The absence of Tomjanovich due to illness has indeed brought a considerable negative impact to the Glory Team.
Even though the team has two seasoned veterans, Old Tang's role in the Glory Team is undeniably crucial.
His optimistic and humorous nature, wide-ranging knowledge, and rich experience are of great importance in this new team, Glory.
He is a bridge connecting Ah Gan and Jordan, a kind mentor to Yao Ming, and a balancer among strong-willed players like Van Exel and Andre Miller.
Without Old Tang, the entire Glory squad feels like something is missing. Compared to Old Tang, Dean Cooper is too stable and lacks personality and leadership charisma.
He is suitable to be an assistant coach helping solve problems, but not as a head coach who can rally people at critical times.
Gan Guoyang and Jordan undoubtedly hold great prestige, but players are just players; they cannot completely replace a coach.
