During the 2002-2003 season, it was the first time in many years that Gan Guoyang’s three-point attempts declined.
While Jordan could also shoot threes, he still preferred mid-range shots, which were more accurate for him.
The Glory team’s bench had decent three-point shooting, with Bell and Jon Barry providing some firepower.
However, the starting lineup’s three-point shooting was quite average; once Gan Guoyang, the center, played more in the low post, their three-point shooting weakened even further.
But this season, the Glory’s offensive efficiency was still one of the best in the league. Besides crediting the Princeton System, Tomjanovich also infused the team with some UCLA offensive elements, making Gan Guoyang, like in 1990, frequently hold the ball on both baselines, utilizing zero-degree mid-range shots and facilitating passes to invigorate the entire team’s offense.
Michael Jordan, on the other hand, served as an excellent finishing point, executing and completing tactics.
Gan Guoyang and Jordan both attended college, especially Jordan, who spent three years with Dean Smith rigorously training, achieving high tactical literacy.
This season, the Glory’s tactics were quite complex, blending the essence of various styles, with Princeton as the base. If Yao Ming and Ewing were absent and Malik Rose was in, they would switch to UCLA, seeking efficient finishes.
The two tactical systems shared many similarities and also many differences. The biggest difference was that Princeton was relatively slower, initiating tactics from the high post, with Gan Guoyang as the high post facilitator, while Jordan executed many cuts, backdoor plays, and runs to the basket.
The UCLA system was faster, emphasizing quick opportunities and decisive execution. Also, like the Utah Jazz, the Glory centered their game around the Flex offense, with Gan Guoyang frequently appearing in the low post and baseline, while Jordan supported from the high post, excelling in catch-and-drive and stop-and-pop jump shots.
Besides these two interchangeable systems, the Glory had an ultimate weapon, perfectly compatible with both systems—the "Gan Gajiao Pick-and-Roll." When these two executed a pick-and-roll, the defenders’ CPUs would first burn out.
There was also the Triangle Offense, which the Glory occasionally used, especially when Jordan was in the low post, with the entire team cooperating according to the Triangle principles.
The principles of the Triangle Offense were no longer a secret in the league; now, when implementing low post tactics, teams often incorporated Triangle principles.
The complex and variable offensive tactical system made Glory’s offense unpredictable, maximizing compensation for the veterans’ deficiencies in stamina, explosiveness, and speed, and making the decline in three-point shooting not as detrimental.
In the third quarter, the complexity and unpredictability brought by such a system from Glory troubled the Trail Blazers.
The Glory caught up with the score, and during a defensive play, Malik Rose successfully double-teamed Little O’neal.
Big Ben’s offensive shortcomings were a weakness in this starting lineup for the Trail Blazers, allowing Malik Rose to freely double-team Little O’neal.
Little O’neal was already struggling against Ah Gan and being double-teamed made it even harder, resulting in a turnover.
Kobe intercepted Jerald Wallace during defense, but Jordan suddenly snuck up and poked the ball away from behind, with Malik Rose recovering the ball, returning possession to Glory.
Crossing half-court, Jordan passed the ball to Gan Guoyang at the right baseline. Gan Guoyang pretended to shoot, drawing defensive attention, but then passed to the cutting Malik Rose, who made the layup, allowing the Glory team to take the lead.
Even though Malik Rose seemed like an unremarkable role player, he had a significant impact on both offense and defense.
Watching Rose’s performance from the bench, Yao Ming thought that he believed his competitor was Ewing, but it turned out to be Rose.
Rose was entirely a role player who provided all kinds of support for Ah Gan on the court.
In defense, he did the dirty and tiring work; in offense, he could cut, screen, and grab rebounds, without demanding the ball.
Yao Ming looked at himself, realizing he wasn’t just a support player; instead, the team had to build tactics around him and feed him the ball.
If feeding him the ball led to success, it was fine, but if not, it was a waste of tactical resources, as Yao Ming’s low post offensive skills were clearly inferior to Ah Gan’s.
Even at 38, Gan Guoyang’s efficiency in the low post remained top-notch, second only to his peak years.
When Yao Ming was on the court, he sometimes needed Gan Guoyang’s support to feed him the ball and create isolation opportunities.
Yao Ming’s ability to create isolation opportunities was lacking compared to Ah Gan, who could launch an offense from any position, unlike Yao Ming.
In low-intensity games against weaker teams, it was okay, but in high-quality matches against strong opponents like the Trail Blazers, Yao Ming felt like he couldn’t exert his strength, ending up frustrated as he inadvertently caused trouble.
"Shit, I feel like I’m really not playing as well as Rose," Yao Ming couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
"Don’t say that, Yao. Different opponents, different games, everyone has their chance to shine. Tonight just wasn’t your night, don’t lose heart. You still have a lot of room for improvement," Porter heard Yao Ming and consoled him.
Porter’s playing time decreased even further this season, but his status and role in the locker room and on the bench continued to rise.
Yao Ming nodded and continued watching the game’s progress.
The Glory gradually gained the upper hand, especially when Gan Guoyang received the ball on both baselines, which was an unsolvable problem for the Trail Blazers.
This move was something Gan Guoyang had also used against the Trail Blazers before; the fact was, you could only watch him play and hope he missed.
Nicknamed the "King of the Third Quarter," Gan Guoyang was in great form during the Christmas match, scoring 16 points and providing 5 assists in the third quarter alone.