Jordan really gave it his all, influencing the game from both offense and defense, and executed every detail to perfection. With Pippen’s cooperation, he finally managed to suppress the Trail Blazers.
As Mu Lin’s mid-range jump shot missed at the last moment, the Bulls won the game, ending the Trail Blazers’ five-game winning streak and handing them their second defeat of the season.
When the game ended, Jordan could finally smugly say to Gan Guoyang, "Tonight belongs to me, Sonny. Your performance was terrible; the small forward position isn’t always right for you."
As Jordan boasted, he didn’t forget to give his friend a piece of advice.
Recently, Gan Guoyang has been appearing more and more in the small forward position in games.
In previous games, the results were good, and whenever the Trail Blazers used the three-tall strategy, opponents found it hard to cope.
But the effect against this Bulls strategy was quite mediocre, as the Bulls weren’t really afraid of Ah Gan moving to the small forward position.
Pippen and Jordan were actually happy to double-team Ah Gan, and in such a situation, the Trail Blazers lacked the offensive impact on the Bulls’ interior.
Moreover, tonight Gan Guoyang’s shooting touch was average, and on offense, he couldn’t break through the Bulls’ perimeter, and the team suffered on rebounds, allowing Rodman to exploit and grab many offensive rebounds.
The entire game was dragged into a defensive quagmire, turning into the Bulls’ preferred grind-out game, forcing the Trail Blazers to rely on a last-second shot for victory.
Gan Guoyang was harshly double-teamed, and Mu Lin’s shooting touch was average the whole game, so missing the last shot was quite normal. The Trail Blazers could only swallow the bitter fruit of their second loss.
"You’re right, Michael. I really need to improve my play at the small forward position."
Gan Guoyang thoughtfully accepted Jordan’s advice, acknowledging that his performance tonight at small forward was indeed mediocre.
His defensive role wasn’t as significant as in the interior, and on offense, he tried to fast break more, but the Bulls did a great job intercepting the first pass, leaving few fast-break opportunities.
Facing the Bulls’ strong double-teaming, he found it difficult to break free with explosiveness like in the 1992 Finals and had to rely more on skills.
Once entangled in skills, the fluidity of the offense suffers, and his post-double-team passes lacked the imagination and penetration to break the defense in one move.
After returning to the locker room post-game, Bird criticized Gan Guoyang, "The bad news is, your passing isn’t as good as mine, even though you’ve been the assist leader. The good news is, it shows you still have room for improvement."
Gan Guoyang replied, "Larry, are you serious? Can I still improve?"
Bird said, "It’s not impossible. I’m trying to help you with that now, but whether it works depends on your own realization."
Gan Guoyang smiled, took off his clothes, and went to the shower room. Losing was still quite unpleasant.
Nearby, Rick Carlisle came over and asked, "Larry, can Ah Gan still improve? He’s 34, not 24."
Bird replied, "I don’t know, I’m just trying to give him some motivation. I’m afraid he finds NBA games too boring. This year, we’ve really won too much, and if we keep winning until the Finals, it might not be a good thing. Occasionally losing a game can inspire reflection and the motivation to move forward, while also enhancing resilience. Some setbacks are unrelated to strength and are more about luck. A championship team needs good luck and must also withstand bad luck."
Carlisle was lost in thought, but he wasn’t pondering Bird’s words; rather, he was considering if Ah Gan could still improve.
Can he pass with the same imaginative flair as Bird? It’s unlikely; that’s talent, not something that can be trained.
Just like Bird can’t train himself to have Ah Gan’s shot-blocking ability.
But Carlisle was more focused on considering what role Ah Gan should play in a dynamic offense.
Center, power forward, small forward—which suits him best.
When Ah Gan’s physical fitness declines in the future, how can he play to maximize his impact?
Surely, it’s not just about hands-on-hips defending and vigorously fast-breaking, right?
That might make the stats look good, but winning the game would be questionable.
"What the hell are you thinking about? Pack up and get ready to go home," Bird reminded Carlisle as he saw him dazing off.
"Oh, nothing, just thinking about tactical stuff."
"Are you planning to take over my job as head coach?"
"No! Don’t say that, Larry, not at all..."
"Even if you are, that’s okay. I’m only coaching for three years; after that, it’s your turn."
Bird joked with Carlisle, making him a bit embarrassed and unsure how to respond.
But while Bird appeared to be joking, in reality, he had already silently considered Carlisle as his successor.
If nothing unexpected happens, Buck Walter will retire, and Bird will take over as the Trail Blazers’ general manager.
By then, Bird will step down from the head coach position, and the role will naturally fall to Carlisle.
The Trail Blazers have been a well-ordered and internally stable team over the years.
Because Gan Guoyang is the Sea-Calming Needle, no major turmoil has ever taken place within the Trail Blazers.
Even when Pat Riley almost gutted the Trail Blazers, the framework remained, and the flesh gradually filled in.
At the time Bird signed with the Trail Blazers, he made it clear that he would only coach for three years; regardless of the results, he would leave after three years.
Now in the second year, Bird is starting to train Carlisle to be his successor.
So, in every game, he would let Carlisle handle the offensive strategies.
And in post-game locker room summaries, Bird would also often let Carlisle express his opinions.