For Jordan and Gan Guoyang, the preseason is just a child’s play, not even considered an appetizer.
But for a rookie like Yao Ming, the preseason is particularly important, as it’s his first step in adapting to the NBA game environment.
In the first game against the Suns, Yao Ming did not get the starting opportunity, as Tomjanovich chose to start Ewing.
The Glory Team has three players drafted into the league in 1984, two in 1985, and one in 1989.
It can be said they are the league’s top antique shop, with the most veterans, raising concerns about stamina and injury issues.
Apart from Van Exel, the Glory Team couldn’t find a player around 30 years old in their prime during the summer; they’re either too old or too young.
And this is not the 2000 Trail Blazers, where veterans were numerous, but at least around 35, old but not overly so.
Now the Glory’s veterans are nearing 40, and apart from Gan Guoyang and Jordan, who are in good shape and can ignore age, other veterans can’t maintain good form throughout the long regular season.
Therefore, the Glory management has always wanted to sign two inside and outside blue-collar players in their prime to lower the team’s average age and provide health insurance.
Danny Ainge communicated with Luis Scola, who was far away in the Spanish League, and Scola was very interested in coming to the NBA, especially excited about the prospect of teaming up with the NBA’s historic first and second players.
But considering the contract with his current team and the worry that the superstars might overshadow him when joining the Glory, Scola decided to wait two years before challenging the NBA.
However, the Glory couldn’t wait, so Danny Ainge traded Scola’s signing rights to the San Antonio Spurs, acquiring Malik Rose in return.
The Spurs know they have no hope of contending for the championship in the short term, so they’re amassing talent as much as possible.
Scola, Ginobili’s Argentine teammate, is talented, while Rose is a blue-collar type player.
With Gasol and Ginobili still quite immature, swapping blue-collar for talent was a move for the future.
Unfortunately, David Robinson’s career is nearing its end, and he no longer has the strength to compete for the championship.
After acquiring Rose, Danny Ainge signed 31-year-old restricted free agent guard Jon Barry, Old Barry’s son, to a 2-year, $6.5 million contract in free agency.
The Glory’s salary cap policy last season actually helped the team a lot; last season, they could only use 70% of the salary cap, and this season, they had the full salary cap.
Due to the Glory’s arrival, league-wide revenue increased, so the salary cap rose as well, resulting in the Glory having significant salary space.
Plus, Jordan and Ewing both signed short one-year, one-million-dollar contracts, and even with Guoyang’s max salary of only $15.6 million a year.
Moreover, Guoyang’s max salary was based on the 2001-2002 season’s salary cap, and this year’s salary cap rose from $42.5 million to $45 million, immediately freeing over two million in space, and with the Glory Team releasing 30% in space, they had enough room to not only renew Arenas but also make trades and bring in players.
After signing Barry, Ainge used veteran minimums to renew one-year contracts with Porter, Cole, Willis, and others, totaling 13 on the roster, reaching a total salary of only $46.89 million, not even touching the luxury tax threshold.
Contracts like Gerald Wallace’s $850,000 and Raja Bell’s $610,000 contributed to saving the team money.
On the other hand, as the number one pick, Yao Ming could earn a $3.85 million salary in his first year, the fourth highest on the team.
This is a huge gain, far more than Yao Ming would earn domestically, even after taxes, still a lot.
But it’s also a form of pressure; if you are taking the fourth highest salary on the team, can you make the fourth highest contribution?
In the competition for starting positions or playing time, Yao Ming’s opponents are not veterans like Ewing or Willis but rather a young and strong force like Malik Rose, who can excel in rebounding, defense, and bring energy as a blue-collar player.
In the preseason first game against the Suns, Yao Ming appeared midway through the first quarter, wearing number 15, greeted by a wave of cheers from the fans as he entered the court.
Once on the court, after running back and forth a few times, he got a shooting opportunity but didn’t score.
Even though it was a preseason game, the Suns maintained a fast pace, seemingly targeting the Glory’s super-sized player, trying to run him down.
Yao Ming looked a bit awkward running because, like most newcomers, he temporarily didn’t know what to do after stepping on the court.
In domestic clubs and the national team, Yao Ming was the tactical core, with everyone waiting for him and playing around him.
Coming to America, the Glory is Gan Guoyang’s team; no one is going to revolve around you, so you must find your own opportunities.
However, Yao Ming only appeared awkward; in reality, his stamina was fine, and he could keep up with the pace.
And in a fast break, upon receiving a pass from Gan Guoyang, he cut into the basket and slammed it in.
He scored his first point on the NBA stage, and being able to keep up with the NBA’s offensive and defensive rhythm is the first step to adapting to the NBA.
In this era, the NBA is overall still at a slow pace, featuring more half-court play and fewer transitions.
But both the Glory and the Suns played at a lively pace, with many transitions, posing a significant challenge to Yao Ming.
During halftime, Yao Ming was sweating profusely, having played over 10 minutes and scored 4 points with 2 rebounds.
Most of the time was spent running, and it was him running after others, not others waiting for him.
The stamina consumed in the former is much greater than in the latter.