NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 229 The whole team is performing well

With a score of 10-1, the Hawks started the game in excellent form. Not only were they on fire, but their offense and defense were also very organized, showing no signs of nervousness against the defending champions.

Jia Fei was very satisfied with the team's performance at the start of the season; they truly felt no pressure. Losing was normal, winning was a huge bonus—this mentality maximized their abilities. Why do many players falter in crucial playoff games? It's not just because of increased defensive pressure; psychological pressure is also a significant factor. Many players excel only when they're winning; when facing adversity or dire situations, their mentality easily crumbles.

The Heat have called a timeout!

Coach Spoelstra, dressed in a suit and tie, held a clipboard and wasn't entirely satisfied with the team's start. Spoelstra is also Asian, of East Asian descent, with a slightly darker complexion than Jia Fei, but generally comparable. Of course, there's no comparison in terms of looks; currently, only two players in the entire league can rival Jia Fei's appearance: one is "money talks," and the other is Kevin Love (the slimmed-down version). Coach Spoelstra doesn't rely on his looks; he rose from a lowly video editor to a championship-winning coach—he couldn't have stayed in that position for so long without real talent.

It's common knowledge that coaches with bad tempers or poor abilities can't stay with Adams for long; he's practically a "coach killer." Why was Bread able to partner with him for so long with the Cavaliers? It's because Bread knew how to handle people. Bread wasn't lacking in ability; he was very good at coaching defense. And Bread was very good at interpersonal relationships. He was the head coach, yes, but he acted almost like Adams's caretaker, always attentive and attentive. Where was the airs and authority of a head coach?

There's no way around it, dollars are always a good thing. It's not shameful to act like a pushover for money. Coaching in the NBA is a high-risk profession; if you have an irreconcilable conflict with the team's superstar, you're likely to be the one out. Not everyone is Popovich...

During the timeout, Heat cheerleaders came up and danced. NBA cheerleaders are all incredibly fit, and Jia Fei was puzzled; it seemed American girls generally had larger bra sizes than those in China. A-cups were rare, almost nonexistent; while DEF-F were very common…

The pairs of headlights sway back and forth; it's impossible to completely avoid glancing at them.

Sports Channel Studio.

Yu Jia asked, "Coach Zhang, the Hawks have had a great start and are now leading the defending champion Miami Heat 10-1. What do you think is the reason they were able to get off to a good start on the road?"

Coach Zhang gestured with his hands, looking like an expert: "We see that the Hawks' spacing is very good, with each player spreading out a lot of space. As long as they play rationally, with drives inside and shots outside, they will definitely create opportunities."

The few Hawks fans at American Airlines Arena seemed very excited, as if their home team had already won. They had reason to be happy; their opponent was the defending champion, and this was the Eastern Conference Finals!

Heat fans seemed quite calm. What kind of desperate situation hadn't they seen? A piece of cake! The Heat would definitely win in the end. Let them jump around for a bit, but when the fire dies down, they'll know who the boss is.

The timeout is over and the game continues.

After the Heat called a timeout, the ball went to the Running Man (a nickname for a player), and their main strategy was to have Wade eat Korver.

Korver doesn't dominate the ball on offense, and his spot-up and running three-pointers are incredibly accurate, making him a highly sought-after shooter for many teams. However, his weaknesses are also obvious. As a pure white player, his physicality is simply too poor. He wasn't good at defense when he was younger, and now that he's older and slower, even with his defensive awareness and effort, he's just not guardable.

Wade used a series of back-to-the-basket moves, then turned and made a jump shot!

Wade's shooting has always been his weakness, especially his three-point shot. However, he has developed his post-up game, relying on off-ball cuts and mid-range shots to be able to serve as the number two scorer alongside the Running Man cast, which truly shows his impressive basketball IQ.

James and Wade have a great relationship, but their playing styles are definitely not a perfect match. While their connections look exciting and spectacular, most games are half-court offenses. Both are perimeter players, both play with the ball, and while they can make cuts off the ball using their basketball IQ, their catch-and-shoot abilities are generally average. This makes it difficult for them to maximize their threat in half-court offense when they are on the same court.

The Hawks used Jia Fei to play off-ball to draw the defense of the running men, and then used the team's offensive space to create opportunities through passing and movement, catching the Heat, who originally thought they would start the offense with Jia Fei in possession of the ball, off guard.

The Heat started Haslem, which prevented them from maximizing their perimeter rotation accuracy and defensive pressure on the perimeter, indirectly allowing the Hawks to execute their passing and cutting more comfortably.

The Hawks took an early lead, but the Heat's comeback attempt was slow. Halfway through the first quarter, Coach Spoelstra decisively substituted Haslem with Battier, opting for a smaller lineup.

While Haslem can shoot mid-range, he lacks a consistent three-point shot for an inside player, failing to meet the team's extreme need for spacing. Battier, on the other hand, is incredibly accurate from the corner three-pointer, creating space on offense without needing the ball, and defensively he can guard players like Jia Fei and free up other players, making him an excellent supporting player alongside a superstar.

Battier isn't known for his speed, but his defensive awareness is excellent. Not only is his awareness good, but his defensive fundamentals are solid; he can guard multiple positions and has great versatility.

Once he came on, the Running Man members were freed up to defend Mi Shen, maximizing his help defense.

While Runner's defense isn't as aggressive in one-on-one situations as Leonard's, his help defense and ability to fill gaps are exceptional. He always seems to be in the right place, making him the true defensive core of this Heat small lineup.

After Battier came on, the Hawks visibly found it harder to execute their passing and cutting, and they struggled to capitalize on the Hawks' lack of movement, causing the ball to stagnate.

At this point, Jia Fei stepped up, using his speed to attack Battier. His jump shot was really hot tonight, and it was hard to stop him one-on-one.

At the end of the first quarter, Jia Fei scored 17 points, displaying explosive shooting form, and helped his team take a 31-21 lead over their opponents.

The Hawks' rotation played exceptionally well tonight. Schroder seems to have suddenly matured, driving and shooting with ease, and for a while, no one on the Heat could match him. This forced Spoelstra to bring Chalmers back in to deal with the smaller player.

Art Mayork was incredibly aggressive in the paint, and since the Heat's rebounding was already poor, this gave him a chance to shine. He was like Rodman reincarnated, grabbing all the rebounds, both offensive and defensive.

Even Scott and Carroll, the "hidden dragon and phoenix chicks," showed excellent form, with both defense and shooting on point, helping the team not only avoid losing points during rotation periods but actually win them.