When leaving the hotel and getting into the car, the Bulls players once again passed under the painting of Gan Guoyang’s dunk.
It was truly irritating, Jordan remembered, this was the scene from the 1992 finals of Gan Guoyang’s dunk.
As the visiting team, the Bulls’ practice location was arranged at the University of Portland Gymnasium.
The training process was entirely closed to the public, the Bulls needed to prepare for tomorrow’s game.
Phil Jackson looked worried, to be honest, he had no idea how to deal with the Trail Blazers’ strong lineup.
Against the Pacers, the backcourt defensive triangle could be mismatched, Pippen could guard Jackson, Jordan could guard Ross, and Harper could chase Miller.
But what to do against the Trail Blazers? Gan Guoyang remains the hardest problem, the most unstoppable and unrestrictable player in NBA history.
He is like a Transformer, constantly changing form, you can’t predict how he will penetrate your defense.
At the same time, if you think he dodges and shifts to evade targeting like a chameleon, you’re wrong again.
At certain times, he’ll face challenges head-on, using personal skill and unmatched strength to break through all your defenses.
He has strength, intelligence, and adaptability.
Phil Jackson realized in the last two finals that he’s battling with Gan Guoyang, not Bobby Berman.
Now, six years have passed, many things have changed, but some things remain the same.
As a championship coach holding three rings, Jackson is more confident, his game sense sharper.
Even so, he couldn’t find a clue on breaking through the Trail Blazers.
During training, Jackson constantly adjusted his lineup hoping to find an optimal solution.
Jackson first realized he couldn’t have Dennis Rodman as the starting power forward to face Gan Guoyang.
Though the media always fantasized about Rodman making an impact against Gan Guoyang, this was Rodman’s third time facing Gan Guoyang in the finals.
But Jackson knew Rodman couldn’t do it, if he could, the Pistons wouldn’t have lost to the Trail Blazers in 1987 and 1990.
For several seasons Rodman was with the Bulls, Jackson let him be quite free, often allowing him to do as he pleased.
If he didn’t want to train, he’d skip, he was allowed to sleep at home.
If he wanted to gamble in Las Vegas, he was accompanied by an assistant to play all night, then return for training and games.
This freestyle management had great results, Rodman fully expressed his talent in the Bulls, making large contributions to their three championships in four years.
But in 1998, Rodman was already 37, this guy entered the league late, talented, still hadn’t suffered major injury at 37, couldn’t run or jump, but ultimately wasn’t at his peak.
Moreover, Gan Guoyang was Rodman’s biggest nemesis in the league. Rodman’s methods, including his expertise in rebounding, were ineffective against Gan Guoyang.
Jackson’s motivations or pep talks didn’t work on Rodman, he had his own logic and wouldn’t go all out against Gan Guoyang, not a chance.
Not to mention he already went all out in the Pistons era for Chuck Daddy, other than contributing a famous scene getting thrown on the technical table, there wasn’t much effect.
So, Rodman couldn’t start, he should play as a substitute, targeting the second lineup, as a surprise player.
The starting power forward position should go to Toni Kukoc, the firefighter who saved the Bulls multiple times in dire situations this playoffs.
In the whole Eastern Conference finals, Kukoc played at a high level, especially in the game seven fight, he was key for the Bulls advancing to the finals.
Jackson had already planned, Kukoc should fully engage Gan Guoyang’s defensive attention on offense, providing enough offensive space for Jordan and Pippen.
As for defense? It didn’t matter, Rodman couldn’t stop him either, it would still need Pippen and Jordan’s double-teaming.
One relief for Jackson was that from video reviews and regular season matchups, Gan Guoyang’s ball-handling breakthrough ability had declined compared to 1992.
Because his explosiveness was less than before, his initial speed wasn’t as fast, so the disastrous 1992 situation shouldn’t happen again.
In 1992, the Bulls were caught off guard by the sudden change in Gan Guoyang’s playstyle, regrettably losing the finals, a shadow that still lingers.
A center, handling the ball outside, breaking through the defense of the league’s best two perimeter defenders, scoring at the basket, and couldn’t be restrained, it was simply a nightmare.
But the problem was Michael Jordan couldn’t effortlessly penetrate the interior and score lightly like in 1992 anymore.
Thinking and discussing with the coaching staff assistants for a long time, besides having Kukoc as a starter, Jackson couldn’t figure out any particularly targeted strategy for dealing with the Trail Blazers’ unusually fierce performance this year.
And on the Trail Blazers’ side, preparations must be much more straightforward, Larry Bird wouldn’t arrange any targeted tactics, being the dominant side, they could play normally and adapt accordingly.
Another day passed, June 3rd, game day.
The Rose Garden Arena once again hosted the NBA finals, and once again experienced a sold-out situation.
Gan Guoyang had a quite astonishing record, ever since he entered the league in 1984, there had never been an empty seat at the Portland home when he appeared in the game.