Carl certainly has a hand to play. His progress over the years is evident, and he has become increasingly experienced as a head coach.
In the 1999-2000 season, he was a novice, trying one thing after another, eventually realizing that listening to Beelman and giving the ball to Ah Gan solved problems.
As for the 2000-2002 seasons, after Ah Gan left, Carl began to search for a new direction.
In these two seasons, the Trail Blazers made it to the Western Conference finals, but realistically, they did not have a great chance against the Lakers and the Kings, and the team’s style was not clear enough.
They still relied more on individual player abilities and what Ah Gan left behind from the previous era, without becoming a new Trail Blazers.
For quite some time, Carl wavered between continuing the former offensive route or switching to a more practical, era-fitting defensive route.
Until this season, the entire coaching staff and management decided to take a defensive approach, rather than pursuing the relentless team offense of the past.
Only Ah Gan could achieve that, others couldn’t. Under the rules of this era, the best team-building strategy is to focus on defense and rely on stars’ personal abilities to score.
After clarifying the direction, as Kobe, Little O’Neal, and Big Ben’s individual abilities peaked, the Trail Blazers started to show signs of becoming champions this season.
Bonzi Wells is a visible and strong card Carl holds. His appearance changed the situation on the court and provided Kobe some resting time.
After the start of the second quarter, Wells stayed on the court, and Trail Blazers switched Dale Davis into the game, who immediately blocked Van Exel’s layup.
Wells drove the counterattack, passing to the wing where Mike Reed took a mid-range jump shot and scored!
Then, both teams engaged in intense contests of offense and defense inside and outside, with high defensive intensity and large movements. The referee’s whistle was loose tonight, not easily calling fouls.
In terms of physical confrontation, the NBA in these early 21st-century years has a stronger degree of physical confrontation than in the 80s and 90s.
However, players are more civilized, not fighting at the drop of a hat like before. The actions aren’t as excessive because being called for a flagrant foul leads to being ejected and fined.
Within the limits of the rules, players exert maximum effort in physical confrontations, and it is common for hands to be all over the ball handlers on the perimeter.
Gan Guoyang was holding the ball on the wing, and Dale Davis, defending him, was almost wrapped around Gan Guoyang’s body. The referee didn’t call it, so naturally, Gan Guoyang also increased the intensity on his opponent.
After shaking off the opponent, Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned, pushed away the opponent, and dashed into the paint. Bonzi Wells came to assist in defense, committing a foul on Gan Guoyang.
Yet, Gan Guoyang still made the basket, landing and glaring at Wells, saying, "Trying to stop me with a foul? Is this your first day watching me play?"
Wells remained silent. He dared to play one-on-one and foul Gan Guoyang, which was already very courageous, but he dared not retort.
Besides, Carl had reminded players before the game not to trash-talk Ah Gan. Even Kobe, usually defiant and bold enough to taunt anyone, reminded teammates not to recklessly provoke Ah Gan.
"If he speaks to you, act like you didn’t hear him. I can argue with him, but others can’t. Don’t babble; just play solid basketball," Kobe reminded the newcomers to the Trail Blazers. It’s Portland’s rule.
Gan Guoyang’s extra free throw was successful: the only score for the Glory Team in the three minutes after the second quarter began.
Even in the substitute rotation lineup, the Trail Blazers’ defense remained outstanding.
There were issues in details, but the process was flawless, with players generally making optimal choices.
Within their capabilities, causing maximum trouble to the opponent was Carl’s defensive motto.
After three seasons of coaching, the Trail Blazers indeed troubled opponents. Tonight, their defensive performance was remarkable.
Not long after completing this 2+1, Gan Guoyang needed to rest, Jordan took the court, and Kobe returned to the game.
The focus of offense and defense shifted back to Kobe vs. Jordan. Wells took a break, while Michael Redd and Kobe together besieged Jordan from the perimeter.
During offensive switch defenses, the Trail Blazers communicated excellently. When to switch, when to recover, and when to double-team were all in perfect harmony.
This troubled the Princeton offense of the Glory Team. The defensive gaps of the Trail Blazers were hard to find; wherever one looked, an opponent was always there.
Princeton excels at using passing and moving repeatedly to widen defensive gaps, gaining a solid opportunity after every slow step or switch to quickly pass the ball to the right person for a finish.
But the Trail Blazers’ defense was unyielding, and after one cycle, the Glory Team found no good opportunity to make a shot.
Eventually, Jordan forced a shot under the double-team of Kobe and Michael Redd, missing the basket; Willis didn’t grab the rebound underneath.
Trail Blazers counterattacked; the high-quality defense made even Gan Guoyang, sipping water on the sidelines, admire the beautiful switch and communication.
Especially the two big men, Little O’Neal and Big Ben, although they were centers, they had mobility rivaling that of perimeter players and were excellent shot-blockers.
For any team, having such strong and yet fast-moving inside players as nightmares on offense. They were trained single-handedly by Gan Guoyang.