He just isn’t used to the pace of NBA games, and within the Glory Team, he hasn’t yet found his position.
The NBA is just too fast: the pace is fast, the skills are quick, the movements swift. Yao Ming has to elevate his focus by two levels to make sure he doesn’t make mistakes or zone out during games.
In terms of positioning, Yao Ming was always the absolute core in the CBA, but here, at most, he’s the team’s third-in-command.
The responsibilities of a team’s third-in-command are still unclear to Yao Ming, and on top of that, the Princeton System is somewhat challenging for him, requiring time to adapt.
Fortunately, everyone in Glory is very patient. Although Gan Guoyang criticizes, he doesn’t withhold any guidance.
Tomjanovich is particularly concerned about Yao Ming. Before the game, he told Yao that he would have more playing time tonight against the Knicks.
Yao nodded, indicating that he would perform well and show the New York media whether he’s a question mark or not.
After their glory in the 1999 Finals, the Knicks quickly declined, mainly due to Mourning’s kidney disease.
Soon after the 2000 Olympics ended, Mourning was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition and had to undergo a kidney transplant.
For a basketball player, this is tantamount to a death sentence, causing Mourning to miss the entire 2002-2003 season, forcing the New York Knicks to rebuild.
The cause of Mourning’s kidney disease, speculated by outsiders, might be related to the heavy burden on the kidneys due to excessive usage of painkillers.
The NBA in the late 90s was extremely competitive, especially inside, with muscle and joint pain tormenting many players.
Not to mention Mourning, even Gan Guoyang, towards the end of his career, was so tormented by pain and fatigue that he couldn’t sleep well, and he was as tough as steel.
Now, Gan Guoyang has adjusted his training intensity to medium-low, and his playstyle is more external, all to reduce some ailments and extend his professional life.
After losing Mourning, the Knicks made a significant trade in the summer, sending Spree to Minnesota, and acquiring local Point Guard Stephon Marbury to be the new rebuilding core for the team’s next phase.
Kemp was also let go, leaving Alan Houston and Kurt Thomas as the core framework.
This core lineup structure is just so-so, decent, but making a mark in the Eastern Conference is not very likely.
The evening game was packed at Madison Square Garden, always a scoring haven for Gan Guoyang and Jordan.
Even if trembling, New York fans still came to witness the great collaboration of two great players.
However, the first climax of the game had nothing to do with Gan Guoyang and Jordan, but came from Yao Ming.
Coming off the bench in the first quarter, he was pulled to single-handedly defend Stephon Marbury, only to be tripped by a crossover, losing his balance, and his massive frame fell to the ground.
Even though Marbury’s following layup was disrupted by Gan Guoyang and didn’t go in, just breaking Yao Ming’s ankle made the Knicks’ bench and the on-site fans erupt.
The DJ on-site even shouted, "Stephon Marbury twisted the ankle of the Chinese number one pick!"
Yao Ming’s status as the number one pick means he has to bear more malice; after all, he was drafted higher than Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang committed a foul while passing the ball to a frontcourt teammate, then helped Yao Ming up, patting him, saying, "It’s nothing, completely normal, getting tripped, blocked, it all happens. A big without playing time won’t become a background."
Yao Ming nodded; saying he didn’t care was impossible. Footage of him getting tripped was sure to make TV or even the newspapers again.
But there was no time for self-pity. Back on offense, Yao Ming immediately demanded the ball assertively in the low post.
Gan Guoyang gave Yao Ming a direct feed from the high post, and Yao Ming powered through Kurt Thomas with his back to the basket, forcing a dunk!
After scoring, Yao Ming let out a loud roar, quieting Madison significantly—this was the power of a giant.
Kurt Thomas is a good low-post defender and even single-handedly defended Ah Gan in the Finals.
But on this very play, Yao Ming spun and dunked over him, and Thomas looked like a child in front of Yao Ming, powerless.
Scoring that basket, Gan Guoyang was happier than Yao Ming himself. That was beautiful offense!
Don’t be fooled by Marbury’s spectacle; his layup missed, while Yao Ming scored.
Thinking like that, all displeasure in Yao Ming’s heart vanished, and he vigorously participated in the game.
The Knicks weren’t much of a match for Glory; the Glory Team wasn’t entirely reliant on Gan Guoyang and Jordan either.
The core ideology of Princeton is that everyone participates in the offense, and everyone exerts their energy.
At the core, Knicks with Marbury and Houston were an offensive team.
Their ordinary defense couldn’t withstand the penetration of the Princeton Offense.
Meanwhile, Yao Ming’s coordination with his teammates became increasingly seamless; he would cut quickly to the basket, forming strong high-low cooperation with Gan Guoyang.
Once he receives the ball underneath, Yao Ming is unstoppable, spinning for hooks, or even dunks, leaving the opponents helpless.
If they pack and surround, it leaves openings elsewhere, as for leaving Gan Guoyang at the arc... that’s just brainless.
Gan Guoyang’s playmaking prowess lies here: he himself is a powerful scoring threat, and when he holds the ball at the top of the arc, it’s always the biggest headache for opponents.
If Jordan then comes over to set a handoff screen, defenders might think of suicide right there—how do they defend? How do they prioritize?
Two veterans, reasonably utilizing tactics, with low-energy defense, play high-efficiency games.
109:84, Glory easily took a victory in New York, then moved on to the New Jersey Continental Airlines Arena.
Yao Ming scored in double digits against the Knicks for the first time in his career, with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and also 2 assists.
His fifth game in his career shows commendable progress. After the game, back in the locker room, everyone praised Yao Ming.
This big guy, Yao Ming, is like the mascot of the Glory Team; everyone loves this modest, humorous big boy.
Porter even said, "Yao, because of you, my impression of Chinese players has changed significantly. I used to think Chinese players were all arrogant, conceited control freaks who love to fight. You’ve shown me another side of Chinese players—beautiful, humble, resilient, and tolerant..."
Yao Ming felt very awkward because Gan Guoyang was still nearby, and Porter said this just so brazenly.
Gan Guoyang didn’t care; he put on his headphones, pretending not to hear. Porter, say whatever you want.
Against the New Jersey Nets, Yao Ming’s playing time increased again, from 21 minutes against the Knicks to 25 minutes.
Statistics showed 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks; his performance is becoming more stable, and it won’t be long before he replaces Ewing as a starter.
Ewing is really too old, and his contributions in games are becoming less and less, plus he really likes Yao Ming.
Gan Guoyang provided Yao Ming with directional guidance, but how to progress towards that direction, every step of the way, Ewing taught a lot more.
In daily training, rather than saying Ewing is a starting center, it’s more like he’s Yao Ming’s sparring partner, spending most of the time training with Yao Ming, considering his own state is quite average.
The once powerful, silent, fierce gorilla has become increasingly kind and quiet.
Many times, he just sits quietly, with ice packs on his knees, watching the younger ones sweat profusely; he must be recalling his Georgetown days.
As Yao Ming’s performance stabilizes and gradually rises, Barkley, the big mouth, is up to something again.
Since the Glory Team traded for Yao Ming, Barkley has been whining, claiming it was insider trading, and saying Yao Ming was nothing, not worth trading Brad Miller and Arenas for.
He also said that Yao Ming would most likely be a bust and one of the most failed picks.
Of course, Gan Guoyang knew all of this, but he allowed Barkley to speak, to increase public opinion around Glory.
In a program on Turner Television, he chatted with Kenny Smith, saying, "I’ve said all along that Yao Ming wasn’t good. Today I’ll say it again, if Yao Ming can get 19 points in a game, Kenny, I’ll kiss your ass to show my admiration for you!"
Initially, Yao Ming didn’t take it to heart; who Barkley kisses has nothing to do with him.
But one day, Gan Guoyang said to Yao Ming, "You need to score more than 19 points to make Barkley keep his word."
"What word? He’s going to kiss your ass?"
"... It’s Kenny Smith’s ass. Don’t stay too close to Porter in the future, you get drunk together last time!"
"Okay, I got it."