I wonder if Larry Bird watched the broadcast tonight, and if he did, what he would feel about this scene.
Afterward, Gan Guoyang encouraged Arenas, saying the drive was beautiful; although the finish wasn't great, it disrupted the Lakers' defense and created opportunities for teammates.
After 2000, this became a big trend in the NBA, with the value of perimeter ball-handlers increasing significantly.
Teams have increasingly perfected their defensive systems, making it more difficult to break through defenses in high-intensity confrontations.
Low-post centers inherently have a disadvantage in receiving the ball, and players like Ah Gan have not been purely centers since 1992.
At this time, having an efficient ball-handler who can take on a defender one-on-one is of great tactical value.
In the early 21st century, in a game where both teams score less than 90, an excellent penetrator can score 20 points by himself and create 15-20 points for his teammates through direct or indirect assists, accounting for nearly half of the team's points related to him.
If the penetrator has stronger scoring abilities, this percentage can be even higher, making his value to the team extremely high. Yet, due to the salary cap, he definitely won't earn half of the team's salary.
This is also why in recent years, the role of perimeter stars has become more prominent, and they are increasingly popular in publicity—also because they can sell shoes and jerseys.
After Jordan retired, players like Kobe, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, and Carter became known as the new era's four great shooting guards.
If someone mentions Ah Gan, people would say, is this guy really still a true center?
Since his rookie season, he has been shooting threes, and in 1992, he broke through the Bulls with his drives, no longer being a traditional inside player.
Arenas still has weak shoulders, but his explosiveness and ball-handling skills destined him to be a pretty good perimeter ball-handler, a scarce resource right now.
Gan Guoyang's encouragement helps Arenas maintain a better mindset in the game. Honestly, when he bumped into O'Neal just now, he thought he hit a wall.
Really, it's hard to imagine how Ah Gan used to withstand O'Neal in the paint and even sometimes outplay him.
The Glory Team gradually narrowed the score gap, but the Lakers remained steady, especially O'Neal, always stepping up to score timely in the low post.
His current role is like that of Gan Guoyang back in the day, reliably scoring from the post. If you don't double-team him, he has a shooting percentage of over 60% or even higher, making you feel helpless.
But the Glory Team insists on not double-teaming, which has been Gan Guoyang's strategy for the team all along, not letting O'Neal drive the team's offense. Let's see if you can beat us.
And O'Neal never manages to beat Gan Guoyang's team, as he tends to falter more when facing Ah Gan, especially in crucial moments when they match up directly.
Tonight, O'Neal looks at Ah Gan's physique, thinking that now Gan's weight has dropped below 250 pounds, perhaps Ah Gan won't be able to hold up against him this time?
I don't believe you'll still be able to guard me one-on-one by the fourth quarter.
As the first quarter ends, the Glory Team makes a rotation.
Kevin Willis takes the court, replacing Brad Miller, and Terry Porter comes on, replacing Arenas.
Brad Miller already had two fouls in the first quarter, and although Arenas had a few nice drives, his score was still zero.
Gan Guoyang had a versatile performance in the first quarter, finishing with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The Glory Team trails the Lakers 24:27, down by 3 points, but the Lakers clearly play with more dominance, while the Glory Team is the one trying hard to catch up.
Once Gan Guoyang is off the court for a rest, the Glory Team immediately loses its backbone and can't break through the Lakers' strict defense on the offensive end.
At this moment, the Lakers haven't really stepped up yet; Phil Jackson's team likes to exert pressure in the third quarter to widen the gap with their opponent.
The substitutes from both sides play chaotically, but the Lakers still hold the advantage, with Robert Horry breaking through for a score and Tyronn Lue hitting a three-pointer from the outside, leading the Lakers on a 7-2 run against the Glory Team.
The score gap widens, and Tomjanovich calls a timeout, but Gan Guoyang remains on the bench for a rest.
During the timeout, Coach Tom insists on reestablishing a zone defense, sticking with the 2-3 zone to protect the paint.
On the offensive end, Isaiah Rider takes the stage; this guy does have some ball-handling offensive capability.
In the current NBA, a lineup without a perimeter ball-handler for strong offense really struggles in half-court play.
Of course, after zone defense became allowed, teams slowly start to adapt, but perimeter scorers will face tough times for a while.
Rider scores 4 consecutive points after coming on, helping the Glory Team satiate its offensive thirst.
Since arriving in Las Vegas, although Rider indulges in fun, he hasn't missed training sessions.
No wonder across the whole League, only Ah Gan can handle Rider well.
Gan Guoyang uses a carrot-and-stick approach with Rider: train hard, do extra practice every day to quickly regain form, able to serve as a good microwave off the bench.
Besides training, in Las Vegas, do whatever you like; expenses at MGM Hotel are covered for you.
So since coming to Vegas, Rider works hard and plays happily, and his overall state has improved.
This game just happens to be against the Lakers; the conflict between Rider and the Lakers hasn't been resolved, causing pent-up frustration in him.
So tonight, immediately after hitting the court, Rider aggressively attacks the Lakers, scoring continuously.