During his three years in the NBA, Petrović made significant progress, and he was ready to take it a step further. He even gained Ah Gan's approval.
The arrival of Ali didn't mean much to him at first. A rookie teammate, everyone working well together and moving forward was part of Portland's excellent team culture.
However, during training, Petrović discovered that he had become a stepping stone for Mario Ely to prove his defensive capabilities. Ely would often match up against Petrović in confrontational training.
Since Porter and Lewis were both resting due to injuries, Petrović was the strongest on the Trail Blazers' remaining perimeter, and Ely couldn't possibly go one-on-one against Ah Gan, which would only demonstrate his courage but not his ability.
Petrović was inherently a competitive guy, so the two of them often clashed with each other in training, including extra practice after official sessions.
