This is the normal performance for most rookies when they debut, as they start to adapt to the NBA’s rhythm and environment.
Very few players can dominate their first game.
Gan Guoyang substituted Little O’Neal, and the two bumped fists.
Even though when Little O’Neal was on the court, Gan Guoyang had been correcting him from the sidelines.
But as he came off, Gan Guoyang still encouraged him, "You did well."
After Little O’Neal left the court, Kobe shot him an envious look and asked, "How does it feel to play in a game?"
Little O’Neal replied, "Initially, I felt a bit thirsty, but after a while, it got better."
Saying this, Little O’Neal drank water in big gulps, realizing the regular season is indeed different from the preseason.
Little O’Neal was not satisfied with his own performance of course.
It wasn’t that he didn’t score or had poor stats, but that the Trail Blazers’ lead started to wane while he was on the court.
The second lineup scrambled, with the Vancouver Grizzlies leveraging home advantage to create chaos against the Trail Blazers.
Rashim, Blue Edwards, and Lee Meberry scored consecutively, boosting the Grizzlies’ morale significantly.
After Gan Guoyang took the court again, he still played with a calm and collected approach, taking over the offensive command from Van Exel.
Van Exel played hurriedly when on the court, not because he was eager to show off, but because that was his style.
This is also why Bird didn’t want Van Exel as a starter; as a point guard, he was indeed too scene-stealing.
Fast, with precise shooting, elusive steps, and a left-hand shot that was hard to guard against.
Bird had always been worried whether Van Exel could fit with Ah Gan, and whether he would be traded as the season progressed.
A point guard like Porter, strong in shooting, good in defense, and steady in play, seemed more suitable as Ah Gan’s teammate.
However, in the second quarter, the cooperation between Gan Guoyang and Van Exel was surprisingly good.
Gan Guoyang didn’t simply stay low waiting for outside feeding; instead, he kept cooperating with the guards on the perimeter and at the top of the arc.
Pick-and-roll, screens, high-position coordinating; this provided Van Exel and Riddle ample space inside to roam.
Moreover, Gan Guoyang was incredibly fast and could organize attacks himself after grabbing a rebound.
In several plays, he did not pass the ball but organized the attack himself by carrying it past half court.
Riddle and Van Exel moved to receive the pass and initiate the offense.
They still played on the court following their familiar, accustomed playing style.
Quick and agile breaks plus floaters, along with fully confrontational low-post power play as the shooting guard.
For a moment, the Trail Blazers’ offense was indeed chaotic, but it also looked good.
Gan Guoyang could even, like Magic Johnson, deliver underhand bounce passes that pierced through the Grizzlies’ defense.
Robust Isaiah Riddle transformed into a small forward, catching and aggressively attacking the basket, making consecutive dunks.
Under such bombardment, the Grizzlies’ frail defense seemed exceptionally fragile.
Gan Guoyang contributed 6 assists in the second quarter alone, helping the Trail Blazers to lead the Grizzlies 64 to 53 by halftime, with an 11-point lead.
This quarter made players like Riddle and Van Exel, who often played with intensity, enjoy playing to their heart’s content.
Before the regular season started, they had prepared to completely cooperatively adjust to Gan Guoyang on offense, slowly grind positional play, cuts, runs, and low-post plays.
Unexpectedly, Ah Gan is Ah Gan, and he can make the best use of available materials, allowing teammates to fully exhibit their strengths with his defensive attraction and coordination ability.
In such a match, even if you lose, you still feel happy and not suffocated.
Everyone was excited when they returned to the locker room, taking turns to high-five Gan Guoyang.
"It’s great to have you back, Sonny," Van Exel said, expressing his true feelings.
Before Gan Guoyang’s return, he felt he could hardly stay in Portland any longer.
With Ah Gan’s comeback, Van Exel felt he could play with the Trail Blazers until retirement.
However, while the players were happy, the head coach was not, because Bird was most concerned about the ongoing poor defense.
If not for Ah Gan, Bird doubted the team would have been tied with the Grizzlies in the first half.
No wonder last season, the Trail Blazers alone gave the Grizzlies warmth twice because their perimeter defense was indeed beyond redemption.
The one-on-one man defense of Van Exel and Riddle was as good as non-existent, with all their talents invested in offense.
The things emphasized and trained in the preseason training camp were executed in the first quarter, but forgotten during the second, especially in its latter half, as the offense was booming.
On defense, it relied entirely on Gan and PJ Brown, the two interior defenses were locked tight, after all, they were the championship combo back then.
The Grizzlies weren’t fools to crash blindly into Ah Gan; they fully adhered to the principles of Forrest Gump’s Law to avoid Ah Gan, initiating attacks constantly from the perimeter and mid-range.
The lack of body contact on the perimeter led to the Grizzlies’ shooting becoming increasingly smooth, coupled with playing at home during the regular season, the Grizzlies’ offensive performance was competent.
During the halftime in the locker room, Larry Bird restrained from yelling at anyone, merely gently reminding everyone not to forget defense while focusing on offense.
He did not single out Gan Guoyang and PJ Brown, saying our interior defense is fine, but only the perimeter is lacking.
Instead, he applied joint responsibility, if someone on the court defended poorly, then everyone had to be criticized.