However, after the second half started, the Trail Blazers' offense continued to be shaky, and once they sped up, turnovers noticeably increased.
The key issue lies in the lack of a good intermediary in the Trail Blazers' lineup.
They have good initiators and finishers, aren't lacking passers or those who battle for rebounds, but they're missing one or two players who can transition well, respond to plays, and quietly contribute in auxiliary roles.
Such players often don't have standout stats; they frequently score under ten points a game with just two or three assists.
But with these players on the court, the offense just flows more smoothly without any sense of interruption.
In the past, Sabonis played this role for the Trail Blazers, undertaking a lot of auxiliary work and serving as a perfect offensive and defensive lubricant.
It's now hard for the Trail Blazers to find such a role; Gan Guoyang has already taken on a substantial amount of auxiliary work.
