If Bird packed it up and went home to take care of the kids, it would be fine, but this guy stayed on in Portland as the general manager, watching Carl sink deeper into the mire.
This year, Carl not only became the head coach of the Trail Blazers but is also preparing to marry his fiancée, ending his bachelor life and entering into marriage, which is really leaving him torn and stressed.
On one side, he has to think deeply about the team’s strategy late into the night and endure immense public pressure.
On the other side, he needs to soothe his fiancée’s emotions and prepare for the wedding; they plan to host a simple yet memorable ceremony in 2000.
They met in the early 1980s and started dating in 1987, but never got married; this 13-year long romance is about to conclude soon.
The pressure is intense; his life is completely filled with work and family matters. At this time, having Gan Guoyang stand up to help Carl feels almost tear-inducing.
Gan Guoyang first made some personnel adjustments; instead of immediately bringing in new players, he made slight tweaks to the starting lineup.
"In the second half, I’ll return to center position. Arvydas, you play the power forward; this is the tactic we’re familiar with. I’ll guard the basket while you position high up."
Any adjustment must be based on training and familiar tactics; otherwise, it would be unrealistic and confusing.
Guoyang at center, Sabonis playing power forward — this is a strategy the Trail Blazers were very familiar with in the early 90s.
Sabonis nodded, knowing Gan Guoyang was lightening his burden.
This season Sabonis was barely holding it together; if not for his son and wife, he wouldn’t continue playing.
"Kobe, move to the small forward position. Your ball-handling and playmaking tonight are like crap — are Jide and Harper giving you too much trouble? Go to the wing, relax, and shoot to regain your shooting accuracy."
Kobe playing small forward is also familiar content; back in his rookie and sophomore years, when the Trail Blazers were short on forwards, they often had Kobe play small forward.
Kobe’s running, receiving, and shooting abilities are quite decent, but since the 1999 season began, he took on more responsibilities for ball-handling and offensive tasks on the perimeter. Although he can shine in some games, his solo skills are not yet refined, making some performances quite disappointing.
Tonight, under the experienced siege and pressure from Jide and Harper, Kobe was disappointing, missing shots repeatedly.
Listening to Guoyang, Kobe nodded, dissatisfied with his own performance.
Furthermore, his mood hasn’t been great. This season, his parents’ control over him has increasingly made him feel uncomfortable.
Kobe desperately wants to escape but doesn’t know where; now he’s a young man going through a rebellious phase, struggling in various aspects.
"Shooting guard goes to Curry; you’ll start for a period of time. We need your threes, Dale."
Currently, Dell Curry is the most accurate and consistent shooter from beyond the arc for the Trail Blazers; last season, Curry had an astonishing 47% three-point shooting rate.
The team must make use of this spot, especially early in the season; while this veteran has more fuel left, hit some threes before it’s too late later.
"Alan, you need to train your shooting; you won’t survive here without range. You’ll be on the bench; we’ll provide tactics and space to let you play the way you want. Be patient."
Gan Guoyang took a moment to comfort the replaced Alan Henderson. As a newcomer, Henderson doesn’t have much say, but Guoyang explained patiently.
After a session of personnel allocation, Gan Guoyang picked up a marker and started drawing tactics on the whiteboard.
"We need to slow down our offense and be more patient. I’ll initiate more attacks from the low post, making good use of opportunities on the weak side. Positioning, cutting — we must play; it’s hard to execute fluid offense now because everyone’s legs are not holding up. Slow down and increase the success rate."
"Defense is key; we agreed to play a defense-oriented game but haven’t done it, fellas. I’ll guard against any Lakers player trying to attack the basket, any one of them. Feel free to press, surround the opponents, and give them pressure. In the first half, we put too little pressure on them; this is the Rose Garden, my old treasures, you’re just old, not dead."
"After the third quarter starts, we have five minutes to reverse the situation, aiming to reduce the gap to around 8 points or even lower. Then the second lineup comes up early, with Ben and Jermaine, you’ll come up for Arvydas and Dale; I’ll shift to the small forward position. Your task is defense; during this period, I’ll focus on attacking to withstand the Lakers’ counterattacks, leaving the inside to you."
While speaking, Gan Guoyang kept writing and drawing on the whiteboard, organizing several possible scenarios.
Everyone listened seriously; who’d dare not?
If it were the old Gan Guoyang, he wouldn’t have done this.
Hand him the ball, and he could solve the issue on the court.
Not now; Gan Guoyang must utilize tactics and teamwork with teammates to exert group efforts and attempt turning around the situation.
Fifteen minutes will soon pass as the halftime break ends, signaling the players to return and continue the match.
Barkley became anxious and asked Gan Guoyang: "What about me? What’s my task? Where am I?"
Gan Guoyang replied: "You’re a reserve force, Charles. The situations on the court change constantly; it’s impossible to execute everything as planned, and unexpected changes will arise. When other methods don’t work, you’re the backup force. Step in with your personal skills to solve issues, be it offense or defense, and give your best. You are very important, really, really important; make sure you’re ready, understand, Charles?"