During his three years in the NBA, Petrović made significant progress, and he was ready to take it a step further. He even gained Ah Gan’s approval.
The arrival of Ali didn’t mean much to him at first. A rookie teammate, everyone working well together and moving forward was part of Portland’s excellent team culture.
However, during training, Petrović discovered that he had become a stepping stone for Mario Ely to prove his defensive capabilities. Ely would often match up against Petrović in confrontational training.
Since Porter and Lewis were both resting due to injuries, Petrović was the strongest on the Trail Blazers’ remaining perimeter, and Ely couldn’t possibly go one-on-one against Ah Gan, which would only demonstrate his courage but not his ability.
Petrović was inherently a competitive guy, so the two of them often clashed with each other in training, including extra practice after official sessions.
Previously, only Ah Gan and Petrović would be at the Trail Blazers’ training facility, but now, Ely often stayed late to practice open three-point shots.
The various differences and mutual competition created a strange and stiff atmosphere between Petrović and Ely; they seemed to view each other as rivals.
Petrović didn’t tell Beelman about this; he only said he would pay attention next time.
Beelman softened his tone and said, "You know, I’ve always had high expectations for you, very high expectations."
Petrović believed this. When he first came to the Trail Blazers and wasn’t acclimated, Beelman was the one pushing and caring for him.
Ah Gan provided mental support and guidance, but it was Bobby Berman who truly led him to where he is today, offering Petrović direct guidance.
"You may not become Jordan, but you will become Petrović, the NBA’s fastest three-point shooter, the sharpest key weapon, a quick knife to cut through chaos. Ah Gan told me you want to be MVP."
Petrović felt a bit shy but nodded and said yes.
"Bullshit, Ah Gan was teasing you. With him around, you won’t become MVP."
"I want to start with the All-NBA Team. I still have time, and I can still improve."
"Besides, there will be a day when Ah Gan retires, a day when he’s not around..."
Hearing Petrović say this, Beelman lightly kicked him and said, "If Ah Gan’s not here, I won’t live either. You go get the MVP yourself."
Petrović smiled a bit and said he was joking, "Ah Gan will be here, and I’ll always follow, competing with him and aiming to surpass him."
Seeing the silly enthusiasm of Petrović, Beelman thought this guy is already 28 years old but is still like a kid immersed in a basketball dream, just like when he first came to Portland in 1989. It’s truly rare.
The Trail Blazers, with a three-game winning start, faced their first away game in the fourth match, heading to Oakland to challenge the Golden State Warriors.
Among the team’s four starters, Jerome Kossie’s patellar tendinitis had improved, and he requested to stay with the team in California for the away game.
After analyzing his health status, the team doctor thought he could go, but Beelman put Kossie on the observation list, possibly allowing him to play as a substitute.
Beelman wanted to continue evaluating Mario Ely. Through data analysis, he found that the Trail Blazers had an impressive net score when Ely was on the court.
In this aspect, he was second only to Ah Gan on the Trail Blazers, indicating that Ely could positively impact the team on the court.
Of course, the sample data is too small, and Beelman hopes to gather more samples to validate his data model and vision.
The game against the Warriors will be a considerable test for Ely and the Trail Blazers’ perimeter defense, as the Warriors’ wings and guards have strong offensive power.
Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, and this year’s rookie, Ratelle Sprewell, are all part of the new-style backcourt of the ’90s.
Fast, explosive, precise shooting, excellent ball-handling, and great flexibility on the offensive end.
Even Gan Guoyang had to admit that after entering the ’90s, as an interior player skilled in outside swarming defense, the difficulty of defending had significantly increased compared to the ’80s.
The technical level and offensive options of these wings and guards have become stronger and more tricky, posing greater challenges for the protectors of the Three Second Zone.
Outstanding wing defenders are becoming increasingly indispensable for every team, like Larry Bird’s "position three sieve", luckily retired early.
Otherwise, Larry’s white behind would surely have been kicked to pieces.