The real big issue is still defense, the part that gives Bird the most headache, as the Trail Blazers’ defensive resources are truly unbalanced.
They have the best rim protector among the big men and an excellent blue-collar power forward, but they lack a competent small forward, and their backcourt defense is riddled with holes.
Porter is too old; Van Exel and Riddle are notorious defensive sieves, and although Alon Magee has the potential to become a defensive powerhouse, his height is an issue.
The shooting guard and small forward positions are the ones Bird is most worried about; there’s not a single competent and effective person. They’re all young, attack-loving upstarts, which is quite dangerous and deadly for a team’s defense.
Nowadays, the league has more and more players with excellent physical attributes, strong breakthroughs, and precise shooting.
They follow in Jordan’s footsteps into the league, greatly changing the NBA’s style and scene, with more high-flying dunks and breakthroughs.
During the preseason training camp, Bird kept urging Buckwalter to sign a competent small forward to patch the Trail Blazers’ wing gap.
Buckwalter proposed several candidates like Xavier McDaniel and Dominique Wilkins, all of whom Bird vetoed.
Bird made it clear that he didn’t want to add more attack-loving, ball-holding veterans, as this could easily disrupt the team atmosphere and increase management costs.
Moreover, McDaniel’s condition is far from his best, and Dominique Wilkins does not meet Bird’s defensive requirements.
Wilkins hasn’t had fewer skirmishes with Bird during his player days, and Bird is worried this guy will clash with him after arriving.
No coach likes to bring in those who clash with them; Bird doesn’t want to waste energy on locker room battles.
In the end, Buckwalter signed the forward abandoned by the Raptors, Don Antonio Wingfield.
A heavyweight small forward, 6-foot-8 but weighing 256 pounds, just like Van Exel, graduated from the University of Cincinnati.
Van Exel had just graduated when Wingfield joined Cincinnati, becoming an effective player under Don Haskins.
Buckwalter signed him for two reasons: first, he had a decent three-pointer, crucial for the Trail Blazers.
Second, in style, gameplay, and physique, he’s somewhat like Jerome Kossie, a heavyweight small forward who can occasionally play power forward.
"Ah Gan is accustomed to having a shadow forward beside him on the court," Buckwalter told Bird.
"Shadow forward? Might as well let me play; I guarantee I can completely hide in the dark as a shadow,"
Bird joked, but eventually agreed to the signing because time was running out.
The training camp is about to end, and the regular season is about to start, and Bird only feels there’s still a bunch of unresolved issues within the team.
No choice but to wait for the new season to start, resolving these issues while competing.
Bird can foresee this will be a muddled, chaotic, yet lively and spectacular new season.
At the end of October, the preseason training camp officially ends, and in November, the NBA’s 1996-1997 season is about to start.
At this time, according to his planned schedule, Gan Guoyang needs to keep his weight at 273 pounds, which is the best weight data he experimented with.
After the chaos of the preseason, he sorted out his list of offensive moves, tearfully deleting some actions that no longer fit the times and his physical condition.
For example, the unique move Bernard King once taught him: catching the ball, quickly turning around, leaning forward for a jump shot, and simultaneously elevating and turning—a move unmatched, blindingly fast, and one of Gan Guoyang’s major scoring tools.
But now, Gan Guoyang decides to use it less frequently because he is 32 years old and needs to protect his knees; this offensive method is too damaging to them.
Some skills that used to only occasionally show prominence will become regular weapons in Gan Guoyang’s arsenal, like step-back jump shots and small floaters after penetrating the basket.
These are relatively more sustainable styles; Gan Guoyang needs to plan for a longer future.
He feels excited, thrilled, and nervous about the upcoming new season.
His pressure is greater than people imagine—as the king returns to the stage, everyone will be watching.
Playing well is taken for granted; playing poorly, the boos will sound much louder than before.
The old opponents who were once stepped on are all itching for him to come their way.
On October 31, the entire Trail Blazers team boarded "Pioneer One," flying from Portland to Vancouver, Canada.
Their first opponent of the new season will be the NBA’s new team, the Vancouver Grizzlies, a suitable team for the opening match.
The plane took off on time, and no one was late, which pleased Bird the most.
Of course, his pressure is equally great as Ah Gan’s. On the plane, he seems restless, gazing frequently at the white expanse outside the window.
Though he is very familiar with NBA games, coaching a team through the regular season is like a blank slate to him, akin to the clouds outside.
Little O’Neal and Kobe sit in sequence; one is excitedly nervous, the other continues feeling dejected.
During this period, Kobe vented all his frustrations in the gym, striving to bulk up.
Training alongside him, Little O’Neal realizes deeply during matches how important strength is in confrontations.
Kobe’s good news is that in recent check-ups, his bone fracture has healed; such is the speed of recovery at a young age.
According to the schedule, he is expected to return in the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 10.
The bad news is, Bird does not intend to let Kobe start, but rather to have him play from the bench.
This discontented Kobe, yet he cannot refuse; here in the NBA, Bird is the coach, and it’s not up to him.
This leads Kobe to exhibit some tantrums in daily interactions, like a child sulking without getting candy.
Gan Guoyang watches this cold-eyed, neither exposing nor intervening, knowing it’s a process that must be undergone.
This guy Kobe needs to temper his temperament well; when he can truly calm down and become patient, his progress will be faster.
Of course, Kobe directly asks Gan Guoyang, "Why were you able to play as a starter in your first game as a rookie?"
Gan Guoyang straightforwardly answers him, "Because I beat all the starters down at training camp, then I became a starter."
Kobe is left speechless.
Gan Guoyang says to Kobe, "First find a way to handle Van Exel in defense, to penetrate Alon Magee in offense, to easily beat Riddle one-on-one, then talk about starting, about being a starter."
Kobe seriously looks at Gan Guoyang and says, "Really?"
Gan Guoyang nods, "Really."
"What if Larry doesn’t agree?"
"Then just beat Larry in the game of horse."
Kobe is silent for a while, then says, "What if I just beat you directly?"
Gan Guoyang seems to anticipate Kobe saying this, smiles, and says, "You should first think about surpassing Jordan and becoming the number one shooting guard before talking about that."
"The number one shooting guard."
Kobe silently makes it one of his mid-term goals.
And thinking about having to defeat Van Exel, Magee, Riddle, Kobe’s previously dejected mood improves considerably.
His heart is once again filled with hope and motivation, engaging together with his teammates in the battles of the 1996-1997 season.