Calvin is thoroughly familiar with the team’s health status.
In his view, this year is the worst situation for the Trail Blazers.
Even worse than in 1988, when there were also many injuries, but back then, everyone was still young.
Porter was 24, Curry 23, and Ah Gan was only 24. A minor injury, some rest and treatment, and they would recover quickly.
Now everyone is nearing 30, and although the medical and training conditions in the 80s and 90s are better than in the 70s, they have their limits.
Many players start to noticeably decline around the age of 28, injuries increase, and just after turning 30, they have to retire and leave the court.
Especially some of the old injuries from the past, which were left over from high school and college games, when the conditions in schools were even worse.
Gan Guoyang lay on the bed, asking Calvin to relax his back more, as it inevitably tensed up after a match.
Beelman was on the side analyzing the various reasons for the loss in the first game; he had done a lot of preparatory work, but most of it wasn’t used in the first battle.
Plans always can’t keep up with changes. In the coach’s face-off, Paul Westphal had the upper hand in the first game.
Gan Guoyang kept his eyes closed until Calvin finished the massage and let out a long breath.
Gan Guoyang got up, thanked Calvin, and then patted Beelman, saying, "Bobby, don’t worry, we will return to Portland with a 1-1 score."
"What do you guarantee with, can you score 50 points again?"
"It’s not about scoring, it’s about our approach. We shouldn’t approach the Suns with our old strategies; we should change our thinking. We need to engage in a shootout with the Suns, that’s the only way out."
Gan Guoyang said firmly.
Beelman shook his head and said, "Our performance on offense hasn’t been good; the data shows our outside efficiency..."
"Stop!" Gan Guoyang said, "Bobby, put away your data, can’t you just trust me?"
Beelman was silent for two seconds and said, "I’ve always believed in you, Sonny, ever since high school."
"I know you have your own understanding of the game; you have your models and theories. They’re good and work well. But I want to say, listen to what Calvin just said about our health condition. No matter how good the model is, if the factors aren’t up to standard, it’s difficult for it to work."
"So, we still have to give the ball to you."
"That’s right, give the ball to me. I’m better now than any year in the past."
"Isn’t it a bit early, it’s only the second game?"
"No, one game later, it’ll be too late."
Beelman looked at Gan Guoyang’s determined expression; he almost had tears in his eyes.
It’s said that some people feel the urge to cry the first time they see a tall statue of a Buddha.
Beelman and Calvin left Gan Guoyang’s room together.
Calvin said, "Ah Gan truly exudes a divine charm; I almost want to kneel before him."
Beelman said, "I feel the same, but why do you want to leave, Ron? Isn’t it good to be with Ah Gan?"
Calvin said, "It’s great to be with Ah Gan, but one can’t always live under the protection of a deity. Besides, I’m getting old. I think Ah Gan needs a better, younger caregiver who knows more scientific knowledge; he’s almost 30."
"But you shouldn’t go to Miami."
"Haha, Miami is suitable for retirement; I should be selfish once."
"Thank you for your contributions, Ron."
"The series isn’t over yet; cheer up, Bobby!"
The loss in the first game indeed gave Beelman a bit of a mental blow.
This was his first loss in a game one of a conference finals since leading the Trail Blazers to a three-peat.
Beelman hates series where he has to come from behind; he’d rather win two, be tied, and then decide it in a decisive game like in the semifinals.
Starting with a loss means needing to chase, to constantly chase, and when you finally catch up, if you relax a bit, you’ll fall into the abyss.
It’s like on the gambling table; if you start by winning a bit, you have the capital and confidence to gamble more smoothly afterward.
Even if you lose a few rounds later, you can hold your mindset thanks to the earlier accumulation, slowly winning it back, or simply stop playing.
But once you start by losing one or two rounds, gambling with debt and losses, your mindset will become impatient.
The more anxious you get, the easier it is to lose. Even if you win some later, when you think about not breaking even, you’ll become more impatient, affecting your performance.
In this sense, Beelman’s psychological quality as a head coach is not very strong.
Moreover, an emotionally unstable gambler, in the end, tends to make a huge bet hoping to turn things around.
Yet, the result is often a total defeat, leading to self-abandonment.
This contradiction in Beelman is the root of his downfall back then, but Ah Gan saved him.
So, why does he keep "betraying" and always cling to Ah Gan’s leg?
Because only by Ah Gan’s side does he feel absolutely safe and can perform his coaching level normally.
Other teams, except for something like the Dream Team, are not very effective. Coaching a civilian team at Gonzaga and leading them to the first round of the NCAA national tournament is already his limit.
After getting Gan Guoyang’s promise, Beelman could return to his room and have a good sleep.
But Calvin’s words lingered in his mind, how long can one live under the protection of a deity?
Is he going to coach Ah Gan indefinitely, letting Ah Gan protect him and realize his own ideas?
Are those truly his ideas, or are they Gan’s executed ideas? Beelman himself doesn’t know.
The next day, the two teams rested while another conference finals match began.
The Chicago Bulls challenged the Miami Heat on the road.
The situation was similar; the Bulls were met with a deadly defensive siege by the Heat.
Pat Riley set up a virtually inescapable web for Michael Jordan.
Jordan scored 26 points in the entire game, but his shooting percentage was low, only 37%.
Such a low scoring efficiency led to the Bulls losing the first game 91-100 to the Olajuwon-led Heat.
Both the Trail Blazers and the Bulls lost the first game of the conference finals, trailing 0-1.
People seemed to see signs of a change of era.
On the third day, the second game of the series between the Trail Blazers and the Suns resumed.
Before the game started, the NBA officially announced the winner of the regular season MVP award.
After a vote by the media panel, Charles Barkley, whose team had a slightly better record, won the MVP award this season.
In fact, some experts suggested that this year, there should be a co-regular season MVP for Olajuwon and Barkley.
Their on-court performance, statistics, and team records were almost indistinguishable, making the decision extremely difficult.
But unlike the Rookie of the Year, MVP is "Most Valuable Player."
Since it’s the "Most," it can only be one player; you must choose the one with the ultimate value.
Olajuwon, although equally excellent, had some off-court factors considered by the judges.
In the end, Barkley still edged out Olajuwon and received the trophy from David Stern’s hands.
Gan Guoyang sat on the bench, silently watching the award ceremony.
On one hand, he was internally congratulating his good friend for winning one of the most important awards in his life.
On the other hand, he apologized to Barkley, thinking that tonight he would mess up his award ceremony, my good buddy Charles.