The Golden Age of Basketball

The once highly anticipated Westhead was fired; his wild offensive strategy ultimately did not fit the current version of the NBA.

Nowadays, all teams are placing more importance on defense, and by the 1992-1993 season, the average points per game are expected to decrease again.

The league's best two teams, the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, both have extremely strong defenses.

The Bulls have the best outside defense and the strongest team defense ability.

The Trail Blazers boast the Twin Towers inside, with the best interior protection in the league, along with outstanding one-on-one defensive skills.

Amidst the dilution of overall talent in the league, improving defense is the surefire way to enhance combat power.

Offense sometimes requires a bit of talent, whereas defense relies on discipline, which can be honed through intense focus.

The Nuggets realized this; having Mutombo, a defensive wall full of potential, why pursue reckless fast breaks?

Management fired Westhead and brought in former Denver star Dan Issel as the team's head coach.

Issel started reconstructing the team, abandoning the past relentless offensive strategy to instead focus on defense first.

In the preseason, the Nuggets performed well; currently, the team's core players are all young athletes just entering the league not too long ago.

Mutombo is in his second year as a rookie, Abdu Lawufo is 23 years old in his third year, LaFonso Ellis is 22, and the oldest starter is 28-year-old Reggie Williams.

The team mainly consists of players under 25, a promising young team making steady progress, full of hope.

For such a team, losing a game is often not too bitter; it's just a lesson that must be learned on the path forward.

Gan Guoyang stood at the center circle with Mutombo, ready for the first opening jump ball of the new season, looking at the African Mountain's face, which seemed much older than his own, thinking to himself, young teams really kick ass.

It's like just beginning to level up, about to walk out of the newbie village with hope, smooth roads ahead, and bosses and Demon Kings waiting for them to defeat.

And Gan Guoyang?

He is now the Demon King.

During the jump ball, Gan Guoyang slapped the ball, sending it flying into Petrović's charging hands.

Petrović received the ball and quickly launched an attack, charging forward, stopping abruptly, and making the jump shot, scoring!

In less than five seconds, the Trail Blazers had already scored, catching the Nuggets off guard right at the start.

The fans in attendance erupted in cheers, the victorious season began once more, but what about the ending?

It seems the Portland fans don't really care that much, six championships in eight years are truly satisfying.

Before the season, many fans said in interviews, "Just watching Ah Gan play is enough; I hope he stays healthy and plays always."

After Petrović scored the first basket of the season, immediately, the Nuggets' guard Lawufo used his personal ability to shake off Petrović's defense, stopping abruptly at the 45-degree angle on the right and hitting a mid-range shot!

Lawufo was the third overall pick in the first round by the Nuggets in 1990; he is not tall but possesses extremely great ball handling skills and an excellent shooting technique, earning him the nickname "Moonlight Pistol."

After dribbling, his change of direction breakthrough is very rapid, often catching defenders off guard, paired with his precise jump shot, the third-year player is about to grow into the core player for the Nuggets.

In the 1990s, guards' dribbling, shooting, and breakthrough abilities were becoming stronger, ultra-fast acceleration, and extensive change of direction were altering the dynamics on the court.

On the Trail Blazers' bench, Dell Curry's son, Stephen Curry, sat at the end of the bench watching the game; he is a fan of Ah Gan, but tonight his attention was more on Petrović and Lawufo.

Especially Lawufo; if Ah Gan resembled an invincible giant, Lawufo was like a shining moonlight elf.

His movements are really agile and his playing style is truly beautiful.

Petrović's defensive ability was still somewhat lacking, as in his matchup with Lawufo, neither was able to restrict the other.

In the first quarter, Petrović scored 11 points, Lawufo scored 10 points, and the Nuggets led the Trail Blazers 24:21 by 3 points.

The Trail Blazers' quick start with scoring soon turned into a problem with turnovers — they had as many as 5 turnovers in the first quarter.

The reason is simple: the five starters weren't very familiar with each other's play.

Petrović played point guard, but his experience and organizational vision weren't as keen as Porter's.

Accustomed to being the sixth man and Croatia's top player, he preferred to handle problems himself.

Especially after getting Gan Guoyang's "permission," his offensive aggressiveness was strong in this first battle tonight.

Shooting guard Dell Curry tried to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang, but at most times Curry was just a corner shooter.

For the first time in many years, he was put into the starting lineup and faced with the Nuggets' active defense, he was somewhat unadapted.

As for Mario Ely, he was even more at a loss, contributing 2 of the 5 turnovers.

One turnover was a pass mishap, and another was traveling, which made him quite frustrated during the interval break.

Gan Guoyang scored a regulated 6 points with 4 rebounds in the first quarter; he certainly had not exerted much effort.

In the season opener, he was observing, sensing the air of the new season, understanding the referees' penalty standard, and experiencing the new style.

Every year the NBA is changing, just like kids around you growing taller every day. Attending to them every day, you don't feel it until you measure them over time and find out how much they've grown.

This season's main rule changes include one concerning 24 seconds, where the shot clock is only reset when the ball hits the rim, and a rebound is secured.