Mason is as strong as a black bear, and his butt is as big as if he’s carrying two landmines.
Cliff Robinson is an excellent number three who combines inside and outside play, and he’s tall enough to play center.
Smith’s low-post skills are the best among current guards, and his spins are very aggressive.
However, the Suns seem to lack a player who can control the backcourt and organize these powerful players.
Kevin Johnson can still deliver about 10 assists per game, but years of experience have shown that Kevin is an offensive guard.
His assists are based on his strong offensive and defensive attraction. Once his offensive power is limited, his ability to organize significantly declines.
Paul Westphal led the Suns through several successful seasons, during which Johnson always appeared on the court as a scorer.
In the summer of 1996, after continuous failures and Charles Barkley’s decision to leave, Paul Westphal’s coaching career with the Suns came to an end.
The Suns, which collapsed in 1987 due to a drug scandal, entered a nearly 10-year championship cycle, which ended in 1996.
Fitzsimmons became the fire-fighting captain, once again becoming the head coach of the Suns, but he knew he wouldn’t be in that position for long.
When Kevin Johnson left the court, a not-so-noticeable small white guard wearing number 13 took the stage to start organizing the team’s offense.
The Canadian guard selected by the Suns in the 1996 draft, Steve Nash, a player who didn’t leave much of an impression.
At this moment, Gan Guoyang was still on the court. Bird refused to take him out, saying, "To give Portland fans their money’s worth, just play a bit longer."
The players played very relaxed because it was a preseason game. Winning and losing weren’t very important; the focus was on showcasing oneself and finding a rhythm.
Kobe sat on the bench with a look of helplessness, while Little O’Neal seemed clumsy in this relatively formal game, making many mistakes and errors.
On the other hand, Nash appeared calm and confident after coming on. While most coaches insisted that guards should make two-handed passes, Nash always preferred using one hand.
The crucial part was that his passes were accurate, and once you started to focus on his passing, he’d immediately use an accurate shot to show you he’s not only about passing.
After delivering 2 consecutive assists and hitting a mid-range shot, Nash had already helped the Suns score 6 points, eating into the Trail Blazers’ lead.
At that moment, Gan Guoyang exerted himself for the first time in this game, dribbling past half-court and breaking through to make an unstoppable layup.
On defense, he saw through Nash’s passing route, intercepted the ball, and long-passed it to Alon Magee for a successful layup.
Then Nash drove into the basket, attempting a reverse layup in a tight space, which was seen through and blocked by Gan Guoyang, gaining possession.
Gan Guoyang didn’t rush to launch a fast break but dribbled past half-court slowly, with Nash as his matchup.
Facing Nash, who was inferior in height, weight, and speed, Gan Guoyang didn’t just bulldoze through him.
Instead, he used his dribbling rhythm for a mismatch, lowering his body and continuously dribbling between legs at the perimeter, moving sideways, and then pulling up for a long-distance three-pointer; hit!
The entire Memorial Coliseum erupted. Ah Gan, making his comeback, indeed returned with new skills and might be even stronger than before.
After scoring, Gan Guoyang made a three-point gesture toward Nash and said, "Better tighten up your defense, young man."
Nash shook his head angrily, thinking, "No matter how much I tighten up, I can’t stop a guy playing cheat ball like you!"