7:30 PM, Rose Garden Arena, the regular season first matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers.
The Lakers have won all four of their previous games. Since Phil Jackson took over as the Lakers’ head coach in June, he immediately started transforming the team.
The Lakers built by Silver Fox Harris have always performed well in the regular season but falter when it comes to the crucial playoffs.
They tend to collapse at critical moments and perform erratically in tough games.
This is why the Lakers have been consistently swept or gentleman-swept in recent seasons, collapsing at the first blow.
Phil Jackson has not pretended to be mysterious in addressing this issue with the Lakers, claiming that his Triangle Offense or Eastern philosophy can enhance the team’s fighting spirit.
Jackson pragmatically pointed out that the Lakers need experienced veterans to stabilize the team, especially those who have played tough battles in the playoffs; they are invaluable treasures for the Lakers.
While O’Neal, Kidd, and McGrady are unquestionably talented, they are relatively young players who haven’t played in real tough battles. They often suffer against the veterans of the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Supersonics. The team needs veterans.
Therefore, under Jackson’s initiative, the Lakers signed former Bulls players Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman and added seasoned players like Brian Shaw and John Salley over the summer.
The arrival of these former associates and veterans not only boosted the overall strength of the Lakers but also gave new head coach Phil Jackson more confidence in leading the Lakers, enhancing his authority in the locker room.
In fact, Phil Jackson also strongly suggested to Jerry West to trade Tracy McGrady to the Nets to acquire Scottie Pippen, which would further stabilize the Lakers’ lineup, and Jackson would find Pippen even more handy to use.
However, this trade suggestion was rejected by owner Jerry Buss, who preferred to retain more young talent instead of going all-in for the 2000 championship by letting go of all future assets.
After all, McGrady is only 20, while Pippen is already 34, and Jerry Buss wanted to look further into the future.
Of course, Buss wasn’t entirely unmoved because the Lakers still have O’Neal and Jason Kidd, and McGrady was a relatively secondary choice.
Moreover, Buss wasn’t particularly satisfied with McGrady’s court attitude, not because McGrady wasn’t serious about training or matches, but because he lacked a certain sharpness.
Buss doesn’t mind players acting like jerks on and off the court, but they can’t be softies; McGrady still needed observation in this regard.
And Phil Jackson said something that struck Buss; he said, "How long have you been suppressed by Ah Gan? Do you want it to continue?"
Yes, since defeating the Trail Blazers in 1985 to reach the finals and win the championship, the Lakers haven’t tasted a championship for 15 years, and Ah Gan had been over everyone’s head.
Therefore, Jerry Buss and Jerry West discussed privately to observe for another season. Just as McGrady’s rookie contract expired, if they still couldn’t beat the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan, they would consider trading McGrady for Pippen and other veterans to fight for the championship.
It was evident that Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers left a deep shadow over the Lakers’ owner and management, constantly seeking a way out.
Jerry Buss strongly suggested among NBA owners that Ah Gan should retire next season, stating that his negative influence on the espionage case couldn’t be the NBA’s face anymore.
But the ulterior motives were apparent to everyone, as the Lakers had been overwhelmed by the Trail Blazers for over a decade, surpassing them in the number of championships.
The fear of the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang has deeply imprinted on the souls of Western Conference teams, an indelible mark for an entire generation of players, coaches, and owners.
Tonight, the Lakers’ starting lineup includes O’Neal, Dennis Rodman, McGrady, Kidd, and Ron Harper.
Jackson placed Robert Horry on the bench to enhance the depth of the forward line on the bench and the flexibility of rotations.
In the backcourt, Harper and Kidd formed a tall, strong defensive backcourt combination, a nightmare for any team’s backcourt in a set-piece battle.
In the power forward position, Dennis Rodman replaced Audie Norris as a starter. Jackson is one of the few coaches, besides Daley, who can manage Rodman, and his presence can alleviate O’Neal’s defensive pressure.
The main issue with Harper and Rodman is age; Harper is 36 and Rodman is 37, both finding it challenging to maintain high competitive levels.
So Jackson, on one hand, adjusted the Lakers’ tactical system, switching from the previous offensive system of Del Harris to a defense-oriented slow-paced system.
This system is more beneficial for the veterans.
On the other hand, Jackson also focused on nurturing the Lakers’ core and young players.
Besides O’Neal, Kidd, and McGrady, the Lakers selected Devin George in the draft, and the bench includes young players like Tyronn Lue and Fisher in their 20s.
He didn’t focus all his attention on the technical, physical aspects on the court like ordinary coaches do.
Instead, he continued paying attention to the psyche of the superstars, hoping to let them play within their comfort zone.
"Fun, remember what you said, fun, our games will be full of fun."