NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 667 Offensive Rebound 2 Ha

It was Jia Fei's idea to put Hartenstein in the rotation instead of using a small lineup in the second unit.

Hartenstein's inclusion in the rotation will indeed impact the team's offensive spacing to some extent, as he lacks a three-point shot. He is the only player in the Clippers' 15-man rotation without a three-pointer. His inclusion in the rotation means the Clippers cannot field a five-outside lineup in their second unit.

However, Jia Fei believes that while offensive spacing is important, it has little to do with whether or not to field five outside shooters. Their offensive spacing is already good enough to tolerate the presence of a player without a shot who can disrupt the spacing. Hartenstein isn't entirely without offensive ability; he's a role player who can provide solid screens on offense, pose a threat when cutting to the basket, and has excellent offensive rebounding skills.

These are the abilities that the Clippers lack; neither Olynyk nor any other player can provide them.

While the Clippers were nearly perfect last season, their offensive rebounding, shot blocks, and control of opponents' field goal percentage in the paint weren't among the top 10 in the league. These are areas they can improve upon. With their perimeter defense almost perfect and having limited room for further improvement, addressing their weaknesses is one way for them to continue progressing.

Jia Fei firmly believes that no matter how much basketball develops, or how abnormally small lineups become, the fundamental logic will not change: paint defense and offense under the basket will always exist and remain extremely important.

A 40% three-point shooting percentage is mathematically equivalent to a 60% two-point shooting percentage. However, dunks can theoretically approach 100% accuracy, while even with an open three-point shot, Curry cannot guarantee a 100% success rate. In other words, three-point shooting is more variable than layups.

This is why Running Man's two-point shooting percentage has consistently remained at a good level. It's not that his jump shot is particularly good, but simply because many of his points come from the paint.

The area under the basket is definitely a battleground, and the presence of a player who can finish off easy baskets can add depth and dimension to the game.

Last season, the Clippers encountered a period where their outside shooting was off; during that time, no one could make their shots, and bad shooting can sometimes be contagious. When everyone is missing, the opposing team tends to collapse their defense. Furthermore, their lack of a big man who excels at offensive rebounding makes it a tough battle for them.

Even if Hartenstein improves further, he will not become the Clippers' dominant low-post weapon. His role is to protect the rim, finish plays, and rebound, and such centers are in high demand right now.

Besides the need for rebounding and rim protection, the Clippers encountered significant defensive problems in last season's Western Conference Finals. They were unable to contain Jokic on defense. So even though they swept the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, they dominated their opponents offensively; defensively, they didn't actually contain them.

The use of Hartenstein this season was, to some extent, a preparation for Jokic. Of course, Hartenstein can't stop Jokic, but it's better than having forwards like Lee Kelley take the lead!

Many people doubt Harten's abilities, but Jia Fei knows there's no doubt about them. This guy is excellent in both work ethic and personal skills; signing him to a long-term contract is definitely a win!

The Clippers' second unit's primary ball-handler is Brunson, and the secondary playmaker is Kelly. Their roles are clearly defined: Brunson initiates the offense, Kelly handles secondary plays, orchestrates the offense, and acts as a playmaker, complementing Brunson; Hart is a 3-and-D guard, responsible for receiving the ball, shooting, and defense; Dillon is also a 3-and-D player, responsible for guarding the opponent's key player, providing aggression, ferocity, and passion; Hartenstein is responsible for pick-and-roll scoring, rim protection, and doing the dirty work in the paint.

Conversely, the Lakers' second unit primarily uses a small lineup, relying on a fastball player at the power forward position to grab rebounds and drive transitions.

In the initial clash, although the Clippers couldn't make their outside shots, they dominated the rebounds...

Not only was Harten grabbing rebounds in the paint, but even guard Hart, who is less than 2 meters tall, was grabbing rebounds!

The two "two-husky" guys were scrambling for rebounds, and the Running Man members couldn't even get a rebound. All they could do was shrug at the referee and look towards the bench, hoping that their dad would come to their rescue.

Who could have imagined that Hartenstein, a second-round pick and a blue-collar player, would dominate the Lakers' rebounding? Thanks to his incredible offensive rebounding, the Clippers gained numerous second-chance opportunities.

Clippers fans haven't seen this kind of scene in a long time. In the past three seasons, they won three consecutive championships, establishing a dynasty, but the Clippers' average offensive rebounds have consistently ranked low. The reason is still their starting center, Olynyk, and the team's primary strategy is a five-outside lineup.

The five-outside lineup gives them incredible offensive spacing, but it also sacrifices many offensive rebounding opportunities. Olynyk isn't a particularly strong rebounder, and neither is their starting power forward, Gallinari. Furthermore, they often play small-ball lineups during transition periods, so securing defensive rebounds is already a significant achievement; expecting a major offensive rebounding explosion is unrealistic. Therefore, over the past three seasons, the Clippers have consistently had one of the league's best offensive efficiency, but their average number of offensive possessions per game isn't actually that high. They rely on efficiency and their perimeter defense forcing opponents to miss shots and commit turnovers, rather than second-chance opportunities.

Hartenstein's first game back in the rotation this season was a refreshing surprise. His consistent offensive rebounds, solid screens, decisive cuts to the basket, and his ability to handle the dirty work in the paint made him an undeniable favorite.

Coach Buden is increasingly impressed with Jia Fei. In fact, if Jia Fei hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have put Hartenstein in the starting lineup. After all, their five-outside formation and small-ball lineup have been key to their huge success over the past three seasons, and asking him to rashly abandon the five-outside formation and play a blue-collar center forward during transition periods puts him under considerable pressure. If the experiment doesn't go well, he, as the head coach, will bear the responsibility.

He suddenly realized that Jia Fei was truly farsighted. By developing Hartenstein during the regular season, Hartenstein could be included in the rotation once the playoffs began. When it came to the toughest matches, the team had more room for adjustment and could use different lineups depending on the opponent. Their lineup could be large or small, with five foreign players, a pure small lineup with five forwards, or even a double-tower or single-tower formation.

Olynyk is strategically important as a stretch 5, and Hartenstein is strategically important as a blue-collar 5.

Furthermore, although Hartenstein is a role player, he's very sharp and rarely makes butterfingers when scoring, which puts him far ahead of butterfingers like Mozgov and Asik. Also, his movement speed doesn't seem slow; he can recover to the rim to protect the basket even on long delays. While he can't guard top-tier guards, he can handle most forwards without issue and can even initiate fast breaks. He's a pleasant surprise!