NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 313 Finals G1

As a shooter, Klay Thompson is one of the league's top 3-and-D players. Unlike pure shooters like Korver and Redick, he possesses above-average defense, capable of guarding positions 1 through 4. This alone makes him far superior to players like Korver.

In the playoffs, when it comes to crucial moments, if your shooter can't get on the court, or if he does, he gets targeted by the opponent, then the shooter's effectiveness is greatly reduced.

In addition to his excellent shooting ability and above-average defense, Klay's consistency and scoring explosiveness are rare resources.

Most shooters are already quite good if they can maintain consistency and a high shooting percentage, but Klay Thompson also has explosive scoring ability, which can help the team sometimes widen the score gap in an instant and win the game.

Jia Fei's understanding is that if he had to choose one of the Splash Brothers to limit, it would be Klay Thompson. Limiting Curry requires too many defensive resources; you can't completely stop him. MVP-caliber stars can't be completely contained; you just need to make it difficult for him and constantly wear him down. The key is to defend the others.

The Warriors' system is based on passing and cutting, utilizing the Splash Brothers' huge shooting threat, plus Green's ball-handling, constantly making off-ball screens and cuts to create offensive opportunities for them and others.

Many teams can't execute such threatening passing and movement because they lack the necessary personnel. The fact that two historically great strikers like the Splash Brothers are on the same team is simply magical.

Many people mistakenly believe that the Warriors' rise is solely due to their offense. If that were the case, they wouldn't have consistently reached the Finals. If offense alone could propel them to the Finals and win championships, the Suns would have won long ago. Defense is the team's floor, its foundation. This team's defensive efficiency has consistently ranked in the top five in the league this season. Whether it's individual defense or overall defensive ability, this team is outstanding. The interior defense of Green and Bogut, combined with the perimeter defense of Iguodala, Barnes, and Klay Thompson, ranks among the best in the league. Even Curry, the worst defender among the starters, is at least a mid-level defender for a point guard, and has never been a defensive liability.

Unlike other ball-dominant stars, Curry is willing to play an off-ball role in the Warriors' system. He doesn't necessarily need to handle the ball a lot; he's willing to run off-ball, draw the opponent's defense, and then receive passes from Green or other teammates to shoot three-pointers.

This alone is something many star players can't do. Try asking a player like a running man or a shrewd player to constantly create space for their teammates to play off-ball? They'd probably explode if they didn't get the ball for a few possessions…

Even star players who excel at catch-and-shoot, such as Harden, Irving, and Lillard, seem lazy when the ball isn't in their hands.

Previously, when Jeremy Lin had the ball, Harden would stop moving. He only started playing like he was on drugs when the ball was in his hands. Without the ball, he wouldn't even bother to light a cigarette.

Time flies, and it's now June 5th. The first game of the 2014-15 NBA Finals is being held at the Philips Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks.

The arena floor was already decorated with the words "Finals" and pictures of the championship trophy. The arena management provided every fan attending the game with a white team T-shirt.

The atmosphere at the scene was exceptionally well-created; the grand final was truly here!

In the home team's locker room before the game, veteran captain Elton Brand, playing his role as locker room leader, encouraged his younger teammates. At this point, it would be a lie to say they didn't want a championship. It's already June, and many players from teams that didn't make the playoffs have been fishing for over a month. Being able to play basketball every June, even with less rest, is still a blessing, isn't it?

Jia Fei put on his home jersey, a white number 3, and wore an arm sleeve on his right hand, making him look more like a larger version of Allen Iverson.

Many celebrities attended Philips Arena tonight, including entertainment figures like Jazz, Tom Hanks, and Taylor Swift; NBA legends such as "The Human Highlight Film" Dominique Wilkins, "The Glide" Drexler, and "The Glove" Payton; Jia Fei's mentor Jim Calhoun; and former teammates Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, and Reggie Jackson.

Before the match, Jia Fei and Art Mayor took the initiative to greet their mentor, Jim Cahon.

"Jia, Art, good luck! Don't feel pressured, give it your all, you'll definitely win the championship!" Coach Jim Cahon offered his blessings. He was indeed somewhat surprised that Jia Fei and Art Mayok, who were unremarkable players in the team back then, could compete for the championship at the highest level of the NBA. Often, the best players in the NCAA don't necessarily make it in the NBA.

How many people still remember those MOPs? Some of them participated in the draft but were only selected in the second round, almost failing to be selected at all.

Jia Fei also saw familiar faces at the scene. China Sports Channel sent a commentary team, with former national men's basketball team head coach Zhang and host Yu Jia providing commentary.

"Coach Zhang, the NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Hawks are about to begin. Would you like to say a few words to the viewers watching on TV?" Yu Jia began his opening remarks.

"Hello viewers, welcome to the NBA Finals!" Coach Zhang said with a joyful expression.

"This is the first game of the finals. Who do you think has a better chance of winning?" Yu Jia asked.

Coach Zhang gestured with his hands: "The game hasn't even started yet, anything can happen. Looking at the rosters of both teams, the Warriors have better shooters, while the Hawks have a star like Jia Fei who can penetrate better. The key is to see who plays more rationally. Whoever plays rationally is more likely to win!"

"Do you have any good suggestions for Jia Fei?" Yu Jia asked.

"I really like Jia Fei, he plays a very reasonable game. I thought he needed to improve his individual offensive skills, and it seems he's been working on that lately. He needs to learn from Kobe's drive. If he can learn a little more from Kobe, I think it will be really hard for anyone to defend him!" Coach Zhang replied seriously.

The starting lineups for both teams in this match were displayed on the big screen at the stadium.

The Hawks' starting lineup, playing at home, is as follows: Center – Horford, Power Forward – Millsap, Small Forward – Carroll, Shooting Guard – Jia Fei, Point Guard – Teague.

Since Korver's season-ending injury and Carroll's move into the starting lineup, Jia Fei has been playing shooting guard. Having played small forward for the entire regular season, Jia Fei's performance at shooting guard has been consistently excellent since switching to the position. Therefore, it seems he has no problem playing shooting guard.