[…I have a vivid memory of that game. At the beginning of the second half, Forrest Gump came to me and said that he only scored 7 points in the first half because he didn’t want to. I said you were trying to comfort yourself, but he said no, this was a warning for you. At that time, I was only 15 years old, and I thought to myself, I am going to be in trouble. In fact, I don’t care much about trash talk. Most people’s trash talk is just bragging, nonsense, and just a way to vent. It’s nothing. But Gan was different. Every word he said must be carefully designed, part of his huge trap, and the ingenious mechanism that triggered the trap. Of course, I figured this out much later, when Gan was only 16. To be honest, if Gan had run for mayor with me in 2008, I would have quit being his assistant and sent him to the governorship or even a higher position. 】
————————Excerpts from Kevin Johnson’s conversation on a talk show after he ended his term as mayor of Sacramento in 2017.
Although Gan Guoyang has only been playing basketball for a short time, his exposure to basketball is not short.
From the first time he actually played, Gan Guoyang made good use of his brain instead of just relying on his biochemical warrior-like body.
In addition to using trash talk for psychological tactics, Gan Guoyang is also exploring his own playing style through game after game.
Many players don't start thinking about their playing style until they are 20 or even 25 years old.
Most young players play according to their own imagination, preferences, talents or the guidance of their coaches.
For example, a player likes Magic Johnson, his gorgeous passing and fancy dribbling, and he tries to do the same on the court.
In fact, the position that suits him best may be center, and his style is defensive blue-collar.
Another example is that a certain player follows the coach's arrangements to play shooting guard and puts scoring first.
But after a change of coach, he thought he was more suitable to play point guard, and his talent and style were truly brought into play.
This requires a relatively long period of accumulation and exploration, requires players to have real thinking about their own skills and basketball career, and also requires some luck to encounter guidance from experts.
Gan Guoyang is very special. He thinks about himself far better than ordinary high school students, and his observation and accumulation of games are much more detailed than ordinary players.
In the early days when his offensive skills were not perfect, Gan Guoyang made good use of offensive rebounds, simple and crude, and the effect was outstanding.
But gradually Gan Guoyang discovered that being too obsessed with offensive rebounds would, firstly, affect his retreat and lead to counterattacks. Secondly, sometimes his efficiency would be poor and he would be targeted by well-disciplined teams.
Therefore, Gan Guoyang does not have the enthusiasm for offensive rebounds like Moses Malone. Instead, he grabs key offensive rebounds according to the situation and opponents to improve efficiency and reduce waste of physical energy.
On defense, in addition to creating a tense atmosphere of "I will block every shot of yours," Gan Guoyang will formulate defensive strategies based on the actual situation.
He understands that you can't block every shot of your opponent, but you can effectively interfere with every attack of your opponent.
He will focus on defense and let some people attack when necessary. At the same time, he pays great attention to the protection of rebounds and is good at directing the movement of his teammates.
His teammates can help him reach places that are beyond the reach of his arms. His eyes and brain are faster than others.
Gan Guoyang can even participate in the formulation of the team's tactical strategy, and he also has a strong influence on Bellman.
At the pre-game preparation meeting with the Dragons, Gan Guoyang and Behrman discussed how the game should be played.
Bellman believes that the Dragons are fast, and the Water Bell team should slow down, use zone defense to delay the opponent's offense, and then rely on the offense of Forrest Gump and Franklin to kill the opponent.
This is the game strategy that Shui Zhong has used most along the way. It fits the characteristics of the players and everyone is familiar with this style.
But Gan Guoyang has a different view. He believes that there is a big difference between the Dragons and other teams, and that is Kevin Johnson.
The breakthrough ability of this small steel cannon cannot be resisted by the average high school team's zone defense. Whether it is Chen Xing or Xu Xun, they will be exploded.
The Water Bell's outside defense has always been difficult to deal with such speedy defenders, as their pace is too slow.
Gan Guoyang must plug the leaks at this time, and at the same time give up comprehensive protection of the basket to a certain extent. The zone defense will fail at this time.
Therefore, they simply gave up the zone defense and switched to man-to-man marking. Gan Guoyang and Xu Xun worked together to suppress Johnson and prevent this leader from performing.
Johnson is not that kind of organizational point guard. He needs to play his offense and lead the team's crazy attack to defeat the opponent.
Once he is frustrated in scoring, even if he has many assists, he will not be as helpful to the team as if he scored directly. This is also determined by the player's style.
Since the zone defense has been abandoned, the offensive end must compete with the dragon, play at speed, and must not slowly grind down the position.
After thinking about it for a while, Bellman decided to follow the advice of Gan Guoyang and follow this strategy.
As a result, the first half was effective. Shui Zhong scored 40 points in the half, which was their highest score in a half game since they formed a team.
The Dragons' offense seemed smooth, but without Kevin Johnson's strong performance, their offense seemed to lack explosive power.
They were suppressed by the Water Bell team from the beginning to the end, and it was very uncomfortable to be two or three points behind.
The strong and fast Franklin scored 20 points in the half. He is currently the most troublesome scorer for the Dragons coach.
In the locker room at halftime, the Dragons' head coach repeatedly asked to keep an eye on Franklin and not let him score easily again.
Completely ignoring Gan Guoyang, the top scorer of Beiqiao Middle School, thinking that he was in poor condition today or that their defense was already good enough.
Gan Guoyang was just waiting for the opportunity. He found that instead of fighting hard in the first half, it was better to make the final decision at the beginning of the second half.
The beginning of the second half, which is the third quarter of four quarters, is often the quarter that changes the most and best establishes the advantage of the game.
The first half is a period of trying to find the feeling. After half-time, physical fitness has been restored to a certain extent. Then the advantages and disadvantages of the first half are summarized and targeted changes are made. Then at the beginning of the second half, whoever adjusts well can be fatal to the opponent. one strike.
Therefore, the confrontation is often the most intense at this stage. If the match is evenly matched, the suspense will be left until the end.
Gan Guoyang didn't want to leave the suspense until the end. He had already figured out the Dragons' defensive routine in the first half.
After serving, Gan Guoyang came to the top of the arc to receive the ball, and Franklin asked for the ball in the low post.
They played this attack several times in the first half. The two cooperated in high and low positions, allowing Franklin to attack the basket and succeed frequently.
This time the Dragons obviously shrunk their defense, but Gan Guoyang didn't pass the ball and hit a long-range jumper without hesitation.
This goal was beyond the Dragons' expectations. This guy could actually shoot from long range.
After the goal, Gan Guoyang said to Kevin Johnson: "Did you not expect that I can shoot from long range? And you, a defender, don't seem to be very good at shooting."
Gan Guoyang never missed the opportunity to put pressure on Johnson.
Behrman looked at Gan Guoyang's shooting from the sidelines and thought of Laimbeer, who also likes to shoot from outside.
But Ranbir did it because he was lazy, and Gan Guoyang did it because of his accurate and offensive strategy.
When Gan Guoyang hit long-range shots from almost the same position three times in a row, the Dragons coach couldn't sit still.
How the hell does this big guy shoot so accurately? He had to call a timeout and change his defensive strategy.
But how can it be changed? In the 1980s, big men shooting from the outside was a relatively rare tactic.
Just throw one in every once in a while, and let you throw it in. Can you throw me to death?
But with Gan Guoyang's attitude, he can really kill you.
The Dragons' center had to defend closely.
The problem of personal defense arises. Gan Guoyang still has a certain ability to break through with the ball.
The long hours of dribbling practice are not in vain. With his 6-foot-9 height, it is not difficult for him to get off the ball and it is not easy for him to steal the ball.
His strong body allows him to get to the basket, succeed in layups or draw fouls even if his breakthrough skills are not outstanding.
Like a bulldozer, he drove into the three-second zone from the center and made layups. Even the three people surrounding him could not take the ball away from him.
The referee called fouls continuously, and Gan Guoyang stood on the free throw line and made consecutive free throws - in just four minutes, he had scored 14 points.
This sudden wave of scoring allowed the Water Bell team to establish a 10-point lead, and the balance of victory quickly tilted towards the Water Bell team.
The coach of the Dragons shook his head on the sidelines. He was really careless.
In high school games, the players' tactical literacy is not that high, and some players are not very capable.
So once a tough talent player is encountered, the coach will have a headache.
The best solution at this time is to have a talented player in your hand.
The talent of the Dragons undoubtedly lies in Kevin Johnson.
But in the second half, Xu Xun continued to stick to Kevin Johnson like a madman, while Gan Guoyang was lying in wait like a wolf, never knowing when to rush out and give you a bite.
Johnson was playing extremely uncomfortable and collapsed. During an attack, he finally couldn't stand Xu Xun's entanglement and pushed Xu Xun away with an elbow, causing Xu Xun to fall out of the baseline.
The referee called him a flagrant foul, and the two sides were still calm and no conflict broke out. The Dragons were sentenced to two free throws and one throw. Gan Guoyang stood on the free throw line and continued to score.
He has already scored 23 points, and his momentum has not diminished at all. Instead, he is getting stronger and braver.
Gan Guoyang's jump shot when he faced the defense in the high post finally missed. However, as soon as he landed, he rushed inside, grabbed the ball among three Dragons players, and then quickly took off and hit a close jump shot.
The series of movements were smooth and coherent, without giving the opponent a chance to react or defend.
"It's 25 points. Do you think I will get 40 points, Kevin?"
Gan Guoyang's pressure on Kevin Johnson is not over, it has even just begun.
The teammates of the Water Bell team also cooperated very well to send the ball to Gan Guoyang. This is the most efficient offensive method.
Franklin attracted the defense during the breakthrough, and passed a high ball to the basket. Gan Guoyang jumped high, received the ball, and dunked with both hands!
This was Gan Guoyang's 30th point. He told his teammates during halftime that he wanted to score 40 points.
The point difference was widened to 15 points, and the Dragons could no longer sustain under Gan Guoyang's fierce offensive impact.
This is a complete defeat in core confrontation. The water clock can lock your core, but you cannot lock the water clock's core.
High school students' teams are prone to collapse, and in order to prevent Gan Guoyang from scoring, the Dragons began to chase and intercept Gan Guoyang and even fouled him.
But when the number of fouls reached, Gan Guoyang stood on the free throw line to give him points - Gan Guoyang practiced at least 200 free throws every day, and rest days were no exception.
In a defense in the last minute, Gan Guoyang once again prevented Kevin Johnson's breakthrough, and then after winning the ball, he dribbled the ball to advance the fast break.
Without any interception, he drove to the basket and dunked with ease, which brought his 40 points to a successful conclusion.
Kevin Johnson stood in the backcourt with his hands on his hips, his expression full of collapse. He didn't expect that he would receive painful retaliation for his unintentional bragging.
But after the game, Gan Guoyang took the initiative to shake hands and hug Kevin Johnson, and said: "I'm sorry, I got into the state and couldn't stop at all. 40 points was not my intention. You have to practice your mid-range and long-distance shooting." Shooting, that makes you harder to defend instead of being taken care of by two guys.”
The grievances and grudges between teenagers on the court are easily dissipated. Johnson also hugged Gan Guoyang and said, "I know, please bring the championship back to Northern California."
"I will, glory belongs to Northern California."
The conversation between the two seemed as if the two teams were fighting for the Northern California championship, and the winner would go to Los Angeles to compete for the California championship.
They didn't take the other group of opponents in the semifinals seriously at all.
