Chapter 775 - 15 The Strongest Rival in the Western Conference_3

The Suns’ starting lineup: Charles Barkley, Mark West, Kevin Johnson, Eddie Johnson, and Danny Ainge.

The Trail Blazers still go with Sabonis, Gan Guoyang, Kossie, Reggie Lewis, and Terry Porter.

Different than before, Gan Guoyang is at center court for the jump ball, which means he’s returned to the center position.

This change causes Charles Barkley to light up, thinking to himself, "Ah Gan’s back at the five spot? Does that mean Sabonis is guarding me?"

Barkley guessed right; the task of guarding Barkley has indeed fallen to Sabonis, with Gan Guoyang returning to the five spot mainly to hold down the three-second zone.

This is a major defensive change for the Trail Blazers; Bobby Berman no longer requires Gan Guoyang to undertake the heavy task of sweeping the middle.

At the beginning of the game, Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned around, and made a strong attack on Mark West, easily pressing to the basket for a hook shot that went in.

This was no Princeton Offense, but a classic case of "spread out, I’ll go one-on-one."

Barkley utilized his footwork and shooting range, pulling out to the wing and attacking Sabonis with mid-range shots.

While Sabonis may be tall, his steps aren’t slow; he could just about keep up with Barkley and then use his height and arm span to interfere.

Barkley’s initial attempts were unsuccessful, and then Gan Guoyang received a pass from Sabonis on the baseline, turned around, and hit a jump shot.

When Barkley tried to power through to the basket, Sabonis let him get a body position ahead, and Barkley’s layup was rejected by Gan Guoyang.

Just two rounds in, the difference between Barkley and Ah Gan was apparent: in terms of one-on-one play, Barkley was still no match for the league’s top player.

The sport of the NBA (not the sport of basketball), especially since David Stern took charge, ultimately comes down to the star players’ one-on-one abilities.

The League’s rule-making encourages one-on-one play, encouraging players to solve problems with individual talent, a trend of commercialization.

Whoever has the best one-on-one player in the world has a greater chance of winning the championship.

Ah Gan has proven this point with four championships.

Princeton is a great system, but like the Triangle Offense, its purpose isn’t to eliminate one-on-ones but to make Ah Gan’s key moments in one-on-one play more relaxed, with more energy and more options.

In the third possession, Gan Guoyang received the ball at the elbow, faked a shot, and then made a swift turn to create a bit of distance from Mark West.

Eddie Johnson on the wing thought Gan Guoyang was going to shoot and came over to interfere, but Gan Guoyang just faked it, suddenly dribbling under for a cut to the basket.

Facing Charles Barkley’s help defense, Gan Guoyang leapt high, dunking the ball over Barkley!

Barkley was knocked down by Ah Gan’s massive impact, then the referee whistled, calling a blocking foul on Barkley.

Barkley got up and complained to the referee, while Gan Guoyang pulled Barkley aside and said, "Don’t struggle, Charles, this is Portland. And your flopping really isn’t up to par. Just focus on playing the game."

"Why do you always have to be so ruthless, Sonny!"

"History is simply the victory of the ruthless over the brainless, Charles."

Gan Guoyang made the additional free throw, scoring a 7:0 run by himself against the Suns.

Suns head coach Fitzsimmons shook his head; Ah Gan was still an uncontrollable factor.

Allowing him to get into such a good rhythm at the start of the game, how is this match to be played?

The Suns called a timeout, quickly adjusting their defensive strategy.

Eddie Johnson dedicated himself to double-teaming Ah Gan, leaving Kossie open.

And then... there’s no and then; the Suns’ defensive adjustment was quite simple: when someone can’t handle a one-on-one, they double-team.

The rest is all about offense, to outscore the opponent, which is the Suns’ type of offensive team’s winning principle.

After the timeout, Barkley didn’t lose faith and continued his attack, this time choosing to work a pick-and-roll with Kevin Johnson.

This was a good choice; Barkley set the screen and then flared out to the three-point line, receiving Kevin Johnson’s pass and hitting a three-pointer!

After scoring, Barkley flexed his muscles at Gan Guoyang and said, "You taught me that!"

Long ago, Gan Guoyang had advised Barkley to improve his three-point shooting level.

For an interior player with Barkley’s height, lacking precise long-range shooting would be a disadvantage in the future.

Barkley listened, practiced, and shot, but his three-point shooting percentage has always hovered around 30%, which isn’t that impressive.

So far this season, Barkley’s three-point shooting percentage has reached a career high: 33%, making one out of three, which is already his best level.

Then, Sabonis passed the ball to Kossie for a layup underneath, which Barkley, coming over to help, got a block!

Barkley thought to himself, if I can’t bully Ah Gan, can’t I bully you?

Kevin Johnson took possession and initiated a fast break, Barkley received the ball in the middle, drove in, then passed to the wing, where Eddie Johnson in the corner took a three-point shot and scored!

Two three-pointers, and the gap was quickly reduced to just 1 point; the power of the three-pointer is mesmerizing.

Ever since Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers started shooting three-pointers and achieved a series of successes, three-point shooting became the norm for all teams.

This play showcased what made Charles Barkley different from Tom Chambers.

Barkley had stronger passing and playmaking abilities; his functions were more comprehensive, making him a true tactical core, not just a simple scorer or rebounder.

It’s foreseeable that this year, Barkley and the Suns are definitely the strongest Western Conference opponents on the path to the Trail Blazers’ title defense.