NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 358 Season Opening Match

On the 27th, the Clippers practiced at the Trail Blazers' training facility.

Old Li was still very passionate, shouting and yelling on the field. Jia Fei had never interacted with him before and didn't know his coaching style. Now that he had, he realized that Old Li really didn't have much substance. It wasn't that he had no tactics at all, but his tactics were rather simple and rigid, and he didn't have his own coaching style.

Many people defended Doc Rivers, pointing out that he was a championship-winning coach with the Celtics and coached the Big Three. However, the truth is that none of the Big Three spoke well of him, and their evaluations of him were unfavorable. As for his claim of developing the Celtics' top-tier defense in the league at the time, the truth is that assistant coach Tom Thibodeau was actually responsible for the Celtics' defense. Yet, all the credit was given to Rivers. It wasn't until Thibodeau went to the Bulls that people realized he was actually a coach highly skilled at developing defense.

But Coach Li isn't without his merits. Firstly, he's exceptionally good at managing the locker room, and he's a GOAT-level player when it comes to motivating and inspiring players. His protégé, Tyronn Lue, perfectly inherited this trait. If coaching styles were to be categorized, he'd probably belong to the "motivational coaching" school.

As for whether "chicken soup for the soul" is highbrow or lowbrow, that's a matter of opinion.

Just like during his time with the Hawks, Jia Fei was always the first to arrive at training and the last to leave. He trained very seriously, without any compromises.

His idol, Allen Iverson, was a star player who didn't like training. But even though he didn't like training, this little guy, who was less than 6 feet tall, could still dominate the court, making people marvel at his strength.

On the evening of the 28th, at the Rose Garden Arena, the home court of the Portland Trail Blazers.

The attendance was very impressive. After Aldridge left, the Trail Blazers ushered in the era of the "Twin Guns" (Aldridge and LaMarcus Caucus) and made it to the playoffs last season as the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Interestingly, the Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference last season. In the playoffs, the two teams faced off, and the Clippers were defeated by the Trail Blazers 4-2, exiting in the first round.

Of course, if it weren't for injuries to key players, the Clippers' chances of being defeated by the Trail Blazers would have been low, but injuries are part of the game. The fact is, the Clippers were knocked out...

The league's scheduling is quite interesting; they're particularly good at creating buzz. By having two teams that were rivals last season play each other in the season opener, the hype is instantly amplified.

Unlike the Trail Blazers, the Clippers have undergone a massive transformation this season, almost completely replacing their core roster. Only a few players from last season, such as DeAndre Jordan, remain on the team. In short, they are now a completely different team.

Last season's Clippers were old and slow, but this season's Clippers are young and full of athleticism.

The away team's locker room. Art Mayork's locker is next to Jia Fei's; the two are changing their gear, preparing for their first match.

Head coach Doc Rivers walked into the locker room, clapping loudly and in a slightly hoarse voice to encourage everyone.

After everything was finished, the Clippers players walked through the player tunnel and entered the court for pre-game practice.

This match was broadcast live by Tencent, with commentators Wang Meng and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Mr. Su, this game is the first game of the season for both teams. Everyone is saying that Jia Fei can't lead this Clippers team to the playoffs on his own. What do you think their chances of making the playoffs are?" Wang Meng asked.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses: "The season hasn't even started yet, so it's too early to talk about whether we can make the playoffs. The Clippers are a new team, so we'll see how their chemistry develops after they've gelled. That's when we can really see the team's strength."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The starting lineup for the Portland Trail Blazers, playing at home, is as follows: Center – Mason Plumlee, Power Forward – Al-Farouq Aminu, Small Forward – Mo Harkless, Shooting Guard – CJ McCollum, Point Guard – Damian Lillard.

The Trail Blazers' roster has height in the frontcourt and shooting in the backcourt, but its weakness lies in its overall offensive spacing. The two forwards aren't particularly good 3-and-D players; while they have decent athleticism, their shooting is extremely inconsistent. Another drawback is the relatively short backcourt duo, making their defense less than ideal.

The Clippers' starting lineup for the away game is as follows: Center – DeAndre Jordan, Power Forward – Tobias Harris, Small Forward – Wesley Johnson, Shooting Guard – Jia Fei, Point Guard – Patrick Beverley.

The Clippers' starting lineup is set except for Wesley Johnson, whose position is uncertain. Lou Williams' characteristics mean he's not suited to starting; he's better suited to coming off the bench and playing a transitional role. Coach Doc Rivers initially wanted Redick to start, but the team's management wants Jia Fei to play shooting guard next season, thus creating an opportunity to start at small forward. The Clippers don't have a good option at this position; both Wesley Johnson and Luc Mbah a Moute have obvious shortcomings. This starting lineup has issues with both ball-handling and spacing. However, their athleticism is phenomenal; all five starters possess excellent individual defensive abilities, making their defense more promising than their offense.

The starting lineups of both teams took to the field, and Jia Fei and Lillard gave each other a light hug to signal that the game was about to begin.

Jia Fei is no stranger to the Rose Garden Arena. In the 2014-15 season, he started his crazy scoring away game here, and many fans should still remember it.

DeAndre Jordan and Plumlee are near the center circle preparing for the jump ball; the game is about to begin.

At the start of the jump ball, DeAndre Jordan's spring speed was indeed amazing, easily tipping the ball to Wesley Johnson.

Wesley Johnson passed the ball to Beverley, who then tactfully passed it to Jia Fei.

Jia Fei passed the ball back to Beverley, signaling for him to dribble the ball over.

Beverley dribbled over, and the player guarding Jia Fei wasn't CJ, who plays the shooting guard position, but Harkless.

Harkless and Jia Fei are similar in height and build. This small forward possesses excellent athleticism and is quite fast for his position, but he's the type who can do a little bit of everything but isn't proficient in anything. As a 3-and-D player, his "D" (field) ability isn't strong, and his "3" (post) is largely dependent on luck. He doesn't have the potential to be developed as an outside hitter or middle blocker.

This type of player will eventually have two possible outcomes. One is that he develops a killer skill, such as defense, and even if his shooting is not good, he can follow the Tony Allen route and get a mid-level exception in the league. The other is that he develops a three-point shot and develops into a 3-and-D player, with Ariza as his role model.

But most likely, he'll become a mediocre player who excels at nothing, wandering from team to team until he eventually fades out of the league...

Beverly is looking for Jia Fei.

Jia Fei cuts out to receive the ball, facing Harkless.

DeAndre Jordan sets a screen, Jia Fei is double-teamed, and passes to DeAndre Jordan on the roll!

DeAndre Jordan passes to Harris in the corner again.

Harris started traveling...