But speaking of it, when Gan Guoyang and Jordan run the pick-and-roll, who do you double-team?
On October 8th, the Glory Team traveled to Los Angeles to play preseason games against the Lakers and the Clippers.
The Lakers went through a big trade, with O’Neal leaving and Rashid Wallace, Wang Zhizhi, and Jim Jackson joining.
The Lakers’ lineup looks deeper, especially at the forward positions, it’s almost redundant.
But in terms of talent height, they are not just a bit worse compared to having O’Neal; Rashid Wallace can’t compare with O’Neal offensively at all.
The Lakers have become Tracy McGrady’s team, and McGrady will have more shooting rights, making this a season for him to prove his offensive strength.
The intensity in preseason isn’t high, both sides just going through the motions, giving young players more opportunities.
Jordan scored 12 points, Gan Guoyang 14 points, just two points less than Ah Gan.
The folks have seen it too, the so-called dual leaders, the real boss is still Ah Gan, and Jordan won’t compete for that.
After the game, the Glory Team stayed in Los Angeles for a day, playing the Clippers the day after tomorrow.
Wang Zhizhi didn’t participate in this preseason because he had to represent the national team to play in the Asian Games, otherwise Yao Ming would definitely invite Wang Zhizhi out for a meal.
Wang Zhizhi has established himself in the League, securing relatively stable playing time with the Hawks and Heat, playing as the sixth man to score quickly.
He faithfully follows Gan Guoyang’s teaching, with his purpose on the court to score, to shoot, and not to shoot threes, primarily taking mid-range shots.
He has perfected his catch-and-shoot at the corners and the two baseline zero-angle catch-and-shoot mid-range shots to matchless skill, a steady hand.
Whether with the Hawks, Heat, or Lakers, they can design one or two plays around him, and then rely on this skill to steadily contribute about 6 points per game, occasionally scoring in double figures, which is quite good.
In a League with an average score in the 90s, in some low-scoring games, this unique skill is very valuable.
Back to Asia, representing the national team in the Asian Games, the situation is different again.
Wang Zhizhi led the men’s basketball team at the Koreans’ home court, overcoming the home court advantage of Korea, using various offensive techniques to dismantle the Korean men’s basketball team.
He led the national team to capture the Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal in one fell swoop, shattering the Koreans’ dream of winning at home.
On the Asian stage, Wang Zhizhi’s offensive talent is unrivaled, no one can restrain him.
After playing the Clippers, the Glory Team returned to Las Vegas and played against the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, and other West Coast teams.
The preseason schedule is a gentle final touch for the Las Vegas Radiance, as the regular season is about to begin, and they will compete as an Eastern team.
games, 41 on the road, the amount of long-distance travel will double compared to the past, needing to travel far to the Eastern for more games.
Fortunately, they now travel by private jet, with controllable time and a comfortable journey; otherwise, it would be a significant test on the veterans’ bodies.
The Glory Team’s logistics have gone from frequent mistakes at the start of last season to almost zero errors by the end of the season, providing the best service for the players.
After finishing the preseason, October 29th marks the official start of the 2002-2003 regular season.
On the 28th, the entire Glory Team packed their bags and set off for their first game, an away game in the Eastern, in cold Milwaukee, where it’s already started to snow in October.
The League seems intent on freezing the old guys a bit, letting them start this possible last dance with a clear mindset.