NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 742, Section 58: Defense Against Jia Fei

The Clippers are naturally favored in the Western Conference Finals. The Suns haven't made any significant improvements this season, and a miracle would be necessary for them to defeat the Clippers. After all, the two teams already faced off in last season's Western Conference Finals, and the Suns suffered a crushing defeat.

On the evening of June 19, at the Clippers' home arena, Intuit Dome.

This isn't the first time 58 has played in the playoffs on this court. The Clippers are completely new now; there's no trace of his past. He only has a few memories of this team. Compared to Jia Fei, he's never led a team to the Western Conference Finals, which is indeed somewhat embarrassing.

It's clear that his jersey won't be retired by the Clippers in the future, because Jia Fei also wears number 3!

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, and the hosts were Wang Meng and Yang Yi, who were responsible for closing the game.

"Mr. Yang, in the Western Conference Finals, the Clippers are facing the Suns. Do you think the Suns will have no chance like last season?" Wang Meng asked.

Yang Yi twirled his pen and laughed, "I think the Suns have little chance! Look, last season when the two teams met in the Western Conference Finals, the Suns had this lineup, right? This season, the Suns still have the same lineup; they haven't changed at all. Since there have been no changes, it's simply impossible for them to beat the Clippers."

"So you also favor the Clippers!" Wang Meng said.

Yang Yi nodded: "Everyone is optimistic about the Clippers. This isn't a case of the favorite always losing; there is indeed a significant gap in strength."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The Clippers' starting lineup, playing at home, consisted of JaVale, Bridges, Paul George, Grant, and Hartenstein.

The Suns have a traditional lineup, so the Clippers brought back their center, and Jia Fei returned to the point guard position.

The Suns' starting lineup for the away game is 58, Booker, Crowder, Huang Zhong, and Ayton.

Even when playing with a traditional lineup, the Suns don't have a height advantage against the Clippers. Their only apparent advantage is that their starting players were all drafted relatively early...

The Clippers' home arena, Intuit Dome, is packed to capacity, and tickets are still extremely difficult to obtain.

Both teams' starting lineups are on the field, and the match is about to begin.

Harten and Ayton are preparing for the jump ball near the center circle; the match is about to begin.

Ayton has the look of a center from ancient times, but his playing style is quite soft, which is why many fans jokingly call him "the concubine." It's as if he has a cleanliness obsession; he doesn't like physical contact, prefers jump shots, and plays in a way that avoids contact.

In the fiercely competitive paint, especially in the playoffs, a player with this style of play has absolutely no chance of dominating the paint. If it weren't for the decline of centers in the league today, with his playing style, he would have been completely devoured by those muscle-bound giants during the era of the four great centers…

As the number one draft pick, Ayton is certainly not a bust in the long history of the NBA, but he definitely doesn't rank among the worst. It's not that he's particularly outstanding; it's just that there are so many busts that his performance is overshadowed by his peers.

Ayton and Hartenstein are near the center circle preparing for the jump ball; the game is about to begin.

The jump ball began, and Harten won the jump ball against Ayton, giving the Clippers possession for the first offensive possession.

Jia Fei dribbled the ball across half-court, and he was being defended by 58!

Why was 58 assigned to defend Jia Fei? This wasn't just a question Jia Fei himself wanted answered; it was a question everyone present wanted answered.

Of course, it's a fact that the Suns' starting lineup doesn't have anyone suitable to defend Jia Fei, but how come that person is 58?

Is it because the Clippers achieved a 58-game winning streak this season? Is that really the case?

No way?

Why would they assign the 37-year-old, 183cm tall player 58 to defend against Jia Fei, arguably the league's best defensive player, simply because 58 was once the league's All-Defensive First Team player and the strongest defensive starter in the past? But do you know that was in the past…?

"Mr. Yang, why did the Suns assign Paul to guard Jia Fei?" Wang Meng asked.

"It depends on their setup. Will they switch on defense after a pick-and-roll? That's a bit strange. Logically, they should have Jae Crowder or Cameron Johnson on defense!" Yang Yi explained.

Back in his day, 58 was a member of the All-Defensive First Team, which is remarkable for a player who is only 183cm tall. He certainly used a lot of dirty tricks and was good at manipulating opponents' mentality, which made many players in the league dislike him. However, he was undeniably very intelligent, had great toughness, and possessed excellent defensive skills. It's just that he's getting quite old now.

It's absolutely true that the legs are the first to show signs of aging. At 58, his hand skills are still there, but his footwork has really slowed down a lot, and his explosiveness has also declined. He often relies on experience to play.

On the basketball court, Jia Fei has no sense of "respecting the elderly and caring for the young". If you respect the elderly and care for the young, they will defeat you and then mock you for not being able to beat a veteran, just like the 8-point scorer on Running Man who was criticized for life.

Jia Fei signaled to his teammates to create space; he was going to take on 58 one-on-one. With 58 in front of him, what kind of screen did he need? Who would he screen for? Booker or Ayton? He could just go straight for 58!

Jia Fei dribbled the ball, changed direction, and tried to steal it with a low center of gravity, but he couldn't reach it.

The double-team came immediately. Sure enough, the Suns weren't really letting Jia Fei go one-on-one against 58; they had set up a double-team tactic!

Jia Fei remained calm and flicked a pass to Grant in the corner with one hand!

Grant got an open look and took a three-pointer—but missed!

But Hartenstein has offensive rebounds!

Hartenstein grabs an offensive rebound over Ayton, a second-round pick dominating a number one draft pick!

It wasn't that Ayton couldn't jump over Hartenstein; it was just that he disliked physical contact. But Hartenstein didn't care, relentlessly boxing out for him under the basket, making Ayton, who was averse to physical contact, very uncomfortable.

The ball returned to Jia Fei's hands, and Jia Fei continued to score 58!

This tactic is very simple. If you have 58 guard me, I can just go one-on-one and that's it. It's simple, brutal, and the offense is straightforward. That's what NBA stars do—simplify complex tactics. This reduces turnovers and makes it easier for role players to handle the game. The reason why team offense is often difficult in the playoffs is because the defense is more targeted. Under high-intensity defense, with complex coordination and many players involved, it's easier to make mistakes.

While it's possible to win a championship through individual superstar play, it's rare to see a team win through collective effort and teamwork. Some might argue that the Spurs and Pistons exemplify team basketball. They certainly have the DNA of team basketball, but they also have star players. The Spurs' "Big Three" (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili) are a prime example, and the Pistons had five All-Stars in their prime. They simply lacked a top-five superstar, not a lack of star players.

There can only be 5 players on a basketball court, so the role of star players becomes very important. This is why having two outstanding foreign players in the CBA can elevate a mid-to-lower-tier team to a championship team.

The Suns continue to double-team Jia Fei!

Jia Fei passed the ball to Bridges, who was in an open position.

Bridges takes a three-pointer—and it's in!

The Clippers scored first, with Jia Fei adding one assist!