NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 482 Targeting Your Center

"Mr. Yang, it seems the Clippers players haven't rusted after a week's rest. Look how good Jia Fei is!" Wang Meng said with a grin.

Yang Yi twirled his pen and said, "Who is Jia Fei? He's a superstar. We can't judge him by the standards of ordinary players. He has very high standards for himself!"

Back to the game, Curry increased his personal offense for the Warriors, using pick-and-roll mismatches to exploit Gallinari.

Gallinari's defensive strategy is to allow you to drive past me, but not to give you easy shooting space; he forces you inside.

The Clippers' offense relentlessly targeted Zaza, with Olynyk pulling him out of the paint and Jia Fei using pick-and-rolls to exploit him.

Zha Zha seemed a bit lost. He was good at defending heavy interior players and penetrating players because he had size and special skills.

Olynyk doesn't play low-post isolation games with you. He just operates at the top of the key, either shooting three-pointers from the top of the key or from the corner. He either handoffs from the top of the key or makes all sorts of passes and cuts, leaving Zaza not knowing what to do.

Zha Zha really wanted to use his trump card – the Georgian Divine Kick – but when he saw Olynik's flowing long hair, he hesitated. Yes, Olynik also had his own special skills. It was really hard to say who would kill whom first.

When Zaza hesitated, it became a pure side effect on the court. He couldn't keep up on transition defense, and he was too slow to retreat in half-court sets. The Clippers relied on him to keep attacking, and they were going to beat him to a pulp...

Coach Steve Kerr, the king of pomp and circus coaches on the sidelines, frowned deeply, his usual swagger gone. He had expected the Clippers to employ a "targeted attack" strategy, having Jia Fei relentlessly target Curry. But instead, Curry kept targeting the hapless, catching him off guard.

While Zaza is a role player, he's part of the game and not necessarily a liability. His presence on the court helps conserve the energy of the "Death Lineup," preventing the five players from expending excessive energy on offense and defense at the start of the game. Keep in mind the Warriors went to seven games against the Rockets, so their stamina is a significant factor.

With Zaza being targeted so heavily, Kerr had no choice but to make an adjustment, substituting him with McGee about halfway through the first quarter.

The score was 13-19 at this point, with the Clippers leading by 6 points.

The Clippers made no changes and kept their starting lineup.

Beverley dribbles over and holds the ball at the top of the key.

McGee is faster than Zaza, and his ostrich-like long legs in thigh-high socks make him look just like Durant. It feels like there are two ostriches on the court...

McGee is a player whose talent extends to his neck, but his brain isn't quite up to par. Since joining the Warriors, his intelligence has improved significantly, as if he's unlocked a new level of understanding. Sometimes you can even see him showcasing flashy passes in game highlights! Compared to his "Shaqtin' a Fool" moments with the Wizards and Nuggets, he truly seems to have evolved.

But McGee is still McGee. He's just a little smarter than before, but his defensive awareness is still only at the basic level. He still can't handle slightly more complex offensive tactics.

The Warriors' role for McGee is very simple: rim protection, rotation help defense, and rotation rotations. Green does all of that. Therefore, Green is the Warriors' true defensive anchor. The others—Zizar, McGee, and Looney—are all functional big men and can't carry the team's defensive system.

Jia Fei came out to receive the ball and passed it to Olynyk in the high post.

McGee came out to defend; he's fast, can extend his defense outwards, and can quickly recover to the basket. While he's not as good as Zaza in terms of perimeter defense under the basket, his mobility is much faster.

Jia Fei and Pao Jiao set an off-ball screen, and Jia Fei set an off-ball screen for Pao Jiao!

Cut the pickled peppers inwards!

Olynyk passed the ball to Paula, who was cutting inside!

Green immediately came to help defend, and Paul George forced his way to the layup over Green...

But no!

Just then, Jia Fei descended from the sky, snatched the ball in mid-air, and slammed it home with both hands!

13:21, a difference of 8 points!

The crowd immediately went wild. That was such a cool shot! Jia Fei jumped so high, his head was already above the rim! That height was incredible!

"Jia Fei is really amazing! His awareness on the ball is so good. It's like he already guessed that George would miss the layup!" Wang Meng exclaimed.

"That's what we call 'rebound smell.' Jia Fei sensed the rebound and went for it. That was really impressive!" Yang Yi also praised.

The Warriors were on offense, and Curry used a screen to get out and take a three-pointer—and he did!

16:21, it won't be easy to beat this Warriors team!

Jia Fei brought the ball over and organized an attack from the top of the arc.

Olynyk moved up, and Jia Fei passed the ball to him.

Jia Fei cut inside, and Beverley and Paul George set two off-ball screens for him!

Olynyk passes the ball from the top of the key to Jia Fei, who is cutting inside!

Jia Fei cuts inside, and Durant and Green both get to the basket!

Jia Fei jumps the ball and passes it to Gallinari in the corner from under Green's flank!

Big open!

Gallinari calmly sinks a three-pointer... What you've been searching for is right under your nose!

Three points to thread a needle!

16:24, still an 8-point difference, Answerball!

The atmosphere at Staples Center was ignited once again!

Wang Meng exclaimed, "Jia Fei's pass was really good! Gallinari received it very comfortably, with excellent rhythm!"

"That's the difference between George and Jia Fei. Just now, Gallinari on the Cavaliers' team had an open shot, but George just couldn't see the opportunity. But Jia Fei could see it. That's the difference between a star player and an ordinary player!" Yang Yi explained in detail.

The Clippers' offensive strategy is very clear: if the Warriors play center, and Zaza Pachulia, I'll have Olynyk create space; if you don't go out, I'll have Olynyk shoot threes; if you play McGee and he can go out, I'll utilize Olynyk's high-post playmaking ability to have Jia Fei and Paul George play off-ball, cutting inside to attack your basket. If you collapse the defense, I'll pass to the outside shooters for threes.

This move maximized the advantage of the five-foreign-player lineup, and the strategic significance of the Clippers' acquisition of Olynyk was fully demonstrated in this game.

The Clippers took the initiative in the starting lineup. They didn't use the simple and crude tactic of having JaVale James and Paul George go one-on-one. Coach Budenholzer arranged such a brilliant tactic and formulated such a targeted game plan that it made people want to shout "Holy crap!"

Both sides have entered the rotation phase.

The Warriors didn't shorten their rotation, even when they were trailing. Kerr still needs to consider the players' stamina. The seven-game saga against the Rockets was exhausting, and after only one day of rest, they were competing against another top team, especially on the road. He knows this kind of fatigue all too well, having been a player himself.

The Warriors' rotation included McGee, Iguodala, Livingston, David West, and Nick Young.

The Clippers fielded Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Art Mayok, and Dillon.

The Clippers used a 9-man rotation, while the Warriors used a 10-man rotation.