Chapter 646: Chapter 37: Don’t Be Looked Down Upon
Drexler was in pretty bad shape during the first quarter.
Last season, he had performed the best of his career and became the uncontested top player in Miami.
However, after the new season started, lacking restraint and motivation, Drexler had visibly slackened under the warm climate and vibrant life of the South Coast.
The habit of sleeping in, almost cured by Gan Guoyang in Portland, had relapsed this season, with him just making it on time for daily practices.
Yesterday, he had argued with Riley and avoided a bigger issue by bragging, thanks to inviting Gan over, then went back to sleep instead of attending the afternoon training.
From the stats of the new season, his average points per game had dropped from 27 last season to 23, and his shooting percentage had fallen from 49% to 44%, which was a significant decline.
Although his rebounds and assists had further improved, in a weak team like the Heat, it’s essential for the lead player to score, and his output needed to keep up.
Originally, Gan Guoyang had led a team of talented, potential-filled, young, and inexperienced teammates to a championship, with Gan Guoyang’s high scoring providing a significant margin for error and growth for his teammates.
Now players like Porter, Hornacek, and Kossie had grown, reducing the scoring pressure on Gan Guoyang significantly, so a decrease in his average points was not a big deal.
The same was true for Jordan; when your teammates aren’t good enough, scoring becomes the primary responsibility for the team leader because, after all, basketball essentially boils down to scoring.
The Miami media had hoped that this season Drexler could raise his average points to 30 and pull the Heat into the playoffs.
But 27 points per game was already his limit; not only could he not increase it, but it had actually decreased.
After the first quarter, under the Trail Blazers’ tight defense and slow tempo pressure, Drexler had made only 1 of 5 shots, with 1 of 2 free throws, garnering just 3 points.
There were no fast-break points, no fiery counter-attacks initiated, and the score was 27:21, the Heat trailing by 6 points at the end of the quarter.
When Drexler was substituted out at the end of the first quarter, the audience uttered slight jeers; Glider’s performance tonight was terrible.
Sitting on the bench, Drexler, while drinking Gatorade, tried to calm himself down, but sweat dripped heavily, a sensation of fatigue welling up inside him.
In the end, it was still a training issue.
Satisfied with his performance in the ’89 season, Drexler felt a little accomplished.
Already holding three championship rings, his thirst for another title was not as intense.
In this new team in Miami, no other player could threaten Drexler’s position.
He was the boss of the Heat, and no clear number two could be found on the team because the others lacked both the experience and strength.
This "supreme" status caused Drexler to lose the motivation to fight hard.
Since it was certain that he wouldn’t win a championship anytime soon, he was content being the top dog of the Heat, not lacking in championship rings, and complacency occupied his mind and body.
Thus, in the summer of ’89, he didn’t train in Houston as he used to; he spent a lot of energy on lawsuits, attending parties, and traveling with his wife and daughter.
It wasn’t wrong to enjoy life having won three championships.
But professional sports is quite brutal; no matter how gifted or skilled you are, if you don’t train, your level will fall.
Not to mention stopping training altogether, even training less, inadequately, or unscientifically would quickly show on the court.
Many players train relentlessly and maintain discipline, often not to improve but to preserve their form.
The real world isn’t like a game where, if you struggle to level up to 100, you stay at level 100, where your experience points won’t drop, and learned skills won’t disappear.
In reality, a player’s level drops for various reasons if they cease training, and the more they ignore training, the quicker their skills decline.
Drexler still participated in normal training, but his training duration and intensity were no longer what they had been in Portland.
Riley had had many arguments with Drexler about these issues, but Drexler wouldn’t listen, believing he had no problems.
As a result, after losing to Jordan last game, this game with only 3 points in the first quarter, and being targeted, even reaching 20 points seemed perilous.
After the second quarter began, both teams brought on their reserves, with the Trail Blazers pairing Petrović and Sabonis.
The duo constantly exploited screen and rolls and cutting from the arc, showcasing the fluidity of European basketball.
Petrović was in form, shooting continuously and helping the Trail Blazers extend the gap to 11 points.
33:22, the Heat managed only 1 point from Sherman Douglas’s free throws, prompting Riley to call a timeout.
The Miami management had quite a good eye for drafting, arguably the best among the four new League teams.
The rookie quality in ’88 and ’89 was average; expansion teams didn’t catch a strong draft year, otherwise securing a superstar rookie could have quickly rebuilt the team.
Despite the average rookie quality and not so high draft picks, the Miami Heat had struck gold both in the first and second rounds, picking players with strong capabilities and potential.
Starting players Secali, Grant Long, Kevin Edwards, reserve Douglas, and Glen Rice from the ’89 lottery pick were all players who could last over a decade in the League.
The average career span for an NBA player is just three to four years; many rookies disappear from the NBA after their first contract.
A player lasting ten years in the NBA is considered successful from a professional perspective, having secured their place in this highly competitive and brutal environment, becoming an insider.
These young players with potential, under Riley’s guidance and if teamed up with a compelling and experienced leader, could make a name for themselves.
Winning the championship naturally wasn’t possible, but they could definitely stir things up in the Eastern conference.
However, the casual personality of the leader led to a lack of vigor and spirit in the Miami Heat.
During a timeout, Riley didn’t even glance at Drexler, focusing instead on strategizing with the substitute players.
He placed the offensive burden on Douglas and Glen Rice’s shoulders, hoping Douglas would use his speed to tear through the Trail Blazers’ defense while Glen Rice provided firing support from the outside.
Glen Rice was an excellent forward shooter though he hadn’t yet developed a three-pointer because he wasn’t accustomed to the NBA three-point line.
But his long-range foundation was solid; his shooting posture was standard, his movements silky smooth, boasting the ability to make strong shots with the ball.
Riley chose him to partner with Drexler, to compensate for Drexler’s long-range shooting deficiency.
After the timeout, the Heat initiated a counterattack climax, Rice made a long-range shot.
Then Douglas, in the counterattack, sped up, outpacing Sabonis to score a layup!
Douglas, standing only 6 feet or rather 183 cm, and, in reality, merely 180 cm.
Due to his height, despite excelling in college, he only got picked in the second round of the draft.
On the court, his nickname was "General," his style of play fierce and rapid, like a little cannon, full of driving force; he also possessed great shooting and passing skills.
When he left NCAA in 1989, Douglas was the all-time NCAA assist king, accumulating 960 assists.
This was an underrated player.
The Trail Blazers’ backfield revealed their problems: they lacked both speed and height.
In response, the Trail Blazers opted for offense against offense, Petrović began firing repeatedly.
Tonight, his shooting was unexpectedly superb.
Pick-and-roll, he shot directly, and it hit.
Handling the ball, one-step break, abrupt stop, jump shot, another hit.
In a counterattack, a direct abrupt three-point shot, and it hit again!
Petrović scored 13 points on 7 out of 6 attempts in the second quarter!
This away game, Petrović played increasingly well.
Substituting in with the ball, he was very confident, his shots crisp and clear, without any hesitancy.
When on form, he kept shooting; when off, he abandoned the offense to his teammates, without wavering.
Douglas and Petrović, two offensive guards, unfolded a duel, the game moving back and forth, reminiscent of chickens pecking at each other, yet the scene was engaging.
Drexler sat on the bench, having sat there since the latter half of the first quarter and continued sitting until the middle of the second quarter, as the Trail Blazers’ main players gradually returned. However, Riley showed no intention of subbing Drexler in.
Gan Guoyang shouted to Riley, "Pat, if you don’t switch Clyde in now, how will he score 70 points!"
Drexler was pissed, "When did it become 70 points in your mouth!"
points, why not say 81 points!
Drexler couldn’t hold back and said to Riley, "Coach, I should be on the court now."
Riley responded, "Don’t you want to sleep a bit more? I’m afraid you haven’t had enough rest."
"..."
"Coach, I’ll come to train earlier."
"If you play now, you won’t even score 50 tonight, you might as well retire due to injury."
"No... even if I don’t score 50, I still need to win the game."
Riley, who had his back to Drexler, turned around and said, "If you’re not fully prepared, if you’re not absolutely confident and guaranteed to win, then don’t spout nonsense! That’s irresponsible to yourself and the team."
Drexler fell silent, knowing Riley was right.
Boasting was fun for a moment, but failing to deliver not only embarrassed himself but also let down his teammates and supporters, providing fodder for opponents’ ridicule.
In that moment, Drexler understood Ah Gan better, knowing why his boasts could always be fulfilled.
Because behind every confident expression, there was countless sweat and hardship, nothing less would do.
Then, Riley called a short timeout, with the score at 47:38, the Heat trailing by 9 points.
Riley subbed Drexler back in, saying, "Pull something out that’s yours, it doesn’t matter if we lose, it doesn’t matter if you don’t get 50 points, but you need to act like a leader, like a fighter. Don’t be looked down upon by Ah Gan."
Drexler nodded, took a deep breath, he had rested long enough.
