Unlike His Brother

The next day, Yang Shuai rushed to Las Vegas alongside Marc Gasol, with only two days remaining before the Summer League tipped off. While Summer League rosters were typically assembled in a hurry, their preparation was cutting it exceptionally close. Even so, Gasol performed remarkably well upon joining the training camp, especially in his understanding of the triangle offense. The triangle offense was both the simplest and most complex scheme in basketball. To those who understood it, running it came as naturally as drinking water, while those who couldn't felt like headless chickens wandering the court. "In that regard, he looks an awful lot like his brother," head coach Brian Shaw remarked. Following their brief training camp, the Lakers launched their Las Vegas Summer League campaign, with the Portland Trail Blazers awaiting them as their first opponent. By Summer League standards, this Blazers squad was undeniably one of the most loaded rosters in the competition. In addition to first overall pick Greg Oden, their second-year big man and last year's second overall pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, was also suiting up for the team. That frontcourt pairing was already the best in the tournament, while their backcourt featured third-year player and 2005 sixth overall pick Martell Webster, alongside second-year guard Sergio Rodríguez—the fellow Spaniard known as "Spanish Chocolate." Add in last year's thirtieth pick Joel Freeland (from the European leagues), this year's thirtieth pick Petteri Koponen, and thirty-seventh pick Josh McRoberts... By contrast, the Lakers' lineup looked rather dismal. It was a reflection of the turmoil that had plagued the Lakers over the past few seasons: they had failed to win in the playoffs and had also neglected to cultivate much young talent. Naturally, the moment Yang Shuai appeared on camera, all of that was sarcastically credited to him. "So this is the Lakers squad built for us by the 'Jerry West of the NAA.' I believe this might be the most thoroughly Jerry West has ever been insulted." Marv Albert offered that commentary on the broadcast. Just like Dell Curry, he omitted "potential" and "future" from the original Associated Press praise, but unlike Dell Curry, Albert's tone dripped with unmistakable derision. Russell Westbrook's remarks at the draft had shifted how league front offices viewed Yang Shuai, but they hadn't changed his reputation among members of the media. Of course, none of this bothered Yang Shuai, who was sitting in the second row of the bench, simply because... he couldn't hear a word of it. The main venue for the Las Vegas Summer League was the Thomas & Mack Center, an eighteen-thousand-seat NBA-caliber arena. Even though it was only Summer League, the stands were practically packed to capacity. Las Vegas had no NBA franchise of its own, but its tourist foot traffic ranked among the highest in the nation. For visitors growing weary of the casinos, catching an NBA game they couldn't normally see in person was an attractive alternative. Yang Shuai kept his eyes on the court. His expression showed no discernible change, but his fingers rubbed together with restless anticipation. This was his first game in the NBA world, and he was eager to see how the team he had personally assembled would perform. There was no opening ceremony for Summer League games. When the appointed time arrived, the starting lineups took the floor. Trail Blazers: Rodríguez, Koponen, Webster, Aldridge, Oden. Lakers: Farmar, Crittenton, Wafer, Bowen, Zendon Hamilton. Once the opening tip concluded, Aldridge immediately became the first player to shine. He needed just one move to leave Ryan Bowen, a seven-year NBA veteran guarding him, utterly helpless. A low-post backdown into a turnaround fadeaway. It was as standard a move as could be, yet paired with Aldridge's 2.11-meter frame and 2.26-meter wingspan, it became nearly impossible to contest. Double-teaming him was just as difficult because his entire release was so swift, reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki's one-legged fadeaway. The Blazers' second overall pick from the previous draft had put up an ordinary rookie season, averaging just 9 points and 5 rebounds, but after a year in the league, he had undergone a complete transformation. The Lakers quickly found themselves trailing. Beyond their inability to contain Aldridge, their more glaring problem lay on the offensive end. Perhaps due to the lack of practice time, or perhaps because the triangle offense truly wasn't something everyone could pick up overnight, the Lakers' offense frequently devolved into one-on-one isolations. Against a Blazers squad boasting superior raw talent, that approach yielded dismal efficiency. Around the six-minute mark of the first quarter, the scoreboard read 2 to 10. "This Lakers squad might just be the weakest team in Las Vegas," Marv Albert cracked from the commentary desk. The camera soon cut to the Lakers bench, showing Brian Shaw and Yang Shuai in the middle of a discussion. On the floor, Aldridge sealed Bowen in the post, shook free with a sudden pivot, caught a lob pass from Rodríguez, and drew a shooting foul from Hamilton on the layup attempt to head to the charity stripe. As Aldridge stepped to the line, the Lakers made a substitution: Marc Gasol checked in to replace Hamilton. Gasol's appearance drew a buzz of curiosity from the crowd, along with Albert's attention on the broadcast. "Is that Pau Gasol's brother?" Although Albert didn't recognize Marc Gasol, the similar physique and facial features, along with the same curly long hair, made the connection obvious. After color commentator Jeff Van Gundy—who had recently returned to the broadcast booth—confirmed his identity, Marc Gasol made his official introduction to the NBA world. Naturally, upon learning who he was, the commentators didn't focus on Marc, but turned instead to his older brother—Pau Gasol, frequently labeled soft, who was currently the subject of numerous trade rumors. "We might have another chance to see brothers playing on the same NBA team," Van Gundy remarked, visibly much more relaxed in the announcer's chair than he had ever been on the coaching sideline. "That would be fun, but it won't change anything about tonight's game," Albert replied, steering the topic back to the court. If the older brother was soft, what could anyone expect from the younger one? Aldridge sank both free throws. Less than half a quarter in, the Blazers had already built a double-digit lead. On the Lakers' next possession, Gasol established position in the low post, called for the ball, and made the catch. His touch prompted a stir of excitement through the arena. It wasn't because of Gasol, but because of Oden. Oden was not only this year's top overall draft pick, but was also hailed by the media as a hybrid of Shaquille O'Neal and Bill Russell, earning him the moniker "Greg the Great." However, because the Blazers' early offense had run through Aldridge and the Lakers had focused their attacks on the perimeter, Oden had not yet had an opportunity to showcase himself. Now his moment had arrived. His first challenger was the brother of the NBA's most famously soft player. Gasol caught the pass, dropped his shoulder to bump his defender, and turned left to raise the ball. Oden launched himself into the air from a standing start, rising with such explosive speed and elevation that gasps rippled through the stands. In terms of pure bulk, Oden was slightly smaller than Gasol, but he possessed far more than size: his explosive athleticism and guard-like mobility were precisely why he had been selected first overall ahead of Kevin Durant. If Gasol went up with the shot, Oden would undoubtedly swat it away with an eclipse of a block, just as he had done before throughout high school and the NAA. Except Gasol didn't shoot. The ball he had raised stayed clamped securely in his massive hands, and he pivoted back in the opposite direction. The move drew another wave of gasps from the audience. Now, not just Albert, but everyone in the arena realized this truly was Pau Gasol's brother—because that was Pau's signature post move. Yet that impression vanished an instant later, when Gasol hammered the ball through the rim with a thunderous one-handed slam! Landing on the hardwood, Gasol let out a feral roar right in Oden's face. The arena erupted in an instant. Even Albert was left speechless. Nothing about Marc Gasol looked anywhere close to soft! Watching the play unfold, Yang Shuai nodded with pursed lips. As a transmigrator, he knew the skill sets of the Gasol brothers inside and out. Fundamentally, they were two completely different players: the older brother, Pau Gasol, was an offensive-minded, finesse power forward, while the younger brother, Marc Gasol, was a defensive, bruising center. Of course, that wasn't what had decided the previous play; the deciding factor was experience. Oden was a college kid with only one year of NAA experience, while Gasol was a seasoned pro with four years of professional basketball under his belt. The gulf in their game experience was even wider than the gap in their physical talent. That reality became even clearer on the ensuing change of possession. Determined to reclaim his pride, Oden called for the ball on the low block, and Rodríguez promptly fed him the entry pass. The game finally settled into the rhythm fans had come to see: a duel between two interior titans. Oden's approach upon catching the ball was the exact opposite of Gasol's. He didn't rely on footwork; instead, he tried to muscle his way in with raw physical contact. Yet that gave him no real advantage. While Gasol lacked Oden's sculpted muscle definition, he held the advantage in pure weight, allowing him to anchor himself firmly in defensive position. Unable to carve out shooting room, Oden even flared an elbow, but Gasol remained completely unmoved. Left with no other choice, Oden settled for a short hook shot, though the release was visibly stiff. Worse yet, he had severely underestimated Gasol's shot-blocking ability. Gasol's vertical leap wasn't particularly remarkable, but his 2.30-meter wingspan was no ornament. Timing his jump to perfection, he swatted the ball right back out of the air! The rebound landed in Bowen's hands. Drawing on his veteran poise, Bowen quickly pushed the ball ahead to Farmar on the perimeter. To ensure Javaris Crittenton received ample playing time, Shaw had deployed a dual-point-guard starting lineup, and the benefit of that arrangement shone on the break. Receiving Farmar's pass in stride, Crittenton capped off the fast break with a soaring two-handed windmill dunk. 6 to 12. With Gasol on the floor, the Lakers had rapidly closed the gap!