NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 676 The urban routine is deep

The presence of TT and Theis allowed the Celtics to protect the backcourt rebounds quite well. Theis protected the backcourt rebound, and Kemba Walker brought the ball over.

Kemba Walker passed to Tatum, and Tatum and TT set a pick and roll.

The Clippers switched defense, and Tatum dribbled the ball against Hartenstein.

Tatum is a very well-rounded player. He can drive to the basket, shoot, and has some playmaking ability. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions, has height and speed, and is only 23 years old. He has great potential and immediate impact.

His problem is that if you judge him by the standards of a typical star player, he's outstanding in every way. However, if you judge him by the standards of a wing superstar, firstly, his physical attributes aren't top-tier; his running and jumping abilities are actually average. He doesn't have the first step of players like Jia Fei, McGrady, or Kobe, nor the explosiveness and leaping ability of a running man. Even in terms of physical attributes, his wingspan is only average, and his lower body strength is slightly lacking. In terms of individual skills, he can indeed drive and shoot, but he lacks a killer weapon. His driving efficiency isn't high enough to disrupt the opponent's defensive formation, and he lacks a killer mid-range shot, relying heavily on three-pointers, but those three-pointers aren't particularly lethal. Defensively, he's a versatile player with strong versatility, but as a lead defender, he lacks pressure, and while his help defense is valuable, it's not top-tier.

To put it simply, Tatum is a player who can score 80+ points in everything, but lacks skills that surpass 90+. This type of player is best suited as a top-tier second option, like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant.

But the Celtics have been grooming Tatum as their main star, so there's nothing they can do about it. Jaylen Brown looks more like a superstar, but that's all he looks like; neither of them has the actual ability.

However, the Celtics don't necessarily need to find a chosen one to be their leader. There are many ways to build a championship team. Even without a top-5 superstar in the league, there is still a chance to build a championship team. All you need is for the role players to be of a high enough caliber. After all, basketball is a team sport.

Just like the Pistons back then, they didn't have a single top-5 superstar in the league, but they still won the championship because of their teamwork.

Tatum made a three-pointer after a triple threat – but missed!

TT showed why he was called a "front rebound maniac" back in the day – he grabbed the offensive rebound!

However, his ability to jump continuously is still too poor. He needs to build up his strength and sink the ball. In this respect, Duncan is an expert. He raises his arms high and hits the ball, so he doesn't give the outside players a chance to steal the ball!

TT lowered the ball, and Jia Fei swiftly sliced ​​it away with a chop, then snatched the ball back with lightning speed, completing the interception!

Jia Fei intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack. His good buddy Kemba Walker came over to steal the ball, but Jia Fei used a Sam Gold to get past his opponent! On the court, he has no brothers, only teammates or opponents!

Jia Fei dribbled the ball up the court, pulled the ball between his legs and then behind his back, got past Ojeleye, overtook everyone in a one-man fast break, took off in the empty arena, raised his hand high, and dunked the ball into the basket!

Wow--

Art Mayork and his supporters on the sidelines went wild. This play was definitely worth celebrating; from the steal to the fast break to the dunk, every step was perfect.

2-6, the Clippers lead by 4 point!

"Jia Fei's shot was amazing! My God, he single-handedly defeated an entire team!" Wang Meng exclaimed.

"That's Jia Fei's strength. He was always passing the ball to his teammates. It wasn't that they couldn't attack, it was that they were focused on assisting. But when he wanted to attack, no one in the league could stop him!" Yang Yi said firmly.

The Celtics are on offense. Tatum runs a pick-and-roll and passes to Theis at the high post.

Theis handed Kemba Walker a hand, who was then caught in a pincer attack!

Kemba Walker passed to Ojeleye on the far end, but Paul George intercepted the pass!

Pickled pepper intercepts the ball and launches a counter-attack, tossing the ball into the air...

On the other side, Jia Fei jumped, glided through the air, caught the ball with one hand, and slammed it into the basket!

2-8, the Clippers unleashed a fast break connection between their two stars, and the bench was in an uproar...

On the sidelines, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens stroked his chin, seemingly deep in thought. His expression was unreadable, but it was clear he had limited options and couldn't find a defensive solution that could simultaneously contain both JaVale James and Paul George. However, their biggest problem wasn't defense, but offense. With Theis and Tristan Thompson on the court together, not only was offensive spacing poor and the paint lacking in offensive threat, but Tatum and Kemba Walker were also under immense offensive pressure.

The Clippers' defense was outstanding once again. Even with Olynyk out and Hartenstein starting, their height, athleticism, individual defensive ability, defensive coordination, and defensive resilience were all exceptional. They didn't rely solely on switching or strong-side double-teams; they used both switching and double-teams, double-teaming on the strong side and rotating on the weak side, demonstrating excellent flexibility. With rim protection, perimeter defenders, and help defense specialists, they created an impenetrable defense.

Kemba Walker brought the ball over, set a screen against Hartenstein, and used a series of crossovers to step back and shoot a three-pointer—it went in!

Kemba Walker is capable of playing against bigger players. Unlike Allen Iverson, who always went to the right side, he often used a double crossover, combined with a step-back three-pointer and a pull-up jumper after a drive. As a representative of offensive point guards, he has consistently averaged 20+ points per game.

5:8, Kemba Walker scored all of the Celtics' points.

Clippers on offense, Paul George drives in for a layup but misses!

TT collects the board and hands it over to Tatum to push forward!

Tatum attempted to accelerate forward, but Jia Fei intercepted the ball face-to-face!

Jia Fei intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack, while Tatum fought back desperately!

When he got near the free-throw line, Jia Fei suddenly stopped the ball, looking like he was about to pull up for a jump shot!

Tatum gritted his teeth, determined to get revenge; he was going to give this guy a big thrashing!

Jia Fei caught the ball with one hand and made a feint!

Tatum's body involuntarily took off. He even saw Jia Fei's sly smile in the air. Damn it, he'd been tricked!

The city is full of tricks, I want to go back to the countryside!

Jia Fei jumped and made a clean shot! 5:10!

"My God, Jia Fei did Jordan's move! Jia Fei is absolutely amazing, absolutely incredible!" Wang Meng kept praising him.

"Jia Fei is playing very freely now, knowing exactly when to pass the ball and when to shoot himself; he's reached a point where he can do whatever he wants. Tatum is still too young; he has a lot to learn," Yang Yi said with an air of maturity.

"Mr. Yang, George's condition still doesn't seem to have recovered. Just now, when he broke through, it felt like he was a bit unsteady when he pushed off the ground," Wang Meng said.

"Well, that's alright. He can recover slowly and find his rhythm. The Clippers have a lot of players who can play, and their defense is good. They have enough resources to help him find his rhythm!" Yang Yi said.

Kemba Walker drove to find Theis under the basket, but Theis' hook shot was interfered with and missed!