[{"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-780":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},1444197,1896,"Chapter 780 - 17 Breaking a Sweat_2","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-780",780,"\u003Cp>From his height and physique, he is more suited to the power forward position, and pushing him to play as center is truly out of necessity; the Suns had no better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In regular-season and playoff games against other teams, Mark West was sufficient, but when facing the Trail Blazers, Mark West alone could not support the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was Ah Gan or Sabonis, when they strongly attacked the Suns’ inside position in the low post, Mark West’s back defense was insufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang initiated the low post power mode along with Sabonis at the beginning of the third quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two took turns attacking the Suns’ tough but shorter inside players from the elbow and flank positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Charles Barkley had no choice but to forcefully withstand Sabonis in the low post, and then was beaten by a turn-around hook shot that made him unable to even jump, the frustration was evident on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mark West was even less able to resist Ah Gan’s heavy blows in the low post; after returning to the center position, Gan Guoyang increased the frequency of his low-post attacks, choosing not to settle for mid-range shots as much as he had last season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each season has its changes; after implementing the Princeton system, the proportion of mid-range shots has declined across the Trail Blazers team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Efficient three-pointers and under-the-basket attacks are better options, with mid-range shots appearing only at critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, the Trail Blazers have such high scores this season, and their offensive efficiency is gradually reaching historical peaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the increase in three-pointers also brings instability, and with the unfamiliarity of the Princeton system, the Trail Blazers have experienced more offensive breakdowns than last season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third quarter, relying on low-post attacks to regain a 12-point lead, the Trail Blazers immediately fell into a scoring drought lasting 3 minutes — several outside shots missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns quickly seized the opportunity to catch up, with Eddie Johnson and Danny Ainge consecutively making shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering the second lineup rotation, the Trail Blazers’ defensive intensity slid further, engaging in a scoring battle with the Suns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The score of both sides alternately increased, and Bobby Berman for the first time this season substituted Antonio Davis into the inner line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Davis committed fouls immediately after coming on, granting the Suns free throw opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midway through the third quarter, the Suns slowly caught up with the score again—they are quite resilient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman was very patient, giving Antonio Davis 5 minutes of playtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his continuous mistakes after coming on, missing defensive assignments, committing fouls that led to free throws, and making offensive positioning errors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These caused the Suns to close the gap to just a 3-point difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Beelman call a timeout and let Antonio Davis sit out for a break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After coming off the court, Davis kept drinking water and apologized to Beelman, saying he performed too poorly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman did not blame Davis, saying: \"You perform well in training, but you need to bring that performance from training into the games, always be ready!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Antonio Davis nodded, he had not expected to be suddenly put into the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Anthony Mason being taken away by the Heat, Antonio Davis became the new muscle man of the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of talent, Antonio Davis is more outstanding than Mason, taller, more agile, and has good blue-collar potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Ed Pinkney, who was traded from the Celtics, Pinkney leans towards offense, while Davis leans towards defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He has a good sense of rebound, is strong, young, and energetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 80s, the Trail Blazers’ biggest trouble each offseason was finding a suitable backup for Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 90s, with the arrival of Sabonis and the formation of the Twin Towers, the need for a backup was less pressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the management and Beelman are most concerned with developing a third option in the interior line to replace Mychal Thompson, who could retire at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thompson is already 36 years old, and he discussed with the management this summer that he is very likely to retire after this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from a few games at the start of the season, Thompson’s performance was still passable, but as the season progressed, fatigue and injuries accumulated, and his form was increasingly getting worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season he could still consistently contribute 10 points and 6 rebounds per game, but this season, his scoring has been hard to hit double digits, and his rebounding capability has significantly declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With five Championship Rings in hand, Mychal Thompson’s career has no regrets, and his life is fulfilling; he married a beautiful wife, and in February this year, their second son was born, named Klay Thompson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a strong team like the Suns, letting young players play for 5 minutes is more meaningful and effective than playing 10 minutes of garbage time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Beelman said, role players must always be ready, so when the opportunity arises, you can seize it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the score was closely contested, the Trail Blazers still held the initiative on the court; after the timeout, Sabonis returned to the court and immediately hit a three-pointer from Gan Guoyang’s pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 5-point difference stabilized the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, the cooperation between Sabonis and Gan Guoyang has increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season, Sabonis was more like a supportive blue-collar player by Gan Guoyang’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, with the implementation of the Princeton Offense, Sabonis is increasingly resembling a tactical core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns are still persistently catching up, playing tremendously tough, clinging to the score, and looking for opportunities to turn the game around or clinch a victory.\u003C\u002Fp>",950,"2026-06-06T01:41:38.168Z",1,"novelbin.me","f14362c851b1a1c72fb3cba5930b44c048f9b43d8e2a5ec60445a305a313dd47","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-781","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-779",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]