NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 439 The Clippers Are Going Crazy

On July 5th, the Celtics chose not to offer Olynyk a contract, making him a free agent. On the same day, the Clippers and Magic completed a trade, with the Clippers sending small forward Sam Dekker to the Magic in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick.

7月6日，快船和奥利尼克达成了签约协议。7月7日，双方正式签约，合同为期4年价值5000万美元。

The Clippers went absolutely crazy in the offseason...

While several of their key rivals were re-signing veteran players or making minor adjustments, the Clippers made sweeping trades. They fired Doc Rivers' team, traded DeAndre Jordan and John Toga, and did not re-sign JJ Redick. This means that three of the starters from the final few games of last season's Western Conference Finals are gone.

As of now, the Clippers' starting lineup for next season will most likely be: Center - Kelly Olynyk, Power Forward - Danilo Gallinari, Small Forward - Paul George, Shooting Guard - Jia Fei, and Point Guard - Patrick Beverley.

This lineup is somewhat similar to Jia Fei's all-space five-outside lineup with the Hawks, boasting explosive shooting ability and a balanced offense and defense. It has 3-and-D players, playmakers, isolation scorers, and lead defenders, making it a very suitable lineup for modern basketball.

The weaknesses of this lineup are two white players in the paint, which may make them slightly weaker in rim protection and rebounding. Also, apart from Jia Fei, the other players in the lineup have a history of injuries, so their attendance rate may not be at its maximum.

However, their defense isn't a major issue. Both Gallinari and Olynyk are decent one-on-one defenders, at least respectable, and not defensive sieges. Furthermore, the team's perimeter trio's defense is so strong that it can protect them to some extent.

In fact, in today's NBA, rim protection and rebounding are not as important as three-point shooting ability and playmaking. The tactical value of the center is greater than the value of rim protection, because many teams play small lineups and pick-and-roll defenses. The center is often pulled out of the paint, and no matter how good you are at protecting the rim, you can't do it if you're not in the paint.

No team in the entire league has a truly perfect roster, not even the defending champion Warriors. The Warriors' starting lineup has two big men, one of whom is inaccurate from three-point range and the other can't shoot threes at all. Their main rotation player, Iguodala, is inaccurate, and Livingston simply doesn't shoot threes. This team's offensive spacing isn't actually that good either.

Compared to last season, the Clippers' roster strength will definitely be enhanced next season. Wesley Johnson has been replaced by Gallinari, and Thorgan Tomas has been replaced by Paul George; the improvement in these two players is obvious. As for DeAndre Jordan and Kelly Olynyk, in terms of fame and rim protection/rebounding, Jordan is far superior. However, in terms of tactical contribution, spacing ability, and playmaking/screen-and-roll ability, Olynyk is far superior. Not to mention, Olynyk only costs a little over ten million, while Jordan costs over twenty million.

Not to mention that the Clippers can field a lineup of ruthless players like Olynyk, Beverley, and Dillon next season. Would you, Zaza, still dare to make a move? Which team would dare to try and resort to violence?

The Clippers' trade of Dekker and signing Olynyk indicates that the Dekker trade was purely to free up salary cap space. Jia Fei's actions also had a purpose: based on his previous life's experience, next year is a strong draft year, and he wanted to accumulate rookie picks to acquire good players.

With the addition of rookies, the team's salary cap space will be healthy, and the impact of rookie bonuses should not be underestimated.

The free market was in full swing, and Jia Fei had been busy these past few days shooting commercials and promoting the brand he endorsed. Despite his busy schedule, he was still communicating with the "Logo Man" about things at the free market and keeping a close eye on its developments.

In late July, Jia Fei invited his former teammate Reggie Jackson, along with newly signed star Paul George, to go to Las Vegas for a gaming trip.

Jia Fei knew that Reggie and Paul George were good friends, and he also wanted to use Reggie's relationship to get on good terms with Paul George and persuade him to renew his contract with the Clippers next summer.

Jia Fei was surprised that Paul George respected him so much; the two had faced off before. When Jia Fei was still with the Hawks, he played against Paul George's Pacers in the playoffs, and it was in that series that he completely defeated Paul George.

There aren't many players who would willingly accept Paul George as the second-in-command, but Jia Fei is certainly one of them.

In the NBA, skill is the only true currency. Sometimes, no amount of empty promises can compare to the power to impress your opponents.

After spending a few days in Las Vegas, Jia Fei and Paul George quickly became close friends. Paul George is a very buddy-like person and quite outgoing, making him easier to get along with than Durant.

By the end of July, NBA teams were nearing the end of their summer recruitment efforts.

The Clippers currently have the following roster.

Inside players: Olynyk, Art Mayork, Harrell, Boban, Hartenstein

Wings: Jia Fei, Paul George, Gallinari, Wesley Johnson, Dillon

Guards: Beverley, Lou Williams, Derrick White, Dillon Wallace

The Clippers' 15-man roster already has 14 players. According to the Logo guy, the idea is to leave a spot open for flexibility, so they can pick up some bargains later.

Jia Fei thought this was a good idea, as it would increase flexibility and perhaps create opportunities to make bargains during the mid-season.

August has arrived...

In early August, Jia Fei was engaged in commercial activities, conducting design testing for his new signature shoe, "Jia Fei 4th Generation".

Starting in mid-August, Jia Fei organized a basketball training camp.

For this training camp, Jia Fei invited almost the entire new Clippers team, as well as his friends Kemba Walker, Lamb, Reggie Jackson, and others, to Los Angeles.

For basketball enthusiasts, training is a joyful experience, especially playing with close friends.

September has arrived, and the start of the new season is getting closer and closer.

The 2017-18 season will be Jia Fei's 7th NBA season, and he will lead the Clippers toward their first championship trophy in franchise history!

On September 25, the annual NBA Media Open Day took place as scheduled.

The Clippers players made an appearance together, showcasing their new season jerseys, a fresh start for the new team.

The Clippers are currently a strong and well-equipped team with very young players who possess both immediate impact and potential, making them strong contenders for the championship next season.

ESPN and other media outlets have made predictions for next season's NBA champions. The defending champion Warriors are naturally still number one, the runner-up Cavaliers are number two, the Clippers are number three, and the Rockets are number four.

It's worth noting that during last season's offseason, the Clippers were predicted to only hover on the edge of the playoffs. Their run to the Western Conference Finals last season proved their strength, and their offseason acquisitions have made the outside world truly optimistic about them.

How far the Clippers can go depends on whether the team can stay healthy, and most importantly, whether Jia Fei can still be as good as last season.