Gan Guoyang was smooth in receiving the ball and attacking from his sweet spots, whether at the low post, the top of the arc, or the mid-range on the baseline.
In such a situation, he couldn’t be polite and started aggressively attacking from the first quarter.
With Sabonis’ return, the defensive and organizational pressure on Gan Guoyang was greatly reduced.
He could freely showcase his amazing offensive skills in front of his old man.
His signature Moon-hook, heel-turning forward-leaning jump shot, one after another.
Also the driving from the perimeter, changing direction for a dunk in transition, three-point shots from the top of the arc, and so on.
He is undoubtedly the offensive kaleidoscope of the current NBA, mastering various technical skills.
Some offensive skills are not mainstream in today’s NBA, and not many people use them.
But Gan Guoyang uses them skillfully, like the step-back jumper; his Vandeweghe step has surpassed Vandeweghe himself.
Some offensive skills are too outdated and seem to be getting phased out by the league.
Yet Gan Guoyang still uses them well, such as the sky hook, reminiscent of Sky Hook’s past glory.
The Warriors, who were weak inside and had no defensive layers, became a good opponent for Gan Guoyang to ’pad his stats’ once again.
points, 18 rebounds, plus 8 assists—Gan Guoyang delivered another super game.
Spree was completely convinced this time and could only stand by and watch Gan Guoyang’s performance as the game turned into garbage time.
Gan Guoyang not only scored high but also had an impressive shooting percentage.
The whole game was played beautifully, with dominating offense and defense.
After the game, Gan Guoyang unusually embraced his father on the sidelines.
Gan Youwei rarely expresses his love for his son in public like American parents do.
This time, however, he was very proactive and generous, even letting reporters take a photo for them as a keepsake.
The fans at the Rose Garden Arena erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Even Tang Jianguo, who rarely appeared in Portland this season, stood up to cheer for Ah Gan and his father.
At this moment, Tang Jianguo might be feeling some regret—how could he not bolster the Trail Blazers with reinforcements with Ah Gan in such great form?
Looking at the current Trail Blazers bench, after everyone returned, only Petrović, Curry, and Ali were actually usable.
The ten-man Trail Blazers have been reduced to an eight-man rotation.
The regular season can still be managed, but what about the playoffs? The finals?
But at this time, Jerry West finds it very difficult to strengthen the Trail Blazers.
The free agent signing window has already passed.
For trades, the Trail Blazers really don’t have many good chips.
PJ Brown, Davis, these kinds could make some name for themselves in the Trail Blazers.
But without Ah Gan’s guidance and protection, they can’t get playtime in other teams.
To truly make a name for themselves, they’ll at least need to go through two to three more seasons of honing.
Furthermore, in December, another name was added to the Trail Blazers’ injured list.
Ed Pinkney tore his ACL in training, ruling him out for the season.
The already precarious Trail Blazers bench suffered another blow.
Jerry West originally planned to use Pinkney + draft picks to trade for a useful tall veteran.
This plan had to be scrapped, and the pressure at the four spot shifted to veteran Wayne Cooper.
Cooper came to the Trail Blazers intending to finish his career and move to the management team after a year.
Who knew he’d be taking on a significant role during this period.
The Trail Blazers’ inside players kept getting into trouble and missing games; Cooper often had to step in for ten to twenty minutes.
At 36, those old arms and legs truly experienced that every penny earned in the NBA is hard-fought.
Yet, the troubles for the Trail Blazers’ players this season were not over.
After a big win over the Warriors, the Trail Blazers finally returned to full form.
They consecutively defeated the 76ers, Rockets, and Mavericks, achieving a winning streak.
On December 23rd, before Christmas, the Trail Blazers traveled to Salt Lake City for an away game against the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have also been performing beautifully in the regular season this year, fiercely competing with the Trail Blazers and Suns for the top three in the Western Conference.
Jerry Sloan’s offensive system has been honed for another year; each passing year further refines the Jazz’s system.
They’re like practicing the Dragon Elephant Wisdom, difficult to train, time-consuming, with subtle effects, but every step forward is solid.
Once enough time accumulates, its power increases, becoming deeper and heavier.
The first matchup of the season between the two teams saw the Trail Blazers at 18 wins and 8 losses, while the Jazz were 19 wins and 7 losses.
The Jazz had more wins, pushing the Trail Blazers to third in the Western Conference.
This matchup was crucial for the Trail Blazers.
So far, the Trail Blazers’ performance in December was acceptable.
The first goal of the management team and coaching staff was no longer the record, but health.
To play healthily into next year, all the way to June, would mean success.
The game took place on the evening of the 23rd, with the Trail Blazers arriving in Salt Lake City on the 22nd.
They stayed at the Marriott Hotel downtown Salt Lake City, near a shopping center.
If it were the playoffs, they would generally stay at a resort hotel in Salt Lake City, where it’s less crowded and far from downtown, suitable for focusing on the game.
But for the regular season, staying at the downtown Marriott was more convenient, allowing players to visit the shopping center.
Salt Lake City is quite boring, so going shopping can help pass the time.
On the evening of the 22nd, Gan Guoyang was invited by Stockton to his home.
Stockton’s parents happened to be in Salt Lake City, and they were having a family gathering.
Gan Guoyang was Stockton’s best friend, so he was of course invited.
Gan Guoyang stayed at Stockton’s house, eating, having some drinks, watching TV, chatting until late.