NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 151 Jia Fei VS Guy

Although Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is a Black man, he wore a suit and tie, and his bright eyes made him look exceptionally wise.

The DJ started using catchy words to hype up the game, and in an instant, the huge arena went dark, and the Hawks' opening ceremony was about to begin.

This is Jia Fei's first time participating in the Hawks' opening ceremony. Strictly speaking, this is only his second time participating in an opening ceremony since entering the NBA; he only started once during his two seasons with the Thunder.

The first player to appear is starting point guard Jeff Teague!

Behind Teague is sharpshooter Kyle Korver!

Jia Fei was very excited because it was his turn next!

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is the NCAA champion team—the University of Connecticut Huskies, the 2012 Orlando All-Star Slam Dunk Contest champion, the Chinese-American prodigy, number 3, Jia Fei—" The DJ was exceptionally enthusiastic, and the screams and applause from the fans were for Jia Fei!

Jia Fei high-fived his teammates, his heart pounding with excitement. Who wouldn't want to be an NBA starter? Many players who say they prefer being a substitute are just saving face, or trying to save face. Have you ever seen Michael Jordan as a substitute? Have you ever seen a Running Man player as a substitute? Have you ever seen a prime young player like James Harden as a substitute?

If you have enough ability, the coach would love to let you play 48 minutes instead of putting you on the bench and letting you play in rotation during off-peak seasons.

The fourth player to appear was Paul Millsap!

The final act was Al Horford!

Jia Fei felt there was no problem with this arrangement. Whether in terms of absolute strength or seniority, Horford was qualified to play the final role in this team.

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

At the start of the jump ball, Valanciunas used his height advantage to get to the landing point, and the Raptors gained possession of the ball on the first offensive possession.

Lowry dribbles the ball across half-court and orchestrates the offense from the top of the key. As a former Rockets player and one of the league's three major forces, his ability is beyond doubt. His nickname "Little Cannon" isn't for nothing; just that full, sexy butt alone exudes boundless energy! It's said that guards with big butts are very powerful, like turbocharged cars. Former Clippers' Baron Davis, currently undergoing socialist reforms in China, and Warriors coach Mark Jackson, known for his "butt-sticking" style of play, are all examples of this type.

Lowry passed the ball to DeRozan.

Since Jia Fei was assigned to guard Gay, the task of defending DeRozan fell to Korver.

This is also the biggest problem on the defensive end of the Hawks' starting lineup. They have more than one minor defensive issue, such as a lack of height in the paint, rim protection that is only average, and average perimeter defense, but there are no major problems. Korver's one-on-one defense is the biggest problem.

Most teams have only one strong player on the wing, allowing them to have Jia Fei guard the weaker offensive player and Korver protect him. However, the Raptors are different. Their 2 and 3 positions are both strong ball-handlers. If Korver doesn't guard DeRozan, he'll have to guard Gay. Gay is stronger, putting Korver at a greater disadvantage. He also can't handle Lowry, and Teague struggles against DeRozan, making things even more difficult for them.

DeRozan dribbles the ball against Korver.

As a representative of the classic shooting guard, DeRozan, standing at 198cm, bears a striking resemblance to Michael Jordan of the Bobcats and DeRozan's physique. He participated in the 2010 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, showcasing his explosive athleticism.

When the Hawks went one-on-one against Korver, even the Hawks fans on the sidelines were worried for him. Korver is a white player with very average physical strength; he has the size and a good attitude on defense, but his defensive ability is really too limited.

Many people say that offense is a matter of ability, while defense is a matter of attitude. But is defense really just a matter of attitude? Korver's attitude was fine, but he just couldn't defend against him!

Like when you told me to pursue Dilraba, was it because of my attitude? I've become a total simp, but she doesn't even glance at me. What can I do?

Korver was visibly overpowered, and DeRozan gracefully turned and faded in for a jump shot—thankfully, it missed!

Horford retrieved the rebound and handed it to Teague to push the ball over.

Teague pushed the ball over and passed it to Horford in the high post.

Horford handed the ball to Korver, and Jafkin flew to the left corner to create space.

The ball got to Teague, and Teague broke through and took a shot, but missed!

Jia Fei cut in from the baseline and leaped to grab the offensive rebound! Clearly, Gay, who was guarding him, was caught off guard!

Jia Fei passed the ball to Korver at the top of the arc!

Korver unleashed a powerful three-pointer—and it went straight in!

The Hawks scored first!

A wave of cheers immediately erupted at the Philips Arena. Dunks and three-pointers are always offensive moves that easily elicit cheers from fans.

The Raptors are on offense. Gay has the ball on the right wing, facing Jia Fei!

"You're just a substitute at OKC, but you're a starter on another team! Looks like the Hawks aren't all that great!" Gay teased with a smile.

"You think you can beat us? You're even worse than us!" Jia Fei was certainly not going to back down. In his dictionary, even if he lost the game, he couldn't lose the argument!

"Stubborn brat!" Rudy Guy sneered. He directly probed Bu Qiangtu, intending to use his body to overpower Jia Fei.

The two were about the same height, with Guy being slightly heavier than Jia Fei, giving him a slight advantage in physical confrontations. However, this advantage wasn't significant, as Jia Fei's defense was extremely tough, maintaining a low center of gravity and effectively blocking Guy's lower back.

Guy was also somewhat surprised that this seemingly thin East Asian boy was actually quite good at physical contact. He gathered the ball, faked with his back to the basket, and turned to shoot a jump shot—but it missed!

Amir Johnson grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket, but missed the layup!

Horford dribbled the ball, Jia Fei grabbed the rebound, and passed it to Teague to advance the ball.

The Hawks' offense followed Coach Buden's instruction of "man and ball in motion," and Millsap missed the shot when the opportunity arose!

After the Raptors grabbed the rebound, they attacked, and DeRozan found Korver, using his speed to cut in and score a layup.

2-3, both sides have scored!

The Hawks were on offense. Korver made an off-ball movement that drew the Raptors' defensive attention, and then passed the ball to Jia Fei, who was cutting in without the ball!

After receiving the ball, Jia Fei used a crossover dribble to shake off Gay, drove into the paint against Valanciunas, and used his hang time to pass the ball to his teammate Horford under Gay's armpit!

Horford dunks with one hand! 2-5, the Hawks' offense is flowing smoothly!

Kevin Harlan exclaimed in surprise, "Jia Fei's pass was absolutely brilliant! Chris, you really have the flair!"

Weber laughed and said, "Oh, not at all, I don't have his ability to hang in the air! Hahaha..."