Plan C—frequent toggling between Plan A and B already reaches the limits of his imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for him personally, with his historically unparalleled offensive power, he doesn’t require so many passing options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many options might actually interfere with his determination to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Trail Blazers’ offense, lacking a primary and secondary passer, their attack inevitably became rigid and monotonous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This weakness was thoroughly exposed in the West Finals, as the Trail Blazers’ offensive schemes were completely deciphered by the Jazz, with Gan Guoyang facing the most terrifying multi-man siege, and others unable to assist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrival of Sabonis and Mullin not only bolstered firepower, defense, and experience but most importantly filled the functional gaps in the Trail Blazers’ tactical system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the halftime break in the locker room, Rick Carlisle again emphasized the key points of the \"Flow Offense,\" including wing movements, baseline shifts, and vertical cuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carlisle wanted to rekindle the Trail Blazers’ Princeton Offense genes. Last season, by the playoffs, the Trail Blazers’ offense could be described as rigid and crude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped his Flow ideal could be realized with the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A team’s offense would no longer rely on fixed tactical patterns, but instead under some basic principles, players would adapt based on defensive conditions and achieve a diverse array of collaborations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bears resemblance to the Triangle Offense, but while the Triangle Offense stresses positioning with strict formation requirements, Flow offers greater freedom and requires players to keep moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this perspective, the Flow Offense is an upgraded version of the Triangle Offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, tactics aren’t inherently superior just because they’re \"upgraded\"; it’s merely an evolution of ideas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the late 1990s, this tactical mindset did not align with the prevailing trends, as the entire NBA was moving towards extreme defensiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 1997 NBA Finals, Jazz vs. Bulls, despite Jazz’s smooth team offense refined over a decade, at critical moments, the go-to move was still isolating for Karl Malone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when the series reached intensely hot phases, isolation with watching became the norm on NBA courts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though isolation is simple, it has a low error rate, a high tolerance for mistakes, and saves role players’ stamina for defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season, Larry Bird allowed Carlisle to boldly attempt this offensive idea, and finally saw progress by the end of the regular season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, come playoffs, as series deepened and opponents grew stronger, more of the Trail Blazers’ offensive resources concentrated towards Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called Flow Offense naturally ceased to flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This new season, Carlisle continues to implement this system, and everyone holds some reservations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Particularly the newly joined veterans, Mullin and Brellock, worry about their adaptability.\u003C\u002Fp>",899,"2026-06-06T01:41:56.527Z",1,"novelbin.me","a8da6c3f7f6f6d0c6c1c25d10d36f2e8d4ad5ca7398bd8db384cb7295c6a5af7","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1493","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1491",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]