Chapter 875 - 49: Cushion

Barkley is not an opponent that can be casually dismissed.

Although Gan Guoyang surpasses Barkley in physical ability and technique in every aspect, basketball has always been a sport where the underdog can prevail against the stronger opponent.

In sports, when physical prowess and skill reach a certain level, in-game performance and willpower often become the deciding factors.

The malleability of willpower is incredibly high—weakness and strength often hinge on a single thought. Once a player musters the courage and fighting spirit, they can unleash incredible energy.

Compared to the 1988 Finals, Charles Barkley’s greatest growth has not been in his techniques but in his competitive spirit and willpower.

In countless disadvantageous confrontations against Gan Guoyang, Barkley honed his mental strength. After repeated failures and losses, he rose again and resolved to defeat Ah Gan.

This is why he chose to be traded to the Western Conference, to Phoenix, which shares the Pacific Division with the Portland Trail Blazers. He does not fear competition with top teams like the Trail Blazers and Lakers.

This year’s MVP rankings place Charles Barkley third, right behind Jordan and Gan Guoyang. He is only one step away from those two monsters ahead of him.

Of course, his unrestrained lifestyle off the court has held him back, preventing him from committing himself to basketball as entirely as Ah Gan has.

This has limited Barkley’s ceiling. Take a look at his three-point shooting percentage, which is below 30%. Gan Guoyang has warned him more than once, "You need to practice your three-pointers obsessively, not just stop when it feels good enough."

In truth, Barkley has already tried his best. You can tell from his physique. Back when he was with the Bullets, he still had a bit of baby fat, with a round head and body, and his muscle definition was concealed under layers of fat.

After joining the Suns, Barkley’s body fat percentage has significantly reduced. His muscle definition is much clearer, and his shoulders are like iron hammers—solid and strong enough to participate in the most intense battles in the paint.

His height is a disadvantage, but at times it’s also an advantage, making him more mobile and enabling quicker turns and ball handling. He can attack with the ball like a guard.

In the second game against the Trail Blazers, Barkley pulled out all the stops, using precise mid-range shots and varied driving routes to engage in a head-to-head battle with Gan Guoyang on both ends of the court.

Barkley’s greatest contribution in this game wasn’t just scoring the team-high, but also entangling Ah Gan. The two battled fiercely, leaving Gan Guoyang unable to dedicate more energy to supporting his teammates.

The Suns have already sensed an opportunity for victory. Though the Trail Blazers’ lineup is deep, they have a seemingly small but potentially fatal flaw: they lack a true second-in-command.

Sabonis is theoretically the second tactical core, but he is not the team’s true second man. Porter, Kossie, and even Curry all outrank him in seniority.

Moreover, Sabonis is not the type who craves the spotlight. He silently plays his role, makes his contributions, and has no ambition to be the number two player.

Though he and Ah Gan form the de facto Twin Towers, from the outside, the Trail Blazers have always been seen as Ah Gan’s one-man team, not a so-called dual-core team.

Terry Porter has the qualifications and abilities to be the second-in-command, but he lacks star power and has a similarly low-key personality that doesn’t draw attention.

For years, he has diligently worked in Ah Gan’s shadow, assisting him. Even when he once had conflicts with Drexler, he never aspired to be the team’s second-in-command.

Reggie Lewis has the potential to become the team’s number two. His salary is second only to Gan Guoyang’s on the team, and he was once the primary player the Celtics aimed to develop.

However, his experience is too limited. This is his first season with the Trail Blazers, and prior to this, he had never been selected as an All-Star. Since arriving in Portland, his role has been mostly supportive, with much of his energy focused on defense.

Players like Petrović and Kossie are capable of handling things on their own but lack the ambition or mindset to be second-in-command material.

It’s safe to say that ever since Drexler’s departure, the Trail Blazers’ second-in-command seat has been vacant—no one has taken it, and no one seems to want it.

Ah Gan is full of energy and striking charisma. The team’s strategies and operations revolve around him, with everyone else on equal footing. There seems to be no need to designate a second figurehead.

However, the advantage of having a second-in-command is that when the primary leader encounters problems, the team has a backup anchor. They can leverage the attention on the primary leader to execute stable offensive and defensive plays.

In the first three-peat era, Drexler often filled this role. When Gan Guoyang was sidelined for various reasons or faced heavy targeting, Drexler would step up to secure the win.

From this perspective, Drexler’s contributions have been underrated. His presence gave the Trail Blazers a secondary brain and a critical backup.

The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns both have such backups—Scottie Pippen and Kevin Johnson are outstanding playmakers.

But for the Trail Blazers, the function of a second brain is scattered among the other players—each contributes a little, but none contribute significantly.

This has planted a small yet potential hidden danger in the Trail Blazers’ system.

Most of the time, this issue doesn’t arise because Gan Guoyang is extremely consistent.

Moreover, the other players are not fools; if Ah Gan is heavily targeted, they will naturally execute an alternative set of tactics to attack.

However, the playoffs are different from the regular season. The playoffs are an intense competition with significant pressure and very high defensive intensity.

If the team falls into a rut and lacks a stable secondary option to transition the ball and cooperate with Ah Gan, the Trail Blazers could find themselves in trouble.