Gan Guoyang had no mood to toy with Rivers at this moment; he could gauge the opponent’s prowess in just a couple of rounds.
Just a somewhat capable, but overall mediocre big white center on the inside.
In Gan Guoyang’s basketball career, this kind of center posed the least threat to him.
From college to the NBA, he doesn’t know how many big white centers of this type he has crushed.
He has literally wiped out the market value and draft prospects of many big white centers.
Rivers being selected sixth was simply because the Grizzlies had no one else.
A newly established team with nothing to lose just grabbed an inside player from a Final Four team.
Gan Guoyang was observing his teammates’ positions, directing their moves at this time.
The Grizzlies’ defense wasn’t fancy; it was just one-on-one man marking.
Gan Guoyang instructed PJ Brown to cut inside, then saw Riddle run to the baseline, overlapping with PJ’s movement.
Alon Magee hesitated at a 45-degree angle, unsure of what to do.
Gan Guoyang wanted to pass the ball but found no good passing opportunity.
Only Porter was squatting at the top of the arc after passing the ball to Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang passed the ball back to Porter, who feigned a breakthrough and then distributed the ball to the cutting Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang used a fake move to shake off Rivers; by this time, even the dense Grizzlies players knew to come over for a double-team.
Three formed a surround, forcing Gan Guoyang to the baseline, leaving him with no choice but to pass again to cutting Porter.
Porter went for a layup but was blocked by Rashim, with the Grizzlies completing a solid defensive play.
But ultimately, it was the Trail Blazers’ offensive play that was too poor, with their positioning completely failing.
The strong side held the ball, the weak side didn’t produce any corresponding tactics, and the players’ tacit understanding and state didn’t emerge.
With no time for extensive communication, the Grizzlies launched a counterattack, prompting Gan Guoyang to swiftly run back to guard the three-second zone.
He first rushed out to interfere with Greg Anthony’s breakthrough, followed by a big block to swat away Rashim’s shot.
After gaining control of the ball, Gan Guoyang dribbled past the midcourt himself, thinking and observing the situation.
After experiencing the excitement of two spectacular opening dunks, the real issue materialized: the Trail Blazers needed a stable offensive and defensive routine.
The regular season and preseason are markedly different; in the preseason, one can play freely, relying on experience and feeling for freeform play.
In the regular season, the objective is not only to win, but also for good teams to find their rhythm and cultivate tacit understanding.
Among the starting five, Porter was a seasoned veteran, rich in experience, yet his overall capability was greatly diminished, unable to carry the offensive burden.
PJ Brown was a typical defensive role player, akin to Mychal Thompson by Gan Guoyang’s side back then, making him a reliable supporting power forward.
Yet compared to Mychal Thompson, his offensive talent and potential were much weaker, with second-chance opportunities and easy shots being his main scoring means.
Moreover, his shooting percentage under the basket was not very high, failing to hit 45% for two-point shots as an inside player.
Frankly, it wasn’t worth designing offensive tactics for him, nor expecting him to handle portions of ball possession.
Gan Guoyang, as the other inside player, would have to shoulder an increasingly greater offensive load.
On the outside, Alon Magee had average offensive potential, whereas Riddle, with a lone wolf style, liked to post up for the ball as a shooting guard.
Before the game, Bird outlined one requirement during the offensive setup: everyone should leverage their specialties.
Gan Guoyang said, "What if I specialize in every aspect?"
Bird replied, "Those who are capable do more, so you should handle every aspect. It’d be best if you could even coach."
Thinking of this, Gan Guoyang gestured to Riddle, signaling him to post up on the right side.
That UNLV punk Riddle quickly became a good kid after coming to the Trail Blazers.
The warning that Gan Guoyang issued was just one facet; on another, Gan Guoyang would lead teammates to attend events, endorsing Portland’s brands and stores.
Every time, Riddle had a share, earning quite a bit of money from it, allowing Riddle to quickly taste the benefits of being Ah Gan’s teammate.
Everyone else gained benefits too, like Little O’neal getting a new car, Chris Dudley being introduced to Oregon’s big shots in the political circles, and the media’s criticism and attacks on Van Exel disappearing entirely in September and October.
Just verbal warnings and threats wouldn’t be enough to manage being a boss successfully.
Seeing Ah Gan’s gesture, Riddle promptly went to the right low post, and Gan Guoyang’s pass reached smoothly.
Despite Riddle’s bad temperament, his skills and physicality were indisputable; he was very robust, with broad shoulders and excellent physical elasticity.
Defending him, Anthony Piller was slender and couldn’t withstand Riddle’s back impact; Riddle spun and charged inside, laying the ball in successfully.
After scoring, Riddle high-fived Gan Guoyang, and the Trail Blazers quickly acquired the lead in the first quarter, leading 31 to 25 at the end of the quarter.
The Trail Blazers had no major issues offensively, easily piercing through the feeble Grizzlies defense relying purely on individual ability.
Yet they also had multiple problems defensively, letting a team as weak as the Grizzlies score 25 points in the first quarter, quite a bit indeed.
Gan Guoyang fully showcased his versatility in the first quarter, scoring 10 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, providing 4 assists, plus one block—there was nothing he couldn’t do.
During the break, Bird expressed discontent with the team’s defense, but he restrained himself from yelling at the players.
As a player, he most despised coaches shouting at players, yet upon becoming a coach himself, he found it really difficult not to yell.
At various intervals and stretches, especially defensively, Bird’s shouts would almost leap out, yet he suppressed them in the end.
The only satisfaction was Gan Guoyang, whose performance remained perfect, not missing a single shot.
As much as he disliked him as a player, he adored him as a coach, Bird hardly wanted Gan to be benched for a rest.
They were still in the period of adjustment, needing a flag-bearer and leader like him on the court, his ball control reassuring everyone.
But Gan Guoyang was dissatisfied with Bird, saying, "Are you a coach or just someone who came in without a ticket? I didn’t even hear you shout!"
Bird replied, "I said I hate shouting, I try not to shout at you guys."
"You must shout! If you don’t, I’ll think you’re not seriously invested."
"I’m invested alright, but I’m not Beelman, I don’t want to curse."
"Just wait, Larry, I bet you’ll shout later, maybe even tonight."
"I don’t believe it, I can’t guarantee later games, but tonight I’ll stay composed, bet 20 US Dollars."
"No problem, remember, Larry, you already owe me 20."
Later, after coaching the Trail Blazers for three seasons, Bird completely quit gambling.