NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 446 On the Problem of Adaptability

贾飞全场贡献31分11个篮板10次助攻4个抢断2个盖帽的30+三双，泡椒全场得到20分6个篮板3次助攻2个抢断的数据。

Compared to his frequent 40+ point performances last season, Jia Fei's 30+ triple-double didn't feel too surprising. He's just too consistent. Can you imagine that his career high score, which averaged over 40 points last season, was less than 60? But he really is that consistent, so consistent it's frightening.

Previously, it was said that Tim Duncan was the most consistent player in the NBA, consistently scoring 20+10. However, compared to him, Michael Jordan is clearly more consistent, both on offense and defense. This kind of player is indeed perfect as a cornerstone of a team. Inconsistent stars are not suitable as cornerstones. Paul George often has inconsistent shooting; when he's on fire, he's unstoppable, but when his touch is cold, he becomes a star of bad shooting, a smooth dribble followed by a "Bang—" miss – a sight too beautiful to watch.

Paul George's unpredictable nature is inseparable from his playing style. His defense is quite consistent; as a wing player, he has sufficient size, excelling in both one-on-one and help defense, and possesses speed and athleticism, allowing him to defend multiple positions. His primary offensive strength lies in his unpredictability; his dribbling is incredibly smooth, his ball-handling is excellent, and his transition from dribble to jump shot is seamless. Furthermore, as a wing player, he is equally adept with and without the ball.

However, he has two flaws that prevent him from becoming a lethal offensive weapon!

The first drawback is that, as a wing player, he lacks a super-fast first step. For an outside star, without a super-fast first step, you sometimes can't rely on sheer speed to overpower your opponent and gain a positional advantage in one-on-one situations. Players like Jia Fei, McGrady, and Kobe all possessed quick first steps, allowing them to penetrate and reach the basket without using complex crossovers or fakes. Carter, however, lacked a quick first step; he was the slowest of the four great shooting guards, so you rarely saw him drive to the basket, because sometimes he genuinely couldn't shake off defenders.

This is purely talent—explosiveness and starting speed, the kind of talent an outside star possesses for driving to the basket with the ball. While he doesn't have a quick first step, his absolute speed is extremely high, so he needs a running start when he plays one-on-one. In half-court situations, he sometimes retreats to the center circle before sprinting, or he uses a screen to initiate the drive.

Some star players may not have a quick first step, but they can still make effective one-on-one plays by using dribbling rhythm and fakes, combined with their strong physique, and by positioning themselves in the right place. The most obvious example is Harden.

The second flaw is his inability to lower his center of gravity, typical of an outside star. Watching Paul George, his dribbling is undeniably smooth, but you'll notice that many times he dribbles for ages without getting past his defender, ultimately resorting to a contested shot. His lack of speed is one issue; while he clearly has excellent ball-handling skills and could use fakes and rhythm to get past defenders, his inability to lower his center of gravity and lower his hips makes him vulnerable against smaller defenders who are physically imposing and don't give him easy shooting opportunities.

A star player who relies heavily on shooting is naturally less consistent than one who relies more on driving to the basket, because even a player as good as Stephen Curry has off nights when his shooting is off. The reason why Running Man can consistently average 20+ points per game is because he primarily relies on driving to the basket for offense.

Jia Fei is also better at driving to the basket than shooting, so he is very consistent.

However, players like George also have their advantages. His scoring explosiveness is unmatched by most players; for example, Harris on the Clippers last season had a much lower offensive ceiling. Furthermore, as a perimeter star, George's excellent catch-and-shoot ability makes him more suitable for pairing with other perimeter stars, resulting in a synergy greater than the sum of its parts and better tactical compatibility. He's also not the type to always be the leader; he's willing to support stars who respect him.

Compared to Jimmy Butler, he is not as consistent, tough, or playmaking as Butler, but his shooting is worse than Butler's. He is willing to be the second option and is obviously more suitable to partner with Jia Fei.

Many people think that having two ball-handling stars in a team is better, but that's not necessarily true. Take, for example, the two players, Wade and Runner-up, neither of whom are good shooters. When one of them has the ball, the other's threat is reduced, making it less effective for the other to lead the team alone. This prevents the team from achieving a synergistic effect where 1+1 is greater than 2.

The combination of Jia Fei and Paul George is quite compatible. Jia Fei is more ball-handling, while Paul George is more shooting. When Paul George has the ball, Jia Fei can also pose a significant threat even without it. This is the tactical value of this combination in half-court offense.

After this game, there wasn't much praise for the new Clippers, given the Lakers' limited strength. People are looking forward to the Clippers playing against a strong team to see how competitive this team truly is.

On October 22, the Clippers will host the Suns.

In this game, the Clippers relied on their defense to suppress their opponents and ultimately won narrowly, achieving their second consecutive victory since the start of the season.

The Clippers' offense still seems to have some issues, and their teamwork needs improvement. Jia Fei and Paul George both seem to be playing too cautiously, and their defense is somewhat off-rhythm. The whole team is still learning Coach Budenholzer's system, resulting in a persistently high turnover rate.

Three days later, on October 25, the Clippers narrowly lost to the Jazz at home, failing to achieve a three-game winning streak. This was their first loss of the season, and their growing pains forced them to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

The Jazz are quite strong; they made it to the Western Conference playoffs last season. Apart from lacking a superstar, they are a very capable team.

This game can be considered a touchstone for the Clippers' strength. It is clear that the Clippers' offense still has many problems in the current period of integration, so the loss is not undeserved.

Jia Fei has a lot of confidence in the team, and he also has a lot of confidence in Coach Buden. Building an offensive and defensive system takes time, but once it's established and the team is on the right track, both its ceiling and floor will be opened up, and the team will become exceptionally strong.

So we still need to be patient. The season has just begun, and there's no such thing as instant success. You can't rush things.

On October 27, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Trail Blazers on the road thanks to Jia Fei's game-winning shot, avoiding a two-game losing streak.

Two days later, on the 29th, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Pistons at home, achieving their second consecutive victory.

The Clippers absolutely have to win the game against the Pistons, not because of Blake Griffin's presence on the team, but because the Clippers hold the Pistons' first-round pick for next season. The more they lose, the higher the Clippers' first-round pick will likely be.